Download pdf - Simple MicroScribe test - Patrick Thorn MicroScribe test.pdf · Simple test for checking the approximate repeatability.(MUS) Now to check the MicroScribe repeats to a known position

NotesprovidedbyPatrickThorn&Co www.patrick‐thorn.co.ukinfo@patrick‐thorn.co.uk

SimpleMicroScribetestsAllusershavegreatsuccesswiththeirMicroScribe,thenonedaythereisapanicasthedimensionsdonotseemtoberightoritwontconnect.Thisisusuallydowntothefactyouhavenotmadeagoodconnection,settheHOMEcorrectly,oryouhaveforgottostartwiththestandardtipetc.,oryouhavedroppeditorknockeditover.MicroScribesdohaveareputationforjustworkingforever.Hereareacoupleofthingstocheckbygoingbacktobasics.Ifthesethingsdonotseemtoresolveyourproblemthenwecanprobablyhelpifyoucallus,orifallelsefailsRevWarearetheretohelpaswell.http://www.revware.net/ FirstmakesuretheconnectionwithyourPCisOK.USBishardtofaulter,butyoumayhavereformattedyourharddriveordeletedthedriver,soitisworthcheckingbyinstallingtheMicroScribeUtlitiySoftware(MUS).Wehaveacopyhere:‐http://www.patrick‐thorn.com/docs/scan/MUS_5.1.zipNoteyoumayhavetoUninstallfirstbeforeinstallingagain.WithGseriesMicroScribesthestandardUSBcableshouldworkOk,butwedonotrecommendusingaUSBextensionhubastheremaybenotenoughpowertodrivetheMicroScribewithoutloosingpositionaldata.MseriesMicroScribesrequireboththepowersupplyandtheUSBcablewithoutanextensionhub.SerialconnectionofG2andolder3D(red)MicroScribesneedtohaveboththepowersupplyandserial(RS232)cableconnectedasnopowerisderivedfromtheRS232lead.FulldetailsareshownintheMicroScribeUsermanualprovidedwitheachunit.Inthenotesthatfollow,theseareprovidedasasimpleguidetohelpyouunderstandifyourMicroScribeisworkingOK.Theyarenotamethodofconfirminganyaccuracyorcalibrationtest.TohelpunderstandthenoteswewillrefertotheMicroScribepartsasshowninthefollowingMicroScribeAnatomyillustration.


Checkingalltheaxisareworking.(MSTest)BeforetestingforpositionalrepeatabilitycheckyouhavethecorrectstylustipthatwasoriginallyprovidedwiththeMicroScribewhennew,asthisiswhattheunitwascalibratedwith.OnyouroriginalMicroScribediskthereisaMSTest.exeutilityforMicroSoftWindows(32bit).Ifyoucannotfindit,wehaveacopyhere.http://www.patrick‐thorn.com/docs/scan/MSTest.zipDownloaditandUnZipittoafolder.Thereare2parts“MSTest.exe”and“Armdll32”


ConnectyourMicroScribetoyourPC.MakesureyouhavetheStylusStandardTipinstalledfirmlyandtheStylusHolderiscleanfromdebris.PlacetheStylusStandardTipintotheStylusHolder.MakesurethereisnodebrisbetweenthecounterbalanceandtheunderneathoftheStylusholderblock.PositiontheMicroScribeinapositionsimilarasshownintheMicroScribeAnatomyillustration.Launchthe“MSTest.exe”anditwilllooklikethis.


PresstheHOMEbuttonontheMicroScribesotheredlightturnstogreen.Nowonthe“MicroScribeTestTool”dialogclickonthe“Connect”button.Thewindowshouldpopulatewithnumbers,similartothisexample.

ProductinformationThisistheinformationstoredonyourMicroScribeandisselfexplanatory.ButtonStatusIfyouareusingtheHandPagerofTwinfootpedal,whenclickingorpressingtheleftorrightswitchthiswillbeshownasButton1or2withUPorDOWN.Soyoucanseeifyourswitchisworking.StylusPositionandOrientationThesenumbersflickeraboutasthepositionisbeingconstantlycalculatedforthepositionoftheStylusandthevectordirectionitispointing.IfyoumovetheMicroScribethesewillchange,eventheslightestbreathorvibrationwillseethenumberschange.Theunitsareininchesandareheresoyoucanseemovement,nottomeasurewith.


JointAnglesThesevaluesaretheencoderpositionsshownasangles.Ifyoucarefullytrytoholdthepartsyoudonotwanttomove,youcanthencheckandseeeachpartisfunctioning.Thediagrambelowindicateswhichpartiswhich.AstheMicroScribewehaveusedhereisa5degreesoffreedom,thentheStylusRollhereissetto“0”.Ifyouhavea6axisMicroScribeandaMicroScan3Dlaser,thenitisbesttotaketheMicroScan3Dunitofffirst.

Note,thenanglepositionshaveareferencepoint,soyouwillseesomeanglescountupordown,saytozero,thenrollovertoanewnumber.ThisalldependsonwheretheMicroScribeiswhenyoustartthetest.Wearenotcheckingtheexactangles,justtoseetheyallmove.IfalltheanglesseemtomoveOK,itshouldbereadytocontinuework.Wehaveanothertestforyoutotrynext,butshouldoneofthejointanglesnotbeworkingatall,thenyouwillnotgetcorrectcoordinateresultsandyouwillhavetoreturnyourunittoRevWareforservicing.


Simpletestforcheckingtheapproximaterepeatability.(MUS)NowtochecktheMicroScriberepeatstoaknownpositionyouneedtohaveapointtomeasure.AlsoyouneedtobecarefulnottomovetheMicroScibebasewhendoingthis.Herewehavetakenapieceofplasticandmadeasmallindentationwithapointedinstrument,NOTtheMicroScribe.Wehavethendoublesidedtapedthistothedesk,alongwithasteelrule.Wehaveputpeincillinessoyoucanseeit..

MakesureyouMicroScibeispositionsoyoucanreachtheplasticholeeasily

PlacethetipbackintheStylustipholderandHometheMicroScribe.(GreenlightON)


LaunchtheMicroScribeUtility(MUS)fromtheStartmenu>Programs>Immersion.IfitsconnectedyouwillseeXYZvaluesandtheywillchangeifyoumovetheMicroScribe.

NowwearegoingtoExcelorNotepadtorecordsomenumbers.Soclicktheformatstringbuttonandchoosetheapplicationyouwilluse.

WeusedExcelandmovedtheMicroScribeStylustothepointinourpieceofplastic,thenclickedthehandpagerbuttononce.ThenreturnedtheStylustipbacktoitsStylustipholder.ThenwepickedtheStylusupagainandrepeatedthesameprocesstomeasureanotherpoint.Noteyoucanchangetheanglethatyouplacethetipinthehole,butasitisonlyplasticyoumaygetsomevariation.


Hereareourresultsafter12measurements.

Obviouslyyouwillsesomedeviationinthenumbersasthisisnotaprecisetest,butitisagoodindicationthatyourMicroScibeisworkingcorrectly.Checkingaknowndistance(MUS)Herewecanuseoursteelrule,althoughanythingwithknownincrementswillbesufficienttogiveyouanindicationthattheMicroScribeisworking.


FirstyouneedtosetaCustomOriginReferenceFrameforwhereyouwanttomeasurefrom.ThisisdescribedintheMUSHelpisyouareunsureoftheprocedure.Weusedthepointsontheruleasshowninthepreviousdiagram..

NextweusedExcelagainandmovedtheMicroscribetiptopositionsalongthesteelruleandclickedeachpoint.Thismadeuppicturegivesyouanidea.


Hereareourresults.Consideringwearetryingtoaligntothemarksontherule,wegetaclearindicationthattheXvaluesarerecordingevery10mm.

Asmentionedallalong,thesearesimpletesttochecktheMicroScribeisfunctioning.TherearenotasubstitutefortheprecisioncalibrationequipmentthatRevWareusewhatsettingandcalibratingeachunitatthetimeofmanufacture.IfyouhavecheckedyouMicroScribeisworkingOK,butitisnotworkingwithsomeotherthirdpartysoftware,pleasecheckthesetupproceduretheyprovidedwiththesoftware.ShouldyouneedtosendaMicroScribebacktoRevWare,pleasecontactthenfirst,astheywillnotacceptreturneditemswithoutavalidRMAreferencenumber.AlsoinanycommunicationpleaseincludetheSerialnumberofyourMicroScribewhichisonthebaseoftheunit.RevwareSystemsInc. www.revware.net2355ParagonDrive [email protected]