Logical Machines S-4 User manual

What is the
Logical Machines S-4?
The S-4 is used to fill containers with an operator specified amount (weight)
of material from a supply hopper. It can be used in an Automatic mode
where the S-4 controller tries to determine the operating parameters or in a
User mode where the operator supplies the operating parameters.
In the Automatic mode the operator tells the S-4 how much material
he/she would like in the container, puts a container under the funnel, and
presses the footswitch. The S-4 will automatically “learn” how to fill the
container optimizing for accuracy and speed.
In User mode the operator can manually input all of the machine
parameters.
Unpacking & Assembling
Your New S-4
Some setup is necessary when unpacking and assembling your S-4 for the first
time.
Remove packing material
• Install the 4 casters on the bottom of the machine.
Remove the travel lock.
• This is a C-clamp on the left side of the Discharge Funnel/Weigh Hopper
• Machines with large Weigh Hoppers will have one on each side.
Reposition the controller box.
• Unbolt the controller from its traveling position. Using the same nut and
bolt mount it on the right front vertical tube of the chassis using the .25”
hole. The toothed nut should be in contact with the square tube chassis.
Attach compressed air supply.
• Regulator is factory preset to 25-30 psi.
Plug in the controller.
• Plug the power cord into a 120V outlet. Due to the high precision of our
Controller, we recommend using a power conditioner if available.
Logical Machines
1158 Roscoe Road
Charlotte, Vermont 05445
802.425.2888
www.logicalmachines.com
S-4 Weigh/Fill System Table of Contents:
• Unpacking & Assembling Your New S-4 .....................1
• Getting to Know the S-4.......................................... 2
• Getting to Know the Logical Controller II ....................2
• Logical Controller II Menu Tree..................................3
• Operating Your S-4 .................................................4
• User Mode ............................................................5
• Automatic Mode.....................................................9
• Technical Support .................................................11
• Glossary of Terms.................................................12

2
Getting to Know the
S-4 Logical Controller II
Power Switch
The power switch is located on the bottom of the Controller.
LCD Screen
The LCD screen is a 4 line by 16 character display that is used by the
Controller to communicate to the user.
Keypad
The Keypad is used by the operator to communicate with the Controller. The
keys 0thru 9, “.” and ENTER are used to make menu selections and to
enter values. The C/CE key is used to clear an accidentally entered value
while entering a new parameter. The up and down arrow keys are used for
Getting to know the S-4
Supply Hopper
This large stainless steel hopper is where you will put your bulk material.
Supply Hopper Gate
This is a small gate located on the Supply Hopper that controls the level of
the material flowing on the Feed Pan.
Feed Pan/Vibrator Assembly
The material flows down from the Supply Hopper onto the Feed Pan. The
vibrator shakes the Feed Pan moving the material into the Weigh Hopper.
Optional Dribble Gate
The purpose of the optional Dribble Gate is to restrict the flow of material
during the dribble cycle.
Weigh Hopper
The Weigh Hopper acts as a scale by accumulating and weighing material
during each fill cycle.
Discharge Funnel
The material flows into your container through the Discharge Funnel. Depend-
ing on your machine configuration, you may have a Discharge Chute or other
spout options.
Logical Controller II
The Logical Controller II is the “brain” of the S-4. It controls the speed of the
vibrator motor and interfaces with the operator through the footswitch, front
panel switches and front panel LCD screen.
Footswitch
The footswitch will normally sit on the floor. The footswitch is used by the
operator to start and stop the S-4. If it is pressed before the Weigh Hopper
is filled, the S-4 will pause. Pressing the footswitch again will resume the fill
cycle.
Supply Hopper
Supply
Hopper
Gate
Discharge
Funnel
Footswitch
Feed Pan
Vibrator
Assembly
Optional Dribble Gate
Scale/
Weigh Hopper
Logical Controller II

3
LCD
Screen
Keypad
Power
Switch
Status
Lights
scrolling through menus or data. The HOME key takes you back to the
main menu from any screen anytime. This last key keeps you from getting
lost in the menus. For example, no matter what screen you are in, pressing
HOME, 1 will tare the scale. Pressing HOME, 2, 4 will save the current
job.
Fuse
The fuse is located in the power entry block next to the power switch. The
power cord must be removed to replace the fuse. If there is no display
when the power switch is turned on, remove the fuse and visually inspect
the condition. Replace it with a fuse of the correct value (4 amps). Your
new machine includes a spare fuse in the power entry block.
Controller Menu Tree
Home Screen (Expanded descriptions of all menu items can be found in the Glossary on page 12.)
1. Tare (zeros the scale)
2. Setup
1. Edit This Job
1. Bulk Cutoff Weight (weight to end bulk part of fill cycle)
2. Bulk Motor Speed (motor speed for bulk part of fill cycle, as a percentage)
3. Dribble Cutoff Weight (weight to end the dribble part of the fill cycle)
4. Dribble Motor Speed (motor speed for dribble part of fill cycle, as a percentage)
5. Target Weight (desired net weight of the material)
6. Check Hi (weight at which green status light turns off)
7. Check Lo (weight at which green status light turns on)
8. Drop Open Delay (time weigh hopper door stays open)
9. Drop Close Delay (time between weigh hopper door beginning closing and start of product flow)
0. Dribble Delay (time the feed pauses while the dribble gate closes.)
2. Edit Modes
1. Mode (use button #1 to toggle between User and Auto modes)
2. Auto Dump (use button #2 to toggle On/Off)
3. Auto Tare (use button #3 to toggle On/Off)
4. Settle Time (Input time: 0.01-2.5 seconds. See Glossary for details on Settle Time)
5. Machine (use to select software for your machine. Should be set as “S4”)
6. Dribble Gate (use button #6 to Toggle On/Off)
7. Bagger (use button #7 to toggle On/Off)
3. Load Job (load a saved job)
4. Save This Job (saves current job parameters)
3. Utilities
1. Calibrate (calibrate scale with a known weight)
2. Empty Hopper (empty entire machine of product)
3. Learn (use #3 key to toggle between Learn on/off in Auto Mode)
4. Manual Dump (empty weigh hopper)

4
Operating Your S-4
Calibrating your S-4
Calibrating your new S-4 is a very important first step that will assure that
the Logical Controller II can accurately weigh your product. Calibration
is the process that gives the Controller a weight reference point. For ex-
ample, if you use a one pound weight (recommended), the Controller will
know what a pound “looks like” and will use that reference to calculate all
other weights. We recommend that you recalibrate your S-4 at one month
intervals or when you find that you’re not getting accurate product fills.
Please use the following procedure to calibrate your S-4.
Tare the Scale
With nothing on the Weigh Hopper, press the HOME, 1 to tare or zero
out the scale. After doing this, the weight display should read “0.000”
(fig. 1). Note that, due to the sensitivity of our weighing equipment, you
may find that a breeze or vibration from other machinery may cause a
fluctuation of 0.001 or so.
Put a Known Weight* on the Scale
Place a known weight on the scale and check accuracy. If needed, you
may need to recalibrate your scale. To calibrate the scale, first tare the
scale (see above), then put an object of known weight on the Weigh
Hopper. Press HOME, 3, 1 to get to the calibration screen. You will be
prompted to input the weight of the object you placed on the scale (fig.
2). Input the weight of the object and press ENTER. You will be returned
to the main screen where you should see the correct weight for the object
on the scale.
*What’s a “known weight”? A known weight can be any object—
a book, a shoe, your watch—as long as you know how much it weighs.
The Controller uses this weight as a base reference for calibration. The
accuracy of the S-4 depends on how accurate your known weight is. The
S-4 will be much more accurate in its measurements if your calibration
weight is known within a few thousandths of a pound.
To set the S-4 to use metric weights, simply use a known weight
of metric value to calibrate the scale. In other words, if you have a cali-
bratoin weight of 1.000 kilogram (exactly!) then place that on the scale
during calibration (see section above) and input “1.000” as the calibra-
tion value. The weight reading on the scale is now in kilograms.
1.Tare
2.Setup
3.Utilities
Job:1Us- 0.000
Fig. 1: Home screen
indicating that scale has
been tared to zero
Press: HOME, 1
Input Cal Weight
Input -> 1.000
ENTER to Confirm
HOME to Escape
Fig. 2: Calibration screen
showing 1.000 lbs input
as a calibration value
Press: HOME, 3, 1

5
User Mode
We recommend that new users familiarize themselves by operating the S-4 in
User mode, thereby gaining a fuller understanding of how all of the machine’s
parameters work together. When using the Logical Controller II in User mode,
the operator must input all of the job parameters.
The Weigh Process
In User mode, the Logical Controller II fills a major portion of the target
weight at a high speed (Bulk Speed) until it reaches a specific weight
(Bulk Cutoff). Then it operates at a slower speed (Dribble Speed)
until it reaches a terminal weight (Dribble Cutoff). The terminal weight is
usually a bit less than the target weight because a small amount of material
is in free-fall.
For example, if an operator was filling bags with 5 pounds of rice, they might
program the Controller to fill the first 4.75 pounds at a high vibrator motor
speed. The Bulk Cutoff would be 4.75 pounds and the Bulk Speed might
be 70% of full motor speed. The remaining 0.25 pounds of material might
then get filled at a lower vibrator motor speed. The operator might program a
Dribble Speed of 40% and a Dribble Cutoff of 4.98 pounds guessing that the
final 0.02 pounds will fall into the Weigh Hopper after the controller turns off
the vibrator motor.
The following is a step-by-step description of operating the S-4 in User
mode.
Turn on the Logical Controller II
Every time the Logical Controller II is turned on, the LCD screen displays a
short “splash” screen (fig. 3) that indicates the machine model number
and software revision number. You should see a line like “S4 Rev 2.10”. In
this example, “S4” tells you that the Controller is setup for the Model S-4
machine. If this first part shows “S5”, “S6” or “S7”, refer to the Glossary
section at the end of the manual to change it to “S4”. The “Rev 2.10”
indicates the software revision in the Controller (2.10 in this example). Write
this down so that if you need to call Logical Machines with a question, we
will know which machine and software revision you have.
Once the “splash” screen has passed, the Home screen (fig. 4) will show
a short menu, a “Job Number”, an indication of whether the current job is
Automatic or User, and the weight indicated by the scale.
A “Job” is a set of parameters that tell the Controller how to fill a specific
container with a particular amount of material. The “Job Number” is the job
currently being used. The Controller can store several Jobs that the operator
has setup and saved in its memory. The operator can recall these jobs later
on. All saved Jobs are retained when the power is removed.
There are 2 characters after the job number. They will either be “Au”
indicating that the currently loaded Job is an Automatic mode job or “Us”
indicating the current job is a User mode job. An Automatic Job means
the Controller will constantly adjust the job parameters during operation and
a User Job will use fixed operator supplied parameters and will make no
adjustmemts.
Logical Machines
S4 Rev 2.10
Fig. 3: Startup “splash”
screen showing controller
software version number
Target Weight.......... 1.25 lb
Bulk Cutoff.............. 0.95 lb
Bulk Speed .............. 65%
Dribble Cutoff.......... 1.23 lb
Dribble Speed .......... 40%
You can use these ratios as a starting point for most products
Example Starting Parameters:
1.Tare
2.Setup
3.Utilities
Job:0Us- 0.000
Fig. 4: “Home” screen
showing Job Number,
Automatic or User modes,
and weight of material
currently on scale
Job Number Mode Indicator Current Weight
Bulk Speed, Bulk Cutoff, Dribble Speed, Dribble
Cutoff—these can be confusing terms! You can think of it
this way:
Imagine that you’re piloting a motor boat across a big lake
with a load of stuff. As you’re crossing the lake to your
destination, you want to go quickly so your boat’s throttle is
opened up and you’re going fast (your Bulk Speed). As you
approach the dock, you have to start slowing down (so you
don’t crash!) so you pull back on the throttle to get to a safe
speed as you near the dock (your Dribble Speed).
Bulk Cutoff simply refers to the weight at which the
machine will go from Bulk Speed to its Dribble Speed (you’re
approaching the dock...) Dribble Cutoff is the weight at
which the motor shuts off (you’re at the dock...) allowing
the last of the material in the feed pan to fall into the Scale/
Weigh Hopper.

6
The weight of the material currently in the Scale/Weigh Hopper will be
shown on the bottom right corner of the LCD screen. When the scale is con-
nected, you should be able to make this weight change by pressing on the
Scale/Weigh Hopper.
Load a Job
We will load Job number 1 for this example. Load Job number 1 from the
controller’s memory by pressing HOME, 2, 3 to get to the Load Job screen
(fig. 5). You will be asked to input the Job Number that you want to load.
Press 1and then ENTER to load the parameters currently saved in Job 1.
After pressing ENTER you will be returned to the Home screen. Notice that
the bottom line of the display starts with “Job: 1” (fig. 6). This is telling you
that Job Number 1 is being used.
Set the Operating Modes
Now we need to confirm that the Controller is operating in User mode for
this Job. This forces the Controller to use operator supplied parameters. Press
HOME, 2, 2 to get to the “Edit Modes” menu (fig. 7). The first item in
this menu should be “Mode”. If necessary, press 1to toggle the mode from
“Auto” to “User”.
While you are in this menu, notice the other menu items. For initial setup,
Auto Dump and Auto Tare should be off. Confirm these settings. If necessary,
press 2to toggle the “AutoDump” setting to “Off”. Press 3to toggle the
“AutoTare” setting to “Off”. Press 4to input the Settle Time. This is the time
given to the Controller to evaluate the final weight. We have found that 1.0
seconds is a good settle time for most products.
Arrow down to the second page in the Edit Modes menu. Here you will find
settings for your machine type which should read “S4”. You will also see
the option to turn the Dribble Gate on/off and the Bagger on/off. If your
machine is equipped with a Dribble Gate, toggle the Dribble Gate “On” using
6. Bagger should only be used if your machine is integrated with a conveyor
or bagger machine.
Once you have made the above changes to the operating Modes, press
HOME to go back to the home screen.
Set the Bulk Cutoff Weight
If we are running the Job described above we will want to ENTER the Bulk
Cutoff weight of 4.75 lbs. Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Job menu.
Press 1to edit the Bulk Cutoff Weight (fig. 8). If you make a mistake
while entering the parameter, press C/CE to clear your entry and reinput
the parameter. Input the desired Bulk Cutoff Weight and press ENTER to
confirm. (Your Model S-4 comes calibrated in pounds. If you wish to change
to the metric system, see the section on calibration, above.) You will be
returned to the Edit Job menu. You can use the arrow keys to view all of
these parameters.
Set the Bulk Speed
Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Edit Job menu if you are not already
there. Press 2to edit the Bulk Speed (fig. 9). Input the desired Bulk Speed
and press ENTER when you are done. (Both Bulk and Dribble speeds are
displayed as a percentage. In this case, full speed is 99%.)
ENTER Job Number
Current: 0
Input(0-99)->1
Fig. 5: Load Job screen
Press: Home, 2, 3
Press: 2, ENTER
1.Tare
2.Setup
3.Utilities
Job:1Us- 0.000
Fig. 6: Home screen
indicating Job 1 is current
job number
Press: Home, 2, 1; then 1
Bulk Cutoff
Current:00.000
Input->
Fig. 8: Bulk Cutoff Weight
edit screen. Input value
here
1.Mode = User
2.AutoDump = off
3.AutoTare = off
4.Settle = 1.00
5.Machine = S4
6.DribGate = Off
7.Bagger = Off
Fig. 7: Edit Modes screen
with mode toggled to
“User”
Press: HOME, 2, 2; then press 1 to toggle mode
Press: 2, 1; then 2
Bulk Motor Speed
Current: 00
Input->
Fig. 9: Bulk Speed edit
screen. Input value here

7
Set the Dribble Cutoff Weight
Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Edit Job menu if you are not already there.
Press 3to edit the Dribble Cutoff weight (fig 10). Input the desired Dribble
Cutoff weight and press ENTER to confirm.
Set the Dribble Speed
Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Edit Job menu if you are not already there.
Press 4to edit the Dribble speed (fig. 11). Input the desired Dribble Speed
weight and press ENTER to confirm
Set the Target Weight
Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Edit Job menu if you are not already there.
(You can use the up and down arrow keys to view all the parameters.) Press
5to edit the Target Weight (fig. 12). Input the desired Target Weight and
press ENTER to confirm
Set Check Hi & Check Lo
Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Edit Job menu if you are not already there.
Press the 6and 7keys respectively to adjust the Check Hi & Check Lo
settings. This sets the weight at which the green light turns on (Lo) and off
(Hi). (See the Glossary for a fuller explaination.)
Set the Drop Gate Open Time
The Drop Gate Open Time is the time, in seconds, that the controller leaves
the gate open. This and the Drop Gate Close Time can be adjusted to
optimize cycle speed. Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Edit Job menu if you
are not already there. Press 8to edit the Drop Gate Open Time (fig. 13).
Input the desired Open Time and press ENTER to confirm. We find that 1.0
seconds is a good starting point for most products.
Set the Drop Gate Close Time
The Drop Gate Close Time is the time, in seconds, between the door begin-
ning to close and the start of the product flow. Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to
the Edit Job menu if you are not already there. (You can use the up and down
arrow keys to view all the parameters.) Press 9to edit the Drop Gate Close
Time (fig. 14). Similar ot the Drop Gate Open Time, we find that 1.0 seconds
is a good starting point for most products.
Save the Job
You should now save the job so that you don’t lose job parameters if you turn
off the machine or lose power. The S-4 does not automatically save
your job parameters! To do this simply press HOME, 2, 4 (fig. 15.)
This will save all of the current Job parameters so that the next time you load
this job from the Controller’s memory, it will operate just as it did the last
time you saved the job. We recommend that you save your Job anytime you
make a change to it.
Press: HOME, 2, 1; then 3
Dribble Cutoff
Current: 00.00
Input->
Fig. 10: Dribble Cutoff
edit screen. Input value
here
Press: HOME, 2, 1; then 4
Dribble Speed
Current: 00
Input->
Fig. 11: Dribble Speed
edit screen. Input value
here
Press: HOME, 2, 1; then 5
Target Weight
Current: 00.00
Input->
Fig. 12: Target Weight
edit screen. Input value
here
Drop Open Time
Current: 25.5
Input->
Fig. 13: Drop Gate Open
Time edit screen
Press: HOME, 2, 1; then 8
Drop Close Time
Current: 25.5
Input->
Fig. 14: Drop Gate Close
Time edit screen
Press: HOME, 2, 1; then 9
❢Be sure to Save your Job! The S-4 will not do
it for you!
1.Edit This Job
2.Edit Modes
3.Load Job
4.Save This Job
Fig. 15: Setup screen
showing “Save This Job”
command
Press: HOME, 2, 4

8
1.Tare
2.Setup
3.Utilities
Job:1Us- 0.000
Fig. 16: Home screen
indicating that scale has
been tared to zero
Press: HOME, 1
Tare the Scale
With nothing in/on the Weigh Hopper, confirm that the display reads
“0.000” (fig. 16). This removes any offset in the scale so that anything you
now put on the scale will be weighed from a value of zero. If the scale does
not read “0.000”, press 1to tare the scale.
Confirm Calibration of the Scale
Place a known weight on the scale to confirm calibration. If calibration is
incorrect, you must “calibrate the scale”. To calibrate the scale, see page 4.
Adjust the Supply Hopper Gate
Adjust the Supply Hopper Gate to a height such that you have the shallowest
consistant flow possible. You may have to adjust this later on.
Put some product in the Supply Hopper
Put your product in the Supply Hopper. It should flow down into the Feed
Pan/Vibrator. We recommend filling the Supply Hopper at least half way to
achieve consistent flow.
Press the Footswitch
Press the footswitch to start the fill cycle. The Drop Gate will open and close
and the vibrator will start. If you have the optional Dribble Feed Gate, it will
open. The Logical Controller II will use the supplied parameters to fill the
Weigh Hopper. When the Weigh Hopper has been filled the display will indi-
cate that the Job is done and the weight of material in the Weigh Hopper will
be displayed on the screen. Press the footswitch again to dump the material
and begin another cycle.
Fine Tuning
If you find the vibrator is running very fast and/or it takes a long time for
the Weigh Hopper to fill, the Supply Hopper Gate may be restricting the
product in the Supply Hopper. On the other hand, if the Weigh Hopper fills
quickly and is not very accurate, the Supply Hopper Gate may not be restric-
tive enough and should be lowered. Generally the Feed Pan should contain
one layer of product when the Weigh Hopper is filling. For example, if you
are filling a container with beans, you should observe a continuous flow of
beans in the Feed Pan, one bean deep that flows smoothly and evenly. If
there are gaps or open spots where you can see the bottom of the Feed Pan,
you should raise the Supply Hopper Gate. There are two gate sizes included
with the machine to allow for more adjustability. Feed Pan
Supply
Hopper
Gate

9
Automatic Mode
Automatic mode allows the Logical Controller II to adjust itself for optimum
performance. This requires the input of only three Job parameters. We will first
setup a new job filling 0.50 lb containers in Automatic mode.
Load a Job
We will load Job number 2 for this example. Load Job number 2 from the
Controller’s memory by pressing HOME, 2, 3 to get to the Load Job
screen (fig. 17). You will be asked to input the Job number you want to
load. Press 2and then ENTER to load the parameters currently saved in
Job number 2. Pressing ENTER will return you to the Home screen (fig.
18). Notice that the bottom line of the display starts with “Job: 2”. This is
telling you that job number 2 is being used.
Set the Operating Modes
Now we need to confirm that the Controller is operating in User mode for
this Job. This forces the Controller to use operator supplied parameters. Press
HOME, 2, 2 to get to the “Edit Modes” menu (fig. 7). The first item in
this menu should be “Mode”. If necessary, press 1to toggle the mode from
“Auto” to “User”.
While you are in this menu, notice the other menu items. For initial setup,
Auto Dump and Auto Tare should be off. Confirm these settings. If necessary,
press 2to toggle the “AutoDump” setting to “Off”. Press 3to toggle the
“AutoTare” setting to “Off”. Press 4to input the Settle Time. This is the
time given to the Controller to evaluate the final weight. We have found that
1.0 seconds is a good settle time for most products.
Arrow down to the second page in the Edit Modes menu. Here you will find
settings for your machine type which should read “S4”. You will also see
the option to turn the Dribble Gate on/off and the Bagger on/off. If your
machine is equipped with a Dribble Gate, toggle the Dribble Gate “On” using
6. Bagger should only be used if your machine is integrated with a conveyor
or bagger machine.
Once you have made the above changes to the operating Modes, press
HOME to go back to the home screen.
Set Target Weight
Since we are going to run in Automatic mode for this example, the first pa-
rameter we need to adjust is the Target Weight. Press HOME, 2, 1, 5 to
get to the Target Weight entry screen (fig. 21). This will prompt you to input
a Target Weight. Input “0.5” followed by the ENTER key. You will now
be returned to the Job parameter menu which shows all of the operating
parameters. Since we will be running in Automatic mode you will not have to
change the Bulk and Dribble Cutoff and Speeds. (You can use the arrow keys
to view all of these parameters.)
ENTER Job Number
Current: 0
Input(0-99)->
Fig. 17: Load Job screen
Press: HOME, 2, 3
Press: 1, ENTER
1.Tare
2.Setup
3.Utilities
Job:2Au- 0.000
Fig. 18: Home screen
indicating Job 2 is current
job number
1.Mode = Auto
2.AutoDump = Off
3.AutoTare = Off
4.Settle = 1.00
Fig. 19: Edit Modes
screen showing Mode,
Auto Dump and Auto Tare
settings
Press: HOME, 2, 2; then press 1 to toggle mode
Target Weight
Current: 0.700
Input-> 0.5
Fig. 21: Target Weight
entry screen with “0.5”
input.
Press: HOME, 2, 1, 5

10
Set the Drop Gate Open Time
The Drop Gate Open Time is the time, in seconds, that the controller leaves
the gate open. This and the Drop Gate Close Time can be adjusted to opti-
mize cycle time. Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to the Edit Job menu if you are
not already there. Press 8to edit the Drop Gate Open Time (fig. 22). Input
the desired Drop Gate Open Time and press ENTER to confirm. You will be
returned to the parameter edit list. (You can use the arrow keys to view all of
these parameters.)
Set the Drop Gate Close Time
The Drop Gate Close Time is the time, in seconds, between the door begin-
ning to close and the start of the product flow. Press HOME, 2, 1 to get to
the Edit Job menu if you are not already there. You can use the up and down
arrow keys to view all the parameters. Press “9” to edit the Drop Gate Close
Time (fig. 23). Input the desired Close Time and press ENTER to confirm.
You will be returned to the Edit Job menu .
Turn On Learn Mode
The last thing we need to do is to tell the Controller to do a Learn Cycle. The
Learn Cycle is done the first time a new Job is run in Automatic mode so
the Controller can get a “feel” for how the product flows. The Controller is
actually learning on every cycle if it is running in Automatic mode, but for the
very first cycle we will tell it to very carefully learn the characteristics of the
product and how it flows.
To tell the Controller to “Learn” on the first cycle press HOME, 3 to go to
the “Utility” screen (fig. 24) and then press 3to toggle the Learn mode
from “Off” to “On”. Press HOME to return to the Home screen.
Save the Job
You should now save the job so that you don’t lose job parameters if you
turn off your machine or lose power. The S-4 does not automatically
save your job parameters! To do this simply press HOME, 2, 4
(fig. 25.) This will save all of the current Job parameters so that the next
time you load this job from the Controller’s memory, it will operate just as it
did the last time you saved the job. We recommend that you save your Job
anytime you make a change to it.
Tare the Scale
With nothing on the Weigh Hopper, confirm that the display reads “0.000”
(fig. 26). This removes any offset in the scale so that anything you now put
on the scale will be weighed from a value of zero. If the scale does not read
“0.000”, press 1to tare the scale.
Confirm Calibration of the Scale
Place a known weight on the scale to confirm calibration. If calibration is
incorrect, you must “calibrate the scale”. To calibrate the scale, see page 4.
Adjust the Supply Hopper Gate
Adjust the Supply Hopper Gate to a height such that you have the shallowest
consistant flow possible. You may have to adjust this later on.
Put some product in the Supply Hopper
Put your product in the Supply Hopper. It should flow down into the Feed
Pan/Vibrator. We recommend filling the Supply Hopper at least half way.
Drop Open Time
Current: 25.5
Input->
Fig. 22: Drop Gate Open
TIme edit screen
Press: HOME, 2, 1; then 8
Drop Close Delay
Current: 25.5
Input->
Fig. 23: Drop Gate Close
Time edit screen
Press: HOME, 2, 1; then 9
1.Calibrate
2.Empty Hopper
3.Learn is On
4.Manual Dump
Fig. 24: Utility screen with
Learn mode toggled to
“On”
Press: HOME, 3; then 3 to toggle mode
❢Be sure to Save your Job! The S-4 will
not do it for you!
1.Edit This Job
2.Edit Modes
3.Load Job
4.Save This Job
Fig. 25: Setup screen
showing “Save This Job”
command
Press: HOME, 2, 4
1.Tare
2.Setup
3.Utilities
Job:2Us- 0.000
Fig. 26: Home screen
indicating that scale has
been tared to zero
Press: HOME, 1

11
Press the Footswitch
Press the footswitch to start the fill cycle. The Drop Gate will open and close
and the vibrator will start. If you have the optional Dribble Feed Gate, it will
open. The Controller will slowly increase power to the vibrator as it “learns”
how to most efficiently and effectively execute a fill cycle. When the Weigh
Hopper has been filled the display will indicate that the job is done. Press
the footswitch again to dump the product and begin another cycle. You will
notice that the second cycle runs much more quickly than the first.
Fine Tuning
If you find the vibrator is running very fast and/or it takes a long time for
the Weigh Hopper to fill, the Supply Hopper Gate may be restricting the
product in the Supply Hopper. On the other hand, if the Weigh Hopper fills
quickly and is not very accurate, the Supply Hopper Gate may not be restric-
tive enough and should be lowered. Generally the Feed Pan should contain
one layer of product when the Weigh Hopper is filling. For example, if you
are filling a container with beans, you should observe a continuous flow of
beans in the Feed Pan, one bean deep that flows smoothly and evenly. If
there are gaps or open spots where you can see the bottom of the Feed Pan,
you should raise the Supply Hopper Gate.
Re-entering the Learn Cycle
If you make a major adjustment to the Supply Hopper Gate, you should
force the Controller to start the “Learn Cycle” from the beginning. To do this,
simply press HOME, 3, 3to toggle the Learn Cycle on. You can usually
make small adjustments to the Supply Hopper Gate without re-entering the
Learn Cycle.
Save the Job
You should now save the job so that you don’t lose job parameters if you
turn off the machine or lose power. The S-4 does not automatically
save your job parameters! To do this simply press HOME, 2, 4
(fig. 15.) This will save all of the current Job parameters so that the next
time you load this job from the Controller’s memory, it will operate just as it
did the last time you saved the job. We recommend that you save your Job
anytime you make a change to it.
Feed Pan
Supply
Hopper
Gate
❢Be sure to Save your Job! The S-4 will
not do it for you!
❢
Be sure to re-enter the Learn Cycle if
you make major adjustments to the
Supply Hopper Gate!
Technical Support
Logical Machines is dedicated to supporting its customers. If you have any
questions concerning the operation of the S-4, please don’t hesitate to
contact us!
On the web: www.logicalmachines.com
Via email: suppor[email protected]
By phone: [phone]

12
Home Screen: This is the main menu that is displayed when you power-up
your machine. Any time your controller is powered on you can press the Home
button and be brought to this screen. All of the menu items in the controller can
be accessed from this screen.
Home button: This button will bring you back to the home screen at any
time your controller is powered on. This includes when a cycle is running. This
is helpful if you need to stop the machine at any time, or if you are lost in the
menus and need to get back to the home screen.
Tare: Pressing 1on the home screen will tare the machine. This provides the
zero location for the weight the controller displays. With an empty weigh hop-
per, if you don’t see 0.000 in the lower right hand corner of the display on the
home screen, you can press the tare button to zero the machine.
C-CE button: This button will clear your entry if you make a mistake while
inputting job parameters.
Enter button: This button is used to confirm an entry when inputting job
parameters
Up and down arrows: These buttons are used to navigate menus that
have multiple screens. For example the “Edit this Job” menu and the “Edit
Modes” menu.
Setup Menu: This menu allows you to access job parameters and modes. It
also allows you to load a job and save your current job.
Edit this job menu: This menu contains all the job parameters that control
how your fill cycle runs.
Bulk Cutoff Weight (Blk Cut): unit of measure: weight. The controller
fills the weigh hopper at the Bulk Motor Speed (high speed) until it reaches
the Bulk Cutoff Weigh. At this weight the controller switches into the
dribble feed portion of the cycle.
Bulk Motor Speed (Blk Spd): unit of measure: percentage (0-99).
Speed at which the vibrating feeder runs during the bulk feed portion of the
cycle.
Dribble Cutoff Weight (Drib Cut): unit of measure: weight. This is
the weight at which the controller stops the dribble feed portion of the cycle
and evaluates to see if the cycle has reached the target weight.
Dribble Motor Speed (Drib Spd): unit of measure: percentage
(0-99). Speed at which the vibrating feeder runs during the dribble feed
portion of the cycle.
Target Weight (Target): unit of measure: weight. This is the fill weight
you are trying to achieve.
Check Hi (Chk Hi): unit of measure: weight. The Check Hi and Check Lo
control the red and green lights on the front of the controller. They do not
affect how the job runs. They are a visual indicator to the operator that the
weight in the weigh hopper is within an acceptable range. The Check Hi is
the upper end of this range. This is the weight at which the light
goes from green to red, to indicate to the operator that there is
too much product in the weigh hopper.
Check Lo (Chk Lo): unit of measure: weight. The red light
will turn off and the green light will turn on when the Check Lo
weight is reached. Because your machine is designed to never be
underweight we recommend setting the Check Lo at the same
weight as your Target Weight.
Drop Gate Open Time (DropOp): unit of measure: time in
seconds. This is the amount of time that the drop gate is open.
When you load a new job this setting is preset at 1.0 seconds.
This is typically a good place to start for this setting and it can be
optimized to improve cycle time.
Drop Gate Close Time (DropCl): unit of measure: time
in seconds. This is the amount of time between when the Drop
Gate is told to close and the feed resumes. When you load a new
job this setting is preset at 1.0 seconds. This is typically a good
place to start for this setting and it can be optimized to improve
cycle time.
Dribble Delay Time (Drib Dly): unit of measure: time in
seconds. This is an optional setting that is only displayed when
the Dribble Gate is enabled. This delay pauses the feed while the
Dribble Gate closes. This is only necessary to use if you have a
Dribble Gate and find that when the gate closes it knocks product
out of the machine and on to the floor.
Edit modes menu: The Edit Modes menu allows the operator to
adjust other features depending on application and configuration of
your machine.
Mode (Mode): toggle User or Auto. Toggle between User and
Auto mode. In User Mode all of the job parameters are con-
trolled by the operator. In Automatic mode the controller adjusts
the bulk and dribble parameters to what it thinks will make the
job run the best. Note that there is a difference between User/
Auto mode and Auto Dump.
Auto Dump (AutoDump): Toggle on or off. With Auto Dump
off the controller requires the footswitch to be pressed to start
and dump every cycle. With Auto Dump on the controller requires
the footswitch to be pressed to start the first cycle and it will
dump the weigh hopper each time it reaches weight until the
machine is paused or sent back to the home screen.
Auto Tare (AutoTare): Toggle on or off. When toggled on
the controller will prompt you first for cycles per tare. This is the
number of cycles between each auto tare. This can be set from 1
to 255. After inputting the cycles per tare, the tare pause delay
time will be prompted. This is adjustable between 0.01 and 2.55
Glossary of Controller Terms:

13
seconds. For the most accurate auto tare it is best to use 2 seconds or more.
The purpose of the tare pause delay is to allow the system to settle before
the auto tare.
Settle Time (Settle): unit of measure: time in seconds. The settle time
serves two purposes. First, it is the amount of time the Controller evaluates
the final weight. It is also the minimum amount of time that the controller is
in the dribble part of the cycle. See “Tips from the Expert’s” section for more
detail.
Machine software selection (Machine): This option selects which
machine parameters your Logical Controller II is setup to use. This should be
set to S-4. If this changes press 5to select this setting, 4to select S-4 and
press ENTER to confirm.
Dribble Gate Enable (DribGate): Toggle on/off. This option enables
and disables the Dribble Gate for machines equipped with a Dribble Gate.
With the dribble Dribble Gate the Dribble Gate will stay open (if equipped).
With the Dribble Gate enabled the Dribble Gate will open before the bulk
portion of the cycle and close before the dribble portion. Enabling the
Dribble Gate activates the dribble delay (option 0 in Edit this job) as
described above.
Bagger enable (Bagger): Toggle on/off. This option turns on the
output signal for a bagging machine, and changes the way the footswitch
signal is handled by the controller. If you are integrating your machine with
a bagging machine or conveyor, please contact Logical Machines directly for
more information.
Load Job: This allows you to load either a previously saved job or load an
unused job to create a new job. On this screen you will input the job number
you want to load and press ENTER to confirm that number and load the
job. You must load a new job before setting up a new job. If you acciden-
tally make changes to an existing job and save the job you will lose your old
settings.
Save This Job: Selecting Save This Job will save the current job parame-
ters as the current job number. There is no “save as” option with the Logical
Controller II.
Utilities Menu: This menu contains functions that the operator might find
useful when setting up and running the machine.
Calibrate: This allows the operator to calibrate the machine. See page 4
for further information.
Empty Hopper: This function opens the Weigh Hopper Drop Gate and
runs the vibrating feeder at full power. To stop this function hit the footswitch
or any button on the keypad.
Learn: This function must be turned on for the initial cycle when using
Auto Mode. This is explained in more detail on page 10 in the Automatic
Mode section.
Manual dump: This function opens the Weigh Hopper Drop Gate to dump
the product in the Weigh Hopper. The Controller closes the Drop Gate after
the dump is complete.
Other features within the controller:
Pause: While a cycle is running the footswitch or any key on
the controller (except for the HOME button) can be pressed to
pause or subsequently resume the cycle. Pressing the HOME
button during the cycle will bring the controller back to the home
screen.
Bump: The Controller will “bump” when the weight in the
Weigh Hopper is above the Dribble Cutoff weight but below the
target weight. The purpose of the bump is to feed the last little
bit of product into the Weigh Hopper for the cycle to reach the
target weight. Ideally your job should be set up so this happens
at most once every 10 cycles.