howtouse-ecat

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HOW TO USE

E-CAT FOR WINDOWS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This bulletin explains how to use an E-CAT for Windows program. While each E-CAT program isunique, they all share some common features and concepts. By learning these concepts and featuresgenerally, you will be able to quickly apply them to any E-CAT for Windows program.

Read section 1.1 in this bulletin for a quick lesson on how to get started using the software. Features andconcepts referred to in this lesson are found in five subsequent sections of the bulletin:

An explanation of unit tags. An explanation of projects. How to use options and features on the main program window. How to generate reports of selection and performance data. How to view / print drawings

Finally, all discussions in this bulletin are brief summaries. Further information on any of the subjects inthe bulletin can be obtained via the programs on-line help system. To access the on-line help system,choose the Help option on the program menu bar, or press [F1] at any point during program operation.

1.1 OVERVIEW ON STARTING AND RUNNING E-CAT For Windows PROGRAMS

This section provides a brief description of how to use an E-CAT for Windows program. While reading

this overview, you may encounter unfamiliar terms and concepts. To help you learn these terms andconcepts, the overview will list the sections of this bulletin which provide further information on eachsubject. In addition, documentation is provided in the programs on-line help system.

1. Start the Program. During the installation of each E-CAT program, its program icon is placed in theCarrier Electronic Catalog program group. To start the program, open the Carrier Electronic Catalog

program group using Windows Program Manager, and click on the Electronic Catalog program icon.

2. Specify Data Drive and Company Name. If this is the first time you have run the program, you willbe asked to specify your company name and to specify the drive on which data will be stored. Thecompany name will appear on program outputs.


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3. Create a New Project. Once the program is started, the main program window is displayed. The firsttask after starting the program is to either open an existing project or create a new project. Assumingthis is the first time the program has been run, no projects exist. Create a new project by pressing the

New Project button on the tool bar, or by selecting the New Project option on the Project Menu. Forfurther information, please see:

Definition of Projects and Tags: Sections 1.2 and 1.3.

Using the Main Program Window: Section 1.4, sub-section A. The Program Menu Bar: Section 1.4, sub-section B. The Program Tool Bar: Section 1.4, sub-section C.

When creating a new project, it is useful to enter descriptive project information. To do this press theEdit Project Description button on the tool bar or choose the Project Description option on the ProjectMenu. For information on individual project description inputs, press [F1] for on-line program help.

4. Enter Tag Information. Next, we must enter information describing the criteria for our selection run.Data for a single selection run is referred to as a Unit Tag. Therefore, we will enter tag informationand then run selection calculations. All unit tag information is entered on the working area of the main

program window. Information on using the working area of the main program window is found inSection 1.4, sub-section D.

5. Perform Selection. Once tag data has been specified, selection calculations can be started by clicking

on the Calculate button found in the lower right portion of the main program window. Whencalculations have been completed, results will be displayed in the working area of the screen. Finally,when finished reviewing results, click on the Close button to return to the original tag data input screen.

6. Save Tag. Save the tag data by pressing the Save Tag button on the tool bar or by choosing the Saveoption on the Tag Menu. You must always save the tag before entering information for a differentselection or performance run. If you do not save the tag, input and output information for it will be lostonce you enter new tag data or exit the program.

7. Generate Output. At this point output for the selection run can be generated if desired. There arethree types of reports which are generated by E-CAT program. They are listed below. Note that everyE-CAT program may not offer all three types of reports.

Press the Print Tag button on the tool bar to generate a Unit Tag Data Report

Select the Submittal option on the Report Menu to generate a Submittal Report. Note that the tagmust be saved (step 6) before this report can be generated. Select the Schedule option on the Report Menu to generate an Equipment Schedule Report. Note

that the tag must be saved (step 6) before this report can be generated.

Please refer to Section 1.5 for further information on each of these reports.

8. Save Project. Press the Save Project button on the tool bar or choose the Save Project option on theProject Menu to save both the project and the tag data. Note that if multiple tags are created for a

project, it is not necessary to save the project each time you save a tag. The project can be saved onceafter all tags have been created and saved. When a project is saved in such a situation, tags associatedwith the project will be saved all at one time.

9. Drawings. Some E-CAT programs provide detailed submittal drawings and/or CAD templates of theequipment being selected. For those E-CAT programs which have submittal drawings, the Certified

Drawings option on the Drawings Menu allows you to view or print the drawings. For those E-CATprograms which have templates, the Templates option on the Drawings Menu allows you to view, printor save the template as a DXF file. For further information see section 1.6.

10. Exit Program. At this point we can enter, calculate and store data for further tags, or we can exitfrom the program. To exit from the program, choose the Exit option on the File Menu.

This concludes the overview. Note that for quick selections the E-CAT program can be run in a simplermanner. If you do not want to save data for future reference, and you are not interested in generating the

performance summary or equipment schedule reports, it is not necessary to create projects or to store tagsand projects. For such a quick run steps 3, 6 and 8 can be skipped.


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1.2 UNDERSTANDING UNIT TAGS

A Unit Tag consists of information describing one equipment selection or performance run. E-CAT forWindows programs organize data as Unit Tags. Tags are created, modified and saved as follows:

A new unit tag is created by choosing the New command on the Tag Menu or by pressing the New Tagbutton on the program tool bar.

Unit tag identification information is modified by choosing the Edit Tag Description command on theTag Menu or by pressing the Edit Tag button on the program tool bar. The desired selection or

performance characteristics of the unit tag are modified by revising items on the main programwindow.

A selection or performance calculation for a unit tag is run by pressing the Calculate button located inthe lower right portion of the main program window.

A unit tag is saved by choosing the Save command on the Tag Menu or by pressing the Save Tagbutton on the program tool bar. It is important to note that this only saves tag data in the project it isassociated with. It is also necessary to save the project. If you save tag data, but exit the programwithout saving the project, the tag data will be lost.

1.3 UNDERSTANDING PROJECTS

A Project consists of one or more unit tags and information describing the project. Data is typicallygrouped together in a single project for separate customers or separate construction jobs being bid. E-CATfor Windows programs organize data into Projects

One of the most important features of a Project is that it can contain Unit Tags for more than one type ofequipment. For example, a Project database can contain Unit Tags for chillers selected using an E-CATfor Windows chiller selection program as well as Unit Tags for air handling units selected using anE-CAT for Windows air handler selection program.

Projects are created, modified and saved as follows:

A new project is created by choosing the New command on the Project Menu or by pressing the New

Project button on the program tool bar. Project descriptive information is modified by choosing the Edit Project Description command on the

Project Menu, or by pressing the Edit Project button on the program tool bar.

Project data is saved by choosing the Save command on the Project Menu or by pressing the SaveProject button on the program tool bar. This not only saves the project description information, butalso saves all unit tags associated with the project.

1.4 HOW TO USE THE MAIN PROGRAM WINDOW

This section describes common operating features of E-CAT for Windows programs found on the mainprogram window. Key elements of the main program window are shown in Figure 1 and are discussed insubsequent sub-sections.

A. THE MAIN PROGRAM WINDOW

The main program window for E-CAT for Windows programs has elements similar to the ones shown inFigure 1.

The control-menu box in the upper left corner is used to resize, move, maximize, minimize and closethe main program window.

The title barlists the name of the E-CAT program, the current project name, the current tag name, andthe name of the current window. In Figure 1, for example, the title bar shows that this program is


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Rooftop Pkg Units, the current project is Untitled, the current unit tag is Sample Tag and thecurrent window name is Inputs.

The menu barlists pull-down menus available in the program. Each menu contains a list of commandsthat can be used to perform specific program tasks. Menus will be discussed further in sub-section B

below.

The tool bar contains command buttons which can be used as short cuts to commonly used menucommands. Contents of the tool bar will be discussed further in sub-section C below.

The working area contains input data for the current unit tag. In the example in Figure 1, inputs areshown for a sample Rooftop unit selection. A selection or performance run is made by first enteringthe appropriate information on the input screen and then pressing the Calculate command button.Contents of the working area are discussed further in sub-section D below.

Figure 1. Main Program Window for Rooftops Pkg Units v6.50

The Calculate button is used to start selection or performance calculations for the current tag. If anyitems on the input screen are specified as Auto-Select, the program will perform a selection to chooseequipment which satisfies specified equipment requirements. If no input items are specified as Auto-Select, the program will perform performance calculations for the unit and operating conditionsspecified.

Tool Ba

Control Menu Box Title Ba

WorkinArea

CalculateButton

Status B

Menu Bar


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Thestatus bardisplays useful information concerning the input item on which the cursor is currentlylocated, or general information concerning the status of the current task. When entering numeric data,for example, the status bar will list the maximum and minimum limits for the input as well as thecurrent default.

B. THE MENU BAR

The menu bar lists pull-down menus available in the E-CAT program. Each menu contains a list ofcommands that can be used to perform specific program tasks. There are six standard menus in everyE-CAT for Windows program. Each is briefly described below.

The File Menu contains options for modifying printer controls and for exiting from the program.

The Project Menu contains options for creating, opening, saving and deleting projects and modifyingproject descriptive information.

The Tag Menu contains options for creating, opening, saving, printing and deleting unit tags within thecurrent project.

The Drawing Menu contains options for displaying or printing Certified Drawings and Templates.

The View Menu contains options for displaying output for the current tag and for viewing and

changing the current program option settings. Option settings allow the user to switch between Englishand SI Metric units of measurement, and to turn on and off the tooltips feature for the tool bar.

The Report Menu contains options for generating program reports.

The Help Menu provides access to the program on-line help system. Note that the [F1] key can also beused to display help messages for specific program inputs and options.

C. THE TOOL BAR

The tool bar contains command buttons which can be used as short cuts to commonly used menucommands. The tool bar shown in Figure 2 contains 13 command buttons of which 11 are standard for allE-CAT for Windows programs. These buttons are divided into four groups. The function of each ofthese buttons is described below, working from left to right across the tool bar. Readers should note thatwhen the tooltips feature of the program is turned on, the function of each tool bar button can be

displayed by placing the mouse cursor on the button.

Figure 2. Program Tool Bar

Project Tool Bar Buttons: The first group contains four buttons which are used to perform tasks relatedto projects. Buttons in this group are standard for all E-CAT for Windows programs. Working from leftto right in this group, the buttons are used to:

Create a new project. Open an existing project. Save the current project.

Edit the current project description.

Tag Tool Bar Buttons: The second group contains five buttons which are used to perform tasks relatedto unit tags. Buttons in this group are standard for all E-CAT for Windows programs. Working fromleft to right in this group, the buttons are used to:

Create a new tag. Open an existing tag. Save the current tag. Edit the current tag description. Print the current tag.


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Application Mode Tool Bar Buttons: The third group contains buttons which are unique to a specificE-CAT for Windows program. Refer to each E-CAT programs specific documentation for any buttonsin this group.

Other Tool Bar Buttons: The final group contains two buttons. The left-hand button is used to displaythe selection or performance results for the current unit tag, if such results exist. This button is usefulquickly viewing results without having to rerun the calculations. The right-hand button is used to access

the on-line program help system.

D. THE WORKING AREA

The portion of the screen between the tool bar and the status bar contains program input information.Items in the working area for which data can be entered are displayed in black characters. Items which arenot currently applicable and for which information cannot be entered are displayed in gray letters.Information is entered in a number of different ways depending on whether the input is a name, a number,requires selecting from a list or requires marking boxes next to items. These inputs use standardWindows software operating conventions. Table 1 lists the common types of commands and input itemsfound in the working area shown in Figure 1. The table also explains what the command or input item isused for, provides an example and describes how to use the item when working with a mouse.

Table 1. Commands and Input Items Found in the Working Area

Command or Input Item Command or Input isUsed To:

Examples How to Operate Using aMouse

Command Button Initiate a program task. Calculate Button Click on the button

Option Button Choose one of a seriesof mutually exclusiveoptions.

Discharge (Vertical orHorizontal)

Click on the button

Check Box Select or deselect anindividual item.

Options / Accessories Click on the check box.

Text Box Enter text information. Tag Name Input Enter text in box.

Drop-Down List Box Select from a list of

items.

Unit Type , Unit -

Voltage-Phase-Hertz

Click on down arrow at

right end of input item.Then click on desireditem in list.

Numeric Inputs Enter numeric data. Required Airflow. Enter desired numericvalue.

1.5 HOW TO GENERATE REPORTS

This section describes reports that can be generated using E-CAT for Windows programs. Multipletypes of reports can be generated:

Unit Tag Performance Output Report - Screen Format Unit Tag Input Report Submittal Summary Report Schedule Report

For each report, its contents, how it is used and how it is generated will be discussed in a separate sub-section below.


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A. UNIT TAG PERFORMANCE OUTPUT (INPUT) REPORT

The Unit Tag Data report provides all input and output data for a tag in a simple list format. The inputdata section of this report documents all user inputs for the tag. The output data section lists all calculatedselection and performance results. This report is useful for documenting inputs and outputs in a simplefashion so that the selection run can be duplicated at some point in the future, and for documenting the runwhen resolving questions about results.

There are two ways to generate a Unit Tag Output report in an E-CAT for Windows program:

Pressing the Print Tag Button on the Tool Bar. At any time, pressing the print button in the groupof tag buttons on the tool bar will generate a Unit Tag Data report for the current tag. If the currenttag has not yet been calculated, the report will only list input data.

Choosing the Print Option on the Tag Menu. At any time, choosing the Print option on the TagMenu will generate a Unit Tag Data report for the current tag. If the current tag has not yet beencalculated, the report will only list input data.

B. SUBMITTAL SUMMARY REPORT

The Submittal Summary report combines pertinent input data with calculated equipment performance data.Data is formatted so that all related inputs and outputs appear together in the report. For example, all fan

performance inputs and outputs appear in one block, coil airflow and temperature conditions appear inanother block, etc... This report is often included with submittal documents.

There are two ways to generate a Submittal Summary report in an E-CAT for Windows program:

Pressing the Print Button on the Output Screen. When the output data screen is displayed, press thePrint command button to print a Performance Data Summary for the current tag.

Choosing Submittal Option on the Report Menu. At any time, choose the Performance Summaryoption on the Report Menu. A list of previously calculated and stored tags will then be displayed andyou will be asked to choose the tags to be printed. Data for each tag will appear on a separate page.

Note that when the Report Menu is used to generate this report, tags included in the report mustpreviously have been calculated and stored.

C. SCHEDULE REPORTThe Equipment Schedule report provides input data and calculated performance data in an equipmentschedule type of format. The report is typically generated so it can be included with submittal documents.The most important feature of this report is that its format and content are entirely controlled by the user sothat format and content can be tailored to the needs of your customer.

The Equipment Schedule report can only be generated by choosing the Schedule option on the ReportMenu. When this option is selected, a list of previously calculated and stored tags will be displayed andyou will be asked to select the tags to be included in the schedule. Once data for these tags is displayed,you will be given the opportunity to customize the content and appearance of the report. Specific features

provided for customizing the format and content of this report are listed below. Readers should note thatany changes to the report format are stored and remain in effect until changed again by the user. Therefore,once you create a customized report format, it will become the default format for subsequent reports thatyou generate.

Choosing Report Orientation. The report can use a column-oriented format in which data for tagsare listed in separate columns and each row contains data for a different input or output item. Thereport can also be row-oriented, with data for tags listed in separate rows and each column containingdata for a different input or output item. To change the report orientation, press the Transpose buttonon the report tool bar or choose the Format Menu and then change the orientation setting in the Formatdialog box.

Note: When using column oriented format, set the printer orientation to portrait. When using a row-oriented format, set the printer orientation to landscape. You should change the printer orientation


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before generating the report. The printer orientation can be changed using the Print Setup option on theFile Menu, or by using printer control options within Windows.

Showing and Hiding Data Items. The user controls all data items included in the report. Normally itis not necessary to list every input and output item generated by the program on submittal documents.Instead, items included in the report are tailored to your customers needs. To show or hide data items,first press the Format button on the report tool bar or choose the Format Menu option. Next, select

items by clicking in the Show column of the desired data items on the Column Parameter window.

Specifying Order of Data Items. Data items in the report can be displayed in any order desired.Again, this allows the format of the report to be tailored to your customers needs. To change the orderof data items, first press the Format button on the report tool bar or select the Format Menu option.Then specify the desired data item order number in the Order column on the Column Parameterwindow.

Adding User-Defined Data Items. Certain items such as unit quantity and remarks are useful toinclude in an Equipment Schedule report, but are not automatically provided by the program. Theseitems can be added to the Equipment Schedule report via the User Data Item feature. To specify yourown additional data items, first press the Format button on the report tool bar, or select the FormatMenu option. On the Column Parameter window which appears next, scroll to the bottom of the dataitem list. Up to five user-defined data items can be added. Click on the Show column of the desired

user data item and specify the heading for this data item. After exiting from the Column Parameterwindow, scroll the report to the user data items you activated and enter the data you wish for each ofthe tags included in the report.

Note that each user-defined data item will be marked with an asterisk. A note at the end of theEquipment Schedule report will explain that this item is user-defined. This is done to clarify whichitems in the report are computer-generated and which are user-defined.

Changing Row Height and Column Width. Any column width or row height in the report can alsobe changed. This feature allows you customize the schedule to adjust the amount of informationprovided on a single page or to provide more room to display information in a particular cell in thetable. To modify a row height or column width, first position the cursor on the dividing line betweencolumns or rows until the cursor changes appearance to become two parallel lines. Then use the mouseto drag the border of the row or column until the desired row height or column width is reached.

1.6 DRAWINGS

A. Certified Drawings

If the E-CAT program has submittal drawings available, you can access them by choosing the CertifiedDrawings option on the Drawings Menu. [Note that submittal drawings may not be available in all E-CAT programs]. You will be required to place the ECAT - CD in the CD ROM drive. The drawingswill be displayed with Adobe Acrobat Reader which will be automatically installed (if required ).The E-CAT program will automatically launch Acrobat Reader and then you may view or printselected drawings.

B. Templates

If the E-CAT program has CAD templates available, you can access them by choosing the Templatesoption on the Drawings Menu. [Note that templates may not be available in all E-CAT programs].You must have the Carrier Submittal Drawing Viewer installed in order to access templates. You mayview or print selected templates. You may also export the templates in DXF electronic format for usein CAD program applications.

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