The Data Collection Service (DCS) is a small Windows service that is installed on each CMM or inspection machine that has data to be collected. The DCS then relays data collected from the inspection equipment to a central application server where QC-CALC Real-Time as a Service collects the data. Since both RTS and DCS installed on each inspection machine are running as Windows Services, they stay running at all times and collect data silently in the background.

Specifically, DCS monitors a Pickup folder where the inspection software outputs its inspection results, creates .dcs files, and moves them to a Dropoff folder. A Data Collector in RTS watches this Dropoff folder and collects the data that arrives in it from DCS. If you purchased multiple Data Collectors from us, you can configure them all in RTS so a single instance of RTS collects data from multiple installs of DCS on various inspection machines in your facility.

Key Points

• A Data Collection Service monitors a unique Pickup folder.
• The inspection software installed on the same machine as DCS saves its inspection results to the Pickup folder.
• A DCS service moves files to a particular Dropoff folder.
• A Data Collector configured in Real-Time as a Service monitors this Dropoff folder.
• When files arrive in the Dropoff folder, RTS collects the data and saves it in a database.
• A Dropoff folder can only have one RTS Data Collector monitoring it.

First, you will activate QC-CALC Real-Time using your Real-Time as a Service License Manager license. Afterward, you will configure Data Collection Services on the inspection machines and then set QC-CALC Real-Time to monitor your chosen Pickup folder.

1. Sign in to https://www.prolinksoftware.com
2. Go to Account > Software (under Owned Products)
3. Look for your Real -Time as a Service License Manager license, as shown below
4. Click the Activate link

5. Open QC-CALC Real-Time and go to the Help > License Configuration menu if it doesn't open to that screen automatically
6. Note the Computer ID that is displayed in QC-CALC Real-Time
7. Back on the Prolink website, enter the Computer ID from the software into the Computer ID field, as shown below in #1
8. Enter a machine description and then click the Get Activation Code button, as shown below

9. Copy the activation code and paste it into the Help > License Configuration menu in QC-CALC Real-Time
10. Click the Validate button to complete the license activation

11. QC-CALC Real-Time will confirm that the license has been activated

12. Once activated, you can click the Show License Flags option in the Help > License Configuration menu to confirm that the Real-Time as a Service License Manager license you activated has the number of Data Collectors you purchased. In the example below, a license with 17 (16+1) Data Collectors is activated.

You will set up DCS first, and then return to QC-CALC Real-Time to set it up to collect data from this instance of DCS.

1. Install the Data Collection Service (DCS) on your inspection machine(s)
2. Right-click on the Prolink Data Collection Service 4.0 app and choose Run as Admin
1. This is required so you can start and stop the Windows Service from the application
3. Click Change Settings next to Pickup Path
4. Set the Pickup Path. This where the inspection machine will output it's results files.
1. When DCS processes files in this folder they will disappear and then DCS will create .dcs files in the Dropoff folder for RTS to collect

5. Set the Inspection Equipment by selecting an option from the menu. If the option you need is not listed, choose Other
6. Set the Communication File Extension. This is the file extension of the results files output by the inspection software (e.g. .txt, .csv, .res, .dfq, etc.)
7. Set the Dropoff Folder. This is where RTS will look for the .dcs files from DCS
1. The .dcs files will be converted back to communication files and collected by RTS into the appropriate Prolink database file as defined by the Data Collector

8. Click the Save button when finished
9. Back in the main window of the DCS Settings app, click Check Permissions to confirm DCS has the permissions it needs to access the Pickup and Dropoff folders you selected. The app will confirm if it has the correct permissions

10. If DCS indicates it does not have the correct permissions, see the Troubleshooting section below for more information

Data Collector Setup

1. In QC-CALC Real-Time, go to Tools > Options > Real-Time as a Service > Data Collectors
2. Click the green plus button to add a Data Collector
3. In the Data Collector Setup window, enter a Friendly Name for the Data Collector
4. Select All Machines under "Show All..."
5. Select a Data Collection Source from the list. This should be set to whatever inspection software will be sending data to RTS.
6. Click the Next >> button.
7. On the Actions screen, use the default settings unless you need to change how RTS handles data collection when the machine characteristics in the incoming data don't match the data in your database. Click the Next >> button.
8. On the Data Source Information screen, set the File Path and Name to match the Dropoff Folder in DCS. Leave the file extension on the end of the path as shown below.
1. If you are using QDAS-formatted files, enable the option All Source File(s) are in Q-DAS format

13. Click the Next >> button when done.
14. On the Set Paths screen, set the folder path (if using QCQ files) or the Category (if using SQL) where data collected by this Data Collector will go. Click the Next >> button.
15. On the Multisource screen you can set some settings for Multisource if you use it. Otherwise, use the default settings. Click the Next >> button.
16. Click the OK button to save your new Data Collector
17. Repeat steps 1-16 to set up as many Data Collectors as needed (and as your license allows)

Start the RTS Service

1. Close QC-CALC Real-Time if it's open
2. Open QC-CALC Real-Time as an Administrative user by right-clicking on the icon and choosing Run as Admin.
1. This is required so that QC-CALC Real-Time can start and stop the QC-CALC Real Time Service 4.3 Windows service)
3. Go to Tools > Options > Real-Time as a Service
4. if you see "Service is not running" in red text, click the Start Real-Time Service button
5. Check the Enabled box under Enable Data Collection
6. (Optional) You can enable Email Administrator on Errors so someone can receive email alerts about RTS data collection errors
1. Email Administrator on Errors requires configuring your Email server settings in Tools > Options > Email
7. Click OK when done to save your settings and close the Options window

Permissions

If Check Permissions in the Data Collection Service Settings app indicates it doesn't have permission to access the Pickup folder, then log on user for the Prolink Data Collection Service 4.0 Windows service does not have the necessary file permissions.

If it indicates DCS can't access the Dropoff folder, then the log on user for the QC-CALC Real-Time Service 4.3 Windows service doesn't have permission to access this folder.

The solution for both is the same: edit the service to have it log on with an Admin user that does have permission to access those folders. In the example below, the Prolink Data Collection Service 4.0 is modified to log on using an Administrative user:

1. Close the Data Connection Service Settings app
2. Open the Services application in Windows (this may require Admin privileges)
3. Right-click on Prolink Data Collection Service 4.0 and select Properties
4. Select the Log On tab
5. Set Log On As to This account and then enter the user name and password of an Admin user
1. You may need to ask IT for assistance with this if you don't know what Account name to enter.

6. Click OK when done
7. Right-click on Prolink Data Collection Service 4.0 and choose Restart
8. Open the Data Connection Service Settings app and select Check Permissions to confirm the changes resolved the permission issue(s)

Scenarios

When All Slots Are Full

1. The DCS file is moved to the following folder:
   C:\ProgramData\Prolink\QC-CALC 4.3\DCSFilesWithNoSlot\

2. An entry is made into: C:\ProgramData\Prolink\QC-CALC 4.3\error.log
   Example: 10/28/2021 10:45:06 AM Real-Time Service 4.0.85.0 DataCollectionSerive The following file had no available slot: D:\tom_temp\DCS\DropoffFolder1\REGRESSION Data Collection Service-3e642d7e-06b0-4b08-b093-03c487e30c14.dcs

When Communication Files are Read-Only:

The .dcs file will be saved to the following directory with a .dro extension:

C:\ProgramData\Prolink\Data Collection Service 4.3\ReadOnlyCommunicationFiles\

When a CMM writes directly to the Dropoff folder

The communication file is not read into the database by RTS, it instead gets moved to:

C:\ProgramData\Prolink\QC-CALC 4.3\UnconfirmedDataFiles\

When a DCS file gets dropped off and is corrupted:

This can occasionally happen due to network instability.

The communication file is not read into the database by RTS, it instead gets moved to:

C:\ProgramData\Prolink\QC-CALC 4.3\CorruptJsonFiles\

Best Practices Summary

• Each Data Collector should have its own unique Dropoff folder, otherwise unpredictable results can occur.
• One or more DCS services can write to the same Dropoff folder.
• No CMM should ever write directly to the Dropoff folder. The data will not be collected in this circumstance.
• Dropoff folders should be on same server that is running RTS.
• Do not install another copy of QC-CALC Real-Time on the server that is running RTS. It will break the program files and make RTS inoperable

Include Subfolders

You can set up both the Data Collector and the DCS settings to include/check subfolders. This will allow DCS to check the Pickup folder and all its subfolders for communication files. RTS will search its Dropoff folder and all its subfolders for communication files.

In the DCS Settings app:

Secondary Files

Some Inspection Equipment has secondary files. There is a checkbox where you can decide whether or not to collect them. In this example, the checkbox has the name “Collect Smart Report Files”. Note that the checkbox text will change based on the selected Inspection Equipment.

Air Foil (AFDA)

The primary pickup folder is collected by the settings app. If Blade data is also collected, check “Enable Blade Data” and enter the secondary pickup folder.

Also enter a primary Dropoff folder as DCS will drop all files off into a single folder.

RTS needs just one data collector (AFDA File Format).

Lynx by G2 Metric

The machine Lynx by G2 Metric must use the following communication filenames:

Report.csv -and- Headers.csv

QDAS - All Machines outputting QDAS

The inspection machine will output either two QDAS files or a single QDAS file:

Option 1)

Look for .dfd and its associate file: .dfx

RTS will find both files, glue them together as a .dfq, and write it out to the Dropoff folder to be collected.

Option 2)

Look for .dfq – single file

OGP Measure-X

The primary Pickup folder is collected by the settings app. The Secondary pickup folder (if applicable) is hard-coded to: C:\OGP\SmartReport\ (this secondary pickup folder is not entered into the settings app).

If the secondary checkbox is checked, a secondary DropOff folder is also collected.

RTS will need one or two Data Collectors (two if “Collect Secondary” is checked) to be purchased/setup.

One data collector for: “OGP Measure-X”. Point it to the Dropoff folder. Note that the filename can have a wildcard. e.g. qc*.sta

If “Collect Secondary” is checked, then one data collector for: “OGP/QVI Measure-X SmartReport Files Only”. Point it to the secondary dropoff folder and the filename must be: ??port.sta

OGP/QVI Models – (OGP MeasureMind, QVI Measure-X, QVI Zone3)

The primary Pickup folder is collected by the settings app. The secondary Pickup folder is not collected and is hard-coded to the same as the primary Pickup folder under the covers (this secondary Pickup folder is not entered into the settings app).

If the secondary checkbox is checked, a secondary Dropoff folder is also collected.

RTS will need one or two Data Collectors (two if “Collect Secondary” is checked) to be purchased/setup.

One data collector for any of the following: (OGP MeasureMind, QVI Measure-X, QVI Zone3)”. Point it to the Dropoff folder. Note that the filename can have a wildcard. e.g. qc*.sta

If “Collect Secondary” is checked, then one data collector for: “OGP/QVI Measure-X SmartReport Files Only”. Point it to the secondary Dropoff folder and the filename must be: ??port.sta

PCDMIS & Blade

The current assumption is that clients run either one or the other. Never both.

DCS - Use “Other” and enter the communication file extension.

RTS – Pick either the normal PCDMIS machine for the data collector -or- the new data collector “PCDMIS Blade”.

Smart Report Files Only

OGP Measure-X (SmartReport Only):
DCS - No pickup folder (it's hard-coded to C:\OGP\SmartReport) and one dropoff folder.
RTS - One Data Collector - OGP/QVI Measure-X SmartReport Files Only

OGP/QVI Models (SmartReport Only):

DCS One pickup folder and one dropoff folder.
RTS - One Data Collector - OGP MeasureMind SmartReport Files Only

-or-
QVI Zone3 SmartReport Files Only

-or-

OGP/QVI Measure-X SmartReport Files Only (QVI Measure-X machine)

Unsupported Machines

The following machines are currently unsupported:

• Metris ISO Bar (ISO 10-3.60-2)
• MPM AP Excel Screen Printer
• QC-CALC CSV Generic Parser