Reference design to gather smart electricity distribution data faster, more accurately

May 15, 2014 // By Graham Prophet
Maxim Integrated’s Petaluma reference design enables more intelligent grid data management with 3-phase, high-speed analogue data collection, yielding real-time measurements for utilities and infrastructure providers to simultaneously and accurately measure distributed power grid data.

Utility organisations worldwide, says Maxim, are deploying more robust applications that require highly accurate distributed grid status data to exploint distributed generation technologies such as solar and wind power. Voltage and current measurements must be gathered simultaneously for all lines, so the utility can understand the timing among phases and ensure maximum uptime across the grid. Petaluma is a high-speed, simultaneous-sampling, 8-channel analogue input front-end (AFE) that monitors grid data simultaneously from all phases, so grid managers can optimise their distribution automation signal chain.

Petaluma is tuned to the 50 Hz to 60 Hz signal to match power grids around the world. The simultaneous sampling of three phases is done with low power consumption in the 1W range. Its high-speed sample rate (250 ksamples/sec per channel) comes with 16-bit accuracy, allowing for quick responses to grid fault conditions.