MicroRidge GageWay III User manual

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Connect2DigitalGagesintoaSerialPort

GageWay III i
Revised 10-25-00, Printed 10-25-00 GageWay III, Ver 1.2x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1
System components.....................................................................................................1
OPERATION.............................................................................................................2
Modes of operation (Data formats)..............................................................................2
Standard mode........................................................................................................2
Measurement field..............................................................................................3
Units field ..........................................................................................................3
Channel ID field.................................................................................................3
End-of-line field .................................................................................................3
Left justify mode.....................................................................................................3
TIR mode...............................................................................................................3
Starting and stopping TIR measurements ...........................................................4
Measurement field..............................................................................................4
Units field ..........................................................................................................4
Label field..........................................................................................................5
Channel ID field.................................................................................................5
End-of-line field .................................................................................................5
Printer emulation mode...........................................................................................5
Mitutoyo MUX-10 emulation mode........................................................................5
Front panel..................................................................................................................5
Back panel..................................................................................................................6
DIP switches...............................................................................................................6
Selection of the starting channel number......................................................................8
Using GageWay III’s with the S/MUX multiplexer......................................................9
COMPUTER COMMANDS...............................................................................10
GAGES......................................................................................................................12
Reading rates ............................................................................................................12
Overview of gages supported ....................................................................................13
AngleStar .............................................................................................................13
Chicago Dial.........................................................................................................13
Federal.................................................................................................................13
Mitutoyo ..............................................................................................................13
Ono Sokki............................................................................................................13
Sylvac Ultra Cal II................................................................................................13
Sylvac Protractor (RS232)....................................................................................14
UTILITY SOFTWARE........................................................................................15
GW_TEST.EXE .......................................................................................................15

GageWay III ii
USER DEVELOPED SOFTWARE..................................................................17
GageWay III handshake ............................................................................................17
Computer handshake.................................................................................................17
DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES.........................................................................19
GageWay III to host computer..................................................................................19
Gage to GageWay III................................................................................................19
APPENDIX A: GAGEWAY III 9-PIN SERIAL PORT CONNECTOR20
APPENDIX B: INTERFACE CABLE GW-COM......................................21
APPENDIX C: INTERFACE CABLE MP-GW3-COM...........................22
APPENDIX D: GAGE INTERFACE CABLES............................................23
AngleStar................................................................................................................23
Chicago Dial..........................................................................................................24
Federal Maxum.....................................................................................................26
Mitutoyo.................................................................................................................27
Ono Sokki..............................................................................................................28
Sylvac Ultra-Cal II ...............................................................................................29
Sylvac Protractor (RS232)..................................................................................31
INDEX........................................................................................................................32

GageWay III 1
INTRODUCTION
The GageWay III is an interface that allows you to connect up to two (2) digital gages into a
single RS232 serial port on devices such as a desktop PC or a printer. Gages supported by
the GageWay III include those manufactured by and compatible with Chicago Dial, Federal,
Mitutoyo, Ono Sokki and Sylvac. The GageWay III is configured through internal DIP
switches or through commands sent to it from a host computer. These commands include:
.Request a single reading.
.Enable a continuous read mode.
.Disable continuous read mode.
.Clear the measurements buffer.
.Disable all user initiated read requests.
.Help listing, model and version information.
.Reset GageWay III to power on configuration.
.Read the DIP switch settings.
.Set the DIP switches.
.Show type of gages attached.
Gage readings can also be initiated by a read button on the gage or a remote read switch. The
GageWay III can also do TIR and emulate the Mitutoyo MUX-10 output and the printer
mode output provided by the GagePort from GageTalker Corporation.
Up to three GageWay III's can be connect to a single serial port through the use of the
S/MUX multiplexer available from MicroRidge Systems. When multiple GageWay III's are
connected to the S/MUX, each of the GageWay III's can be given a unique channel ID (A, B,
C, D, E and F).
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
A complete GageWay III system consists of:
.GageWay III interface module
.Utilities diskette
.Operations manual
.Communications cable w/AC adapter (this item is not included with the basic
GageWay III system and must be purchased separately).

GageWay III 2
OPERATION
The basic operation of the GageWay III is straightforward and consists of the following steps:
1. Set the internal DIP switches (see "DIP Switches" paragraph for details).
2. Connect the 9-pin D-sub connector to the GageWay III, connect the 25-pin D-sub
connector to an appropriate serial port and plug the AC adapter into a 110-volt outlet.
3. Press the reset button on the back side of the GageWay III and wait for the LED's to
come on and then turn off.
4. Connect your gages to the GageWay III.
5. Press the reset button and the LED's will turn on and off as described in the "Front
Panel" paragraph.
You are now ready to utilize your gages with the GageWay III. If you want to change a gage,
you should perform the following steps:
1. Disconnect the gage from the GageWay III.
2. Press the reset button on the back side of the GageWay III and wait for the LED's to
come on and then turn off.
3. Connect your new gage to the GageWay III.
4. Press the reset button and the LED's will turn on and off as described in the "Front
Panel" paragraph.
DATA FORMATS (Modes of Operation) )
Four data formats or modes of operation are available with the GageWay III. The data
formats are referred to as the Standard mode, the TIR mode, the GagePort emulation mode
and the Mitutoyo MUX-10 emulation mode. The formats are provided to allow you easily
interface the GageWay III into existing software and SPC systems. All of these formats are
selectable through DIP switches and computer commands.
Standard Mode
This data format consists of one to three data fields followed by a line feed or carriage
return/line feed combination. The first data field which contains the measurement will always
be transmitted while the second and third data fields, which contain the units and Channel ID,
are optional. A typical reading might appear as: 1.1755,inch,A. The description of each of
the 3 fields is given below:
Field 1 10 character measurement
Field 2 4 character units field (optional field)
Field 3 1 character channel ID (A or B) field. This is an optional field. The
actual channel ID's are specified by DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4.
End-of-line Carriage return or carriage return/line feed combination

GageWay III 3
Measurement Field
The first data field is the Measurement Field and it is 10 characters long. The
measurement will be right justified in the field with one or more leading blanks. If
additional fields follow, a comma will be transmitted at the end of the measurement field.
Units Field
The Units Field is an optional field and the output of this field is controlled by one of the
DIP switches. This field is 4 characters long and will be terminated by a comma if the
Channel ID field is also being transmitted. In most cases, this field will appear with the
words "inch" or "mm". For some gages, such as those from Federal, no units designation
are provided as part of the gage output and, therefore, this field will always contain 4
blanks if output with readings from Federal gages. Other gages such as those provided by
Ono Sokki may provide units other than inch or mm.
Channel ID Field
The Channel ID Field is an optional 1-character field and the output of this field is
controlled by one of the DIP switches. If this field is selected for output, in most cases it
will contain an "A" for gage measurements from channel Aand "B" for channel B
measurements. If a hardware handshake is set with DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4, you can
specify the starting channel ID to be A, C or E.
End-of-Line Field
The End-of-Line Field consists of a carriage return or a carriage return/line feed
combination. The actual sequence of characters sent is determined by one of the DIP
switches. Typically, if the information is being transferred to a computer, the DIP switch
would be set to provide only a carriage return at the end of the line. If the information is
being transferred to a printer, one would typically set the DIP switch to provide both a
carriage return and line feed.
As indicated above, the Units Field, Channel ID Field and End-of-Line Field are controlled
by the internal DIP switches. These DIP switches can be overridden by commands sent
from the host computer. Refer to the paragraph on "DIP Switches" and the section on
"Commands" for specific details.
Left Justify Mode
The left justify mode is identical to the standard mode, except none of the leading blanks in
the measurement field are sent. Since the number of digits in the reading will vary, the length
of the field is not constant like in the stanard mode.
TIR Mode
This data format contains four lines of information with each line consisting of one to four
data fields followed by a line feed or carriage return/line feed combination. The first data field
which contains the measurement will always be transmitted while the second, third and fourth
data fields, which contain the units, label and Channel ID, are optional. A typical TIR reading
might appear as shown below. The column numbers and label on the right-hand side are
shown for reference purposes only and are not part of the output

GageWay III 4
1 5 10 15 20 25 Description
+---+----+----+----+----+ ---------------------
238,inch,num,A Number of measurements
1.1755,inch,min,A Minimum measurement
1.1817,inch,max,A Maximum measurement
.0062,inch,TIR,A TIR (max meas -min meas)
The description of each of the 4 fields is given below:
Field 1 10 character measurement
Field 2 4 character units field (optional field)
Field 3 3 character label (num, min, max or TIR). This is an optional field.
Field 4 1 character channel ID (typically A or B) field. This is an optional
field. The actual channel ID's are specified by DIP switches 8.3 and
8.4.
End-of-line Carriage return or carriage return/line feed combination
Starting and Stopping TIR Measurements
TIR measurements can be initiated by a remote read switch, read button on the gage or a
command from the host computer. The GageWay III can be configured to take TIR
readings while a remote read switch is being pressed or to start the TIR measurements
when the switch is pressed the first time and stop the TIR measurements when the switch
is pressed again.
Desired Operation Procedure/Setup
Stop and start TIR measurements with a
host computer command Use the <B? command to start the measurements and use the <S? command
to stop the measurements. Refer to the
Commands Section for details on the
used of these commands
Start TIR when remote read switch is
pressed and stop TIR when switch is
pressed a second time.
Set DIP switches 6.1 and 6.2 to off.
Start TIR when remote switch is pressed
and stop TIR when switch is released. Set DIP switches 6.1 and 6.2 to on.
Measurement Field
The first data field is the Measurement Field and it is 10 characters long. The
measurement will be right justified in the field with one or more leading blanks. If
additional fields follow, a comma will be transmitted at the end of the measurement field.
Units Field
This field is identical to that used in the Standard mode. It is controlled by DIP switch
8.5.

GageWay III 5
Label Field
The Label Field is an optional 3-character field and the output of this field is controlled by
DIP switch 8.6. If this field is selected for output, it will contain a 3-character label (min,
max, TIR or num).
Channel ID Field
This field is identical to that used in the Standard mode. It is controlled by DIP switch
8.6. If a hardware handshake is set with DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4, you can specify the
starting channel ID to be A, C or E.
End-of-Line Field
This field is identical to that used in the Standard mode. It is controlled by DIP switch
8.7.
As indicated above, the Units Field, Channel ID Field and End-of-Line Field are controlled
by the internal DIP switches. These DIP switches can be overridden by commands sent
from the host computer. Refer to the paragraph on "DIP Switches" and the section on
"Commands" for specific details.
Printer Emulation Mode
This data format consists of a 24 character (4 fields separated by commas) string followed by
an end-of-line field as described above. This format emulates the printer mode of the
GagePort. A typical reading might appear as: 2374, 1.1755, ,01. The description of each
of the 4 fields is given below:
Field 1 4 character reading number (1 to 9999)
Field 2 10 character measurement
Field 3 5 character blank field
Field 4 2 character channel ID (typically 01 or 02) The actual channel ID's
are specified by DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4.
End-of-line Carriage return or carriage return/line feed combination
Mitutoyo MUX-10 Emulation Mode
This data format consists of the 13 character string sent by the MUX-10. A typical reading
might appear as: 01A+001.1755. The description of each of the 13 digits is given below:
Digit 1 Data format code (always 0)
Digit 2 Channel number (typically 1 or 2) The actual channel ID's are
specified by DIP switches 8.3 and 8.4.
Digit 3 Measurement item (always A)
Digit 4 Sign (+ or -)
Digits 5 to 12 Measurement
Digit 13 Carriage return
FRONT PANEL
The front panel provides two 10-pin connectors for your gages, two connectors for remote
read switches and two LED indicators. The 10-pin connectors will accept a standard

GageWay III 6
Mitutoyo cable. Cables for other gages will require custom termination as shown in Appendix
B.
A foot switch or hand operated remote read switch can be connected to the remote read
switch connectors. The cable from a remote read switch can be terminated with a Switchcraft
Micro-Plug, P/N 850, a Radio Shack P/N 274-289 or 274-290, or equivalent. Adapters are
also available from companies such as Radio Shack to convert the 2.46 mm (3/32 inch)
diameter remote read switch connector to other sizes. Do not apply any power to the remote
read switch connectors.
The LED's are used to indicate that a gage was detected during initialization and to indicate a
reading has been taken. During initialization both of the LED's will turn on while the
GageWay III is determining what type of gage is attached to each channel. Once this has been
determined, the LED's will turn off and then will blink 4 times for channels that have valid
gages connected to them. The LED is also turned on when an acceptable reading has been
obtained from a gage and is turned off when that reading has been sent from the serial port.
Normally, during the process of taking a reading, the LED will blink very quickly. However,
if a handshake option is enabled (see "DIP Switches" paragraph) and the handshake between
the GageWay III and the host device indicates that the host is not ready for data reception, the
LED will remain on until the handshake tells the GageWay III that it is okay to transmit the
reading. When the host device is ready for data, the measurement will be sent and the LED
will be turned off.
BACK PANEL
The back panel of the GageWay III consists of a 9-pin D-sub connector and a reset button.
The cable that is connected to the 9-pin D-sub connector provides for serial communication
and power to the GageWay III.
The reset button is located to the left of the 9-pin D-sub connector and is used to reset the
GageWay III to its default conditions based upon the settings of the internal DIP switches and
to initialize the unit so that it will recognize a different type of gage attached to one of its
input channels. This reset function can also be performed by sending the appropriate
command from the host computer (see "Commands" section).
When the GageWay III goes into a reset mode, it will take the GageWay III handshake line
low (pin 6 on the 9-pin D-sub connector). When the reset process is complete, the handshake
goes high indicating that the GageWay III is ready to receive commands. An application
program can monitor this handshake line to determine when the reset process is complete.
DIP SWITCHES
There are 2 DIP switch banks located within the GageWay III. An 8-position switch bank and
a 6-position switch bank. These DIP switches are called piano style DIP switches and when

GageWay III 7
the lever is up, the switch is "off" and when the lever is down, the switch is "on". The
switches on the 8-position bank are referred to as 8.1 for switch position 1, 8.2 for switch
position 2, etc. Likewise, switch 4 on the 6-position bank would be referred to as 6.4.
DIP switch settings for Sw 8 and Sw 6.
GW3
Switch Description
8.1 Baud rate.
On =9600
Off =1200
8.2 Communications parameters.
On =N-8-1
Off =E-7-1
8.3 & 8.4 Handshake.
Off -Off =No handshake
Off -On =Hardware with starting channel = A
On -Off =Hardware with starting channel = C
On -On =Hardware with starting channel = E
8.5 Include units field for Standard mode.
On =Send units
Off =Do not send units
8.6 Channel ID for Standard mode.
On =Send channel ID
Off =Do not send channel ID
8.7 End-of-Line Field. Send a carriage return (CR) or a carriage return and line feed
(LF) at the end of each measurement.
On =Send CR and LF
Off =Send CR only
8.8 This field is only used for Sylvac UltraCal II and CDI gages.
Units (Sylvac Ultra Cal II only):
For Sylvac based gages, this switch is read to determine the appropriate gage units.
On =Units are inch
Off =Units are mm
Decimals (CDI only):
For CDI gages this switch sets the number of decimals places when the CBL-CDI-
3/5D cable is used..
On =3 places to the right of the decimal
Off =5 places to the right of the decimal
6.1 Continuously read channel A or take a single reading when the remote read switch is
pressed.
On =Continuous read
Off =Single read