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Handheld Vibration Analyzers now Run Twice as Fast

Datastick® VSA^(TM) Vibration Spectrum Analyzers - used in machine-condition monitoring and predictive maintenance - now operate twice as fast, due to new version 1.9.1 of the Datastick® Spectrum suite of software that runs on the handheld analyzer, announced Michael Scandling, Vice President of Marketing for Datastick Systems, Inc. The free software upgrade is available for download today.

Datastick Spectrum software runs on the handheld computers (PDAs) that integrate with its ultra-portable VSA-series analyzers. Vibration analyzers help prevent unexpected and costly equipment failures by alerting users to the condition of critical equipment so they can proactively schedule its maintenance.

"Today companies urgently need to stretch their resources, and one of the most valuable resources is time," said Scandling. "Now maintenance and reliability personnel as well as vibration analysts using Datastick analyzers can cut their data-collection time in half, getting more work done, faster."

"Datastick software is known to be some of the most advanced in the industry for accuracy and ease of use, surpassing analyzers of much greater cost," Steve Sabram, Datastick President and Chief Technology Officer, said. "This time, we aimed for optimization. Entire portions were rewritten with one thought in mind: make it faster."

Datastick Spectrum 1.9.1 software includes a simplified User Mode, which allows less experienced personnel to use the software without worrying about altering important settings. In this mode, the user interface controls are reduced to the minimum necessary to collect vibration measurements and view alarms.

"Compared to our competitors, Datastick Spectrum is very easy to use, despite the amount of sophistication we have built into such a small package," said Derek Norfield, Datastick Director of Applications. "However, most of that sophistication is only called for in setup. Once the setup is complete, you can turn off those controls so you can simply concentrate on collecting data."

Datastick Spectrum displays waveform or FFT spectral information on the PDA's high-resolution, full color touchscreen. Data can be shown in terms of acceleration, velocity, displacement, or vibration decibels as well as overall vibration with alarm level display. VSA models are also available for dynamic pressure sensing and impact testing.

After the data is captured on the PDA, the user exports it to Datastick Reporting System software on a Windows XP or Windows Vista PC for analysis and trending.

E-mail: findout@datastick.com