Issue:
What does a blinking red LED mean on a BCPM?
Product Line:
BCPM (Branch Circuit Power Meter), BCM
Cause:
Customer see’s a red led blinking on BCM or BCPM board and wants to know what it means.
Environment:
BCM or BCPM is in operational condition within the specified temperature.
Resolution:
It is extremely unusual for the BCPM to blink red. However, we have had a number of occasions where the customer reported that the LED was blinking red when it was actually amber.
The LED in the product can appear to be red when compared to the green LED. However, when the user actually sees the LED illuminate red, they are able to see the difference.
The LED can be activated as red by pressing down the reset button on the board. With this you can compare if the blinking red LED is actually RED or AMBER in color.
As long as this button is held down the LED will come on solid red. Holding this down will also power cycle the unit but will have no ill effect. As part of the troubleshooting process, it is recommended to press the reset button and compare the color of the LED at that time to the color during the error indication.
If the LED turns out to be blinking amber then the frequency of the blinking will indicate what the error is. Below is a description of each code:
If the LED does turn out to actually be blinking red, then unfortunately the unit cannot be further diagnosed or repaired in the field and will have to be sent back to the factory for repair.
What does a blinking red LED mean on a BCPM?
Product Line:
BCPM (Branch Circuit Power Meter), BCM
Cause:
Customer see’s a red led blinking on BCM or BCPM board and wants to know what it means.
Environment:
BCM or BCPM is in operational condition within the specified temperature.
Resolution:
It is extremely unusual for the BCPM to blink red. However, we have had a number of occasions where the customer reported that the LED was blinking red when it was actually amber.
The LED in the product can appear to be red when compared to the green LED. However, when the user actually sees the LED illuminate red, they are able to see the difference.
The LED can be activated as red by pressing down the reset button on the board. With this you can compare if the blinking red LED is actually RED or AMBER in color.
As long as this button is held down the LED will come on solid red. Holding this down will also power cycle the unit but will have no ill effect. As part of the troubleshooting process, it is recommended to press the reset button and compare the color of the LED at that time to the color during the error indication.
If the LED turns out to be blinking amber then the frequency of the blinking will indicate what the error is. Below is a description of each code:
- Once per second - Volts or Amps clipping:
This means that the current or voltage being seen by the device is reaching an elevated level. One thing to note is that there is more than one gain circuit for the current readings. When the measured current gets toward the top of the range for one circuit it will switch to the next. We have seen occasions where a clipping error for a lower circuit cause the LED to blink amber even though the unit was now using a different gain circuit. This does not appear to be a sustainable condition though so I am doubtful that this is the case in this instance. - Twice per second - Invalid firmware image:
Square D has a software package called DLF3000 that can update firmware over the RS-485 connection. If this tool or one like it was used on the device and did not complete successfully then the firmware could be corrupt and cause this error code. - Three times per second - Incorrect strips or strip order:
This is the most common issue. In order to maintain the accuracy that we specify, the BCPM must be installed with the strips it was calibrated with and the strips must be plugged into the correct port. The BCPM boards and CT strips have serial numbers that must match each other. Further, the CT strips are identified as belonging to panel 1 or 2 and port A or B(see the attached photos). For example, the CT strip and port in the photos are both for panel 1 port A.
If the LED does turn out to actually be blinking red, then unfortunately the unit cannot be further diagnosed or repaired in the field and will have to be sent back to the factory for repair.
Released for:Schneider Electric Canada
