ETAP's Time Current Characteristic (TCC) curves are the most visually satisfying feature. This confirms that the breaker closest to the fault trips first (Selectivity).
Tutorial Title: "ETAP for Protection Coordination – From TCC Curves to Relay Settings"
Platform: Engineering continuing education provider
Length: 6 hours (self-paced)
What worked:
What didn't:
Final grade: 8.5/10 – Worth the $150 if your role involves protection studies. etap tutorial
The software calculates the Thevenin equivalent impedance at every bus.
The Takeaway: If your 480V breaker is rated for 25kA interrupting capacity, ETAP just told you that breaker will explode during a fault (35kA > 25kA). You must upgrade the breaker or add a current limiting reactor. ETAP's Time Current Characteristic (TCC) curves are the
| Action | Shortcut / Menu |
|--------|----------------|
| Insert bus | Ctrl + B |
| Insert cable | Ctrl + C |
| Run load flow | Ctrl + F |
| Composite network | Right‑click bus > Composite Network |
| Alert summary | Analysis > Alert Viewer |
Frequently omitted from intermediate tutorials: What didn't:
Based on the short circuit results, ETAP calculates incident energy (cal/cm²) and arc flash boundary (inches).
Most ETAP tutorials (whether official certification courses or third-party guides) follow a linear progression known as the ETAP Workflow.