FAQ Table Of Contents

Contents

Vibration Analysis Training

Upgrading your Software or Firmware

Why Upgrade your vb Firmware?

Why Upgrade your vb Hardware?

Getting Started - Setting up the Instrument and Software

Creating your first Database

Installing Ascent Using a Parallel Port Security Dongle

Installing Ascent Using a USB Security Dongle

Re-charging the vb Instrument

Setting the Date and Time

Specifying Sensor Settings

Starting the Software

What to do Next

Advanced Analysis

Bump Tests: Using a Hammer to Trigger Recordings

Creating Orbit Plots

Current Readings with the vb Instrument

Demodulation Analysis Explained

Dual Channel Simultaneous Measurements

Induction Motor Current Analysis with the vb Instrument

Measuring the Phase Difference Between two Channels

Octave Band Analysis with Ascent

Operating Deflection Shapes: Extracting ODS from Cross Channel Phase Data

Run-up and Coast-down Recordings, Waterfall and Bode Plots

Simultaneous Collection of Current and Vibration Data

Synchronous Time Averaging

Balancing and Half Keys

Balancing by Drilling Out Weight

Balancing Overhung Rotors

Comparison of vbSeries® and vb1000b Balancing Capabilities

Determining Balance Weight Placement Angles

Imbalance will not Reduce

Phase Angle does not Settle when Balancing

Pre-Balance Tips

Static and Couple Components of Dynamic Balancing

Storing and Retrieving Historical Balance Jobs

Unstable Phase/Amplitude Readings when Balancing

Unstable RPM Measurement when Balancing

Using a Strobe as Phase Reference for Balancing

vb Instrument Specifies very Heavy Balance Weights on Both Ends

Battery Questions

Cleaning Dirty BNC and Battery Connectors

Incorrect Battery Charge Shown after Inserting a new Battery

Increasing Battery Life and Reducing Charging Problems

Procedure to 'Wake up' an Instrument

Bearing Databases

Is The Bearing Expert Still Supported by Commtest?

How many Bearings are there in The Bearing Expert?

Using the Commtest Bearing Archive

How Often Should the vb and Accelerometers be Calibrated?

MMS3000 Calibration NIST Traceable Certificate

Profiler Calibration

vb Calibration Check

Dongle Information

Reinstalling the Dongle Driver

Upgrading a Dongle in Ascent 2008

How can I license Ascent 2008 and later without an Internet connection?

What is a Dongle Driver?

Windows 98 Dongle Driver Uninstall

Windows 2000 Dongle Driver Uninstall

Windows ME Dongle Driver Uninstall

Windows XP Dongle Driver Uninstall

What is a Dongle?

'ACK not received'

'Checksum failed' Error when Transferring Data to Windows XP

'Invalid Sampling rate'

'Too many Parameter Sets'

'You can't send routes to a USA vb Instrument'

Ascent Network Version can't Receive vb Data

I Can't Delete Items from the Navigator

MMS/Profiler Data Logger Memory Error

Problems Restoring a Database from a Backup

Instrument Questions

'Too many Parameter Sets'

Cleaning Dirty BNC and Battery Connectors

Comparison of vbSeries® and vb1000b Balancing Capabilities

Converting rms, 0-Peak and Peak-Peak Overall Values

Current Readings with the vb Instrument

Difficulty Measuring Low-Frequency, Large-Amplitude Displacement Signals

Displaying a Baseline Overall rms in Ascent/MAS VB and the Instrument

Displaying your Instrument's Firmware and Hardware Information

Dongle Information

Reinstalling the Dongle Driver

What is a Dongle Driver?

Windows 98 Dongle Driver Uninstall

Windows 2000 Dongle Driver Uninstall

Windows ME Dongle Driver Uninstall

Windows XP Dongle Driver Uninstall

What is a Dongle?

Frequency Filtering of the vb Instrument's Overall rms Calculation

How to Proflash an Instrument

Instrument/Software Communication Problems

Install vbX instrument USB drivers

vbX Direct Ethernet Connection to a PC (Without a Switch or Router)

MMS1000/2000 Technical Support and Repairs

No Computer COM Port? A Solution

Overlap % Value - Explanation and Uses

Procedure to 'Wake up' an Instrument

Profiler Instrument's DPU Printer is not Printing Correctly

Proflash Warning: Avoiding Instrument Lockup

Reading a Keyphasor® Tachometer Signal with a vb Instrument

Bently Panel Measurements

Recording Sound with a vb instrument and Microphone

Tachometer will not Display an RPM Value

Which model of laser tach should I use with my vbX instrument?

Thermal Printer DIP Switch Settings

vb Instrument Anti-alias Filters

vb Instrument Measurement Time

vb Instrument Processor Speed

What are IP and NEMA Ratings and What Levels of Protection do they Offer?

What are NEC/CSA Hazardous Location Classifications?

What is the Accuracy of the Low Frequency (slow speed) Response of the vb Instrument?

Why Upgrade your vb Firmware?

Why Upgrade your vb Hardware?

Importing/Exporting Data

Exporting Ascent/MASData to External Programs

Why does Ascent use a Firebird Database Engine?

Importing a Database from Another Vendor to Ascent

General Data Importing/Exporting

Instrument Communications with a 64-bit Operating System

How to Reduce Large .vb Export files

MMS Data Logger Questions

Can't Attach .mas files to E-mails

Displaying Recorded Data on a Graph

Displaying your Instrument's Firmware and Hardware Information

GP4/GP8 Output Power Supply

How do I make Long Recordings?

How to Proflash an Instrument

Increasing Battery Life and Reducing Charging Problems

Instrument/Software Communication Problems

MMS/Profiler Data Logger Memory Error

MMS1000/2000 Technical Support and Repairs

MMS3000 Calibration NIST Traceable Certificate

No Computer COM Port? A Solution

Procedure to 'Wake up' an Instrument

Proflash Warning: Avoiding Instrument Lockup

T6V4 Channel 5 and 6 Input Setup with Thermocouple Leads

Temperature Channel Drifts

Timer Trigger Powerdown Problems

Using Shunt Resistors to Measure Current

Sensors and Cables

Accelerometer Maximum Cable Length

Can I Connect my own Tachometer or Strobe to the Tach Input of my vb Portable Instrument?

Cleaning Dirty BNC and Battery Connectors

How Do I Wire up a Triax Sensor to the 7-pin LEMO Connector on my vb6 or vb8 instrument?

How Strong is the Accelerometer Magnetic Mount?

Ski Slopes: Testing Sensor Cables for Faults

Universal Sensors for the MMS6000 Profiler Instrument

Using Custom Accelerometer Settings on a Route

Using Velocity and Displacement (Prox)Transducers with the vb Instrument

Software Questions

'Checksum failed' Error when Transferring Data to Windows XP

Ascent Network Version can't Receive vb Data

Why Does the Ascent Software Run So Slowly on my New PC?

How do I Renew my AscentView License?

Avoiding and Restoring a Corrupted Database

Can I Network Ascent/MAS VB? Is it Client/Server?

Can't Attach .mas files to E-mails

Configuring Ascent for Non-Administrator Computer User Accounts

Running Ascent 2008 and Later Without a Windows Administrator Account

Converting rms, 0-Peak and Peak-Peak Overall Values

Creating a HVA Spectra View

Cursor Jumps off the Spectrum in Ascent/MAS VB when I Click a Peak

Displaying a Baseline Overall rms in Ascent/MAS VB and the Instrument

How to Reduce Large .vb Export files

How to Reprogram an Ascent Security Dongle

Instrument/Software Communication Problems

Making COM Ports Settings Compatible with Report Grabber

Overall rms Variations when Converting Waveforms to Spectra

Power Band Alarms in 0-Peak Scaling Instead of RMS

Problems Restoring a Database from a Backup

Problems with InterBase Indexes (Ascent 7.30 only)

Running Ascent/MAS VB on Microsoft® Windows XP

Speeding up Backup/Restore on Large Databases

TCP/IP Network Connection Ports

The Word Button in Ascent 8.00 does not Work

A "Firebird/Interbase is Not Running" Message is Shown When Starting Ascent

Uninstalling Ascent/MAS VB

Windows Opening Behind Other Windows

What are the vbOnline Device's Dimensions?

Network Bandwidth Usage

Remote Connection Options

Recording Speed with Multiple vbOnline Devices

Using Dual Output (Acceleration + Temperature) Sensors

Troubleshooting a vbOnline Network Connection Using a Ping Test