Knowledge Base Article

Modulation Fault Frequencies

Article ID:

NK-1100-0504

Publish Date:

26 Mar 2011
Approved
General Product Technical Information
Information Only

Article Status:
Article Type:
Required Action:
Article Revision History:
Revision/Publish

26 Mar 2011
Affected Products:
Product Line

Machinery Health
Management
Machinery Health
Management

Description of Revision
Original release of article

Category
AMS Machinery Manager
Software
AMS Machinery Manager
Software

Device
Data Analysis

Version

Database Apps / System

Some have become confused over Modulation fault frequencies. These are the dotted lines that are drawn on either side
of a gearmesh typically, indicating the sidebands, a diagnostic indicator as to machine condition. They are entered in the
detailed fault frequency set using the MOD designator.
The Reference Frequency is the center frequency of interest, which will be modulated by the sidebands. The default is
"0", meaning the frequency determined by the ratio of the machine speed to the point speed upon which this fault
frequency set is tied too. For a gearmesh, it would be the fault frequency line item number that is the product of the
number of teeth on the gear times the turning speed.
The Component or Set ID is the modulating frequency around the reference frequency, i.e., the sidebands whose distance
from the center frequency is determined by the fault frequency line item entered here under Component or Set ID
multiplied by the First Modifier.
The First Modifier is the harmonic multiplier time the Component or Set ID to obtain the desired harmonic sideband.
Although 1X TS is the most common modulator, some faults do require other settings.
Lastly, the Second Modifier contains the number of harmonics you wish to display that are set apart from the reference
frequency at the frequency harmonic determined by the First Modifier.
In the below example, Figure 1 shows line item 5 that is set up for looking for 60 Hz sidebands around 120 Hz line
frequency.
Figure 1

The "3" under Reference Frequency refers to line item 3--a fixed frequency of 120 Hz-line frequency, which will be the
center frequency of interest. The "1' under Component/Set ID refers to line item 1, which is 3X turning speed. The ".3"
under First Modifier is the multiplication factor times the Component/Set ID that will give you 60 Hz, the sidebands you
desire to see around 120 Hz ([3 x TS] x .3= 60 Hz). The "4" under Second Modifier gives you the four sidebands you see
in figure 2 below.
Figure 2

(Note the center frequency, though unmarked, is 120 Hz with four 60 Hz sidebands. Further note that three of the four
sidebands to the left of the center frequency do not display on the plot. This will happen when the frequency of the
sidebands falls above or below the maximum and minimum frequencies of the plot, respectively.)

Emerson Process Management 2009-2015. All rights reserved. For Emerson Process Management trademarks and service marks, click this link to
see trademarks. All other marks are properties of their respective owners. The contents of this publication are presented for informational p urposes
only, and while every effort has been made to ensure their accuracy, they are not to be construed as warrantees or guarantees, express or implied,
regarding the products or services described herein or their use or applicability. All sales are governed by our terms and co nditions, which are
available on request. We reserve the right to modify or improve the design or specification of such products at any time without notice.

View Emerson Products and Services: Click This Link