WeighTech MicroWeigh User manual

MicroWeigh Standard Bagger/Bulker
WeighTech, Inc. Staff
Waldron, Arkansas
1-800-457-3720
November 12, 2012

Contents
1 Introduction 4
1.1 MicroWeighFeatures.......................... 4
1.2 MicroWeigh Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 Keypad Operation 4
3 Main menu items 5
3.1 “Poweroff”............................... 5
3.2 “Washdown” .............................. 5
3.3 “Totals” ................................. 5
3.4 “Calibrate” ............................... 5
3.5 “SetupMenu”.............................. 5
3.6 “Auditcfg” ............................... 5
3.7 “Auditcal” ............................... 5
3.8 “Tare”.................................. 6
4 How to Step Through Menus 6
4.1 Menus can contain several different items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.2 Howtoenteranumber ......................... 6
4.3 How to select from a list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5 General Scale Operations 7
5.1 ScaleOnProcedure............................ 7
5.2 ScaleOffProcedure............................ 7
5.3 ZeroProcedure ............................. 8
5.4 UnitsProcedure............................. 8
5.5 TareOperation ............................. 8
6 Machine Setup 8
7 Machine Operation 10
7.1 Startup.................................. 10
7.2 Shutdown ................................ 10
7.3 Cleanout................................. 10
7.4 TargetWeight.............................. 10
7.5 Tolerancing ............................... 10
7.6 DumpCycle................................ 11
8 Calibration Procedure 11
8.1 Entering the calibration menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8.2 Keyingincalweight .......................... 12
8.3 CalibrationExample .......................... 12
8.4 Establishingazero ........................... 12
8.5 Accepting a cal weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
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9 Scale Parameters 12
9.1 “Units” ................................. 12
9.2 “Capacity”................................ 13
9.3 “Resltn”................................. 13
9.4 “Stability”................................ 13
9.5 “Motionsns” .............................. 13
9.6 “Prefilter”................................ 13
9.7 “AZT”.................................. 13
9.8 “AZTband”............................... 13
9.9 “Calibrate” ............................... 13
9.10“IZset” ................................. 14
9.11“lbunits” ................................ 14
9.12“kgunits” ................................ 14
9.13“gunits”................................. 14
9.14“ozunits” ................................ 14
9.15“Defaults”................................ 14
10 Display Messages 14
10.1 General Warning/Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
10.2 Calibration Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
11 Menus 16
11.1MainLevel ............................... 16
11.2Production................................ 16
11.3Totals .................................. 16
11.4Setupmenu ................................ 17
11.5Parameters................................. 17
11.6Dumpsettings.............................. 18
11.7I/Otest ................................. 18
11.8Infomenu................................ 19
12 Troubleshooting 19
12.1Loadcells................................ 19
12.2Machines ................................ 20
12.3 Before calling WeighTech... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12.4ModuleAssignments .......................... 20
13 Replacement Parts 21
14 Wiring Diagram 22
15 Load Cell Color Codes 23
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1 Introduction
With the WeighTech MicroWeigh a combination of state-of-the-art technology with
common down-to-earth basics creates a digital indicator that makes troubleshooting and
actual maintenance repair so simple that anyone can be trained to make repairs on this
indicator in just minutes.
1.1 MicroWeigh Features
•High impact ABS alloy construction.
•Highly visible, easy-to-read display with adjustable contrast and backlight.
•Environmentally sealed touch-sensitive operator control panel.
•Standard units of measure include grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds.
• RS-232 and Infrared communications are standard with RS-485 option available.
•Wireless data collection using a PDA with WeighTech data-sync software.
1.2 MicroWeigh Applications
•Standard weighing
•Label printing
•Tank or vat weighing
•Checkweighing (boxes, bags, and pieces)
•Bench and floor scales
•Batch weighing
2 Keypad Operation
The WeighTech MicroWeigh keypad is a watertight sealed touch sensitive sensor. The
keys are actually sensitive to contact area, not force. Press lightly with the ball of your
fingertip as though you were giving fingerprints. Best results come from using the
ball of your finger, not the very tip. Most objects will not trigger the keypad–knives,
screwdrivers, tools, etc. do not have enough surface area in contact with the key to
register as a keypress. (You might get it to trigger with a medium sized conductive bolt
head, if you have skin in contact with the bolt.)
One consequence of the design of the touch sensitive keypad is that it is sensitive
to water streams. For this reason, WeighTech includes a unique “washdown mode” to
prevent unwanted keypad activity during washdown/sanitation/cleanup intervals. When
the indicator is in washdown mode, the indicator will weigh normally but the keypad is
locked out.
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To unlock the keypad, you must play follow the leader. One key will be lit. Press
it. Another key will then light up. Press it. Continue until the indicator displays “Exit
washdown”. The indicator will require that you press five keys in a row correctly before
it will unlock the keypad. Any wrong keypress will restart the counter back to five. The
odds are extremely slight that random water splashing would ever be able to trigger the
correct keys in the correct order to unlock the keypad.
3 Main menu items
3.1 “Power off”
Touch the enter key to select this menu item, which will power down the indicator. If
the auto-on jumper is installed on the interface board, the indicator will immediately
turn back on.
3.2 “Washdown”
This function puts the indicator in washdown mode to prevent inadvertent keypad
activity. See the washdown section of this manual for more information.
3.3 “Totals”
This function leads to the totals submenu.
3.4 “Calibrate”
This function allows you to calibrate the scale. Refer to the calibration section of this
manual for details.
3.5 “Setup Menu”
Enter the setup submenu, where scale parameters can be viewed or set.
3.6 “Audit cfg”
Displays the audit counter for configuration. Every time a sealed scale parameter is
modified this counter will increment by one. This setting is nonvolatile (it will be
retained even if the batteries go dead) and cannot be altered except by modifying an
audited configuration parameter.
3.7 “Audit cal”
Displays the audit counter for calibration. Every time the scale is calibrated this counter
will increment by one. This setting is nonvolatile (it will be retained even if the batteries
go dead) and cannot be altered except by performing a calibration.
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3.8 “Tare”
Keypad entered tare: Touch the Enter key to set a new pushbutton tare by scrolling
through digits one place at a time. Keypad tare values are entered in the current units,
and are limited to be greater than gross zero weight and less than the indicator capacity.
Entering a tare of zero will clear any existing tare from indicator.
4 How to Step Through Menus
From the main weight display, press the “Menu/Help” key. You are now in a menu, and
the keys now have different functions:
Cancel Help Enter Down Up
•“Cancel” will back you out of the menu one level at a time.
•“Help” will display information about the current choice (option).
•“Enter” has various functions, depending on where you are in the menu.
•The “Down” key will scroll backward through the menu choices.
•The “Up” key will scroll forward through the menu choices.
4.1 Menus can contain several different items
An item with a “*” on the right end will do something when you press the enter key–
something might be turn the indicator off, drill down into another menu, clear totals, or
start a calibration routine. The item with a numeric value (scale capacity, for instance)
at the right side of the display might allow you to change the number by pressing the
enter key. An item with text (such as “on” or “off”) at the right side of the display might
allow you to select from a list of options by pressing the enter key. Some items are just
for reference and cannot be changed at all. Examples of reference items would be the
software name and revision–these are set when the software is written and cannot be
changed.
4.2 How to enter a number
Using the calibration routine as an example: Press the “Enter” key. The indicator display
will show “Cal weight ” and the cursor will be blinking. The blinking cursor is the
clue that you can enter an arbitrary number using the up, down, right, and enter keys.
Pressing the up/down keys will scroll through the list (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 - . ) in
turn. When the desired number appears, press the right arrow (menu/help) key. The
blinking cursor will advance one digit to the right, leaving your selected number in
place. Continue this sequence until the desired numeric value is visible on the display.
Press the “Enter” key to accept the value, or the “Cancel” key to abort.
Example: Enter a calibration weight of 25 pounds
•Start with the indicator at a normal weight display (“ 0.00 lb”)
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•Press the “Menu/Help” key
• Scroll through the main menu using the up or down arrow keys until “Calibrate *”
is displayed on the indicator
•Press the “Enter” key to start the calibration routine
• The indicator may display “Password” if a calibration password is required. If so,
enter it (default calibration password is “Zero” “Zero” “Zero”)
•The indicator should now be displaying “Cal Weight” and a blinking cursor.
•Press the up arrow key. The display should now show “Cal weight 1”
•Press the up arrow key again. The display should now show “Cal Weight 2”
• Press the right arrow key to accept the first digit (2) and advance the blinking
cursor to the next digit. The indicator should display “Cal weight 2 ”
• Press the up arrow key five times to select a 5 as the second digit. The indicator
should now display “Cal weight 25”
•Press the “Enter” key to accept 25 pounds as a calibration weight.
• The indicator will display “Cal–zero weight”. Press the “Cancel” key to abort the
calibration process.
4.3 How to select from a list
This is very much like stepping through a menu. Some settings (such as displayed
resolution) must be limited to one of several predetermined values. To edit one of these
settings, press the “Enter” key. The currently selected value will move from the far right
of the display to the left. This indicates that you may use the up and down arrow keys to
scroll through a list of possible values for this setting. Once you’ve selected a value for
the setting, press the “Enter” key to complete the selection process. As always, pressing
the “Cancel” key will cancel the selection and restore the setting to the previous value.
5 General Scale Operations
5.1 Scale On Procedure
Touch the “Zero / On” key. Indicator will come on and display will read “MicroWeigh
by WeighTech” and then continue to the weigh mode. At this point the scale is ready
for product or operator input.
5.2 Scale Off Procedure
To turn the scale off touch the “Menu / Help” key. The indicator will display “Power off
*”. At this point touch the “Print / Enter” key and scale display will go blank, and the
indicator will be off.
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5.3 Zero Procedure
To zero the indicator touch the “Zero / On” key and the indicator will take a new zero.
If the current weight reading is unstable, under capacity, or over capacity, no new
pushbutton zero will be established.
5.4 Units Procedure
To change the units of measure touch the “Units / Cancel” key. The units will change
between pounds, kilograms, grams and ounces (assuming all the units are enabled in the
“Parameter” menu) each time that the key is touched.
5.5 Tare Operation
Press and hold the tare button to establish a pushbutton tare reference. If a valid tare is
established, the indicator will switch to the net weight display. If the gross weight is
equal to or less than gross zero, any existing tare value will be cleared, the display will
show “Tare cleared” for about one second, and the display will revert to gross weight
display.
Toggle between net and gross display modes by touching the “Tare” button. If no
tare reference has been established, the indicator will not switch to net weight mode.
An arbitrary tare weight can be entered from the tare setting in the main menu
(keypad tare). Scroll and select digits one at a time to enter the desired value. The
indicator will not accept a keypad tare value in excess of scale capacity, or less than
zero. Entering a value of zero will clear any existing tare and return the indicator to the
gross weight display mode. Units for the entered weight is the same as the currently
displayed units. (To enter a six pound tare, be sure that the display is showing weight in
pounds before entering the keypad tare.)
6 Machine Setup
• After the machine has been wired and plumbed, turn on the air supply and turn
off the Microweigh control indicator. The buffer hopper (top hopper) and weigh
hopper (bottom hopper) should both be open, the infeed belt (if controlled by
the system) should be running, and all knockoff gates should be retracted. Any
cylinder in the wrong position is probably plumbed incorrectly. Press the small
silver pilot on each pneumatic solenoid valve in turn to check that the cylinders
move freely and that there are no air leaks.
• Turn on the indicator. No gates should move. Put the indicator in the cycle off
mode (“Production”/“Cycle Off”). The buffer hopper and weigh hopper gates
should both shut, and the infeed belt should turn off (if controlled by the system).
If not, check the wiring, modules, and jumper configuration.
• Next, put the indicator in cycle on mode (“Production”/“Cycle On”). The weigh
hopper gate should close, the buffer hopper gate should open, and the infeed belt
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should run (the system is trying to fill the weigh hopper). If the weigh and buffer
hopper gates are swapped check the wiring—the weigh hopper valve is probably
wired to the buffer hopper output module.
• After powering up the indicator, you may see “Setup Required” on the display.
If so, go into the “Parameters” menu and set the scale capacity. “Cal required”
means that the indicator has not been calibrated, and calibration must be done
before the machine will operate. Once the capacity has been set and the indicator
has been calibrated, you may want to adjust some of the values in the “Dump
setting” menu.
• “Target” should be set to the desired target weight of the dump. “Dump Limit” is
the hopper capacity, or maximum size of a single dump. In most cases this will be
set at the factory and won’t require adjustment. If the target weight is set above
the hopper capacity the system will go into batch mode and make multiple dumps
at hopper capacity to reach target weight. That’s probably not a good plan for a
bagging system, so ensure target weight is less than dump limit when filling bags.
• If the infeed is controlled by the system tune the “Line stop” timer. The line stop
timer controls how long the infeed is allowed to run after the weigh hopper has
reached target weight. Adjust this timer long enough that the buffer hopper is
prefilled for the next dump, but not so long that the buffer hopper overflows when
all the output bins are full.
• Baggers should have the “Bag” setting turned on to enable the bag opener. Obvi-
ously, turn the setting off on a bulker.
• Determine if a dump switch is required and how it should work. Most baggers use
“Dump sw” set to “first”, which will hold the first (and only) dump in the weigh
hopper until the operator presses the dump switch. Batch mode bulkers have more
options. If you’d like to hold off only the first dump (to allow the operator to
place the box under the weigh hopper), set “Dump sw” to “first”. Another option
would be “last”, which will hold off the last dump of the batch so that the operator
can manually adjust the final dump to make weight. The “f+l” setting holds off
both the first and last dumps in the batch. The “all” option will require the dump
switch to be pressed before each dump, and the “none” option will never require
the dump switch to be pressed before dumping.
• The standard dump switch is a momentary normally open contact. If a normally
closed contact must be used instead, set the “Switch type” setting to “rev”.
Otherwise, set to “std”. (There’s also an “off” option to completely disable the
dump switch.)
• There is provision for an optional idle/washdown button. Wire a maintained
contact switch to module M6. When the switch contacts close, the indicator will
go to the cycle idle mode. When the switch contacts open, the machine will start
the operating cycle (cycle on). If the switch operates backwards, flip the “Dump
settings”/“Switch” setting.
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7 Machine Operation
7.1 Startup
Ensure that all hoppers are empty and that all moving parts are in good working
condition. Power up the machine and indicator. No air cylinders should move when the
indicator is powered on.
Touch the “Menu” key, scroll until “Production” is visible, and touch the “Enter”
key. You can now scroll between the production options, so scroll until “Cycle On” is
visible, and touch “Enter”. The display will show “Dump Cycle On”, pause for a second
or so, and return to the normal weight display. The machine will now begin operation
(buffer hopper gate will open and the weigh hopper gate will close). You may also
notice that the left side of the display now shows “On”. This indicates that the machine
is in the automatic weighing cycle. (If the machine is equipped with a washdown or idle
button, you can pull the switch out to start the automatic operating cycle.)
7.2 Shutdown
From the normal weight display, touch the “Menu” key. Scroll up or down until you
reach the “Production” menu. Touch the “Enter” key, and again scroll until “Cycle Off”
is visible on the display. Touch the “Enter” key. The display will show “Dump Cycle
Off” for a few seconds, return to the normal weight display, and go into the off mode.
In off mode, all hopper gates will close to prevent product flowthrough and the machine
will not cycle. The left side of the display should show “Off” in this mode.
7.3 Cleanout
Select “Cycle Idle” from the “Production” menu to enter idle mode. In idle mode, the
hopper gates will all lock in the open position to allow cleaning. The indicator display
will show “Idle” on the left side when the machine is in this mode. (If the machine
is equipped with a washdown or idle button, you can push the switch in to place the
machine in idle mode.)
7.4 Target Weight
The target weight can be changed while the machine is in any operating mode, even
while running production. Touch the “Menu” key, scroll until “Production” is shown on
the display, touch “Enter”, and scroll until “Target” is visible. Once the target weight is
visible on the display, touch the “Enter” key to modify it. Use the up or down arrows to
adjust each digit in turn and press either “Enter” to set the new target weight, or “Cancel”
to leave the target weight setting unchanged.
7.5 Tolerancing
If the tolerance option is enabled, the hopper will not dump unless the hopper weight is
in the acceptable weight range. The acceptable weight range is set by the low and high
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tolerance settings and the target weight. For example, if the target weight is 10 pounds,
the tolerance low setting is 0.5 pounds, and the tolerance high setting is 1.0 pounds,
the acceptable weight range will be from 9.5 (target-low) pounds to 11 (target+high)
pounds.
7.6 Dump Cycle
• Shut the weigh hopper, open the buffer hopper, retract the bag openers, and turn
on the infeed to fill the hopper. (“Fill”)
•
Once the hopper weight exceeds the target weight or dump limit setting, start the
overfill timer. If the bag opener is enabled, open the bag. (“Over”)
• When the overfill timer expires, shut the buffer hopper, start the line stop timer,
and start waiting for the hopper weight to stabilize. (“Weigh”)
• Hopper weight has stabilized. Wait for the dump switch to be pressed (if required
by the “Dump sw” setting) and check that the weight is inside the tolerance band
(if tolerancing is turned on). (“Pre”)
• Open the weigh hopper and add the dump weight to the statistics. Start waiting
for the hopper weight to fall below the zero threshold setting. (“Dump”)
• After the weigh hopper weight drops below the zero threshold setting, start the
empty timer. (“Empty”)
• The empty timer has expired. Shut the empty weigh hopper and calculate the
next dump weight if batching. If the bag opener is enabled, retract it. If the dump
autozero setting is enabled, start the zero timer and begin waiting for a stable
weight or for the zero timer to expire. (“Zero”)
• Either the empty hopper weight stabilized for autozero or the zero timer expired.
Cancel line stop timer, open the buffer hopper, and return to the fill portion of the
dump cycle. (“Hold”)
8 Calibration Procedure
8.1 Entering the calibration menu
With the indicator on and displaying weight, touch the “Menu / Help” key. The display
will read “Power off *”. Use the up / down arrows until the display reads “Calibrate
*”. Touch the “Print / Enter” key and the display should then show “Password”. At
this point key in the calibration password. (The default calibration password is “Zero”
“Zero” “Zero” .)
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8.2 Keying in cal weight
The display will show “Cal weight ” and the cursor will be blinking. Using the up,
down, and right keys to enter the size of your calibration weight in pounds (i.e. 1, 2, 5,
or 10). Press “Enter” to accept the cal weight, or “Cancel” if you make a mistake.
8.3 Calibration Example
(Entering a 25.00 lb cal weight value.) The blinking cursor is the clue that you can enter
an arbitrary number using the up and down keys. Pressing the up/down keys will scroll
through the list (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 - . ) in turn. When the desired number appears (2),
press the right arrow “Menu / Help” key. The blinking cursor will advance one digit to
the right (2 ), leaving your selected number in place. Continue this sequence until the
desired numeric value is visible on the display (25 ) (25. ) (25.0 ) (25.00). Press the
“Enter” key to accept the value, or the “Cancel” key to abort.
8.4 Establishing a zero
The indicator will display “Cal–zero weight”. Clear the weighing platform of any
foreign objects and once all vibration has died out, press the “Enter” key. Make sure
that the platform is not disturbed during this process. Indicator will display “Zeroing...”
as it takes an average reading of the zero offset weight (about three seconds).
8.5 Accepting a cal weight
The indicator will then display “Cal–add weight”. Add weight to the weighing platform
(the weight should be the same amount as the keyed in cal weight) then touch the “Enter”
key. The indicator will display “Scaling...” for about three seconds as it performs
internal calculations. Finally, the indicator will display “Cal done” for about one second
once the calibration cycle is complete.
9 Scale Parameters
To get to the parameters touch the “Menu/Help” key (indicator will display “Power off
*”). Use the up or down arrows until the indicator displays “Setup Menu”. Touch the
“Print/Enter” key and the indicator will prompt for a password. The password for this
step will be as follows: starting from the left side of the keypad touch each key in turn
from left to right. After entering the password the indicator will display “Parameters *”.
At this point touch the “Print/Enter” key to access the parameters. Use the up and down
arrows to scroll through and view each parameter.
9.1 “Units”
This parameter controls the setup unit of the indicator. Select from pounds (lb), kilo-
grams (kg), grams (g), and ounces (oz). Once set, the indicator capacity, resolution, and
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calibration weights will be entered in this unit. The units parameter is both sealed and
audited.
9.2 “Capacity”
Capacity sets the maximum capacity of the indicator, in setup units. This parameter
is both sealed and audited. Factory default is 0, which must be changed before the
indicator will weigh.
9.3 “Resltn”
Parameter that sets the resolution of the indicator. Resolution is limited to values
available on the scroll list. Resolution is set in terms of the setup units. This parameter
is both sealed and audited.
9.4 “Stability”
This parameter controls how many consecutive weight readings are required to be within
the motion sense band before the weight indication is considered to be stable. The
indicator reads the analog input 7.5 Hz (7.5 times per second), so the default setting
of four requires about a half second of stable weight. Either the net or gross light will
come on when the weight is stable. This parameter is both sealed and audited.
9.5 “Motion sns”
Amount of motion, in divisions, allowed before the weight is considered unstable.
Default is one division. This parameter is both sealed and audited.
9.6 “Prefilter”
Length of the prefilter buffer. Larger numbers provide slower and cleaner weight
readings. Default is 2. This parameter is both sealed and audited. Range?
9.7 “AZT”
Auto zero tracking on/off. This parameter is neither sealed nor audited. When on, stable
weights within the “AZT band” of zero will automatically rezero the scale.
9.8 “AZT band”
Amount of weight, in divisions, that can be automatically zeroed out at one time. Default
is 1 division. Parameter is sealed and audited.
9.9 “Calibrate”
This function starts the indicator calibration routine. It is sealed and audited. Refer to
the calibration section of this manual for details.
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9.10 “IZ set”
When this parameter is on, the indicator will attempt to establish a new initial zero
every time the indicator powers on. HB44 limits the amount of weight that can be
initially zeroed to 20% of scale capacity. (This initial zero does not reduce the indicator
capacity.) This parameter is both sealed and audited.
9.11 “lb units”
Select on/off to enable or disable the pounds (lb) units when the Unit key is pressed in
weighing mode. This parameter is both sealed and audited.
9.12 “kg units”
Select on/off to enable or disable the kilograms (kg) units when the Unit key is pressed
in weighing mode. This parameter is both sealed and audited.
9.13 “g units”
Select on/off to enable or disable the grams (g) units when the Unit key is pressed in
weighing mode. This parameter is both sealed and audited.
9.14 “oz units”
Select on/off to enable or disable the ounces (oz) units when the Unit key is pressed in
weighing mode. This parameter is both sealed and audited.
9.15 “Defaults”
Restore all configuration parameters to factory default. This function is sealed and
audited. Restoring factory defaults will require that the indicator be calibrated and
reconfigured before it will weigh.
10 Display Messages
10.1 General Warning/Error Messages
The following warning and error messages may appear at any time that the display is
showing the current weight. They will not be visible when the indicator is displaying a
menu item.
“Setup required” The indicator is still set to factory defaults, and will require configu-
ration before entering service. This message will clear once the scale capacity (in
“Setup Menu”/“Parameters”) has been set.
“Cal required” The indicator has not yet been calibrated. This message will clear
once the scale has been calibrated.
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“Excite Shorted!” The measured load cell excitation voltage has been below 1V for
more than one second. To prevent any damage to the indicator or load cell,
the excitation supply has been disabled. Double check the load cell cable and
connections to the interface board, especially at the terminals marked “EX+” and
“EX-”. The indicator must be turned off and back on again to clear this message.
“ADC Full Scale” The analog to digital converter reading the load cell went to full
scale positive or negative for more than a second. This is usually caused by faulty
wiring, or in severe cases, a seriously damaged load cell. Check connections,
especially on the terminals marked “S1+” and “S1-”. This warning will clear
automatically when the load cell readings come back into the normal range.
“IR locked.” Access to the setup and label setup menus is locked out. The “IR lock”
setting in the paremeter menu is turned on and it’s been more than one minute
since the Palm was used to pull settings or totals. To unlock, use a Palm to pull
totals or settings. You will then have 60 seconds to access the setup and label
setup menus. If you do not wish to lock out the setup menus, turn off “IR lock”.
10.2 Calibration Warnings
The following warning messages may appear when entering the calibration routine.
“Check load cell” This warning will only appear when entering the calibration rou-
tine. It indicates that the load cell reading is past full scale positive or negative.
Calibration will not be allowed in this case. Refer to “ADC Full Scale” warning
for troubleshooting information.
“Check excite” The load cell excitation supply was measured at less than 4.0 volts.
Check the load cell and wiring, especially the terminals marked “EX+” and “EX-”.
This warning can also be caused by excessive load cell current drain, such as from
more than four load cells tied together, or a load cell with damaged strain gauges.
“Check ex- wire” Both load cell signal outputs were measured at more than 4.0 volts.
This usually indicates that there’s a poor connection at the “EX-” terminal, or that
the load cell excitation wiring has gone open (such as from physical damage to
the cable).
“Check ex+ wire” Both load cell signal outputs were measured at less than 1.0 volts.
This usually indicates that there’s a poor connection at the “EX+” terminal, or
that the load cell excitation wiring has gone open (such as from physical damage
to the cable).
“Check signals” The difference between the two load cell signal outputs was measured
at more than 0.2 volts. This much imbalance between the two signals is usually
caused by either incorrect wiring (such as swapping an excitation and signal wire),
or by a severely bent load cell. Check connections, try swapping pairs, or replace
the load cell.
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“Check sig+ wire” The positive load cell signal was measured at either less than 1.5
volts or more than 4 volts. Check wiring at terminal marked “S1+”, check that
the load cell signal and excite pairs are correct, and finally consider that the load
cell may be damaged.
“Check sig- wire” The negative load cell signal was measured at either less than 1.5
volts or more than 4 volts. Check wiring at terminal marked “S1-”, check that the
load cell signal and excite pairs are correct, and finally consider that the load cell
may be damaged.
11 Menus
11.1 Main Level
Power off Turn off the indicator
Production Enter the production submenu
Washdown Disable keypad to prevent false keypresses during washdown
Calibrate Enter quick calibration routine
Setup menu Bunch of stuff...see below
Audit cfg Number of times an audited config parameter has been changed
(HB44)
Audit cal Number of times indicator has been calibrated (HB44)
Tare Current tare weight
11.2 Production
Cycle on Start automatic dump cycle
Cycle off Stop automatic dump cycle, close all gates
Cycle idle Stop automatic dump cycle, leave all gates open for product
flowthrough (failsafe)
Target Target weight for complete batch, in pounds
Tol low Lower edge of tolerance weight range
Tol high Upper edge of tolerance weight range
Totals Display total weight, batch count, and average batch weight
11.3 Totals
Tot wgt Total gross weight, in pounds
Bat cnt Total number of batches/bags
Avg wgt Average weight of each batch/bag, in pounds
Clear totals Clear accumulated totals (will ask you to confirm, touch “Enter” a
second time to clear)
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11.4 Setup menu
Parameters Scale settings
Dump settings Settings that control the automatic dump cycle operation
I/O test Test input and output modules
Info menu Troubleshooting features
Clock Set time/date
Contrast Control display intensity
11.5 Parameters
Setup units Setup units: used for entering capacity and resolution (defaults to
pounds)
Capacity Scale capacity, in setup units
Resltn Scale resolution, in setup units
Stability Number of consecutive readings required for stability
Motion sns Number of divisions allowed before weight is considered unstable
AZT On/Off: Autozero tracking on/off, only affects weights near zero
AZT band Amount of weight (in divisions) that can be zero tracked out
Calibrate Start calibration routine
IZ set Set initial zero at power up (default to off)
lb units On/Off: Enables the units toggle key to include pound units
kg units On/Off: Enables the units toggle key to include kilogram units
g units On/Off: Enables the units toggle key to include gram units
oz units On/Off: Enables the units toggle key to include ounce units
Filter Weighing filter speed: range of 0-0.9. Larger numbers make the
filter slower, but weights are more stable
Address Communications/scale address
Cntst Enabled/disabled: Three key quick contrast feature
IR lock When turned on, the Palm is required to access the setup menus
Defaults Restore scale to factory default settings (all settings will be lost!)
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11.6 Dump settings
Target Target weight for complete batch, in pounds
Dump lmt Target weight for each dump, in pounds (hopper capacity)
Zero thrs Dump cycle zero threshold, in pounds (default is 5 pounds)
Autozero Dump cycle autozero settings (on/off)
Weigh TO How long (in seconds) to wait for a stable dump weight
Zero time How long (in seconds) to wait for an autozero to happen
Empty time Extra time that weigh hopper will stay open after dropping below
zero threshold
Line stop How long to wait after hitting target before shutting off infeed
Shock Number of consecutive readings above target weight before target
is reached
Filtered On/Off: Controls whether or not the target is compared to filtered
or unfiltered weight
Bag On/Off: Controls whether or not the bag opener will extend during
the dump cycle
Dump sw all/last/first/f+l/none: Controls whether you must press the dump
switch to release each dump, the last dump in the batch, the first
dump in the batch, the first and last dump, or none of the dumps.
Switch type Off/Std/Rev: Controls whether or not a switch press is required to
dump (Std: N/O, Rev: N/C)
M1 Line stop/Infeed gate: select module M1 as infeed gate or a line
stop output
Tolerance On/Off: When on, dump weight must be between (target-low) and
(target+high)
Tol low Lower edge of tolerance weight range
Tol high Upper edge of tolerance weight range
11.7 I/O test
Infeed gate Toggle infeed gate
Buffer Toggle buffer hopper gate
Weigh Toggle weigh hopper gate
Bag Toggle bag opener
Dump sw Display current state of dump switch
Wash sw Display current state of washdown switch
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11.8 Info menu
ADC Raw counts display from analog to digital converter
Offset Calibration zero offset, in raw counts
Zero err Number of times the dump cycle autozero timer expired (missed
autozero chance)
Stbl err Number of times the hopper weight didn’t stabilize before dumping
App Name of firmware app (bagger 1)
Build Software revision info (Build 52)
Date Date firmware was compiled (03/28/2012)
Time Time of firmware compilation (12:22:02)
Batt Current power supply/battery input voltage, in V
S1+ Load cell #1 positive signal voltage (should be about half of excite
voltage with good load cell)
S1— Load cell #1 negative signal voltage (should be almost exactly the
same as S1+ voltage)
Excite Load cell excitation voltage (should be about 4.5V)
Deadload Display platform deadload weight (assumes load cell has no offset)
232 audit Transmit audit trail through RS-232 port (experimental)
IZ autoset Force a new initial zero
IZ Current initial zero setting
Debug msg On/Off: Turn this parameter on for more extensive messages during
boot and dump cycle
Bootload WeighTech use only
12 Troubleshooting
12.1 Load cells
Go to the “Info menu” and verify that the “Excite” voltage is about 4.5V. A reading of
less than 1V probably indicates a short from excite to ground. Confirm by removing the
load cell connections. If the excite voltage reads normal with the load cell disconnected,
you’ve got a short in the cable or a bad load cell.
Check to see that the signal voltage in the “Info menu” are about half of excite and
equal. If one signal voltage is near zero, or near 4V, you may have a disconnected signal
wire. Check that connection at the interface board. If the signal voltages are not near
zero or 4V, but are more than a 0.5V different, you may have the load cell miswired, or
a bent load cell.
If the indicator constantly shows “OVERLOAD” or “UNDERLOAD”, follow the
instructions above. In addition, go to the “Info menu” and watch the “ADC” reading
(raw counts). It shouldn’t vary more than 100-300 counts with a good load cell and a
stable environment. With no load on the cell, it should be within +/- 10,000 counts of
zero. (Deadload can cause the no load reading to shift.) If the no load reading is really
large (say, greater than one million counts or less than negative one million counts) and
the connections are solid, you probably have a bent load cell.
Unstable or noisy weights? Perform all the steps listed above. A really good test is
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to temporarily disconnect the load cell and substitute a known good load cell simulator
(available for purchase from WeighTech), or a known good load cell. Calibrate the scale
with a convenient test weight and check to see if the weight reading is stable. If so,
the noisy load cell has probably been damaged or water-soaked. If the indicator still
displays a noisy weight with a load cell simulator, the problem may be in the indicator.
Contact WeighTech for further assistance.
12.2 Machines
Most machine related problems can be traced to bad air supply (excessive water and
condensation), sticky air cylinders, worn or clogged solenoid air valves, and wiring.
A quick test is to put the machine in “Cycle off” mode–all the valves should energize,
shutting all the gates. Then put the machine in “Cycle idle” mode, which will de-
energize all the valves and open all the gates. If a gate doesn’t move during these two
tests, start swapping parts around to determine where the problem lies.
12.3 Before calling WeighTech...
Write down a few key pieces of information. Gather the indicator serial number from
the front panel, the software application name and build number from the “Info menu”,
and grab the current settings if you have access to a Palm. If anything on the indicator
has changed, been replaced, or been modified, mention that to the service technician too.
If the problem involves fill rates, hangs, or questions regarding machine capabilities,
be ready to describe the product, product flow rate, and any bag/box/tote/combo sizes.
If you’re calling about unstable weight readings, over/underload, or other load cell
related problems, have the ADC, excite, and signal readings from the “Info menu”
handy. When calling, be prepared to describe what is wrong (“it doesn’t work!” isn’t a
good description–“hopper gate doesn’t shut in off mode” is much better) and what you
expected to see.
12.4 Module Assignments
Slot Module Type Function Module on (lit) Module off (dark)
M1 OAC5 (black) Infeed line stop Infeed stop Infeed run
M2 OAC5 (black) Buffer hopper Hopper shut Hopper open
M3 OAC5 (black) Weigh hopper Hopper shut Hopper open
M4 OAC5 (black) Bag opener Extended Retracted
M5 IDC5 (white) Dump switch Pressed
M6 IDC5 (white) Idle switch
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