VibCloud online - user guide
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
VibCloud Online is a web-based vibration monitoring platform that gives your team real-time and historical insight into the health of rotating machinery. Sensors mounted on each machine continuously transmit vibration, temperature, and bearing data to the cloud. The application turns that raw data into actionable information: alarm colours, trend charts, frequency spectra, and automated reports, so your team can catch problems early and plan maintenance before failures occur.
Key capabilities:
Live alarm status for every machine and measurement point
Time-domain and frequency-domain signal analysis
Trend charting across custom date ranges
Bearing fault frequency overlays on spectra
Automated email reports with measurement summaries
Side-by-side comparison of multiple spectra or trend signals
2. Alarm levels and color coding
Throughout the application, colours communicate the health status of every machine and measurement point at a glance. The same four-level scheme is used everywhere — in the equipment tree, dashboard cards, trend charts, and detail tables.
Colour | Level | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
Gray | Unknown | No recent data or status cannot be determined |
Green | Normal | All readings within safe limits |
Cyan | Investigate | A reading has crossed the investigate threshold — monitor closely |
Orange | Warning | A reading has crossed the warning threshold — plan inspection |
Red | Alarm | A reading has crossed the alarm threshold — immediate attention required |
Rule: The displayed alarm level for a machine always reflects its worst measurement point feature. If any single point is in Alarm, the machine shows Alarm.
3. Logging in
Open the VibCloud Online URL in your browser - https://vibcloud-online.azurewebsites.net/
Enter your email address and password.
Click Sign In.
If your session expires while you are working, the application silently renews your session in the background — you will not be redirected to the login page unless the renewal also fails (for example, if you have been away for an extended period with the browser closed).
Forgot Password
Click the Forgot password? link on the login page, enter your email address, and click Send Reset Link. You will receive an email with a one-time link to set a new password. The link expires after a short time for security reasons.
Multi-Client Access
If your account has access to more than one client organisation, you will be prompted to select a client after login. You can switch clients at any time from the top navigation bar.
4. Application Layout
The application is divided into three persistent areas:
4.1 Top Navigation Bar
The bar across the top contains:
Application logo / name — click to return to the Dashboard
Client selector — displayed when your account covers multiple organisations; click to switch
User menu — shows your name and avatar; click to access account settings or sign out
4.2 Equipment Structure Sidebar
The left sidebar displays your full equipment hierarchy. Each node in the tree is colour-coded with its current alarm status.
Tree structure:
Site / plant nodes — the top level
Machine nodes — individual pieces of rotating equipment
Measurement point nodes (leaf nodes) — individual sensor channels (e.g., Drive End — Horizontal)
How to use the tree:
Action | Result |
|---|---|
Click a machine node | Opens the Machine Detail page |
Click a measurement point (leaf) node | Opens Single-Point Analysis for that point |
Expand / collapse nodes | Click the arrow icon to the left of the node |
Note: On mobile devices, the equipment tree is hidden to save screen space. Use the Dashboard for navigation on phones and tablets.
5. Dashboard — Machine Health Overview
The Dashboard is the home page of the application. It shows a card for each machine assigned to your account, giving you a plant-wide health snapshot at a single glance.
5.1 Machine Cards
Each card displays:
Machine name — with an alarm-coloured border or header
Last measurement date — when data was last received from any sensor on this machine
Sensor active indicator — whether the sensor is currently communicating
Key values per measurement point:
Velocity overall RMS
Acceleration overall RMS
Demodulation overall RMS
1× rotation amplitude and frequency
Temperature
Values are colour-coded individually. A gray value means no data is available for that feature.
Clicking a machine card opens the Machine Detail page for that machine.
6. Machine Detail Page
Click any machine — either from the Dashboard or from the equipment tree — to open its Detail page. This page consolidates all health information for that machine in one view.
6.1 Machine Photo and Sensor Overlay
The top section shows a photo of the machine (if one has been uploaded). Coloured dots indicate the position of each sensor on the machine body. The dot colour reflects the alarm status of that sensor.
Hovering over a sensor dot shows its description and current alarm level. Clicking a dot navigates directly to the Single-Point Analysis page for that measurement point.
6.2 Overall Values Table
The table lists every measurement point on the machine with its most recent overall values:
Column | Description |
|---|---|
Measurement Point | Sensor location and description |
Last Measured | Timestamp of the most recent reading |
Acceleration RMS | Broadband acceleration (m/s²) |
Velocity RMS | Broadband velocity (mm/s) |
Demodulation RMS | Bearing demodulation (m/s²) |
Temperature | Bearing temperature (°C) |
Each value cell is coloured according to its individual alarm threshold. A gray cell means no threshold has been configured or no data is available.
6.3 Features in Alarm
Below the overall values table, any feature (e.g., 1× rotation amplitude, bearing frequencies) that has crossed an alarm threshold is listed. This section calls out the specific fault indicators that are driving the overall alarm status.
6.4 Last Sample Features
A full list of all computed features from the most recent measurement, with their values and alarm status. This gives the analyst the complete picture of what was measured in the last sample.
6.5 Notifications / Event Log
The notification panel lists maintenance events, alarm triggers, and other logged activities for this machine. Each entry shows:
Date and time
Notification type (alarm triggered, inspection, maintenance, etc.)
Status
Link to a problem ticket (if applicable)
6.6 Email Report
Click the Send Report button to generate and email a health summary for this machine. Enter the recipient's email address in the dialog. The report includes:
Machine name and current alarm status
Overall values table with colour coding
Features in alarm
Notification history
7. Single-Point Analysis
This is the main engineering analysis page. Open it by clicking any measurement point (leaf node) in the equipment tree, or by clicking a sensor dot on the Machine Detail photo.
The page is divided into several panels. All panels refer to the same measurement point and update together when you change the date range or select a different sample.
7.1 Parameter Header
At the top of the page you will see:
Machine name
Measurement point description (e.g., "Drive End — Horizontal")
Channel (X, Y, or Z axis)
Direction (Horizontal, Vertical, Axial)
Sensor UUID and manufacturer
7.2 Date Range Selector
Use the date controls to set the time window for trend data:
Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
Preset buttons (1W, 1M, 3M, 6M, 1Y, 18M) | Quickly jump to common ranges relative to today |
From / To date pickers | Enter a precise custom range |
Changing the date range refreshes all trend charts. The sample navigator and spectrum panels update when you click a point.
7.3 Trend Charts
Each configured feature has its own trend chart. Common charts include:
Velocity Overall RMS (mm/s)
Acceleration Overall RMS (m/s²)
Demodulation Overall RMS (m/s²)
1× Rotation Amplitude and Frequency
Temperature (°C)
Reading the chart:
X-axis — date/time
Y-axis — measurement value in the feature's unit
Horizontal dashed lines — alarm threshold levels (Investigate, Warning, Alarm)
Data points — each dot represents one measurement sample
Orange dot — the currently selected sample
Selecting a sample:
Click anywhere on the chart — the application snaps to the nearest data point. The orange dot jumps to the selected point, the timestamp display at the top updates, and the spectrum panels below load data for that sample. You do not need to click precisely on a dot; click anywhere near a region of interest and the nearest point is selected automatically.
Tip: Hover over the chart to see a vertical snap line and the exact value at each data point without committing to a selection.
7.4 Sample Navigator
The sample navigator on the right side of the page lists the most recent measurement samples (up to 200) within the selected date range. Each row shows:
Date and time of measurement
Velocity, Acceleration, and Demodulation overall RMS values
Rotation frequency
Temperature
Selecting a sample:
Click any row to select that sample. The trend chart orange dot updates and the spectrum panels load the corresponding data.
Note: The navigator shows up to 200 samples. If you are viewing a long date range with thousands of measurements, you can still click any point on the trend chart to select it — the timestamp will update correctly even if that exact sample is not visible in the navigator list.
7.5 Spectrum Panel
The spectrum panel displays the frequency-domain content of the selected sample's vibration signal. Three spectrum types are available, each on its own tab:
Tab | Signal | Unit |
|---|---|---|
Acceleration | Raw acceleration spectrum | m/s² |
Velocity | Velocity-integrated spectrum | mm/s |
Demodulation | Bearing demodulation (high-frequency envelope) | m/s² |
Reading the spectrum:
X-axis — frequency in Hz
Y-axis — amplitude in the spectrum's unit
Vertical coloured lines — bearing fault frequency markers (see Bearing Faults below)
Zoom and pan:
Scroll the mouse wheel over the chart to zoom in on the frequency axis.
Click and drag left/right to pan after zooming.
Double-click to reset the zoom.
Overall RMS indicator:
Above the chart, the pre-computed overall RMS value for the selected sample is shown. If the configured display frequency (FMax) is narrower than the full sensor bandwidth, the full-bandwidth RMS is also shown for comparison.
7.6 Waveform Panel
The waveform panel shows the raw time-domain signal for the selected sample. This is useful for identifying impulsive events, transients, and other features that may not be visible in the spectrum.
Key values displayed above the chart:
Peak — maximum absolute amplitude
RMS (waveform) — true RMS computed from the waveform signal
Sample rate — number of samples per second (Hz)
Sample count — total number of data points in the recording
7.7 Bearing Faults
If bearing fault frequencies have been configured for this measurement point, the Bearing Faults panel appears below the spectrum charts.
Purpose: Bearing defects generate vibration at specific frequencies that are multiples of the shaft rotation speed. By overlaying these calculated frequencies on the spectrum, analysts can quickly identify which bearing component (inner race, outer race, rolling element, cage) may be showing early signs of wear.
How to use:
Select a bearing model — if the measurement point has multiple bearing models configured (e.g., drive end and non-drive end bearings), choose the one you want to analyse from the dropdown. If only one model is configured, it is shown as a label.
Select fault types — tick the checkboxes for the fault frequencies you want to overlay:
CheckboxFault TypeDescriptionBPFOBall Pass Frequency — Outer raceOuter raceway defectBPFIBall Pass Frequency — Inner raceInner raceway defectBSFBall Spin FrequencyRolling element defectFTFFundamental Train FrequencyCage defect
The spectrum chart immediately shows vertical marker lines at the calculated frequencies (and their harmonics, where applicable).
Important: Bearing fault frequencies are calculated relative to the measured rotation speed. If no rotation frequency is available for the selected sample, the markers cannot be displayed accurately — a warning will be shown.
Note: Only fault types that have been characterised for the selected bearing model are shown as checkboxes. If BPFI is not shown, it means this value is not defined for that bearing.
8. Multi-Point Trend
The Multi-Point Trend page lets you compare the same vibration feature across multiple measurement points simultaneously. This is useful for:
Comparing bearings on the same shaft
Tracking changes before and after maintenance on one machine
Spotting a fleet-wide trend across similar machines
How to use:
Navigate to the Multi-Point Trend page from the top menu or sidebar.
Select the feature to trend (e.g., Velocity Overall RMS).
Select the measurement points to include — each gets a different colour.
Set the date range.
The chart plots all selected points on the same axes.
Each series is labelled with the machine name and measurement point description. The colour assigned to each series is consistent across the session.
9. Multi-Spectra Comparison
The Multi-Spectra Comparison page displays frequency spectra for multiple measurement points or multiple samples side by side. This helps analysts:
Compare the spectrum before and after a maintenance intervention
Identify a common frequency peak appearing on multiple machines (indicating a structural or process issue rather than a bearing problem)
Validate that spectrum shapes are consistent across similar equipment
How to use:
Navigate to the Multi-Spectra Comparison page.
Select the measurement points and/or data files to compare.
Select the spectrum type (Acceleration, Velocity, or Demodulation).
Each selected spectrum is rendered in its own panel, stacked vertically for easy visual comparison.
The X-axis (frequency) scale is aligned across all panels so peaks at the same frequency are directly comparable.
10. Common Workflows
10.1 Daily Health Check
Open the Dashboard.
Scan machine cards for any non-green alarm colours.
Click any machine showing Warning or Alarm to open its Detail page.
Review the Overall Values table to identify which measurement point is causing the alert.
Click the affected measurement point to open Single-Point Analysis.
Check the trend chart — has the value been rising steadily or did it jump suddenly?
Select the most recent sample and examine the spectrum for bearing fault frequency peaks.
10.2 Investigating a Rising Trend
Open Single-Point Analysis for the affected measurement point.
Set the date range to 6M or 1Y to see the longer-term trend.
Identify when the rise began.
Click on the sample at the start of the rise to load its spectrum.
Enable Bearing Fault markers for the relevant bearing models.
Compare spectra from the start of the rise and the most recent sample.
10.3 Post-Maintenance Verification
Ensure a measurement has been taken after the maintenance work.
Open Single-Point Analysis and set the date range to span the maintenance date.
Confirm that overall RMS values have returned to normal (green).
Compare the pre-maintenance and post-maintenance spectra using the sample navigator to step between the two dates.
10.4 Sending a Machine Health Report
Open the Machine Detail page for the machine.
Click the Send Report button.
Enter the recipient's email address (e.g., the plant manager or maintenance coordinator).
Click Send. The report is generated and emailed immediately.
11. Troubleshooting
The page shows "No data available"
Check the date range — expand it to a longer window (e.g., 3M or 6M).
Verify the sensor is active (the sidebar tree node will show a gray alarm colour if no recent data is received).
Contact your system administrator to confirm the sensor is online and transmitting.
Spectrum chart is empty
The telemetry file for the selected sample may have been archived. An "Archived" message will be shown in the spectrum panel if this is the case. Archived files cannot have their spectrum recomputed.
Try selecting a different (more recent) sample from the sample navigator.
Bearing fault lines are not shown
Confirm that bearing models have been configured for this measurement point (the Bearing Faults panel will not appear if none are configured).
Ensure at least one fault type checkbox is ticked.
Verify that the selected sample has a valid rotation frequency — if the rotation frequency column in the sample navigator is blank, the fault line positions cannot be calculated.
I cannot log in
Check your email address and password carefully.
Use the Forgot Password link to reset your password.
If the problem persists, contact your administrator — your account may be locked or not yet activated.
The application redirects me to the login page unexpectedly
Your session has expired. Log in again. The application will return you to the page you were viewing.
If this happens very frequently (within minutes of logging in), contact your administrator.
Values appear in unexpected units
Unit preferences (frequency unit, measurement unit, amplitude type) are configured per user account. Contact your administrator to review your account settings.
For technical support or to report an issue, contact your VibCloud system administrator.