PM8000 - Current Swell

[JamesAZZO]

In the PM8000, there are setting for Current Swell. This is a new feature for an ION meter. Can someone please define this for us? We are having a hard time I understanding what electrical meaning this has as it used to cause a lot of alarms. The new firmware / frameworks disable this now with the new “force off” feature ION Setup. Maybe Robert Lee can advise? Is there a new explanation of the feature?

[Arneil_Dalope]

We have the same question before. What is Current Sag/Swell and its application? This feature is also available in ION7400 meters. Would be interested to know the explanation of this feature.

[Robert_Lee]

I only design the software interface for the feature in the framework but I believe what the intention was for the PM8000 (and likely the ION7400 as well), is to emulate the same available alarming functionality on the old PowerLogic PM870.

The old PM870 had the ability to modify its default disturbance alarms to monitor current instead of voltages as shown in the ION Setup configuration for the PM870 disturbance alarms.

The main driver for developing the Current Sag/Swell is to make sure our new products could do everything that the old PM870 was able to do so if it was in that product, I believe the firmware had to implement something in the new products.

Up until yesterday, there was an issue with how this feature was implemented in the default factory framework (and an issue with the how the current sag/swell implementation worked as well), so now it should work better in the new firmware/framework.  The new framework also separates the enable Booleans for Voltages and Current Sag/Swell alarms.

[JamesAZZO]

Rob - thanks. Unfortunately, that doesn't actually technically answer my question as to what the meaning of it is. I totally understand why you are putting it in ION Setup, for the PM870 replacement - but I still don't understand why and under what circumstances anyone would use this feature?