HEIDENHAIN IK 5294 User Manual

Operating Instructions

IK 5000 QUADRA-CHEK

(QC 5000)

Optical Edge Detection and Crosshair Systems

English (en) 2/2010

QC5200 Series

User’s Guide

Crosshair Systems

QC5200, QC5210, QC5230 and QC5240

Optical Edge Systems

QC5205, QC5215, QC5235 and QC5245

QC5200 Series User’s Guide Crosshair systems: QC5200, QC5210, QC5220, and QC5240 Optical edge systems: QC5205, QC5215, QC5235 and QC5245

Published by Metronics, Inc. 30 Harvey Road Bedford, New Hampshire 03110 www.Metronics.com

Printed in the United States of America

All information set forth in this document, all rights to such information, any and all inventions disclosed herein and any patents that might be granted by employing the materials, methods, techniques or apparatus described herein are the exclusive property of Metronics Inc., Bedford, New Hampshire.

Terms, conditions and features referenced in this document are subject to change without notice

No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Metronics, Inc.. Requests to Metronics, Inc. for permission should be addressed to the Technical Services Department, Metronics, Inc., 30 Harvey Road, Bedford, New Hampshire 03110. The Technical Services Department can be reached by phone at (603)-622.0212.

Limit of liability and disclaimer of warranty

While Metronics, Inc. exercised great care in the preparation of this book, Metronics makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The advice, methods and instructions contained in this book might not be suitable for your situation. When in doubt regarding suitability, you are encouraged to consult with a professional where appropriate. Metronics shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential or other damages.

Trademarks

Metronics is a registered trademark of Metronics, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Metronics part number: 11A10554 Publishing date: May, 2005

Introduction

This User Guide describes the operation of the crosshair and optical edge series of QC5200 metrology products. This series of QC5200 instruments conducts a wide variety of precise 2-D measurements using crosshairs or optical edge detection probes. The QC5200 software supports manual part positioning and feature measurement under user control, and CNC part positioning and automated measurement under program control. While it is likely that this Guide includes some material that doesn’t apply to your specific QC5200 system, information pertaining to your system will be easy to find using the Table of Contents and Index.

Who should read this Guide?

This Guide is necessary for the efficient operation of the QC5200 system. Operators and supervisors will find the contents invaluable in conducting measurements, programming automatic functions and reporting results. User setup functions are also described that will help users and supervisors customize the QC5200 measurement tools, user interface screens and report formats.

Prerequisites

Operators and supervisors are assumed to have a good basic understanding of dimensional metrology theory and practice, and a good understanding of Microsoft Windows use and conventions.

Conventions used throughout this Guide

The conventions used to call attention to notes, cautions and warnings, and the shorthand used to show menu navigation paths are described below:

Notes, warnings and cautions

This guide uses the following icons to highlight note, warning and caution information:

NOTE The note icon indicates additional or supplementary information about an activity or concept. Notes are shown in bold type.

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

CAUTION The exclamation point icon indicates a situation or condition that can lead to

equipment malfunction or damage. Do not proceed until the caution message is read and thoroughly understood. Caution messages are shown in bold type.

WARNING The raised hand icon warns of a situation or condition that can lead to serious equipment damage, personal injury or death. Do not proceed until the warning is read and thoroughly understood. Warning messages are shown in bold type.

Menu path navigation

Throughout the Guide, many references are made to screens that must be displayed by clicking the mouse cursor on a series of menu items and screen tabs. This kind of navigation path is demonstrated in this example of displaying the Tools/Customize/Colors screen, shown in text as: Tools/Customize/Colors.

Clicking the Tools menu item...

then clicking the Colors tab...

then clicking the Customize menu item...

displays the Tools/Customize/Colors screen

Introduction

iii

On-screen menu commands

Many commands are displayed by right-clicking the mouse cursor in a window, and then on one or a series of menu items. This kind of command path is demonstrated in this example of using the Part View window/Print Part View command to print the part view. The command is shown in text as: Part View

window/Print Part View.

Right-clicking the Part View window, then clicking Print Part View

prints the current part view

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Guide organization

This Guide contains eleven chapters and three reference appendices. An overview of the contents is provided below. Experienced users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the first six chapters before beginning to use the QC5200. Users that are new to the QC5200 and similar Metronics products should read the first six chapters carefully and then follow the tutorial in Chapter 3: Quick Start Demonstartion before beginning.

Table of contents

Chapter 1: System overview

Brief introduction to the QC5200 series features and benefits

Chapter 2: User interface

Comprehensive description of the user interface covering screens, menus, toolbars the statusbar and workspaces.

Chapter 3: Quick Start Demonstration

Brief demonstration of using the basic functions of the QC5200 including:

• Organizing the workspace

• Selecting and teaching the probe

• Recording measurement activities as a program

• Measuring & constructing datums

• Measuring features

• Applying tolerances

• Exporting data

• Reporting

• Saving the part and program

Chapter 4: Probes

Instructions for calibrating and using crosshair and optical edge detection measurement probes

Chapter 5: Measuring

Instructions for constructing datums and measuring, constructing and creating features.

Chapter 6: Tolerancing

Instructions for applying tolerances to measurements.

Chapter 7: Reporting and templates

Instructions for organizing, formatting, exporting and printing measurement results.

Chapter 8: Programming

Descriptions of programming functions and instructions for creating, editing, and debugging programs.

Introduction

Chapter 9: Encoder Setup

Instructions for calibrating and configuring axis encoders.

Chapter 10: Supervisor Setup

Descriptions of setup tools and screens used to configure and customize measurement, programming and display parameters

Chapter 11: Problem solving

Basic troubleshooting guide in the form of a simple table of symptoms, probable causes and recommended solutions.

Appendix A: File Formats

Appendix B: ASCII Codes

Appendix C: Tolerances

Index

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Safety first!

The QC5200 is inherently safe, and in proper use few if any potential safety hazards exist. However, many systems include motorized CNC stages that, as is the case with all motorized equipment, must be treated with caution to avoid collision and pinch injuries. Also, an entire system often consists of electrical equipment connected by many cables, which must be treated with care to avoid shock and tripping injuries.

WARNINGS - AXIS MOTION Always stay clear of axis motion paths.

Disconnect axis motor power when motor activities are not required.

Be prepared to depress the emergency off mushroom switch or other similar device quickly in the event of an emergency when motor axes are active.

WARNINGS - ELECTRICAL Disconnect the system components from electrical sources before cleaning or servicing.

Do not allow any power cord or signal cable to be located such that it can be walked on or create a tripping hazard.

The system components are equipped with 3-wire power plugs that include a separate ground connection, or are grounded through a separate wire. Always connect the power plug to a 3-wire grounded outlet. The use of 2-wire power plug adapters or any other connection accessories that remove the third grounded connection create a safety hazard and should not be permitted. If a 3-wire grounded outlet is not available, ask your electrician to provide one. Never disconnect any separate ground wire.

Do not open the QC5200 enclosure. There are no user-serviceable components or assemblies inside.

General safety precautions

General safety precautions must be followed when configuring, maintaining or operating the system. Failure to observe these precautions could result in damage to the equipment, or injury to personnel.

It is understood that safety rules within individual companies vary. If a conflict exists between the material contained in this guide and the rules of a company using this system, the more stringent rules should take precedence.

Additional safety information is included throughout the remainder of this guide.

WARNINGS - AXIS MOTION

Always stay clear of axis motion paths.

Disconnect axis motor power when motor activities are not required.

WARNINGS - ELECTRICAL

Disconnect the system components from electrical sources before cleaning or

servicing.

Do not allow any power cord or signal cable to be located such that it can be walked

Introduction

vii

General Maintenance

Disconnect the QC5200 from the power source and seek the assistance of a qualified service technician if:

• The power cord is frayed or damaged or the power plug is damaged

• Liquid is spilled or splashed onto the enclosure

• The QC5200 has been dropped or the exterior enclosure has been damaged

• The QC5200 exhibits degraded performance or indicates a need for service some other way

Cleaning

Use only a cloth dampened with water and a mild detergent for cleaning the exterior surfaces and display screens. Never use abrasive cleaners, and never use strong detergents or solvents. Only dampen the cloth, do not use a cleaning cloth that is dripping wet.

Display Resolution and Units of Measure

Display resolutions in this guide are examples. User display resolutions are likely to vary according to the specific application. Metric units of measure are used in examples.

Accuracy & Precision

Measurement accuracy is determined by many factors, such as the resolution of the encoders connected to axis inputs. Generally, the display resolution of the QC5200 can exceed encoder resolutions. Setting the

display resolution to exceed the encoder resolution does not increase measurement accuracy.

Getting Help

Help is available in this printed Guide, in the electronic version of this Guide accessed from the Help menu of the QC5200 software, from your Metronics distributor or system provider and directly from Metronics.

The information contained in this guide should be adequate to customize the measurement, display and programming aspects of system, and to perform the minimal setup and troubleshooting required beyond the services provided by your Metronics distributor or system provider. However, in the event that your Metronics distributor or system provider cannot provide the assistance you need, our support staff is com

mitted to insuring your positive experience with the QC5200 series of products. To receive technical support:

Routine issues

e-mail our support staff at: techsupport@metronics.com

viii

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Urgent issues

Telephone your Metronics distributor, or telephone our support staff at: (603) 622.0212

NOTE If it becomes necessary to contact us directly, be prepared to supply the following information:

• The QC5200 series serial number (5-Digit number printed on back label)

• A description of the equipment attached to the QC5200 computer, including the

manufacturer and model number

• The QC5200 software version number, found on the Help/About QC5000 menu screen

Updating your QC5200 software

The most recent version of the QC5200 software can be downloaded from the Product Support section of our web site at:

http://www.metronics.com

Please carefully read all the instructions and cautions published on our site regarding your software update before attempting to perform the update.

Additional publications for the QC5200

Additional application or instructional information is sometimes available for download from the Product Support section of our web site at:

http://www.metronics.com

NOTE

If it becomes necessary to contact us directly, be prepared to supply the following

information:

• The QC5200 series serial number

(5-Digit number printed on back label)

Contents

Chapter 1 System Overview

Overview of system features ............................................................................ 1

Chapter 2 User Interface

Introduction ......................................................................................................7

Windows ...................................................................................................8

DRO ...................................................................................................8

Templates ..........................................................................................8

Results ...............................................................................................8

Part View ...........................................................................................8

Menus .......................................................................................................9

Toolbars ....................................................................................................9

Statusbar ...................................................................................................10

Windows .......................................................................................................... 11

DRO window ............................................................................................ 11

Part View window ....................................................................................12

Selecting features ............................................................................... 12

Adding feature data ...........................................................................13

Results window ......................................................................................... 15

Template Windows ................................................................................... 16

Stacking and separating templates ..................................................... 16

Adding and deleting template content ............................................... 17

Features template ............................................................................... 18

Program template ............................................................................... 18

Report template .................................................................................18

Tolerance templates ........................................................................... 19

Menus ............................................................................................................... 20

Menubar menus ........................................................................................20

File menu ...........................................................................................21

Edit menu ........................................................................................... 23

View menu ......................................................................................... 27

Measure menu ...................................................................................33

Datum menu ......................................................................................33

Probe menu ........................................................................................ 33

Tools menu ........................................................................................34

Windows menu .................................................................................. 37

Contents 2

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

On-screen menus ......................................................................................39

Template window menus ...................................................................39

Template edit menus ..................................................................39

Program edit menus ....................................................................42

Results window menus ............................................................... 44

Part View window menus ..........................................................48

Toolbar menus ............................................................................ 49

Toolbars ...........................................................................................................51

Changing toolbar shape ............................................................................52

Docking and undocking toolbars ..............................................................52

Customizing and creating toolbars ...........................................................53

Statusbar ........................................................................................................... 54

Workspaces ...................................................................................................... 55

Creating custom workspaces ....................................................................55

Saving custom workspaces .......................................................................56

Opening custom workspaces ....................................................................56

Chapter 3 Quick Start Demonstration

Demonstration steps .........................................................................................60

Organizing the workspace ................................................................................ 61

Selecting templates ..........................................................................................61

Selecting and teaching the probe .....................................................................62

Turning program recording ON ....................................................................... 62

Measuring part skew and datum ...............................................................63

Skew .................................................................................................. 63

Datum ................................................................................................ 63

Measuring features .................................................................................... 65

Applying feature tolerances ...................................................................... 66

Adding data to the Runs template ............................................................. 67

Exporting data ........................................................................................... 68

Printing reports .........................................................................................69

Turning program recording OFF .....................................................................69

Saving the part .................................................................................................70

Running the program .......................................................................................70

Chapter 4 Probes

Selecting probe type ......................................................................................... 71

Selecting probe magnification .........................................................................71

Crosshair probes ............................................................................................... 72

Adding and deleting probe magnifications ...............................................72

Compensating crosshair magnification offsets ......................................... 73

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Contents 3

Optical edge detection probes .......................................................................... 75

Adding and deleting probe magnifications ...............................................75

Calibrating optical edge recognition ......................................................... 75

Dark/Light contrast (Teach function) ......................................................76

Dark/Light contrast at the part edge (Distance CAL function) ................77

Compensating crosshair to optical edge detector offsets .......................... 79

Compensating edge detector magnification offsets .................................. 80

Specifying CNC probing parameters ........................................................82

Probe velocity .................................................................................... 82

Approach and search distances ..........................................................82

Chapter 5 Measuring

Measurement activities ....................................................................................84

The measurement workspace ........................................................................... 84

The measurement process ................................................................................ 84

Selecting an optical magnification ............................................................ 85

Establishing the measurement reference ..................................................85

Probing and measuring features ................................................................ 90

Measure Magic .........................................................................................90

Probing features ............................................................................................... 90

Probing with crosshairs ............................................................................. 91

Probing with optical edge detection ......................................................... 92

Manual point entry using optical edge detection ...............................92

Automatic point entry using optical edge detection ..........................93

Probing specific feature types ................................................................... 94

Points .................................................................................................94

Lines .................................................................................................. 95

Arcs .................................................................................................... 96

Circles ................................................................................................ 97

Slots ...................................................................................................99

Distances ............................................................................................ 100

Angles ................................................................................................ 101

Profile measurements ........................................................................102

Constructing features ....................................................................................... 117

Point constructions ...........................................................................................118

Line constructions ............................................................................................ 123

Distance constructions ..................................................................................... 130

Circle constructions .........................................................................................136

Arc constructions ............................................................................................. 139

Angle constructions .........................................................................................140

Creating features ..............................................................................................141

Contents 4

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Chapter 6 Tolerancing

Applying tolerances to features .......................................................................147

Tolerance screens ...................................................................................... 147

Tolerance menu ........................................................................................148

Tolerance toolbar ......................................................................................148

Display of tolerance results ......................................................................149

Naming and saving tolerances ..................................................................150

Deleting Named Tolerances .....................................................................150

Tolerance types ................................................................................................151

Bidirectional ............................................................................................. 151

True position ............................................................................................. 152

MMC/LMC (Material condition) .............................................................153

Runout ....................................................................................................... 154

Circularity .................................................................................................155

Straightness ...............................................................................................155

Concentricity ............................................................................................. 155

Profile .......................................................................................................156

Parallelism ................................................................................................157

Perpendicularity ........................................................................................ 157

Angularity .................................................................................................157

Angle ......................................................................................................... 158

Width ........................................................................................................158

Chapter 7 Reporting and Templates

Template descriptions ......................................................................................161

Features template ......................................................................................161

Program template ......................................................................................162

Runs template ...........................................................................................163

Runs charts ................................................................................................ 164

Report template ......................................................................................... 166

Tolerance templates ..................................................................................167

Opening templates ...........................................................................................168

Generating new default templates .................................................................... 168

Editing templates ............................................................................................. 169

Adding and deleting data ................................................................................. 169

Adding data ...................................................................................................... 169

Deleting data ....................................................................................................173

Sorting data within a column ...........................................................................174

Aligning column titles and data .......................................................................175

Changing the order of columns ........................................................................175

Displaying horizontal and vertical grid lines ................................................... 175

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Contents 5

Headers and footers .......................................................................................... 176

Showing headers and footers ........................................................................... 176

Editing headers and footers .............................................................................. 177

Adding text ...............................................................................................177

Editing text ................................................................................................ 177

Formatting text .......................................................................................... 178

Including automatic text entry ..................................................................179

Prompting the user for alphanumeric information .................................... 179

Deleting text .............................................................................................. 180

Enabling text to speech output .................................................................. 180

Adding graphics from files .......................................................................180

Drawing graphics ......................................................................................182

Printing reports ................................................................................................. 185

Exporting data .................................................................................................. 186

DDE Output ..................................................................................................... 187

Output parameters ..................................................................................... 187

Connection ................................................................................................ 187

Data ...........................................................................................................188

General guidelines .................................................................................... 188

Chapter 8 Programming

Introduction ......................................................................................................193

Creating Programs ...........................................................................................194

Creating the new part ................................................................................195

Starting program recording .......................................................................195

Performing a skew and datum ..................................................................195

Choosing a measurement programming method ......................................195

Adding tolerances .....................................................................................198

Reporting results ....................................................................................... 198

Optimizing program steps ......................................................................... 198

Adding special steps to a program ............................................................199

Finalizing feature properties .....................................................................201

Finalizing program properties ................................................................... 202

Stopping program recording .....................................................................205

Saving the part ..........................................................................................205

Editing Programs ............................................................................................. 206

Part fixturing ............................................................................................. 206

Program runtime environment .................................................................. 206

Palletizing multiple parts ..........................................................................206

Editing initial program settings ................................................................ 209

Editing feature properties .........................................................................212

Contents 6

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Adding special program steps ................................................................... 215

Enabling or disabling full CNC mode ...................................................... 218

Selecting program steps ............................................................................ 219

Editing individual steps ............................................................................223

Optimizing program steps ......................................................................... 227

Cutting, copying, pasting and deleting program steps .............................. 227

Inserting new program steps ..................................................................... 228

Debugging programs ........................................................................................ 229

Chapter 9 Encoders

TTL encoders ................................................................................................... 231

Analog encoders ............................................................................................... 232

Joystick setup and limiting maximum axis velocity ........................................ 232

Axis velocity ............................................................................................. 233

Curvature joystick parameter .................................................................... 233

Axis displacement ..................................................................................... 233

Counter setup ................................................................................................... 234

Limit Switch setup ...........................................................................................234

Calibrating analog encoders ............................................................................. 235

QC5200 encoder setup ..................................................................................... 238

Specifying encoder resolution ..................................................................238

Specifying encoder unit of measure ......................................................... 238

Specifying encoder count direction .......................................................... 238

Specifying encoder reference marks .........................................................238

Specifying reference offsets .....................................................................239

Chapter 10 Supervisor Setup

Tools/Customize menu item screens

Including a startup message ......................................................................242

Customizing colors ...................................................................................243

Specifying on-screen help tips ..................................................................247

Specifying error messages ........................................................................248

Specifying status bar information ............................................................. 250

Customizing toolbars ................................................................................251

Tools/Options menu item screens

Setting up programming parameters ......................................................... 256

Specifying the maximum program executions ......................................... 259

Restricting access to setup screens ........................................................... 260

Configuring measurement parameters ...................................................... 262

Displaying parts and probe position ......................................................... 264

Configuring joystick and footswitch buttons ............................................ 269

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Contents 7

Setting the display of resolution, time and date ........................................ 272

Specifying encoder parameters ................................................................. 273

Specifying file names, locations and backups ..........................................274

Setting serial port, machine zero and general parameters ........................279

Setting up the optical probe ......................................................................282

Setting up the crosshair probe ................................................................... 283

Tools/CNC menu item screens

Setting up the joystick ..............................................................................284

Chapter 11 Problem Solving

Troubleshooting ...............................................................................................289

QC5200 settings or appearance have changed ................................................. 289

A QC5200 Window is missing from the screen, but is enabled in the

QC5200 Windows menu ........................................................................... 289

An axis count value is wrong ...........................................................................290

An axis counts in the wrong direction .............................................................290

Cannot drag data fields from the Results window into a template .................. 291

Changes to the QC5200 settings, window positions, etc. are not saved .......... 291

The QC5200 program doesn’t launch, but other Windows programs do ........ 292

Cannot print from the QC5200 program .......................................................... 293

A default template contains unwanted data or formatting ............................... 295

Cannot make changes to the QC5200 settings ................................................. 296

Getting help from your distributor ................................................................... 297

Appendix A Import File Formats

Appendix B ASCII Codes

Appendix C Tolerances

Concentricity tolerance Reference Features

Reference feature called for in MMC or LMC circle tolerance

Projected zone

Index

Contents 8

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

1 System Overview

Chapter 1: System Overview

The Metronics QC5200 series of metrology instruments is a family of Windows PC-based products for conducting precision dimensional measurements on 2-D parts. Systems can be supplied with optical comparators and measuring microscopes. Systems support manual part positioning and feature measurement under user control, or CNC part positioning and automated measurement under program control.

All QC5200 systems consist of a Windows-based user interface and a dedicated Metronics

axis PC card. All axis cards include input circuitry for reading the axis position. Axis cards in systems capable of CNC axis motion control also include circuitry for driving CNC stepper motor or CNC servo motor amplifiers.

All systems measure 2-D part features in the

X–Y plane. Additionally, systems can in

clude a Z-axis input for height measurements

and part leveling and a Q-axis for rotational

measurements.

Basic QC5200 for comparators or microscopes with

joystick part positioning

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Part features can be measured, constructed from measured features, created from user data, copied from existing features or imported from .dxf, .igs and other files.

Geometric tolerances include location, form, orientation, runout and size. In addition, tolerances can be applied to groups of selected features.

Tolerances are context sensitive. For example, straightness is provided for lines and circularity is provided for circles. Tolerances can be displayed for evaluation and the tolerance criteria can be edited with a few clicks of the mouse, as shown in this example of a form tolerance.

Measured feature

Constructed feature

Created feature

Measured feature

Constructed featureCreated feature

1 System Overview

Programs can be created in manual systems to semi-automate repetitive tasks and simplify operator interactions, or in systems that include CNC control to automate measurements eliminating measurement errors and increasing throughput. Programs can be recorded automatically as a series of measurements are performed, can be created to include conditional branching and messages, can be edited in static or single-step modes and can be created from imported CAD files. The task of programming is simplified by programming wizards and a comprehensive program debugging environment.

Reports can be custom-formatted in a wide variety of formats to satisfy the requirements of different audiences by simply dragging and dropping data selections into templates.

Templates can easily be customized. Completed reports can be archived, printed, exported or saved for e-mailing. Exported data can be sent to CAD applications, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access for processing.

The user interface conforms to stan

dard Windows conventions and can be quickly mastered by experienced Windows users. Task-specific menus, icons and toolbars further simplify interactions with QC5200 features and measurement functions. Many aspects of the user interface can be customized to suit the needs of each user. Customized arrangements of windows and toolbars can be saved as unique workspaces to facilitate the most efficient use of the system by different users.

This User’s Guide can be accessed and displayed from the Help menu, and includes links from all page references in the Table of Contents and Index to Guide content.

Example of a program recorded automatically as measurements

were performed

Example of a report of feature data

System Overview

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

2 User Interface

Chapter 2:

User Interface

The QC5200 user interface is a workspace consisting of menus, windows, toolbars and a statusbar. The overall appearance of the user interface can vary greatly and can be customized to satisfy the requirements and personal preferences of the user. The following pages contain a detailed description of the QC5200 user interface. Here’s what you’ll find in this chapter:

Introduction . .............................................................................................7

Windows ............................................................................................8

Menus .................................................................................................9

Toolbars .............................................................................................9

Statusbar .............................................................................................10

Windows ...................................................................................................11

DRO window .....................................................................................11

Part View window ..............................................................................12

Results window ..................................................................................15

Template Windows ............................................................................16

Stacking and separating templates ..............................................16

Adding and deleting template content ........................................17

Features template ........................................................................18

Program template ........................................................................18

Report template ...........................................................................18

Tolerance templates ....................................................................19

Menus ........................................................................................................20

Menu bar menus .................................................................................20

File menu ....................................................................................21

Edit menu ....................................................................................23

View menu ..................................................................................27

Measure menu .............................................................................33

Datum menu ...............................................................................33

Probe menu .................................................................................33

Tools menu .................................................................................34

Windows menu ...........................................................................37

On-screen menus ................................................................................39

Template window menus ............................................................39

Template edit menus ............................................................39

Program edit menus ....................................................................42

Results window menus ...............................................................44

Part View window menus ...........................................................48

Toolbar menus ............................................................................49

Toolbars ....................................................................................................51

Changing toolbar shape ......................................................................52

Docking and undocking toolbars .......................................................52

Customizing and creating toolbars .....................................................53

Statusbar ....................................................................................................54

Workspaces ...............................................................................................55

Creating custom workspaces ..............................................................55

Saving custom workspaces ................................................................56

Opening custom workspaces ..............................................................56

Launching the QC5200 into a specified workspace ..........................57

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

2 User Interface

Introduction

The QC5200 user interface is a workspace consisting of windows, menus, toolbars and a statusbar. The overall appearance of the user interface can vary greatly and can be customized to satisfy the requirements and personal preferences of the user. However, the individual elements of every workspace are consistent in purpose and function, and do not significantly change. Workspace elements include:

• The DRO, Template, Results and Part View windows

• Menu bar and on-screen menus

• Toolbars

• Statusbar

The overall appearance of the user interface, or workspace, can be customized to vary greatly as shown here, but individual workspace elements remain essentially unchanged.

DRO window

Results window

Part View window

Template window

Toolbar docked

to the

Part View window

Statusbar

Menubar menus

On-screen menu

Introduction

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Windows

Four window types are used to present numeric, text and graphic information:

• DRO

• Templates

• Results

• Part View

DRO

The Digital Readout (DRO) presents numeric position information for each axis.

Templates

Template windows present tabular data describing features, programs, runs database contents and tolerance measurements. The template windows shown here are stacked. However, each window can be presented alone.

Results

The Results window contains measurement data related to a feature selected in a template or in the Part View window.

Part View

The Part View window contains a graphic display of the measurement reference frame and measured features.

2 User Interface

Menus

Menus contain functions that control file operations, editing, measurements, displayed information and overall system configuration and setup. Menus can be accessed by clicking on a menu item in the menubar, or by right-clicking areas in the workspace.

Toolbars

Toolbars like the examples below contain icons that provide quick access to functions that are also provided by menus. Toolbars can be located nearly anywhere within the workspace, and can be docked to most windows.

Menu accessed from the menubar

Menu accessed by right-clicking a window

Measure toolbar Program toolbar Datum toolbar

Separate toolbars

Toolbars docked to the Part View window

Introduction

QC5200 Series User’s Guide

Statusbar

The statusbar presents information regarding units of measure, current measurements, programming and other system status information across the bottom of the workspace. The information in the statusbar changes to support current activities.

The statusbar changes to display brief definitions when the mouse hovers over a menu command, as in this example of a statusbar definition displayed when hover

ing over the Datum zero menu command.

Statusbar

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