Write Data to and View Data Over a Network

Write Data to a Network Drive

The software can be configured to write the collected data (oven files, process windows, profiles and historical VP data) to a network drive location. This would allow data from one or even multiple systems to be stored in one centralized location (Server/Shared Hard Drive).

The first step necessary is to map a network drive from the PC running the software to the desired network location. Due to the multiple varieties of OS and network configurations, this step cannot be described in great detail. We recommend you contact your IT/Network administrator for setting this up. Below is a typical example of this setup.

Figure 78: Example Network

Once you have mapped the drive, create a folder on the network drive and copy in the following folders from the C:\ software root directory Log, Ovens, Process Specs, and Profiles. Once completed, follow the steps below on the PC where the automatic system software is installed:

1. Ensure the automatic system software is closed, open Windows Explorer, and locate the file: C:\software root directory \Log\KIC2000DataPath.kiccfg

2. The KIC2000DataPath.kiccfg file will open up in Notepad:

Figure 79

3. Change the line AllowUserToManuallyChangeWorkingDataPathInThisIniFile=0 to the value =1:

Figure 80

4. Change all of the lines shown below to = the desired network location.

Note: This will be the main network folder you created and copied the Log, Ovens, Process Spec, and Profiles folders into.

Figure 81

5. Once the DataPath.kiccfg file has been modified with the new locations, choose File/Save from the drop-down menu to save the changes.

6. Close Notepad and start the software.

7. With the software open, go to the Profile Explorer:

Figure 82

Your new network drive should be displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the screen as the Current Data Path.

Note: The Network path will be grayed out and cannot be changed from inside of Profile Explorer.

All data collected in this software application will now be written to the network folder chosen.

Note: If you have multiple automatic systems, you will need to create a separate folder on the Network drive for each system e.g. Line 1, Line 2, etc.

If the network is unavailable when accessing various areas of the software (Define/Edit Process Window, Run A Profile, Profile Explorer), a message will appear alerting you to the issue:

When this occurs, you are still able to use the software but only working with files (ovens, Process Windows, profiles) that are located in the local directory. It will temporarily reset back to the local install directory and any new files generated or updated will be saved in the local directory (C:\ProBot). If the network connection is re-established, the software must be restarted to begin writing directly to the network directory again.

Any data that was collected while the software was offline will be moved to the network directory after the connection has been re-established and the software is restarted.

Viewing Historical Data

You can also view all collected data over the network from any computer that has the software installed.

To view historical data over the network:

1. From your remote computer, start the software and click on the I am not going to run profiles or live Virtual Profiling button.

Caution: Do not choose this button when working at the PC where the system hardware is installed.

Figure 83

2. The software will open up normally.  When the main screen appears, click on the Profile Explorer button.

Figure 84

3. A Browse button will be enabled in the upper right-hand corner of the screen:You can now click the Browse button and point to the directory where your profiles are. Keep in mind that you want to direct it to the root directory of the main Profiles folder.For example: If the profiles are in the folder F:\software root directory\Profiles\Board A
   you would direct it only to the folder F:\software root directory\.

Appendix A: The Process Window Index

A Method for Quantify Thermal Profile Performance

The Problem

While there are currently statistically valid methods for quantifying pick and place and screen printer performance, there is no widely accepted method for comparing performance of thermal profiles, and thus, no quantifiable system of ranking thermal process performance.  Once a thermal profile has been run, it is judged as being either in or out of spec, and perhaps subjectively judged as being OK, good, or really good.  Efforts to track process performance for SPC or QC generally focus on a single, or a small group, of profile statistics; for example, peak temperature of one or two thermocouples on a golden board.  The Process Window Index is a statistical method for ranking thermal profile and thermal process performance.

Defining the Process Window Index

The Process Window Index (PWI) is a measure of how well a profile fits within user defined process limits.   This is done by ranking process profiles on the basis of how well a given profile fits the critical process statistics.  A profile that will process product without exceeding any of the critical process statistics is said to be inside the Process Window.  The center of the Process window is defined as zero, and the extreme edge of the process window as 99%.

Figure 145: Process Window and PWI

A PWI of 100% or more indicates that the profile will not process product in spec.  A Process Window Index of 99% indicates that the profile will process product within spec, but it is running at the very edge of the Process Window.  A Process Window Index of less than 99% indicates that the profile is in spec and tells users what percentage of the process window they are using: for example, a PWI of 70% indicates a profile that is using 70 percent of the process spec.

Figure 146: The Process Window Index (Single Statistic Peak Temperature of one Thermocouple)

The PWI tells users exactly how much of their process window a given profile uses, and thus how robust that profile is.  The lower the PWI, the better the profile.  A PWI of 99% is risky because it indicates that the process could easily drift out of control.  Most users seek a PWI of below 80%, and profiles with a Process Window Index between 50% and 60% are commonly achieved (if the oven is sufficiently flexible and efficient).

Figure 146 shows the Process Window Index for the Peak Temperature of a single thermocouple. The Process Window Index for a complete set of profile statistics is calculated as the worst case (highest number) in the set of statistics.

For example: if a profile is run with six thermocouples, and four profile statistics are logged for each thermocouple, then there will be a set of twenty-four statistics for that profile, and the PWI will be the worst case (highest number expressed as a percentage) in that set of profile statistics. Note that Figure 147 shows the user-designated critical statistics for a single thermocouple.

Figure 147: The Process Window Index
(Multiple Statistics for a Single Thermocouple and Final PWI Calculation)

Calculating the PWI

To calculate the Process Window Index: i=1 to N (number of thermocouples); j=1 to M (number of statistics per thermocouple); measured_value_[i,j] is the [i,j]^th statistic s value; average_limits_[i,j] is the average of the [i,j]^th statistic s high and low limits; and range_[i,j] is the [i,j]^th statistic s high limit minus the low limit.

Figure 148: Formula for calculating the PWI

Thus, the PWI calculation includes all thermocouple statistics for all thermocouples.  The profile PWI is the worst case profile statistic (maximum, or highest percentage of the process window used), and all other values are less.

Note: When using non-centered Target values, a modified formula is used.

Benefits of Ranking Thermal Profile Performance

The analysis of thermal profiles with the Process Window Index offers four significant benefits.  The first is that profiles can be easily compared, and users can be confident that they are using the best profile their process can achieve.  Before the PWI was available for profile analysis, comparing profiles was subjective, and users could never be certain they had the best profile for their product.  The PWI provides an excellent opportunity for process improvement and its use is a significant step towards Zero-defect Production.

The second benefit is that the PWI greatly simplifies the profiling process.  When used in advanced profiling tools, all profile statistics are reduced to a single number (the PWI) that even the most inexperienced operator can understand.  This means significant savings in terms of training costs and a reduction in defects caused by operator error.  It further means that in a few minutes, an inexperienced operator can setup an oven with the optimal profile, a job that formerly could take an experienced engineer hours.

The third benefit is that because the PWI reflects the performance of the whole profile, it provides much better indicator of process capability than tracking a single statistic.  The PWI thus provides excellent data for SPC and other QC monitoring programs while simplifying data gathering and reducing process monitoring costs.

Finally, the PWI gives users a simple method for comparing thermal process performance.  Comparisons may be made between individual lines on the shop floor, between processes at multiple plants, and between processes using dissimilar equipment.  The ability to quantify thermal process performance will give electronics assemblers a means for comparing the performance of their soldering equipment.  This is of value in selecting equipment, for buy off, and for process troubleshooting.

Table 10 is the result of a series of tests comparing oven performance using several sizes of PCBs. Each board was profiled in the given oven, and then an automated profile prediction tool was used to find the optimal profile for that board in the given oven. After the oven setpoints were changed and the oven stabilized, a second profile was run to confirm that the predicted PWI had been achieved. Table 10 shows that there is significant variation in oven performance between various makes and models. In this test, Oven C had more zones than Ovens A and B, and performed better, as would be expected.

Table 10: Comparison of Oven Performance Best Achievable PWI

Conclusion

The simplicity of the Process Window Index makes its validity as a statistical tool readily apparent and its adoption as an industry standard clearly offers a significant opportunity for the improvement of the soldering process.  The advantages detailed above point to its value in demystifying the soldering process and open the door to precision control of a process that has been ignored for too long.  Issues like the coming of Lead-free electronic assembly mean that electronics assemblers can no longer be complacent about their soldering process.  Sophisticated tools utilizing the PWI as a standard for accurately measuring the thermal process will mean more efficient production, improved and simplified process control, and higher quality final product.

The software will now automatically change some of the default settings of the software, to settings that are more applicable to your specific oven, in regards to how it calculates the suggested recipe setpoints. When the calculation is completed, it will return you to your original profile plot, and it will display a new Predicted recipe suggestion that your oven should be able to maintain.

Appendix B: Recalculating Zone Delta Limits From Navigator/Auto-Focus Predictions

Occasionally, when using the Navigator or Auto-Focus options to generate new recipes, it may give suggested setpoints that your specific oven may not be able to achieve. For example, it may suggest setting Zone 1 to 100 and Zone 2 to 150, but after loading the settings, you find that your oven is only able to hold Zone 1 to 109. When this situation occurs, there is procedure in the software you can follow that will force it to learn the capabilities of your oven, which means it will be able to provide suggested setpoints that your oven is more likely to be able to maintain. The steps below will show how to perform this recalculation both on a stand-alone PC, and when the software is communicating with the oven control software.

For Stand-Alone Software Installations

When you go to start the predicted profile, click on the traffic light and the software will first ask if the oven is stabilized. Choose No.
Next, it will ask you if the oven is still in the process of stabilizing. Choose No.
The software will then display this message, letting you know that it will now start the recalculation process. (Note: on a stand-alone oven, you do not need to change the actual oven setpoints at this point). Click OK.
On this screen, change the zone setpoints to the actual temperature that the oven is able to maintain. After entering new setpoints, click the arrow forward button.
Next, it will bring you to the Zone Setpoint and Zone Min/Max Temperatures screen. This is just to allow you to confirm that the Min/Max values that are entered are correct. Click the arrow forward button.
Click OK on this screen to start the recalculation of the zone delta limits.
The software will now automatically change some of the default settings of the software, to settings that are more applicable to your specific oven, in regards to how it calculates the suggested recipe setpoints. When the calculation is completed, it will return you to your original profile plot, and it will display a new Predicted recipe suggestion that your oven should be able to maintain.
For Oven Controller Software Installations   The following section outlines the steps used when your profiling software is installed on the oven PC, and is communicating with the oven control software.
When you go to start the predicted profile, click on the traffic light and the software will prompt you if the oven temperatures are not within 2 degrees of the zone setpoint. If the temperatures are not getting closer, click No .
IMPORTANT: you will now need to switch over to your oven control software and change the setpoints to the temperature that the zones are actually controlling to. Only click OK after you have modified the oven recipe.
Next, it will bring you to the Zone Setpoint and Zone Min/Max Temperatures screen. This is just to allow you to confirm that the Min/Max values that are entered are correct. Click the arrow forward button.
Click OK on this screen to start the recalculation of the zone delta limits.

The software will now automatically change some of the default settings of the software, to settings that are more applicable to your specific oven, in regards to how it calculates the suggested recipe setpoints. When the calculation is completed, it will return you to your original profile plot, and it will display a new Predicted recipe suggestion that your oven should be able to maintain.

Appendix C: Configuration Program

The system has many individual software settings that can be changed to suit the users process and or hardware set up. The configuration program tool facilitates quick and easy system setting changes, saving the user from the complications of manually editing the configuration files.

Note: Only persons with advanced training in the automatic system software should modify these settings. Changes using this tool will directly affect the data collected by the system. Configuration software tool location:

C:\software root directory\ConfigurationProgram.exe

 

User Settings Tab

Allowable Change Defines how much deviation is allowed in any one of the 30 probe TC s before a Warning condition is generated.     Exclusion Allows user to disable any of the 30 probe TC s from the VP calculations.     VP Idle Mode Optional feature that can be used along with energy savings features of some ovens.     Display Host Screen Enables/disables the display of the Host diagnostic screen.     Display Units Per Hour Enables live display on top of VP general tab that tracks how many products have been processed in the past hour (value resets at the top of each hour).     Vantage Live Oven Support Enables interface of data with the Vantage System.   Use Baseline Profile Expiration Automatically require new baseline profiles after specified number of days.

Temperature Triggers and Sample Rates

The temperature triggers dictate when the profile begins and ends allowing for more consistent data collection. This area of the tool allows you to change the temperature trigger values as well as sample rate for each application type.

There are three temperature triggers:

Start –The profile Start temperature trigger is always 2C above the Maximum Product Temperature at start of profile setting in the Global tab of the Global Preferences screen. This value can be changed as needed from as low as 15C to as high as 40C.

Mid Point The midpoint temperature trigger must be higher than the start trigger, and the End trigger. Be sure the temperature in your heated process will achieve this setting or the profile will fail.

End The profile will end when all of the thermocouples attached to the profiler have cooled to below the End-Temperature trigger setting.

Note: The separation between the Midpoint and Stop Trigger temperatures must be at least 10 C/18 F.

Sample rate Set the sample rate for each application type.

Use Baseline Profile Expiration

Enabling this function allows the system to require a new baseline profile is run after a specified number of days have elapsed. When enabled, additional functions will appear on various screens in the software.

Global Preferences/Control Limits Tab When it is enabled in the Configuration Program, it adds an additional selection at the bottom of this tab. Selecting the checkbox allows you to define the number of days after a baseline profile is run that it will automatically expire. This feature can be used to ensure that the system is always using an up to date profile as the baseline.   Note: When expired, the profile will still be viewable. However, it will not be able to be used as the baseline for monitoring production.
Profile Explorer Search Button – When the expiration feature is enabled, you will see a new button appear in Profile Explorer:
Click this button to access a search window which will allow you to easily identify when each of your baseline profiles will expire. Enter the number of days (window of time remaining until profiles will expire), and then click Search. All products with a baseline profile set to expire within the specified timeframe will be displayed. Selecting a particular product and clicking on the Run New Baseline Profile will automatically take you to the RUN A PROFILE screen and will select that product name.

Shifting Tab

In the event that the software does not properly shift (align) the profile it may be necessary to manually enter measurements to correct any profile display/shifting issues.   Select the check box and then enter the required measurements. Contact supplier of system for assistance.

Decimal Tab

This area controls the number of decimal places for the Conveyor Speed and Zone Setpoints displays in the software.

Hardware Tab

This area controls the configuration of the eTPU network addresses, allows for enabling or disabling of the oven communication when applicable, and for adjusting parameters for the board sensor operations.

Auto-VP Tab

Auto-VP is specialized feature for product changeovers that is dependent on a wide variety of variables. There are multiple configurations of the Auto-VP feature depending on the capabilities and processes in place in the factory. Contact your systems supplier to identify if this functionality can be implemented with your system.

RPM Tab

See RPM Configuration section.

Message Config Tab

When certain messages are displayed in the software, the user can select a checkbox for Do not show this again . If checked, that message box becomes disabled . This area allows the user to enable or disable those messages.   NOTE: The Do you want to run a profile? message box does NOT contain the disable checkbox. Disabling this message will also disable the transfer of predicted settings when communicating with an oven controller software. That message can only be disabled in this window.

Password Control Multi User

The software offers a Multi User Control capability to configure certain functions as password protected and, thus, requiring the use of specific user levels.

The user types are:

• Administrator
• Engineer
• Tech
• Operator (default)

Access to the Password Control Tab

By default, the Multi User Control is disabled. When this password function is enabled, it will require entering the default Administrator password before the Configuration Utility can be accessed. The Password Control tab can only be used by the Administrator, or the Engineer/Tech user types if specified.

If the Multi User Control is enabled and a user starts the utility, the utility will not launch until they enter the correct password (Default Administrator password is Admin). If the user does not have the password, they can Cancel and close the utility.

Multi User Control

To apply Multi User Control, Administrators will click the Enable radio button and then click OK.

The confirmation dialog is answered, and then the utility must be restarted.

When the administrator logs back in, a password is required.

Password Control Tab

The Password Control tab allows administrators to manage passwords and permissions for each user type. The image below represents the Password Control tab when Multi User Control is disabled. This tab displays a Password Control Chart, highlighted, which contains a list of every area in the software.

Stop VP Selections

There are three different available options for controlling when a VP can be stopped:

• Stop VP All Conditions: This is the default setting. An authorized user can stop the VP at any time.
• Stop VP with Oven Empty: User can stop the VP only when there is no product in the oven.
• Stop VP with Product in Oven: When user clicks Stop button, they have a choice to wait for products to exit the oven, or they can force a stop even if there is still product in the oven.

Note: To enable use of either of the second two options, the Stop VP All Conditions selection must be unchecked.

Examples of Stop VP Selections

Stop VP with Oven Empty:   OK Clicking OK will acknowledge this message window and the VP will stop automatically once the last board exits the oven.   Cancel The Stop request will be cancelled, and the VP will continue to run.
Stop VP with Product in Oven:   OK Clicking OK will acknowledge this message window and the VP will stop automatically once the last board exits the oven.   Cancel The Stop request will be cancelled, and the VP will continue to run.   Force Stop The VP will stop immediately and return to the Profile Explorer screen.
If the Force Stop selection is used, additional notes will be automatically added into the Description column in Profile Explorer. It will note which user level stopped the VP, and how many products were still in the oven when the stop occurred.

User Type Area

The User Type pick list allows the Administrator to select and enable the password function by user type.

By default, each user in the menu will be unchecked/disabled. By selecting a user type, you not only enable or disable the password entry field and the Password Timer, but also select the type of user to enable and configure.

The columns in the Password Control Chart will be enabled depending on the user type selected:

Administrator = All columns enabled

Engineer = All columns enabled

Tech = Only Tech and Operator columns enabled

Password Area

The Password entry fields are disabled until a user type is selected.

When a user type is selected, the Enter Password fields will display as XXXXX if a password had previously been entered. When a user enters a password X s will show to indicate an entry, but not show the actual password. After entering a password in the two fields, click the Apply button before changing to another User Type.

Password Timer Area

The Password Timer is configurable and represents the amount of time before the user is automatically logged out due to being idle.

Main Screen with Password Control

With Password Control enabled, the software Main Screen with display a Log In button with a letter on it.

O = Operator (default)

A = Administrator

E = Engineer

T = Tech

Note: the Operator user type is the default, and typically has the least access privileges.

Main Screen Log In

When the Log in button is clicked, the software displays a drop-down menu, as shown here.

Note: you can log in from most screens, such as from the Log in button in the lower left of the Graph screen.

Example of Limited Access to Functions

This screenshot shows the limited access that an Operator, for example, may have. Notice that there are no privileges to create, edit, delete, or save changes.

Responding to an Alarm

Alarm Tab

The Alarm tab allows for enabling and customizing the operation of the Alarm Relay and USB Light Tower functions.

USB Light Tower configuration

Enable/Disable USB Light Tower

To use the USB Light Tower, select the Enable USB Light Tower checkbox. This will enable the default operation of the USB Light Tower as previously described.
When enabled, you will also have the ability to customize the operation of the USB Light Tower. Select the Use USB Light Tower Matrix checkbox to activate the matrix functions.

USB Light Tower Matrix

When enabled, a list of operational conditions appears. The matrix allows for enabling individually, the sound and light operation for each condition. If an item is checked, the sound or light turns on during that condition. If an item is unchecked, the sound or light will be off at that condition.   When the light function is enabled for a condition, one of three colors can be chosen to appear.   For most conditions, the light will appear solid. If you wish for the light to flash in that condition, select the Flash checkbox.

Alarm Relay configuration

When the Alarm Relay is in use, you can match the alarm output behavior to your specific production needs through the Alarm Relay (AR) Matrix. By default, the system only outputs a signal to the relay when it is running Virtual Profiling and an alarm (red crystal ball) condition. The alarm condition prompts the eTPU to send a signal that energizes the Alarm Relay, letting it power an audible or light indicator or stop an infeed conveyor.
Display Alarm Relay Status: This allows the user the option to see the alarm relay status in multiple locations while using the software. It will display in the top right corner during Virtual Profiling, in the hardware status section, and on the KIC host.
When enabled, a list of operational conditions appears. If an item is checked, the Alarm Relay will be energized during that condition. If an item is unchecked, the relay will be de-energized at that condition. For example, you might want to keep boards from entering the oven except when the Virtual Profile is in a green or yellow crystal ball state. Selections you make on the matrix will invert the signal that energizes the alarm relay, stopping the infeed conveyor from allowing boards to enter.   Delay in Minutes: This allows a user to specify a delay before an alarm (audible/visual/mechanical) is generated at the selected condition. A 0 (default) means the alarm will be generated as soon as the condition occurs.   Even if someone tried to bypass the entire system by shutting down the software, it can be configured so that it still would not allow product to enter. The matrix gives you more control over your process, ensuring that system is in use whenever product is run.

Note: When the USB Light Bar is used, changing the settings in this Matrix will not alter the USB Light Bar operation. It will only affect the operation of the Alarm Relay.

Barcode Tab

The Barcode tab is used for configuring some of the barcode interface functions and some barcode operations.

Enable Barcode Traceability this check box enables or disables the Traceability barcode feature. This feature links each product s profile data with its barcode

.

Enable Barcode Process Control this check box enables or disables the Process Control barcode feature. The feature allows control of the process by comparing the barcode string of a product to the corresponding process currently running. It ensures that the product matches the process.

Barcode Interface Method Area

The Barcode Interface Method area specifies where a barcode string will be coming in:

eTPU Barcode Port via 9 pin serial connection on eTPU   PC Com Port via 9 pin serial port or USB Port on PC. NOTE: To use a USB barcode scanner, it must be programmable for a USB Serial Port interface.   OEM only available with specific oven manufacturers

If PC Com Port is selected, the COM Port Configuration area also becomes active. This area specifies which Com Port the scanner is connected to, and the Com settings. This area must be configured when using either a DB9 (Com Port) or USB connected scanner:

Missing Barcode Trigger Area

The Missing Barcode Trigger area specifies what method is used to trigger the Missing Barcode Alarm function.   Barcode Product Sensor requires the installation of the BPS sensor adjacent to the barcode scanner. If this sensor is triggered, and a barcode is not received, the Missing Barcode Alarm is generated.
No Read From Scanner some scanners can be programmed with a No Read output. If No Read is the string received, the Missing Barcode Alarm is generated.   Disable the software will never generate a Missing Barcode alarm. Typically used when some other process verification is in use and the alarm from KIC is not required/desired.

Process Control String Area

This area allows you to select which method of Process Control string identification will be used in the software:

Wildcard: Default setting; This method requires that the Control String being defined is always an uninterrupted, consecutive grouping characters either at the beginning, middle, or end of a barcode string.

Disable Missing Barcode Option Area

This area allows you to disable some of the available choices that are given when a Barcode alarm is displayed:

The four selections listed represent buttons that a user can click on when a Barcode alarm appears on the screen. By selecting a particular checkbox, the software will no longer display that button on the alarm message dialog window.

For example, when the barcode option is in use, and you never want a product to be allowed to enter the oven without the associated barcode string attached to the data, you can select the Proceed without a Barcode checkbox. This will prevent that button from being accessible. Below is an example of a Missing Barcode Alarm condition, when that function is disabled. The open spot is where the Proceed without a Barcode choice would have been displayed:

Options

Remove duplicate barcodes: For situations where a barcode scanner always sends out multiple scans for each barcode read, enabling this function forces the software to ignore duplicate barcode strings. Once a given string is received, it will ignore any duplicate receipts of that same string. When a different string is received, the filter function resets.

Enable Barcode Stop Sensor Logic: Enabling this function causes the external Alarm Relay to energize every time the Barcode Stop Sensor (BSS) is triggered, stopping the product on the in-feed conveyor. This ensures confirmation that each product has been checked for, or assigned, a valid barcode ID before allowing it to enter the oven. This functionality may be needed when a short in-feed conveyor is in use, there are time delays in receiving barcode ID strings, or an extra layer of barcode validation is desired for control before the product enters the oven.

Note: The Barcode Stop Sensor (BSS) and Barcode Product Sensor (BPS) functions cannot be used at the same time. Only one of the two configurations can be used. If the Enable Barcode Stop Sensor Logic is selected, the Missing Barcode Trigger section and associated functions will be overridden by this function.

 

Note: The BPS and BSS physical sensors are identical. The software configuration determines what operation the sensor input will trigger.

Enable Top and Bottom Scanners: This logic may be needed when barcode labels are attached to different sides of the boards, and two scanners are installed.

Use Scanner Predix: Allows you to specify the Prefix that you will be programming into each scanner. When applicable, this allows for identification of which scanner a barcode string was read from.

When the Enable Top and Bottom Scanners is in use, and the scanners are connecting through a PC Com Port, an additional menu becomes active, allow you to specify which scanner is connected to which Com Port:

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Dual Profiling Mode

Dual Profiling is an optional hardware and software capability that allows you to record profiles using up to 24 thermocouples. It utilizes two (2) standard 12 channel SPS Smart profilers which will be paired to each other and are run using a dual thermal shield which accommodates both units. It is designed for applications where a larger number of TCs are required, but still offers the flexibility to run a single 12 channel unit by itself as needed.

Configuration

When a USB dongle or license is detected with this optional capability, an additional selection for Dual Profiling Mode will be available in Global Preferences. To run in Dual Profiling mode, the two (2) 12 channel profilers need to be programmed to be designated for Primary and Secondary functionality respectively.

• Primary This unit will perform the typical functions of a standard profiler. It will wirelessly communicate with the Secondary unit, and it will be connected, via a USB download cable, to the PC during profiling setup and then to download the profile data.
• Secondary This unit will only operate from commands received wirelessly from the Primary unit.

Steps to change from standard to Dual Profiling operation:

Turn on and connect a 12ch SPS unit via the USB download cable Click the drop-down menu and select Secondary Click OK to change the profiling mode
Click OK to acknowledge the change to Dual Secondary mode Unplug the unit Note: the unit will be automatically powered off in order to change modes
Turn on and connect the other 12ch SPS unit via the USB download cable Click the drop-down menu and select Primary Click OK to change the profiling mode Click OK the acknowledge the change to Dual Primary mode Note: the unit will be automatically powered off in order to change modes Leave the Primary unit connected to the PC and press the power button to turn on the unit
Once the two units are programmed as Primary and Secondary, with both units turned on, tap the case of both units. This will put them into pairing mode . The blue ANT light will flash on each, and once paired, the amber Wi-Fi light will flash indicating the units are paired.

Steps to change from Dual Profiling to standard operation:

1. Turn on and connect one of the units via the USB download cable
2. Uncheck the Dual Profiling checkbox
3. Click OK to the messages to change the profiling mode from Dual Primary or Secondary back to standard configuration
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the second unit

Hardware Status Dual Profiling mode

When configured for Dual Profiling operation, and the Primary unit is connected, you will see the data from both the Primary and Secondary units:

In the example above, there are no TCs connected to the Primary unit (channels displaying opn ), whereas there are 12 TCs connected to the Secondary unit (channels displaying 26.0, 26.1, etc.). You can also see the battery percentage, and internal temperature of each unit.

IMPORTANT: If a unit is configured for Secondary and is directly connected to the PC via the USB download cable, it will display erratic or invalid values for the TC channels and the Internal Temperature as shown below. When in Dual Profiling mode, the only way to see valid information is when connecting the Primary unit.

Run a Profile Dual Profiling Mode

See the Run a Profile earlier in this manual for general information about running profiles.

Attaching the Air TC

Follow the on-screen instructions for attaching the Air TC:

It must be attached at the leading edge of the board, extending one inch (25 mm) in front of the leading edge of the board. It MUST be plugged into channel 1 on the PRIMARY profiler.

Attaching product TCs

Attach the product TCs at selected sites on the board, and plug them into the remaining connectors on the Primary and Secondary profilers. Order is not important, unless you plan on labeling where each TC is attached.

Selecting Thermocouples for the Profile

Select the number of TCs you are using by checking the box for the channel. Select the checkbox at the top of the screen the add custom labels for each TC.

Note: When units are configured for Dual Profiling mode, they can ONLY be run in Dual mode. Both the Primary and Secondary units need to be in use. To profile with 12 or fewer channels, reconfigure a unit for standard operation.

Important When operating in Dual Profiling mode, always use the Dual thermal shield. Running with the profilers in separate shields can result in errors in profiling and/or data loss.

1. The Alarm on Maximum Deviation from Baseline checkbox is selected by default, with a value of 30C specified. If any or multiple probe TC s deviate +/- 30C from the baseline reading, it will generate an alarm condition. If entering a different value, select Apply then OK.

Note: This will generate Alarm #13 if any of the 30 probe TC s deviate from baseline more than the specified limit.

2. If the Alarm on Maximum Deviation from Baseline box is deselected, you may set individual specs for any or all probe TC s. After you have input a low and high limit for the probe TC s you wish to monitor, select Apply and OK.

Note: This will generate Alarm #13 if any of the 30 probe TC s deviate from baseline more than the specified limit.

• The probe TC number
• Current = current temperature read
• Min = lowest temperature read
• Max = highest temperature read

When the cursor is held over the Conveyor Footprint area it will display:

• Current = current speed
• Baseline = baseline speed
• Min = slowest speed read
• Max = fastest speed read

Global Preferences

Global Tab

Figure 5: Preferences Global Tab

• Units of Measure There are four drop-down menus to choose units for Conveyor Speed, Distance, and Temperature. Auto Focus users enter the units for weight.

• Product Start Temperature The software cannot accurately analyze a profile while a board is too hot. Before it can begin, the temperature of all thermocouples connected between the product and the profiler must be below the value you specify here with the slider bar. Profiling automatically starts when the Air TC temperature drops to less than 2 C above the product start temperature.

• Oven Name Enter a name for your oven and click the oven Zone Length button to enter the minimum and maximum zone temperatures, and as needed, the length of the zones.

• Profiling Hardware Specify the model of your profiler, the number of channels (7, 9, or 12), and, if using the SPS Smart Profiler, X5, specify the data transmission mode (Datalogger or Transmitter).

• Languages Select the language (English, Spanish, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, or Japanese) you prefer to see displayed in the software. A restart of software is required after change of language.

• Engineer Password By checking this and entering a password you can control access to certain menus in the software. See Password Protection section of this manual for details.

Define Your Oven

The screen populates with numbered zones and default length and temperature values.

4. Change the default values as needed.
5. Click the green check button to save the settings and return to the Global Preferences screen.

Control Limits Tab

Figure 8: Global Preferences Control Limits Tab

Settings on the Control Limits tab let you set threshold values related to important process quality measurements that, when exceeded, trigger warnings and alarms.  These values can monitor defect and yield capacities as well as statistical process control and capability index measurements.

Statistical Process Control (SPC) for the thermal process is critical for any manufacturing program that involves continuous quality monitoring and improvement.  SPC provides the ability to understand the predictability of the process and to know in real-time when a process may be changing and affect product quality.

Process Capability Index (Cpk) gives a continuous indication of how current production is keeping within specifications and will indicate if the process is drifting towards a condition where defective product may be produced.  It is a measure of where the process spread falls within the Process Window.  By monitoring this and alarming when it becomes too low, you can proactively address issues in the process before a single defect occurs.

Note: The values shown in the Control Limits panel are not used unless you have purchased the Live Index Screen or O2 Live options. To learn more about these options, see the section titled Software Options.

Specifying Cpk computation values

Calculate Cpk with the entire Population (from Virtual Profiling start to latest) When selected, the software will calculate Cpk across an entire production batch once the specified minimum points to compute Cpk has been exceeded.

Alarm on Cpk Enable or disable the Cpk alarm that can accompany the Optional SPC charts that the software can display when running Virtual Profiling. If the Cpk drops below the defined value, the software can activate an onscreen, or Optional hardware alarm. (Default = 1.33.)

Minimum When Alarm on Cpk is enabled, this value determines the lower threshold for the Cpk alarm. If the Cpk value drops below this minimum, the software activates a software and/or hardware alarm. (Default = 1.33.)

Points to compute Cpk

• Minimum Specify the minimum number of data points needed for the software to begin calculating Cpk.

• Maximum Enter the maximum number of data points to calculate Cpk. The Cpk value will be calculated over a rolling window of data, only using up to the maximum data points at any given time.Note: Cpk is only calculated and displayed when Virtual Profiling is running.

Virtual Profiling Settings

Maximum PWI to enable Virtual Profiling This percentage value determines the maximum PWI allowable in order for any given profile to qualify as a Virtual Profile baseline. If the PWI for a profile is lower than this value, it can be used as a Virtual Profile baseline. By default, this value is 90%. Profiles that exceed this value cannot be used as a Virtual Profile baseline.

Trigger Warning when PWI is higher than Enabling this feature allows you to display a Warning dialog box on the screen when the PWI exceeds the user defined PWI percentage

How the Software Calculates Cpk

Figure 9: How the software calculates Cpk

Values used for the spec limits and the data are translated in terms of the Process Window Index.

Here is a simple example.  Let us set the Points to Compute Cpk to five, and the five PWI values are as follows: 68%, 88%, 70%, 64%, and 65%.

By definition, the overall PWI is always positive and the limit is always 100%.

Therefore, while the worst PWI is 88%, the Cpk is 1.10, which is below the typical target minimum of 1.33.  This tells us that the chance that the process drift out of spec is too high and this process should be improved.

Here is five more sample PWIs: 91%, 91%, 92%, 89%, and 90%.

Even though every PWI in the second list is considerable higher/worse than the worst PWI in the first list, the Cpk is a very good 3.07.  Such a high Cpk indicates that there is very little chance this process will drift out of spec.  The reason second process is better than the first is because the second process has very little variation in it.

Disable Alarm Tab

Figure 10: Preferences Disable Alarm Tab

By default, the automatic software provides many on-screen notifications and Optional alarm relay signals to help keep your process within spec and your production flowing. Selecting the Disable Alarm tab displays a matrix of options to let you selectively disable any alarm, warning, or relay signal that does not suit your workflow.

Screen Alarm This column of features lets you specify if the alarms and warnings appear on your monitor.

Alarm Relay This column lets you specify the conditions under which an eTPU signal energizes the alarm relay to let it power an audible or light indicator or to stop an infeed conveyor.

Note: For some alarms, if you disable a Screen Alarm selection, but leave the corresponding Alarm Relay selection active, you will have no way of acknowledging the alarm condition. This type of configuration is NOT recommended.

Select All This toggle selects or deselects all of the options in the column once selected. Toggling Select All again resets the options to let you more easily choose individual items.

A check box at the bottom of the screen lets you turn off the crystal ball graphic that provides a color-coded status during Virtual Profiling.

Outputs Tab Virtual Profile Image Output The Virtual Profile Image Output generates a Virtual Profile image file while Virtual Profiling is running live. The image file is output in the form of a .jpg file type, with the naming structure of ProductName_OvenName_YYMMDD_HH:MM:SS.JPG. If the barcode feature is used, the product barcode string is included after the time stamp. The output file can be generated at user selected time intervals, or for each board processed.   To enable the feature select the check box and browse to a network location to store the Virtual Profile image files. There are two (2) different methods of image creation:

• The VP Image file generated every X minute(s) Selecting this option will generate the images based on time interval. Enter the time in minutes (1 2880) at which the software generates each image.

• Max File Numbers – Enter the maximum number of files (64 512) to be stored in the destination folder. The software automatically limits the number of files in this folder during live Virtual Profiling situations. When the maximum number of files is exceeded, new files automatically replace the oldest files.

• The VP Image file generated for every board Selecting this option will generate an image for each board. NOTE: When this selection is in use, the Run a Verification Profile and View/Edit Process Window buttons are unavailable. Additionally, when using this selection you can specify additional information that will appear on the image:

• Company Name
• Engineer
• Logo (.bmp files only)

• Output in-spec VP Only This feature is only available when using the time output. It will NOT create output files if the Virtual Profile is in an out-of-spec condition at the specified interval.
• Output in Portrait Mode Default output is in Landscape mode.
• Output as PDF Generates a PDF file instead of a .jpg.

Examples of Image Outputs

Copy Data to the Network

The Copy to Network tool lets you store all software files and data to a network location for backup or archival purposes.  When you click the check box, the tool software launches, and an icon appears in the system tray area.  Right click, and then choose Settings to configure the CopyToNetwork settings.

Figure 11: CopyToNetwork software tool screen

Select the folders and/or data to be copied and then enter or browse to the network location.  You must enter a valid network path.  Click the Save and Start button to begin copying the selected files and folders to selected network location.

Note: The Baseline Profiles selection creates a separate folder of ONLY the current baseline profiles for your products. It does NOT save any other profiles that may be in your directory.

The software will prompt you to either, copy all the data now or save the settings without copying the data.

Figure 12: CopyToNetwork message

Yes The selected data is copied to the selected network location and the settings are saved.

No– The settings are saved, but no data is copied.

Notes:

• If the network location is not available, is an invalid path, or the network is disconnected the software will temporarily write the selected data to the C:\software root directory\_Data_Backup_ folder until the network path or connection has been reestablished.
• The CopyToNetwork tool launches automatically as long as the Copy to Network option is checked in the Global Preferences tab.
• Whenever any selected folder is updated with new/modified information, the new information is automatically backed up to the network location without any further user interaction.

Hardware Status Screen

Figure 20: Hardware Status Screen

Oven Controller When connected to an oven that is capable of communicating with the software, the software will display oven status and display the oven control software name.

Profiler Shows the status of the profiler unit, including the following information:

• Profiler communication status.

• Temperature display for all connected thermocouples.

• Battery information.

• Internal Temperature (of the profiler).

• Maximum Temperature Capability This value determines the maximum temperature that the profiler can read.

Software Key Displays all of the features currently programmed on the USB Dongle key.

Probes The current live temperatures for the probes are displayed. A third line displays hardware information for the Board Sensor, and Conveyor Speed Encoder.

Note: If you do not see any data displayed in this field, then the software is not communicating properly with the eTPU hardware.

Test Alarm Relay Use this button to test the optional Alarm Relay function of the software. The Alarm Relay hardware must be properly connected. Use this button to manually disable the alarm, should it stay active after Virtual Profiling is not running. The button appears as long as the software is detecting the eTPU device.

Note: The Alarm Relay is not energized until the Virtual Profile is running and the VP goes out of spec. To learn more about this see the Alarm Relay chapter.

Install the Software

Minimum PC System Requirements

• Dual Core / 1GHz processor PC with 2GB RAM
• 2GB available storage
• Video 1024 x 768 / 16-bit color
• 1 available USB port (for software key)
• 1 available USB port for data download
• 1 available Ethernet port or 1 available USB port with Ethernet-to-USB adapter
• For product compatibility with Windows operating systems, visit our website at http://kicthermal.com/support-download/os-compatibility-chart

Note: Additional powered USB ports may be needed for additional accessories.

Note Before Installation

• Shut down all other applications as a precaution against software conflicts.

• If you are installing the software on an oven that is capable of communication with the software, DO NOT place the software icon in the Windows Startup folder. If the software loads before the oven controller software, it can cause the oven controller software to malfunction.

Languages

The software supports the following languages:

The use of specific languages depends on the operating system:

• English, German, and Spanish can be run on any of the supported Windows operating systems.
• Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese cannot be used with English versions of Windows operating systems.
• To run the software in Japanese, the operating system must be Windows-Japanese version.
• To run the software in Simplified or Traditional Chinese, the operating system must be Windows-Chinese version.

Install

1. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your computer.
2. Depending upon your computer setup, a dialog box may appear. If it does, select Open folder to view files. If a dialog box does not appear, use Windows Explorer to browse to the USB flash drive directory.
3. Double-click the installation file in the root directory to begin the installation.
4. Follow the instructions for the installation program as the screens appear.*When installing the software over an existing system directory, the installation will automatically create a backup folder of the existing directory. A warning message will be displayed when selecting an existing directory, and a checkbox can be de-selected if you do not wish to create a backup.The name of the backup directory created will be C:\software root directory_Old_MM-DD_YYYY

   Note: If you have questions regarding your hardware or software configuration contact KIC Tech Support.

    

   During the installation process, you will encounter the following screen:

    

   

    

   When the supplied USB software dongle is connected, or your license has been activated, and then click Continue, the software will identify what additional purchased options are available. When applicable, an additional prompt may appear regarding the configuration of those options.

    

   If there is no USB software dongle or license present when clicking the Continue button, the software will continue the installation with the standard, default configuration.

Start the Software

The installation automatically adds a named software folder to the main Windows Start Menu. Click the Windows Start button and scroll up to the software folder. Then click the software icon.

1. Click the Windows Start button to locate the automatic software icon and click the icon.

Figure 2: Hardware Configuration Diagram

2. A specifically programmed USB dongle key is required to run the automatic system software. When starting, if you see the above message, insert the key and click OK.

The first screen in the software will prompt you to either enter the current belt speed for the oven or choose to work in History mode. See Figure 3.

Note: This screen will not appear if the software is installed on an oven that has compatible oven controller software unless the communication between the two applications in not enabled.

Figure 3: Product Tracking Initialization

Production Mode – If you wish to run profiles or Virtual Profile, enter the current belt speed for your oven and choose the OK button, this will activate Production mode. You can view historical data while in Production mode, but not while a Virtual Profile is running.

To view historical Virtual Profile data from the same PC while Virtual Profiling live, launch a separate Host.exe file located in: C:\software root directory\APPforViewer\KICHost.exe. This will open a separate Profile Explorer that will allow you to browse through the history of any product including the one currently running VP. Historical data will be available for any boards that have already exited the oven.

View History Mode – If you wish to work offline and do not plan to profile or Virtual Profile, choose I am not going to run profiles or live Virtual Profiling button, this will activate History mode. While History mode is active, you cannot run profiles or Virtual Profile, as the software will not communicate with the system hardware. The software will not even check for the hardware unless Production mode is active. If working in History mode you can browse to any working directory in Profile Explorer, even over a network.

Using Live Data Output

The Live Data Output (LDO) feature outputs Virtual Profile (VP) data in real time for use by third-party applications such as Line Balancing/Production Monitoring Host or SPC software. This data includes barcode information (where applicable) and all relevant profile data, statistics, and limits. There are several different LDO formats that can be chosen from. Examples of these formats will be shown later in this section.

Output of the LDO file data When the VP is running, the statistical data from each newly completed Virtual Profile is written to the LDO file when the board exits the oven.

Viewing LDO data LDO is designed to output data only and is not meant as a historical database. It is intended to be used with third party software that collects the LDO data while the Virtual Profile is running-live. If you are not running third party software to collect the LDO data, and wish you to view historical data, this can be accomplished from within the actual automatic system software in use.

LDO destination The location where the LDO output file is written to can be specified by the user in the ConfigurationProgram.exe utility.

Note: For the Live Data output to function, the appropriately programmed USB dongle key must remain connected to the PC at all times during use. You can verify whether or not you have the LDO feature by viewing the Software Key panel in the Hardware Status screen.

An LDO output file example

Below is an example of the type of data included in the LDO output file:

Figure 144: Live Data Output text file

LDO Formats

There are several standard LDO formats to choose from:

• TSV or CSV format for WordPad
• TSV format for Excel
• 1 Board 1 File (TXT format)
• 1 Board 1 File (XML format)
• 1 Board 1 File (CSV format)

The following are specialized output formats and not typically selected by most users:

• KP Data Only (CSV)
• XML Format A
• XML Format A2
• CUSTOME LDO
• 1 Board 1 File TXT Alternate/Custom

Details of Output Files

TSV And CSV for WordPad

• The output file type is a .TXT
• TSV format is Tab delimited
• CSV format is Comma delimited.
• The output file is first generated when the VP is started
• File is appended as each board exits and VP is calculated
• The default output file name is KIC_ProBot_LiveDataOutput.txt
• The user can choose to define their own specific output file name
• When default or user defined naming is selected, output file is overwritten when product changeover occurs
• File name format can also be set to: PRODUCT_YYMMDD_HH-MM-SS.txt
• When this naming is selected, a new file is generated when product changeover occurs

TSV for Excel

• The output file type is a .TXT
• TSV format is Tab delimited
• The output file is first generated when the VP is started
• File is appended as each board exits and VP is calculated
• The default output file name is KIC_ProBot_LiveDataOutput.txt
• The user can choose to define their own specific output file name
• When default or user defined naming is selected, output file is overwritten at product changeover
• File name format can also be set to: PRODUCT_YYMMDD_HH-MM-SS.txt
• When this naming is selected, a new file is generated when product changeover occurs

One board per file (TXT format)

• The output file type is a .TXT
• Separate individual file is generated as board exits oven and VP is calculated
• File name is ProductName_OvenName_YYMMDD_HH-MM-SS_BarcodeString (Barcode string included when applicable)
• User cannot change file name with exception of not including barcode in file name

One board per file (XML format)

• The output file type is a .XML file
• Separate individual file is generated as board exits oven and VP is calculated
• File name is ProductName_OvenName_YYMMDD_HH-MM-SS_BarcodeString (Barcode string included when applicable)
• User cannot change file name with exception of not including barcode in file name

One board per file – (CSV format)

• The output file type is a .CSV file
• Separate individual file is generated as board exits oven and VP is calculated
• File name is ProductName_OvenName_YYMMDD_HH-MM-SS_BarcodeString (Barcode string included when applicable)
• User cannot change file name with exception of not including barcode in file name

One board per file TXT – Alternate

• Similar to standard one board per file TXT output
• Adds lines for customer name (taken from Profile Description); separate lines for Date and Time boards entered and exited; which TC had highest PWI

One board per file TXT – Custom

• Similar to standard one board per file TXT output
• Does not include temperature specs in specifications (Reflow_Time instead of Reflow_Time_/218)

Note: Examples of each of the available output file types can be found in the C:\ software root Directory\Sample LDO files folder.

Configure LDO

With the automatic system software shut down, browse to the C:\ software root directory folder and run the ConfigurationProgram.exe application, and select the LDO tab. Check the Enable Live Data Output checkbox Select the desired Format The type of Format chosen will affect what naming structure for file will be used (See Details of Output Files above). Select the destination path for the output file by clicking on the Browse button. This needs to be a location on the local drive. Max File Size lets you specify how large the LDO output file can get before a new one is started. Select Include Alarm Events to record into the output file any warnings or alarms.

If a VP is running for an extended amount of time, once the maximum file size is reached, a new file will be generated, and the new file name will be appended with a _# as shown in the example below:

Include Alarm Events in the Output File

When Include Alarm Events is selected, any alarm and/or warning events that occurred while a board was in the oven will be saved into the output file along with the board data.

Alarm Event LDO Output File Examples

Below are examples of the Tab Separated and One Board per File outputs with the Include Alarm Events enabled:

Tab Separated	One Board per File

Delete Accumulated LDO Files

In time, accumulating LDO files can take up too much hard disk space and need to be deleted. The software provides an Auto Delete function that lets you specify time intervals for automated file purging. You can specify a maximum number of days up to 1827 (five years) that the system retains the files before automatic purging. You can also select a time in the 24-hour cycle for the system to automatically check for files that exceed the maximum day limit.

1. In the automatic system folder, double-click on the AutoDelete icon.
   The Auto Delete LDO files screen appears:

2. Click in the Max days to exist field, and type in a new value.

Use the drop-down list to select an hour during the day to check for old files. Click the Apply button.

Password Protection

To enable the Password protection feature, go to the Global Preferences screen and select the Password Protection check box.

Figure 73: Password Protection

Items that are password protected:

• Global Preferences button on the main screen
• In the Process Window Screen Saving or deleting Process Windows or changes to Process Windows
• In the Run a Profile first screen Remove Oven
• In the Profile Explorer Delete a profile
• In the Profile Graph and Statistics screen Access to the Optimization tab

You can also configure the software to have different access for different user levels. For more information on additional password protection features, see Appendix C: Password Control Multi User.

Printing

The software will print profiles only from within the profile display screens. Click on the printer icon button at the bottom of the profile display to open the Profile printout setup menu. There are two print formats available Portrait or Landscape.

Portrait Mode

Figure 74: Portrait Format

1. Check the items you wish to include on your profile printout.
2. Press the Print button to print the report.
3. Press the Print Preview Button to display a preview of the report.

Figure 75: Sample Portrait Print Preview

Landscape Mode

Figure 76: Profile Print Portrait Options

Below are the additional options available with Landscape mode:

• Memo Box Enables/Disables a Memo Box area for Draft, Review and Approval Signatures and Dates.
• Lead Free Logo Enables/Disables the Lead-Free Logo display area.
• Lead Free Logo Path When Lead Free Logo is enabled, specify the path to any BMP image file that you want to appear in the Lead Free Logo display area on the report.

Figure 77: Sample Landscape Print Preview

Optionally, you can print the contents of any screen in the automatic system software by pressing F9 on your keyboard. The F9 function will not work while viewing the Profile Printout Setup dialog box.

Note: Before printing, make sure you have defined a printer for use with Windows.

Define/Edit Process Window

Figure 13: Process Window Setup

To create a Process Window, follow these steps:

• Choose a solder paste from the Solder Paste Menu.
• Edit the specs if necessary.
• Enter a name the Process Window
• Save the Process Window

Process Window Name Name of the Process Window file that includes the statistics chosen and limits for those statistics, along with whatever text appears in the Description field.

Solder Paste Menu A read only library list of numerous solder pastes along with the statistics and limits suggested by the paste mfg., also included is a user-defined option in the list which allows you to create a spec. of your own. See below for additional details.

Edit Specs Screen allowing you to edit or choose statistics and limits for a chosen solder paste or define your own specs.

Read only text box Shows the paste name, statistics name, and limits for a Process Window chosen, edited, or saved by you. To edit select the Edit Specs button.

Same specs for all TCs By deselecting this checkbox, you can assign separate specifications for each individual thermocouple you are using. This option would be used if you had component specific specifications that differ from the general solder paste specs. Another use for this would be if you wanted to monitor the actual board temperature as well as component temps. You would then only select the statistics for that TC that are relevant. If you wish to use the same specifications for all thermocouples, put a check mark in the box.

Select TC to view This dialog box will appear only if the Same Specs for all TCs checkbox is deselected. By clicking on the dropdown menu, you can view the specifications that have been defined for that number thermocouple. If a description was included, it will be displayed next to Label.

Process Window Description Field allowing for freehand notes for a particular Process Window.

Change Specs Name Opens an external application allowing you to customize the name of any individual statistic. (See Change Specs Name for additional details).

Solder Paste Menu

Figure 14: Solder Paste Menu

Solder Paste Menu – Once you have clicked on the Solder Paste Menu you will have a list of pastes to choose from. Use the scroll bar on the right to find your paste, and then click on the paste in the list. See Figure 14.

• Clicking on the green check will accept that paste and load its specs. The software first presents disclaimer information. When you click the green check, a new screen presents an opportunity to fine tune the solder paste specifications. When you click the green check on this screen, you return to the Process Window Setup screen. Clicking the green check on this screen saves the named process and associated solder paste specs.

• Clicking on the picture of the paste jar and tube will give you technical support information for the solder paste manufacturer that you chose.

• Clicking on the red X will cancel your selection and return you to the Process Window screen without making any changes.

Note:  Updates to the solder paste list occur on a regular basis. Check for new additions at www.kicthermal.com.

Edit Specs

Figure 15: Process Window Edit Specs

The Process Window name appears at the top of the screen. See Figure 15.

There is a single drop-down list at the top that contains all of the available specifications that can be applied to your Process Window.  These specifications are specific limits or a group of limits that define the overall Process Window for your product.  These specifications include Slope, Preheat, Soak, Peak temperatures, and Time above temperatures.

Specs details The Spec details coincide with the selected specification.  For each specification selected, enter the temperature, and time limits.  These limits are usually dictated by the solder paste used.  The software uses the limits to measure the profile PWI.

Caution: Changes made within this screen will have a direct effect on the profile PWI value.

Once you have completed all spec modifications you can click on the green check DONE button and your changes will be applied.  Clicking on the red X CANCEL button will cancel your changes and exit.

Specify Different Specs for Individual TCs

Figure 16: Edit Specs screen with TC Selection & Label panel displayed

TC Selection & Label

If you deselected the Same Specs for all TCs option on the Process Window Setup screen, the Edit Specs screen will display an additional TC Selection & Label. See Figure 16.

Select – Use the Select drop-down menu to select the TC whose specifications you wish to view/edit. The Spec Details for the selected TC appear.

TC label This area will allow you to type in a description or label to identify that particular TC. If left blank, the TCs will simply be identified as TC2, TC3, etc.

Note: When using separate specs, the Edit Specs screen is the only place where you can select or deselect which TCs will be used for a profile.

Once you have completed all edits of the specs, click the green check button and your changes will be applied. Clicking the red X (Cancel) button will cancel your changes and exit.

Figure 17: Process Window Select TC to View

Select TC to view Drop-down menu containing the TCs that have already been defined. (Previous step). See Figure 17.

Change Specs Name

If you wish to rename the label for a particular statistic, start by clicking the Change Specs Name button, which opens a separate window. Put a check mark in the checkbox at the top of the screen to enable the change function. Next, locate the desired specification in the greyed out columns, and type in the new name in the corresponding editable column. Click the Save, then Exit to close the window and return to the Process Window screen.

Save Process Window

Figure 18: Save Process Window

To save – Click the green check button. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to add this Process Window to your current list of Process Windows. See Figure 18 and Figure 19.

Figure 19: Add Process Window Prompt

Clicking Yes will save it and exit to the main screen. You can click No and then click the red X Cancel button to exit without accepting or saving any changes.

Import Legacy Process Windows

You can import process windows that you ve created in KIC 2000 software into the automatic system software and use them in your current production.

1. Open the KIC 2000 main product folder.
2. Open the KIC 2000 Process Specs folder:
3. Copy the files that you want to run in the automatic system.
4. Open the C:\software root folder\ProcessSpecs folder and paste in the copied files.
5. Run the automatic system software. Access the Process Window screen and the newly copied files will be displayed.

Profile Explorer

The Profile Explorer is a powerful and simple data file management tool. For each unique product name you use when profiling, the software will create a folder with the same name. The software saves all the profiles run using that product name in that folder.

Figure 53: Profile Explorer

The list of product folders is in the upper left of the Profile Explorer. Click on the magnification glass button at the top left to search for a product name.

• By default, the time/date listed in the Last Modified column will show the date/time of the last completed VP. Alternatively, you can select the time/date to be based only on baseline profiles by right-clicking on the Last Modified button and selecting Most recent profile/profile modification.

• Viewing a profile – Click on a product folder to display the profiles that have previously been run for any product. Highlight the profile you wish to view and then select the Graph button at the bottom of the screen or double-click the profile to display it.

Note: Once the profile appears on screen, you can use the Control + Up Arrow to view the next profile, and Control + Down Arrow to display the previous profile.

• The profile section can be sorted by clicking on any of the column headers. Single clicking on a profile will display the Profile description in the upper right corner.

• Double-clicking the profile to display the graph and statistics for that profile. Clicking the Display Graph button can also do this.
  

  Note: If the profile is labeled as Bad or if, for any reason, the automatic system software cannot display it, the profile is automatically copied to the Clipboard so that you can use a third-party app such as MS-Excel to view the data.

Browse for Historical Data

The current Data Path for the data viewed in the Profile Explorer appears in the upper-right corner.  The data path appears grayed out if running in production mode.  It will be active, if you clicked on the, I am not going to Profile or Virtual Profile button (enabling History mode), when first launching the software.

The data path can be changed but must be done so through the

C:\software root directory\Log\KIC2000DataPath.kiccfg file.

To view historical Virtual Profile data from the same PC while Virtual Profiling is live, you launch a separate Host.exe file located: C:\software root directory\APPforViewer\KICHost.exe. This will open a separate Profile Explorer that will allow you to browse through the history of any product including the one currently running VP. Historical data will be available for any boards that have already exited the oven.

Note: This feature was designed to allow you to view historical data stored in a different directory on the same computer or on remote PC over a network.

View Historical Data Over a Network (History Mode)

While in History mode, you can view all collected data over a network from any PC running the software.

3. A Browse button will be enabled in the upper right-hand corner of the Profile Explorer screen.

Figure 55: Profile Explorer Browse Data Path

4. Click the Browse button and point to the root directory where your profiles are stored.
   Keep in mind that you want to direct it to the root directory of the main Profiles folder.

For example: if the profiles are stored in a directory named F:\software root directory\Profiles\Board A, you would direct it only to the F:\software root directory\ folder.

Profile Explorer Buttons

	Start Virtual Profiling Click this button to start Virtual Profiling. The software will always use the latest qualifying profile as the Virtual Profile – Baseline profile.
	Save Selected Profile Click this button to save an event or profile to the location of your choice, either hard disk, network drive, or floppy disk.
	Delete Click this button to delete an event or profile.
	Display the Graph and Statistics for this profile – Click this button to display the graph and statistics for the selected profile. If you have an event other than a profile, the Display Graph and Statistics button will change to a Charts button.
	Return to Main Menu Click this button to return to the main menu screen.

Profile Explorer Checkboxes

At the bottom-left of the Profile Explorer are checkboxes to select what information to display:

Show VP Display all VP Start and Stop events for the selected product. Show Profiles Display the Profiles for the selected product. Show Alarms Display the Alarm state changes for the selected product.
Note: Double click any event to view the details including alarm event history. If two alarm/alert acknowledgements appear at the same time, only one will appear in Profile Explorer.

Profile Explorer Virtual Profiling

The profile that meets Virtual Profiling criteria will be displayed with a green VP overlaying the standard profile icon.

The software will always use the most recent qualifying profile as the Virtual Profile -Baseline profile.

View Virtual Profile Data

1. Select your product folder from the upper left- corner of the Profile Explorer.
   This will display the profiles and events for that product.
2. Choose a Virtual Profile event

Profile Explorer Event Icons

Profile Icons

Profile This icon appears for any valid profile that does not fit Virtual Profile criteria.

Virtual Profile capable This icon appears for the most recent Virtual Profile capable profile.

Virtual Profile Event Icons

The Profile Explorer displays an event icon for any event that occurs while Virtual Profiling is running and only when Virtual Profiling is running.  These events include:

VP Start This icon appears when Virtual profiling is enabled.

VP Stop This icon appears when Virtual Profiliing is disabled.

Alarm Icons

In Spec. Alarm state change This icon appears when the Virtual Profiling alarm state changes back to Ready.  There are three ocassions when this icon may appear:

• Back into Spec
• Back into Control
• Process Temperatures Back to Normal

Warning Alarm state change This icon appears when the Virtual Profile alarm state changes to Warning.  There are three ocassions when this icon may appear:

• CpkWarning
• Significant Process Temperature Variation
• Process Is Likely to Go Out of Spec Soon.

Out of Spec. Alarm state change This icon appears when the Virtual Profile alarm state changes to Out of  Spec.  There are nine ocassions when this icon may appear:

• Process temperatures are Out of Spec
• Product length is different from the Virtual Profile Baseline profile
• Encoder stopped, or changed signifigantly.
• Oven recipe no longer In-Spec
• eTPU lost communication

Warning Acknowledged This icon appears once the operator acknowledges the Warning alarm state change.

Alarm Acknowledged This icon appears once the operator acknowledges the Out of Spec. alarm state change.  Not all alarms require acknowledgement.

Communications Icons

eTPU Communication Error This icon appears if the software loses communication with the eTPU.

eTPU Communication Restored This icon appears when the software re-gains communication with the eTPU.

History Data Files

As the software processes Virtual Profiles, it logs data files to a Profiles folder that later can be analyzed. It automatically stores these Event and VPdata files associated with each specific product to a History folder.

Insert Data Files from an Outside Source

If you receive data files via disc or email, you can copy them to the software root directory\Profiles folder in Windows Explorer.  The next time you enter the Profile Explorer screen the software will automatically create folders for those profiles based on the profile name and put the profiles in the folders.

Rename Profiles

In situations that require it, you have the ability to edit the profile name. This can be especially useful when products are very similar but have different names. Once the profile has been optimized, it can be renamed and used as a baseline profile for similar products if the need arises. This eliminates the need to re-profile similar products unnecessarily.

Note: Renaming a profile includes the name that is embedded in the profile that shows up on the printout

1. Manually create a new folder in the C:\software root directory\Profiles folder using the new product name.
2. Copy the desired profile into this new folder.
3. A folder with that new Product Name will appear in Profile Explorer.
4. When you open that profile, it will display in the software with the new Product Name

• The new profile name will appear on all the screens (Profile Explorer, General Tab, Charts Tab, and Troubleshooting Tab). The new name will also appear in the data that is copied to the Clipboard.
• None of the files on the PC are actually renamed, when viewing the profiles in Profile Explorer, they all look the same. However, profiles run after the name has been changed will use the new product name as part of their file names

Note: Virtual Profiling will be most accurate for products that have their own baseline profile.

Virtual Profiling Virtual Profiling (VP) is a means of reliably predicting the thermal profile of every board in a production run based on a comparison of real-time temperature and conveyor speed data against a baseline profile established by an earlier profiler run through the oven. For a given product, this baseline needs to represent an optimum oven recipe with a good PWI value and a quality soldering result.   During the profiler run, the software simultaneously collects temperature data from the board and from the probes installed in the oven at product level. The software calculates a mathematical correlation between these temperature readings stores this data as part of the baseline profile.   Once the baseline is established, the software goes into monitoring mode, recording real-time belt speed and probe temperature data as a production run of similar boards passes through the oven. Comparing real-time data to the baseline profile, the automatic system algorithms accurately extrapolate a simulated thermal profile for each board. The automatic system updates and saves the VP profile data as each board exits the oven, creating a valuable quality assurance record of each production unit.   In monitoring mode, the software displays each board s profile chart and a table of data based on its process window. Other optional screens can show PWI and SPC control charts. When oven data varies significantly from the baseline profile, the software displays appropriate warnings to system operators. Note: Before you start Virtual Profiling, make sure all hardware is properly installed and configured.   Get a Valid Baseline Profile Virtual Profiling makes use of a special profile, called the baseline profile, as the data model for its predictions. The software requires that you first establish this baseline before it enables Virtual Profiling. The baseline profile should represent your optimum oven recipe for your product and needs to meet the Virtual Profile criteria shown below:   The PWI must be below the Maximum PWI to allow the VP value as set in Global Preferences. The conveyor speed measured by the encoder must be within 20% of the specified conveyor speed. Probe temperatures must be valid; if any probe thermocouple reports a range of greater than 30 C between adjacent readings (every 2.5 seconds), the software will consider them invalid.   If your profile meets the above criteria, it can work as a baseline profile. The baseline profile will display differently in the Profile Explorer screen the profile s icon will have an overlying green VP icon . If you suspect the current baseline profile needs replacement by a newer version that more closely matches current production conditions, the software lets you create a new baseline during ongoing production. As long as this verification profile meets VP criteria, it can become the new baseline profile. See Verify the Virtual Profile.   Integrate Empty Oven Data For a baseline to work as a good predictive model, it needs to use temperature data that reflect both board present and board absent states along the length of the probes. To obtain this data most efficiently, it may be necessary to run the profiler board with similar boards moving ahead of it and an empty conveyor behind it. The downstream flow of boards stabilizes the oven temperature and gives a good approximation of normal production conditions. As the profiler board exits each oven zone, the probes can measure the temperature when a board is not present. The software can integrate this comparative data for a more accurate predictive capability. The oven should remain empty until the profiler board completely exits the process chamber. Note: Be aware of the potential to put the system into a state where the software lacks sufficient empty oven data to make reliable VP predictions. The condition can occur during a verification profile run where you insert the profiler board into an ongoing production flow. With other boards both ahead of and behind the profiler board, no interval for gathering empty oven data occurs. A grey crystal ball indicates an unable to predict state. See Monitoring Production In Live Mode.     Create/Load a Virtual Profile There are several ways to begin Virtual Profiling:   Open the Profile Explorer and select your product folder in the upper-left corner. This will display the profiles and events for the selected product. If you have a profile that meets Virtual Profiling criteria, the profile icon will be overlaid with a green VP. This qualifying profile (Baseline) will always be the most recent profile that meets Virtual Profiling criteria (only one profile can qualify as the baseline).No need to highlight the Baseline profile, simply click the Start Virtual Profiling button.  This will start Virtual profiling for the selected product. If you have run a profile that meets the Virtual profile criteria, then the Start Virtual profiling button will appear once the profile has completed. Click the Start Virtual Profiling button to begin Virtual Profiling for this product. If you have enabled the Profile Grouping utility, click the Link button to associate groups of product models with a baseline profile and to select an individual model for a Virtual Profile production run. When using the Profile Grouping utility, the Start Virtual Profiling button does not appear on the Profile Explorer screen. Caution: Your software security key must be connected prior to enabling Virtual Profile mode.  If the key is removed from the computer while Virtual Profiling mode is enabled an alarm message will be displayed.  Tip: If your oven is capable of communicating with the software, a dialog box will appear notifying you that Virtual Profile is starting, and the oven recipe will be changed automatically.   If your software is not communicating directly with the oven controller, the software will display the Baseline profile recipe.  Make sure the oven is set to the exact recipe settings.     Figure 56: Profile Explorer Start Virtual Profiling   If your oven is capable of communicating with the software and the current oven recipe matches the Baseline profile recipe, a dialog box will appear telling you that the recipe is already set correctly.     Figure 57: Virtual Profiling Oven Recipe set correctly Tip: Oven Controller: If nothing happens within several seconds, check the oven control software to make sure there are no error messages or errors that will cause the system to hang.   Use the Profile Grouping Utility The automatic system includes a utility that lets you identify and group together different products that share the same thermal profile. For example, one might use a physically identical printed circuit board to manufacture many distinct product models. The manufacturer needs to specifically identify and track all the different models, but the thermal process specifications used to solder or cure them is identical throughout the product range. Once a successful process setup is identified for one model, the feature lets you link that setup with other models that can use the same process and thus save the time and cost of entering the same setup specifications repeatedly. In Virtual Profile mode, the baseline profile of a parent product can be matched to multiple child models, permitting smooth production transitions between models.     You enable the Profile Grouping functionality by adjusting settings in the KIC2000UserSettings.kiccfg file, C:\software root directory\Log\KIC2000UserSettings. Once accessing the APPLICATION CONFIGURATIONS section of the file, make sure the settings are as shown below:           [APPLICATION CONFIGURATIONS]         EnableProfieGrouping=1   Use Wildcard Characters to Identify Child Models Anticipating the need to group closely named product models, the software lets you substitute the asterisk (*) symbol as a universal wildcard character when adding models to a group or linking them with a specific profile. You can use wildcards in any position within the model name string.   On the Profile Explorer screen, click the Profile Grouping Utility button.The Profile Grouping Utility screen appears.   Select the Grouping tab. The Grouping tab screen appears, displaying a pull-down list of products that already have defined in-spec, baseline profiles:     From the Baseline Profile list, select the product to which you want to link models.   In the Add New Model field, type in a model name (using wildcards as appropriate), and click the Add button. The model name appears in the Linked Models list Repeat the steps for any additional models that you want to link to that baseline. Note: The Remove button will delete any selected model that was mistakenly included in the list.     Use the Utility with Virtual Profiling When Profile Grouping is enabled, you can only start Virtual Profiling by using the utility to identify properly linked product/model pairs. The normal Virtual Profile Start button no longer appears on the Profile Explorer screen.   Load a Specific Model While many models can be grouped together in association with a baseline profile, only one at a time can be processed in Virtual Profiling. The software provides an interface for loading a specific model into VP, paired with a specific product baseline. The software does a search through the existing baseline profiles and grouped models to seek a matched pair. The search can yield results of match, no match and multiple matches.   The procedure below describes how to resolve all possible outcomes into a product baseline/single model pairing that can run in VP.   On the Profile Explorer screen, click the Profile Grouping Utility button.The Profile Grouping Utility screen appears.   Select the VP Load tab. The VP Load tab screen appears.     In the Load and Start VP for field, either type in a model number or use a barcode scanner to input an identification string.   Press the Enter key to start the software search for linked pairs of product baselines and models:       If the software finds a single linked product/model pair, they appear as linked on the screen, together with the VP Start button:   5a. Click the VP Start button to start Virtual Profiling with the selected model.   If there are multiple matches, the Matched Model Links screen appears, displaying pull-down lists for products and models   5b. Select a product/model pair from the pull-down lists and click the green check (OK) button to return to the VP Load tab screen and start Virtual Profiling with the selected model.     If there is no match, the software displays a message about the model and a Link button.   5c. Click the Link button.     The Matched Model Links screen appears:   Input the model number and select a product baseline profile from the Product Name pull-down list. Click the green check (OK) button. The VP Load screen reappears with the newly linked product/model pair displayed.     Click the VP Start button to begin Virtual Profiling with the selected model. View the Linked Model On Other Screens During Virtual Profiling, the name of the linked model appears in several places in the user interface. On the Profile Explorer screen, all linked models for a selected profile appear at the top of the screen and in the Child Model column:     The name also appears at the top of the profile data screen

Run a Profile

The Run a Profile button will guide you through a series of screens. Use the Back and Next arrow buttons at the bottom to move through the screens in the process, which will end with a completed and graphed profile. The Cancel button returns you to the main menu.

Note: If you have already profiled your product using the software, you can save time and go directly to the Profile Explorer, start a Virtual Profile, or load the most recent profile for your product, then use the prediction capabilities to improve the profile PWI and generate new oven settings.

Figure 21: Run a Profile Screen #1

Product name Enter in a unique product name (long file names are acceptable) or choose an existing product name from the drop-down list.

Process window Choose a Process Window from the drop-down list. These Process Windows are created in the Define/Edit Process Window screen that is accessed from the main screen.

Application Select your application type from the list. The software will function depending on the selected Application type. Some variables that might change depending on the selected Application type are: data-sample rate, profile temperature trigger values, and specific artwork.

Oven Name The oven will have information about the number of zones saved with it as well as other zone information. These details, as well as the oven name, are entered into the Global Preferences screen.

Profile description Allows for freehand typing of any notes you may want to include with this profile. These notes can be changed later from the Profile Explorer.

Specify Oven Characteristics

To ensure accurate profile data, you may need to enter specific information into the software about the oven(s) you intend to use–information that changes the default values used by the software s predictive algorithms.  These default values are stored in an oven initialization file that the software creates when you first enter the name of a new oven.  The software adds the extension .kiccfg to the name you entered and stores the file in this location:

C:\ software root directory\Ovens

Unless you specify otherwise, the software works with the following initialization file default assumptions:

• The zones are uniform and consecutive with no large gaps between them.

• The minimum temperature for all zones is 70 C.

• The maximum temperature for all zones is 350 C.

• Default setpoint values start at 100 C and increases at 5 intervals at each zone.

In the Global Preferences screen, the software lets you change the default values of a configuration file to accurately reflect your equipment. You will likely need to set some values, such as the length of oven heating zones, and min/max temperature limits only once -when you first set up the oven. Others, such as temperature setpoints and conveyor speed values that make up an oven recipe, you may change frequently to match to new products.

Specify An Oven Recipe

Attach Thermocouples

Thermocouples (TCs), attached to solder joints or other important sites on the board, directly measure the temperature at the point that the TC bead is in contact with the PCB. The TC measurements are collected by the profiler and the software to create thermal profiles.

Two methods are typically used to attach TCs aluminum tape and high temperature solder.  Both methods are discussed below.

The system works with two kinds of TCs standard TCs and the Air TC.  Standard TCs record the temperature data for various sites on the board.  The air TC gets specific positioning because its temperature triggers the start of the profile data processing, aids with TC shifting, and improves the prediction capabilities of the software.

Attach the Air TC

There are two important considerations regarding the Air TC:

Attach Standard TCs

Attach Thermocouples To Semiconductor Wafers

Select Thermocouples to Start a Profile

Figure 23: Run a Profile Screen Select TCs

Include thermocouple (TC) labels (20 char. max) Checking this will display a field below each TC that is selected.  Up to 20 characters can be used to describe the placement or description of the TC.

TC number check box Place a check next to each TC channel that is going to be used for this profile. TC number 1 is always used for the AIR TC. You must use at least one other TC as well.

• Turn on the profiler.
• Click on the green traffic light button to start the profile.

Live readings When the profiler is on and plugged directly to either the download cable for datalogging or the receiver/Base Station, you will see live temperature updates for the TCs plugged into the profiler.  The TC checkbox must be selected for each TC you are using in order to view the temperature readings.

Battery voltage Displays the live readings of the profiler battery voltage.  The software will recognize if your battery voltage is too low and will not allow you to start a profile until you have batteries with enough voltage to complete the profile.

Profiler Internal temperature Displays the internal temperature of the profiler. If the temperature is too high to complete the profile and stay under the maximum rating for the unit, it will not allow you to start the profile. You must wait until the profiler is cool enough. The software will let you know what temperature you will have to cool below.

Board Length Enter the length of the board to be profiled. When using the optional Auto-Focus feature, this value will automatically be filled in based on previous Board Length entry.

Start The Profile

Note: Make sure your profiler is powered on and ready to operate

Depending on the settings in the profiler and in the software, you may have to initialize the profiler. (The software lets you know when this is necessary.) To initialize your profiler, connect the communication cable directly to the SPS, X5, or K2. Click OK when the software displays the message that the initialization was successful.

Once the oven has stabilized and you are ready to load the profiler and profile board into the oven select the green traffic light button.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All profilers have a maximum operating temperature that, to avoid damage, should never be exceeded.  See the product datasheet for temperature tolerance information:

Trailing Wire Profiling

You can also use the SPS, X5, or K2 profilers with elongated thermocouples or a thermocouple extension long enough to pass through the process. This is especially useful for low clearance processes or higher temperature processes that would normally cause the profiler to overheat during use.

If you have a datalogger model and plan to keep the profiler connected during the profile, ignore the message to unplug the download cable from the profiler.  At the end of the profile, be sure and leave the product TCs connected long enough to achieve the profile-stop trigger value, 110 C, otherwise the profile will not complete.  Leave the product TCs connected until the download has completed and the software asks you to turn off the profiler.

Using long thermocouples or thermocouple extensions will have an effect on the profiler temperature accuracy.  In order to compensate for the length of thermocouple or thermocouple extension wire, recalibrate the profiler using the same length and gauge TC wires that are to be trailed through the oven or process.

If the profiler remains connected to the communication cable while profiling, the live profile will be plotted on the graph.

Live Profile Graph

Figure 27: Live Profile Graph Display

The Live graph screen shows the real-time plot of the product as it travels through the oven. See Figure 27. This will only appear for the wireless models. During the live profile, all of the tabs on the screen are deactivated and are inaccessible to you. The only action that you can take at this point (besides waiting for the profile to complete) is to cancel the profile by clicking on the red X button. This will bring you back to the main menu.

Across the top of the graph, a green bar will represent the profile board progressing through the oven.

The bottom left area of the screen will show you the status of the profile:

1. Waiting for the Air TC to exceed the start trigger temperature

2. Profile started- Waiting for the Air TC to exceed the midpoint trigger temperature

3. Profile will stop when all thermocouples drop below 110 Celsius

4. Profiler currently retransmitting.

5. Profiler retransmission successful.

During the live profile (Wireless models only):

• The live profile is plotted on the graph.
• The current temperatures for each thermocouple and the Delta between them are displayed in a small window in the upper-left hand corner of the profile graph. The elapsed time is also displayed.
• The Board Tracking shows where the object being profiled is at in the oven.

Profiler Temperature Triggers

The software uses temperature triggers for the profilers to determine when the profile is started, and when it ends.  The use of temperature triggers makes it so that you do not have to worry about starting the profile at a specific point or time.  Instead, the profile is started at the same temperature and ends at the same point each time you profile, making the profile data collection process consistent.

Table 1: Default temperature trigger values for various Application types

The default trigger values should be fine for most processes.  The Profile start-trigger is determined by the Maximum Product Temperature at Start of Profile setting in the Global Preferences screen.  The start trigger value is always 2 C above this setting.

Change the Profiler Temperature Trigger Settings

To change the profiler temperature trigger settings, close the software and then launch the configuration software tool.

Configuration software tool location:

C:\SoftwareRootDirectory\ConfigurationProgram.exe

In the User Settings tab enter the new temperature trigger settings for each application type; Reflow, Cure, Semiconductor then select the Apply, or OK button to implement the changes.

Note: The separation between the Midpoint and Stop Trigger temperatures must be at least 10 C/18 F.

Figure 28: Configuration software tool, changing temperature triggers

Profile Retransmission

Note: Profile retransmission applies to users of profilers with wireless capability.

While the profiler transmits the live profile data to the computer running the software, it simultaneously stores the profile data in its onboard memory.

Once the profiler detects that all of the thermocouples have cooled below the profile-end trigger value, it will begin retransmitting the profile data. When retransmission begins, the profiler will send the profile in data packets. The retransmission status appear at the bottom of the screen. See Figure 29.

Figure 29: Wireless models profile retransmission

If you have a datalogger version, you must remove the profiler from the oven and thermal shield and then connect the download cable to the profiler.  The profile data will automatically begin downloading to the software.

Caution: The profiler and your product may be hot when exiting the oven. Use gloves if necessary.

When all of the data packets have been received, the software will display a message asking you to turn the Profiler off, choose OK. Failing to turn the profiler OFF will drain the battery.

After the profiler has completed its retransmission, the next message will ask if the thermocouples are still firmly attached to the board. Click OK and you will be brought to the graph screen, with the profile and statistics displayed for the current profile run. If any of the thermocouples used became unattached or has developed a loose connection to the board, select NO. If you choose NO, the profile CANNOT be used as a baseline profile for Virtual Profiling.

• If the Air thermocouple was more than 10 C cooler than any other TC, you will get an error message.  At this point you must check to see that the Air thermocouple is plugged into the first channel on the profiler and that all the other thermocouples are firmly attached to the product.  Then you will have to rerun the profile.
• If the message Waiting for the board to exit appears, wait until Turn the Profiler off message appears and then follow any subsequent messages that may appear.

Next, the software will automatically analyze the profile data and presents the profile and statistics.

View the Profile and Statistics

Figure 30: Profile General Tab Shows graph, statistics, and recipe

General Tab

The General tab shows the profile graph, profile statistics, current, and predicted recipes. To enlarge the graph portion of the General Tab, simply double click on the graph. To enlarge the statistics portion of this screen, double click on the statistics.

Tip: If you have run a profile that meets the Virtual Profile criteria, then the Start Virtual Profiling button will appear once the profile has completed.  Click the Start Virtual Profiling button to start Virtual Profiling for this product.

The Graph Controller

TCs

You can deselect individual thermocouples, or deselect the All check box and choose only the thermocouples you wish to view. The software recalculates the PWI and updates the profile statistics based on the remaining thermocouples selected. You must include at least one product thermocouple.

TCs Line Thickness The pull-down menu lets you select five different thicknesses for the TC lines drawn on the graph.

Grid Enables/disables the view of the X, and Y-Axis scales.

Reference lines These lines represent any temperatures referenced in the selected Process Window.

Zone lines Enables the view for the oven zone lines on the profile graph.

Predicted TCs only Removes the Original profile plot from view, displaying only the prediction profile plot on the graph.

Zero decimal When viewing the Pointer tool, this setting enables or disables the decimal display.  When unchecked, the software will display one decimal point.

Internal temp Enables the view of the profiler s internal temperature profile plot on the graph.

Display Detailed PWI With this unchecked, you will only see the overall PWI for the profile. It will not display the individual TC PWI values.

Extra Cooling Slope Enabling this feature displays multiple Cooling Slope measurements which are customizable by the user selecting the Config button.

Floating O2 PPM display When the O2 Live option is purchased, you can enable/disable a window on the graph that shows the O2 measurement recorded during that profile.

Slope Between/Time Between/Peak Between These selections control which calculations will be displayed in the Pointer Slopes tab of the Statistics table when pointers are added onto a profile graph (see below for additional details on pointers).

Graph Option Menu

Examine Line

Wherever the pointer is moved across the profile, the following data will be displayed:

• The first column is the actual temperature for each TC.
• The second column is the temperature of the predicted profile data based on set point or speed changes.
• The Delta T for both actual and predicted TC data.

• The time during the profile at which the pointer is placed.

Move TC Line

Select the thermocouple you wish to move and then click and drag the highlighted plot and move it to the desired location on the profile graph.

Figure 34: Move TC Line

Move Zone Line

Figure 36:  Move Zone Line

Reset

Pointer Slopes

The Pointer/Slopes selection allows you to place multiple pointers on the graph screen, manually move them to specific points of interest, and calculate various statistics at and between the pointers. Select Remove All to clear all the pointers from the graph. The Pointer Slopes tab in the statistics table shows all of the selected pointer calculations. To change with values are displayed, open the Graph Controller window.

To add pointers to the graph, choose the Pointer/Slopes selection from the menu then left click on the graph to place a pointer at a given location. Continue left clicking at other locations to add up to six (6) pointers.

To edit the location of a pointer, you can click and hold the blue arrow at the bottom of the pointer and drag to a specific location. If you want the pointer at a more exact location, you can right click on the blue arrow and the following menu will display:

The Edit feature will allow to specify an exact time location for each of the pointers. The Remove feature allows for removal of a single pointer.

Profile screen buttons

There are four buttons at the bottom of the profile screen.

		View/Edit Process Window Choose this button to either view or edit the process specification(s) for the product used in this profile.
		Copy to clipboard Choose this button to copy the profile data to the windows clipboard.  You can then paste the data to a different application.
		Print Choose this button to print a copy of the profile that is currently on your screen.
		Green check button When finished viewing or analyzing the profile select this button to either run another profile with this product or return to the software main menu. You return to the Profile Explorer if the profile was opened from there.

For both the original and predicted recipe settings, the software will automatically send the selected recipe information to the oven controller.  If there is no communication between the software and the Oven controller, the software will display a dialog box showing the recipe information.  You must manually enter this recipe information in the oven control software.

Figure 40

The software will automatically apply the changes to the Run a Profile Enter Setpoints screen. You will exit to the Run a Profile Enter Setpoints screen. If you are running on the oven controller PC, and the oven is compatible with the software the oven recipe will automatically be updated.

The software will take you to the Edit Process Window screen in order to save the changes that you have made.

The first dialog Do you want to run a profile with this product? will appear each time you exit the graph screen.  Click on No if you do not wish to profile.

You will be sent back to the Main menu if you had just completed running a profile.  If you opened the profile from the Profile Explorer you will be returned to the Profile Explorer.  The other two dialogs will only appear if changes are made to the Description notes or Process Window.

General Tab Buttons

		Start Virtual Profile If your profile meets Virtual Profile criteria, this button will appear. Choose this button to start Virtual Profiling using the displayed profile as a baseline.
		View/Edit Process Window This lets you view the Process Window specifications and limits.
		Copy to Clipboard This button will copy the profile data to the clipboard for use with third-party software such as a spreadsheet application, or SPC software.
		Print This button will print the current profile. For more information about printing, see the section titled Profile Printing. Note: If you wish to print a tab besides the General tab, pressing F9 on your keyboard will print the contents of any screen in the RPI software.
		Green check button Select this button to run another profile or to exit.

Description Tab

Figure 43: Profile Description Tab Shows Description notes, statistics, and recipe

The Description tab shows the profile description notes, profile statistics, current and predicted recipes.

Description Tab Buttons

		View/Edit Process Window This lets you view the Process Window specifications and limits.
		Copy to Clipboard This button will copy the profile data to the clipboard for use with third-party software such as a spreadsheet application, or SPC software.
		Print This button will print the current profile. For more information about printing, see the section titled Profile Printing.   Note: If you wish to print a tab besides the General tab, pressing F9 on your keyboard will print the contents of any screen in the Probot software.
		Green check button Select this button to run another profile or to exit.

Manual Profile Prediction

The software has manual prediction capabilities. Manual prediction gives you the flexibility to easily predict changes to the oven settings (temperature settings, conveyor speed), and view the results without having to spend the time actually running unnecessary profiles. This feature is very helpful to you, minimizing the time spent fine tuning or developing a thermal profile.

Predict Changes

To predict changes to the oven settings,

1. Click the zone you wish to change.
   In the example below, zone 1 has been selected. See Figure 44.

Figure 44: Prediction settings

2. Type the new temperature setting, and then press Enter.

• The manual prediction tool will predict the results of that change, and then automatically update the PWI, predicted Statistics, and the profile graph.
• The new predicted results will be displayed on the graph in a dotted-line format. This format enables you to easily determine the difference between the original and predicted profiles.

Set Different Top and Bottom Set Point Temperatures

Profile Graph Display

Figure 46: Profile Graph Display

The PWI for the profile appears in the bottom left corner of this screen. See Figure 47. If the measured PWI is below 100%, the value will be displayed in a green font. If the measured PWI is 100% or higher, the value will be displayed with a red font. This enables you to easily identify whether the profile is in or out of spec.

Figure 47: Profile PWI

Exit the Graph Screen

For both the original and predicted recipe settings, the software will automatically send the selected recipe information to the oven controller. If there is no communication between the software and the Oven controller, the software will display a dialog box showing the recipe information. You must manually enter this recipe information in the oven control software.

Figure 50: Oven controller communication error

The software will automatically apply the changes to the Run a Profile Enter Setpoints screen. You will exit to the Run a Profile screen. If you are running on the oven controller PC, and the oven is compatible with the software the oven recipe will automatically be updated.

The first dialog Do you want to run a profile with this product? will appear each time you exit the graph screen. Click No if you do not wish to profile.

You return to the main menu if you had just completed running a profile. If you opened the profile from the Profile Explorer, you will return to the Profile Explorer. Two other two dialogs appear if you make changes to the Description notes or Process Window.

If you select Yes , the software will take you to the Edit Process Window screen in order to save the changes that you have made.

If your oven is capable of communicating with the software, you will see different dialog boxes.

• If you answer yes, a dialog box will appear displaying the amount of time until the oven acknowledges the recipe change request. Select OK.

Figure 51: Oven controller acknowledge recipe change request

When the oven has received the new recipe information, a confirmation dialog box will appear.

Figure 52: Oven controller recipe change confirmation

Tip: Oven controller: If nothing happens within several seconds, check the oven control software to make sure there are no error messages or errors that will cause the system to hang.

Save Energy with Navigator and Auto-Focus Power

Studies have shown that many reflow ovens consume more energy than required in order to process products within their specifications. The Power feature, available with both the Auto-Focus and Navigator options, lets you optimize your oven settings for reduced energy use. The Power feature identifies the oven recipes that consume the least amount of energy while keeping products within spec. The Power feature enables a Minimize Energy Consumption option as the priority or search mode for profile optimization.

Note: The Power feature is only available if it is specifically enabled on your software key.

Use Sweet Spot Target

Figure 104: Sweet Spot Target

Normally, when selecting a specification, only an upper and lower limit is defined, and the target value is automatically the center of the upper/lower limits. If you have purchased the Sweet Spot Target option, enabling this feature allows you to manually define your own Target value for each statistic. This function may be desired when there is a defined specification window, but the desired optimal value may not be the exact center of the process limits.

Communicate with Oven Controllers

Because the software can interface directly with the oven controllers on many reflow oven models, several leading manufactures act as Value Added Resellers (VARs) for the automatic software. The software can automatically send setpoints and other recipe data to these oven-controlled systems, eliminating the need for separate data entry. The table below lists the oven manufacturers that support communication:

Supported Oven Controller Communications

Configure Software For Oven Communication

There are two items you have to set in the Global Preferences screen when configuring the software for use with oven communications.   1. Enter an oven name, zone lengths, and zone limit data.   2. Click on the Use Oven Base Recipe check box. (Optional.)

Figure 152

Confirm Oven Communications

Figure 88: Hardware Status Oven Controller Communication

Once you ve installed the system on a communication-capable oven, your first task is to check the Hardware Status screen to see if the software recognizes the oven controller.

If the appropriate system isn t identified in the Oven Controller, field check the following:

• Verify that the software is installed on the same PC and hard drive as the manufacturer s oven controller software.
• Exit the software and run the ConfigurationProgram.exe found in the software root directory folder. The Hardware tab lists a selection of ovens and oven models.
• Contact supplier or the oven manufacturer to make sure the version of oven controller software and firmware is compatible for oven communications.
• Make sure that the latest versions of the correct drivers are properly installed. (Contact supplier or the oven manufacturer for details.)

Use a Base Oven Recipe with Oven Communication

The operating parameters of a reflow oven are specified by the manufacturer in the oven controller. These parameters may include zone setpoint temperatures, conveyor speed, fan speed, Nitrogen On/Off, conveyor width, etc. Taken together, these parameters form a Base Oven Recipe, which the software uses as a set of default values.

The software can set/load the zone setpoint temperatures and the conveyor speed parameters, adjusting them from the default values in the Base Oven Recipe.

In order for the engineer to specify the other parameters, a Base Oven Recipe must be created. This oven recipe has all the oven parameters except the zone set point temperatures and conveyor speed set correctly. When you load a Virtual Profile for a given product, this software will modify the set points and conveyor speed in the Base Oven Recipe, and then load the Base Oven Recipe into the oven controller. In this way, the oven will be setup exactly as it was during the Baseline Profile.

When the Use Oven Base Recipe option is selected, nothing will happen until a Virtual Profile is loaded from the Profile Explorer. Then the software will present the Browse dialog in order to select the Base Oven recipe

Run a Profile Using Oven Communication

When running profiles with oven communications, be aware of the following differences when compared to regular operations:

1. When running a profile and going through the sequence of screens leading up to the Select Thermocouple screen, you will not see a pull-down menu for the oven since there can be only one. You will also not see the screen for the oven settings since this was taken care of in Global Preferences.
2. When you are running the software with oven communication, the software sends data to the oven s PC control software. This communication seems transparent at first, but once you gain more experience you will see certain signs that the automatic system software and the oven controller are communicating. One of the first things you might notice is that the recipe name loaded on the oven controller software will be KICPROFILE. Loading the KICPROFILE recipe provides the benefit of giving the automatic system software a vehicle to update oven settings without having to call a specific recipe file name and location of an oven controller recipe.

3. When running a profile, the software uses a Base Oven Recipe as a starting point for the oven recipe then changes the name to KICPROFILE and will/can only change the zone setpoints and conveyor speed settings thereafter. This gives the software the flexibility to change setpoints and conveyor speed on the fly without having you manually rename or save the recipe file.

4. For your first profile, load appropriate temperature and conveyor speed settings in the oven control software. Once you have run your first profile or have loaded an existing profile from the Profile Explorer; zone setpoints, you can make conveyor speed adjustments manually while viewing the profile or let it happen automatically if you have the Navigator software option installed.

Once you choose to run a profile using the predicted setpoints and conveyor speed, the software automatically sends these new settings to the oven controller software to be loaded. When the new settings are loaded, watch for the following:

5. If you are starting a profile and the software tells you that the oven s actual zone temperatures are not within 2 degrees of the of the set point value, and you know that you have waited long enough (possibly even answered that they are still changing), but now you know they are not, then you will have to answer No and follow the instructions. This information is outlined in the user manual, but what happens next may be a little confusing to a first-time user. Here is a list of what takes place and why:

If you entered the new set points manually the software will automatically find new set points like the Navigator would when you get to this point. Be patient you may have to go through this cycle of the oven not controlling to set point values a few times before the proper combination of acceptable set points and profile optimization can be found. In worst case scenarios you may have to change the 2.0 degrees delta between set point and actual because the oven is just simply not capable of getting within 2 degrees C of the set point no matter what the temperature. Please contact KIC Tech support if this is the case.

Tip: If you get into a situation where you are having to adjust too many times and are still not getting set points that the oven will control to, but you are or you will be in spec by manually changing predicted set points, then go into the Optimization Tab and turn off Allow Zone Set points To Change . The next time around, the software will not change any of the zone values, but you can go in and change them manually to exactly what the actual values are and run the profile.

Start a Virtual Profile with Oven Communication

Before running a Virtual Profile with oven communications, review the following:

1. You have Use Base Oven Recipe checked in Global Preferences but the software did not ask you to select it when you started the VP. If you have just run your baseline profile and start a VP immediately, without exiting that product, then the VP will start without asking you to choose a Base Oven Recipe. The system assumes since you just ran a successful baseline profile that all of the oven settings are correct, and in turn, the Base Oven Recipe settings are correct.

2. You setup your product and have a baseline profile now but you do not have an oven recipe to match it. What recipe will you load when you want to run production on this product? Remember that even though you originally loaded a specific oven recipe file, the software took over and loaded the KICPROFILE recipe on your oven and did not save any subsequent zone setpoints and conveyor speed changes to that original oven recipe.You can save any changes made to the original recipe while profiling if you want to create a recipe that can be run on the oven controller without the software running.  If you choose not to save the changes, when you load this product under the software it will load the proper recipe parameters for that product.

4. When you have selected and opened the Base Oven Recipe, the software will load that recipe on the oven.  All of the parameters in this recipe are correct for this product except the zone set points and conveyor speed.  With some ovens, you may hear and audio warning, you may see the light tower change to an amber state, you may even see the conveyor stop momentarily and then start again indicating that the oven is loading the Base Oven Recipe.  Seconds later you may hear or see one or all of these signs again as the software sends just the zone set points and conveyor speed settings to the oven controller.

Note: If you feel that the system is taking too long to load the Base Oven Recipe or the setpoints, switch over to the oven control software and see if you can detect a reason why the oven is not accepting the changes.

Base Oven Recipe Automatic Verification

For Base Oven Recipe compatible ovens, users can automatically verify the correct Base Oven Recipe before beginning a Virtual Profile.  This feature is especially useful for users that have multiple production products using multiple Base Oven Recipes.  The system will allow you to select the Base Oven Recipe and if the selected recipe does not match, the Virtual Profile cannot begin.

1. Close the software if open.

2. Find and open the file: C:\ software root directory\Log\KIC2000UserSettings.kiccfg

3. In the [PROPHET] section find and edit the line:

   AllowNotChangeRecipeAuto=1

4. Save and then exit the file.

5. Open the software.

6. On the Global Preferences screen Global tab, select the Use Oven Baseline Recipe check box.

Run the Software without the Board Sensor

For some applications, such as semi-conductor processes where product is positioned at various locations across a mesh conveyor belt, or other situations where you do not want to or cannot track each individual product entering the process, you have the ability to setup the system to calculate the Virtual Profile based on specified time frequency.

When configured in this method, every X number of seconds, a VP will be calculated and displayed on the screen. There will be no board tracking across the top of the screen, and there will be no identification possible of whether there was product in the machine or not when each VP is calculated.

To enable this functionality:

1. 1. Close the software if open.
   2. Using Windows Explorer, open the file: C:\software root Directory\Log\KIC2000UserSettings.kiccfg (If necessary, select NOTEPAD as the application for opening the file)
   3. In the [PROPHET] section, find the lines:

[PROPHET]

ChartVPDataWithoutBoardSensor=0

ChartVPDataWithoutBoardSensor: Enable/Disable the board sensor (0=Enable, 1=Disable).

1. 4. Change the line to:

[PROPHET]

ChartVPDataWithoutBoardSensor=1

5. Save your changes and close Notepad.
6. Restart the software.

Once the software is running, select Global Preferences/Control Limits and you will see a new section at the bottom of the screen called Virtual Profile Record Frequency . In this selection, you can specify how often the VP will be calculated. You can enter any value from 10 to 100000 seconds.     Preload the Oven Without a Board Sensor, the software cannot sense the product. There is no way for the system to know when products are present and not present. Therefore, there is no compensation for product load on the oven by the software.

In order to produce a profile that best represents the production conditions, it may be necessary to pre-load the oven with products, so that the collected profile data most resembles that of a production piece.

If the baseline profile is run without pre-loading the oven, you may see a rise in PWI, or even some alarms associated with oven change since the baseline profile, once Virtual Profiling is activated, and production has begun.

Dual Lane Systems and Functionality

The automatic system can monitor production through dual lane reflow ovens. This section will define the unique capabilities of the dual lane configuration.

A Dual Lane-Dual System configuration uses two instances of the software application to track different recipes through the oven.

The Dual Lane-Single System tracks two lanes of the same recipe with one instance of the software.

A radio button display during the installation routine lets you choose between the standard configuration or one of the dual lane setups.

Note: For more information about the hardware components of the system, see the Automatic System Hardware Installation Manual (TFS-330210-000).

Dual Lane Dual Systems

A dual system installation features two distinct instances of the automatic system software and a complete duplication of the thermal management hardware. Dual systems include two:

• Pairs of probes
• Encoders
• eTPUs
• Board sensors

Each automatic system instance receives data from its own associated eTPU. Each stores its logged data and executable subroutines in separate folders identified as either front rail or back rail. (The front rail designates the lane closest to the lifting cover of the oven the back rail designated the lane closest to the hinge of the oven cover.)

The two instances of the software permit using different recipes in each lane. In the desktop toolbar, each automatic system instance is represented by its own icon. F for Front Rail and B for Back Rail.

Dual Lane Single Systems

The single system configuration uses only one automatic system instance. An installation includes one set of thermal management hardware supplemented with an additional product sensor. One product sensor is associated with each lane.

The single system uses the same recipe on both lanes but tracks two flows of product across the user interface. When in Live Mode, the white rectangle icons track two boards through channels at the top of the Charts, Chart data, and Troubleshooting tab screens:

The system calculates a separate data set for each board. It accumulates historical data in a manner just like a single lane oven. A Lane Identifier will be saved with the data from each board for identifying which lane the particular board was processed in.

Configure Dual Lane Systems

During the software installation, you will have the option to select what type of system will be in use:

Select Dual Lane Dual System if there is a complete system installed on each lane of the oven.   Select Dual Lane Single System if there is only one system installed across the two lanes of the oven.
When Dual Lane Dual System is selected, as noted previously, there will be two separate software directories used one for the Front and one for the Back . You will be able to choose whether you want to install the software for either one, or both directories.

Additional settings for a Dual Lane system configuration can be found in the ConfigurationProgram.exe located in the C:\software root directory.

Lane Configuration For a Dual Lane-Single System, this section allows you to specify the position of the Board Tracking display in the software for each lane.   User defined label for Lanes By default, the software will label the lanes Front and Back . When the checkbox is checked, the drop-down menu allows you to select alternate designations for the lane names. Note: The Front Lane is always the lane closest to the front side of the machine.   Dual Lane Dual System Only When a Dual System is in use, there are two instances of the automatic system software running one for each lane. By default, a user must select the lane they want to see on the screen at any given time. When selecting this checkbox, the user can define an interval for the software automatically to switch over to the other lanes display after no input from the mouse cursor.

Note: Automatic switching will only occur when both lanes are running a live VP.

Note: For Dual Lane Dual System installations, the settings in this configuration utility must be entered into both install directories C:\ software root directory Front Rail and C:\ software root directory Back Rail.

On Dual Lane Dual Systems, when you select User defined label for Lanes, the selection chosen will display as a watermark on the Index, General, Description, Charts, and Troubleshooting screens. See example below:

Configuring to profile

The profiler can only communicate with one lane at a time, so you must select which lane you want the profiler to connect to. Disconnect then reconnect the profiler (or Smart Dock/Base Station where applicable). A pop-up menu will display in the lower right of the screen allowing you to select which lane to connect to. Repeat these steps to change to the other lane.

Status Messages and Alarms when using Optional Features   The software communicates system status through messages that it displays on the monitor. Some simply report an operating condition, some provide a warning that process parameters are changing, and still others, called alarms, announce out-of-spec conditions, operational failures, lost communications, and other process critical problems that might require immediate corrective actions.     Alarm messages typically appear in red. An alarm status may accompany a signal from the eTPU to the optional alarm relay, which, in turn, may trigger hardware-related events such as sounding audible alarms, lighting signal towers, or stopping infeed conveyors.   Some status messages and alarms are specific to different functions of the software. Some may appear when you are first running profiles to establish a baseline. Others appear only when you begin Virtual Profiling.   Acknowledge Alarms     Once displayed on the monitor, an operator needs to acknowledge the alarm, clicking on it to notify the software that the message has been received and make the displayed panel disappear. You can use password protection to limit the ability to acknowledge alarms. To do so, you first need to specify the following value in the KIC2000UserSettings.kiccfg file:   [HOST] UsingPasswordwithRedAlarm=1   Next, you need to specify a password on the Global Preferences screen Engineer Password option. Once password protection is in place, clicking a red alarm message displays a prompt that requires you to enter the password to acknowledge the alarm and remove the message.               Note: Password protection only applies to alarms. A simple mouse click acknowledges and clears warning messages.   Messages During Profiling and Baseline Profiling During the profiling portion of getting your software ready to monitor and record production real-time and prior to starting a Virtual Profile, you may experience some conditions that cause the system to alert you to. Below is a table the message that you might see during this process: See Table 2.   Message Alarms Message Description Message, High PWI Recent profile of xxx%, PWI must be no greater than 90% Message Alarm H2 eTPU Communication Failure – wait 5 seconds and try again Message Alarm H7 Conveyor has stopped or encoder has been disconnected Virtual Profiling cannot be started. Table 6: Profiling System Alarms System Messages and Alarms Message, High PWI If the verification profile PWI is >= 90%, you will receive this message when starting the VP. If there was a problem with the most recent profile, it can be deleted and the system will try to use the next most recent profile as the baseline profile. Otherwise, you are advised to run another profile. Message High PWI Alarm Message H2 This message will appear if the eTPU is not detected when attempting to start Virtual Profiling. This can occur if there is an issue with the eTPU, or the connection configuration. Waiting 5 seconds sometimes allows a connection to the eTPU to be established   Alarm H2 Alarm H7 This alarm will appear when trying to start a Virtual Profile from the Profile Explorer. The oven conveyor must be running and set to the correct speed settings in order to start Virtual profiling.     Alarm H7   Alarms and Messages for Virtual Profiling The software incorporates the use of warning and alarm dialog screens to let you know if there is a problem and the cause for that problem. Below is a partial list of the warning and alarm dialog screens with explanations. These Alarms are active only when Virtual profiling is running.   Process Alarms Description Activates Alarm Relay Alarm # 1 PWI=x% – Process is out of spec Yes Alarm # 5 No Barcode read for this board.  or No Barcode read for xxx boards. No Alarm # 5A Process Traceability barcode scan failed Yes Alarm # 5C Process Control barcode scan failed Yes Alarm # 8 The length of the current product does not match the length of the product during the baseline profile. No Alarm # 10 This alarm only occurs when the automatic system software and the oven control software are communicating and indicates that the oven is not set to the baseline profile recipe. Yes Alarm # 11 The automatic system speed sensor has detected that the conveyor speed has changed significantly since the baseline. Yes Alarm # 12 Incorrect Process Control String (Barcode Option). Yes Alarm # 13 One or more KIC probes have exceeded the Footprint limit Yes Alarm # 16 Maximum allowable back-to-back boards exceeded (When enabled) Yes Alarm # 18 Invalid board length detected from board sensor and cannot assign barcode in queue to board Yes Table 7: Virtual Profiling Process Alarms   Hardware Alarms Description Activates Alarm Relay Alarm H1 eTPU Communication Failure (happened after Alarm H2) Yes Alarm H2 eTPU Lost Communication with PC. Yes or No Alarm H7 Conveyor Stopped or Speed Encoder broken or not connected properly. Yes Table 8: Virtual Profiling Hardware Alarms   Warnings Description Activates Alarm Relay Warning # 2 This process is likely to go out of spec soon. No Warning # 3 The last profile was out of spec. No Warning # 4 Oven temps have changed significantly since baseline. No Table 9: Virtual Profiling Warnings

Detailed Alarm Information

Most alarm conditions will activate an optional, external Alarm Relay, which can be used for stopping the infeed conveyor and preventing further boards from entering the oven during an alarm. The default operation is if the alarm condition is corrected, even if the alarm notification message on the screen has not been acknowledged, the Alarm Relay will automatically turn off allowing boards to resume entering the oven.

However, some users may only want to resume product flow only AFTER the alarm notification has been acknowledged. For Alarm numbers 1, 10, and 11 (see above table for each alarm description) you can modify this functionality so that the Alarm Relay will stay activated until the screen message is acknowledged.

To change to this operation:

1. Exit the software
2. Using Windows Explorer, browse to the C:\Probot\Log directory and open the KIC2000ReadOnly.kiccfg
3. Modify the line AROnUntilAcknowledge=0 to =1
4. Save and close the file, then restart the software

When Alarm #5a Occurs

When the Barcode Product Sensor (BPS) detects a product whose barcode label has not been read, or the BPS is tripped accidentally, the alarm #5A is activated and the process is stopped via the alarm relay.

Alarm #5A displays four alarm buttons:

1. Manual Entry Keyboard/Handheld Scanner
2. Rescan using Fixed Mount Scanner
3. Proceed without a Barcode
4. Remove this board from Line.

Manual Entry Keyboard/Handheld Scanner

Click this button when you want to enter the barcode again by using either the keyboard or a handheld scanner connected to a USB Port.

Click the Manual Entry Keyboard/Handheld Scanner button.The software displays the Barcode input field and hides all other unselected buttons.
Type in the new barcode and press the Enter key.

The software will clear the alarm message and deactivate the Alarm relay to allow the board into the oven.

The barcode will be added to the board.

Rescan Using Fixed Mount Scanner

Click this button when you want to scan the barcode again by using the fixed mount Barcode scanner.

Click the Rescan using Fixed Mount Scanner button.The software displays the Barcode input field and hides all other unselected buttons.
Scan the barcode with the fixed mounted Barcode scanner.

Once the barcode is scanned, the software will clear the alarm message and deactivate the Alarm relay to allow the board into the oven.

This barcode will added to the board.

Proceed Without a Barcode

Click this button when you want to process the board without any barcode.

Click the Proceed without a Barcode button.The software will clear the alarm message and deactivate the Alarm relay to allow the board into the oven without a barcode.

Remove this board from Line

The software will display an alarm message Please remove this board from the line now & click on the OK button.

Click the Remove this board from Line button. Remove the board from the link conveyor.
Click the green OK check button .The software clears the alarm message and deactivates the Alarm relay to get ready for the next board.If user clicks the Cancel button, the software returns to alarm #5A.

When Alarm #5c Occurs

When the Barcode Product Sensor (BPS) detects a product whose barcode label has not been read, or the BPS is tripped accidentally, the alarm #5C is activated and the process is stopped via the optional alarm relay.

Alarm #5C displays four alarm buttons:

1. Manual Entry Keyboard/Handheld Scanner
2. Rescan using Fixed Mount Scanner
3. Proceed without a Barcode
4. Remove this board from Line

Manual Entry Keyboard/Handheld Scanner

Click this button when you want to enter the barcode again by using either the keyboard or a handheld scanner connected to a USB Port.

Click the Manual Entry Keyboard/Handheld Scanner button.The software displays the Barcode input field and hides all other unselected buttons.
Type in the new barcode and press the Enter key.

The software will clear the alarm message and deactivate the optional Alarm relay to allow the board into the oven.

This barcode will be added to the board if the software also is using the Traceability barcode option.

Rescan Using Fixed Mount Scanner

Click this button when you want to scan the barcode again by using the fixed mounted Barcode scanner.

Click the Rescan using Fixed Mount Scanner button.The software displays the Barcode input field and hides all other unselected buttons.
Scan the barcode with the fixed mounted Barcode scanner.

Once the barcode is scanned, the software will clear the alarm message and deactivate the Alarm relay to allow the board into the oven.

This barcode will be added to the board if the software also is using the Traceability barcode option.

Process without a Barcode

Click this button when you want to process the board without any barcode.

Click the Proceed without a Barcode button.The software will clear the alarm message and deactivate the Alarm relay to allow the board into the oven without a barcode.

Remove this board from Line.

The software will display an alarm message Please remove this board from the line now & click on the OK button.

Click the Remove this board from Line button. Remove the board from the link conveyor.
Click the green OK check button .The software clears the alarm message and deactivates the Alarm relay to get ready for the next board.If user clicks the Cancel button, the software returns to alarm #5C.

When Alarm #12 Occurs

When a barcode string is received that differs in format from the current product, the software will display a red alarm message – Alarm#12 with three buttons:

1. Stop Virtual Profiling
2. Process with current Barcode
3. Remove the board from Line.

Stop Virtual Profiling

Click the Stop Virtual Profiling button.
Click the green check button to stop virtual profiling.
Note: Users must wait for all boards to be removed from the oven.

Process with current Barcode

Users may deactivate the alarm relay to allow a board into the oven even if the barcode is in incorrect. Use this button to stop the alarm when you want to use the barcode that is on the label.

Click the Process with Current Barcodebutton .
This barcode will be added to the board if the option for Traceability was selected on the Barcode Option tab.

Remove this Board from Line

You use this feature when you want to remove a PCB out of Line before it is passed into the oven but are going to keep the current Virtual Profile running.

Click the Remove this board from Line button .
Remove the board from the line and then click the green check button .

Alarm #16 Maximum allowable back-to-back boards has been exceeded

This is alarm in disabled by default. You may want to enable this optional alarm if you want to be alerted when too many products are being loaded back-to-back into the oven, which can sometimes lead to other process related issues. It will allow you to specify how many consecutive back-to-back boards are allowed. If that number is exceeded, an alarm will be generated.

To enable:

Exit the software, browse to the C:\Probot directory and run the ConfigurationProgram.exe. Select the Hardware tab.
Under the Product Board Sensor section, select the Alarm on Continuous Boards checkbox. Enter the Maximum number of back-to-back boards that you want to allow before the alarm is generated.
During Virtual Profiling, if more than the specified number of back-to-back boards are detected entering the oven, an alarm will be generated indicating the problem.   Note: This alarm setting can also be useful for identifying other hardware issues such as: products stuck in transition onto oven conveyor (when underneath the board sensor), misadjusted, dirty, or faulty board sensors, etc.

When Alarm #18 Occurs

While the Barcode Traceability option is enabled, and at least 1 barcode is in the queue, whenever the board sensor detects an invalid board length such as accidental trigger by user or mis-adjustment, the software will display Alarm #18 with two buttons for the user to specify what action is to be taken.

OK remove barcode

Select this button if you want to remove the barcode from the queue. This could occur if a real board entered the oven, but the software/sensor did not properly detect the board. No VP would be calculated for that board, so the barcode string that would have been assigned to that board would be removed.

Hardware Options

Alarm Relay

The optional Alarm Relay connects to the Alarm/Barcode port of the eTPU and provides an external notification to the user when an alarm condition occurs. It allows for an optional audible light tower to be powered and triggered; can include SMEMA interface connections; and it allows a user to hardwire in an external device of their choosing. The Alarm Relay is required to have an external AC power source.

Light Tower

There are two available light towers one is connected directly to the optional Alarm Relay and uses a single Red light; the other connects to the USB port of the PC, and uses 3 colored lights Red, Yellow, and Green.

Both lights are a means of providing an audio or visual cue when the automatic system software has determined that the oven process has reached an out-of-control condition.

Standard Light Tower

This light tower can only be used with the optional Alarm Relay, as it plugs directly into the Alarm Relay box. It uses a single Red light with an audible buzzer, which are both activated anytime an alarm condition occurs. Because it is controlled directly by the Alarm Relay, the light and audible buzzer will stay on for as long as the Alarm Relay is energized.

3 Color USB Light Tower

As this light tower connects to a USB port on the PC running the automatic system, it can be used with or without the optional Alarm Relay. With the use of the USB Light Tower, you get additional visual information on the state of your process through a variety of LED indicators Red, Yellow, and Green. You also have the ability to mute the audible buzzer when an alarm condition occurs. When an alarm occurs, a small button will appear in the upper left corner of the Crystal Ball. Clicking on this button will mute the audible buzzer. Clicking the button a second time will un-mute the buzzer. If left muted, and the process returns to an in-spec condition, the buzzer will be automatically active again when the next alarm occurs.

LED Light Status USB Light Tower

When VP is not running All LEDs and buzzer are turned off When VP is running and the process is in-spec but the oven is empty GREEN LED flashing   When VP is running and the process is in-spec with product in the oven GREEN LED on solid   When VP is running and the process is in a Warning condition YELLOW LED on solid   When VP is running and the process is in an Alarm condition RED LED on solid   When VP is running and the process is in an Alarm condition w/Buzzer muted RED LED flashing   To customize the operation of either the USB Light Tower or the Alarm Relay, see the Alarm Tab section. Note: For more information about the Light Tower and Alarm Relay, see the Automatic System Hardware Installation Manual (TFS-330210-000).

The Main Screen

There are six buttons on the main software screen. The buttons on the left are for setup and status; the buttons on the right are for running and viewing profiles and exiting the software. Placing the mouse pointer over each button will display a description for each button. See Figure 4.

Figure 4: Main screen

Status Messages and Alarms with the Basic System

The software communicates system status through messages that it displays on the monitor. Some, simply report an operating condition, some provide a warning that process parameters are changing, and still others, called alarms, announce out-of-spec conditions, operational failures, lost communications, and other process critical problems that might require immediate corrective actions.

Some status messages and alarms are specific to different functions of the software. Some may appear when you are first running profiles to establish a baseline. Others appear only when you begin Virtual Profiling.

Acknowledge Alarms

Note: Password protection only applies to alarms. A simple mouse click acknowledges and clears warning messages.

Messages During Profiling and Baseline Profiling

During the profiling portion of getting your software ready to monitor and record production real-time and prior to starting a Virtual Profile, you may experience some conditions that cause the system to alert you to. Below is a table the message that you might see during this process: See Table 2.

Table 2: Profiling System Alarms System message alarms