Free App provides convenient monitoring of Mitsubishi Electric inverters

Mitsubishi Electric has introduced a new app for iOS tablets and smartphones that provides convenient commissioning, maintenance, troubleshooting, parameterisation and monitoring support for the company’s FR-F800E and FR-A800E inverters. 

Available from the Apple App Store, the Inverter StartApp addresses modern requirements to glean more information from manufacturing processes, with easier accessibility, and to be able to act on that information in a timely and convenient manner.

Connecting over a wireless LAN, the Inverter StartApp enables the user to scan for Mitsubishi Electric FR-F800E and FR-A800E inverters on that network and interrogate them for operational data. It provides for both offline and online (operation mode) functions.

Using the operation mode functionality is particularly useful for commissioning and maintenance. Users can test operation, read and write parameters, monitor operation and view the alarm history. 

From the ‘Test operation’ screen, users can test the inverter operation, initiating start/stop on a connected motor (in either jog mode or continuous mode) and change its frequency.

From the ‘Parameter’ screen, users can read and write all parameters and export parameters lists as an FR Configurator2 project. 

In ‘Monitoring’ mode, the Inverter StartApp displays real time graphs of frequency, current, voltage and speed, offering the additional capability to screen-shot graph data for analysis or to export operational data as a CSV file.

Finally, the ‘Alarm monitoring’ screen displays the full alarm history, complete with explanatory comments on the alarm codes. Clicking on a given alarm, users will find details of possible causes and trouble-shooting advice.

Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, the Inverter StartApp runs on iOS 11.0 or later and is free to download.

Wayne Turtill is Product Manager Drives and Servos at Mitsubishi Electric.