HEIDENHAIN ND 1200 - V2.16 User manual

Operating Instructions
ND 1200
QUADRA-CHEK
Software Version
2.16
English (en)
4/2009

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 3
ND 1200 Introduction
ND 1200 panel keys
Panel keys are used to initiate feature measurements, apply
tolerances, send reports of measurement results and configure
operational parameters.
1LCD screen
2Soft keys
3Measurement function keys
4Axis keys
5Mode selection keys
6Command keys
7Menu key
8Arrow cursor keys
9Fast track keys
10 Numeric keypad
11 Send key
12 LCD On/Off key
Panel function key Panel key
Soft keys: Functions change in support of the activities displayed
on the LCD.
Measure keys: Select a feature measurement type. Feature
measurement types include points, lines, circles distances,
angles, skew alignments and Measure Magic.
Axis keys: Select axes for zeroing or presetting datums prior to
measurements.
Mode keys: Select unit of measure, datum, cartesian or polar
coordinate system and help.
Command keys: Control measurement and data entry
processes.

4Preface
Menu key: Displays five soft key menus for system setup,
programming, extra functions clearing data and optional optical
edge detector functions.
Arrow cursor keys: Used to scroll through lists and navigate
menus and setup screen data fields. The up arrow cursor key is
also used to begin a feature construction process, as described
later in the feature Constructions portion of this chapter.
Fast track keys: Two programmable fast track keys are used to
perform frequently used functions. These keys can easily be
located by touch without taking your eyes off the part. By default
the left fast track key is assigned the Enter key function and the
right is assigned the Finish key function. Users can program
either fast track key as described later in the Hotkeys portion of
Chapter 2: Installation, Setup and Specifications.
Numeric keypad: Used to enter numeric data. Additionally, the
decimal point key and +/- key are used to adjust the contrast
of the LCD display.
Send key: Used to transmit measurement results to a computer,
USB printer or USB flash drive.
LCD On/Off key: Press the LCD on/off button to turn the LCD
display off without removing power from the ND 1200. Press the
button a second time to restore the LCD display. Additionally, the
LCD On/Off key can be used to clear feature data, datums and
skews.
Panel function key Panel key

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 5
ND 1200 rear panel
ND 1200 side panel
1Serial number label
2Power switch
3Power cord connector and fuse holder
4Power ground access
5Measurement axis connectors
6RS-232 serial port connector
7Optical reference cable connector
8Optical sensor cable connector
9Not supported in the ND 1200
10 Tilt base mechanical tightness adjustment
11 Electrical Ratings label
1Speaker/headset jack
2USB Type A connector
3RJ-45 Foot switch/hand switch/keypad connector

6Preface
Information contained in this
manual
This User's manual covers the operation, installation, setup and
specifications of the ND 1200. Operating information is contained in
chapter 1. Installation, setup instructions and specifications are
contained in chapter 2.
Fonts used in this manual
The following fonts are used to indicate operator controls or to show
emphasis:
Operator controls - soft keys and other panel keys are shown in
upper case.
Emphasis - Items of special interest or concepts that are
emphasized to the user are shown in bold type.
Showing sequences of key presses
The ND 1200 user performs sequences of soft key and panel key
presses to measure part features and complete other tasks. These
sequences are indicated using text as shown in the following
example:
Press the MENU key, press the EDGE soft key and then press the
AUTO E soft key is sometimes abbreviated as:
Press MENU/EDGE/AUTO E
Symbols within notes
Notes are marked with symbols on the left indicating the type, or
potential severity of the information.
General Information
This is additional or supplementary information about an
activity or concept.
Warning
This warns of a situation or condition that could lead to
measurement errors, equipment malfunction or
equipment damage. Do not proceed until the message is
read and understood.
Caution - Risk of electric shock
This warns of a situation or condition that could lead to
electrical shock and to personal injury or death. Do not
proceed until the message is read and understood.

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 7
Safety considerations
General accepted safety precautions must be followed when
operating the system. Failure to observe these precautions could
result in damage to the equipment, or injury to personnel. It is
understood that safety rules within individual companies vary. If a
conflict exists between the material contained in this manual and the
rules of a company using this system, the more stringent rules should
take precedence.
ND 1200 measurement axes
The ND 1200 DRO can display 2, 3, or 4 axes depending on the model
purchased. DRO screen images used throughout this manual show
different numbers of axes and are for illustration only.
Software version
The software version is shown in the About setup screen discussed
later in chapter 2.
Cleaning
Use only a cloth dampened with water and a mild detergent for
cleaning the exterior surfaces. Never use abrasive cleaners, and never
use strong detergents or solvents. Only dampen the cloth, do not use
a cleaning cloth that is dripping wet.
The ND 1200 is equipped with a 3-wire power plug that
includes a separate ground connection. Always connect
the power plug to a 3-wire grounded outlet. Use of 2-wire
power plug adapters or any other connection accessories
that remove the third grounded connection create a safety
hazard and should not be permitted.
Unplug the ND 1200 from the power outlet and seek the
assistance of a qualified service technician if:
The power cord is frayed or damaged or the power plug
is damaged
Liquid is spilled or splashed onto the enclosure
The ND 1200 has been dropped or the exterior has been
damaged
The ND 1200 exhibits degraded performance or
indicates a need for service some other way

8Preface

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 9
1.1 ND 1200 Overview ..... 14
1.2 Basic Functions of the ND 1200 ..... 16
Switching on the ND 1200 ..... 16
Establishing a repeatable machine zero ..... 17
Switching off the ND 1200 ..... 17
Panel key descriptions ..... 18
LCD screen and soft key layout ..... 22
DRO mode screen and soft keys ..... 22
Feature evaluation mode screens and soft keys ..... 23
Feature measurement mode screen and soft keys ..... 24
ND 1200 Menus ..... 25
1.3 Preparing to Measure ..... 29
Power-up the ND 1200 ..... 29
Establish machine zero ..... 29
Adjust LCD screen contrast ..... 30
Select unit of measure ..... 30
Select a datum ..... 30
Select a coordinate system ..... 30
Select the desired annotation ..... 31
Toggle between forward and backward annotation ..... 31
Select a probe type ..... 32
Select crosshairs: ..... 32
Select an optical edge probe ..... 32
Calibrate the optical edge detector ..... 33
Perform a Teach ..... 33
Perform a D. Cal ..... 33
Perform an X Cal ..... 33
Align the part to a measurement axis ..... 34
Perform a part alignment (Skew) ..... 34
Establish a datum ..... 35
Probe skew and part edge lines for point construction ..... 35
Construct a datum point from line features ..... 36
Zeroing the datum ..... 36
Presetting the datum ..... 37
1.4 Measuring Part Features ..... 38
Part features ..... 38
Feature list ..... 38
Probing part features ..... 39
Probing with crosshairs ..... 39
Probing with optical edge detection ..... 39
Probing with Measure Magic ..... 40
Measuring features ..... 41
Auto repeat ..... 41
Measuring points ..... 42
Measuring lines ..... 43
Measuring circles ..... 44
Measuring distances ..... 45
Measuring angles ..... 46
1 Operation ..... 13

10
1.5 Creating Part Features ..... 47
Created features ..... 47
Creating features ..... 47
Example of creating a feature ..... 48
1.6 Constructing Part Features ..... 49
Constructed features ..... 49
Constructing features ..... 49
Example of constructing a feature ..... 50
..... 51
More feature construction examples ..... 51
1.7 Tolerancing ..... 54
Feature tolerances ..... 54
Applying tolerances ..... 55
Example of applying a tolerance ..... 56
1.8 Programming ..... 58
ND 1200 programs ..... 58
Recording a program ..... 58
Example of recording a program ..... 59
Running a program ..... 60
Example of running a program ..... 61
Editing a program ..... 62
Displaying program steps ..... 62
Expanding and compressing a program steps ..... 63
Changing a program step ..... 64
Deleting a program step ..... 67
Inserting new program steps ..... 68
Copying a program ..... 69
Deleting a program ..... 70
Backing up programs ..... 71
1.9 Reporting ..... 72
Reporting ..... 72
Sending reports ..... 72
1.10 Error Indications ..... 73
Scale errors ..... 73

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 11
2.1 ND 1200 Shipment Contents ..... 76
Items included with the ND 1200 ..... 76
Optional items possibly included ..... 76
Repackaging the ND 1200 ..... 77
2.2 Hardware Installation ..... 78
Assembling the mounting stand ..... 78
Benchtop location and mounting ..... 78
Arm mounting (optional) ..... 79
Connecting power ..... 80
Connecting encoders ..... 81
Connecting a computer ..... 82
Connecting a headphone ..... 82
Connecting a USB printer ..... 82
Connecting an optional foot switch or remote keypad ..... 83
Connecting and installing optical edge detection ..... 84
2 Installation, Setup and Specifications ..... 75

12
2.3 Software setup ..... 85
Setup menu ..... 86
Setup example: entering the supervisor password ..... 87
Order of setup ..... 88
Language selection and product version ..... 89
Supervisor password and program unlocking ..... 90
Loading settings files and startup screens ..... 91
Encoder configuration ..... 92
Encoders screen ..... 92
Misc screen ..... 95
Optical edge detection setup ..... 96
Edge menu tools ..... 96
Misc screen ..... 97
Stage squareness calibration ..... 98
Error correction ..... 99
Linear error correction (LEC) ..... 100
Segmented linear error correction (SLEC) ..... 102
Nonlinear error correction (NLEC) ..... 106
NLEC by measuring points on a calibration grid ..... 108
NLEC by importing an nlec.txt file ..... 110
Saving NLEC correction data as an nlec.txt file ..... 110
Measurement scaling for parts that expand or shrink ..... 111
Scale Factor screen ..... 111
Measurement configuration ..... 112
Measure screen ..... 112
Display formatting ..... 115
Display screen ..... 115
Hot key assignments ..... 118
Hot keys screen ..... 118
Print formatting ..... 122
Print screen ..... 122
Form chars screen ..... 125
RS-232 port configuration ..... 126
RS232 screen ..... 126
USB port configuration ..... 128
USB screen ..... 128
Audio configuration ..... 130
Sounds screen ..... 130
Key repeat rate adjustment ..... 131
Misc screen ..... 131
Time and date settings ..... 132
Clock screen ..... 132
Saving settings files and programs ..... 133
2.4 Specifications ..... 134
Dimensions ..... 135
Arm mount bracket ..... 136

Operation

14 1 Operation
1.1 ND 1200 Overview
1.1 ND 1200 Overview
The ND 1200®is an advanced digital readout (DRO) system for
performing high-precision 2, 3 or 4 axis measurements using analog or
TTL encoders. The ND 1200 can be used with optical comparators,
toolmaker’s microscopes or video measurement systems as part of in-
line production or in final quality inspection.
The following functions are available in the ND 1200:
Reference mark evaluations for distance-coded and single reference
encoders
Linear, segmented linear and optional nonlinear error correction
Scaling factor for parts that expand or shrink
Multilingual LCD user interface: language is selected by the user
soft key functions under LCD change to support different user
activities
Arrow cursor keys for easy navigation of lists and menus
Measurement support function keys clearly marked with:
Unit of measure: mm or inch
Datum 1 or datum 2
Cartesian or polar coordinate system
Skew compensation for part alignment prior to measurement,
eliminating the need for time-consuming fixturing
Two datums for absolute and incremental measurements
Axis zero and preset keys for establishing datums
Easy selection of feature measurement type using clearly marked
measure function keys:
Points, lines, circles, distances, angles
Skew for part alignment
Measure Magic®for automatic feature type identification
Feature measurement can include:
Dimensional measurements of geometric part features
Creation of features by entering dimensional data
Construction of new features from existing features
Applying tolerances
ND 1200 Front panel

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 15
1.1 ND 1200 Overview
Number keypad with:
Number keys for data entry
Decimal point and +/- keys for data entry and LCD screen contrast
adjustment
User-defined hot keys that program panel and optional remote keys
to initiate commonly used functions.
User-defined programs made of the key-press sequences used to:
Perform measurements
Apply tolerances
Report results
Reports of measurement results printed to USB printer, sent to PC
over RS-232 connection or stored on USB drive
User-defined programs and system settings stored on USB drive
Speaker jack outputs for quiet or noisy environments
Optional optical edge detection probes and enters feature data
points at light to dark transitions on the comparator screen
Optional remote foot switch and keypad facilitate measurement
when the user is not close to the front panel

16 1 Operation
1.2 Basic Functions of the ND 1200
1.2 Basic Functions of the ND 1200
Switching on the ND 1200
Switch on the ND 1200. The POWER switch is
located on the rear of the enclosure. After switching
the power on, or after a power failure, the power-up
screen will be displayed.
Press the FINISH key to advance from the power-up
screen to the DRO.
Your ND 1200 is now ready for operation and is in the Current Position
operating mode. Encoder position values will be displayed for all axes.
Power-up screen
DRO screen

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 17
1.2 Basic Functions of the ND 1200
Establishing a repeatable machine zero
If your ND 1200 was configured to establish a machine zero upon
power-up, a message will be displayed asking you to cross reference
marks or enter hard-stop axis reference positions. The machine zero is
used by the ND 1200 to apply error correction data as measurements
are performed. To establish a repeatable machine zero you must
either:
UMove the stage to have encoder reference mark crossings
recognized on each axis or
Umove the stage to the hard-stop reference position and press
ENTER on each axis when no encoder reference marks are present.
Switching off the ND 1200
Switch the ND 1200 off. The parameter settings,
error compensation tables and recorded programs
that have been saved during operation will be
retained in memory.
If the requirement to cross reference marks is bypassed
by pressing the CANCEL soft key, error correction data
that might be stored in your ND 1200 will not be applied.
Your ND 1200 might also have been configured to retain
measurement results across power cycles

18 1 Operation
1.2 Basic Functions of the ND 1200
Panel key descriptions
Descriptions of panel key functions are provided in the following
pages for MEASUREMENT function, COMMAND, MODE selection,
AXIS, FAST TRACK, SEND, LCD ON/OFF, and MENU keys. Soft key
functions are also described later in the next section as part of screen
and soft key layout descriptions.
ND 1200 Panel keys
MEASURE keys Function
Measure point: Press the POINT key once to
measure one point, or twice to use auto
repeat to measure a series of points. A
minimum of one data point is required to
measure a point.
Measure line: Press the LINE key once to
measure one line, or twice to use auto repeat
to measure a series of lines. A minimum of
two data points are required to measure a
line.
Measure circle: Press the CIRCLE key once
to measure one circle, or twice to use auto
repeat to measure a series of circles. A
minimum of three data points are required to
measure a circle.
Measure distance: Press the DISTANCE key
once to measure one distance, or twice to
use auto repeat to measure a series of
distances. Two points are required to
measure a distance.
Measure angle: Press the ANGLE key once
to measure one angle, or twice to use auto
repeat to measure a series of angles. Collect
a minimum of two data points, then press the
ENTER key on each leg of an angle.
Align part: Press the SKEW key to
compensate electronically for non-square
part alignment on the primary axis.
Use Measure Magic: Press the MEASURE
MAGIC key to automatically measure any
geometric feature or twice to measure a
series of like features. Collect the desired
points and press the FINISH key; Measure
Magic analyzes the data and determines the
feature type.

ND 1200 QUADRA-CHEK 19
1.2 Basic Functions of the ND 1200
COMMAND keys Function
Enter data: Press the ENTER key to enter
points during feature measurements or to
enter values into configuration fields.
Pressing the ENTER key indicates that data
from a measurement or in a field is ready for
use.
Finish a measurement: Press the FINISH
key to complete a feature measurement.
Pressing the FINISH key a second time
returns the user to the DRO screen.
Delete data or features: Press the CANCEL
key to delete the last point entered, data in
configuration fields or any highlighted feature
from the feature list.
Quit current activity: Press the QUIT key to
abandon the current task and return to the
DRO screen or to exit the feature list.
MODE keys Function
Select unit of measure: Press the UNIT OF
MEASURE key to toggle between
millimeters and inches. The current unit of
measure is displayed in the upper right corner
of the screen.
Select a datum: Press the DATUM key to
toggle between datum 1 and datum 2.The
current datum number is displayed in the
upper right corner of the screen.
Select a coordinate system: Press the
COORDINATE key to toggle between
Cartesian and polar coordinate systems.
AXIS keys Function
Zero an axis: Press the axis key to the right
of the desired axis to zero the axis position
value when establishing a zero datum.
Preset an axis or axes: Press one or more
axis keys to the right of the desired axis or
axes when presetting axis position values for
a new datum.

20 1 Operation
1.2 Basic Functions of the ND 1200
FAST TRACK keys Function
Left frequently used function:
Press the left WIDE key to initiate
the function programmed for this
key. The factory default function for
this key is ENTER.
Right frequently used function:
Press the right WIDE key to initiate
the function programmed for this
key. The factory default function for
this key is FINISH.
SEND key Function
Transmit measurement results: Press the
SEND key to transmit measurement data to a
computer, a USB printer or a USB memory
drive.
LCD ON/OFF key Function
Turn the LCD off or clear data: Press the
LCD ON/OFF key to toggle between LCD on
and LCD off, or to clear feature data, datums
and part alignments (skews).
MENU key Function
Display soft key menus: Press the MENU
key to display the titles of ND 1200 menus
above the soft keys. Menus include:
Setup: Used by supervisors to configure
the operational characteristics of the
system.
Prog: Used by operators and supervisors to
create and recall programs of recorded
measurement steps.
Extra: Used by operators to conduct
measurements and send measurement
result data.
Clear: Used by operators to clear
measurement data and datums.
Edge: Used by operators and supervisors
to install, calibrate and select optical edge
detectors.