PowerSight PS4500 User manual

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Summit Technology, Inc.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
http://www.powersight.com
Rev for FW 5.3f / SW 3.4H
Copyright 2012 by Summit Technology
User’s Manual
for
PowerSight
PS4500
Test Equipment Depot - 800.517.8431 - 99 Washington Street Melrose, MA 02176
TestEquipmentDepot.com

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PowerSight is a registered trademark of Summit Technology, Inc.
The PowerSight model PS4500 is designed to comply with part
15, subpart B, of the FCC Rules for a Class A digital device.
Model PS4500 is designed to comply with the requirements of
IEC61010-1:2001 for a 600V input rating measurement category
IV, pollution degree II, double insulated electronic device.
Model PS4500 is manufactured by Summit Technology, Inc in the
U.S.A. The standard warranty period is 12 months from date of
purchase. We encourage you to advise us of any defects of
design or manufacture of any of our products. We are dedicated
to your successful use of the product.
There are no user serviceable parts in your PowerSight
meter. Opening the case voids your warranty and may result in
present or future danger to users of the meter. The rechargeable
battery inside is a custom-designed battery pack that is only to be
replaced by authorized Summit Technology technical service
personnel.
Cleaning is to be done by use of a dry or damp piece of
cloth. Grease may be removed by light application of isopropyl
(rubbing) alcohol. Avoid the use of solvents, since they may
dissolve or weaken the plastic enclosure. Do not use water or
other conductive liquids since they may pose a safety risk.
Use of this equipment in a manner not specified by Summit
Technology can result in injury and voiding of warranty.

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Table of Contents
Introducing PowerSight .............................................................9
Connecting to PowerSight.......................................................10
Voltage Test Leads.....................................................................................10
Current Probes ............................................................................................11
Connections to PowerSight .......................................................................13
Introduction to Power Delivery Configurations........................................ 15
Connecting to Single-phase Power..........................................................17
Connecting to 120 V Outlet Adapter Box................................................. 18
Connecting to Multiple Single-phase Loads............................................19
Connecting to Split-Phase (Two Phase) Power .....................................20
Connecting to Three-Phase Four-Wire (Wye) Power............................21
Connecting to Three-Phase Three-Wire (Delta) Power ........................22
Connecting to Three-Phase Four-Wire Delta Power ............................. 23
Connecting to Three-Phase Grounded Delta Power.............................23
Connections Using 2 Current Approach..................................................24
Connections To a 3 CT / 3 PT Metering Circuit......................................25
Connections To a 2 CT / 2 PT Metering Circuit......................................28
Connections To an Open Delta (3CT / 2PT) Metering Circuit..............28
Connecting to Line-To-DC (LDC) Converter Accessory........................ 29
Measuring Multiple Parallel Conductors .................................................. 31
Measuring Currents Below the Range of the Current Probe................33
Turning PowerSight On............................................................34
Connecting to Power .................................................................................. 34
Turning PowerSight On.............................................................................. 35
Turning PowerSight Off.............................................................................. 35
Communicating with PowerSight............................................36
Introduction................................................................................................... 36
Step 1: Connecting to the Meter at the Operating System Level......... 37
Step 2: Connecting to the Meter in PSM (the Application Level).........38
Using Removable Memory Cards............................................40
Introduction................................................................................................... 40
Operation and Limitations..........................................................................40
Using the Memory Card Data with PSM..................................................41
Verifying Connections Using PowerSight (SureStartTM)........43
Importance of Verifying Connections and Wiring...................................43
Identifying the Power System.................................................................... 45
Error Summary ............................................................................................ 46

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Identifying Errors.........................................................................................46
Checking out Connections using PSM ...................................49
Checking Voltage Levels – Using PSM ...................................................49
Check Voltage Phase Sequence – Using PSM...................................... 50
Checking Current Levels – Using PSM.................................................... 51
Checking I Phase Sequence – Using PSM.............................................52
Checking Phase Lag Angle – Using PSM...............................................52
Measurement Types.................................................................54
Voltage Measurements ..............................................................................54
Voltage Measurements in PowerSight..................................................... 56
Voltage Measurements in PSM................................................................. 57
Current Measurements.............................................................................. 59
Current Measurements in PowerSight.....................................................60
Current Measurements in PSM................................................................. 62
Imbalance Measurements.......................................................................... 63
Imbalance Measurements in PSM............................................................ 64
Power Measurements................................................................................. 65
Power Measurements in PowerSight.......................................................66
Power Measurements in PSM................................................................... 67
Power Factor Measurements .................................................................... 68
True Power Factor Measurements in PowerSight ................................. 70
Displacement P.F. and Phase Measurements in PowerSight.............. 72
Power Factor and Phase Measurements in PSM .................................. 73
Energy Measurements ............................................................................... 74
Energy Measurements in PowerSight...................................................... 75
Energy Measurements in PSM ................................................................. 76
Cost Measurements.................................................................................... 76
Cost Measurements in PowerSight.......................................................... 77
Cost Measurements in PSM...................................................................... 78
Demand Period Measurements ................................................................ 79
Demand Period Measurements in PowerSight.......................................79
Demand Period Measurements in PSM ..................................................79
Frequency Measurements......................................................................... 80
Frequency Measurements in PowerSight................................................81
Frequency Measurements in PSM ........................................................... 81
Duty Cycle / Power Cycle Measurements...............................................82
Duty Cycle / Power Cycle Measurements in PowerSight...................... 83
Time and Capacity Measurements........................................................... 83
Time and Capacity Measurements in PowerSight................................. 85
Time and Capacity Measurements in PSM............................................. 86
Harmonic Measurements........................................................................... 87
Harmonic Measurements in PowerSight ................................................. 89
Harmonic Measurements in PSM............................................................. 89

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Swells (Surges) and Inrush Measurements............................................ 90
Dips (Sags) Measurement.........................................................................90
High-Speed Transient Measurements ..................................................... 91
Measurement Modes................................................................92
Introducing Measurement Modes ............................................................. 92
Phase-Neutral vs Phase-Phase vs 2 Current Mode.............................. 92
Changing the Voltage Measurement Mode in PowerSight...................94
Changing the Voltage Measurement Mode in PSM............................... 94
50/60/400Hz vs DC vs Variable Frequency............................................ 95
Changing the Frequency Measurement Mode in PowerSight..............96
Changing the Frequency Measurement Mode in PSM..........................97
Always Positive Power versus Negative Power Allowed ......................97
Changing the Power Measurement Mode in PowerSight ..................... 98
Changing the Power Measurement Mode in PSM................................. 99
Defining Inputs............................................................................................. 99
Changing Input Ratios in PowerSight ....................................................101
Changing Input Ratios in PSM................................................................ 101
Voltage & Current Waveforms...............................................103
Introduction................................................................................................. 103
Saving Consumption Waveforms............................................................103
Receiving Stored Consumption Waveforms .........................................105
Viewing Consumption Waveforms..........................................................106
Monitoring Power Consumption............................................111
Introduction................................................................................................. 111
Basic Consumption Data Logging ..........................................................112
Receiving Consumption Data Log from PowerSight............................ 115
Viewing Consumption Logs..................................................................... 116
Custom Consumption Data Logging.....................................118
Introduction................................................................................................. 118
Starting Data Logging............................................................................... 118
Stopping Data Logging............................................................................. 119
Setting the Consumption Logging Period.............................................. 120
Setting Measurement Types.................................................................... 121
Setting Measurement Modes...................................................................122
Saving and Retrieving Data Setups to File or PowerSight in PSM.... 123
Loading Data Setups from the Memory Card (SD Card) ....................123
Saving Data Setups to the Memory Card (SD Card)........................... 124
Restoring the Default Setup.....................................................................125
Monitoring Swell/Dip/Inrush ..................................................125
Introduction................................................................................................. 125

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Swell/Dip Event Log.................................................................................. 127
Swell/Dip RMS Graph Log....................................................................... 128
Swell/Dip Event Waveforms .................................................................... 129
Setting the Swell/Dip Trigger Thresholds in PowerSight..................... 130
Setting the Swell/Dip Trigger Thresholds in PSM ................................132
Receiving Swell/Dip Data from PowerSight .......................................... 133
Viewing Swell/Dip Event Data................................................................. 135
Monitoring High-Speed Transient Events.............................136
Introduction................................................................................................. 136
Transient Event Log.................................................................................. 137
Transient Event Waveforms.................................................................... 138
Setting the Transient Trigger Thresholds in PowerSight..................... 139
Setting the Transient Trigger Thresholds in PSM ................................140
Receiving Transient Data from PowerSight..........................................142
Viewing Transient Event Data................................................................. 143
Allocating Memory within PowerSight..................................145
Report Generator Software....................................................147
Introduction................................................................................................. 147
Generating a Report ................................................................................. 147
Viewing a Report.......................................................................................149
Other Functions of PowerSight.............................................151
Calibrating PowerSight............................................................................. 151
Setup Functions......................................................................................... 151
Administrative Functions.......................................................................... 152
Other Functions within PSM..................................................156
Introduction................................................................................................. 156
Remote Control of PowerSight................................................................ 156
Locating and Installing Software and Firmware....................................157
Setting up Administrative Features of PowerSight via PSM............... 158
Setting Operational Features of PSM .................................................... 158
Putting it all Together (Monitoring for the First Time) .........159
Working with Graphs and Waveforms..................................162
General....................................................................................................... 162
Reading Graphs and Waveforms............................................................ 164
Zooming and Panning ..............................................................................166
Troubleshooting & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)......169

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Advanced Motor Diagnostics Option....................................173
Introduction................................................................................................. 173
Capturing On-Line Motor Data................................................................ 173
Frequency Analysis Option ...................................................175
Overview of the Keypad Functions.......................................176
Compatibility Guide................................................................178
Specifications*........................................................................180

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Introducing PowerSight
Congratulations on your decision to buy a PowerSight PS4500!
You have just purchased one of the smallest and yet most
powerful instruments for measuring and analyzing electric power
that exists.
The PS4500 is a complete solution for the measurement and
analysis of all aspects of power:
♦High-speed transient analysis
♦Swell/Dip analysis
♦Harmonics analysis
♦Demand analysis
♦Data logging
♦Automated report writing
♦Wiring and system analysis
The philosophy of the product is to give you an instrument that
answers your questions about electric power in a truly convenient
size at an attractive price.
If you are looking for a simple yet powerful tool that can be easily
and reliably installed and operated, one that provides for
comprehensive data analysis, you've found your tool of first
choice.
Whether your interest is in
♦The quality of incoming power,
♦Managing power consumption, or
♦Maintaining and comparing equipment
PowerSight puts all the power in the palm of your hand!
*Note: Throughout this manual, whenever we refer to an individual
key of the keypad, we print the name on the key enclosed by
square brackets. For example, the “Volt” key is referred to as
[Volt].

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Connecting to PowerSight
Voltage Test Leads
A Deluxe Voltage Probe set consisting of four leads is included
with each PowerSight.Each of the voltage test leads is 6 feet (2
meters) long, with safety banana jacks at one end and safety
plunger clamps at the other end. Each is labeled at both ends as
the V1, V2, V3, or VNtest lead. The safety plunger clamps have
telescoping jaws that you can actuate while keeping your fingers
three inches away from the actual metallic contact. Regular test
probes have conventional alligator jaw attachments that require
your fingers to be within one inch of the metallic contact. Also, the
method of attaching alligator jaws to a test lead can allow a gap in
the insulation between the lead and where they join. This is
where your thumb and finger are pressing while you actuate it.
For these reasons, to avoid unnecessary risk of shock,
regular voltage test leads should not be connected to or
disconnected from live circuits and should definitely not be
connected to or disconnected from voltages above 120 Vrms.
Another word of caution: Whenever connecting to a live
circuit, remember that the jaws of a voltage test lead are
much wider when they are open than when they are closed.
The potential to short or flash across two adjacent terminals
or wires is a constant danger when connecting to a live
circuit. Depending on the current capacity of the circuit
being shorted, arc flash and a deadly explosion of molten
material can result!
Once they are securely connected, the deluxe voltage leads are
safe for steady voltages of the 600 Vrms rating of PowerSight.
The clamps of the deluxe voltage leads are rated for 1000V
working voltage, measurement category III. This is equivalent to
measurement category IV for a working voltage of 600V, the rating
of the PS4500.