Maxim Integrated Introduces Energy Measurement and Diagnostic Solution for Mission-Critical Motors

In process automation there are mission-critical pumps and motors that, if not operating correctly, can cause a factory to shut down. In processing plants such as paper mills and oil refineries, the cost of stopping operation could result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. Previously, the diagnostic solutions used to monitor these motors were large and expensive, including equipment such as infrared thermography, vibration analyzers, and precision power quality submeters.

The MAX78638 is a fully integrated solution containing a microcontroller, compute engine (with preloaded firmware), and a high-accuracy analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Its flexible and configurable sensor interfaces allow for the measurement of current, voltage, speed, vibration, position, and temperature. By monitoring up to 10 sensors and calculating the mean time to failure and energy consumption, a motor’s health can be assessed. The solution’s preloaded firmware shortens development time by giving the customers easy access to these sensor measurements. The high-accuracy ADC enables a less than 0.5% energy calculation error compared to the 5% of a standard microprocessor solution.