Analyser and method for regulatory testing of solar installations

Abstract

A test device for testing an electrical circuit includes input terminals connectable to different test points of the electrical circuit by test leads, at least first and second measurement circuits, switches, a processor, and a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the test device to perform a first test of the electrical circuit while one or more of the switches electrically couple at least the first and second of the input terminals to the first measurement circuit, and to perform a second test of the electrical circuit while one or more of the switches electrically couple at least the third and fourth of the input terminals to the second measurement circuit, wherein the first and second tests are performed without changing the connections of the input terminals of the test device to the different test points of the electrical circuit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to testing solar installations, and more particularly to simplifying the connection of test devices to solar installations. [Background technology]

[0002] After a photovoltaic (PV) system is installed, tests may be performed to verify that the system is properly installed and operating safely. For example, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) IEC 62446-1 regulation defines the information and documentation that must be provided to customers after the installation of a grid-connected PV system. The IEC 62446-1 regulation also describes the commissioning tests, inspection criteria, and documentation that are expected to verify the safe installation and correct operation of the system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] There are multiple electrical measurements that need to be performed to test a system and issue a compliance report in accordance with the IEC 62446-1 regulation. Some measurements are performed in dangerous and hard-to-reach locations, such as steeply sloped roofs. Traditionally, technicians must reconnect test leads and connect them to different parts of the equipment using different terminals on the test device or analyzer to complete all required measurements. These tasks are time-consuming and can be performed in a hazardous environment.

[0004] For example, in the United States, customers often skip safety testing (Category 1 testing under IEC 62446-1 regulations) and typically only conduct performance measurements (Category 2 testing under IEC 62446-1 regulations) to verify system efficiency and return on investment for solar equipment. Safety testing is often avoided because it takes additional time and may require access to dangerous, exposed locations (e.g., steep roofs) that are not required by local regulations. If solar equipment is not tested for safety, it may not operate safely. For example, solar equipment that is unsafe to operate could cause a fire, which could result in loss of life and property. In Europe, the opposite situation occurs: Category 1 testing is performed in accordance with mandatory regulations, but Category 2 testing is avoided because it is optional. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to the present disclosure, a test device is provided that enables a technician to use a limited number of test leads (e.g., four test leads) electrically coupled between the respective input terminals of the test device and the respective test points of the solar installation to perform complete Category 1 and Category 2 tests in accordance with the IEC 62446-1 regulation. The test device includes firmware that controls internal switches (e.g., relays) that dynamically electrically couple the respective input terminals to respective internal measurement circuits to automatically perform the full set of tests without requiring reconnection of the test leads to the input terminals. Thus, after the test leads are connected to the input terminals of the test device and the respective test points of the solar installation, the test leads remain within the input terminals while multiple tests or measurements are performed.

[0006] Thus, a test device according to the present disclosure can increase productivity by saving the time that would be required to reconnect test leads and perform tests using conventional techniques. Additionally, a test device according to the present disclosure can increase safety because a technician can access hazardous locations (e.g., roofs) solely to connect and disconnect test leads, without requiring the location to be accessed to move and reconnect test leads during testing. Additionally, a test device according to the present disclosure can enable technicians in the United States and Europe, for example, to perform Category 1 and 2 tests that fully evaluate a PV system using one set of actions to connect a test device to the PV system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

[0008] For a better understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a test device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram of a portion of the test device shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3D] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3E]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3F] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3G] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3H] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3I] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3J] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3K] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3L] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3M] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3N] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3O] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A test device for testing an electrical circuit includes input terminals connectable by test leads to different test points of the electrical circuit, at least first and second measurement circuits, switches, a processor, and a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the test device to perform a first test of the electrical circuit while one or more of the switches electrically couple at least the first and second of the input terminals to the first measurement circuit, and to perform a second test of the electrical circuit while one or more of the switches electrically couple at least the third and fourth of the input terminals to the second measurement circuit, wherein the first and second tests are performed without changing the connections of the input terminals of the test device to the different test points of the electrical circuit.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a test device 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The test device 100 includes a microprocessor 102 having a memory 104 and a processor 106. The test device 100 also includes a memory 108 electrically coupled to the microprocessor 102. The memory 104 can be any type of digital information storage and retrieval device, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), an optical or magnetic media device, or the like. The memory 108 stores instructions that, when executed by the processor 106, cause the test device 100 to perform the functions described herein. In one or more embodiments, the processor 106 uses the memory 104 as a working memory when the processor 106 executes the instructions stored by the memory 108. In one or more embodiments, the processor 106 stores test results in the memory 108.

[0011] Test device 100 also includes input / output (I / O) circuitry 110, e.g., input devices such as touch input devices, buttons, knobs, and / or dials that an operator can use to control the operation of test device 100. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, I / O circuitry 110 includes one or more output devices, e.g., a light emitting device, a speaker, a buzzer, and / or a data interface (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface).

[0012] The test device 100 also includes a plurality of switches 112 that are operationally controlled by the microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, the microprocessor 102 provides a control signal to each of the switches 112, causing each of the switches 112 to be in a conducting or closed state when the control signal has a first predetermined state (e.g., voltage level) and to be in a non-conducting or open state when the control signal has a second predetermined state (e.g., voltage level) that is different from the first predetermined state. In one or more implementations, each of the switches 112 may include an actuator configured to manually place the switch 112 in a conducting or non-conducting state based on whether the actuator is in a first position or a second position.

[0013] The test device 100 also includes a plurality of input terminals 114 and a plurality of measurement circuits 116. As will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 2, the microprocessor 102 controls the switches 112 to electrically couple each of the input terminals 114 to one of the measurement circuits 116 appropriate for the particular test being performed.

[0014] In addition, test device 100 includes a display device 118. Display device 118 displays information graphically to an operator. Microprocessor 102 controls display device 118 to display information related to tests performed by test device 100, such as test results and instructions to a user of test device 100. In one or more embodiments, display device 118 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. In one or more embodiments, display device 118 includes a touch screen device.

[0015] FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of a portion 100' of the test device 100 shown in FIGURE 1 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIGURE 2, the switches 112 include switches 112a, 112b, 112c, 112d, 112e, 112f, 112g, 112h, 112i, 112j, 112k, 112l, 112m, 112n, 112o, 112p, 112q, 112r, 112s, 112t, 112u, 112v, 112w, 112x, and 112y. The arrangement of the switches 112 shown in FIGURE 2 is an example, and test devices according to the present disclosure can include different arrangements of the switches 112 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0016] 2 shows four input terminals 114, a test device according to the present disclosure may include a different number of input terminals 114 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0017] The measurement circuits 116 include an alternating current (AC) voltage measurement circuit 116a, a direct current (DC) voltage measurement circuit 116b, an AC current measurement circuit 116c, a DC current measurement circuit 116d, a resistance measurement circuit 116e, a capacitance measurement circuit 116f, and a diode measurement circuit 116g. The measurement circuits 116 shown in FIG. 2 are examples, and test devices according to the present disclosure may include different measurement circuits without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Also, each of the measurement circuits 116 shown in FIG. 2 may include two or more measurement circuits without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the resistance measurement circuit 116e may include a first resistance measurement circuit (not shown in FIG. 2) that measures resistance using a relatively high test current and a second resistance measurement circuit (not shown in FIG. 2) that measures resistance using a relatively high test voltage, and the terminals 116e-1 and 116e-2 of the resistance measurement circuit 116e are electrically coupled to one of the first and second resistance measurement circuits of the resistance measurement circuit 116e by the switch 112 (not shown in FIG. 2) based on a control signal from the microprocessor 102.

[0018] More specifically, switch 112a selectively electrically couples input terminal 114a to a first terminal 116a-1 of AC voltage measurement circuit 116a. Switch 112b selectively electrically couples input terminal 114b to a second terminal 116a-2 of AC voltage measurement circuit 116a. While switches 112a and 112b are conductive, AC voltage measurement circuit 116a measures the AC potential difference between input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the AC potential difference to microprocessor 102.

[0019] Switch 112c selectively electrically couples input terminal 114a to a first terminal 116b-1 of DC voltage measurement circuit 116b. Switch 112d selectively electrically couples input terminal 114b to a second terminal 116b-2 of DC voltage measurement circuit 116b. While switches 112c and 112d are conductive, DC voltage measurement circuit 116b measures the DC potential difference between input terminal 114a and input terminal 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the DC potential difference to microprocessor 102.

[0020] Switch 112e selectively electrically couples input terminal 114c to second terminal 116b-2 of DC voltage measurement circuit 116b. Switch 112f selectively electrically couples input terminal 114c to first terminal 116b-1 of DC voltage measurement circuit 116b. For example, while switches 112e and 112c are conductive, DC voltage measurement circuit 116b measures the DC potential difference between input terminal 114a and input terminal 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the DC potential difference to microprocessor 102. For example, while switches 112f and 112d are conductive, DC voltage measurement circuit 116b measures the DC potential difference between input terminal 114b and input terminal 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the DC potential difference to microprocessor 102.

[0021] Switch 112g selectively electrically couples input terminal 114c to a first terminal 116c-1 of AC current measurement circuit 116c. Switch 112p selectively electrically couples input terminal 114d to a second terminal 116c-2 of AC current measurement circuit 116c. While switches 112g and 112p are conductive, AC current measurement circuit 116c measures the AC current flowing between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the AC current to microprocessor 102.

[0022] Switch 112h selectively electrically couples input terminal 114c to a first terminal 116d-1 of DC current measurement circuit 116d. Switch 112o selectively electrically couples input terminal 114d to a second terminal 116d-2 of DC current measurement circuit 116d. While switches 112h and 112o are conductive, DC current measurement circuit 116d measures the DC current flowing between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the DC current to microprocessor 102.

[0023] Switch 112i selectively electrically couples input terminal 114c to a first terminal 116e-1 of resistance measurement circuit 116e. Switch 112q selectively electrically couples input terminal 114d to a second terminal 116d-2 of DC current measurement circuit 116d. While switches 112i and 112q are conductive, DC current measurement circuit 116d measures the DC current flowing between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the DC current to microprocessor 102.

[0024] Switch 112k selectively electrically couples input terminal 114c to second terminal 116e-2 of resistance measurement circuit 116e. Switch 112l selectively electrically couples input terminal 114a to first terminal 116e-1 of resistance measurement circuit 116e. While switches 112k and 112l are conductive, resistance measurement circuit 116e measures the electrical resistance between input terminals 114a and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the resistance to microprocessor 102.

[0025] Switch 112m selectively electrically couples input terminal 114b to a second terminal 116e-2 of resistance measurement circuit 116e. While switches 112l and 112m are conductive, resistance measurement circuit 116e measures the resistance between input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the resistance to microprocessor 102.

[0026] The switch 112j selectively electrically couples the input terminal 114c to a first terminal 116f-1 of the capacitance measurement circuit 116f. The switch 112y selectively electrically couples the input terminal 114b to a second terminal 116f-2 of the capacitance measurement circuit 116f. While the switches 112j and 112y are conductive, the capacitance measurement circuit 116f measures the capacitance between the input terminals 114b and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the capacitance to the microprocessor 102.

[0027] The switch 112r selectively electrically couples the input terminal 114a to a first terminal 116f-1 of the capacitance measurement circuit 116f. The switch 112z selectively electrically couples the input terminal 114c to a second terminal 116f-2 of the capacitance measurement circuit 116f. While the switches 112r and 112z are conductive, the capacitance measurement circuit 116f measures the capacitance between the input terminals 114a and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the capacitance to the microprocessor 102.

[0028] Switch 112t selectively electrically couples input terminal 114a to a first terminal 116g-1 of diode measurement circuit 116g. Switch 112s selectively electrically couples input terminal 114d to a second terminal 116g-2 of diode measurement circuit 116g. While switches 112t and 112s are conductive, diode measurement circuit 116g measures the forward voltage of a diode disposed between input terminals 114a and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the forward voltage to microprocessor 102.

[0029] The switch 112u selectively electrically couples the input terminal 114b to a second terminal 116g-2 of the diode measurement circuit 116g. While the switches 112t and 112u are conductive, the diode measurement circuit 116g measures the forward voltage of the diode disposed between the input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the forward voltage to the microprocessor 102.

[0030] Switch 112v selectively electrically couples input terminal 114a to input terminal 114b. While switch 112v is in a conductive state, input terminals 114a to 114b are electrically coupled together. While switch 112v is in a non-conductive state, input terminals 114a to 114b are electrically decoupled from each other.

[0031] Switch 112w selectively electrically couples input terminal 114a to a first terminal 116e-1 of resistance measurement circuit 116e. Switch 112x selectively electrically couples input terminal 114b to a second terminal 116e-2 of resistance measurement circuit 116e. While switches 112w and 112x are conductive, resistance measurement circuit 116e measures the resistance between input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the resistance to microprocessor 102.

[0032] Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3J, 3K, 3L, 3M, 3N, and 3O are diagrams illustrating test configurations according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The test configurations shown in Figures 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3J, 3K, 3L, 3M, 3N, and 3O are examples, and test devices according to the present disclosure may be used in other test configurations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0033] 3A shows a portion of a solar installation 300 including a solar panel 302 having a positive voltage output terminal 304a, a negative voltage output terminal 304b, a ground connector 304c, and a frame 304d. A ground cable 306 electrically couples the ground connector 304c of the solar panel 302 to a ground or reference potential 308 (e.g., via a bus bar or ground spike partially disposed in the ground near the solar installation 300).

[0034] The solar installation 300 is electrically coupled to the device under test 100. More specifically, test lead 310a electrically couples the input terminal 114a of the device under test 100 to a test point that is the positive voltage output terminal 304a of the solar panel 302, test lead 310b electrically couples the input terminal 114b of the device under test 100 to a test point that is the negative voltage output terminal 304b of the solar panel 300, test lead 310c electrically couples the input terminal 114c of the device under test 100 to a test point that is the ground or reference potential 308, and test lead 310d electrically couples the input terminal 114d of the device under test 100 to a test point that is the frame 304d of the solar installation 300.

[0035] FIG. 3B is similar in many relevant respects to FIG. 3A, except that test lead 310d electrically couples input terminal 114d of test device 100 to a test point that is ground connector 304c of solar installation 300.

[0036] FIG. 3C shows a test configuration in which test lead 310b electrically couples input terminal 114b of test device 100 to a test point that is a first arbitrary portion of solar installation 300 (not shown in FIG. 3C), and test lead 310c electrically couples input terminal 114c of test device 100 to a second arbitrary portion of solar installation 300 (not shown in FIG. 3C).

[0037] 3D shows a test configuration in which a blocking diode 312 is electrically coupled between the solar installation 300 and the test device 100. More specifically, the anode of the blocking diode 312 is electrically coupled to the positive voltage output terminal 304a of the solar panel 302, and the cathode of the blocking diode 312 is electrically coupled to test lead 310a. Test lead 310a electrically couples the input terminal 114a of the test device 100 to a test point that is the cathode of the blocking diode 312, and test lead 310d electrically couples the input terminal 114d of the test device 100 to a test point that is the anode of the blocking diode 312.

[0038] 3E shows a test configuration in which the cathode of bypass diode 314 is electrically coupled to the positive voltage output terminal 304a of solar panel 302 and the anode of bypass diode 314 is electrically coupled to the negative voltage output terminal 304b of solar panel 300. Test lead 310a electrically couples input terminal 114a of device under test 100 to a test point, which is the cathode of bypass diode 314, and test lead 310b electrically couples input terminal 114b of device under test 100 to a test point, which is the anode of bypass diode 314.

[0039] 3F shows a test configuration in which the cathode of diode 316 is removed from solar installation 300. Test lead 310a electrically couples the cathode of diode 316 to input terminal 114a of test device 100, and test lead 310b electrically couples the anode of diode 316 to input terminal 114b of test device 100.

[0040] 3G shows a test configuration in which the test device 100 is electrically coupled to an overvoltage protection device array 318. For example, the overvoltage protection device array 318 is a Multi-Pole Surge Arrester Type 2 from DEHN Inc. More specifically, test lead 310a electrically couples the input terminal 114a of the test device 100 to a test point that is a first terminal 320a of the overvoltage protection device array 318, and test lead 310c electrically couples the input terminal 114c of the test device 100 to a test point that is a second terminal 320b of the overvoltage protection device array 318.

[0041] 3H shows another test configuration in which the test device 100 is electrically coupled to an overvoltage protection device array 318. More specifically, test lead 310c electrically couples the input terminal 114c of the test device 100 to a test point that is the second terminal 320b of the overvoltage protection device array 318, and test lead 310b electrically couples the input terminal 114b of the test device 100 to a test point that is the third terminal 320c of the overvoltage protection device array 318.

[0042] 3I shows a test configuration in which the test device 100 is electrically coupled to an overvoltage protection device 322. For example, the overvoltage protection device 322 is a varistor or a voltage-dependent resistor. More specifically, test lead 310b electrically couples the input terminal 114b of the test device 100 to a test point that is a first terminal 324a of the overvoltage protection device 322, and test lead 310c electrically couples the input terminal 114c of the test device 100 to a test point that is a second terminal 324b of the overvoltage protection device 322.

[0043] 3J illustrates a test configuration in which the test device 100 is electrically coupled between the last solar panel 302′ of the solar installation 300 and the inverter 326. For example, the solar installation 300 is formed by electrically coupling the solar panel 302, the solar panel 302′, and the inverter 326 in parallel. The test configuration illustrated in FIG. 3J uses two test leads 310a′ and 310b′, each of which includes a Y-connector at one end. More specifically, a first connector of the Y-connector of the test lead 310a′ is electrically coupled to a test point that is the positive voltage output terminal 304a′ of the solar panel 302′, a second connector of the Y-connector of the test lead 310a′ is electrically coupled to the input terminal 114a of the test device 100, and a connector at the other end of the test lead 310a′ is electrically coupled to a test point that is the positive DC voltage input terminal 328a of the inverter 326. Additionally, a first connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' is electrically coupled to a test point which is the negative voltage output terminal 304b' of the solar panel 302', a second connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' is electrically coupled to the input terminal 114b of the test device 100, and the connector at the other end of test lead 310b' is electrically coupled to a test point which is the negative DC voltage input terminal 328b of the inverter 326.

[0044] 3K shows another test configuration in which test device 100 is electrically coupled between the last solar panel 302′ of the solar installation 300 and inverter 326. A first connector of the Y connector of test lead 310 a′ is electrically coupled to a test point that is the positive voltage output terminal 304 a′ of solar panel 302′, a second connector of the Y connector of test lead 310 a′ is electrically coupled to input terminal 114 a of test device 100, and the connector at the other end of test lead 310 a′ is electrically coupled to a test point that is the positive DC voltage input terminal 328 a of inverter 326. Additionally, a first connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' is electrically coupled to the negative voltage output terminal 304b' of the solar panel 302', a second connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' is electrically coupled to the input terminal 114b of the test device 100, and the connector at the other end of test lead 310b' is electrically coupled to the negative DC voltage input terminal 328b of the inverter 326. Additionally, test leads 310c' and 310d' are electrically coupled to respective terminals of a clamp 330 disposed around test lead 310b'. Additionally or alternatively, clamp 330 can be disposed around test lead 310a' to measure the current flowing through test lead 310a'. Measuring the current with clamp 330 is merely an example; current can also be measured in a direct manner, for example, via a shunt resistor.

[0045] FIG. 3L illustrates yet another test configuration in which the test device 100 is electrically coupled between the last solar panel 302′ of a solar panel assembly and the inverter 326. The test configuration illustrated in FIG. 3L uses two test leads 310c′ and 310d′. Test lead 310c′ electrically couples the input terminal 114c of the test device 100 to a first terminal of a clamp 330, and test lead 310d′ electrically couples the input terminal 114d of the test device 100 to a second terminal of the clamp 330. For example, the clamp 330 is similar in many relevant respects to a Fluke i400 AC current clamp. More specifically, cable 332a electrically couples the positive voltage output terminal 304a′ of the solar panel 302′ to the positive DC voltage input terminal 328a of the inverter 326, and cable 332b electrically couples the negative voltage output terminal 304b′ of the solar panel 302′ to the negative DC voltage input terminal 328b of the inverter 326. Clamp 330 is also placed around cable 332b. Additionally or alternatively, clamp 330 can be placed around cable 332a to measure the current in cable 332a. Measuring the current with clamp 330 is exemplary only; current can also be measured in a direct manner, for example, via a shunt resistor.

[0046] 3M shows a test configuration in which test device 100 is electrically coupled to the output of inverter 326. Cable 334 electrically couples first AC voltage output terminal 328c of inverter 326 to a load (not shown), e.g., the main grid. Cable 336 also electrically couples second AC voltage output terminal 328d of inverter 326 to the load (e.g., the main grid). Test leads 310a' and 310b' electrically couple input terminals 114a and 114b in parallel with output terminals 328c and 328d of inverter 326, respectively.

[0047] 3N illustrates another test configuration in which the test device 100 is electrically coupled to the output of the inverter 326. The test configuration illustrated in FIG. 3N is similar in many relevant respects to the test configuration illustrated in FIG. 3M, except that test lead 310c' electrically couples the input terminal 114c of the test device 100 to a first terminal of a clamp 330, and test lead 310d' electrically couples the input terminal 114d of the test device 100 to a second terminal of a clamp 330 disposed around a cable 334. Additionally or alternatively, the clamp 330 can be disposed around a cable 336 and can measure the current flowing through the cable 336. Measuring the current with the clamp 330 is merely an example; current can also be measured in a direct manner, for example, via a shunt resistor.

[0048] Figure 3O shows yet another test configuration in which the test device 100 is electrically coupled to the output of the inverter 326. The test configuration shown in Figure 3O is similar in many relevant respects to the test configuration shown in Figure 3N, except that in Figure 3O, test leads 310a' and 310b' are not used to electrically couple input terminals 114a and 114b in parallel with output terminals 328c and 328d, respectively, of the inverter 326.

[0049] 4 shows a flowchart of a method 400 for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 400 begins at 402.

[0050] At 402, the technician electrically couples a plurality of test leads between a respective plurality of input terminals of the device under test and a respective plurality of test points of the electrical circuit. For example, at 402, as shown in FIG. 3A , the technician electrically couples test lead 310a between input terminal 114a of test device 100 and a test point that is the positive voltage output terminal 304a of solar panel 302, electrically couples test lead 310b between input terminal 114b of test device 100 and a test point that is the negative voltage output terminal 304b of solar panel 300, electrically couples test lead 310c between input terminal 114c of test device 100 and a test point that is the ground or reference potential 308, and electrically couples test lead 310d between input terminal 114d of test device 100 and a test point that is the frame 304d of solar installation 300. Method 400 then proceeds to 404.

[0051] At 404, the test device measures the continuity of the ground connection. For example, at 404, switches 112i and 112p electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114c and 114d. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112i and 112p to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 406.

[0052] In one or more implementations, the microprocessor 102 automatically selectively couples 404 the resistance measurement circuit 116e to the input terminals 114c and 114d by providing control signals to the switches 112 based on a program or other processor-executable instructions that cause the microprocessor 102 to perform a predetermined series of tests or measurements, the program or processor-executable instructions specifying, for each test or measurement, at least one of the measurement circuits 116 to which two or more of the input terminals 114 are electrically coupled, and / or one or more of the switches 112 that are in a conductive state, and / or one or more of the switches 112 that are in a non-conductive state. In one or more implementations, the microprocessor 102 selectively couples the resistance measurement circuit 116e to the input terminals 114c and 114d in response to one or more user inputs, such as a user selecting an icon displayed by the display device 118 that lists the name of a particular test or measurement (e.g., measuring the continuity of a ground connection). In one or more implementations, resistance measurement circuit 116e is electrically coupled to input terminals 114c and 114d in response to a user input corresponding to a user rotating a dial on I / O circuit 110 to a position corresponding to a particular test or measurement, which manually causes switches 112i and 112p to be conductive and switches 112 other than switches 112i and 112p to be non-conductive.

[0053] At 406, the technician moves the remote probe from the frame of the solar panel to the ground connector. For example, at 406, as shown in FIG. 3B , the technician moves the remote probe coupled to test lead 310d to ground connector 304c of solar installation 300. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display a message with instructions to connect test lead 310d to input terminal 114d and ground connector 304c of solar installation 300. Method 400 then proceeds to 408.

[0054] At 408, the test device measures the resistance between two points on the ground cable. For example, at 408, switches 112i and 112p electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114c and 114d, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114c and 114d to measure the resistance between the two points on ground cable 306 and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112i and 112p to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 410.

[0055] At 410, the test device measures the open-circuit voltage. For example, at 410, switches 112c and 112d electrically couple DC voltage measurement circuit 116b to input terminals 114a and 114b, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. DC voltage measurement circuit 116b then measures the voltage between input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112c and 112d to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 412.

[0056] At 412, the test device measures the short-circuit current. For example, at 412, switches 112w and 112x electrically couple DC current measurement circuit 116d to input terminals 114a and 114b, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. DC current measurement circuit 116d then measures the current flowing between input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112w and 112x to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 414.

[0057] At 414, the test device divides the open circuit voltage measured at 410 by the short circuit current measured at 412. For example, at 414, the microprocessor 102 of the test device 100 performs curve tracing by dividing the open circuit voltage measured at 410 by the short circuit current measured at 412 and causes the resulting value to be displayed by the display device 118. The method 400 then proceeds to 416.

[0058] At 416, the test device measures the first insulation resistance using the first method. For example, at 416, switches 112i and 112m electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114b and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114b and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112i and 112m to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 418.

[0059] At 418, the test device measures the second insulation resistance using the first method. For example, at 418, switches 112l and 112k electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114a and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114a and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112l and 112k to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 420.

[0060] At 420, the test device measures the insulation resistance using a second method. For example, at 420, switches 112v, 112m, and 112i electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114a, 114b, and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114a and 114b, shorted by switch 112v, and input terminal 114c, and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112v, 112m, and 112i to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 422.

[0061] At 422, the technician moves the remote probe to any test point on the solar panel. For example, at 422, as shown in FIG. 3C, the technician moves the remote probes coupled to test leads 310b and 310c, respectively, to two arbitrary test points (not shown in FIG. 3C) on solar installation 300. Method 400 then proceeds to 424.

[0062] At 424, the test device measures the resistance between the two test points. For example, at 424, switches 112i and 112m electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114b and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114b and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112i and 112m to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 426.

[0063] At 426, the technician returns the remote probes to their original test points. For example, at 426, as shown in FIG. 3A, the technician returns the remote probe coupled to test lead 310b to positive voltage output terminal 304a and the remote probe coupled to test lead 310c to ground or reference potential 308. Method 400 then proceeds to 428.

[0064] At 428, the test device measures the voltage between the solar positive voltage output terminal and ground or a reference potential. For example, at 428, switches 112c and 112e electrically couple DC voltage measurement circuit 116b to input terminals 114a and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112c and 112e to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurements or tests performed. Method 400 then proceeds to 430.

[0065] At 430, the test device measures the voltage between the negative voltage output terminal of the solar panel and ground or a reference potential. For example, at 430, switches 112d and 112f electrically couple DC voltage measurement circuit 116b to input terminals 114b and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112d and 112f to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurements or tests performed. Method 400 then proceeds to 432.

[0066] At 432, the test device measures the capacitance between the positive and negative voltage output terminals of the solar panel. For example, at 432, switches 112r and 112y electrically couple capacitance measurement circuit 116f to input terminals 114a and 114b, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112r and 112y to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then proceeds to 434.

[0067] At 434, the test device measures the capacitance between the solar negative voltage output terminal and ground or a reference potential. For example, at 434, switches 112j and 112y electrically couple capacitance measurement circuit 116f to input terminals 114b and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112j and 112y to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 400 then ends.

[0068] 5 shows a flowchart of a method 500 for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 500 begins at 502.

[0069] At 502, a technician electrically couples a plurality of test leads between a plurality of respective input terminals of a device under test and a plurality of respective test points of an electrical circuit. For example, at 502, as shown in FIG. 3D , the technician electrically couples the anode of blocking diode 312 to positive voltage output terminal 304a of solar panel 302, electrically couples test lead 310a to the cathode of blocking diode 312, and electrically couples test lead 310d to the anode of blocking diode 312. Method 500 then proceeds to 504.

[0070] At 504, the test device measures the voltage across the blocking diode. For example, at 504, switches 112s and 112t electrically couple diode measurement circuit 116g to input terminals 114a and 114d, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Diode measurement circuit 116g then measures the voltage across input terminals 114a and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112s and 112t to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 500 then proceeds to 506.

[0071] At 506, the technician moves the remote probe to test the bypass diode. For example, at 506, as shown in FIG. 3E , the technician electrically couples the cathode of the bypass diode 314 to the positive voltage output terminal 304a of the solar panel 302, the anode of the bypass diode 314 to the negative voltage output terminal 304b of the solar panel 300, the test lead 310a to the cathode of the bypass diode 314, and the test lead 310b to the anode of the bypass diode 314. The method 500 then proceeds to 508.

[0072] At 508, the test device measures the voltage across the bypass diode. For example, at 508, switches 112t and 112u electrically couple diode measurement circuit 116g to input terminals 114a and 114b, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Diode measurement circuit 116g then measures the voltage across input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112t and 112u to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 500 then ends.

[0073] 6 shows a flowchart of a method 600 for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 600 begins at 602.

[0074] At 602, a technician electrically couples a plurality of test leads between a plurality of input terminals of each of the devices under test and a plurality of test points of each of the electrical circuits. For example, at 602, the technician electrically couples test lead 310a to a first terminal 320a of overvoltage protection device array 318, test lead 310b to a third terminal 320c of overvoltage protection device array 318, and test lead 310c to a second terminal 320b of overvoltage protection device array 318, as shown in Figures 3G and 3H. Method 600 then proceeds to 604.

[0075] At 604, the test device measures a first resistance of the first overvoltage protection device array 318. For example, at 604, switches 112l and 112k electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114a and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114a and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112l and 112k to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 600 then proceeds to 606.

[0076] At 606, the test device measures a second resistance of the first overvoltage protection device array 318. For example, at 606, switches 112i and 112m electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114b and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114b and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112i and 112m to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 600 then proceeds to 608.

[0077] In one or more implementations, the method 600 further includes measuring a third resistance of the first overvoltage protection device array 318. For example, the switches 112l and 112m electrically couple the resistance measurement circuit 116e to the input terminals 114a and 114b, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. The resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between the input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to the microprocessor 102.

[0078] At 608, the technician moves the remote probe to test a second overvoltage device. For example, at 608, the technician electrically couples test lead 310b to the first terminal 324a of overvoltage protection device 322 and electrically couples test lead 310c to the second terminal 324b of overvoltage protection device 322, as shown in FIG. 3I. Method 600 then proceeds to 610.

[0079] At 610, the test device measures the voltage of the second overvoltage protection device. For example, at 610, switches 112i and 112m electrically couple resistance measurement circuit 116e to input terminals 114b and 114c, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. Resistance measurement circuit 116e then measures the resistance between input terminals 114b and 114c and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112i and 112m to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 600 then ends.

[0080] 7 shows a flowchart of a method 700 for testing an electrical circuit in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 700 begins at 702.

[0081] At 702, the technician electrically couples a plurality of test leads between a plurality of input terminals of the device under test and a plurality of test points of the electrical circuit. For example, at 702, as shown in Figures 3J and 3K, the technician electrically couples a first connector of the Y connector of test lead 310a' to the positive voltage output terminal 304a' of the solar panel 302', a second connector of the Y connector of test lead 310a' to the input terminal 114a of the device under test 100, and a connector at the other end of test lead 310a' to the positive DC voltage input terminal 328a of the inverter 326. The technician also electrically couples a first connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' to the negative voltage output terminal 304b' of the solar panel 302', electrically couples a second connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' to the input terminal 114b of the test device 100, and electrically couples the connector at the other end of test lead 310b' to the negative DC voltage input terminal 328b of the inverter 326. In addition, the technician places a clamp 330 around test lead 310b', which is electrically coupled to test leads 310c' and 310d'.

[0082] At 704, the test device measures the voltage output from the solar panel 302′ to the inverter 326. For example, at 704, switches 112c and 112d electrically couple DC voltage measurement circuit 116b to input terminals 114a and 114b, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. DC voltage measurement circuit 116b then measures the voltage across input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112c and 112d to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 700 then proceeds to 706.

[0083] At 706, the test device measures the current output from the solar panel 302′ to the inverter 326. For example, at 706, switches 112h and 112o electrically couple DC current measurement circuit 116d to input terminals 114c and 114d, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. DC current measurement circuit 116d then measures the current flowing between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112h and 112o to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 700 then proceeds to 708.

[0084] At 708, the test device calculates a power value using the voltage measured at 704 and the current measured at 706. For example, at 708, the microprocessor 102 multiplies the voltage measured at 704 by the current measured at 706. The method 700 then proceeds to 710.

[0085] At 710, the technician electrically couples a plurality of test leads between a plurality of input terminals of the device under test and a plurality of test points of the electrical circuit. For example, at 710, as shown in FIG. 3L, the technician electrically couples cable 332a between positive voltage output terminal 304a' of solar panel 302' and positive DC voltage input terminal 328a of inverter 326, and electrically couples cable 332b between negative voltage output terminal 304b' of solar panel 302' and negative DC voltage input terminal 328b of inverter 326. The technician also electrically places clamp 330 around cable 332b. Method 700 then proceeds to 712.

[0086] At 712, the test device measures the current output from the solar panel 302′ to the inverter 326. For example, at 712, switches 112h and 112o electrically couple DC current measurement circuit 116d, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. DC current measurement circuit 116d then measures the current flowing between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112h and 112o to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 700 then proceeds to 714.

[0087] At 714, the technician electrically couples a plurality of test leads between each of the plurality of input terminals of the test device and each of the plurality of test points of the electrical circuit. For example, at 714, as shown in FIGS. 3M and 3N, the technician electrically couples a first connector of the Y connector of test lead 310a' to the second AC voltage output terminal 328d of inverter 326, electrically couples a second connector of the Y connector of test lead 310a' to the input terminal 114a of test device 100, and electrically couples the connector at the other end of test lead 310a' to a load (not shown). The technician also electrically couples a first connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' to the first AC voltage output terminal 328c of inverter 326, electrically couples a second connector of the Y connector of test lead 310b' to the input terminal 114b of test device 100, and electrically couples the connector at the other end of test lead 310b' to the load. In addition, the technician places clamp 330 around test lead 310b. The method 700 then proceeds to 716.

[0088] At 716, the test device measures the voltage output from the inverter 326. For example, at 716, switches 112a and 112b electrically couple the AC voltage measurement circuit 116a to the input terminals 114a and 114b, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. The AC voltage measurement circuit 116a then measures the voltage across the input terminals 114a and 114b and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to the microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, the microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause the switches 112 other than switches 112a and 112b to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, the microprocessor 102 causes the display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. The method 700 then proceeds to 718.

[0089] At 718, the test device measures the current output from inverter 326. For example, at 718, switches 112g and 112p electrically couple AC current measurement circuit 116c to input terminals 114c and 114d, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. AC current measurement circuit 116c then measures the current flowing between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112g and 112p to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 700 then proceeds to 720.

[0090] At 720, the test device calculates a power value using the voltage measured at 716 and the current measured at 718. For example, at 720, the microprocessor 102 multiplies the voltage measured at 716 by the current measured at 718. The method 700 then proceeds to 722.

[0091] At 722, the technician electrically couples a plurality of test leads between each of the plurality of input terminals of the test device and each of the plurality of test points of the electrical circuit. For example, at 722, as shown in FIG. 3O, the technician electrically couples cable 332a between first AC voltage output terminal 328c of inverter 326 and the load, and electrically couples cable 332b between second AC voltage output terminal 328d of inverter 326 and the load. The technician also electrically couples test lead 310c' between input terminal 114c of test device 100 and a first terminal of clamp 330, and electrically couples test lead 310d' between input terminal 114d of test device 100 and a second terminal of clamp 330. In addition, the technician places clamp 330 around cable 332c. Method 700 then proceeds to 724.

[0092] At 724, the test device measures the current output from inverter 326. For example, at 724, switches 112g and 112p electrically couple AC current measurement circuit 116c to input terminals 114c and 114d, either automatically or in response to one or more user inputs, as discussed above. AC current measurement circuit 116c then measures the current flowing between input terminals 114c and 114d and outputs a signal or value corresponding to the result to microprocessor 102. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 provides control signals that cause switches 112 other than switches 112g and 112p to be non-conductive. In one or more implementations, microprocessor 102 causes display device 118 to display the results of the measurement or test. Method 700 then ends.

[0093] As described above, the test device shown in Figure 1 can be used in the test configurations shown in Figures 3A-3O to perform the tests described in Figures 4-7. By providing test device 100 with a set of input terminals 114 that can be electrically coupled to various test points on solar installation 300 using test leads and remain coupled to the test points on solar installation 300 while multiple test measurements are taken, connection of test device 100 to solar installation 300 is simplified compared to conventional testing of solar installations. To enable simplified connection of test device 100 to solar installation 300, microprocessor 102 of test device 100 can control switches 112 to electrically couple and decouple each of input terminals 114 to different ones of measurement circuits 116 as needed during testing.

[0094] A test device for testing an electrical circuit according to the present disclosure may include a plurality of input terminals connectable by test leads to different test points of the electrical circuit, a plurality of measurement circuits including at least a first measurement circuit and a second measurement circuit, a plurality of switches, at least one processor, and at least one processor-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor cause the test device to perform a first test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple at least a first and a second input terminal of the plurality of input terminals to the first measurement circuit, and to perform a second test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple at least a third and a fourth input terminal of the plurality of input terminals to the second measurement circuit, wherein the second test is different from the first test, and the first and second tests are performed without changing the connections of the plurality of input terminals of the test device to the different test points of the electrical circuit.

[0095] The instructions may cause the testing device to control one or more switches among a plurality of switches that electrically couple at least a first and a second input terminal of the plurality of input terminals to a first measurement circuit, thereby automatically electrically coupling at least the first and the second input terminal of the plurality of input terminals to the first measurement circuit, and to control one or more switches among a plurality of switches that electrically couple at least a third and a fourth input terminal of the plurality of input terminals to a second measurement circuit, thereby automatically electrically coupling at least the third and the fourth input terminal of the plurality of input terminals to the second measurement circuit.

[0096] The test device may include a display device, and the instructions may cause the display device to display a message having instructions to connect one of the test leads to one of the input terminals and to one of the test points.

[0097] The instructions may cause the testing device to cause one or more switches of a plurality of switches that selectively electrically couple at least first and second input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to the first measurement circuit to electrically decouple at least the first and second input terminals of the plurality of input terminals from the first measurement circuit after the first test is performed and before the second test is performed.

[0098] The instructions may cause the testing device to perform a third test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal and the third input terminal to a third measurement circuit, a fourth test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple the second input terminal and the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit, and a fifth test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal to the second input terminal and to the third measurement circuit and electrically couple the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit. The third test and the fourth test may be Method 1 tests according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62446-1 standard, and the fifth test may be Method 2 tests according to the IEC 62446-1 standard.

[0099] The instructions may cause the testing device to perform a third test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first and second input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a third measurement circuit of the plurality of measurement circuits.

[0100] The electrical circuit may include a solar panel, a first one of the input terminals may be configured to be connected to a first output terminal of the solar panel, a second one of the input terminals may be configured to be connected to a second output terminal of the solar panel, a third one of the input terminals may be configured to be connected to a ground or reference potential, and a fourth one of the input terminals may be configured to be connected to a conductive frame of the solar panel.

[0101] A method for testing an electric circuit according to the present disclosure may be characterized in that, before testing the electric circuit, electrically coupling a plurality of test leads between a plurality of input terminals of a test device and a plurality of test points of the electric circuit, and performing a plurality of tests of the electric circuit, the plurality of tests including selectively coupling a first measurement circuit of the test device to the electric circuit via a first set of input terminals and test leads to perform a first test of the electric circuit, and selectively coupling a second measurement circuit of the test device to the electric circuit via a second set of input terminals and test leads to perform a second test of the electric circuit, the second test being different from the first test and the second set of input terminals and test leads being different from the first set of input terminals and test leads, and the first and second tests being performed without changing the coupling of the plurality of test leads between the test device and the electric circuit.

[0102] Selectively coupling a first measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via a first set of input terminals and test leads may include automatically coupling the first measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the first set of input terminals and test leads, and selectively coupling a second measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via a second set of input terminals and test leads may include automatically coupling the second measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the second set of input terminals and test leads.

[0103] The method may further include electrically decoupling a first measurement circuit of the test device from the electrical circuit via the first set of input terminals and test leads, and selectively coupling a third measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the first set of input terminals and test leads, and performing a third test of the electrical circuit.

[0104] The first set of input terminals may include a first input terminal and a second input terminal, and the second set of input terminals may include a third input terminal and a fourth input terminal, and the method may further include selectively coupling a third measurement circuit of the test device to the first input terminal and the third input terminal of the electrical circuit to perform a third test of the electrical circuit, selectively coupling the third measurement circuit of the test device to the second input terminal and the third input terminal of the electrical circuit to perform a fourth test of the electrical circuit, and selectively coupling the first input terminal to the second input terminal and the third measurement circuit and selectively coupling the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit to perform a fifth test of the electrical circuit. The third test and the fourth test may be Method 1 tests according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62446-1 standard, and the fifth test may be Method 2 tests according to the IEC 62446-1 standard.

[0105] The method may further include electrically coupling a first one of the input terminals to a second one of the input terminals.

[0106] The electrical circuit may include a solar panel, and the test points may include a first test point, a second test point, a third test point, and a fourth test point, where the first test point may be a positive output terminal of the solar panel, the second test point may be a negative output terminal of the solar panel, the third test point may be a ground or reference potential electrically coupled to the solar panel, and the fourth test point of the electrical circuit may be a conductive frame of the solar panel.

[0107] A system for testing an electric circuit according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of test leads including at least a first test lead, a second test lead, a third test lead, and a fourth test lead, each connectable to a different test point of the electric circuit; a plurality of input terminals including at least a first input terminal configured to receive the first test lead, a second input terminal configured to receive the second test lead, a third input terminal configured to receive the third test lead, and a fourth input terminal configured to receive the fourth test lead; a plurality of measurement circuits including at least a first measurement circuit and a second measurement circuit; a plurality of switches; and a plurality of input terminals. and at least one processor configured to perform a first test of the electrical circuit while one or more of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal and the second input terminal to a first measurement circuit and to perform a second test of the electrical circuit while one or more of the plurality of switches electrically couple the third input terminal and the fourth input terminal to a second measurement circuit, the second test being different from the first test, and the first and second tests being performed without changing connections of the plurality of test leads to different test points of the plurality of input terminals of the device under test and the electrical circuit.

[0108] The at least one processor may be further configured to control one or more switches of the plurality of switches to automatically electrically couple the first input terminal and the second input terminal to the first measurement circuit, and to control one or more switches of the plurality of switches to automatically electrically couple the third input terminal and the fourth input terminal to the second measurement circuit.

[0109] The at least one processor may be further configured to control one or more switches of the plurality of switches to electrically decouple at least first and second input terminals of the plurality of input terminals from the first measurement circuit after the first test is performed and before the second test is performed.

[0110] The plurality of measurement circuits may include a third measurement circuit, and the instructions stored by the storage medium, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the testing device to perform a third test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal and the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit, a fourth test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple the second input terminal and the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit, and a fifth test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal to the second input terminal and to the third measurement circuit and electrically couple the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit. The third test and the fourth test may be Method 1 tests according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62446-1 standard, and the fifth test may be Method 2 tests according to the IEC 62446-1 standard.

[0111] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments, and aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary, to use concepts from various patents, specifications, and publications to provide further embodiments.

[0112] These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above Detailed Description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure herein.

Claims

1. A test device (100) for testing an electrical circuit (300) of a solar panel (302), the test device comprising: a plurality of input terminals (114) connectable by test leads to different test points (304a, 304b, 304c, 304d, 320a, 320b, 320c, 328a, 328b, 328c, and 328d) of the electrical circuit, wherein a first one of the input terminals (114a) is configured to be connected to a first output terminal (304a) of the solar panel, a second one of the input terminals (114b) is configured to be connected to a second output terminal (304b) of the solar panel, a third one of the input terminals (114c) is configured to be connected to a ground or reference potential (308), and a fourth one of the input terminals (114d) is configured to be connected to a conductive frame (304d) of the solar panel; a plurality of measurement circuits (116) including at least a first measurement circuit (116b) and a second measurement circuit (116f); a plurality of switches (112); at least one processor (106); and at least one processor-readable storage medium (108) storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the testing device to: performing a first test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches (112c, 112e) of the plurality of switches electrically couple a first set of the plurality of input terminals (114a, 114c) to the first measurement circuit; and a test device for performing a second test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches (112r, 112y) of the plurality of switches electrically couple a second set of the plurality of input terminals (114a, 114b) to the second measurement circuit, the second test being different from the first test, and the first test and the second test being performed without changing the connections of the plurality of input terminals of the test device to the different test points of the electrical circuit.

2. The instructions stored by the storage medium, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the testing device to: controlling the one or more switches of the plurality of switches that electrically couple the plurality of input terminals of the first set to the first measurement circuit to automatically electrically couple the plurality of input terminals of the first set to the first measurement circuit; and 2. The test device of claim 1, further comprising: a control circuit for controlling one or more of the plurality of switches that electrically couple the plurality of input terminals of the second set to the second measurement circuit, thereby automatically electrically coupling the plurality of input terminals of the second set to the second measurement circuit.

3. further comprising a display device (118); 2. The test device of claim 1, wherein the instructions stored by the storage medium, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the display device to display a message having instructions for connecting one of the test leads to one of the input terminals and to one of the different test points.

4. A method for testing an electrical circuit of a solar panel, the method comprising: electrically coupling a plurality of test leads between a plurality of input terminals of each of the devices under test and a plurality of test points of each of the electrical circuits prior to testing the electrical circuits; conducting a plurality of tests of the electrical circuit, selectively coupling a first measurement circuit of the testing device to the electrical circuit via a first set of input terminals and test leads to perform a first test on the electrical circuit; and selectively coupling a second measurement circuit of the testing device to the electrical circuit via a second set of input terminals and test leads to perform a second test of the electrical circuit; the second test is different from the first test; the second set of input terminals and test leads are different from the first set of input terminals and test leads; the first test and the second test are performed without altering the coupling of the plurality of test leads between the test device and the electrical circuit; the plurality of test points includes a first test point, a second test point, a third test point, and a fourth test point; the first test point is the positive output terminal of the solar panel; the second test point is the negative output terminal of the solar panel; the third test point is a ground or reference potential electrically coupled to the solar panel; The testing method, wherein the fourth test point of the electrical circuit is a conductive frame of the solar panel.

5. selectively coupling the first measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the first set of input terminals and test leads includes automatically coupling the first measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the first set of input terminals and test leads; 5. The testing method of claim 4, wherein selectively coupling the second measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the second set of input terminals and test leads comprises automatically coupling the second measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the second set of input terminals and test leads.

6. electrically decoupling the first measurement circuit of the test device from the electrical circuit via the first set of input terminals and test leads; 5. The test method of claim 4, further comprising selectively coupling a third measurement circuit of the test device to the electrical circuit via the first set of input terminals and test leads to perform a third test of the electrical circuit.

7. 1. A system for testing an electrical circuit, said system comprising: a plurality of test leads including at least a first test lead (310a), a second test lead (310b), a third test lead (310c), and a fourth test lead (310d), each connectable to a different test point of the electrical circuit; a testing device including a plurality of input terminals, including at least a first input terminal (114a) configured to receive the first test lead, a second input terminal (114b) configured to receive the second test lead, a third input terminal (114c) configured to receive the third test lead, and a fourth input terminal (114d) configured to receive the fourth test lead; a plurality of measurement circuits (116) including at least a first measurement circuit (116b), a second measurement circuit (116c), and a third measurement circuit (116e); a plurality of switches (112); at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor: conducting a first test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches (112c, 112d) of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal and the second input terminal to the first measurement circuit; performing a second test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches (112g, 112p) of the plurality of switches electrically couples the third input terminal and the fourth input terminal to the second measurement circuit, the second test being different from the first test, and the first test and the second test being performed without changing the connections of the plurality of test leads to the plurality of input terminals of the device under test and the different test points of the electrical circuit; conducting a third test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches (112l, 112k) of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal and the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit; conducting a fourth test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches (112i, 112m) of the plurality of switches electrically couple the second input terminal and the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit; and performing a fifth test of the electrical circuit while one or more switches (112v, 112m, 112i) of the plurality of switches electrically couple the first input terminal to the second input terminal and the third measurement circuit and electrically couple the third input terminal to the third measurement circuit.

8. A method for testing an electrical circuit of a solar facility, the method comprising: electrically coupling a plurality of test leads between a plurality of input terminals of a device under test and a plurality of test points of the electrical circuit; transmitting a first control signal to a plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a first one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a first measurement circuit for performing a first test on the electrical circuit of the solar installation; transmitting a second control signal to the plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a second one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a second measurement circuit for performing a second test on the electrical circuit of the solar installation; the first measurement circuit is a voltage measurement circuit; The test method, wherein the second measurement circuit is a capacitance measurement circuit, a current measurement circuit, a diode measurement circuit, or the voltage measurement circuit.

9. The plurality of test points includes a first test point, a second test point, a third test point, and a fourth test point; The first test point is the positive output terminal of the solar installation; The second test point is the negative output terminal of the solar installation; the third test point is a ground or reference potential electrically coupled to the solar installation; 9. The test method of claim 8, wherein the fourth test point is a conductive frame of the solar installation.

10. The testing method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a message having instructions to connect a first end of one of the plurality of test leads to one of the plurality of input terminals and to connect a second end of the one of the plurality of test leads to one of the plurality of test points.

11. A test device for testing electrical circuits of a solar installation, the test device comprising: a plurality of input terminals selectively connectable by a plurality of test leads to a plurality of test points of the solar installation; a plurality of measurement circuits including at least a first measurement circuit and a second measurement circuit; a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of input terminals and the plurality of measurement circuits; After a user connects the test leads to the plurality of test points of the solar installation, the test device: communicating a first control signal to a plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a first one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a first measurement circuit for performing a first test on the electrical circuit; configured to communicate a second control signal to the plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a second one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a second measurement circuit for performing a second test on the electrical circuit; the first measurement circuit is a voltage measurement circuit; A test device, wherein the second measurement circuit is a capacitance measurement circuit, a current measurement circuit, a diode measurement circuit, or the voltage measurement circuit.

12. A test device as described in claim 11, wherein the first one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals are different from the second one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals.

13. The test device, transmitting a third control signal to the plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a third one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a third measurement circuit for performing a third test on the electrical circuit; 12. The test device of claim 11, configured to communicate a fourth control signal to the plurality of switches of the test device to connect a fourth one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a fourth measurement circuit for performing a fourth test on the electrical circuit.

14. A test device for testing electrical circuits of a solar installation, said test device comprising: a plurality of input terminals selectively connectable by a plurality of test leads to a plurality of test points of the solar installation; a plurality of measurement circuits including at least a first measurement circuit and a second measurement circuit; a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of input terminals and the plurality of measurement circuits; After a user connects the test leads to the plurality of test points of the solar installation, the test device: communicating a first control signal to a plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a first one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a first measurement circuit for performing a first test on the electrical circuit; configured to communicate a second control signal to the plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a second one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a second measurement circuit for performing a second test on the electrical circuit; the first measurement circuit is a resistance measurement circuit; The test device wherein the second measurement circuit is the resistance measurement circuit.

15. The plurality of test points includes a first test point, a second test point, a third test point, and a fourth test point; The first test point is the positive output terminal of the solar installation; The second test point is the negative output terminal of the solar installation; the third test point is a ground or reference potential electrically coupled to the solar installation; 15. The test device of claim 14, wherein the fourth test point is a conductive frame of the solar installation.

16. The test device, transmitting a third control signal to the plurality of switches of the testing device to connect a third one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a third measurement circuit for performing a third test on the electrical circuit; 15. The test device of claim 14, configured to communicate a fourth control signal to the plurality of switches of the test device to connect a fourth one or more input terminals of the plurality of input terminals to a fourth measurement circuit for performing a fourth test on the electrical circuit.

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