Note
Complete device configuration steps are covered in the InsightCM user manual. This section provides the key configuration inputs required before vibration monitoring and analysis can begin for a new asset.
The following information must be entered in InsightCM before vibration monitoring analysis can begin for a new asset:
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Asset name and description
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Machine type (motor, pump, compressor, fan, gearbox, turbine)
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Running speed (RPM) required for calculating fault frequencies
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Sensor type per channel (accelerometer, velocity probe, or proximity probe)
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Sensor sensitivity (Imperial or Metric Units)
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Sensor location and orientation (drive-end/non-drive-end; horizontal/vertical/axial)
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Measurement direction
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Scaling information for other dynamic sensors as needed
The following fields are not required but significantly improve fault detection capability:
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Bearing model number or geometry data (FTF, BSF, BPFO, BPFI) for each monitored bearing — required to enable bearing defect frequency feature tracking
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Number of gear teeth for each gear stage (for gearbox monitoring)
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Number of impeller vanes or fan blades (for vane/blade pass frequency tracking on pumps and fans)
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Tachometer channel assignment — required for Bode plots, orbit plots, and order-tracked spectra
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Integration setting per channel (none, single, or double — used to convert acceleration to velocity or displacement in software)
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High-pass and low-pass filter settings appropriate to the sensor type and fault frequencies of interest
Sensor sensitivity is entered on the channel configuration page for each monitored sensor in InsightCM. The correct value is found on the sensor manufacturer’s calibration certificate or datasheet supplied with the sensor; it is also commonly printed on the sensor body.
|
Sensor Type |
Typical Sensitivity |
|---|---|
|
IEPE accelerometers |
Nominal 100 mV/g (10.2 mV/m/s2); use the actual calibrated value from the certificate, not the nominal value |
|
Velocity probes |
Typical 100 mV/in/s (3.94 mV/mm/s) |
|
Proximity probes |
Typically 200 mV/mil (7.87 V/mm) for standard eddy-current systems |
Note
Retain calibration certificates for all installed sensors and store them with the asset documentation so values can be verified or re-entered if the configuration is lost.
The core configuration steps are the same for all asset types. The following differences apply:
|
Asset Type |
Configuration Notes |
|---|---|
|
Motors |
Configure for radial and axial measurements at drive-end and non-drive-end bearings. Set running speed to the synchronous or full-load speed. If the motor drives a pump or fan through a coupling, also configure the driven-equipment bearing locations. |
|
Pumps |
Configure radial and axial measurement channels to detect cavitation and hydraulic imbalance. |
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Compressors |
Configure for both radial and axial measurements. For reciprocating compressors, running speed corresponds to crank speed; fault frequencies include piston pass and valve frequencies. |
|
Turbomachinery / fluid-film bearing machines (generators, steam turbines, large compressors) |
Configure proximity probe pairs at each bearing for orbit and full-spectrum analysis. Configure a tachometer/keyphasor channel for phase-referenced measurements, Bode plots, and shaft-centerline tracking. Enable gap voltage (DC) monitoring for shaft-centerline plots. |
|
Gearboxes |
Configure sensors at or near each gear mesh location where possible. |
After completing asset and device configuration, use the Force Trigger function to acquire a test data set and verify the following:
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Each channel shows a live signal in the Data Viewer with an amplitude in a reasonable range for the sensor type and machine condition. A flat, near-zero waveform on a running machine indicates an open circuit or an unpowered IEPE sensor.
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The spectrum shows a clear 1× running speed peak at the expected frequency (e.g., a 1800 RPM machine should show a peak at 30 Hz). A spectrum with only broadband noise may indicate an incorrect running speed entry or a sensor issue.
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For proximity probe channels, the DC gap voltage is within the linear range of the probe driver (typically -8 to -18 V for a standard 200 mV/mil system).
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The device status shows Online in InsightCM with a configuration status of Ok and no update-required warnings.
Operating states for vibration assets are configured on the Operating States tab of the Asset Configuration page in InsightCM. Each operating state defines when the device collects data and which features are calculated.
The transition trigger is typically based on overall vibration amplitude of a designated reference channel, or on a digital or analog process input (running status signal, motor current, or speed signal from the plant DCS). When a tachometer channel is present, speed can also be used as the trigger.
The most common configuration uses two operating states:
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On — The default operating state is active when vibration or speed exceeds a defined minimum threshold. Configured with a periodic collection interval (typically once per hour for routine monitoring) and a file length appropriate to the lowest fault frequency of interest, typically capturing 10 rotations of the highest speed shaft.
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Off — The operating state is active when the machine is stopped. The device continues to collect data at a reduced interval.
If startup or shutdown transients are of interest, Run-Up and/or Coast-Down states can be added, triggered by a rising or falling speed, to capture transient data for Bode plot analysis.
Note
For meaningful spectral analysis, the machine must be running at a minimum of approximately 50% of rated speed and under representative load conditions. At very low speeds, vibration amplitudes are small, fault frequencies shift to values that are difficult to resolve, and signal-to-noise ratio is poor.