parkerVM600Mk2 A Second-Generation Architecture for a New Era

Also, the system had to be 

configured twice: once in the

protection environment and then 

again in the condition monitoring 

environment, without the ability

to reuse similar or identical 

configuration settings from the

protection environment into the 

condition monitoring environment. 

Instead, the user had to manually 

replicate the settings – not just

re-use the settings – such as 

transducer types, full-scale values, 

and even alarm setpoints. 

Lastly, due to slight differences 

in signal processing between the

protection hardware and condition

monitoring hardware, even

identical configurations could result

in slight discrepancies between the

timing of a protection alarm in the 

MPC4 card and the emulation of 

the same alarm in the XMV16 card. 

While this timing was normally

not an issue, it could be more 

cumbersome to create accurate 

sequence-of-event reconstructions

because a protection alarm archive 

had to be accessed separately 

from a condition monitoring alarm 

archive. 

Clearly, in a next-generation 

system, it would be important to

address the above issues

Component 

Availability10

Users of machinery protection 

systems generally expect a 

lifecycle of 15-20 years for the 

hardware along with a generous,

phased obsolescence period that 

gives time to both plan and then 

implement replacement of the 

aging system.

During this time, spare parts must 

still be available that maintain 

hazardous area approvals and SIL 

certifications. Simply substituting

newer electronic components

on circuit boards may seem like

an easy solution, but sometimes 

there are no form/fit/function

replacements. 

And even when there are, this

can often mean resubmittals to 

approvals / certification agencies.

Eventually, the situation can

become unsustainable, even when

last-time buys of components are 

secured in an attempt to meet 

future demand. All of these can 

represent a delicate balancing act 

and finally the need to introduce a

new platform becomes inevitable.

However, manufacturers generally

view this as an opportunity to not

just replace systems, but to provide

additional functionality and value 

because new customer needs have

arisen in the meantime. This has 

certainly been the case with the

VM600 platform.

10. “Component Obsolescence 

Management”. electronic-notes.

com. Retrieved September 19, 

2021.

Deliberately 

avoiding 

“Rip and Replace”

One of the challenges inherent 

in introducing a new platform

is to avoid “rip and replace” 

requirements. No customer enjoys

being told that they must rip out 

the old hardware in its entirety and

install new hardware.

This can be compounded when the

new system is so radically different

compared to its predecessor that 

wiring connections cannot be

reused, panel cutout and mounting 

dimensions must be modified,

different software must be used,

and even power and ventilation

requirements have changed. The

devil, as they say, is in the details. 

From a manufacturer’s perspective,

“rip and replace” can also be 

undesirable because it then 

becomes just as easy and costeffective for customers to switch

to an entirely different supplier 

as to remain with the incumbent.

For numerous reasons, it is thus 

in everyone’s best interests when

the new platform represents

backwards compatibility with the

prior platform while introducing

necessary improvements to solve 

the continually evolving list of 

customer needs. 

As vibro-meter set out to design 

a second-generation version of 

the VM600, we purposed that we

would not leave existing customers

stranded or inconvenienced by “rip 

and replace” approaches. 

but without depriving them of

the same feature and function 

improvements available to 

customers installing a system 

for the first time. In other words,

existing customers should be 

rewarded – not penalized – by the

release of a new system.

“More than 8,000 

VM600 systems are 

installed worldwide and 

we owed it to those 

customers to provide 

them with a thoughtful 

path forward that 

allowed them to 

retain as much of their 

existing investment as 

possible.“

The VM600Mk2

True to our promise, it does this 

without stranding our customers

and their large installed base of 

more than 8,000 VM600Mk1 systems 

– systems that encompass 240,000 

MPC4Mk1 protection channels and

88,000 CMC/XMV/XMC condition 

monitoring channels.

Because the VM600Mk2 uses the 

same backplane and power

supplies as its predecessor, it is 

not necessary to replace a rack in

order to upgrade modules. This 

also means that existing racks

can incorporate a mix of firstgeneration (Mk1) and secondgeneration (Mk2) modules if

desired, and that Mk2 modules

can be used as spares for Mk1

modules11,

12 if desired. 

In addition, the XMC and XMV12

modules have not changed 

and continue to provide worldclass capabilities for dynamic 

combustion monitoring and