PM8000 COMTRADE File Timestamp

[Stuart_Cheng]

Hi All,

I'm based in Taiwan (UTC+8) and recently encountered a timestamp issue while reviewing waveform data from a PM8000 meter.

When I view the COMTRADE file through the Webpage interface (and also the COMTRADE .dat file), the timestamp shows as:

2024/10/31 13:23:27

However, when I check the same event using CBEMA data, PME, or ION Setup, the timestamp is:

2024/10/31 21:23:27

This 8-hour difference makes me wonder:
Is the timestamp in the COMTRADE file recorded in UTC (UTC+0)?

If so, is there a way to configure the Webpage interface to display the COMTRADE timestamp in local time (UTC+8) instead?

Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Mehran_Mehrnia · Accepted solution]

Hi @Stuart_Cheng 

That is correct. The COMTRADE file is generated using UTC time, NOT local time, and this cannot be changed through the webpage because the COMTRADE format is based on UTC.

The webpage simply reads the time data directly from the COMTRADE file. However, the time can be manually modified within the file itself.

For more information, please check the following knowledge base article:
What is the PM8000's COMTRADE File Format and can it be changed?

Best Regards,

-Mehran

L3 Expert Advanced metering

[Charles_Murison · Accepted solution]

Hello @Stuart_Cheng ,

Correct that the .cfg file for COMTREADE files use timestamps in UTC. When PME collects the data, the timestamp is also in UTC, however when PME displays the data, the UTC time is converted to local time during viewing the data.

The meter's webpage uses JavaScript to collect the data from the meter's internal file system to display the time. It could be possible to create a customized JavaScript file that takes the time and convert the time by X hours. Note that I do not have explicit instructions on how to do this nor do I have example files to share. The changes would be customizations that would not be officially supported.

Another option would be to submit a request to your local sales channel to submit a feature request to the global offer team to have a feature in future firmware release. Global offer team gets requests from around the world, not all requests will be included in future firmware. The request needs to come from sales who provide some business context to the request.

Regards,

Charles 

[Stuart_Cheng]

@Mehran_Mehrnia @Charles_Murison 

Clear, many thanks for your explanation!