There are many situations in which it is both desirable and important to monitor the operability of machinery or other equipment components. Diagnostically assessing the operability of machinery can establish the running condition of the machinery in a fashion which is objective and scientific. For example, routine diagnostic procedures adopted by maintenance personal can help detect early signs of machinery malfunction or failure and, thus, lead to corrective and preventive measures to ensure machinery is functioning within desired operational parameters. Instances where such procedures can prove useful include the detection of early bearing failure, internal/external fluid leakage, cavitation in hydraulic systems, steam trap leakage, gear problems, bearing lubrication status, as well as a multitude of other machine diagnostic functions.