This Article is about:
- Why remote control?
- Requirements
- Setup and use
Why remote control?
The Fluke 173x Power Quality Loggers can be connected to a PC or Laptop via USB or Wifi and you would normally use the Fluke Energy Analyze + software to setup the instrument and/or download the data.
There are situations however where having a USB connection, or even a laptop is not really suitable or safe. Imagine you already have hooked up your Fluke 1738 to a distribution panel safely, have closed the door and you want to doublecheck the connections and/or you want to change the setup before logging. Instead of putting your safety gear back on and clearing the area, you can leave everything as-is and simply use your smartphone to operate the Fluke 173x Power Quality Logger.
In the ideal situation you would like to have access to your 173x from another area as long as you are on the same WiFi network.
This article explains how to set up a quick point to point connection in order to control the logger from a smartphone.
Requirements
So what do we need to make this a reality? Obviously you would need to have your Fluke 173x with the Wi-Fi dongle installed, and you would need an Android or Apple smartphone.
Next to that you need a "VNC" app on your phone. There are several available for free, depending on the make of your smartphone. Some examples:
- In Google Play you can find bVNC , VNC Lite or VNC Viewer
- In the Apple App Store you can find VNC Viewer
While it would be possible to have the 173x act as the Wi-Fi hotspot for your phone to connect to, this does limit the area in which you can work. The best solution is to connect your Fluke 173x to your local Wi-Fi network.
This comes with a few restrictions though:
- Only 2.4 GHz networks will be detected
- Only networks with single password WPA2 security will be useable
- Enterprise networks with username/password or other security key options are not compatible. In that case setup the Fluke 173x as a local hotspot.
Setup and Use
First create a connection from the Fluke 173x to your smartphone
Press the button "Memory/Settings" and choose via "<F4> Instrument settings" <F1> Tools for "Wi-Fi configuration"
Select "Mode" "Direct connection"
Go to Wi-Fi settings on your smartphone and create connection with the Fluke 1738 and the given encryption key.
These instructions are based on Mocha VNC Lite app.
Download Mocha VNC Lite app from Apple appstore or Google Playstore and install the VNC app on your phone if not already done so. In the example below we show screenshots of VNC lite. Other VNC apps have a similar setup method, although their user interfaces will differ a little.
Make sure your phone is connected to the same WiFi network as your Fluke 173x
Select "Configure" from the list and then hit "New"
Then enter the IP address of the 1738. Tis address is shown in the overview display of Fluke 1738.
Press Save and then go back to the menu and hit "Connect"
In the "Connect" list you now will find the created IP address connection.
Tap this IP address and the connection to the Fluke 173x will be made and the view in the VNC app will look like this:
Now you can remote control your Fluke 173x and press the button on the 173x image like you would on the real instrument.
Enjoy this remote control option, and log safely!