Harmonics are distortions in the 60Hz voltage or current caused by non-linear loads on the system. Harmonics are of interest to utilities as they can cause damage to equipment, such…
White Papers
Browse our library of power quality technical resources.
432 white papers
Two Minute Countdown
Prior to recording, PMI recorders have a countdown interval of time used for initialization called the "Two Minute Countdown". This period of time is used to verify proper hookup, change…
Keyboard Shortcuts for PMI Software
Both ProVision and Canvass offer a wide array of user input options. These options range from mouse use to keyboard inputs. Specific keystroke inputs are typically referred to as "shortcut…
Monitoring Variable Frequency Drives
Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are increasingly common, especially with the push for energy efficiency (in residential applications) and better motor control (in industrial applications). Unfortunately, the gains made with VFDs…
Choosing a Revolution Cell Plan
The Cell-Modem Revolution contains an embedded cellular modem allowing for network-based communication from any internet connected PC. The purpose of this white paper is to help the user determine the…
Understanding Vector Diagrams
This whitepaper will discuss what vector diagrams are, what they display, and how PMI's power quality recorders and ProVision can provide the user with this information.
Using 3D Graphs in ProVision
Power quality data in ProVision is presented in two distinct formats: as either a text-based report, or as a graphical image. The latter category, referred to in ProVision as graphs,…
Understanding Recording Modes
Recorders connected in ProVision have two primary modes: Standby mode and Ready mode. Each of these modes has a distinct purpose, and some recorder operations in ProVision require the recorder…
Analyzing Motor Startups with Event Capture
This paper describes how Event Capture can be used to analyze motor startups and covers the typical initial settings for capturing and analyzing a motor startup. All PMI recorders, old…
Per-Unit Graphing with Canvass
Canvass is a web-based power quality portal designed and developed by PMI to allow users to perform power quality analysis from anywhere they have an internet connection and a web…
Case Study: Impact of Solar Photovoltaic Installations
2012 was a historic year for the U.S. solar industry. There were 3,313 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed throughout the year, which represents 76% growth over 2011’s record…
Measuring Abnormal Voltage
The Abnormal Voltage Report is one of the "Triggered Event" reports in ProVision and it is used to determine whether voltage drifted outside the thresholds during the recording session. Usually…
