Metronics Quadra-Chek 300 Series User manual

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QC-300 Series
User’s Guide
Video Edge Detection Systems
QC-320, QC-321, QC-323, QC-324
Metronics, Inc.
30 Harvey Road
Bedford, New Hampshire 03110
Telephone [phone]
Facsimile [phone]
[email protected]
www.metronics.com
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QC-300 Series
Video Edge Detection Systems
User’s Guide
Published by
Metronics, Inc.
30 Harvey Road
Bedford, New Hampshire 03110
www.Metronics.com
User’s Guide part number: 11A10568
Publishing date: March, 2006
Printed in United States of America
Copyright © 2005 by Metronics, Inc., Bedford, New Hampshire
QC-300 software version: 1.0
All information set forth in this document, all rights to such information, any and all inventions disclosed
herein and any patents that might be granted by employing the materials, methods, techniques or apparatus
described herein are the exclusive property of Metronics Inc., Bedford, New Hampshire.
Terms, conditions and features referenced in this document are subject to change without notice.
No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permis-
sion of Metronics, Inc.. Requests to Metronics, Inc. for permission should be addressed to the Technical
Services Department, Metronics, Inc., 30 Harvey Road, Bedford, New Hampshire 03110.
Limit of liability and disclaimer of warranty
While this guide was prepared with great care, Metronics makes no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The advice, methods and instructions
contained in this book might not be suitable for your situation. When in doubt regarding suitability, you
are encouraged to consult with a professional where appropriate. Metronics shall not be liable for any loss
of profit or any damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential or other damages.
Trademarks
Metronics and QC-300 are registered trademarks of Metronics, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States
and other countries.
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Conventions & Terms
QC-300 refers to any of the QC-300 series of instruments. System refers to the QC-300 and the measuring
devices connected to it.
Icons
This guide uses the following icons to highlight information:
WARNING
The raised hand icon warns of a situation or condition that can lead to personal injury
or death. Do not proceed until the warning is read and thoroughly understood. Warn-
ing messages are shown in bold type.
CAUTION
The exclamation point icon indicates a situation or condition that can lead to equip-
ment malfunction or damage. Do not proceed until the caution message is read and
thoroughly understood. Caution messages are shown in bold type.
NOTE
The note icon indicates additional or supplementary information about an activity or
concept. Notes are shown in bold type.
Safety & Maintenance Considerations
General safety precautions must be followed when operating the system. Failure to observe these precau-
tions 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 guide and the rules of a company using this system, the more stringent rules should take
precedence.
Additional safety information is included on the next page and in Chapter 2: Installation.
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WARNINGS
Unplug the QC-300 from the electrical outlet before cleaning.
The QC-300 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. The use of
accessories that remove the third grounded connection such as a 2-wire power plug adapter create
a safety hazard and should not be permitted. If a 3-wire grounded outlet is not available, ask your
electrician to provide one.
Do not open the QC-300 enclosure. There are no user-serviceable components or assemblies inside.
General Maintenance
Unplug the QC-300 from the wall 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 QC-300 has been dropped or the exterior has been damaged
• The QC-300 exhibits degraded performance or indicates a need for service some other way
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 clean-
ing cloth that is dripping wet.
Accuracy & Precision
Measurement accuracy is determined by many factors, such as the resolution of the encoders connected
to input axes. Generally, the display resolution of the QC-300 can exceed encoder resolutions. Setting the
display resolution to exceed the encoder resolution does not increase measurement accuracy.
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Contents 1
Contents
Chapter 1 Overview
Overview of QC-300 features and functions ...................................................1
Chapter 2 Installation
Unpacking the QC-300 ....................................................................................5
Assembling the mounting stand.......................................................................6
Safety considerations .......................................................................................6
Power cord and plug .................................................................................6
Electrical wiring and connections.............................................................6
Location and mounting.............................................................................7
Power surge suppressor.............................................................................7
Connecting axis encoders.................................................................................7
Connecting the optional footswitch .................................................................8
Connecting a printer.........................................................................................9
Connecting a computer ....................................................................................9
Connecting camera lighting and zoom.............................................................10
Connecting a video input .................................................................................10
Warranty registration form...............................................................................11
Repackaging for shipment................................................................................11
Chapter 3 User Interface
Introduction......................................................................................................13
Measurement functions....................................................................................14
Selecting a measurement type...................................................................14
Accessing programming functions ...........................................................15
Accessing part lighting adjustment tools..................................................16
Command buttons and wide keys ....................................................................17
Feature list........................................................................................................18
LCD Screen functions......................................................................................19
Number keys ....................................................................................................20
System functions..............................................................................................21
Undo..........................................................................................................21
MX (Magnification)..................................................................................21
mm/in........................................................................................................21
Setup .........................................................................................................22
Printing reports and transmitting data..............................................................23
LCD ON/OFF and deleting feature data..........................................................24
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Contents 2 QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Chapter 4 Quick Start Demonstration
Starting program recording..............................................................................26
Selecting a probe..............................................................................................26
Creating part skew and datum references ........................................................27
Creating a part skew..................................................................................27
Creating a datum zero point......................................................................28
Probing a datum zero point.......................................................................28
Constructing a datum zero point...............................................................29
Measuring features...........................................................................................31
Measuring a circle with crosshairs............................................................31
Measuring a circle with the multiple edge probe......................................32
Applying tolerances to feature measurements .................................................34
Printing a report................................................................................................36
Stopping the program recording.......................................................................37
Running the program........................................................................................37
Chapter 5 Probes
Preparing to use video probes..........................................................................40
System and part condition.........................................................................40
Selecting video magnification...................................................................40
Adjusting light control..............................................................................40
Adjusting video image contrast and brightness........................................43
Using video probes...........................................................................................46
Selecting a probe ......................................................................................46
Selecting a probe color ......................................................................47
Specifying probe data collection parameters.....................................48
Crosshair probe data collection parameters................................49
Edge probe data collection parameters.......................................50
Collecting feature data..............................................................................51
The auto-enter function......................................................................51
Crosshair probes ................................................................................52
Manual probing (crosshairs).......................................................52
Automatic probing (crosshairs)..................................................53
Single edge probe ..............................................................................54
Manual probing (single edge).....................................................54
Automatic probing (single edge)................................................55
Multiple edge probe...........................................................................56
Probe seeding..............................................................................56
Probing a line.....................................................................................57
Probing a circle..................................................................................58
Probing an arc....................................................................................60
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Contents 3
QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Seeding to avoid erroneous data........................................................61
Recovering from data errors..............................................................62
Chapter 6 Measuring
Measurement activities.....................................................................................66
The measurement process................................................................................66
Establishing the measurement reference...................................................67
Leveling the part (optional)...............................................................67
Skewing the part................................................................................68
Creating a datum zero point...............................................................69
Probing a datum zero point.........................................................69
Constructing a datum zero point.................................................70
Probing and measuring features.......................................................................73
Probing with Measure Magic....................................................................73
Probing specific feature types...................................................................74
Probing a single specific feature type................................................74
Probing multiple specific feature type...............................................74
Probing process.........................................................................................75
Supported feature types .....................................................................75
Backward/forward annotation ...........................................................76
Probing with crosshairs and video edge detection....................................76
Probing specific feature types...................................................................77
Probing points....................................................................................77
Probing lines......................................................................................78
Probing arcs.......................................................................................79
Probing slots ......................................................................................81
Probing rectangles .............................................................................82
Probing distances...............................................................................83
Probing angles ...................................................................................84
Constructing features .......................................................................................85
Point constructions....................................................................................85
Point constructed from a point...........................................................85
Point constructed from a point and a line..........................................85
Points constructed from an arc and a line..........................................86
Points constructed from a line ...........................................................87
Point constructed from two lines.......................................................88
Points constructed from a distance....................................................88
Point constructed from a distance and a point...................................89
Point constructed from a circle..........................................................89
Points constructed from a circle and a line........................................90
Points constructed from two circles...................................................91
Point constructed from a slot ............................................................92
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Contents 4 QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Point constructed from a rectangle....................................................92
Point constructed from an angle........................................................92
Point constructed from an arc............................................................93
Point constructed from multiple features...........................................93
Line constructions.....................................................................................94
Line constructed from a line..............................................................94
Line constructed from two points......................................................94
Lines constructed from a point and a line..........................................95
Line constructed from a distance.......................................................95
Lines constructed from a point and a circle ......................................96
Line constructed from a point and a slot ...........................................97
Line constructed from a point and a rectangle...................................97
Lines constructed from a point and an arc.........................................98
Lines constructed from two lines.......................................................99
Line constructed from a line and a distance .....................................100
Lines constructed from a line and a circle.........................................100
Lines constructed from a line and a slot............................................101
Lines constructed from a line and an arc...........................................101
Line constructed from a line and an angle.........................................102
Lines constructed from a line and a rectangle...................................102
Lines constructed from two circles....................................................103
Lines constructed from a circle and an arc........................................104
Lines constructed from a circle and a slot.........................................105
Line constructed from a slot..............................................................105
Line constructed from two slots ........................................................105
Lines constructed from a circle and a rectangle ................................106
Lines constructed from a slot and an arc...........................................106
Lines constructed from a rectangle and an arc ..................................107
Lines constructed from a slot and a rectangle ...................................107
Lines constructed between two rectangles ........................................108
Line constructed from a rectangle .....................................................110
Line constructed from multiple features............................................110
Distance constructions..............................................................................111
Distance constructed from a distance................................................111
Distances constructed from two points..............................................111
Distances constructed from a point and a line...................................112
Distances constructed from a point and a rectangle ..........................112
Distances constructed from a point and a circle................................113
Distance constructed from a point and a slot.....................................114
Distances constructed from a point and an arc..................................115
Distance constructed from a line .......................................................116
Distance constructed from a line and a rectangle..............................116
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Contents 5
QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Distances constructed from two lines................................................117
Distances constructed from a line and a circle ..................................118
Distances constructed from a line and an arc ....................................119
Distance constructed from a line and a slot.......................................120
Distance constructed from two distances ..........................................120
Distances constructed from two circles.............................................121
Distances constructed from a slot and a circle...................................122
Distances constructed from a rectangle and a circle..........................122
Distances constructed from an arc and a circle .................................123
Distance constructed from two slots..................................................124
Distances constructed from a slot and an arc.....................................124
Distances constructed from a rectangle and an arc............................125
Distances constructed from a slot and a rectangle.............................125
Distances constructed between two rectangles..................................126
Distances constructed from two arcs.................................................127
Circle constructions ..................................................................................128
Circle constructed from a circle.........................................................128
Circles constructed from two lines....................................................128
Circle constructed from a circle and a distance.................................129
Circle constructed from two circles...................................................129
Circle constructed from multiple features .........................................130
Arc constructions......................................................................................131
Arc constructed from an arc ..............................................................131
Arc constructed from an arc and a distance.......................................131
Arc constructed from multiple features.............................................132
Angle constructions ..................................................................................133
Angle constructed from an angle.......................................................133
Angle constructed from two lines......................................................134
Creating features ..............................................................................................135
Creating a point.........................................................................................135
Creating a line...........................................................................................136
Creating a circle........................................................................................136
Creating an arc..........................................................................................137
Creating a slot...........................................................................................137
Creating a rectangle ..................................................................................138
Chapter 7 Tolerancing
Applying tolerances to features........................................................................141
Selecting a feature.....................................................................................141
Displaying the tolerance screen................................................................141
Selecting a tolerance type .........................................................................141
Selecting a specific tolerance....................................................................142
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Contents 6 QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Entering nominal, limit or tolerance values..............................................142
Omitting a tolerance category............................................................143
Tolerance types.........................................................................................144
Bidirectional ......................................................................................144
Points..........................................................................................144
Lines...........................................................................................144
Circles and arcs...........................................................................145
Slots and rectangles....................................................................145
True position......................................................................................146
Points and lines...........................................................................146
Circles and arcs...........................................................................146
MMC/LMC (Material condition) ......................................................147
MMC Circles and arcs................................................................147
LMC Circles and arcs.................................................................148
Runout................................................................................................149
Roundness..........................................................................................149
Concentricity......................................................................................149
Straightness........................................................................................149
Parallelism .........................................................................................150
Perpendicularity.................................................................................150
Angle..................................................................................................150
Width .................................................................................................151
Chapter 8 Programming
Creating programs............................................................................................153
Starting program recording.......................................................................154
Entering a program title (or user message)...............................................155
Measuring a skew and creating a datum (including a message)...............156
Measure a feature (including a message)..................................................157
Applying a tolerance.................................................................................158
Reporting results.......................................................................................158
Stopping the program recording ...............................................................159
Editing Programs..............................................................................................160
Editing existing steps................................................................................160
Editing magnifications.......................................................................160
Editing tolerances ..............................................................................161
Editing brightness and contrast..........................................................162
Editing light intensities......................................................................163
Editing user prompt messages...........................................................164
Appending new program steps to an existing program ............................165
Running programs............................................................................................167
Archiving and retrieving programs..................................................................168
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Contents 7
QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Deleting programs............................................................................................168
Chapter 9 Communication
Connecting to a computer ................................................................................169
Sending data to a computer.......................................................................170
Connecting a printer.........................................................................................171
Printer format strings ................................................................................171
Report formats ..........................................................................................171
Printing a report ........................................................................................172
Printing feature measurement data ....................................................172
Printing QC-300 system settings.......................................................173
RS232 connector pin designations...................................................................174
ASCII Code table.............................................................................................174
Chapter 10 Setup
The Setup Menu...............................................................................................176
Accessing and using the Setup Menu ......................................................176
Entering the supervisor password......................................................177
Selecting items from the Setup Menu................................................178
Selecting setup parameter choices.....................................................178
Entering and deleting setup data........................................................178
Storing a parameter and advancing to the next step..........................179
Leaving the setup menu.....................................................................179
Essential setup requirements............................................................................180
Setup screen descriptions.................................................................................180
Language screen .......................................................................................181
Specifying the displayed language ....................................................181
Supervisor screen .....................................................................................182
Entering the supervisor password......................................................182
Keeping setup privileges until the power is cycled...........................182
Hiding setup parameters from unauthorized personnel.....................182
Limiting access to program functions................................................182
Saving and loading settings...............................................................183
Encoders screen .......................................................................................184
Selecting an axis to configure............................................................184
Specifying encoder resolution ...........................................................184
Specifying encoder type ....................................................................184
Selecting reference marks..................................................................185
None ...........................................................................................185
Manual........................................................................................185
Single..........................................................................................185
Absolute......................................................................................185
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Contents 8 QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Setting a new machine zero reference...............................................186
Reversing the encoder count direction ..............................................186
Enabling axis error messages.............................................................186
Squareness screen .....................................................................................187
SLEC screen..............................................................................................188
LEC or SLEC, which is right for my application? ...........................188
LEC (Linear error correction) ....................................................188
SLEC (Segmented linear error correction) ................................190
VED screen...............................................................................................193
Specifying minimum probed points...................................................193
Specifying light settling time.............................................................193
Specifying contrast threshold ............................................................193
Locking the contrast threshold...........................................................194
Enabling axis-zeroing on the video DRO..........................................194
Enabling user access to magnification calibrations...........................194
Displaying image controls.................................................................195
Performing camera skew calibrations................................................195
Magnifications screen........................................................................196
Adding video magnifications.............................................................196
Deleting video magnifications...........................................................196
Calibrating video magnification pixel size........................................197
Calibrating with a circle artifact.................................................197
Calibrating with a straight edge..................................................198
Performing video parcentric and parfocal calibrations......................200
Measure screen..........................................................................................203
Annotation .........................................................................................203
Minimum points required for a feature measurement .......................203
Retaining feature data through a power cycle ...................................204
Locking features to their original datums..........................................204
Specifying signed distances...............................................................205
Startup zero........................................................................................205
Display screen...........................................................................................206
Display resolution .............................................................................206
Default units of linear measure..........................................................207
Radix for numeric displays ...............................................................207
Angular units of measure...................................................................207
Time formats......................................................................................207
Date formats.......................................................................................207
Screen saver delay .............................................................................208
Display mode switching ....................................................................208
Video DRO alpha blending ...............................................................209
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Contents 9
QC-300 Series User’s Guide
Print screen................................................................................................210
Specifying a data type........................................................................210
Specifying a data destination.............................................................210
Lines per page....................................................................................210
Buffer page ........................................................................................211
Specifying dividing lines...................................................................211
Labeling axes on display printouts....................................................211
Printing units of measure on reports..................................................211
Parallel communication retries..........................................................211
Ports screen........................................................................................212
Baud rate............................................................................................212
Word length.......................................................................................212
Stop bits.............................................................................................212
Parity..................................................................................................212
EOC delay..........................................................................................212
EOL delay..........................................................................................212
Clock screen..............................................................................................213
Sound screen.............................................................................................214
Miscellaneous screen................................................................................215
Return to DRO threshold...................................................................215
Touchscreen calibration rows and columns.......................................215
Calibrating the touchscreen ...............................................................216
Touch screen cursor...........................................................................216
Touch screen repeat delay .................................................................216
Touch zone size ................................................................................217
Screen contrast and brightness...........................................................217
Chapter 11 Problem solving
Symptoms, probable causes and solutions.......................................................220
No image is visible on the LCD screen ....................................................220
Values displayed on the LCD screen are incorrect...................................220
Reports are not printed or are incomplete.................................................222
Reports are printed incorrectly..................................................................222
Data cannot be transmitted to a computer.................................................223
Getting help from your distributor............................................................223
Chapter 12 Reference material
Product specifications ......................................................................................225
Electrical...................................................................................................225
Environmental...........................................................................................225
Dimensions ...............................................................................................225
LCD...........................................................................................................225
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Contents 10 QC-300 Series User’s Guide
ENC tests ..................................................................................................225
Footswitch wiring .....................................................................................226
RS-232 connector wiring..........................................................................227
Lighting/Zoom connector wiring..............................................................227
Tolerances.................................................................................................228
Concentricity tolerance......................................................................228
Reference Features.............................................................................228
Chapter 13 Common Options
Remote footswitch.............................................................................229
Remote keypad ..................................................................................229
Serial cable.........................................................................................229
Arm mounting bracket.......................................................................229
Arm mounting bracket adapter..........................................................229
WinWedge software ..........................................................................229
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1
1Overview
Chapter 1:
Overview
The Quadra-Chek 300 series is a family of advanced digital readout systems for performing 2, 3 and 4
axis measurements at very high levels of precision and accuracy. Dimensional inspection of components
can be made using toolmaker’s microscopes and video measurement systems as part of in-line production
activities or final quality inspection.
Feature points are entered manually using crosshairs or video edge detection, or automatically using the
multiple video edge detection probe. Feature type can automatically be determined by the system when
using Measure Magic. Part level and skew compensation can be performed on misaligned parts prior to
measurements that eliminates the need for time-consuming fixturing.
The intuitive interface will be familiar to users of the QC-200 and other Metronics digital readouts. Opera-
tors will find the QC-300 easy to understand and use thanks to the large color touch screen LCD display.
The color LCD displays alphanumeric and
graphic information for the current measure-
ment, part features and measurement data
clearly on one screen, eliminating the
need to page or scroll for information.
Touch screen controls select the
feature to be measured, change
operating and display modes,
zero axes, and configure setup
parameters. Touch screen con-
trols change to support mea-
surement-specific functions
displayed on the LCD screen.
Front panel keys enter numeric
data, turn the LCD on or off and send
data to a printer or computer. Two wide keys
located over the LCD can quickly be pressed without
looking at the front panel to
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2QC-300 Series User’s Guide
initiate frequently used functions programmed by the user. All front panel keys provide tactile sensory
feedback, and key-press operations can be configured to generate an audible sound.
Speaker and external speaker jack outputs are provided that can be adjusted for quiet or noisy environ-
ments. Ear phones can be plugged into the external speaker jack to facilitate silent operation in quiet
environments.
Video camera inputs are displayed on the color LCD and support NTSC and Pal formats as composite
video and S-video signals.
Measurements viewed on the LCD can be transmitted to a PC over USB or RS-232 ports or to a printer
over the USB port.
Sequences of key-presses used to perform measurements can be recorded and stored as programs. These
programs can be replayed later to perform complete measurement sequences. Sequences can be as simple
as measuring a line, or can be expanded to include skew adjustment, datuming, the measurement of mul-
tiple features, tolerancing and printing reports of measurement results.
Wide keys
LCD ON/OFF
Command keys
Numeric keypad
Print/Send data
Touch screen
controls
Color touch
screen
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3
1Overview
The compact ergonomic design and adjustable-tilt front panel of the QC-300 allow users to locate and
mount the instrument in a wide variety of environments that accommodate nearly any viewing require-
ment. The tilt front panel can be adjusted and secured in any convenient position. Rubber feet on the
bottom prevent slipping when the system is not permanently bolted to a work surface using the bolt holes
provided in the mounting stand.
An optional foot switch is available for operation when the user is not close
to the front panel.
Speaker jack
Encoder inputs
Video inputs
Tilt adjust
RS-232 port
USB ports
Lighting and zoom
10/100 network
Features
External footswitch
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4QC-300 Series User’s Guide
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