Dear Gents,
I am looking for some software which could be used for viewing simultaneously two or more Timewaveforms to compare, in low speed bearings mostly, bad Vs good bearings.
The time waveform could be in some typicall format as wav file for example and of course it comes from SDT170 + contact probe detection.
Evidently I would prefer some free software or not too much expensive.
Regards,
Allen

Allen,

Why not use your vibration analyzer and PC software to compare ultrasound waveforms? I find it unnecessary to use waveform analysis of ultrasound signals to distinguish between good and bad bearings or poor lubrication. Perhaps because I still use the SDT 150 instead of the 170, I get better results!

Walt

Can you elaborate on the difference (the 150 & 170)?
Also, the vibration software (SpectraPlus) I use has several different views including time and spectra, but it is between $750-$2000.00.
You can compare up to 4 samples of "times or spectra", or tile (up & down) up to four samples of any views on one screen.
Walt is there going to be a way that someone using waveform analysis (time series) like a technician (without vibration knowledge) can actually look at a "time series" sample and say thats a bad bearing or thats no lubrication?
For instance with the SpectraPlus Software I use, you can actually "configure" a view and save it. Can or "will" someone actually come-up with a standard for scaling or setting (set of different configurations) that could be used when using ultrasound wave files?
Would the different makes and models have to have a particular "configuration" for that particular make?
Most ultrasound users are techs and many are not vibration techs...
With SDT, UE Systems and even CTRL pushing their own analysis software, neither however tell you what confiquration to use when setting up the view.

Jim,

Take a 150 meter with a 097US contact probe and compare it to a 170 meter with it's probe and see the difference between good/bad bearing and good/poor lubrication. Perhaps the new meter works better than the early product release. I could say more, but ...
I suggested that Allen use his vibration analyzer, because based on his many postings, he appears to be into vibration analysis. He might not realize that his vibration analyzer can take a voltage signal from the 170 meter for waveform and spectrum analysis.
I don't recommend that anyone do waveform and spectrum analysis of ultrasound unless they have great interest/ability in trying it out. I have used my 2120 analyzer for this. I have also used Dasylab with my PC-sound card to do overall level, waveform, spectrum, histogram statistics, and high speed dB level Vs time plots. One trick is to get the correct amplitude scale depending on the plot type and meter's range setting. The meters are nothing more than a microvolt meter that do not read out in physical units (like Pascals for sound level). I don't consider any of this necessary for routine bearing/lube fault detection.
Don't hold your breath waiting for the vendors to get their act together!

Walt

Walt,
Could you take a minute and look at this software (attached file) and/or go on-line and download a temporary 30 day trial. Can a non-vibration tech use say this software with a bad bearing or elctrical corona wave file? If so, what "SETTINGS, SCALING, Calibration, or Trigger" under the "OPTIONS" drop down menu would he/she use? What settings would he/she use for "Plot Top" and "Plot Range"? You can find this software at SpectraPlus 30 Day Trial.
I have also included below in the attachments "TWO Wave Files" (bad bearing & corona).

Spectrplus_PrntScrn.ppt (631 Kb, 11 downloads) SPECTRAPLUS PRINTSCREEN PPT

Jim,

I am familiar with SpectraPlus, but I have not used it. It will take "more than a minute" for a detailed answer. The brief answer is:
1) Spectrum Plot: amplitude in dB re: 1 microvolt, frequency in Hertz
Waveform Plot: amplitude in volts and time in seconds/milli-seconds

2) The input to the analyzer (PC-Spectraplus) needs to be calibrated (Sensitivity Factor or Volts/EU). In this case EU (engineering unts) is microvolts, since vendors don't use physical units. Each ultrasound meter Range/Attenuator setting has a different V/EU Sensitivity (Calibration). I can tell you what my SDT 150 Settings are, but I don't have an SDT 170 to play with. I can tell you the proceedure, but not at this time. The overall spectrum level on the analyzer must match the US meter's dB value when correctly "calibrated". I hope that this info can get you started.

Walt

Hello Allen,
apart from using your vibration system, there are many simple software packages which you can use for comparison of wave files.
Quite a good one is Goldwave (www.goldwave.com) which is a shareware package with some really good editing features.
Remember that there is more to see from the nature of the signal under these circumstances than can be perhaps obtained from amplitude comparison - amplitude comparison can be highly misleading since there are so many variables to control such as amplitude level on the 170, recording level on your recording system (must not use auto gain control) and many others.

let me know if you need any more input.
Best Regards,
Tom Murphy