New from from Ideal Industries, the VPM Voltage Performance Monitor works where the symptoms of poor quality voltage occur: at the point where equipment is connected. The company contends that, when a voltage problem is suspected as a cause of equipment failure, the traditional solution has been to place an analyzer on the main service. However, Ideal notes that this approach misses problems at the branch level where sags, swells, impulses, harmonics and other voltage events can adversely affect electronics.
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Simple to use, the VPM offers real time monitoring of TRMS voltage, frequency and harmonics. Once plugged into an outlet, the VPM will measure, categorize and list each voltage event, including its magnitude, duration and the exact time the event occurred. Armed with such extensive information, an operator can quickly uncover if voltage is the cause of the equipment failure or if some other issue exists. Up to 512 events can be logged onto the VPM for analysis.
The VPM can also be used to determine if voltage is stable enough to connect additional equipment to a circuit or if power conditioners, such as a UPS or surge protector, are required. This is an especially important capability for hospital and IT maintenance engineers who need to monitor voltage quality for mission-critical equipment in the data center or operating room. The Ideal VPM is immediately available for use on 100-240V single-phase circuits. It ships with four international plug adapters, a carrying case and a quick reference guide.