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Bluetooth Arc Fault Detection Devices.

Sparkingchip

Just had a look at the brochure for the new Hager AFDD with a visual status display and Bluetooth to allow interaction with a mobile phone for interrogation and software updates. 

Rather different to a piece of fuse wire. 

hager.com/.../afdd-press-release

  • Saves being IN the building when the mcb attempts to auto-reset with a prevailing fault too!

    The self-resetting RCDs do a quick leakage test first - and will refuse to re-close if the test fails. I guess it's not beyond the wit of man to do something similar for faults.

       - Andy.

  • More stuff is going to go this way, we best get used to it. Interesting that they don't list any statistical data about how these devices make installations safer. Almost like it doesn't exist........Thinking

  • in reply to Zoomup

    Better-aligned to BS EN 60073 than some products?

  • The linked web page also boasts  "In Situ Software Upgrades" mainly as  means to install a "different waveform signature, thus creating a new signature for the Arc Fault Device and causing the device to trip." (does that sound like 'we are selling this even though it is not quite finished ?' perhaps it is just me.)

    This to me the idea of re-flashing a box of 30 odd circuit breakers sounds like a horrific vulnerability -  will the new EICR forms need 'firmware version' box to be filled as well as Zs and IR?

    If not will there be trick firmware from dodgy outlets rather like there is for making car engine management  units more 'sporty' - I suppose the electrical equivalent may be to raise or lower the RCD trip thresholds or the MCB ratings.


    Even if you cannot alter the core rating, just being able to 'bork' the device with mis-uploaded firmware so it arc trips when it should not will be fun enough.

    I'd hope the programs are written to the same standards as at least cars, and ideally medical, devices, rather than say apps for handsets.

    Ah brave new world and all that.

    Mike

  • in reply to mapj1

    Hopefully, they will only accept cryptographically signed firmware to prevent any old junk being loaded.

    However, experience within the C&I sector tends to say this won't happen and default passwords will be rampant Disappointed At least they aren't yet connected to the internet...

  • in reply to keylevel

    At least they aren't yet connected to the internet...

    When they are there may well be the ability to knock off other folk's circuit breakers from the comfort of the other side of the planet. Even signed firmware is not unbreakable - there are businesses who make a very good living with that sort of thing and you only need to manage to download one gateway version that unlocks it (And sometimes it seems that there are many ways in as there are devices , in general commercial security is weak, once you have an example of the part in your hands). That said, while I think networked breakers are a really bad idea,  knowing the LN line voltage and current earth leakage from afar could be quite handy sometimes when fault finding, but I suspect that truly helpful level of diagnostic is not the sort of things that will be made available.

    Mike.

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