Operation Manual

1-1
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
Overview
PowerXplorer
description
The Dranetz-BMI PowerXplorer
®
PX5 is a portable, hand-held, eight-channel power
quality meter/monitor. This cutting-edge power quality instrument is designed with a
color liquid crystal display (LCD) 1/4 VGA, using touch screen technology. It can
monitor, record and display data on four voltage channels and four current channels
simultaneously.
PX5 is designed to meet both the IEEE 1159 and IEC 61000-4-30 Class A standards for
accuracy and measurement requirements. It can do PQ-optimized acquisition of power
quality related disturbances and events. It is designed with a statistical package called
Quality of Supply (QOS), with monitoring and setup protocols set to determine voltage
measurement compliance required for EN50160 monitoring. European standard
EN50160 requires that measurement parameters must be within a specified percentage
for 95% of the time.
PowerXplorer PX5 is available in two models:
• Model PX5-XFAST is equipped with the high speed sampling analog board for
microsecond transient detection digitization and analysis. The PX5-XFAST performs
measurements for 50/60 Hz power frequency systems.
• Model PX5-400 performs measurements for 400 Hz power frequency systems. The
PX5-400 will also monitor at 50/60 Hz. The user needs to set the default frequency to
either 400 Hz, 60 Hz or 50 Hz, depending on the application. When operating at 400
Hz, rms calculations are made on a cycle-by-cycle basis with 1 cycle step; whereas at
50/60 Hz mode, it steps at 1/2 Hz. Also, the PX5-400 does not calculate the IEEE
1459 power parameters as well as flicker, which are not defined at 400 Hz.
PX5 Firmware
The firmware for the PX5 is contained on internal FLASH memory. It has an operating
system capable of performing multiple applications. When an updated version of the
firmware is released, the user can upgrade the internal program by putting the latest
PX5 firmware program card in the appropriate slot of the mainframe. See page 1-10
for instructions on how to upgrade PX5 firmware from a data card.
The PX5 firmware can monitor power quality phenomena for troubleshooting and/or
compliance purposes. It can record inrush conditions, carry out long-term statistical
studies to establish performance baselines, and perform field-based equipment testing
and evaluation for commissioning and maintenance. The firmware integrates an
intuitive instrument setup procedure to ensure the capture of all relevant data for
additional post process analysis, report writing, and data archiving using other
compatible Dranetz-BMI software applications such as NodeLink
®
and DranView
®
.