we have just had the new version 5.1 machinery health software. Im chasing some honest feedback on what other CSI uses feel about this. After using the old plot data for some years now. we find that although this new software has some extra bells it seems to be clunky in many other aspects. Im interested in hearing if other V.A. analysts have found this to be true. Also if you have any useful tips that may make this more user friendly could you please post them. Im all for new ideas as long as they are an improvement on the old way.

I have been told that Plot Data was going to remain in MHM until all of the functionality has been incorporated into the Diagnostic Plotting module, at which time CSI would no longer support / provide it. Is that not the case?

From what I have seen, the new software might allow one to show a lot of different plots simultaneously, but the day to day analysis I do would be severely hamstrung if I had to use it exclusively. I am going to be very careful in my decision to upgrade when they kill Plot Data

I am new to vibration,,only been here a couple of years,and we also just upgraded to 5.1. I was used to using plotdata just like everyone else. However, as time goes by I am using plotdata less and less. I only go back to it every now and then if my fault freqs did not transfer over to the vibration analysis.

As I said though, I don't have a lifetime of using plotdata. Kinda like the kids nowadays using cell phones for everything else but making calls.

Aubrey

Our upgrade to 5.1 started with trying 5.0. It has been a nightmare since. I had heard that the new version was a memory hog, so we replaced all our computers with dual core machines with 1 meg of memory. After that we installed the upgrade on our server only to find it consumed so much of the processor that other applications would not run. We had to go back to 4.9 losing a week’s worth of data. That led to getting a dedicated server for AMSsuite 5.0. It has 2 dual core processors with 4 meg of memory. Now, we had to get an install CD to put the program on it. From the start, we had many nuisance errors. We tolerated them hoping 5.1 would correct them. Well, the upgrade to 5.1 from 5.0 was just as bad. We could not see the new analysis module and still had lots of other error messages. I have worked with customer support trying to work through these errors. Finally uninstalled the software and installed the full program again. Each call to customer support started with a 20-40 minute wait before working to resolve one of the errors. Seemed that each error we corrected lead to several others. This has rocked on since November of last year. We have spent so much time with the errors that we have not really had an opportunity to decide if we like the new module. I am to the point of getting a tech here to get our issues corrected.

Hope I am the only one having such good luck.

Gary B

WOW Gary,

Sounds like your system just fell apart, huh?

This is the first time I have heard that it was a "memory hog". I know XP is a "hog" as compared to 98. Are you running the new VISTA or what ever MS calls it?

I know some guys running 5.0 with less than one gig of memory and a 2.1 gig processor. Wonder what is wrong with yours?

What type errors are you having? Maybe so of my clients are having them and have gotten them corrected and I could pass the solutions on to you.

One thing I see, you seem to be running on a network version, huh? Could this be where the problem lies? From what I have heard, the network version, even before the updates, were sort of flaky. Just from what I have heard.

I agree with Aubrey. I've run plotdata for years and was used to it. We have had 5.1 for about 3 months now and I am getting so I don't go back to plotdata much, except to verify if I find something strange.
We run the network version and actually this was one of the smoothest CSI/Emerson upgrades we have had. We did move up to 2 megs of RAM from 286k on our computers. We have had just one small glitch, but fixed that and everything seems to be running fine.
I am off to Knoxville next week for training, maybe I can talk to others in class and find out their experiences also

Also we got in dual screens and I think I'm getting addicted to being able to look at Spectrum on one screen and Trend and Waveform on the other..

Jim and Gary,

Do you mean gigs of memory when you say megs? Are you both referring to the network version?

Danny...
Yes, I meant gigs. I was reading Garys when I typed it and didn't realized what I typed.. And yes, we are running the network version of 5.1.

Jim and Gary,

What networks are you running this on? Oracle, SQLBase, Sybase, etc.?

Dave

quote:

except to verify if I find something strange.

Hmmm! Does the new plot stuff not let one analyze in detail like plotdata does?

I am going to have to take some time out and see what this new stuff is. It's difficult to keep up with a busy schedule and find time to "play" with some new stuff. But I guess one could say, "keep off the board and you will have time to try it", but then again, the board is "a break" from the routine and the new stuff would not be. IMO.

Ralph,
I have figured out how to look at one set of data on the two screens...Spectrum, Waveform, and trend..but if I want to put up the last 3times on that point to compare them, there is no button to hit like in plotdata. You have to go into setup options, takes a couple extra keystrokes to do. I'm not sure if you can do it like plotdata. Maybe after class next week, I'll no more. Also it seems to me that unless there is a hotkey I don't know about, you cant move your cursor, except to micro move it. I'm hoping its just stuff that is there, I just havn't found out where its at yet. The biggest thing for me so far, is the ability to put everything on 2 screens, rather than have it all bunched up on one screen.

Dave, I believe we are running Oracle. Out IT guys have taken Presidents Day off.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JimB,

My laptop is several years old with a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 CPU with 640 MB ram and Windows XP. With 5 other programs already open, RBMWare 4.9 takes 2 seconds to open. Is 5.1 going to be anywhere near that fast?

I have 2 copies of 5.1 that I have been thinking about installing, one on my laptop, and one at a customer's site. I guess my question is, other than to "stay current" why would I (or anyone else) want to upgrade to 5.1? What are the advantages supposed to be?

As long as I maintain my maintenance agreement, Emerson will support 4.9, right? This is not a big deal for me as I'm not paying for the agreement (one of my customers is), but I don't want to "lag behind" the upgrade curve, unless upgrading is going to cause me a lot of grief.

What are you using in 5.1 that, in your mind, makes it better than 4.9?

Rusty,

I, like Jim, use the spectrum and waveform on the same screen. I don't have to jump between them like I did in plot data. If I see something in either the spectrum or waveform I can click on it and open up to work with it.

Our upgrade took about an hour. The only glitch came after the install with a problem with the admin account. Tech support had a patch already for the problem.

Aubrey (In A Mickey Mouse World this week)

Rusty, I am reluctant to move on to 5.1. I don't like the appeal of the new Vibration Analysis module at all. It seems very cumbersome to manipulate and has not yet reached the level of functionality that can be found in Plot Data. As it has been stated here in other posts, Plot Data will be a thing of the past after a few more upgrades. I guess I'll have to grin and bear it if I plan on continuing to use this vendor's offering to do my job. I'm not sure if they (CSI) will still honor the maintenance agreement for 4.9. As far as your laptop is concerned, if you ever do upgrade to 5.1, be prepared to wait for start up. I'm using a desktop with a 2+ Ghz processor and 512 megs of RAM....I'm waiting probably 20 to 30 seconds for MHM to start up. That's with no multitasking going on of course.

All the talk about the 5.1. I use a CSI 4.92, have the support agreement (full). But I have never been offered any new upgrade! I guess they'll offer the week after the contract runs out.

Aubrey, I display 3 plots per page; Trend, Spectrum & Time Waveform and you can select what # you want.

We are Running 5.1 but had to add an additional Gig of Ram to help speed things up. For day to day analyzing, I still prefer plot data. This new stuff probably looks cool to some IT types, but for practicality, it just ain't so great. Data transfer to ME scope is pretty nice, and the ability to overlay data is good, but these are not things that I tend to use everyday. The cursors are too small and hard to see regardless of the color scheme that you select.
Could be Old dog new trick syndrom, but sometimes, old dogs are better.

Started using 5.1 at the first of the year. The analysis program is nice to look at but it is missing quite a few features that 4.9 has.
Overall 5.1 is working fine now, had a problem with fault freq showing up in the new program. Would not show any freq info that used a ID#, it did show freq set up in d-base manually like rpm or blade pass. Plot data showed all of the frequincies, the problem was that there are some new files (mhm remote) that were not set to the proper privilages.
Some things that I like with Plot data that you are missing with the new analysis program
1. Fault freq info,brg desc and info
2. Notes
3. Labels were much easier to work with (copy and paste)
4. Accessing history
Afew others that I am not sure about at this point.
These are all just one click away with plot data.

Tech support told me that these items will be added in the future.

Scott

Even though I said I'm reluctant to move on to 5.1, I do feel that there is a place for commenting on some of the improvements that it offers. One thing that I find is very useful with the Vibration Analysis module, when viewing data by the point, you have the option to set up how many data sets you want to see (just like multiple spectrums or multiple waveforms with plot data). I've got my "experimental version" of 5.1, set up to view the last 4 of each. But the cherry on top is that all the waveforms are autoscaled....this is something that I could never get Plot Data to do. Maybe I just couldn't find the option setting, but anyway, this is nice. It let's you see change very well in waveforms. See attached document for a sample...

Doc1.doc (82 Kb, 49 downloads)

Running 5.0 right now because I haven't had the nerve to install 5.1 yet.

Opened the program on my laptop just as I started typing this on my desktop. The program is now open (1min 30 sec.)

Billy,

You can autoscale waveforms in plotdata by clicking on the 13th icon from the left on the tool bar. I like that much better because it puts them all on the same graph. The same with multiple spectra.