Mains power frequency monitor
This open-source-to-be hardware tool monitors mains power frequency with microsecond resolution and is being optimized (better assembly code and optocoupler choice) to reach hundreds of nanoseconds of timing precision. It was conceived as an experiment to use the power grid as a kind of radio telescope for correlating phase jitter with space weather, and has already captured grid events such as generators spinning up to maintain frequency. The hardware will be open sourced when complete.
What it addresses
Wanted to determine whether mains power phase jitter correlates with space weather; that correlation experiment was never completed due to limited time.
Shared over time
Each entry reflects what was shared on that date. Details may have changed since then.
Mains power frequency monitor
This open-source-to-be hardware tool monitors mains power frequency with microsecond resolution and is being optimized (better assembly code and optocoupler choice) to reach hundreds of nanoseconds of timing precision. It was conceived as an experiment to use the power grid as a kind of radio telescope for correlating phase jitter with space weather, and has already captured grid events such as generators spinning up to maintain frequency. The hardware will be open sourced when complete.
Problem: Wanted to determine whether mains power phase jitter correlates with space weather; that correlation experiment was never completed due to limited time.
Posted by @Saigonautica · Original comment ↗
“Ages ago, I had built a tool to monitor the mains power frequency with resolution of some microseconds. I looked at my old assembly code, and realized with better optimization and optocoupler choice, I could probably get that down to some hundreds of nanoseconds. The original idea was to try and correlate phase jitter to space weather, essentially using the mains power system as a sort of radio telescope. I never did get it working (although I did not have much time to try, either). I was able to see interesting things like generators spinning up to maintain the frequency though. Will open source the hardware when done.”