BladeCOM User Manual - Gill Sensors & Controls
Contents
1. SENSORS BLADE SENSOH TECHNICAL MANUAL Document ref PM1484 Issue 1 01 Released 27 09 11 Table of Gontents Connection 5 Analogue Output 7 Switch Output 8 Blade Rotary Sensor 9 Examples 9 Connection 10 Connection for 25mm 60mm Blade sensors RS232 10 Connection for Rotary Blade Sensor RS485 11 Install BladeCom GUI 11 Sensor Monitoring Using the Graph Display 12 Graph Display 25mm 60mm Blade sensors 12 Graph Display Rotary Sensor 13 Standard Activator Design for 25mm amp 60mm Blade sensors 14 Typical Activator for 22mm amp 60mm Blade Sensor 15 Standard Activator Design for a Blade Rotary Sensor 16 Standard Activator Design for other sensors 16 Sensor Write Protection 17 Graph Display 18 Graph Display 25mm 60mm Blade 18 Start 18 Stop 18 Reset 18 Capture 18 Graph Display Rotary Sensors 19 Start 19 Stop 19 Capture 19 Auto Setup Screen 25mm 60mm Blade and Rotary 20 Minimum Travel Set Point 20 Maximum Travel Set Point 20 Open Switch Point 20 Closed Switch Point 21 Adjusted Sensor Settings Display 21 Program Sensor 21 Clear Markers 21 Bottom Output Limit 21 Top Output Limit 21 Dropout Level 21 Health Check Screen Sensor fault Activator in range Approximate temperature Environmental health Activator strength Manual Setup Screen Serial Output Range Serial Output Shift Examples of Range and Shift Serial Output Data Filter Activator Settings Activator Response2. Activator strength The blue plotted line should be in the green region although the line may be slightly higher or lower for certain materials The percentage reading in the top left hand corner gives an indication of the current material response in relation to the optimum sensor response please note that this is only a guide The Pause Start button halts the moving graph it can be resumed by another click of the same button Manual Setup Screen The manual setup screen would normally be used by customers requiring a particular setup of Blade sensor in medium high volumes and with a highly repeatable installation This setup can be done blind as all sensors can be calibrated on a PC prior to installation but requires a small amount of testing to determine optimum settings for the particular application and installation 4 BladeCom 02 Coil 25mm Blade sensor 02AAI File SensorOptions Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Health Check IN Terminal Serial Output Analogue PWM Output Range 3627 Set Dropout 0 10 Set Level Shift 978 Set Top 4 50 Set Output Data Filter 0 zs Bottom Output 0 Set _Set Limit Volts gt Activator Settings Switch Configuration d Vee Output Swich 128 zl _ Set feet ma E pese Changes to configuration may invalidate Auto Setup calibration COM3 8 None Firmware 2410 Version 1 00 ID W
3. Vee Output Output Offset Analogue PWM Output Switch Configuration Closed Open switch points Dropout level Top output limit Bottom output limit Terminal Screen Poll Sensor Poll Switch Clear History Logging Low level command Interface Import data to MS Excel Output Options Analogue Output mode PWM Output mode Output Format Normal or Vee mode Reverse Sticky position Switch Options Switch default Sticky switch Switch reversal Comms Power Supply and Protection Serial Communication Wire connections Communications Settings Communications Process Multiple Sensors Table of Contents 21 22 22 22 22 22 23 25 26 27 29 29 29 30 30 30 31 31 31 31 31 32 32 32 32 33 33 33 34 36 36 36 36 37 37 27 39 39 39 39 40 41 Foreword Thank you for purchasing a Blade Non contact Position Sensor from Gill Sensors We recommend that you read the whole of this manual before proceeding Gill Sensors products are in continuous development and therefore specifications may be subject to change and design improvements The information contained in this manual remains the property of Gill Sensors and should not be copied or reproduced for commercial gain Introduction The Blade sensor is a two component non contact position sensor The first is the Blade sensor itself the other is a metallic activator which is attached to the moving assembly to be measured The activator can
4. function allows the user to measure a portion of the total travel of the activator e g the end of travel of a door When enabled the sensor will retain the last valid reading on the output as the activator travels off the sensor When the activator returns to the sensor the reading will continue to read from that position Note that the output reading will revert to the Analogue PWM dropout level if the power is removed from the sensor Switch Options da BladeCom 02 Coil 25mm Blade sensor 2 File Sensor Options Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Health Check v Default Open Serial Output Default Closed fear 85 Sticky Switch Reverse Shift s Set ba gt 450 Set Data Filt Bottom Output ataFilter n H Set Limit Voli 0 50 Set Activator Settings Switch Configuration Closed H due FI oj Vee Output Open 128 Set Switch iow REED CO Changes to configuration may invalidate Auto Setup calibration 8 None Firmware 2410 Version 1 00 ID Write Mode Switch default This is the state that the switch will default to when to the activator response falls below the minimum activator response level Switch default can be set to either open or close Sticky switch Sticky switch is a feature that retains the last valid switch state prior to the activator response falling to below the mini
5. often be engineered as an additional feature of an existing cast or sheet metal assembly ensuring economy and repeatability The avoidance of traditional linkages enhances reliability and accuracy The concept of the Blade sensor and its operation will be new to you but by following a few simple steps it is easy to get a feel for any application at a workbench with only a Personal Computer a battery and voltmeter In particular activator material and design can be very easily checked by literally cut amp try With simple techniques the sensor can be extensively characterised before undertaking the engineering work needed for the real application The sensor can be treated as a traditional analogue device and tested with a voltmeter However connecting the sensor to a personal computer will allow the user to have full access to and control over all the Blade s functions Sections 3 amp 4 explain how quick tests can be carried out to familiarise the user with the basic functionality of the sensors using both the analogue feature and the BladeCom GUI Section 5 gives details of how to design and make an activator for your Blade sensor Sections 6 amp 7 provide detailed information on setting up a Blade sensor For simplicity we have used the parameter numbers relevant to the 25mm Blade Sensor firmware 2191 version 2 06 and above and also the Blade rotary sensor Firmware 2300 version 2 00 and above throughout this document For de
6. regarding the data returned Poll Switch This button allows the user to manually poll the sensor and obtain a switch position reading This reading is then used to set the parameters in the Switch Configuration screen switch positions Clear History This button allows the user to clear all data within the log history buffer The user is asked to confirm this command before the data is removed Logging This button allows the user to log all data from within the terminal window When selected the user is asked for a directory and file name for the data All data then presented in the terminal window is stored in a simple text file format with date and file information When the stop log button is pressed the data is then stored to disk Low level command Interface This line allows low level communication direct with the sensor and has the same functionality as using the sensor with a terminal emulator Contact Gill Sensors for a full set of low level interface commands Import data to MS Excel Any data that appears in the Command Response History may be transferred to Microsoft Excel The data is transferred in a CSV Comma Separated Value format so that column n will contain a specific data type from the sensor provided the user has sent only one request type for example Poll Sensor to the sensor Use the Clear History button to remove any old data from the Command Response History prior to requesting data from the sensor
7. AI mmm J File Sensor Options Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Health Check Manual Setup Terminal 7255 Switch o p C Open Closed 0 7255 Stop Reset Capture COM3 8 None Firmware 2410 Version 1 00 ID Write Mode Start This button starts a continuous real time graphical representation of the activator position in two forms The first is shown as a scrolling graph with a red line indicating the activator position When the red line reaches the end of the x axis the graph will continue to scroll The second shows the position of the indicator as a vertical blue line which moves from left to right along a horizontal axis Note that the graph Y axis is auto scaling and will depend upon the range selected see Section 6 5 1 for more information about range The current switch output state display is also enabled when the start button is clicked Stop This button stops the graph from scrolling Reset This button clears the screen and resets the graph to the start of the axis Capture This button allows the user to store the current screen to a bitmap file called capture BMP This will be stored in the root of the Bladecom Installation Directory Graph Display Rotary Sensors BladeCom 08 sor C File SensorOptions Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Manual Setup Terminal Switch o
8. CR is sent the sensor will return 2 values If the activator has not moved between requests then these values will remain constant Example sensor output without activator 0000 0004 Position Activator strength Example sensor output with an activator 0234 1020 Position Activator strength The data sets are always in the following order Firstset Signed position data where zero is the central position 4 511 512 Second set Activator response signal 0 to 1023 This is a vital parameter for determining whether an intended activator design will work properly It is displayed as a signed number but only positive numbers are meaningful With no activator present the number will register a small positive or zero value Place a metal object such as a large coin on the sensor to activate it Observe the effect on position and activator response by sliding the metal object and polling the sensor with lt CR gt s The position reading will stay at zero unless the activator response reading exceeds 256 the default setting To obtain a copy of the developer s guide on the 25mm Blade sensor please contact Gill Sensors Multiple Sensors CAUTION keep individual Blade sensors 100mm clear of each other as they are sensitive to each other s operation and will exhibit output jitter Sensors can be placed in close proximity to each other with the introduction of Aluminium screen plates between them If you have an a
9. ES ALL DIMENSIONS IN GENERAL TOL e DRAWN LE TRG LYMINGTON 11 ENGLAND E BLADE SENSOR TYPICAL INSTALLATION M 1457 6 009 Standard Activator Design for a Blade Rotary Sensor This activator design is the optimum size for best performance of the sensor It is designed to be screwed onto the end of a shaft which is aligned such that the axis of rotation of the activator is positioned in the centre of the sensor The sensor itself is mounted from the opposite side using three M3 bolts with 5mm of thread engagement see datasheet T e Z BC TIVATOR SHAFT 4 CAP HEAD 2 lt gt lt z Ka 4 a CLEARANCE BETWEEN 05 AND 20 CUTOUT FOR M4 SCREW NOTES E MATERIAL IS EN3B MILD STEEL OR SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE 2 FINISH TO BE CLEAN GREASE FREE NO SHARP EDGES OR BURRS ALL DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES chthar scar Mere ITI Maur b FECRIPTCN sopro oere 44 CE NOTES 1 FIRST ISSUE nn TOLERANCE T 2 C kaw BET i 04 SEE NOTES RIJP 630507 mi unas NEW ROTARY ACTIVATOR A4 1438 M 065 Other activator shapes are feasible such as a circular post milled into the end of a shaft or a shape similar to the standard activator design but without the circular part of the keyhole shape Like the 25mm 60mm Blade sensors EN3B Mild Steel is the recommended material though others are possible Plea
10. Output Options 89 BladeCom 02 Coil 2 ns I icm on m File Sensor Options Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Se v Analog Terminal Low Level Commani PWM 250Hz M PWM 1kHz Vee Reverse CommaendRespons sticky Position Output as count 8 None Firmware 2410 Version 1 00 ID Write Mode Analogue Output mode The Blade sensor provides an analogue output as described in Section 3 2 The maximum analogue voltage output for the 25mm Blade sensor is 4 2V varies according to sensor type see section 6 Clicking Analogue on the Output options drop down menu will select the analogue output mode PWM Output mode All the Blade sensors provide a 1kHz PWM output PWM is a way of representing the activator position using a switched logic level with a fixed frequency either 250Hz or 1kHz for 25mm Blade and 1kHz for all other sensor types It has a variable duty cycle i e the proportion of each cycle for which the output is high and is expressed as a percentage The duty cycle can vary anywhere in between 096 and 10096 depending on the sensor setting Output Format Normal or Vee mode Vee mode applies to all Blade sensors except the Blade rotary sensor Suggested uses for Vee mode A power boat throttle control where speed needs to be controlled in both forward and reverse Ameans of precisely locating the zero output point of the sensor when installed into the cu
11. asurement are the two inside flat surfaces either side of the sensor The rear of the U channel is not significant or anything else attached to or extending from the activator provided nothing else comes within 6mm of the sensing area The sensor will work with a single sided activator but there will be greater sensitivity to side movement and sensor resolution will be affected It can be useful to adapt the shape to optimise sensor characteristics for some applications please see the picture below For special applications or custom activator designs please contact Gill Sensors Above are examples of two different types of activator design on the right is our standard activator and on the left is a custom design for marine applications Standard activator design for 25mm amp 60mm Blade Sensor TYPICAL INSTALLATION TOTAL EXCURSION OF ACTNATOR ABOUT 4 20 HOLE CENTRELINE OF SENSOR NOT TO SCALE 3 THE MOUNTING FIXTURE MAY BE AN APPLICATION DESIGNED BRACKET OR AN EXISTING FIXTURE 4 THE DASHED SENSOR AREA SHOULD BE MOUNTED MORE THAN 6mm AWAY FROM OTHER METALLIC STRUCTURES 5 THE POSITIVE END OF TRAVEL IS AWAY NOTES 1 SENSOR TO BE SECURED USING 2 FROM THE CABLE ENTRY OFF M4 SCREWS BOLTS 2 ACTIVATOR TO BE PRESSED MACHINED OR FOLDED THE ACTNATOR 5 ATTACHED TO THE CUSTOMERS MOVING COMPONENT IE THROTTLE LINKAGE GEAR LINKAGE ETC THE ACTIVATOR MATERIAL l H MATERIAL CHOSEN SEE ADDITONAL NOT
12. ated See General Options Output format for full details on Vee mode operation Analogue PWM Output The graph below shows an example of the relationship between serial count values and analogue PWM output values for a 25mm Blade sensor 10096 4 2V 9096 3 8V fault 80 33V De m Top Output Limit 7096 2 9V 6096 2 5V 50 2 1V Default Bottom Output Limit 40 1 68V Drop out Level 20 0 84V 10 0 42V 5 0 22V 1 25mV 512 410 307 205 102 0 102 205 307 410 511 Serial output count value counts Graph of Serial Output Counts vs PWM Analogue Output Switch Configuration Closed Open switch points For the 25mm 60mm Blade sensors the defaults for the Closed and Open switch points are 128 and 128 respectively For the 25mm Blade sensor these values set the switching point around the centre of the sensor with 0 2mm hysteresis For the rotary sensor the switch points are set in degrees with 4 degrees of hysteresis Dropout level If there is a complete loss of activator or the activator response falls below the Activator threshold the analogue output will revert to the analogue PWM dropout level The default dropout level voltage for a 25mm Blade sensor is 0 21V or 596 PWM but can be set to anywhere between and 4 20V This spans the full analogue and PWM output range with 2 1 volts 50 PWM giving a midrange value Other types of Blade sensor work in the same way but with different voltage ranges e g Rota
13. d showing the output both in counts 511 512 and volts OV to 4 2 511 counts 4 20V 12 5mm 512 counts 0 00V The effect of the range parameter is to change the range of movement measured by the sensor Mathematically this is done by changing the gradient of the yellow line in the graph above The default value of 4800 corresponds to the gradient of the line which exactly matches a measurement range of 12 5mm By entering a range value of 9600 double the default value the user reduces the range of movement measured by the sensor by half For the 25mm 60mm Blade sensor firmware 2191 version 2 06 and above the default Range value is 4800 This parameter can be adjusted from 200 to 32767 A value of 200 gives approximately 2 counts per mm of travel and 4800 gives 41 counts per mm or 512 counts over 12 5mm travel Almost all users require the resolution to be as high as possible over the measurement range so it is very unlikely that the range value would ever be set to below 4800 standard 12 5mm range The sensor can be configured over a greater measurement range but this is done at the cost of resolution and linearity For the rotary sensor the range variable is called full scale and represents the number of degrees over which the sensor will give an analogue PWM output The zero point always remains the same unless adjusted using the shift parameter Serial Output Shift The effect of the sh
14. ease see Open Switch Point page 20 and Closed Switch point page 21 for information on how to change the switch point The switched output is an open collector drive and a pull up resistor is required for it to function The power supply for the switched output is provided by the customer and can be anywhere between 2V and 12V but for the purposes of this manual the switched output is powered from the same power supply as the sensor The output will be Output Status Voltage on switch output Switch closed VDD supply voltage When the switched output is CLOSED transistor shown as switched ON the transistor provides a path to ground and the output is measured as 0V When the switched output is OPEN transistor shown as switched OFF the transistor has an extremely high impedance and so draws almost no current The output is 5V or very close The current limit of the switch output for a 25mm Blade sensor is 8mA To determine the minimum allowed resistor value for this component please refer to the equation below R Vpp Supply Voltage mA Typical resistor value 10kOhm for most applications not supplied as can vary with power supply voltage Move the activator from one end of sensing surface to the other A change in voltage on voltmeter 2 from OV to VDD will indicate that the sensor is operating The switched output will default to a defined state if a sufficiently effective activator is not present T
15. fault maximum and minimum parameter numbers of other types of sensors please refer to Default Sensor Parameters page 38 Analogue amp Switch Output The Blade sensor can be used in the same way as a traditional potentiometer with an output that can be measured with a basic voltmeter By following the simple procedure described below a feel for the operation of the Blade sensor can be gained Connection Two types of connection are shown the standard 25mm 60mm Blade connection and the rotary Blade sensor connection For the 25mm 60mm Blade sensors connect the sensor as shown below Power Supply Blade Sensor Pull Up Resistor Volt Meter 1 Volt Meter 2 Positive DC supply 5V to 32V DC Typically 10mA System amp power ground GND Switch output Serial comms input Sensor Rx RS232 compatible Serial comms output Tx RS232 compatible Analogue output Voltage or PWM Pulse Width Modulation PWM 25mm Blade 50mm linear Blade and 60mm Blade sensor For the Rotary Blade sensor connect the sensor as shown below POWER SUPPLY Power Supply Rotary Sensor Volt Meter 1 Volt Meter 2 1 Positive DC supply 5V to 32V DC Typically 25mA without comms 2 System amp power ground GND 3 Switch output 4 Serial comms i
16. he default is Open Switch this means that the voltage on voltmeter 2 will read Vpp Blade Rotary Sensor The switched output for the Blade rotary sensor is an analogue output switched internally between ground and the power supply voltage and so does not require a pull up resistor in order to function In this case the user cannot alter the voltage of the switched output The switch is factory set to change status at 180 degrees opposite the zero degrees point of the sensor Examples Examples of applications of the switched output are Provide an indication of the position of a sliding door using a 25 or 60mm Blade sensor to show the point at which the door is safely shut When using a rotary sensor for a 360 crane turntable indicating a rotary position at which the load is no longer safe BladeCom Graphical User Interface BladeCom is a GUI Graphical User Interface that allows the user to connect a Blade sensor to a personal computer so its settings can be adjusted to suit the users requirements BladeCom is compatible with the 25mm Blade 60mm Blade and the 360 Rotary Blade sensor it will automatically identify the type of sensor connected BladeCom GUI is designed to run with a minimum of Windows 95 on a 100MHz Pentium processor A CD drive is required to run the installation software BladeCom software may also be downloaded from our website www gillsensors co uk Connection To communicate with the sensor
17. he specified pins of the 9 way D type connector then click Detect Sensor on the Sensor Options menu to communicate with the sensor If the software cannot communicate with the sensor or loses communication whilst running then an Error message will appear Click on Start to start a continuously updating 360 degree display Rotate a standard activator or similar metal object such as a large coin about the centre of the sensing face to monitor its movement and position ensuring that the coin is very close to or in contact with the sensors surface Note that the view of the sensor is shown looking down onto the sensing face cable pointing away from the user The Switch o p on the right hand side of the window indicates the status of the switched output of the sensor Please refer to Configuring your Sensor page 17 to configure the sensor Activator Design Information Activator Design Information Standard Activator Design for 25mm amp 60mm Blade sensors For evaluation and testing purposes Gill Sensors recommend using an activator manufactured to the dimensions shown Please refer to drawing 1457 G 009 on Page 15 for a typical activator design Start with a 1mm thick 25mm wide EN3B mild steel metal sheet and form it into a shaped channel nominally 10mm wide To obtain a linear response the activator should overlap the sensing edge of the Blade by 17mm in the central position The parts of the activator used for me
18. ift parameter is to change the centre position of the sensor or the start position in the case of the Blade rotary sensor Taking the example of a 25mm Blade sensor this might be done in an application where a customer has an installation that does not allow the sensor to be positioned in such a way that the mechanical centre of the sensor is also the centre of the range of measurement and wishes to compensate for this The default value for shift is 0 corresponding approximately to the mechanical centre of the sensor For the 25mm Blade sensor a Shift of 625 counts gives approximately 1mm of shift Maximum values are 8192 8191 which allows an offset over the full 12 5mm of travel For other sensors the values are as follows Note that the maximum available travel can be reduced as more Shift is applied range can be lost from either side of the sensor though the sensor is tolerant of a small amount of shift without loss of range For the rotary sensor shift values are adjusted in degrees and represent shift from the mechanical zero point of the sensor Examples of Range and Shift Some examples of shift and range using the 25mm Blade sensor Shift 0 Range 4800 12 5mm 12 5 Serial Serial Serial 512 0 512 Activator travel Activator MADE IN ENGLAND Blade Sensor Mechanical centre Shift 0 Range 9600 6 25mm 6 25mm Serial Serial Serial 512 0 512 Activator travel Activato
19. ly between the top and bottom output limit Health Check Screen The health check screen is available only for the 25mm Blade sensor BladeCom 02 Coil e sensor 02AAI File SensorOptions Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Manual Setup Terminal Activator Strength Key Activator in range toG high 5 80 I Approximate 69 Temperature 58 9 I Environmental health 4 m Click to check HH t d Sensor fault H t T Sensor fault A tick in this box indicates that the sensor may have developed a fault The box may also be ticked if the sensor is being magnetically saturated this may be due to incorrect activator positioning size and or material is present Activator in range A tick in this box indicates that the activator is within the defined range Approximate temperature Shows the approximate current sensor temperature this is a guide only Environmental health If the user clicks the Click to check button a process will begin to calculate how much electrical noise is present in the sensors local environment This process takes a few seconds and gives a result as a percentage of the full scale sensor output as shown above This value can aid determination of sensor performance under certain environments This value should not be greater than 0 196 for best results
20. ms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Manuel Setup Terminal Minimum Travel Set Point Open Switch Point Closed Switch Point Adjusted Sensor Settings Min Max Program Sensor Clear Markers Analogue PWM Output Changes to these parameters will invalidate Auto Setup calibration Bottom Output 50 Set Top 450 Set Limit Volts Output Dropout 0 04 Set Level COM3 8 None Firmware 2212 Version 1 00 ID Write Mode Minimum Travel Set Point When this button is clicked with the activator at one extreme of movement a symbol red triangle will move to the current marker position blue bar This set point is used to mark the furthest point of travel required at one end of the activator movement Maximum Travel Set Point When this button is clicked with the activator at the other extreme of movement a symbol blue triangle will move to the current marker position blue bar This set point is used to mark the furthest point of travel required at the other end of the activator movement Open Switch Point Setting this marker with the activator in a certain position will set the point at which the switch turns off Refer to previous sections regarding the switch output for further information on modes of operation An Open switch symbol will be placed at the point where the blue indicator is currently positioned Closed Switch Point With the activator in a certain position this marker sets the poi
21. mum activator response level not available for rotary Blade sensor at present The default setting is disabled When enabled the sensor will retain the last valid switch state as the activator travels off the sensor When the activator returns to the sensor the sensor will maintain that switch state until the next switch point is reached Note that the switch output will revert to open state if the power is removed from the sensor Switch reversal The switch reverse feature inverts the switch configuration It allows the user to select at which end of the sensor the switch level is closed Comms Clicking Setup on the Comms menu will enable the user to use any comms port from 1 to 5 Default Sensor Parameters The maximum minimum and default numbers for the Blade sensors are given below Parameters 25mm Blade 25mm Blade 60mm Blade 360 Rotary Up to Version 2191204 Above version 2191204 Range 4300 4800 9800 Default Angle Counts mm Data Filter 3 16 sample average 3 16 sample average 3 16 sample average Activator Default n E Dropout Level Bottom Output M EUN Closed Switch w Open Switch m E Max Angle 3 16 sample average 0 no average 0 no average bert N 250 Un A 1 7 1 5 B Communication Parameters Serial Communication The serial communication facility of the sensor is used for setting
22. n of the minimum point of the Vee on the x axis range of values 8191 8192 as before By using the shift parameter the user can measure a certain amount of travel of the activator by changing the value until the output of the sensor goes to its minimum and then performing a quick calculation to work out the distance travelled shift value divided by number of counts per mm of travel Another use for the shift parameter would be to set the centre of the measurement range in a certain activator position by changing shift values until the output goes to a minimum with the activator in place The Vee output offset parameter sets the minimum output at the point of the Vee values between 0 and 1023 A range of values from 0 to 1023 spans the entire output ranges of the sensor as per the top and bottom analogue limits and the minimum point of the Vee can be placed anywhere within this range If the minimum value is set below the bottom output limit then the point of the Vee is truncated giving an adjustable dead band where the output does not vary The range parameter sets the gradient of the line either side of the zero point values between 200 and 32767 with a default of 4800 as before It is used to determine the distance over which the sensor will give an analogue PWM output The range parameter can be used in conjunction with the output offset parameter to give an adjustable dead band with the output going to its maximum at either extreme as sho
23. nput Sensor Rx RS485 compatible IJ Serial comms output Tx 85485 compatible 6 7 Analogue Output The analogue output is a linear analogue signal directly proportional to activator position Move a standard activator or similar metal object such as a large coin over the sensor making sure the coin is very close or in contact with the surface of the sensor a change in voltage on voltmeter 1 will occur The magnitude of the analogue output depends on the specification of the sensor By default when an activator is present the analogue signal is limited between 10 and 90 of the full scale So using a standard activator the analogue output will vary between 0 42V and 3 78V for a 25mm Blade full scale OV to 4 2V and 0 55V and 4 95V for the Blade rotary Full scale OV to 5 5V The analogue output will default to a defined state if a sufficiently effective activator is not present The default is 596 of full scale giving 0 21V analogue signal for a 25mm Blade This is a feature to replicate the behaviour of a contacting potentiometer if the wiper contact is lost many systems are able to recognise this as an error condition For the factory settings of the other type of sensors please refer to Default Sensor Parameters page 38 Switch Output 25 60mm Blade For the 25mm 60mm Blade sensors the switch is factory set to change status at the centre of the sensor The switch point is affected by 0 2mm of hysteresis Pl
24. nt at which the switch closes from the open position A Closed switch symbol will be placed at the point where the blue indicator is currently positioned Adjusted Sensor Settings Display This is the graphical display that is used to setup the sensor Triangular markers show the minimum and maximum range of travel required by the user Placing the mouse cursor over these markers will cause a description of the particular marker to be shown The switch markers with direction indicators show the switching points Program Sensor This button is disabled by default Clicking this button will result in the current setup parameters displayed on the graphical display being programmed into the sensor Note until this button is pressed the sensor settings are not updated Clear Markers Removes current set point and switch point marker symbols Bottom Output Limit This is the voltage or percentage that the analogue PWM output of the sensor will read when it is at the minimum set point Top Output Limit This is the voltage or percentage that the analogue PWM output of the sensor will read when it is at the maximum set point Dropout Level This is the level which the sensor s output will default to if a sufficiently effective activator is not present For a more detailed explanation of the output limits and dropout level please go to Page 30 The output of the linear and rotary Blade sensors described in this manual will vary linear
25. p Open C Closed 1024 Stop Reset Capture 8 None Firmware 2300 Version 4 02 ID Read Only Mode Start When this button is clicked the position of the activator is indicated by a needle against a circular gauge The activator angle is also indicated by a vertical blue line on a horizontal axis Stop This button stops the needle movement Reset This button clears the screen and resets the gauge to the start of the axis Capture This button allows the user to store the current screen to a bitmap file called capture BMP This will be stored in the root of the BladeCom Installation Directory Auto Setup Screen 25mm 60mm Blade and Rotary This screen provides an easy way to setup a Blade sensor This is the most practical way for a user to set up a sensor when the sensor is purchased in low medium volumes or as a one off It involves the user physically moving the activator to the required maximum and minimum positions whilst communicating with the sensor via Bladecom and a PC This Auto Setup process works in the same way for all the compatible Blade sensors including the rotary sensor The user is asked for some simple information that is then used to setup the sensor s analogue PWM output for a particular application The blue bar on this screen gives a moving indication of the current activator position 24 Coil 60mm Blade sensor O4AAA File SensorOptions Output Options Switch Options Com
26. pplication for multiple sensors in close proximity please contact Gill for more details on screening methods and the various multi channel format sensors that are becoming available Notes SENSORS Gill Sensors Saltmarsh Park 67 Gosport Street Lymington Hampshire UK SO41 9EG Tel 44 0 1590 613400 Fax 44 0 1590 613401 E mail info gillsensors co uk Website www gillsensors co uk Copyright Gill Sensors 2011 Reg No 3154453 Registered Office The George Business Centre Christchurch Road New Milton BH25 6QJ
27. r Mechanical centre Shift 2000 Range 9600 6 25mm Omm 6 25 Serial Serial Serial 512 0 1512 3 12mm from mechanical zero shift value of 2000 X po Io i Activator travel Activator x Fil Blade Sensor Mechanical centre An example using the rotary sensor SHIFT 45 Mechanical zero RANGE 180 0 Degrees Start 459 Rotary Sensor Measurement Range End 225 Serial Output Data Filter The Data Filter setting stabilises the output value by making each reading the average of several consecutive samples with the output data rate maintained at 1kHz The Data filter has 4 levels as detailed below No averaging 4 sample average 8 sample average Q N 16 sample average Activator Settings Activator Response The Activator Response is a measure of signal strength received back from the activator by the sensor This value will reduce as the activator travels away from the centre of the sensor and will also be affected by different activator materials and designs The response setting is the minimum value that is considered adequate for full sensor performance When the Activator Response drops below this limit the serial output data is set to zero counts and the Analogue PWM output modes will go to their predefined Dropout state Vee Output Output Offset The Vee output offset will only be enabled if the Vee mode is activ
28. rite Mode This screen allows the user to configure all the basic parameters defining the output range scaling and filtering as well as defining the analogue output limits The values corresponding to the Analogue PWM output are set in volts or 96 and all other values are set in counts where one count is the smallest available increment of a range of values For values set in volts the range of values depends on the type of Blade sensor See Section 7 Ranges of count values vary depending on the parameter being set and are as follows Value Range of Count Values Serial Output 512 to 511 10 bit range Serial Output Range 200 to 32767 Serial Output Shift 8192 to 8191 The actual voltage frequency on the Analogue PWM serial outputs is directly proportional to the Serial Output count values For a 25mm Blade Sensor the range of count values for the serial output is between 512 and 511 512 counts is 0 volts or 0 PWM Ocountsis just over 2 1volts or 50 PWM 511 counts is 4 20V or 100 PWM Note If the Auto Setup feature has been used to setup the sensor then values on this screen should not be altered Any alteration may invalidate the Auto Setup calculations Serial Output Range The user can adjust both the centre position and scaling of the output by changing the Shift and Range parameters The graph below represents the default output of the sensor taking the example of the 25mm Blade an
29. rsion 1 00 ID Write Mode _ Make sure the voltage supply to the sensor is within 5V to 32V DC and the serial communication wires are connected to the specified pins of the 9 way D type connector then Click Detect Sensor on the Sensor Options menu to communicate with the sensor If the software cannot communicate with the sensor or loses communication whilst running then an Error message will appear Click on Start to start a scrolling graph and a graphical representation of the activator s position When the graph reaches the end of the axis it will automatically scroll back the other way Move a standard activator or similar metal object such as a large coin over the sensor to monitor its movement and position ensuring that the coin is very close to or in contact with the sensors surface The Switch o p on the right hand side of the window indicates the status of the switched output of the sensor Please refer to Configuring your Sensor page 17 to configure the sensor Graph Display Rotary Sensor BladeCom 08 Coil Rotary sensor File Sensor Options Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Manual Setup Terminal Switch o p Open C Closed 1024 Stop Reset Capture 8 None Firmware 2300 Version 4 02 ID Read Only Mode Make sure the voltage supply to the sensor is within 5V to 32V DC and the serial communication wires are connected to t
30. ry is OV to 5 50V Top output limit The analogue PWM Top Output limit is the maximum value reported as the activator approaches its upper limit of travel The default top output limit voltage for the 25mm Blade sensor is 3 78V or 9096 PWM but can be set to anywhere between the Bottom Output limit see below and 4 20V Once the output reaches the Top Output limit the analogue PWM value will be maintained until the Dropout Level condition Bottom output limit analogue PWM Bottom Output limit is the minimum value reported as the activator approaches its lower limit of travel The bottom output limit voltage for the 25mm Blade sensor is 0 42V or 1096PWM but can be set to anywhere between 0 00V and the top output limit Once the output reaches the bottom limit value the analogue PWM value will be maintained until the Dropout level condition Terminal Screen ig BladeCom 02 File SensorOptions Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Health Check Manual Setup Terminal Low Level Command Interface Poll Sensor Poll Switch Clear History Logging Import data to MS Excel Command Response History 3898 1057 COM3 8 None Firmware 2410 Version 1 00 ID Write Mode Poll Sensor This button allows the user to manually poll the sensor and obtain a position and activator response reading See serial communications and activator design sections above for more information
31. se consult Gill for further details Standard Activator Design for other sensors To view example activator designs for other sensors in the Blade range please visit our web site www gillsensors co uk and look in the technical section for Blade datasheets or the animations in the products section Configuring your Blade Sensor In this section you will find information on how to configure your sensor using BladeCom Non advanced users are advised to refer to Information after this point can be confusing if you are not familiar with the operation of the Blade sensor as such it is recommended that only advanced users read this information Sensor Write Protection Important On initialisation the sensor parameters cannot be adjusted the user can only monitor the sensor position in the auto set up terminal or graph display This is to protect the sensor from being inadvertently re configured during testing Clicking on Allow changes on the Sensor Options menu will enable all user configurable functions in the software Sensor Setup Te Terminal Restore Allow changes Switch o p C Open C Closed 16384 Start Stop Reset Capture COM4 8 None Firmware 2300 Version 4 02 ID fRead Only Mod Sensor Firmware number Indicates whether the sensor is version number and Serial ID in Read Only or Write mode Graph Display Graph Display 25mm 60mm Blade 42 BladeCom 02 25mm Blade sensor 02A
32. stomer application means of moving the zero output point of a sensor to particular activator position Anapplication where an adjustable dead band is required around the centre of the sensor There are two output formats Normal or Vee mode with the default output format set to Normal mode Clicking Vee on output options drop down menu will select the Vee mode In normal mode analogue or PWM output increases linearly as the activator is moved from one end of the sensor to the other whereas in the Vee mode the output increases either side of the zero point With a default calibration and output reverse set to off the output is always at a minimum at the mechanical zero point of the sensor and will increase with activator movement in either direction The graph below of output against travel shows this Vee shape Output offset PMW Vout 96 10096 4 2V 10096 9096 3 8V 9096 Top Output 8096 3 3V 8096 Limit 7096 2 9V 7096 6096 2 5V 6096 50 2 1V 50 Bottom 40 1 68V 40 Output Limit 30 1 26V 30 Error 20 0 84V 20 Level 10 0 42V 10 5 0 22V 5 1 25mV 196 512 410 307 205 102 0 102 205 307 410 51 Output reverse Off Serial output count value counts The top and bottom output limits can be set over any SOM Serial output counts ouput limiting the sensors output in Vee mode Proportional to activator position The Vee characteristics can also vary with shift The shift parameter sets the positio
33. up a new application and analysing activator performance A logic level 4 2V or 4 6V depending on the sensor type output is available but this is found to work directly with most PC or laptop communication ports at short range For computers with only USB connectivity an RS232 USB adaptor can be supplied For the rotary sensor an RS485 to RS232 converter will be required for connection to a PC Wire connections Wire RS232 connection RS485 connection Sensor WHITE 9 way D type pin 2 9 way D type pin 2 Sensor GREEN 9 way D type pin 3 9 way D type pin 1 Sensor BLACK 9 way D type pin 5 9 way D type pin 5 Communications Settings The user can also access basic position and activator serial data via a terminal emulator program e g Hyper Terminal application that is supplied with Win95 or WinXP Connect the sensor to the PC communications port and configure the terminal settings as follows Parameter Setting 19200 Flow Control 8 Communications Process Place the cursor inside the terminal window and send a Carriage Return CR to the sensor The sensor should now get a response of two number groups Check and adjust settings if not If the terminal emulator program is set up to record data to a file this file can be imported by a spreadsheet as CSV data and sensor response graphed and changes compared The sensor remains operational during serial communications but slows during transmission Each time a
34. using BladeCom software connect the sensor as shown below Connection for 25mm 60mm Blade sensors RS232 Power Supply Connect the D type connector to a serial communication port on the computer For computers with only USB connectivity RS232 USB adaptor can be used Apply power to the sensor 9 pin female D type connector Connection for Rotary Blade Sensor RS485 xc POWER Q surr Power Supply Connect the D type connector via RS485 to RS232 converter to a serial communication port or USB port on the computer set DIP switches to half duplex 2 wire no echo Apply power to the sensor 9 pin female D type connector Installing BladeCom Install the BladeCom GUI software using either a provided installation CD or download it online via our website www gillsensors co uk When installation is complete an icon shown below will appear on the desktop Double click this icon to run the application Sensor Monitoring Using the Graph Display Graph Display 25mm 60mm Blades Once the software is loaded a window will appear as shown below BladeCom 02 File Sensor Options Output Options Switch Options Comms Extended Help Graph Display Auto Setup Health Check Manuel Setup Terminal 7255 Switch o p C Open Closed 0 7255 Stop Reset Capture COM3 8 None Firmware 2410 Ve
35. wn below Le 1 Range value gradient of line adjusted to ensure that the output can go to its maximum output at each extreme of movement Volts New bottom ESOS ran ae EN HARE output limit E New zero point moved S by changing output Dead band First range value dis Mu i offset value gives this gradient s 7 i of line v l Output offset value set to 0 i V 0 00 12 5 0 00 12 5 millimetres The V output can be effectively used in conjunction with the switched output If the switch point is set to coincide with the point of the Vee then the switched output can be used to signal the direction of travel e g power boat throttle control lever Reverse Output reverse operates in the analogue PWM output mode It will reverse the output voltage PWM value with respect to the position of the activator The output reverse default is set to OFF which relates to minimum serial counts voltage and PWM being near to the cable exit side In Vee mode the point of the Vee will be high when the output reverse is on Sticky position Sticky position operates in analogue PWM output mode Sticky position is a feature that retains the last valid position measured prior to the activator response falling to below the minimum activator response level not applicable to Blade Rotary sensor The analogue PWM sticky position default is set to disabled This
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