SynchroWaveform Measurement Units and Applications

Power quality monitors have evolved considerably throughout the years, following the development trends on computer technologies and data storage/transfer systems. They started as chart recorders and analog meters, progressed to stand alone digital power quality analyzers, and, more recently, support the inclusion of time stamps for system-wide monitoring through time-synchronized measurements. This paper discusses the next frontier in power systems monitoring: collection and analysis of synchronized high-resolution voltage and current waveform data. It presents the advantages and potential applications of a synchronized waveform monitoring platform, which would not be possible with the current state-of-the-art in power quality monitoring. This work intends to outline the multiple opportunities yet to be explored with synchronized waveform measurements and encourage further development in this evolving field of research.