Calipers and indicators with direct RS232 output. These gages are easy to configure because they have only two modes - setup and measure. In setup mode you can set a zero point and choose between inches and millimeters.

Connection Notes

The default settings are Baud Rate = 4800 baud, Data Bits = 7, Parity = Even, Flow Control = RTS/CTS (Hardware). Use a straight cable that passes all lines if you must extend the DIGI-MET's cable. The DIGI-MET has a female DB9 connector.

If you specify units in the Spec Plan, use in for inches and mm for millimeters. If you disconnect and reconnect the DIGI-MET from the computer, the DIGI-MET may send an extra reading or may send characters that block the first reading, watch the QC-Gage run screen when you connect the DIGI-MET.

Collecting Data

To collect data, the DIGI-MET must be in measure mode, indicated by the words REF 1 in the upper left corner of the display. If the DIGI-MET is not in measure mode, press and hold button 1 for about 2 seconds and release it. As long as the DIGI-MET is in measure mode you can send readings to QC-Gage by pressing button 2. The DIGI-MET does not accept the Get Reading button on the QC-Gage run screen.

Gage to RS232 converters that are available for most gages. Configure the GagePort using switches inside the GagePort and configure the RS232 using switches inside RS232/power cord connector. Although all GagePorts look alike, each accepts only a few types of gages. Make sure you have a GagePort that accepts the type of gage you have, and make sure the switches inside the GagePort are set to the type of gage for each port. For example, if you had a GagePort 2220-HH you could set it to accept a Mitutoyo Indicator on Port 1 and a TESA Caliper on Port 2, but there is no way you could configure it to accept a Chicago Dial Indicator. You also could not switch the Mitutoyo Indicator to Port 2 without taking the GagePort apart and changing the switches. The GagePort has 2 modes - Computer mode and Printer mode. There are 2 separate gage scripts in QC-Gage for these modes. All ports on the same GagePort must be in the same mode. In Computer mode the foot switch is disabled and in Printer mode the Get Reading button is disabled. Note that not all gages respond to the foot switch and the Get Reading button.

Connection Notes

If you use an extension cable to reach the PC, the cable must contain the hardware handshaking lines. If you are unsure about your cable, put the GagePort in printer mode, connect the GagePort to the Microsoft HyperTerminal program, and use the foot switch to send readings. If HyperTerminal does not receive data, the cable is probably bad. Do not attempt to connect to QC-Gage until you know the GagePort can send data from the gage to your computer. If your computer's serial port does not have a a 16550 UART you should set the baud rate to 1200 baud on both the computer and the GagePort.

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Get Reading button if the GagePort is in Computer mode, the foot switch if the GagePort is in Printer mode, or the Send button on the gage (not all gages have Send buttons).

A newer version of the popular GagePort Gage to RS232 converters. GagePort NT converters are available for most gages and include autodetect capability for many gages. Configure the GagePort NT's gage behavior using a terminal emulator program like Microsoft's HyperTerminal. Configure the GagePort NT's RS232 behavior using switches inside RS232/power cord connector. The GagePort NT has two output modes - Computer mode and Printer mode. Select the output mode by setting a switch in the RS232/power cord connector. All ports on the same GagePort will be in the same mode. Use Printer mode with QC-Gage.

The GagePort NT provides two reading modes, Static and Dynamic. Static mode takes a single reading and transmits it to QC-Gage. Dynamic mode takes a series of readings and reports the largest, smallest, and difference between them. You can have some gages in static mode and some in dynamic mode connected to the same GagePort NT, but you must be careful how you configure the foot switches and collect data - it is easy to accidentally set the GagePort to send data from one gage while it enters dynamic mode for a second gage but this extra readings from the first gage and the order depends on the gage numbers! If you use dynamic mode, you must make 3 features in your QC-Gage Spec Plan for each gage in dynamic mode, even if you don't want all three. The readings come in as Min, Max, and TIR. If you want QC-Gage to check the mode, specify units of Static for a feature that should be measured in static mode and units of Min, Max, and TIR respectively for the three features generated by a reading in dynamic mode.

The autodetect capability allows quick and easy setup of new gages, and allows you to change gages with very little effort, but if the gage is not autodetected or if you need special settings then autodetect may not work well. The GagePort NT allows you to "burn in" a gage type and settings so when you power down and power up the GagePort your old settings for that gage come back. See the "Configuration notes" section for details.

A GagePort with 4 ports can support 4 gages but only has 2 foot switches. You can configure each port to respond to either, neither, or both foot switches. This means you can set up a system so pressing foot switch 1 causes gages 1 and 4 to send data, foot switch 2 causes gages 1 and 2 to send data, and gage 3 will only send data when you use the Send button on the gage or press the Get Reading button on QC-Gage.

Connection Notes

WARNING:QC-Gage requires a G-C440 or G-C441 cable. There are 4 cables that can connect a GagePort NT to a computer - A-680, A-681, G-C440 and G-C441. The A series cables are used by some GagePort programs, and are not configurable.

If you use an extension cable to reach the PC, the cable must contain the hardware handshaking lines. If you are unsure about your cable, put the GagePort in printer mode, connect the GagePort NT to the Microsoft HyperTerminal program, set Terminal and the GagePort NT to the same RS232 settings, and use the foot switch to send readings. If Terminal does not receive data, the cable is probably bad. Do not attempt to connect to QC-Gage until you know the GagePort can send data from the gage to your computer. If your computer's serial port does not have a 16550 UART you should set the baud rate to 1200 baud on both the computer and the GagePort. If you have a 16550 UART you can use 9600 baud, but 1200 baud is better because the volume of data is small. Most of the processing time is used within QC-Gage, so the slower data rate increases reliability without affecting the total time to take a reading. In fact, the GagePort NT has a built in limit of 0.150 seconds between characters for some functions and sending data faster can cause erratic behavior in the GagePort!

Configuration Notes

Configuring the GagePort NT for the first time can take an hour or more and be somewhat confusing, but using the configuration procedures provided by Prolink makes the process much clearer.

Background

The GagePort has three types of memory; "permanent", "semi-permanent", and "temporary" (actually 4, but we don't need to consider the SmartCables here); and moving information between them is not always clear. The permanent memory cannot be changed and contains the default gage definitions, instructions for autodetection, and instructions that tell the GagePort how to handle instructions from the computer you connect the GagePort to. All we really care about this memory is that it contains default gage definitions in a safe place so if we make a mistake, we can use it to "reset" the GagePort NT to its original factory fresh state. The second type of memory, semi-permanent, is readable and writeable nonvolatile memory. This memory is not cleared when you power down the GagePort NT, so anything put here is permanent until you explicitly tell the GagePort to change it. When you configure the output format, foot switches, etc. the settings go here. The last type of memory we are concerned with is the temporary memory, also known as volatile read / write memory. This gets reset every time you unplug the GagePort. Readings go here, and a copy of the gage name if the gage was autodetected. This means that if you rely on autodetect, the GagePort checks the gage every time you power the GagePort up so make sure the gage is plugged in! You can copy the gage name (well, number actually) for a port into the second type of memory, the nonvolatile read/write memory, so that when you power down and power up the GagePort NT it uses the one you told it instead of autodetecting. This also preserves settings like static vs. dynamic mode. You can clear this setting by specifying a gage type of autodetect (gage number 99) and then burning it in, but the point is that these settings are taken from the permanent memory by default but you can change them and store them in the semi-permanent memory if you want to.

The GagePort NT accepts commands and sends data by RS232. The GagePort is case sensitive, so the command "As" is not the same as "AS" or "as". It is also timing sensitive on many commands, and will reject a command sent too quickly or with too large a delay in it. For this reason we recommend using 1200 baud with the GagePort NT, even though it can support higher speeds. To prevent delays in commands you send while configuring the GagePort, you can type the commands in notepad, then copy and paste them into the terminal emulator you are using.

Each port on the GagePort can be set or commanded independently. You specify a port to receive the command by preceding a command with an attention character. The attention character is different for each port. All attention characters are upper case letters. The attention character for the first port is A, the character for the second port is B, and so on. For example, to send the "r" command (take a reading) to the gage connected to port 3 you would type

Cr

and assuming a gage was connected to port 3, was turned on, and was in static mode you would get a reading back within a second or two. Most of the examples here use port 1 (attention character A) but you could apply them to ports 2, 3, etc. by replacing the A with a B, C, etc.

How to start

The first step is to set the RS232 parameters. Take the shell off the RS232/power connector for the GagePort. Inside the shell are DIP switches for printer vs. computer mode, baud rate, and parity. Set the switches for printer mode, CRLF, 1200 baud, no parity. You can use 9600 baud, but using 1200 assures you don't overrun the GagePort's input buffer and so little data passes at a time that the total transfer time during data collection differs from 9600 baud by less than 5%.The next step is to connect the gages to the GagePort and the serial / power cable between the GagePort and the computer and plug the power cable in. Start Microsoft's HyperTerminal or the terminal emulator of your choice. Choose the serial port you connected the GagePort NT to, set its baud rate to 1200, set parity to none, data bits to 8, stop bits to 1, and flow control to none. Close and reopen the serial port to make sure the new settings are in effect. You may also want to save these settings so you can easily reconfigure the GagePort in the future. You should now be able to type

Ai

and get a response similar to the following one

iP01,M2104,2.4,U0D0,G#099(051),f=1-2-e-,o=P+U+N+H-

the exact response is not important, but there should be no strange characters in it.

If you did not get a response, or the response is garbled, you have a problem with your settings, cable, computer, or GagePort and cannot proceed until it is fixed. The QC-Gage manual contains an appendix with a section on debugging cable problems, and the GagePort manual describes the cable switch settings.

If your GagePort has been used and possible configured before, you should reset it to factory fresh condition by disconnecting it from the serial / power cable, removing the cover, putting the "reset jumper" in place, and reconnecting the serial / power cable. The GagePort NT will display the following menu

Emulating 2104 Number of ports=4
H=Hexdump
P=Poke addr
K=checK_sum calculation
R=Reset and run

Type R to reset it to factory fresh condition, wait about 10 seconds, and then disconnect the serial / power cable. Remove the jumper, put the cover back on the GagePort, and attach the serial / power cable again.

What to set

Remember that typing too slow, or forgetting to press Enter after typing a command can cause the GagePort to reject the command!

Disable the transmission of headers on power up with the following line. You do not need to repeat it for each port because all ports share the same output format. You do not need to "save" this setting, it automatically goes into semi-permanent memory.

Aoh-

(optional)Set the foot switch action for each port. The format is Aw followed by the foot switches, if any, you want port A to respond to. If you want port A to respond to both, use 1,2 after the w. Repeat with ports B, C, and D if desired. You do not need to "save" foot switch settings, they automatically go into semi-permanent memory. To make foot switch 1 cause gages 1 and 4 to send data, foot switch 2 cause gages 1 and 2 to send data, and gage 3 ignore the foot switches you would send the following lines to the GagePort.

Aw1,2
Bw2
Cw
Dw1

(optional)Force power on gage types for each channel. Use the d command to set the port to a specific gage and the b command to burn the setting into semi-permanent memory. The d command also lets you set the user bit (used by the GagePort for alternate modes in some gages) and dynamic / static mode. The format is

Adxy#zzz

where x is the user bit (usually 0), y is 0 for static or 1 for dynamic, and zzz is the gage number. Use a gage number of 99 to go back to autodetect mode. For example, to set port 1 to a Federal Maxim in static mode, port 2 to a Federal Maxim in dynamic mode, port 3 to autodetect a gage and use dynamic mode, and port 4 to a UltraDigit III in static mode use the following 4 lines.

Ad00#62
Bd01#62
Cd01#99
Dd00#60

(optional)Save your gage type and reading mode settings with the b command. You must repeat it for each port you want to save. To save ports 1, 2, and 4 use the following lines

Ab
Bb
Db

Checking your settings

When you have made all the settings you need, you should check them to make sure they were accepted. Timing errors or typing errors can result in the GagePort NT rejecting a command you thought was accepted. Type

Ai
Bi

etc. for each port and compare the settings with what you expected. The return from an "i" command is a string in the form

Paa,UbDc,G#099(ggg),f=1h2iej,o=PkUmNnHp
or
Paa,UbDc,G#ddd,f=1h2iej,o=PkUmNnHp

where aa is the port number (01 to 04 for a 4 port GagePort), b is the user bit, c is 0 for static or 1 for dynamic mode, ddd is the gage number (099 for autodetect), ggg is the autodetected gage number, h is + for respond to foot switch 1 or - for ignore it, i is + for respond to foot switch 2 or - for ignore it, j is + for send an event or - for no events, k is + for include port number in output or - for do not include, m is + for include register name in output or - for do not include, n is + for include reading number in output or - for do not include, p is + for transmit header information on power up or - for do not transmit. For example

P01,U0D0,G#099(051),f=1-2-e-,o=P+U+N+H-

QC-Gage requires settings of - for j and p, and + for k, m, and n. Settings for a, b, c, d, g, h, and i will affect how the GagePort interacts with the gage and with the foot switches, but not how it interacts with QC-Gage.

Collecting data

In static mode collect data by using the Get Reading button, the foot switch, or the Send button on the gage (not all gages have Send buttons).

In dynamic mode, collect data by pressing the foot switch once to start taking readings, then pressing it again to end the dynamic reading cycle and transmit the results. Note that for the GagePort NT in dynamic mode the Get Reading button is not disabled but does not work as you might expect - it starts dynamic reading but you must use the foot switch to end and transmit the reading!

If a gage gets disconnected from the GagePort while the GagePort is collecting data, a dynamic mode reading collects more than 9999 readings, or the GagePort is asked to collect data from a port that does not have a gage connected to it the GagePort NT may stop responding to foot switches and / or the computer. If this happens, disconnect the serial / power cable from the GagePort and reconnect it. This clears the error and restarts the GagePort.

Gage to RS232 converter made by Gage Connections. Configure the GageMux using DIP switches. The GageMux is available in 2 and 4 port models and supports a wide variety of gages.

Connection Notes

The default settings are Baud Rate = 9600 baud, Data Bits = 8, Parity = None, Flow Control = None. Use a straight through cable to connect the computer to the GageMux. When you write a Spec Plan, make sure you either leave the Units field blank or put the gage mode in the Units field. The modes are NRM, MIN, MAX, and TIR.

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Get button in QC-Gage or the foot switch on the GageMux.

For interface to QC-Gage the QC-1000 and QC-1100 are identical so anywhere you see QC-1000 you can read it as QC-1100. The Quick-Chek is a digital read out with RS232 output capability. You can enable or disable each axis independently so make sure your Spec Plans include enough features for all readings. For example, if you have X, Y, and Q axes enabled, each time the operator pushes the print button the QC-1000 will fill 3 features in QC-Gage. The QC-1000 reports the following units of measure: inch, mm, deg, and dms for inches, millimeters, decimal degrees, and degrees minutes seconds respectively. When you write Spec Plans you can leave the Units field blank or use one of the abbreviations listed above.

Connection Notes

The default settings are Baud Rate = 600 baud, Data Bits = 8, Stop Bits = 2, Parity = None, Flow Control = Hardware. Use a custom cable to connect the computer to the QC-1000. The cable must have a 9 pin male connector on the QC-1000 end and a 9 pin female or 25 pin female connector on the computer end.

Cable Wiring Diagram for QC-1000 to PC
QC-1100 (9 pin male)	PC (9 pin female)	PC (25 pin female)
1	5	7
4	2	3
5	8	5
7	7	4
8	3	2

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Get button in QC-Gage, the foot switch on the QC-1000, or the print button on the QC-1000. If you have a probe attached to the QC-1000 and it is setup correctly (see the QC-1000 manual) the probe can trigger data collection also.

The Quadra-Chek 2000 is used in many inspection devices, marketed under many different names. It can be run in immediate mode or programmed. Programmed mode works better with QC-Gage because the QC-2000 will send exactly the same features in exactly the same order. In immediate mode the operator must be more careful because if he changes the way he prints data or the order he measures a feature he can put the data in QC-Gage in the wrong order. The QC-2000 has several different output modes and formats. The Gage Script we provide works with 32 column format, either printer mode or computer mode.

There is a difference between the QC-2000 and the QC-Gage definitions of the word "Feature". The QC-2000 uses this word to describe an entity on a part, like a circle or a line. QC-Gage uses the word to describe a single measurement, like the diameter of a circle or the X position of a line. A single QC-2000 feature may have several QC-Gage features. Although the QC-2000 manual does not have a term for the individual measurements, you can think of them as attributes. Using this terminology, QC-Gage features are attributes of a QC-2000 feature.

You can send data from the QC-2000 three ways - you can send specific attributes of a feature using the ./X, 0/Y, +-/XY and More buttons, you can send all data for the current feature with the Print button, or you can send all data for all features with the "Print all features" function. Sending specific attributes of a feature works best.

Sending data using the ./X, 0/Y, +-/XY and More buttons allows you to send exactly what you want. You simply click the More button until the attributes you want, i.e. X and Y position or +T and -T, are displayed in the Message Display Window and then you press the ./X, 0/Y, or +-/XY button. For example, if you wanted to send a circle's radius and its X and Y position, you would probe the circle and press the Finish button. The Message Display Window would show r/d and their values would be in the X display and Y display. You want the radius so press the ./X button to send it. Next press the More button, the Message Display Window now shows X/Y. You want both so press the +-/XY button. NOTE: If you look at the data (using Microsoft's Terminal.exe or using a printer) you will see all data labeled X or Y. In our example you would see three lines of output - an X (the radius) a second X (the X position) and a Y (the Y position). QC-Gage replaces the labels the QC-2000 sends with the labels you provide when you write a Spec Plan so you don't need to worry about these labels, but you should be aware of this behavior in case you are trouble shooting your program using a printer or Terminal.

Sending data using the Print button (or the "Print all features" function) on the QC-2000 produces a list of attributes for the current feature (or all features), including "form data" (a +T and a -T reading) for most features. See the QC-2000 manual for a description of form data. QC-Gage is set to ignore the +T and the -T for all features. If you need form data, you must send it by pressing the More button until the Message Display Window shows +/-T and then pressing the ./X, 0/Y, or +-/XY button to send the data.

When you output data using the Print button or the "Print all features" function the QC-2000 sends multiple measurements on one or more features to QC-Gage. If you will use either of these methods to output results you must make sure your Spec Plans contain enough room for all the measurements, even if you don't want them all. For example, if you want to measure 2 circles, your Spec Plan must have 8 features in it - an X position, a Y position, a Radius, and a Diameter for each circle. The presence of these extra measurements is the reason most people prefer using the ./X, 0/Y, +-/XY and More buttons to send data.

When you write Spec Plans in QC-Gage, make sure the units match the units the QC-2000 is set for. The abbreviations the QC-2000 uses for units are "in" and "mm" for inches and millimeters respectively. Angles do not report units, all angles are measured in degrees.

The QC-2000 should have the following settings, accessed by pressing the 5/Setup key, pressing Enter/Yes to enter setup, and using the 8/UpArrow, 2/DownArrow and Enter/Yes keys to select menu choices. See the QC-2000 manual for details. Set Angle Types to DD Angles. Set Feature Format, Form Feed to no. Set Feature Format, 32 Column to yes (checked). Set RS232, POE to no. In RS232, set 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for Pre Line, Pre Form, and Post Form to nothing (displays as a ?). In RS232, Post Line set 1st to 13 and set 2nd and 3rd to nothing.

QC-Gage has two similar scripts for the QC-2000, the "QC-2000 with Init" and the "QC-2000 32 col mode". The scripts are identical except the "QC-2000 with Init" script initializes the QC-2000 to settings QC-Gage requires. The settings made are 32 column reports, angle type to DD, no form feed, and no POE. It does not set pre and post line and form characters (see the QC-2000 manual), nor does it set RS232 settings or any toggles (like polar / Cartesian or inch / mm). The "QC-2000 with Init" script starts slower because it takes time to send the commands to the QC-2000. The QC-2000 must be turned on and connected to the computer before you run a QC-Gage Spec Plan that uses a "QC-2000 with Init" script. Please note that most users will set the QC-2000 up with the settings QC-Gage needs and not change it, you only need the "QC-2000 with Init" script if you frequently change between QC-Gage and another form of output.

Connection Notes

Use a straight cable with a male DB25 connector on the QC-2000 end and a Female DB9 or DB25 cable on the computer end. The cable should pass hardware handshaking lines because "Printer mode" on the QC-2000 uses hardware flow control. If you do not have a cable that passes hardware handshaking lines, you must use "Computer mode".

If your computer's serial port does not have a 16550 UART you should set the baud rate to 2400 baud on both the computer and the QC-2000. The default settings are Baud Rate = 4800 baud, Data Bits = 8, Parity = None, Stop Bits = 2 Flow Control = Software (XOn / XOff).

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the More button to select the attributes you want and the ./X, 0/Y, or +-/XY buttons to send them. Alternately, you can use the Print button, the "Print all features" function, see the description above.

A wide variety of instruments for measuring weight, moisture content, pH, temperature, etc. Most support RS232 output in several modes. Some instruments cannot support both RS232 and LocalCAN, you must choose one or the other.

Connection Notes

Use a cable that passes handshaking lines.

Collecting Data

Make sure the instrument is in single reading mode, not in statistics, identification, or calibration mode. Collect data by using the Print button or the external foot switch on the instrument.

An optical comparator with RS232 output. The Q16 sends all available output (usually 3 or 4 readings, depending on the mode) so make sure you put enough features in your Spec Plans. For example, if the Q16 is in angle mode you get 4 readings every time you push the XMIT button - X, Y, Screen Rotation, and Angle.

Connection Notes

The default settings are Baud Rate = 2400 baud, Bits per Byte = 8, Stop Bits = 1, Parity = None, Flow Control = Hardware. You can change the baud rate by removing the switch cover on the back panel of the Q16 and setting the switches according to the Q16 manual, but do not use baud rates above 2400 unless your computer has 16550 compatible UART in the serial port. Connect the Q16 to the computer with a straight cable that passes hardware handshaking lines. The cable should have a 25 pin connector on the Q16 end and a 9 pin female or 25 pin female connector on the computer end. Use the XMIT port not the PRINT port.

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Get Reading button on the QC-Gage Run Screen or the XMIT button on the Q16.

A Gage to RS232 converter used with profile projectors, etc. The DMX normally transmits both channels (X and Y) simultaneously. You should either make spec plans that collect readings in pairs, or use the Get Reading button to collect one channel at a time.

Connection Notes

Use a straight cable with a 25 pin male connector on the DMX end. By default the QC-Gage script uses 9600 Baud (with no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit) and no handshaking, but the DMX does understand hardware handshaking. If you use handshaking, the cable must contain the hardware handshaking lines. If you are unsure about your cable, connect the DMX to the Microsoft Terminal program, set Terminal to use hardware handshaking, and send 1[CR] (where [CR] means press the enter key) to the DMX. If Terminal does not receive data, the cable is probably not right for the DMX. Note that baud rates higher than 2400 baud require a serial port based on a 16550 UART.

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Get Reading button or the foot switch. If you use the foot switch the DMX sends both channels at the same time. If you use the Get Reading button the DMX sends only the reading for the channel specified for the current feature.

Gage to RS232 converter that connects a Mitutoyo gage to a serial port.

Connection Notes

The default settings are Baud Rate = 1200 baud, Data Bits = 8, Stop Bits = 1, Parity = None, Flow Control = None. The MRS includes a cable with a DB25 female connector that connects directly to the computer. If you need to extend the cable use a straight through cable that passes all lines. If your computer has a 9 pin serial port use a 25 to 9 pin adapter that is male on the 25 pin side and female on the 9 pin side.

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Send button on the gage.

Gage to RS232 converter that connects up to 3 Mitutoyo gages to a single serial port. Configure the Mux10 using switches inside the Mux10.

Connection Notes

The default settings are Baud Rate = 1200 baud, Data Bits = 8, Parity = None, Flow Control = None. Use a straight through cable to connect the computer to the Mux10. The Mux10 end of the cable is a male DB25 connector.

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Get Reading button in QC-Gage, the Load switch on the Mux10, or the external foot switch on the Mux10.

Stackable interface boxes that multiplex dozens gages onto a single RS232 port. Static or dynamic mode (MIN, MAX and TIR) can be set for each gage individually. Configure the GageNET using switches on the back of the GageNET. Note that not all gages respond to the foot switch and the Get Reading button.

When you write Spec Plans, you must use 3 features for each measurement made in dynamic mode. Each reading in dynamic mode includes MIN, MAX and TIR values, in that order. Make sure the features are in order and all have the correct channel number. You can use the units field in the spec plan (go to Edit - Spec Plan Features) to check for the correct mode. If you put in units of NRM for readings that should be taken in static mode and MIN, MAX, and TIR for units of the first, second, and third feature of each reading in dynamic mode, QC-Gage will warn the operator if the gage is in the wrong mode. If you use any other text for units, mm for example, QC-Gage does not check the mode.

Connection Notes

Use a cable with a male DB25 connector on the GageNET and a Female DB9 or DB25 cable on the computer end. If your computer's serial port does not have a 16550 UART you should set the baud rate to 2400 baud on both the computer and the GageNET. The default settings are Baud Rate = 9600 baud, Data Bits = 8, Parity = None, Stop Bits = 1 Flow Control = None.

Collecting Data

Collect data by using the Get Reading button on the QC-Gage Run Screen, the foot switch on the GageNET, or the Send button on the gage (not all gages have Send buttons).

Use this gage definition for any gage or device that transmits a single, unformatted reading with only a carriage return. The data must be in ASCII format. For example,

-4.454
6500
.0003

All are valid lines but

4.5 mm
12, 4.53
3.55, 3.51, 3.54

are not valid lines. You won't get any warnings when you use this gage definition because it does not check for channel, units, etc.

Connection Notes

Your connection will depend on the gage you use, refer to its manual.

Collecting Data

The Get Reading button on the QC-Gage Run Screen will not work with this gage definition, see the manual for the gage you are using for instructions on sending data.

Hardness testers built by Wilson / Instron. The Wilson 2000 can also emulate the 500 or the 600. The Wilson 2000 emulation does not exactly match the true Wilson 600 format, so use the script "Wilson 600" for a Wilson 600 and "Wilson 600 Emulation" for a Wilson 2000 in 600 emulation mode (and possibly for newer Wilson 600 testers). The "Default" and "Main and Final Result" formats of the Wilson 2000 can detect incorrect units and are preferred.

A hardness tester built by Wilson / Instron. This gage has 4 output formats, each has a specific "Gage Type" setting in QC-Gage. The output formats are "Default", "Wilson 500 Emulation", "Wilson 600 Emulation", and "Main and Final Result". Select the output format in the Setup menu Printing submenu Result Format option. We strongly recommend the "Default" format.

Note that not all menu choices are on the screen at the same time. You must use the up and down arrows to page through the menu choices. If there are 6 choices in a menu, 5 will be on one page and 1 choice will be alone on a second page.

Connection Notes

You can configure the Wilson 2000 to use a variety of serial port settings. Use the Setup menu RS232 option and pick the setting you want to change. You can set the baud rate to 2400 baud and use a computer without a 16550 UART based serial port in most cases. The default settings are Baud Rate = 2400 baud, Data Bits = 8, Parity = None, Flow Control = RTS/CTS (Hardware). Use a null modem cable to connect the computer to the Wilson 2000. The Wilson 2000 RS232 connector is a male DB9 connector.

Make sure you enter the units correctly in the Spec Plan, QC-Gage gives a warning message if the units don't match. QC-Gage also gives a warning if you are measuring in one scale and converting to another scale but the reading is not convertible (indicated by a --.- on the 2000 screen).

Collecting Data

Collect data by leaving the "Auto Print" mode of the 2000 on, or by pushing the Print button followed by the Clear Stats button after each set of measurements. If you forget to press the Clear Stats button or if you use Auto Print and press Print, you will get some readings twice.

A hardness tester built by Wilson / Instron. This gage has 4 output modes, only one of which is supported by QC-Gage.

Warning

The Tukon system will not transmit any data if QC-Gage is not up and running when the gage is turned on. If Tukon does not "see" a computer or printer connected to the gage it refuses to send data. Be sure to turn the equipment on in the correct order - PC and QC-Gage first, then Tukon!

QC-Gage ignores all data sent to it except Format 3. This yields 3 or 4 columns of numbers depending if Knoop or Vickers scales are used. You can write a Spec Plan to ignore any of the undesired values but you must include the correct units. In the case above either uM, HK or HRC. If these units are not correctly entered into the Spec Plan, the data is ignored.

Connection Notes

The Tukon requires the following serial port settings - Baud Rate = 2400 baud, Data Bits = 8, Parity = None, Flow Control = None.

Collecting Data

There are 4 buttons that send information through the serial port of the Tukon to an attached printer or in this case, to QC-Gage. The button that sends it in the correct format is the trigger on the handle (FILAR).

Format 1 Pushing the Print button on the Digital FILAR Display sends the display reading.

Format 2 Pushing the Stat button on the Digital FILAR Display sends a summary.

Format 3 Pushing the Trigger on the Digital FILAR Display sends the reading in several scales. This is the format QC-Gage needs.

Format 4 Pushing the Stat button on the back of the console sends raw data and a stat summary.