Abstract: A system and method for detecting abnormal operating conditions in a machine through the analysis and comparison of radar areas after the transformation of waveform data collected from machine parts. An example embodiment is configured to: generate a monitoring signal in response to the behavior of a machine while the machine is in operation; simultaneously monitor two or more spectrums in the monitoring signal; collect data for two ore more spectrums at times when the machine is operating normally to establish an operational baseline of said machine; identify a respective energy level in each of the two or more spectrums; process waveform data corresponding to each of said identified energy levels into a Fast Fourier Transform radar plot; determine an area that corresponds to the FFT radar plot; correlate changes in the area of the FFT radar plot with changes in spectrum data and changes in the operation of the machine.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting abnormal operating conditions in a machine through the analysis and comparison of radar areas after the transformation of waveform data collected from machine parts. The system and method may detect abnormal operating conditions at times when the machine under evaluation remains fully operational in its intended working environment. The system and method may identify abnormal machine function at a point in the machine wear cycle when an abnormal function is not apparent to a human observer.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting abnormal operating conditions in a machine through the analysis and comparison of radar areas after the transformation of waveform data collected from machine parts. An example embodiment is configured to: generate a monitoring signal in response to the behavior of a machine while the machine is in operation; simultaneously monitor two or more spectrums in the monitoring signal; collect data for two ore more spectrums at times when the machine is operating normally to establish an operational baseline of said machine; identify a respective energy level in each of the two or more spectrums; process waveform data corresponding to each of said identified energy levels into a Fast Fourier Transform radar plot; determine an area that corresponds to the FFT radar plot; correlate changes in the area of the FFT radar plot with changes in spectrum data and changes in the operation of the machine.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting abnormal operating conditions in a machine through the analysis and comparison of radar areas after the transformation of waveform data collected from machine parts. An example embodiment is configured to: generate a monitoring signal in response to the behavior of a machine while the machine is in operation; simultaneously monitor two or more spectrums in the monitoring signal; collect data for two ore more spectrums at times when the machine is operating normally to establish an operational baseline of said machine; identify a respective energy level in each of the two or more spectrums; process waveform data corresponding to each of said identified energy levels into a Fast Fourier Transform radar plot; determine an area that corresponds to the FFT radar plot; correlate changes in the area of the FFT radar plot with changes in spectrum data and changes in the operation of the machine.

Abstract: Methods for displaying machine data are described including a method for displaying machine data as a virtual three-dimensional image showing a three-dimensional graph having three axes such that the data in the graph may be rotated about one or more of the axes to give a data analyst a better perspective of the behavior of an item being monitored. In a related embodiment, a method for displaying machine data in a virtual three-dimensional image such that the data may be rotated one or more of the axes is described which further includes one or more cursor images representing substantially planar cursors on the display for analyzing data.

Abstract: A method for detecting an event and/or behavior of interest based on monitoring data and selectively storing portions of the monitoring data associated with the event and/or behavior of interest. Preferably, the method includes defining a hierarchy of event and/or behavior types so that the storing of a first behavior/event type is preferred over a second behavior/event type, especially when storing capacity is scarce. A data management apparatus including a logic device and a long-term storage memory apparatus, the logic device for detecting an event and/or behavior of interest based on monitoring data and selectively storing portions of the monitoring data associated with the event and/or behavior of interest on the long-term memory storage apparatus.

Abstract: A machine monitoring apparatus collects, processes and communicates machine data to be used for process control purposes and to be used in analyzing the machine performance. The apparatus includes one or more sensors that may be attached to or adjacent the machine for generating signals indicative of a performance parameter of the machine. An analog-to-digital converter converts the signals generated by the one or more sensors to bulk digital data corresponding to the sensed performance parameter. A processor receives and analyzes the bulk digital data and generates control digital data based on the bulk digital data. The control digital data may include one or more scalar values or status messages related to the operational performance of the machine as indicated by the bulk digital data. The apparatus includes a control data interface for providing access to the control digital data via a control data network, and a bulk data interface for providing access to the bulk digital data.

Abstract: A method for detecting an event and/or behavior of interest based on monitoring data and selectively storing portions of the monitoring data associated with the event and/or behavior of interest. Preferably, the method includes defining a hierarchy of event and/or behavior types so that the storing of a first behavior/event type is preferred over a second behavior/event type, especially when storing capacity is scarce. A data management apparatus including a logic device and a long-term storage memory apparatus, the logic device for detecting an event and/or behavior of interest based on monitoring data and selectively storing portions of the monitoring data associated with the event and/or behavior of interest on the long-term memory storage apparatus.

Abstract: A machine data collection system compares a plurality of measured values to one another and determines the measured value indicating a worst-case condition. The machine data collection system then reports the worst-case measured value across the control network. In some embodiments, the measured values are normalized based on each individual measurement's typical range, or a user-defined operating range, thereby producing a plurality of normalized values each corresponding to one of the plurality of measured values. The data collection system compares the plurality of normalized values to a nominal value and determines the normalized value indicating the worst-case condition. The system reports the measured value corresponding to the worst-case normalized value. In some embodiments, the data collection system also reports the worst-case normalized value across the control network.

Abstract: Methods for displaying machine data are described including a method for displaying machine data as a virtual three-dimensional image showing a three-dimensional graph having three axes such that the data in the graph may be rotated about one or more of the axes to give a data analyst a better perspective of the behavior of an item being monitored. In a related embodiment, a method for displaying machine data in a virtual three-dimensional image such that the data may be rotated one or more of the axes is described which further includes one or more cursor images representing substantially planar cursors on the display for analyzing data.

Abstract: A virtual fieldbus device module is a software or firmware module that enables an otherwise ordinary fieldbus device to become a complex fieldbus device, capable of registering and maintaining multiple fieldbus network addresses for one or more “virtual” fieldbus devices. Each virtual fieldbus device has one or more sensor inputs and appears to the fieldbus network as an individual physical fieldbus device, despite the complex fieldbus device only having one physical connection to the fieldbus network. The virtual fieldbus device module may be incorporated into a device's firmware or may be included in a memory plug-in capable of being removed. The communication packet processing of a complex fieldbus device running the virtual fieldbus device module includes receiving a communication packet over the fieldbus network, determining whether the address associated with the packet matches any of the addresses registered by the complex fieldbus device, and processing any packets that match.