Error Model in Single Board Computer based Phasor Measurement Units

Abstract: Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are measurement devices long used in transmission systems and today even more essential for a proper monitoring of distribution grids. The expected massive penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) is slowly taking place, carrying along a new set of challenges that put to test traditional instruments and requiring more performance and flexibility to adapt to this evolving scenario. Cheap devices based on single board computer (SBC) are proving to be a valid alternative to traditional PMU architectures, able to combine together high-performance, great versatility and low-cost. However, such devices lack a proper modeling of their measurement errors that conversely would be extremely useful for improving their design and evaluate their performance in accordance with the relevant standards. The paper intends to fill this gap by discussing the error sources and their effects on the observed signals. An analysis of error statistics is presented, in order to give a more complete metrological characterization.