abc ABC-MEMS User manual

ABC-MEMS
User’s Manual
October 4 2017

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1INTRODUCTION _____________________________________________ 4
2APPLICATIONS ______________________________________________ 4
3WARNINGS _________________________________________________ 4
4GETTING STARTED __________________________________________ 5
4.1 Software Installation ____________________________________________________________ 5
4.2 Hardware Installation___________________________________________________________ 5
4.3 Initial Test and Configuration ____________________________________________________ 5
5INSTRUMENT FUNCTIONS AND DESCRIPTION ___________________ 6
6PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION____________________________________ 7
6.1 Power Consumption ____________________________________________________________ 7
6.2 Battery Charging_______________________________________________________________ 7
6.3 Modes of Operation_____________________________________________________________ 8
6.4 LED Indicators ________________________________________________________________ 8
6.4.1 Charge LED________________________________________________________________ 8
6.4.2 Operation LED _____________________________________________________________ 9
6.5 Acceleration Sensor and Signal Processing__________________________________________ 9
6.5.1 Measurement _______________________________________________________________ 9
6.5.2 Upper Frequency Limit ______________________________________________________ 10
6.5.3 Low-Frequency Limit _______________________________________________________ 11
6.5.4 Noise ____________________________________________________________________ 12
6.5.5 Sensor Dynamic Range ______________________________________________________ 13
6.6 Calibration ___________________________________________________________________ 14
6.7 Scale ________________________________________________________________________ 14
6.8 Inclinations___________________________________________________________________ 14
6.9 Manual Recording_____________________________________________________________ 15
6.10 AutoRec Recording ____________________________________________________________ 15
7WIFI™ CONNECTIVITY_______________________________________ 16
7.1 WiFi™ Reporting _____________________________________________________________ 17

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8INSTRUMENT_MANAGER APPLICATION________________________ 18
8.1 Starting the Application ________________________________________________________ 22
8.2 Main Functions _______________________________________________________________ 23
8.3 Setup Tab ____________________________________________________________________ 23
8.3.1 Time and Date Field ________________________________________________________ 23
8.3.2 Temperature Field __________________________________________________________ 23
8.3.3 Instrument Info Field________________________________________________________ 23
8.3.4 Recording Field ____________________________________________________________ 24
8.3.5 Settings Field______________________________________________________________ 26
8.3.6 Battery Field ______________________________________________________________ 29
8.3.7 Signals Field ______________________________________________________________ 29
8.4 Records Tab __________________________________________________________________ 29
8.4.1 Instrument Download _______________________________________________________ 29
8.4.2 File Save _________________________________________________________________ 30
8.4.3 File Open _________________________________________________________________ 30
8.4.4 Exporting Data_____________________________________________________________ 31
8.4.5 Graph Controls ____________________________________________________________ 31
8.5 Spectrum Tab_________________________________________________________________ 32
8.5.1 Resolution ________________________________________________________________ 32
8.5.2 Window __________________________________________________________________ 32
8.5.3 Weighting ________________________________________________________________ 32
8.5.4 Avg Mode ________________________________________________________________ 33
8.5.5 Scale ____________________________________________________________________ 33
8.5.6 Cursor, Zoom and Pan_______________________________________________________ 33
8.6 Static Tab ____________________________________________________________________ 33
8.7 WiFi Tab_____________________________________________________________________ 33
8.7.1 Connection Status __________________________________________________________ 34
8.7.2 WiFi Settings ______________________________________________________________ 35
8.7.3 Manual Connection _________________________________________________________ 36
8.7.4 Setting Up the Server to Work in a Local or Wide Area Network. _____________________ 36
8.7.5 Email Setup _______________________________________________________________ 37
8.7.6 WiFi™Battery Drain _______________________________________________________ 38
9INSTRUMENT_LISTENER APPLICATION ________________________ 38
9.1 File Storage___________________________________________________________________ 39
10 MAINTENANCE ___________________________________________ 40
10.1 Battery Care__________________________________________________________________ 40
10.2 Reset Procedure_______________________________________________________________ 40
10.3 Operation Outdoors ___________________________________________________________ 40
10.4 Dust_________________________________________________________________________ 40

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10.5 Cleaning _____________________________________________________________________ 40
10.6 Software and Firmware Upgrades________________________________________________ 40
11 TROUBLESHOOTING_______________________________________ 41
11.1 USB Power Limitation _________________________________________________________ 41
11.2 USB Driver Installation_________________________________________________________ 41
11.3 Connection Problems __________________________________________________________ 42

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1Introduction
ABC-MEMS is the third generation of ABC Instrument’s smart vibration meter/datalogger. It
includes It includes a 3-axis MEMS accelerometer, an accurate date/time clock, a non-volatile 128 Mb
recording memory and wireless connectivity with fast USB and WiFi™ download. Depending on the
settings it can record vibration/velocity signals and/or RMS vibration/velocity levels for months. Its very
small size allows it to be attached to, or embedded within, the monitored equipment.
The ABC-Mems model is an evolution of the 1e model. It has the following new
features:
•Can measure, record and trigger on velocity signals, in addition to acceleration signals.
•Has WiFi™ reporting and email alarms.
•Includes an accelerometer with exceptional noise floor (20 times better noise floor than the
Vibration Mems -16g).
•Sampling rates up to 4 kHz.
•Improved anti-aliasing filter.
The ABC-Mems includes the following features:
•3-Axis integral MEMS accelerometer
•Measures and records:
oRaw acceleration or velocity signals
oAcceleration or velocity signal statistics
oVibration or velocity RMS levels
oInclinations
•All-digital design.
•Integrated oscilloscope function that can show the vibration or velocity signals in real time.
•Allows the observation of recorded data while the recording is ongoing.
•Works standalone, or USB or WiFi™ connected for setup and data transfer to PC.
•Long life internal rechargeable battery that recharges from USB.
•Self-calibrated using the earth’s gravity as a reference.
•Observes and records 100% of the acceleration signals (no missed samples).
•Editable individual custom ID for easier instrument management.
•Completely sealed weatherproof enclosure.
2Applications
•Building-health monitoring on construction sites.
•Long-term seismic monitoring.
•Long-term inclination monitoring.
•Long-term measurement and recording of acceleration signals, velocity signals, signal
statistics (peaks and average) and RMS levels.
•Continuous monitoring of machinery wear.
3Warnings
Avoid over-discharging the battery

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•Recharge the instrument immediately if the LED indicates a low-battery condition.
•Even if the instrument is Idle all or most of the time, recharge it fully at least once every 6
months.
Do not store or operate the instrument at temperatures exceeding the following limits
•-20 °C to 60 °C (-4 °F to 140 °F)
Do not mount on a metal plate. That would drastically weaken the WiFi™ signal.
4Getting Started
4.1 Software Installation
•On the PC that is used to setup the instrument, run Instrument_Manager_Installer.exe. This
installs the Instrument_Manager application, as well as its USB driver and documentation.
•On the PC that is used as a server, to collect data over the network, run
Instrument_Listener_Installer.exe. This installs the listener application that is used to respond
to instrument incoming connections, and create and fill the corresponding data files.
Note: The same PC can be used for both applications.
Note: Perform the software installation above BEFORE connecting the instrument to the PC for the
first time. The installer includes a USB driver, which is required for the PC to recognize the instrument.
4.2 Hardware Installation
1. Connect the instrument to an available USB port on the PC.
2. Verify that the PC properly detects the instrument and loads the driver. In case of doubt see
section Troubleshooting. Note that it can take some time for the PC to load the driver, the first
time the instrument is connected.
4.3 Initial Test and Configuration
1. Upon connection to the PC, the charge LED should immediately light-up yellow (charging) or
green (charged). Once the PC has loaded the driver the operating LED should blink once per
second.
2. Go into Start\All Programs\ABC_Instruments\Instrument_Manager and run
Instrument_Manager.exe. The front-panel described in Figure 9 appears, and the application
tries to connect to the instrument. If it fails to find the instrument it indicates No Device Found. If
this is the case see section Troubleshooting
3. Otherwise the application switches-on the ABC-MEMS and starts communicating with it.

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4. If the Time and Date in the upper right corner of the application window are not properly
adjusted the application asks if you want the instrument time to be synchronized to the PC
time. Only say YES if the PC time is correct.
5. In addition, the application detects if the time zone of the instrument is different from the time
zone of the PC. If it is, the application asks to set the instrument to the same time zone as the
PC.
Note: If (in rare cases) the instrument is not intended to be used in the same time zone as
that of the PC used to configure it, we suggest to temporarily change the PC’s time zone to the
time zone where the instrument will be recording, let the application set the instrument to the
PC’s time zone, and change the PC’s time zone back after that initial setting. Afterwards
if/whenever the application asks to change the instrument time zone back to the PC’s time
zone, simply choose to cancel the adjustment.
6. In the front-panel of the application you should see the acceleration or velocity signals display
in real-time.
5Instrument Functions and Description
The instrument connects to a PC on a USB port. The Instrument_Manager application is used to set its
operating parameters and download recorded data.
Figure 1 ABC-Mems
1. Charge LED
2. Operation LED
3. USB Connector
4. Reset Button

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6Principle of Operation
6.1 Power Consumption
The ABC-Mems is always on. However, when not in operation it only measures time, which only takes
a tiny operating current. In that Idle state it can stay on for up to 6 months.When the meter is
actively measuring, its power consumption is mostly affected by two factors:
•The accelerometer sampling rate.
•Whether it is recording raw signals or statistics.
The meter can be configured to connect to a server at regular intervals. When that function is
enabled, the meter will activate its WiFi™ interface at the defined interval, and attempt to connect
via WiFi™ for up to 1 minute. During that time, the instrument’s power consumption will be increased. If
the connection fails the meter will fall back to its previous state (Sleep or Recording).
Note: WiFi™communications consume battery, so when leaving the meter unused for a long
time, it is important to disable the WiFi™periodic connection feature.
In order to minimize the power consumption due to WiFi™ reporting, choose a longer WiFi™
connection interval, for instance 1 hour. Make sure that the router is well within range of the instrument.
WiFi™ consumption is greatly increased when the WiFi™ signal is weak.
The Instrument_Manager application automatically calculates and displays the cumulative number of
days that the battery would last while recording, as a function of the instrument settings.
Note: That indication does not take into account any WiFi™ reporting.
In applications where the meter must record for longer periods of time, it can be connected to a
USB charger. For outdoor-use, a USB-output solar panel,
that will power the instrument indefinitely.
6.2 Battery Charging
The battery charges whenever the following conditions are met:
•The battery is not already fully charged.
•The instrument is connected to a PC’s USB port and the PC is not in standby, or
•The instrument is connected to a USB charger.
Note: In order to charge the instrument properly, use a USB charger that is either compliant with the
USB charging specification (most commercial dedicated USB chargers), or the Apple charging
specification (most Apple chargers that have a USB output). We do not recommend using the USB
outputs of cell-phone chargers, as many do not follow either standard.
While charging, the charge LED is orange. When fully charged, the LED changes to green.
The charge time from a completely discharged state varies with the amount of power the PC allows the
instrument to draw. Charge time is normally around 2H30. If the PC does not allow the fast charge
current, the charge time can increase up to 5 to 6 hours.

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Note: When connected to a PC, battery charging stops while the PC is in standby.
Note: It is OK to leave the instrument connected to a PC or USB charger all the time. The smart
charger inside the instrument will stop charging as soon as the battery reaches full-charge.
6.3 Modes of Operation
The meter has four modes of operation:
Mode
Operation
Power Consumption
Idle
Disconnected from USB and not actively
recording - Only keeps time.
Minimal: Only needs to be recharged
every 6 months.
Active
Connected to USB – Not recording –
Instrument is fully on and measuring
Instrument draws power from USB to
power itself, and if necessary recharge
its battery. Battery is not depleted.
Recording
or Auto-Rec
USB-connected or not - Fully on and
recording.
If USB-connected, power comes from
USB. If not, power comes from the
internal battery. Power consumption
depends on the instrument settings, and
can go from days to months.
Periodic
WiFi™
Connect
From any state, including Idle and
Recording, the instrument can periodically
wake up its WiFi™interface and attempt to
connect to a server. If the connection is not
established after 1 minute it falls back to its
original state until the next connection time.
If USB-connected, power comes from
USB. If not, power comes from the
battery. The Periodic Connect feature
consumes battery. This is especially the
case if the connection interval is set to
be short so it occurs often.
Table 1
6.4 LED Indicators
The meter has two LED indicators:
6.4.1 Charge LED
The charge LED is always fully on or off.
LED State
Meaning
Off
Instrument is disconnected, or is connected to a PC that is in standby.
Green
Instrument is connected to a PC or USB charger, and the battery is full.
Orange
Instrument is connected to a PC or USB charger, and the battery is charging.
Table 2

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6.4.2 Operation LED
The operation LED is always blinking.
LED State
Meaning
Off
Instrument is in Idle mode.
1-blink/second
Instrument is in Active or Auto-Rec mode, but is not actively recording.
2-blinks/second
Instrument is actively recording.
1-blink/second
(off-beat)
Instrument is presently communicating with a server via WiFi™.
4-blinks/second
Battery is low. Recharge as soon as possible. If the battery level becomes critical
the instrument will go to Idle mode (LED-off) in order to safeguard the battery
against over-discharge as much as possible.
Table 3
6.5 Acceleration Sensor and Signal Processing
6.5.1 Measurement
The 3-axis MEMS accelerometer inside the ABC-Mems accurately measures static (DC) and dynamic
(AC) acceleration signals with an adjustable sampling rate of up to 4 kHz.
Velocities are calculated in real-time from the acceleration sensor.
The accelerometer’s dynamic range is +-8g.
When measuring accelerations an adjustable-frequency high-pass filter can be added to the
measurement path. The high-pass filter is required to measure RMS vibration levels. Otherwise the
measured RMS levels would be biased by the DC component. On the other hand, inclination
measurements require the measurement of the DC component, so DO NOT use the high-pass filter for
inclinations.
When measuring velocities, a high-pass filter is automatically placed in the signal path. The cutoff
frequency is adjustable, and has an impact on velocity noise.
The instrument’s power consumption is proportional to the sampling rate, and dependent upon whether
the instrument is set to record raw signals or statistics.