PLS-CADD/ULTRALITE

PLS-CADD/ULTRALITE is a streamlined version of PLS-CADD for quick modeling of a single span of conductor or wire. It develops a Sag-Tension report as well as Stringing Charts for a user definable range of span lengths and stringing temperatures.

Our goal in developing ULTRALITE was to provide the simplest possible application for modeling a span of wire in either a level or inclined state. Inputs are collected in a single dialog box and text plus graphical results update live as inputs are changed. The tightness of the wire can be input as Horizontal Tension, Catenary, Sag, or Slack. There is also an "AutoSag" option that pulls the wire up to the highest tension meeting user defined constraints (i.e. NESC, GO95, user defined, etc.)

Developed primarily for educational purposes for study of wire behavior of a single span under various temperature, wind, and ice scenarios, it provides traditional Sag-Tension tables and Stringing Charts based on Ruling Span theory. More advanced sag-tension methods and modeling functions better suited to modeling an entire line are available in our PLS-CADD software.

 
 

Summary of Features

  • Sag-tension calculations

  • Stringing Charts

  • Works with any of the over 5,000 predefined cables in our Online Cable Library

  • Flexible Design Criteria

  • Imperial or Metric

  • 3D graphics update live to let you visualize your work

  • Span geometry entered as horizontal span length, change in elevation between ends and attachment height above ground.

  • Wire tension entered using one of following:

    • Tension

    • Catenary constant

    • Mid span sag

    • Slack

    • Automatic sagging criteria (% of RTS under varying combinations of wind, ice and temperature)

  • A Microsoft Windows 10 or 11 (x64) environment that lets you:

    • Run on powerful yet inexpensive computers

    • Use the most common graphical user interface (GUI) in the world

    • Print reports and plot drawings directly on any Windows compatible printer or plotter

A free, Internet licensed, version of PLS-CADD/Ultralite is available for download.

 
 

Sample Graphics

 
 

Related Links

Videos:

  • Video: PLS-CADD/ULTRALITE introduction and walkthrough

Resources

  • An online library of conductor data ready to use in Ultralite format

  • An online library of NESC 2017, 2012, 2007, 2002 and 1997, GO 95, and generic PLS-CADD criteria

Technical Notes

Miscellaneous