Computed Order Tracking Obsoletes Older Methods

Due to advances in computational speed, it is now possible to replace the tracking ratio synthesizer and tracking filters, used for order tracking in rotating machinery, with a system that uses a fixed filter and samples at a fixed rate for all shaft rotation speeds. This new technique, called Computed Order Tracking, uses a digital tracking algorithm and re-samples the original data, using a linear interpolation filter, at constant shaft angle increments.

In addition to eliminating the tracking synthesizer and filters, this new method can follow rapid changes in shaft rpm with no time delay, and has no phase noise due to phase-locked loops.