Computer Aided Telephone Diagnostics System for Power Conversion Systems

UPS downtime is a concern to industries, such as telecommunications, requiring uninterrupted power to a critical load. These industries need the quickest possible service response to get a UPS back on line. The microprocessor and the communications link have been combined to provide detailed information from the site to skilled off-site personnel, thereby, relatively unskilled on-site customer personnel can be "talked" through quick repair with off-site verification of correct operation and adjustment. The phone can be the link between not only voice communication but also for transmitting UPS waveform and status data. This can be accomplished by using CAT-D which consists of a data acquisition and communications interface on the UPS and a personal computer used by factory field service people. The communication link is established via modems. The personal computer is used in this sense as a remote set of eyes to the factory service people; the computer is not meant to replace service people. Waveform data can be analyzed by factory service personnel at any time of day or night once contacted by a telephone microwave paging system. A process of recommended repairs followed by a waveform analysis after each repair, permits factory service people to guide the buyer\´s on-site personnel representative in repairing their UPS. CAT-D uses the phone voice-to-voice and machine-to-machine communications to become a cost effective tool to aid in quick and effective service of remote equipment.