Multimetrix MMXI-200 User manual
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SUMMARY
This document describes the functionality of the MMXI-200 RST Sensor Controller.
The information is based on firmware version 1.0B.
CONTENTS
Electrical Connections page 3
Setup page 4
Operation page 4
Touchscreen Display page 5
Serial Command Protocol page 7
Command Set page 7
Configuration commands page 8
Calibration commands page 9
Measurement commands page 10
Maintenance page 11
Firmware updates page 12
Mechanical Dimensions page 14
Notes page 15
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Electrical Connections
The three connectors located on the back of the MMXI controller box are listed below:
Line supply input
The power entry module must be provided with a clean 100VAC at 50-60 Hz. The power
switch and fuse drawer are also incorporated into the power entry module. Under normal
operating conditions, the fuses should not blow. If it is found that a fuse has blown, notify
Multimetrixs. If a fuse needs replacement, it should be replaced with 0.5 Amp fuses only.
Fuse replacement does not require any tools. To replace the fuses, just slide out the
fuse drawer between the power socket and the power switch and slide it back in after
replacing the fuses.
RST Sensor port
The larger Dsub connector is for connection to the Multimetrixs RST Sensor that was
supplied with the MMXI controller. No other devices should be connected to any part of
this port as it could damage the controller and or the connected device. Using this port
with anything other than the supplied Multimetrixs RST sensor may void the warranty and
may be deemed as an attempt to undermine the security of Multimetrixs’ intellectual
property.
RS232 Host port
The smaller (9-Pin) Dsub connector is meant for connection to a host PC for control of
the MMXI box via the serial command protocol described in the following section. The
connector should be wired to the DB9 RS232 port connector of the host PC pin for pin
with a “straight thru” serial cable (Do not use a NULL modem cable).At a minimum, RX,
TX, and Gnd must be connected. When using hardware flow control, the RTS and CTS
signals will become active and the DTR, DSR, and DCD signals are tied together. By
default, flow control is disabled. The default baud rate from the factory is 115200 with 8
data bits, No parity, and 1 stop bit. The baud rate may be changed with serial
commands.
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Setup
Care should be taken with use of the RST Sensor and its cable. The cable is not designed for
repeated flexures and should be fixed in a position to minimize unnecessarily sharp bends in
order to maintain good signal quality and cable life.
First mount the sensor to your fixture for making measurements and connect the sensor cable to
the back of the controller box. Connect the host to the RS232 port if it will be used. Finally
connect 100V AC power to the power input and then switch the power on.
After power up, the host should wait a minimum of 10 seconds before attempting to communicate
with the sensor controller. On power up, the controller display should first clear. After about 6
seconds it should show the Multimetrixs logo for a brief moment and then enter into the main
screen displaying the sample, calibrate, and setup buttons.
Operation
The MMXI controller can operate “stand-alone” without the connection of an external host to the
RS232 port. In this mode of operation, all user input and output is confined to the touch screen
display on the front of the controller. However, the controller only displays raw data and therefore
should be used with a host to convert this raw data into specific units of measurement such as
film thickness.
In addition to what ever method is used by the user to calibrate and convert raw data to units of
measure, the sensor controller itself may also perform an internal calibration. This calibration
may be made periodically to adjust for system and environment fluctuations or as part of the
user’s calibration procedure.
Assuming the system has come to a stable temperature, position the sensor head to your
reference subject and initiate a calibration via RS232 command XCC or the controller’s CALIB
button on the main screen. Wait about 15 seconds for successful completion of the calibration.
Note that the reference you choose may be a known sample similar to the measured subject or it
could just be free air.
Make readings at this reference position and record them for your own use in converting the raw
data from the sensor into your specific units of measure.
Note that it is very important to maintain a precise consistent gap between the sensor head and
the measured subject surface in order to take accurate readings.
The sensor readings are also influenced by the temperature of the system and environment. The
system should be allowed to run for at least two hours to reach a stable response. The more
stable the environment is, the more stable the readings will be.
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Touchscreen Display
When the controller is first powered on, the display will be blank for a few seconds as the system
boots up. The first screen displayed is shown only briefly at startup and contains the Multimetrixs
logo controller model.
Powerup splash screen
Next, the main screen will be displayed. The top button labeled “SAMPLE” is used to turn on and
off the continuous display of the sensor raw magnitude and status information. When the button
is checked, the display will continually update. Unchecking this button will stop updating the
display and, in turn, allows more processing time available for the host serial connection.
Initial main screen Main screen while sampling on
The status information displayed at the bottom of the main screen has the following meaning:
OK The controller initialized properly
ERR The controller has encountered an error
CONN The controller is wired to a host via the RS232 port
ALONE There is no host wired to the RS232 port
EXCLUSIVE The host has requested exclusive operation locking out the touchscreen
CALIBRATED The sensor has been calibrated since powerup
CALIBRATING… The sensor is currently busy calibrating
The button labeled “CALIB” is used to initiate calibration of the sensor. Once pressed the screen
will display the message “CALIBRATING PLEASE WAIT…”. After about 15 seconds, the screen
will display the message “CALIBRATION COMPLETE” or “CALIBRATION FAILED” along with the
“OK” button. The user should press this “OK” button to return to the main screen.
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Touchscreen Display (Continued)
The button labeled “SETUP” is used to enter the setup screen shown below.
Setup Screen
A description of each varaible in the setup screen is listed below:
VER: Firmware version number and revision letter
SENSE: Raw sensor magnitude (unitless)
LEVEL: Raw excitation level used only for diagnostics (unitless)
FREQ: Primary frequency setting used only for diagnostics (unitless)
G_TEMP: Temperature of controller (Celsius)
S_TEMP: Temperature inside sensor (Celsius)
STATUS: See description of serial command “XS”. (16 bit hex)
BAUD: Host serial port baud rate (bps)
To change the baud rate, press the screen where the baud number is displayed and the screen
will change to a keypad. Use the “C” button to clear the value and then enter the new desired
baud rate and press the green “ENTER” button. Or, if you do not want to change the value, you
may cancel your changes and exit the keypad by pressing the red “X” button.
To exit the setup screen and return to the main screen, press the “OK” button.
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Serial Command Protocol
The host communicates with the MMXI controller via serial commands sent over RS232. All
commands should be terminated with a carriage return or semicolon character. If the command
fails parsing, the MMXI controller will return a question mark followed by a carriage return to
indicate a general syntax error. If the command parses correctly but fails to execute successfully
for any reason, the MMXI controller will return the character ‘F’ followed by a carriage return. If
the command executes successfully, the MMXI controller will return the first character of the
command sent followed by any returned values and finally a terminating carriage return
character.
All commands are case-sensitive.
The default format for numeric parameters and returns is decimal (base 10) variable length text
format. Integer parameters prefixed with ‘0x’ will be parsed as hexadecimal numbers. If a
command is prefixed with a lowercase letter ‘x’, the return values (if any) will be in hexadecimal
format. If a command is prefixed with a lowercase letter ‘b’, both the parameter values and return
values will use binary format. When using the binary ‘b’ prefix to a command, numbers are
received and sent in non-textual format byte for byte starting with the least significant byte. The
number of bytes transferred in binary format is always equal to the size of the value’s data type in
bytes (i.e. a 32 bit signed integer will use 4 bytes).
Command Set
The following pages describe the serial commands.
The notation below is used to indicate the type of data values used for parameters and
responses:
<CR> denotes a single carriage return character
<s16> denotes a signed 16-bit integer value
<s32> denotes a signed 32-bit integer value
<u16> denotes an unsigned 16-bit integer value
<u32> denotes an unsigned 32-bit integer value
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Configuration Commands:
The configuration settings are loaded from user non-volatile memory on powerup. If the user
non-volatile memory is corrupt, the settings will be loaded from the factory defaults.
mfas Description: Saves all of the current working configuration settings into user non-
volatile memory.
Command: mfas<CR>
Response: m<CR> Configuration saved
F<CR> Failed
?<CR> Syntax failure
mfal Description: Loads the user non-volatile configuration settings into current working
memory.
Command: mfal<CR>
Response: m<CR> Configuration loaded
F<CR> Failed
?<CR> Syntax failure
mfad Description: Loads the factory default configuration settings into current working
memory.
Command: mfad<CR>
Response: m<CR> Defaults loaded
F<CR> Failed
?<CR> Syntax failure
BAUD Description: Changes the current baud rate of the host communications serial port.
The command will respond in the previous baud rate and then the host
should immediately change its baud rate. After two seconds from the
time the command was sent, the controller will be ready to accept
commands at the new baud rate. The available rates are 9600, 19200,
38400, 57600, and 115200.
Command: BAUD<u32><CR>
Response: B<CR> Baud rate changed
F<CR> Failed (Baud rate not changed)
?<CR> Syntax failure
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Calibration Commands:
XCC
Description: Initiate a calibration of the sensor.
Command: XCC<CR>
Resonses: X<CR> Successfully initiated (Check for completion with XCS)
F<CR> Failed initiation
?<CR> Syntax failure
XCQ
Description: Aborts the current calibration prior to completion.
Command: XCQ<CR>
Responses: X<CR> Successfully aborted calibration
F<CR> Failed execution
?<CR> Syntax failure
XCS
Description: Reads the status of the calibration.
Command: XCS<CR>
Responses: XS<CR> Busy calibrating
XC<CR> Calibrated
XU<CR> Uncalibrated
F<CR> Failed execution
?<CR> Syntax failure
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Measurement Commands:
XRSE
Description: Reads the current raw magnitude of the RST Sensor.
Command: XRSE<CR>
Responses: X<s16><CR> Successfully returns the measurement data value
F<CR> Failed execution
?<CR> Syntax failure
XRTi
Description: Reads the current internal temperature of the MMXI controller.Value is
in units of 1/16 degrees Celsius. Divide the value by 16 to get Celsius.
Command: XRTi<CR>
Responses: X<s16><CR> Successfully returns the temperature data
F<CR> Failed execution
?<CR> Syntax failure
XRTe
Description: Reads the current temperature of the RST Sensor. Value is in units of
1/16 degrees Celsius. Divide the value by 16 to get Celsius.
Command: XRTe<CR>
Responses: X<s16><CR> Successfully returns the temperature data
F<CR> Failed execution
?<CR> Syntax failure
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Maintenance
The MMXI-200 Sensor Controller and the RST Sensor should be handled with care as is common
with sensitive laboratory equipment. Under these conditions, the system should work reliably.
If the touch screen display needs to be cleaned, gently wipe with a damp, non-abrasive, cloth and
dry immediately. Never use any harsh detergents or solvents on any part of the controller or
sensor.
The MMXI-200 Sensor Controller and the RST Sensor contain no user-serviceable parts. The
user should never attempt to dismantle the controller box or any part of the sensor and it’s
cabling. Doing so may void the warranty and be deemed as an attempt to undermine the security
of Multimetrixs’ intellectual property. Under normal use, the controller and sensor should not fail.
If the system seems to be operating faulty, notify Multimetrixs immediately to resolve the issue.
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Firmware Updates
When new firmware is available from Multimetrixs for the MMXI controller, it will be supplied in the
form of an executable utility file. The utility program may be run on a Windows PC connected to
the MMXI controller via an available RS232 port on the PC. The connection is the same as
previously described for normal serial communications with the controller.
To use the utility, first connect the RS232 cable from the PC to the MMXI controller and make
sure the sensor cable is also connected to the MMXI controller. Power up the controller and wait
15 seconds. Then run the utility program. If the RS232 cable is connected to the COM 1 port on
the PC, the program should start up with the “Connected” check box checked as shown in the
image below.
Main screen of the utility program.
The long grey status box at the bottom of the window will display text whenever an error occurs.
When this box is empty as shown above, the error log is empty. Clicking in the status box will
pop up a window displaying the log of errors that have occurred. Clicking on the “OK” button
within this “ERROR LOG” window will close the error log window and clear the error log.
If you are using a different COM port number, enter the number in the edit box labled “PORT” and
then check the “Connected” checkbox. If the program is unable to connect with the controller, the
“Connected” check box will automatically uncheck itself within a few seconds. If it fails to
connect, you may try again after ensuring that the COM number is correct. If you have changed
the default baud rate previously on the controller, you will need to use the right mouse button
within the “BAUD” edit box to select the correct baud rate. The default settings for
communications as described in this document require that the three checkboxes in the top right
corner of the window remain unchecked. Always wait about 15 seconds after powering up the
controller before attempting to connect to it.
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Firmware Updates (continued)
Once you have connected with the MMXI controller and the “Connected” checkbox remains
checked, you may issue commands using the “COMMAND” edit box. Commands may be typed
and edited within the “COMMAND” edit box and nothing will be sent to the controller until the user
presses the “ENTER” key on the PC keyboard. Once the “ENTER” key is pressed, the utility
program will clear the “RESPONSE” edit box and then send the string of text in the “COMMAND”
edit box to the controller. No carriage return character will be appended to the data sent to the
controller unless the “Add <CR>” checkbox is checked. The controller will accept a semicolon
character as well as a carriage return character as the terminating character for commands.
To update the firmware on the MMXI controller using the utility program, first ensure you are
properly connected to the controller and able to send commands and receive responses without
any errors. Then close any other programs running on the PC. This will reduce the risk of
communication failures while loading the new firmware.*
* If communication failures occur during the process of loading new firmware onto the
MMXI controller, it is possible for the controller to get to a state where it no longer
functions and will need to be sent to Multimetrixs for repair. Please ensure that your
RS232 cables and port are functioning without any problems before proceeding with a
firmware update.
With the “Connected” checkbox checked, click on the menu item “FILE / Download Firmware”.
This will start the download process. The touchscreen display on the controller will go blank as
the download is started. Messages will be displayed in the status box at the bottom of the main
window of the utility program as the loading proceeds. When the firmware loading completes
successfully, the status box will display the message “Firmware Loaded!”. If it encounters an
error, it will indicate the failure. Do not interrupt the download process. Wait until it either finishes
successfully or fails.
Once the firmware has completed loading successfully, wait for the touchscreen display on the
controller to display the main screen with the “SAMPLE” button and then try to connect again by
checking the “Connected” check box on the utility program. Make sure the “Connected” check
box remains checked and then click on the menu item “FILE / Download 4DGL”. This will start
the loading of the second portion of the firmware which handles the touchscreen display interface.
When the loading completes successfully, the message “4DGL Download complete!” will be
displayed in the status box at the bottom of the main window of the utility program. If there is an
error, try again by checking the “Connected” checkbox and selecting the “FILE / Download 4DGL”
menu item again. Once this portion of the download completes successfully, you will need to
cycle the power on the controller before using the controller.
Please contact Multimetrixs if you are having difficulties understanding this procedure as it is
important not to corrupt the controller’s loading process.
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