Reduced energy let through mode indication and delay in switching devices

1. A method of improved reduced energy let through (RELT) mode selection in a switching apparatus, comprising:

receiving a request to disable a RELT mode of the switching apparatus; and

if the RELT mode of the switching apparatus is active, initiating a delay of a configurable duration based on the receipt of the request to disable the RELT mode prior to increasing a current threshold of the switching apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request to enable the RELT mode of the switching apparatus; and

if the RELT mode of the switching apparatus is not active, reducing a current threshold of the switching apparatus in response to the request.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising visually indicating the reduced current threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein visually indicating includes at least one of modulating a backlight portion of a liquid crystal display (LCD) of the switching apparatus, and modulating a textual display portion of the LCD.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein modulating the backlight portion of the LCD includes modulating the backlight portion of the LCD at a frequency of one (1) Hertz or two (2) Hertz.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein visually indicating the reduced current threshold includes displaying the elapse of the configurable amount of time on a textual display portion of a liquid crystal display (LCD) of the switching apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting a state of the RELT mode of the switching apparatus.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configurable amount of time is fixed at a predetermined value.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configurable amount of time is preconfigured to fifteen (15) seconds.

10. A switching apparatus, comprising an interrupt portion, a trip unit disposed for communication with the interrupt portion, and a processing device disposed for communication with the trip unit, the processing device disposed and configured to perform a method of improved reduced energy let through (RELT) mode selection of the switching apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a request to disable a RELT mode of the switching apparatus; and

if the RELT mode of the switching apparatus is active, initiating a delay of a configurable duration based on the receiving the request to disable the RELT mode prior to increasing a current threshold of the trip unit.

11. The switching apparatus of claim 10 , the method further comprising:

receiving a request to enable the RELT mode of the switching apparatus; and

if the RELT mode of the switching apparatus is not active, reducing a current threshold of the trip unit in response to the request.

12. The switching apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises visually indicating the reduced current threshold.

13. The switching apparatus of claim 12 , wherein visually indicating includes at least one of modulating a backlight portion of a liquid crystal display (LCD) of the switching apparatus in communication with the processing device, and modulating a textual display portion of the LCD.

14. The switching apparatus of claim 13 , wherein modulating the backlight portion of the LCD includes modulating the backlight portion of the LCD at a frequency of one (1) Hertz or two (2) Hertz.

15. The switching apparatus of claim 12 , wherein visually indicating the reduced current threshold includes displaying the elapse of the configurable amount of time on a textual display portion of a liquid crystal display (LCD) of the switching apparatus.

16. The switching apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises outputting a state of the RELT mode of the switching apparatus at an Input/Output (I/O) interface in communication with the processing device.

17. The switching apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the configurable amount of time is fixed at a predetermined value.

18. The switching apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the configurable amount of time is preconfigured to fifteen (15) seconds.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer executable instructions that, if executed by a processing device, direct the processing device to perform a method of improved reduced energy let through (RELT) mode selection of a switching apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a request to disable a RELT mode of the switching apparatus; and

if the RELT mode of the switching apparatus is active, initiating a delay of a configurable duration based on the receiving the request to disable the RELT mode prior to increasing a current threshold of the switching apparatus.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the computer readable medium is in communication with the switching apparatus.