Abstract: A computer-implemented method reduces an amount of machine health data to be stored in a data storage device while preserving details of extrema values occurring within incremental measurement time intervals in an extended time period during which the data were collected. The method includes: sensing an operational characteristic of a machine and generating an operational characteristic signal; generating machine health parameter data that include amplitude values and associated time values; for each incremental measurement time interval, calculating an average value of the amplitude values, identifying a maximum value of the amplitude values, and identifying a minimum value of the amplitude values; and storing a compressed machine health parameter data set in the data storage device. The compressed machine health parameter data set includes the calculated average values and the identified maximum and minimum values for the incremental measurement time intervals.

Abstract: A machine monitoring system automatically determines an optimal trigger angle for monitoring the rod drop of a reciprocating compressor, and sets the trigger angle configuration value accordingly. A key pulse is monitored using a key phase sensor, the amplitude of the rod drop transducer voltage versus time (or rotation angle) is analyzed, and a position of the minimal change in slope of the rod drop transducer voltage signal relative to the key mark is determined. The optimal trigger angle is determined based on this temporal position, the current speed and the configured piston angle. The optimal trigger angle is provided to the machine monitoring system for configuration. The system thereby relieves the service engineer from having to test several trigger angles with manually-operated test instruments to determine the optimal trigger angle.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method reduces an amount of machine health data to be stored in a data storage device while preserving details of extrema values occurring within incremental measurement time intervals in an extended time period during which the data were collected. The method includes: sensing an operational characteristic of a machine and generating an operational characteristic signal; generating machine health parameter data that include amplitude values and associated time values; for each incremental measurement time interval, calculating an average value of the amplitude values, identifying a maximum value of the amplitude values, and identifying a minimum value of the amplitude values; and storing a compressed machine health parameter data set in the data storage device. The compressed machine health parameter data set includes the calculated average values and the identified maximum and minimum values for the incremental measurement time intervals.

Abstract: An apparatus monitors physical signals, such as vibration, produced by an asset, such as a motor. Sensor signals corresponding to the physical signals are applied to a bandpass Görtzel filter that passes a frequency band around a characteristic frequency of a physical signal. An analyzer produces information corresponding to the physical condition of the asset based on the Görtzel filtered signal. A tracking unit periodically updates parameters of the Görtzel filter so that the bandpass frequencies of the Görtzel filter track the characteristic frequency of the physical signal. Each Görtzel filter may include a comb filter whose output is applied to a plurality of resonators, whose outputs are applied to a windowing unit. The Görtzel filter is preferably a Görtzel filter block that is made up of a plurality of individual Görtzel filters.

Abstract: A machine health management system incorporates machine measurement units that are connected via Power Over Ethernet (PoE) to a central logic unit. Each measurement unit includes one or more sensor modules to which sensors are connected, or one or more output modules to which output devices are connected, or a combination of sensor modules and output modules. The energy needed to power the measurement units comes through the PoE network. Sensor signals generated by the sensors are digitalized and may be analyzed in the sensor modules. Raw data, and in some cases preprocessed data, are transported over the Ethernet network to the central logic unit, where the data is analyzed and/or combined with other data to perform prediction analysis, build decisions and possibly implement protection solutions, predict performance of the machine/system, or control the machine/system.

Abstract: A method for calibrating an eddy current sensor for temperature. Both frequency and one of voltage and current of an oscillator driving the eddy current sensor are measured at a plurality of temperatures and a plurality of target surface distances. Temperature equations are regressed to fit the measured frequency and one of the voltage and the current for each temperature, where the temperature equations have a common number of equivalent factors, and factor equations are regressed for each of the equivalent factors. A gain adjustment and an offset adjustment pair for each of the plurality of temperatures is determined for an oscillator associated with the eddy current sensor, that compensates an output of the eddy current sensor to a standard temperature. A gain equation is regressed to fit the determined gain adjustments, and an offset equation is regressed to fit the determined offset adjustments.

Abstract: A method for calibrating an eddy current sensor for temperature. Both frequency and one of voltage and current of an oscillator driving the eddy current sensor are measured at a plurality of temperatures and a plurality of target surface distances. Temperature equations are regressed to fit the measured frequency and one of the voltage and the current for each temperature, where the temperature equations have a common number of equivalent factors, and factor equations are regressed for each of the equivalent factors. A gain adjustment and an offset adjustment pair for each of the plurality of temperatures is determined for an oscillator associated with the eddy current sensor, that compensates an output of the eddy current sensor to a standard temperature. A gain equation is regressed to fit the determined gain adjustments, and an offset equation is regressed to fit the determined offset adjustments.

Abstract: A method of provisioning cards in a rack mount system, by selecting a desired configuration file from a library of configuration files, and copying the configuration file into a memory device. The memory device is inserted into the rack mount system and powered up. Whereupon the configuration file automatically and without any further user intervention provisions a card of the rack mount system.

Abstract: A single universal sensor interface of a machine monitoring system is capable of providing a sensor supply voltage range that is selectable from 0V to ?30V, 0V to +30V, or +/?15V, and a sensor signal input range of ?30V to +30V to accommodate various types of sensors typically used in machine monitoring applications. Some embodiments of the interface also provide a buffered, unaltered sensor signal output.

Abstract: An identification circuit for determining a chassis identification and a slot identification within the chassis using a single reading. The circuit includes a first electrical component associated with a first slot of a first chassis, where the first electrical component has a first value. A second electrical component is associated with a second slot of the first chassis, where the second electrical component has a second value that is different from the first value. A removable card has a third electrical component with a third value, where the removable card inserts into a selected one of the first slot and the second slot of the first chassis. A measuring circuit measures an interaction between the third electrical component and the associated one of the first electrical component and the second electrical component, where the interaction has a fourth value. The fourth value of the interaction identifies both the first chassis and the selected slot into which the removable card is inserted.

Abstract: Two speed measurements of a moving body are generated using a single signal. A sensor generates a composite signal having a series of pulses where each pulse is generated when an element on a moving body passes the sensor. A sensor conditioning unit decouples the composite signal to generate a first conditioned sub-signal having only an AC signal corresponding to an AC component of the composite signal and a second conditioned sub-signal corresponding to the composite signal that may have either or both AC and DC components. A timer/counter input unit computes a first speed measurement by determining a count of pulses in the first conditioned sub-signal and a first time period or the time period of one pulse. The second conditioned sub-signal is transmitted to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and is sampled at a sampling rate to generate a sampled second conditioned sub-signal.

Abstract: A machine health management system incorporates machine measurement units that are connected via Power Over Ethernet (PoE) to a central logic unit. Each measurement unit includes one or more sensor modules to which sensors are connected, or one or more output modules to which output devices are connected, or a combination of sensor modules and output modules. The energy needed to power the measurement units comes through the PoE network. Sensor signals generated by the sensors are digitalized and may be analyzed in the sensor modules. Raw data, and in some cases preprocessed data, are transported over the Ethernet network to the central logic unit, where the data is analyzed and/or combined with other data to perform prediction analysis, build decisions and possibly implement protection solutions, predict performance of the machine/system, or control the machine/system.

Abstract: Sensors monitor parameters of a machine and generate sensor signals that are transmitted to a plurality of signal analyzers. A microprocessor in each signal analyzer analyzes a sensor signal and generates an event signal when the sensor signal meets predetermined criteria indicating that the machine is operating abnormally. A circular buffer is connected to receive and record data corresponding to a sensor signal. When the signal analyzer generates an event signal and a capture trigger is created, the data from the circular buffer is transmitted and stored in the nonvolatile memory. Both pre-event data and post-event data are stored in the nonvolatile memory in a selected ratio of pre-event and post-event data. Data lines connect each signal analyzer in a group of signal analyzers, and data corresponding to each signal analyzer in the group is stored into the nonvolatile memory when an event signal is created by a signal analyzer in the group.

Abstract: An instrument for performing order analysis on a rotational machine. An input module receives periodic motion data, and machine characteristic data that is associated by time with the periodic motion data. A processor module receives the periodic motion data and the machine characteristic data, applies a Goertzel module to the periodic motion data and the machine characteristic data, and thereby creates an order data set comprising magnitude of machine characteristic data versus order of normalized periodic motion data.

Abstract: A mobile device is used in conjunction with control electronics and associated assets and sensors to facilitate the setup or modification of programming in the electronics. The mobile device is used to initially commission sensors by collecting data from the field, such as sensor identity, asset identity and measurement points, and uploading the collected data to the electronics. The mobile device may also be used to select programming in the control electronics for analyzing sensor signals from a particular sensor. The mobile device is also used to collect data from the field for use in linearizing sensor signals when they are received by the control electronics and to transmit maintenance commands to the control electronics thereby causing a programming change in the control electronics to prevent the transmission of a type of command or a type of information, such as a shutdown command or an alarm or alert.

Abstract: An apparatus monitors physical signals, such as vibration, produced by an asset, such as a motor. Sensor signals corresponding to the physical signals are applied to a bandpass Görtzel filter that passes a frequency band around a characteristic frequency of a physical signal. An analyzer produces information corresponding to the physical condition of the asset based on the Görtzel filtered signal. A tracking unit periodically updates parameters of the Görtzel filter so that the bandpass frequencies of the Görtzel filter track the characteristic frequency of the physical signal. Each Görtzel filter may include a comb filter whose output is applied to a plurality of resonators, whose outputs are applied to a windowing unit. The Görtzel filter is preferably a Görtzel filter block that is made up of a plurality of individual Görtzel filters.

Abstract: A machine data collection system uses tachometer timing information to perform post-collection synchronization of measurement data that was collected asynchronously using multiple sensors. In machine predictive analysis systems, timing information derived from a tachometer signal is typically used to make measurement calculations per rotation. A tachometer key signal that is detected by an event-triggered digital input can also be used to post-synchronize measurement data. Although a timestamp is not accurate enough alone for post-collection synchronization, the combination of a tachometer key signal and a timestamp can be accurate enough for post-collection synchronization.

Abstract: A machine health management system incorporates machine measurement units that are connected via Power Over Ethernet (PoE) to a central logic unit. Each measurement unit includes one or more sensor modules to which sensors are connected, or one or more output modules to which output devices are connected, or a combination of sensor modules and output modules. The energy needed to power the measurement units comes through the PoE network. Sensor signals generated by the sensors are digitalized and may be analyzed in the sensor modules. Raw data, and in some cases preprocessed data, are transported over the Ethernet network to the central logic unit, where the data is analyzed and/or combined with other data to perform prediction analysis, build decisions and possibly implement protection solutions, predict performance of the machine/system, or control the machine/system.

Abstract: A mobile device is used in conjunction with control electronics and associated assets and sensors to facilitate the setup or modification of programming in the electronics. The mobile device is used to initially commission sensors by collecting data from the field, such as sensor identity, asset identity and measurement points, and uploading the collected data to the electronics. The mobile device may also be used to select programming in the control electronics for analyzing sensor signals from a particular sensor. The mobile device is also used to collect data from the field for use in linearizing sensor signals when they are received by the control electronics and to transmit maintenance commands to the control electronics thereby causing a programming change in the control electronics to prevent the transmission of a type of command or a type of information, such as a shutdown command or an alarm or alert.

Abstract: A method for configuring components in a computing system. A selected one of the components is designated as a primary component, the other components thereby automatically adopting a status of secondary component. The designation of the primary component is stored in a first memory that is accessible by at least one of the primary component, at least one secondary component, and the computing system. Upon occurrence of a predetermined computing system event, the first memory is read to determine the designation of the primary component. A configuration file from a second memory is automatically copied to a memory of at least one secondary component, thereby creating a new configuration file in the at least one secondary component.