Fluke VR101S User Manual

VR101S

Voltage Event Recorder

System

Users Manual

®

December 1997, Rev. 4, 06/02

© 1997, 1999, 2002 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved.
All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

LIMITED WARRANTY & LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Each Fluke product is warranted to be free from defects in material and
workmanship under normal use and service. The warranty period is one
year and begins on the date of shipment. Parts, product repairs and
services are warranted for 90 days. This warranty extends only to the
original buyer or end-user customer of a Fluke authorized reseller, and
does not apply to fuses, disposable batteries or to any product which, in
Fluke’s opinion, has been misused, altered, neglected or damaged by
accident or abnormal conditions of operation or handling. Fluke warrants
that software will operate substantially in accordance with its functional
specifications for 90 days and that it has been properly recorded on non­defective media. Fluke does not warrant that software will be error free or
operate without interruption.

Fluke authorized resellers shall extend this warranty on new and unused
products to end-user customers only but have no authority to extend a
greater or different warranty on behalf of Fluke. Warranty support is
available if product is purchased through a Fluke authorized sales outlet
or Buyer has paid the applicable international price. Fluke reserves the
right to invoice Buyer for importation costs of repair/replacement parts
when product purchased in one country is submitted for repair in another
country.

Fluke’s warranty obligation is limited, at Fluke’s option, to refund of the
purchase price, free of charge repair, or replacement of a defective
product which is returned to a Fluke authorized service center within the
warranty period.

To obtain warranty service, contact your nearest Fluke authorized service
center or send the product, with a description of the difficulty, postage
and insurance prepaid (FOB Destination), to the nearest Fluke authorized
service center. Fluke assumes no risk for damage in transit. Following
warranty repair, the product will be returned to Buyer, transportation
prepaid (FOB Destination). If Fluke determines that the failure was
caused by misuse, alteration, accident or abnormal condition of operation
or handling, Fluke will provide an estimate of repair costs and obtain
authorization before commencing the work. Following repair, the product
will be returned to the Buyer transportation prepaid and the Buyer will be
billed for the repair and return transportation charges (FOB Shipping
Point).

THIS WARRANTY IS BUYER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND
IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTI ES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF

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MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
FLUKE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT,
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES O R LOSSES,
INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, WHETHER ARISING FROM BREACH
OF WARRANTY OR BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, RELIANCE OR
ANY OTHER THEORY.

Since some countries or states do not allow limitation of the term of an
implied warranty, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential
damages, the limitations and exclusions of this warranty may not apply to
every buyer. If any provision of this Warranty is held invalid or
unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such holding will not
affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

Fluke Corporation, P.O. Box 9090, Everett, WA 98206-9090 USA, or

Fluke Industrial B.V., P.O. Box 680, 7600 AR, Almelo, The Netherlands

SERVICE CENTERS

To locate an authorized service center, visit us on the

World Wide Web:

http://www.fluke.com

or call Fluke using any of the phone numbers listed

below:

[phone] in U.S.A. and Canada

[phone] in Europe

[phone] from other countries

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Getting Started...............................................................1

Introduction.................................................................1

Features of the Voltage Event Recorder System....1

Safety......................................................................3

Plugging in a recorder.............................................3

Electrical Immunity..................................................4

Safety Inspection ....................................................5

Battery Care............................................................5

Maintenance ...........................................................6

Product Service.......................................................6

What You Need to Run Fluke EventView Software....7

What’s in the VR101S Package..................................7

Installing EventView software.....................................8

Setting the Time and Date ........................................10

Chapter 2

Setting Up the VR101 ..................................................11

Introduction...............................................................11

Connecting the Optical Interface Cable....................11

Starting EventView...................................................11

Selecting a COM Port...........................................12

Opening the Site Report Window..........................12

Setting Thresholds on the Status Tab...................13

Viewing the Default Threshold Settings................15

Choosing and Saving New Default Threshold

Settings.................................................................15

Choosing Operating Options.................................15

Describing the Site ................................................16

Viewing Realtime Readings of the Recorder........16

Viewing Recorder Information...............................16

Sending the Setup to the Recorder.......................17

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Chapter 3

Retrieving and Saving Events......................................19

Retrieving Events from a Recorder...........................19

Saving Events...........................................................20

Opening an Already Saved File.............................21

Chapter 4

Displaying and Printing Events.....................................23

Displaying Events.....................................................23

Viewing the Events Tab.........................................23

Viewing Events as a Bar Graph ............................29

(Quick Summary)...................................................29

Viewing a Single Transient as a Graph.................30

Viewing Events as an Event Distribution Graph....31

Changing Graph Styles.........................................33

Printing Events.......................................................... 34

Chapter 5

Troubleshooting............................................................35

Optical Interface Cable.............................................35

Printers .....................................................................37

Voltage Event Recorder............................................37

Technical Support.....................................................38

Chapter 6

Power Quality Issues....................................................39

Power Quality Background .......................................39

Why Is It Such a Concern?....................................39

Common Questions about Power Quality.............40

Power Quality Definitions and Standards .................41

Power Line Disturbance Definitions ......................41

How Bad is Bad?...................................................42

The CBEMA Curve................................................42

Causes and Effects of Poor Power Quality...............43

Causes of Poor Power Quality..............................43

How Power Line Disturbances Affect Your

Equipment.............................................................44

Performing a Power Quality Study............................45

Developing a Power Quality Monitoring Program..45
Now That I Have This Information, What Do I Do

with It?...................................................................48

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Chapter 7

VR101 Specifications...................................................51

Equipment Ratings...................................................51

Sag, Swell & Outage Measurement..........................54

Transient Measurement............................................55

Frequency Measurement..........................................55

Time Measurement...................................................56

Approvals..................................................................57

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vi

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Introduction

Features of the Voltage Event Recorder System

The VR101 Voltage Event Recorder, hereafter referred
to as the recorder, records sags, swells, transients,
outages, and frequency variations on the power line. It

is self powered and easy to use—parameters can be set
by a few easy keyst rokes from your PC equipped with

EventView Software

The recorder can retain 4,000 events. The existence of
recorded events is indicated by the recorder’s flashing
light.

Communication between a PC and the recorder is
carried via the Optical Interface Cable. By using this
optical data transfer, the PC remains electrically
isolated.

TM

.

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VR101S

Users Manual

A Quick Overview

The following steps are discussed in detail throughout
this manual:

1. Read the next five pages on safety and battery
care.

2. Install EventView Software on your PC.

3. Plug the VR101 into the closest wall socket.

4. Connect your computer to the VR101 with the
optical cable.

5. Use EventView to adjust the settings on your
VR101.

6. Disconnect the optical cable and move the VR101
to the receptacle you want to monitor.

7. After monitoring, use EventView to download the
results.

2

Getting Started

Introduction

Safety

Attention

Carefully read the following safety
information before using the recorder.

Safety Precautions

Specific warning and caution statements, where they
apply, will be found throughout the manual.

A Caution identifies conditions and actions that
may damage the recorder.

A Warning identifies conditions and actions that
pose hazard(s) to the user.

Symbols used on the VR101 and in this manual are
explained in the next table.

1

See explanation in
manual

Recycling
information

Disposal
information

Double Insulation
(Protection Class)

Warning

The recorder is designed and certified to
work only on single-phase systems.
Attempting to modify the recorder or
operating it improperly may cause circuit
damage which can ultimately result in
property damage, personal injury, or death.

Plugging in a recorder

The recorder is designed to plug into a standard
convenience outlet. As a safety precaution, the unit
should be in a place where it can be easily unplugged.
This will also make it accessible for data retrieval. The
recorder does not require a protective earth connection
for safety since there are no exposed metal parts. The
earth conductor is used to measure neutral to ground

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Users Manual

(N-G) events and to measure the recorder’s polarity,

indicated by the LED. Also see below under “Using an
Ungrounded Outlet”. The ground prong may be
electrically disconnected (as long as it is not exposed).
The recorder does not need special ventilation,
however, its ambient temperature should not be allowed
to rise above the operating limit. (See Chapter 7 “VR101
Specifications”.

Using an Ungrounded Outlet

Plugging the recorder into an ungrounded outlet has the
following consequences:

1. Polarity indication by the LED is not valid.

2. Neutral to ground events captured are not valid.

3. If the recorder is plugged in improperly (improper

polarity), hot to neutral events captured are shifted
180 degrees and indicated with the opposite
polarity.

Polarity Indication

In some countries outlets are not polarized. This means
that the recorder can be plugged in improperly (hot and
neutral swapped). Improper polarity connection will not
cause damage to the recorder but events will not be
correctly recorded and the results may cause
misinterpretation.

Note 1:

When plugging in the recorder improperly
(improper polarity connection), the LED will
blink quickly during 8 to 16 seconds (also see
Note 2). When plugging in correctly, the LED
lights steadily during 8 to 16 seconds. Polarity
indication starts from 0 to 8 seconds after
plugging in.

Note 2:

The LED on the recorder also blinks when an
event is captured, but then it blinks slowly.

4

Getting Started

Introduction

1

Electrical Immunity

The recorder’s internal circuitry is solid-state with built-in
EMI and RFI protection to ensure reliable readings. The
recorder will withstand exposure to a 3,400V transient
for a duration of 20 ms.

Safety Inspection

We recommend that you inspect the recorder
periodically for visible damage. To ensure that it
operates safely, inspect for missing labels, cracks in the
case, or bent and/or broken blades.

Battery Care

The recorder contains a lithium battery which will, under
normal circumstances, allow it to operate for 7 years.
Exposing the recorder to extreme temperatures for
extended periods of time may reduce battery life by as
much as 50%. The recorder is designed for INDOOR
USE. It should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

Do not store the recorder with the event indicator
flashing. This consumes battery power and reduces
battery life. (See page 17 for information on how to
clear the recorder’s events from memory.)

To extend battery life, keep the recorder plugged into a
standard convenience outlet (even when not in use).
This conserves battery power especially when
frequently downloading stored events.

Warning

Battery poses fire, explosion and severe
burn hazard. Do not recharge, disassemble,
heat above 212 °F (100 °C), incinerate, or
expose contents to water

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Users Manual

Note:

The VR101 contains a lithium battery. Do not
dispose of the VR101 with other solid waste.
The VR101 should be disposed of by a
qualified recycler or hazardous materials
handler. Contact your authorized FLUKE
Service Center for recycling information.

Maintenance

The recorder is a maintenance-free product. However, it
is recommended that it be kept clean to allow for easy
visual inspections. To clean the recorder, unplug it from
the outlet and wipe it with a dry, clean cloth.

Product Service

The recorder has no user-serviceable parts inside. The
fuse and battery inside the recorder are NOT
REPLACEABLE. Opening the case, or attempting to do
so, will void the warranty and safety certification.

The Optical Interface Cable is the only replacement part
in the VR101S package.
If you require service, please contact your local dealer
or an authorized Fluke service center. (See under

“Service Centers” in the front of this manual.)

6

Getting Started

What You Need to Run Fluke EventView Software

What You Need to Run Fluke
EventView Software

In order to run Fluke EventViewTM software, your
computer system must include:

• IBM PC or 100% compatible, with Windows 3.1 or
Windows 95/98/NT installed and operating

• At least one free serial port, 9-pin

• A pointing device (recommended)

• 2 MB hard drive space

• 4 MB RAM (8 MB for Windows 95/98/NT)

Optional Equipment:

• A printer port with a printer supported by Microsoft
Windows

What’s in the VR101S Package

The VR101S package contains the following items:

• VR101/xxx Voltage Event Recorder unit.

• EventViewTM software and Users Manual, located

on CD

• Optical Interface Cable

• Product Registration Card + return envelope

EventView software enables you to set up the recorder,
download all the stored events and display the stored
information.

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VR101S

Users Manual

Installing EventView software

1. Before installing EventView software, close other
applications, or restart Windows.

2. For Windows 3.1, open Program Manager, select
File from the menu bar and choose Run...

Windows 95/98/NT users select Start from the
Taskbar on the desktop and choose Run...

3. Insert EventView Disk 1 of 2 in your computer’s

disk drive. In the Run dialog box, type a:setup for
drive A and press Enter (the Return key on some
keyboards). If you are using drive B, type b:setup.

4. EventView supports several languages. If one of
these languages has been specified in the
Windows control panel, EventView uses the same
language. If any other language is specified in
Windows, the EventView setup procedure displays
a language selection menu. Select the desired
language.

During the following steps, change diskette as

indicated.

“Welcome!”

5. A

click Next if you want to start installing the
EventView Software on your hard drive.

6. An information screen appears to inform you about
some important items for installation and use of
EventView Software. Read this carefully. Click
Next.

7. Select the Destination Directory for the EventView
Software. If you want to install the software in the
default directory, click Next. If you prefer another
directory, click Browse to select this directory, then
click Next.

8. A dialog box appears asking if you would like to
back up replaced files. It is a good idea to do so

(select “Yes”.) Click Next.

8

dialog box will appear asking you to

Getting Started

Installing EventView software

9. Specify a backup directory or just click Next to
select the default directory. (Note: The backup
directory will be empty if no files are replaced.)

10. Windows 95/98/NT users click Next to begin
installation.

For Windows 3.1 users a dialog box appears to

select or to create the Windows Program Group to
add the EventView Software to. Click Next to
create the Fluke PQ Tools program group. (PQ
stands for Power Quality.)

Click Next to begin installation.

11. Finally click Finish to exit EventView Software
installation.

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VR101S

Users Manual

Setting the Time and Date

It is very important th at your PC system’s time and date
are correct before running the EventView program.
When retrieving data from the recorder, the EventView
program uses the PC’s internal clock for time and date
reference. (See the following note.)

• With Windows running, set the time from the
Control Panel in Program Manager.

• Windows 95/98/NT users open the Control Panel
from the Taskbar by choosing Start, Settings, and
Control Panel.

Information about setting the time can be found in the

Windows User’s Guide.

Note

If your PC’s internal clock switched from
summer time to winter time or vice versa
during the period that the VR101 is capturing
events, you should correct the Start Time and
the End time (if date and time indicated) of the
events that occurred up to the time change by
adding or subtracting one hour. (See “Viewing
the Events Tab on page 23.

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Chapter 2

Setting Up the VR101

Introduction

This chapter explains how to use EventView

to program the internal settings of the recorder.

Connecting the Optical Interface Cable

The EventView program communicates with the

recorder via the Optical Interface Cable.

• Plug this cable into an available 9-pin COM port in
your computer.

If your computer has only a 25-pin COM port, plug a

9- to 25-pin adapter (not included with your interface
package) into your computer, and plug the interface
cable into the adapter.

TM

software

Starting EventView

• Windows 3.1 users double-click the Fluke
EventView program icon EV101 in the Fluke PQ
Tools group window.

(Double-click the Update Readme i con to read the latest
information about the VR101S. )

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VR101S

Users Manual

• Windows 95/98/NT users click Start on the
Taskbar, and choose Programs, Fluke PQ Tools
and then EventView.

(Select Update Readme to read the latest information
about the VR101S.)

The main FLUKE EVENTVIEW window will open.

Selecting a COM Port

• With the main FLUKE EVENTVIEW window open,
from the Communicate menu choose the COM port
that the Optical Interface Cable is connected to.

The Communicate menu displays the available COM
ports on your computer.
When you have chosen the correct port, the optical
wand and the red scanning button on the ToolBar will
start to flash. When the wand is flashing it is ready to

communicate with the recorder. If the wand doesn’t
flash, please refer to Chapter 5 “Troubleshooting”.

Opening the Site Report Window

1. With the main VR101 window open, the Optical
Interface Cable connected to a COM port, and the
red scan button flashing, point the optical wand at
the optical port of the recorder (from 0.25” away or
closer) or plug the wand directly into the recorder’s
recessed optical port.

The Site Report Window will open.

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Setting Up the VR101

Starting EventView

2

The Site Report window displays the recorder’s
settings and its recorded events.

If the VR101 is not plugged into a power source, an

information box will appear saying “No voltage
detected on recorder. Realtime halted to conserve
power.” Click OK to continue.

2. Remove the optical wand from the recorder.

Setting Thresholds on the Status Tab

The thresholds are in three categories on the Status
tab: Hot to Neutral, Neutral to Ground, and Frequency.
To change any threshold setting, double-click the
setting and then type in the new value.

Voltage Transients

Transients are fast voltage fluctuations (sometimes
called spikes). They can be positive or negative and can
occur on the hot-neutral line or on the neutral-ground
line. The voltage potential of a transient can be quite
large; hundreds of volts is not uncommon. Transients
typically have a duration far below one cycle and can be
detected down to 1 µs.
The recorder will record as a transient any voltage
deviation of less than one cycle that exceeds the
transient threshold for more than 1 µs.

Voltage Swells

Swells are increases in voltage that last at least ½
cycle. Swells can occur on the hot- neutral lines or on
the neutral-ground lines. Typically, swells are in the
order of tens of volts and last from several cycles to
several seconds.

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