For driving basic workflows in various applications, from automation to industrial systems, motors are indispensable equipment. Any malfunction or performance degradation of the motor may result in unnecessary shutdowns, which can affect the production efficiency of the factory, cause serious delays and interruptions in the manufacturer's supply chain, and cause significant losses to the company. In addition to losing time and money, unexpected downtime can also damage the manufacturer's market image.
Therefore, in order to ensure that the motors function correctly throughout the entire lifecycle of the system, it is necessary to continuously monitor the operating status and performance of these machines in the system that uses motors. This predictive maintenance of machines can minimize failures, improve reliability, and increase factory productivity to the greatest extent possible. All of this means that it can save the company a lot of money.
Although there are multiple parameters of rotating machinery that need to be monitored, vibration is the most important and useful feature required to check and determine the health status of rotating machinery. Vibration is a key predictive variable that can be used to monitor and detect potential faults in rotating machinery, such as soft bases, bearings, and other similar issues. Although monitoring vibrations is not difficult, collecting data and reporting it meaningfully is not an easy task. For this, data analysis, novel algorithms, and wireless connectivity are required.
Monitor motor vibration
For this application, Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) has developed a wireless vibration monitoring sensor using Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometer detection technology. MEMS sensors are widely recognized as the preferred technology for various industrial rotating machinery due to their small size, low power consumption, and wideband response capability of up to 8 kHz.
ADI's new generation MEMS sensor, named VOYAGER4, is designed for state based monitoring (CbM) in robotics and industrial applications. It utilizes edge artificial intelligence (AI) for more intelligent data analysis at the sensor level. In fact, this sensor is a complete solution that includes supporting integrated circuits, components, and other devices such as accelerometers, processors, and power management integrated circuits (PMIC) (Figure 1).
VOYAGER4 system diagram of Analog Devices
Figure 1: Complete VOYAGER4 system diagram. (Image source: Analog Devices, Inc.)
VOYAGER4 Assessment Kit
In order to simplify engineers' understanding of wireless state monitoring systems, ADI has launched the VOYAGER4 wireless vibration monitor evaluation kit EV-CBM-VOYGER4-1Z. This kit provides a complete low-power vibration monitoring platform, enabling engineers to quickly deploy wireless monitoring solutions for motors or similar testing devices. This kit includes:
Realize intelligent, more intelligent, and secure decision-making on the edge side
Artificial intelligence algorithms for making decisions at the edge
Mechanical installation and measurement capability up to 8 kHz bandwidth
3-axis ultra-low power, ultra-low noise MEMS accelerometer technology
Ultra low power microcontroller, low-power and powerful Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology
The kit's printed circuit board (PCB) is equipped with ADI IC and other components (Figure 2), including ADXL382 and ADXL367 three-axis digital output MEMS sensors, BLE MAX32666, MAX78000 AI microcontroller, PMIC MAX20335, and power devices MAX17262 and MAX38642. The assembled printed circuit board is vertically installed on an aluminum base, and the battery is connected to the bracket. The assembled PCB is vertically mounted on an aluminum base, while the battery is fixed on a bracket. There is also an M6 threaded hole on the base for installing the bolt onto the motor housing. Then, the entire device is encapsulated in an aluminum casing with a diameter of 46 mm and a height of 77 mm.