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Probe Calibration Automation

I'm trying to automate a probe calibration using the Qualify2(QualificationSettings settings) method.

I'm able to set all of my qualification settings except for a few things.

1. QualificationSettings.Mode - any time I attempt to change it, QualificationSettings.Mode becomes 100...

2. Selected probe tips - Per the help doc, you should use Probe.ClearAllProbes() to Clear the list of probes to be calibrated and Tip.Selected to select/deselect the probes to be qualified. this doesn't work. I can see that the tip angle that i want calibrated is selected, and nothing else, but PC-DMIS still attempts to calibrate all of the probe angles.

Before you mention Parameter Sets, we would like to get away from them, we have multiple machines that have different probe heads so just copying the probe file with the parameter set is not a valid option as the parameter set gets cleared when you change a component.

Also, we often have to use different calibration spheres when one goes out for calibration. Parameter sets, and autoqualify do not allow you to select which tool you would like to use. QualificationSettings does.


Has anyone else tried this?

Maybe i should report it as a bug? Anyone know how to go about doing that?


-cappy
  • I attempted this - but ran into the issues you have.

    I could select the tips and see them selected, but when I tried to qualify it asked...

    'Do you want to do all tips or none' question.

    So no joy that way.


    I think using Qualify instead of Qualify2 I managed to get it to do just the selected tips, and it would physically perform the qualification, but the qualification didn't hold, it was a while ago but I think maybe even generated a results file, but the .prb file was NOT updated.




    In the end I ran out of time, if I were to attempt it again I'd try a different approach.


    Store all probe data to a database (I'd probably just use an xml file)
    Delete all tips
    Just add the ones I want and let it qualify them all
    Re-add other the tips from the database
  • I personally have not done much with probe qualification via automation. Are you aware that the probe wizard is a long standing example of this very thing, and the code is provided? Just sayin. . . .

  • 2. Selected probe tips - Per the help doc, you should use Probe.ClearAllProbes() to Clear the list of probes to be calibrated and Tip.Selected to select/deselect the probes to be qualified. this doesn't work. I can see that the tip angle that i want calibrated is selected, and nothing else, but PC-DMIS still attempts to calibrate all of the probe angles.


    Here is a link to a thread about this. The title doesn't do the job describing the topic. http://www.pcdmisforum.com/showthread.php?23055-How-To-Force-PCDMIS-to-Save-Results-Via-Automation
    The problem was having was a bit different, but maybe you can pick up some ideas from reading his solution.

    Just wait til you see what he or she did... Good Luck Slight smile

    I agree with you on the deficiencies of parameter sets. Our automatic calibration consists of a basic script (make a list of probes) and 2 pc-dmis subroutines to locate the tool(s) and calibrate the tips. The subroutines use the calibrate single tip command to do their work. Works great.
  • Here is a link to a thread about this. The title doesn't do the job describing the topic. http://www.pcdmisforum.com/showthread.php?23055-How-To-Force-PCDMIS-to-Save-Results-Via-Automation
    The problem was having was a bit different, but maybe you can pick up some ideas from reading his solution.

    Just wait til you see what he or she did... Good Luck Slight smile

    I agree with you on the deficiencies of parameter sets. Our automatic calibration consists of a basic script (make a list of probes) and 2 pc-dmis subroutines to locate the tool(s) and calibrate the tips. The subroutines use the calibrate single tip command to do their work. Works great.


    Thanks for the info, that post has given me some ideas. As far as the CalibrateSingleTip command, i can't seem to find that...
  • Thanks for the info, that post has given me some ideas. As far as the CalibrateSingleTip command, i can't seem to find that...


    Hmmm, I wonder....


    The company I tried develop a solution for were based in Scotland (Ecosse) - I did hear their IT guys got a solution which worked, the date is around the right time....
  • As far as the CalibrateSingleTip command, i can't seem to find that...


    The menu selection is Insert/Calibrate/Single Tip.

    The text that gets put in the edit window is "CALIBRATE ACTIVE TIP WITH FEAT_ID=QUAL_SPHERE, QUALTOOL_ID=QUAL_TOP, MOVED=NO"

    So I never know how to refer to this command when talking to someone about it.
  • Thanks, I happened across it, the one think i don't like is this quote from the PC-DMIS Manual...

    "PC-DMIS inserts a CALIBRATE ACTIVE TIP WITH FEAT_ID command block into the Edit window. Note that this command does not communicate at all with the actual machine controller but instead sends data to the probe file."
  • I personally have not done much with probe qualification via automation. Are you aware that the probe wizard is a long standing example of this very thing, and the code is provided? Just sayin. . . .


    I'll have to take a look, i've never noticed it. Now that you've brought it to my attention, i'll take a look, where would i find such code?
  • I personally have not done much with probe qualification via automation. Are you aware that the probe wizard is a long standing example of this very thing, and the code is provided? Just sayin. . . .


    Just looked - it steps through building a probe file, adding angles and there is a calibrate option - but from what I can gather it will calibrate all tips not just the selected few.
  • I'll have to take a look, i've never noticed it. Now that you've brought it to my attention, i'll take a look, where would i find such code?


    http://www.datafilehost.com/d/174d11c5