How to Remotely Monitor Electrical Power Signals
These local power sources are typically alternative, such as solar and wind, which have intermittent power levels
As Smart Grid investment grows, two important premises for Smart Grid design are:
- Access to local power sources
- An understanding of loads and disturbances on the grid at various locations
These local power sources are typically alternative, such as solar and wind, which have intermittent power levels.
Since the levels fluctuate, an important feature of proper Smart Grid operation is handling these erratic supplies. Optimal understanding of these disturbances and load changes increasingly requires measurements on individual AC power cycles.
Local power analysis systems typically have constraints in equipment cost, size, and power usage, balanced against the need for simultaneous sampling front-end circuitry and back-end custom data processing algorithms. Furthermore, many of these systems are presently deployed as prototypes or short-run productions, requiring a combination of off-the-shelf and custom-designed components.
Viewpoint Systems recently worked with a designer and manufacturer of leading-edge electrical power monitoring equipment to provide access to simultaneously sampled signals from the 3-phase and neutral lines of an AC power source.
Using a custom RIO Mezzanine card (RMC) designed and built for the National Instruments SingleBoardRIO platform, Viewpoint Systems delivered a powerful, cost-effective, and configurable solution for AC power signals measurement.
Power Line Data Acquisition sbRIO RMC Module with GPS Timing
Furthermore, through the GPS component on the RMC, measurement units can be placed at dispersed locations while still providing adequate synchronization of acquired waveforms. This aids in localizing and understanding disturbances in power transmission and distribution, irrespective of any specific application.
Read the full case study to learn more about the application and view full specifications of Viewpoint Systems’ remote monitoring system for electrical power. If you have an embedded monitoring application that you’d like help with, you can reach out to chat here. If you’d like to learn more about our circuit board design capabilities, go here.