This document discusses Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS) which are used to monitor power grids across large areas in real-time. It describes the key components of WAMS including Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) which measure voltage and current phasors, and Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs) which collect and process data from multiple PMUs. Standards for PMU data communication and different implementations of WAMS are also outlined.