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WinMark Pro User Guide, v3.0

1. Object Top Pos 0 6846 in Raster Scan Dir Vertical Array Columns 1 Array Rows 1 Bitmap Inverted No Color Reduction Method Error Diffusion Bitmap Scan Type Normal Figure 18 19 Format tab bitmap properties Bitmap Inverted When set to Yes imported bitmap raster images are inverted to create a contrasting negative image of the bitmap As shown in Figure 18 20 dark areas are laser marked while light areas are unmarked Use this feature to mark dark materials that produce a lighter contrasting mark T 1 hi t I I Bitmap Inverted No Bitmap Inverted Yes Figure 18 20 Normal and inverted bitmap images Tip For best results when marking bitmap raster images set a Resolution value that corresponds to 100 150 of the spot size generated by the selected focusing lens For example a 200 mm lens with a spot size of 0 011 is capable of marking approximately 100 discrete dots per inch Generally set Resolution equal to 200 300 when using an 80 mm lens 150 225 for a 125 mm lens 100 150 for a 200 mm lens and 50 75 when marking with a 370 mm lens WinMark Pro User Guide 174 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Color Reduction Method When importing color as opposed to monochrome bitmaps choose a Color Reduction Method from among Bayer Dithering Error Diffusion Halftone or Grayscale Bayer Dithering Error Diffusion and Halftone conversion methods covert
2. WinMark Pro User Guide 138 Commands amp Properties Chapter 17 Drawing properties Tip Typically Input Bit O INO and the Wait Digital After Piece event are used to provide the end mark signal to WinMark Pro When INO is specified as Clear WinMark Pro waits until the speci fied input state is met Set equals a logic high 1 state Clear equals a logic low 0 state WinMark continues executing the automation loop only after the specified input state is logically True Tip To minimize throughput delays use Set Digital Before Mark to send a laser on signal to your automation controller A signal at this step means that WinMark Pro has processed the start mark signal Your controller can then set the desired end mark input state to ensure that there is no delay at the Wait Digital After Piece step once marking is complete A Warn ing When the Wait Digital Before Piece Automation event is used to provide a start mark signal then Wait Digital After Piece must be used to verify that the start mark signal has changed state Failure to do so may cause unintended laser firing as WinMark Pro loops back through to the start of the automation sequence On After Mark Piece Define events you wish to trigger once after each piece is marked Click the ellipsis to open the Event Builder dialog box and display a list of definable events See Chapter 19 Event Builder commands for descriptions of
3. coml for User Arg 1 and 10000 for User Arg 2 7 Inthe Target Object and Property frame select a target object Text and corresponding object property Text Caption Your Event Builder dialog should look similar to the one shown in Figure 19 3 WinlViarik Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 181 Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands ReadSerialPort com x p Commands gt p Command Details Add Ins Del DLL Filename C Program Files WinMark Samples S amp 1 r Target Object and Property Object Draam TestBold TeWFiled Lir nm Parone CallDLLFunc Calls an external function located in a DLL See the manual for additional information ini tea Figure 19 3 CallDLLFunc command amp Click OK When the drawing is marked the DLL is executed This example opens ComPortDIl dll and calls the SerialPortRead function If no data is read within the timeout period 10000 ms or 10 seconds then the mark session aborts If data is available on the designated serial port COMI then WinMark Pro reads the data inserts a carriage return CR and line feed LF when a new line character is received terminates the data input and initiates the mark ing sequence when a MARK string is received Serial data is stored in the szPropBuffer buffer and the bBufferChanged flag is set to a non zero value The flag tells WinMark that the received data should replace the current marking
4. 110 Application Settinps a Due acm eee ee eod outs asia dot i ee E Ras 111 Drawing Defaultsta briiite Gergen etd otio stint 114 Tracker properties on Drawing Defaults tab sss 115 Object Defaults tab tette tette tnt dAEEEEgE AE 117 Stroke TrueType height comparison eee eene 121 Startup Options dialog box 2 EEN te erronee etae puente 125 Test M rk Control dialog boxes ettet netto ftoi ence 126 KEEN 129 Te TE 130 About Synrad WinMark dialog box eene 130 Marking Head dialog boxeo ro tttm er ttr gi 130 Automation flowchart eiecti teet tono qp sea ae EAS ESEE SE SEE i 131 WinlViari Pro User Guide Table of Contents List of Figures XM Figure 17 1 Figure 17 2 Figure 17 3 Figure 17 4 Figure 17 5 Figure 17 6 Figure 17 7 Figure 17 8 Figure 17 9 Figure 18 1 Figure 18 2 Figure 18 3 Figure 18 4 Figure 18 5 Figure 18 6 Figure 18 7 Figure 18 8 Figure 18 9 Figure 18 10 Figure 18 11 Figure 18 12 Figure 18 13 Figure 18 14 Figure 18 15 Figure 18 16 Figure 18 17 Figure 18 18 Figure 18 19 Figure 18 20 Tracking tab drawing properties i eere reri etre 132 Part sensor output WavefOrt 3 rec itor PEE GP ER REN PER EE 133 Motion Vector coordinates relative to Tracker sss 133 Upstream part sensor rising edge trigger esee 134 KAY Stare Mark EE 135 Automation tab Drawing events 2e tereti ertet tette tope ee 136 Marking tab Drawing pr
5. Event 3 verify that INO is clear to avoid looping more than once on one start mark command lblStatus Caption Waiting for Bit 0 lblStatus Refresh Do While mh GetDigitalBit 0 DoEvents Loop Event 4 marking done set OUT4 to indicate laser off ready for new part mh SetDigitalBit 4 True update captions and go back to ready state lblStatus Caption Ready cmdMark Caption Mark add loop code as needed to mark more than once SetFloatProp method The SetFloatProp control assigns a floating point value to a specific property of an object in the cur rent drawing ObjectName must reference a valid object in the current drawing and PropName must be an available property for that object The control method is formatted as SetFloatValue ObjectName as String PropName as String Value as Float BOOLEAN Visual Basic example move Textl object to XY coordinate 1 5 1 25 mh SetFloatProp Textil ObjectLeftPos 1 5 mh SetFloatProp Text1 ObjectTopPos 1 25 set Textl1 font height to 0 25 inches mh SetFloatProp Textil TextHeight 0 25 mh Redraw WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 229 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology SetlntProp method The SetlntProp control assigns an integer value to a specific property of an object in the current draw ing ObjectName must reference a valid object in the current drawing and PropName must be an avail able pr
6. Startup Options Set startup option commands Figure 16 14 to control WinMark Launcher Tell Launcher to open a specific drawing to start marking immediately after opening or to load WinMark Launcher automati cally on computer startup x Load this drawing when Launcher starts Je up array mkh Browse I Start marking immediately after Launcher loads IV Enable Launcher when computer starts up Cancel Figure 16 14 Startup Options dialog box WinMark Pro User Guide 126 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Custom Test Mark Create and load a WinMark Pro mkh file into an FH Series Index or Tracker marking head or Fenix Laser Marker firmware version 7 or higher replacing the factory test mark pattern Unlike the stan dard test mark the custom test mark feature allows you to 1 create a custom mark file with specific object properties 2 mark the custom test mark as an Index or Tracker mark or 3 perform stand alone Index or Tracker marking initiated by an automation input even without a computer attached to the marking head Custom test mark options are set in the Test Mark Control dialog box Figure 16 15 The following sec tion describes how to configure custom test marking Note The Custom Test Mark selection is only active when WinMark Pro senses it is actively com municating with an FH Series Index or Tracker marking head or a Fenix Laser Marker other wi
7. 114 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Important Note The clearing mark was developed to help a small segment of customers whose mark consists of long durations of high frequency small angle movements This non lasing clearing move is designed to redistribute lubricant along the galvanometer s bearing raceway and to reposition ball bearings around the race to promote a continuous and evenly worn bearing race For more information about the how the clearing mark feature can increase the service lifetime of FH Series marking heads and Fenix Laser Markers refer to SYNRAD Technical Bulletin 07 General Settings Drawing Defaults tab Create your own default Drawing properties for all new drawings you open Figure 16 10 These properties only affect the actual marking output Drawing Canvas and Launcher screen displays do not change Application Settings Application Settings Drawing Defaults Object Deise Drawing Defaults are the defaullt properties for new drawings They will only have an effect on new drawings you create 0 0000 in 0 0000 in Figure 16 10 Drawing Defaults tab Field Offset X Enter the amount of drawing offset required in the X direction when marking Field Offset Y Enter the amount of drawing offset required in the Y direction when marking Field Rotation Enter the amount of drawing rotation required around the t
8. Commands amp Properties 153 Chapter 18 Object properties Wobble properties Wobble properties allow you to mark thick lines or strokes by wobbling the laser beam back and forth Wobble lines are essentially thickened by marking shorter lines at right angles to the intended line segment Line width is determined by the value specified for Wobble Thickness and line resolution is determined by Wobble Step Size Although wobble provides the ability to create wide vector strokes there is a significant increase in cycle time Wobble is available for polyline circle stroke text and imported vector objects Note Mm Mark Pro imports some vector graphic files as a Polyline Set that must be exploded Objects menu Explode into individual polylines before being wobbled Wobble On Choose Yes to mark thick line strokes by wobbling the laser beam Wobble Thickness Specify the wobble width of line segments Wobble Step Size Enter a specific distance between wobble steps Tip In most cases entering a Wobble Step Size smaller than the spot size of the focused beam serves only to increase cycle time without producing a visible difference in mark quality Velocity Specify a galvanometer velocity when marking the selected object When choosing Velocity values near the upper or lower limits delay property values may require adjustment to prevent hot spots or tails Power Enter a p
9. Note When an object is selected a bounding outline appears around the selected object or objects 2 From the Objects menu click Transformations or click the Transform button E on the Menu Bar S In the Object Transformations dialog box Figure 5 3 change X and Y position values with four digit accuracy scale the selection by entering a percentage or resize by entering precise width and height dimensions I 0 Position X position Y Reference Pt 1 0000 in zi 13000 in Top Let r Sizing Transformations Iv Maintain Aspect Ratio Current Width New Width Scale 71000 in 3 21000 in zl fico zl Current Height New Height Scale 1 5000 in 4 1 6000 in fico a r Rotation Transformations Enter Rotation loop deg aen o Ge Figure 5 3 Object Transformations dialog box 4 Click Apply to preview transformed objects without closing the Object Transformations dialog box Click OK to accept the transformation and close the dialog or click Cancel to leave object position unchanged WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 2r Chapter 6 File development e File development The File development chapter includes subsections Off line mark file development FH Smart mark file development Off line mark file development Off line mark file development is possible on any Windows computer running WinMark Pro Without a Hardlock or FLCC card installed W
10. 0 assign the progress handle mh ProgressCtrlHandle ctlProgressBar hWnd load the drawing a progress bar will now be displayed mh LoadDrawing test mkh mh MarkDrawing no more progress displays mh ProgressCtrlHandle 0 ActiveMark control methods AboutBox method The AboutBox control displays WinMark Pro s About Synrad WinMark dialog containing version and build information The control method is formatted as AboutBox lt none gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example display WinMark version info for operator mh AboutBox mh Redraw WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 195 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Add2DBarCode method The Add2DBarCode control adds a new 2D code object to the current drawing at the indicated coordinates using the current default object properties specified in the WinMark Pro application The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new 2D code The control method is formatted as Add2DBarCode lt ObjectName as String X as Float Y as Float Text as String gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example mh Add2DBarCode 2DBarcodel 0 0 AB241 mh Redraw Tip To change the 2D Barcode Style of a 2D barcode object refer to the following chart 2D Barcode Style Property value Data Matrix 0 QR Code 1 For example if the default 2D Barcode Style is Data Matrix add the following line of code to change the
11. BOOLEAN Visual Basic example select all objects in the current drawing mh SelectAll move the selection set to 1 1 mh MoveSelectionTo 1 1 mh Redraw Redraw method The Redraw control redraws the display to reflect any changes made to the current drawing via ActiveX control The control method is formatted as Redraw none VOID Visual Basic example select all objects in drawing rotate 45 degrees and redraw mh SelectAll mh RotateSelection 45 mh Redraw WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 223 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Reset method The Reset control removes all entities in the current drawing and resets Drawing properties to the default values set on the Tools General Settings Application Settings tab The control is formatted as Reset lt none gt BOOLEAN Important Note Prior to WinMark Pro build 4 1 1 4402 the Reset control opened a new blank form after erasing the current drawing This new form however used Field Height and Field Width dimensions from a DH lens square mark field even when the previous drawing was based on an FH lens rectangular mark field Visual Basic example mh AddRect recti 0 0 1 1 mh AddRect rect2 1 1 0 0 mh Reset mh Redraw RotateSelection method The RotateSelection control rotates all objects in the current selection set by the specified angle Positive angles are rotated clockwise while negative angles are r
12. Bi Direction al Raster is disabled marking occurs in only one scan orientation although you can still specify a horizontal or vertical Raster Scan Direction Interseg Break Angle Specifies a break angle between two connected polylines No Interseg Delay is applied when the angle between two marked polylines is less than the specified angle If the angle exceeds the Interseg Break Angle then the Interseg Delay value is used Figure 18 11 shows the results of marking two different angles using the default Interseg Break Angle of 30 degrees WinMark Pro User Guide 158 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties 25 angles 90 angles Angles are less than the specified Angles are greater than the specified Interseg Break Angle No Interseg Interseg Break Angle Interseg Delay is Delay is used used to prevent hot spots or rounded corners Figure 18 11 Interseg Break Angle settings Off Vector Velocity Set a non marking velocity for galvanometers to travel between polyline endpoints Generally this number should be set close to the marking Velocity value Tip Depending on the type of objects in the mark file cycle times may be further reduced by increasing Off Vector Velocity towards its maximum value Off Vector Resolution Set a non marking resolution microvectors per inch when galvanometers travel between polyline endpoints Generally this number should be set close to the marking
13. In the WinMark folder double click the Samples folder In the Samples folder double click the SampleImports folder In the Files of type drop down list select dxf AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Select the Chairbin dxf file and click Open Chairbin dxf Figure 9 5 is a vector graphic illustrating an office chair as a wire frame line drawing isl Figure 9 5 Chairbin dxf 6 7 3 Click on the Chairbin image to select it Click the Marking tab and set Velocity to 60 in sec Power to 80 and Resolution to 300 Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens then mark the drawing WwinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 43 Chapter 9 Marking basics S Observe how the marking head is producing the mark After completion of the mark note the cycle time 1 O Save the file as Vector demo mkh Vector graphics are used for marking objects at high throughput speeds when cycle times are important Bitmap graphics are appropriate when a filled logo or photographic image is being marked and quality is the most important marking factor You can import both vector and bitmap files into the same drawing to shorten cycle times and obtain the best quality mark possible Bar codes 1 Open a new drawing 2 Select the Bar Code Tool and click to set an insertion point S On the Format tab in the Barcode Number field type 123456 4 On the Format tab set Barcode Style to Code 3 of 9 Barcode Resol
14. Load the mark file into the marking head as a Custom Test Mark This eliminates the overhead associ ated with the Windows OS Summary Line speed calculations do not take into account the differences in computer speeds for instance if the mark s Cycle Time is optimized on a different computer system than the one running the actual marking ap plication or the time required for other automation processes such as motion controllers or automation software to complete their respective tasks between each mark These factors must be accounted for when determining the actual throughput of your production line As with any factory automation proposal proof of concept testing is highly recommended WinMark Pro User Guide 96 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 97 Commands amp Properties Use information in this section as a reference to WinMark Pro s powerful command and automation controls This section contains the following chapters Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu commands explains the commands available from WinMark Pro s menu bar Chapter 17 Drawing properties describes drawing properties and explains how they control global drawing param eters such as tracking input output and communication Chapter 18 Object properties describes object properties and explains how they control object display automa tion and marking Chapter 1
15. a Figure 17 1 Tracking tab drawing properties Track Marking Object Select Yes to mark moving parts on the fly with the Tracker feature Choose No to mark stationary objects in Index mode WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 133 Chapter 17 Drawing properties Use Constant Velocity Tracking Set to No if your XY position data is generated by an external position encoder whose signal varies as part motion varies If your products travel through the marking area at a constant speed select Yes and enter a value for Product Line Speed to generate data at a fixed rate Rising Edge Part Sense Set Rising Edge Part Sense based on how the part sensor output should trigger the mark Yes triggers marking on the rising edge of the sensor s output waveform while selecting No triggers marking on the falling edge of the signal Figure 17 2 illustrates a typical part sensor waveform Falling edge of part sensor output waveform Rising edge of part sensor output waveform Figure 17 2 Part sensor output waveform Motion Vector Set the direction of part movement through the marking field When looking at WinMark s Drawing Canvas shown in Figure 17 3 0 is part movement towards the left 90 is movement towards the bot tom 180 is towards the right and 270 is part movement towards the top of the Drawing Canvas When Track Marking Object is set to Yes a motion arrow app
16. 0 and marking proceeds continu ously as directed by start mark signal inputs the mark session does not end When using ActiveX control Mark Count is typically set to 1 so that the mark session begins when WinMark s MarkDrawing method is called and ends after the mark is complete so that control is returned to the calling program Mark sessions can be terminated at any time by pressing ESC on the keyboard however this actually termi nates or aborts the mark session it does not end the session This distinction is important to understand because On After Mark Session events defined on the Automation tab occur only when a mark session ends not when the session is aborted Figure 10 1 illustrates the mark session flowchart C Start F1 Y On Before Mark Session Event Builder EI Yes ESC No D Set Digital Before Piece outputs Yes gt ESC Yes o ESC No Y Wait Digital Before Piece inputs z Y Wait Digital After Piece inputs Yes gt sc ve R Esc o Y Loop No Y Mark Count On Before Mark Piece Event Builder MA R K A times On After Mark Piece Event Builder A Yes ESC Yes No ESC D No D Set Digital Before Mark outputs Set Digital After Mark outputs Yes gt ESC Yes lo ESC No No z ee Cour lark Count Yes v On After Mark Session Event Builder On Abort
17. Chapter 18 Object properties Object is selected the following object reference property appears on the Automation tab Assign From Note Mm Mark Pro will not link to reference objects in an array when the referenced object s Auto Text Within Array property is Yes This occurs because each element in the array of reference objects is serialized and marked independently before the selected object or array of objects is marked If these conditions are present WinMark Pro will prevent the mark session from opening and display an error dialog Assign From Copy Text Caption data from the referenced Text Barcode or 2D Barcode object Use the Assign From property to link variable data between two or more text based entities Tip If the referenced object s Execute Auto Text When Before Mark After Mark property is changed WinMark Pro automatically changes the mark order of selected and referenced objects as required to ensure that Text Caption data remains synchronized These automatic changes to mark order are recorded in the Mark Log at the beginning of a mark session Where mark order is important as in some Tracker applications select the referenced object and choose the appropriate Execute Auto Text When Before Mark After Mark property value to force the desired mark order Execute Auto Text When Set the desired automation action to occur either before or after the piece is marked For example if your starting serial
18. Err Line Speed Too Fast Missed Start Case 5 Err Encoder Continuity Error Case 6 Err Marking Head Not Ready Case 7 Err Bad End Of Mark Response Case 8 Err Marking Head Not Powered Up Case 9 Err Invalid Drawing Case Else Err Str E End Select amp vbCr amp Err MsgBox The following error was detected End If WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 217 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology GetObjectBounds method The GetObjectBounds control returns the bounding rectangle for the specified object The control method is formatted as GetObjectBounds lt ObjectIndex as Integer Left ByRef Float Top ByRef Float Width ByRef Float Height ByRef Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example Dim x as single Dim y as single Dim w as single Dim h as single mh GetObjectBounds 0 x y w h GetObjectCount method The GetObjectCount control returns the object count for the currently active drawing The control method is formatted as GetObjectCount lt none gt SHORT Visual Basic example Dim n as Integer n mh GetObjectCount GetObjectlndex method The GetObjectlndex control returns the index number of an object in the drawing The control method is formatted as GetObjectlndex lt ObjectName as String gt INTEGER Visual Basic example mh EraseDrawing mh AddRect rect 0 0 1 1 Dim nObject as Integer nObject mh GetObjectIndex rect WinMark
19. If the circle outline is marked with several distinct spots instead of a smooth arc then increase Resolution Perform a reader test of the 2D code to verify that the code is being properly scanned and that the code meets any applicable AIM Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility standards Spot style 2D codes Figure 11 4 shows a 2 mm x 2 mm square spot type 2D Data Matrix code containing 20 alphanumeric characters Ras 602 D Zi io of D Rd Ae d en ms Ek 8 fie Figure 11 4 Spot style 2D Data Matrix code To setup a spot style 2D code perform the following steps Open a new drawing and set measurement units to millimeters Tools General Settings Application Settings Show Units Type Click OK Select the 2D Code Tool and click to set an insertion point On the Format tab in the 2D Barcode Text field click the ellipsis The Text Caption Editor dialog box appears WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 55 Chapter 11 Fast 2D codes 44 Enter the desired alphanumeric data and click OK 5 Set2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size to No G6 Use Table 11 1 to find the spot size for your focusing lens Multiply lens spot size by the total number of cells across the 2D code Table 11 1 Lens spot size Lens Focal Length Spot Size Dei um Starting Resolution FH Fenix DH SH 370 mm 540 47 FH Fenix DH SH 200 mm 290 88 FH Fenix DH SH 125 mm 180 141 FH Fenix 125HP 180 141 FH Fenix 80 m
20. On After Mark Session Undefined On Abort Session Undefined Figure 12 10 Automation setup Note Mm Mark Pro s automation loop runs in the sequence shown on the Automation tab Refer back to Figure 10 1 Mark session flowchart or to WinMark Pro under Help Automation Flowchart for diagrams showing how WinMark Pro steps through the automation sequence WinMark Pro User Guide 68 Basic Operation Chapter 12 Automation basics Begin automated marking serious personal injury Click the Mark button and then click Start F1 when the Synrad WinMark dialog box Launcher window appears Figure 12 11 shows the Launcher window after one iteration through the automation sequence Synrad WinMark automation mkh Begin Marking Restored serial number 0000 Figure 12 11 Launcher window WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 69 Chapter 12 Automation basics Note A Hardlock must be installed on your computer s USB or printer port and the appropriate automa tion signals must be present on marking head or FLCC inputs before the laser will fire Important Note If this demo is being run on a computer without a Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC installed WinMark Pro will see all input bits as Set logic high In this case WinMark continues executing the automation plan until a Clear input condi tion is expected If an FLCC is installed without input sig
21. the WinMark Pro web site at http www winmark com download htm for the latest released builds of v4 or v2 Symptom WinMark Pro or WinMark Launcher applications indicate that marking was successful but the laser does not fire The laser does not fire when the marking head s Test Mark pushbutton is pressed Possible Causes The laser is not enabled Check that the laser s Ready light is illuminated On Series 48 and Evolution lasers check that the Lase in dicator is glowing dimly tickle mode and that it appears brighter lasing mode as the mark is made On Firestar lasers check that RDY Ready and SHT Shutter indicators are lit and that the LASE indicator illuminates as the mark is being made Refer to your laser s Operator s Manual if indicators do not illumi nate as described Verify that the laser s shutter if equipped is open Ensure that all required safety interlocks and signals are present The Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature on the Fiber Link Card is enabled WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 235 Chapter 21 Troubleshooting If the FASI feature is enabled DIP switch 5 on the PCI bus Fiber Link Controller Card set to On then a 15 40 V signal must be applied to Input Bit 3 IN3 on the FH Fenix marking head before the laser will fire Note On older ISA bus Fiber Link Controller Cards the FASI feature is controlled by DIP switch 6 Refer to the Operator
22. then mark the text Again observe how the marking head is producing the mark and note the cycle time WinMiark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 41 Chapter 9 Marking basics 9 Save the file as Filled TrueType demo mkh The three text examples just demonstrated show the importance of choosing fonts to match the marking application In processes where speed is an issue such as in marking part numbers date codes or other identifying information at high throughput speeds stroke vector fonts can mark one and one half times faster than unfilled vector TrueType fonts and ten times faster than filled raster TrueType fonts When using filled TrueType fonts to mark products that are highly visible or that must convey a quality look or match a corporate logotype longer cycle times are inevitable Graphics When creating graphics there are two basic types of file formats 1 bitmap and 2 vector graphics Bitmap raster files such as TIFF BMP and JPEG formats are the types of files created by paint programs Bitmap file elements are marked using a raster scanning technique Most CAD and illustration programs generate vector files in formats such as EPS and DXF formats Vector file elements are marked quickly using point to point vector movements A third graphics format metafile can contain both bitmap and vector elements Common metafile formats include WMF and CGM Mark a bitmap graphics file 1 Open a new drawing and
23. toxic or Serious even fatal Material Safety Data Sheets MSDS for materials being personal processed should be thoroughly evaluated and the adequacy of provi EN sions for fume extraction filtering and venting should be carefully Injury considered Review the following references for further information on exposure criteria ANSI Z136 1 2000 Safe Use of Lasers section 7 3 U S Government s Code of Federal Regulations 29 CFR 1910 Sub part Z Threshold Limit Values TLV s published by the American Confer ence of Governmental Industrial Hygienists ACGIH It may be necessary to consult with local governmental agencies regarding restrictions on the venting of processing vapors A The use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation Senous exposure personal injury WinMark Pro User Guide Laser Safety 5 3 SYNRAD CO laser products should be installed and operated in manufacturing or laboratory facilities by trained personnel only Due to the considerable risks and hazards associated with the installation and operational use of any equipment incorporating a laser the operator must follow product warning labels and instructions to the user regarding laser safety Exercise safe operating practices per ANSI Z136 1 2000 at all times when actively lasing To prevent exposure to direct or scattered laser radiation follow all safety
24. 1 1 1 1 Output Bit 4 INA i to PLC I f 1 f low when laser ON i i i i CEN NETUS CLEAR I I Figure 12 2 Sample state diagram WinMark Pro User Guide 62 Basic Operation Chapter 12 Automation basics Event O once the mark session is started when the Start F1 button in the Launcher window is pressed WinMark Pro begins executing the automation sequence WinMark sets Output Bit 4 OUT4 high signaling parts handling equipment that WinMark is ready to begin marking Event 1 WinMark Pro waits indefinitely until parts handling equipment sets Input Bit O INO the start mark signal high This action indicates that a part is in position and ready to be marked Event 2 As soon as WinMark Pro recognizes the start mark signal from Event 1 WinMark clears Out put Bit 4 OUT4 low to inform parts handling equipment that lasing is in progress Event 3 Any time after OUT4 goes low parts handling equipment clears Input Bit O INO low as indicated by the gray area in the state diagram When lasing is complete WinMark Pro verifies that the start mark signal is disabled This prevents another mark from occurring if the start mark signal persists for any reason Event 4 As soon as lasing is complete WinMark Pro sets Output Bit 4 OUT4 high signaling parts handling equipment to move another part into position Important Note In order for the automation sequence to loop more t
25. 1 0 015 or 66 66667 Round up this result to 67 To determine the best marking resolution enter multiples of 67 67 134 201 268 etc as the Barcode Resolution and make test marks on your part Using this method to constrain the length of the barcode will not always create the most compact code but it does ensure a consistent length as resolution is varied during testing Barcode Inverted Create a contrasting negative image of the bar code so that spaces between the bars are marked instead of the bars themselves A quiet zone is added so that bar code readers can locate the first and last bars in the code Barcode Inverted is used for marking dark materials that produce a lighter contrasting mark WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 169 Chapter 18 Object properties Barcode Quiet Zone Size If Barcode Inverted is Yes you can choose to increase or decrease the length of the quiet zone Barcode Height Set a specific height for the long bars in the code Barcode Thin Width Specify a line width for thin bars in the code Horizontal spacing is then proportionally adjusted throughout the code Tip Depending on desired cycle time and material type Barcode Thin Width should generally be set to mark a width equal to or some multiple of the spot size of the focusing lens Assuming Barcode Resolution is optimized a Barcode Thin Width value equal to the spot size means that only one pass is required to mark
26. 1 bit images when imported In previous versions of WinMark Pro the 1 bit color reduction process Bayer Dithering Error Diffusion or Halftone was the first step in the image transformation process however in WinMark Pro versions 4 0 0 4051 and above color reduction is now applied to imported bitmap images as the last step in order to provide better raster print quality After changing bitmap Resolution and or resizing the image use the Color Reduction Method property on the Format tab to change the color reduction algorithm as required Although WinMark Pro now displays a more ac curate view of actual mark quality test marking is still recommended WinMark Pro User Guide 102 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Use the Grayscale Color Reduction Method to mark 8 bit grayscale images Unlike Bayer Dithering Error Diffusion or Halftone reduction methods where color bitmaps are converted to 1 bit images Grayscale reduction provides 8 bit 256 level grayscale marking of color or continuous tone images Imported vector files are deconstructed into an entity comprised of individual objects including lines arcs circles and text If the file imports as Group then Ungrouping the Group object expands the entity into a Polyline Set containing polylines and arcs and individual Circle and Text objects If the imported file imports as a Polyline Set Exploding the Polyline Se
27. 11 Fast 2D codes 16 Perform a reader test of the 2D code to verify that the code is properly scanned and verified Further improvement in mark quality or mark speed are achieved by adjusting Resolution or marking delays primarily Pline Start Delay To eliminate any observed tailing or ghost marking that may appear around the spot increase Off Vector Delay slightly Tip Below are sample calculations for setting up a spot style 2D code referenced to the steps just de scribed Step 4 2D Barcode Text is ABC123456789 JUNE 25 2005 This produces a code 20 cells by 20 cells square Step 6 From Table 11 1 the 80 mm FH lens spot size is 116 um 116 um x 20 cells 2320 Step 7 Divide 2320 by 1000 The result 2 32 mm is the overall width and height of the 2D code Step 11 From Table 11 1 the starting Resolution value for the FH 80 mm lens is 141 WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 57 Chapter 12 Automation basics 1 2 Automation basics The Automation basics chapter includes subsections System configuration Input output configuration Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature Developing a basic event sequence Automated serialization System configuration Additional peripheral cards Windows PCI device management and buffering of mark data on the PCI bus FLCC mean that there are no restrictions to adding peripheral cards for networking motion control etc to the marking co
28. 239 Chapter 21 Troubleshooting Automation Symptom The FH Fenix marking head or WinMark Pro does not respond to automation inputs or the automa tion controller does not see marking head WinMark Pro outputs Possible Causes No Fiber Link Controller Card is selected In WinMark Pro click the Tools General Settings Applications Settings tab Scroll down to I O Card Selec tion and verify that a card is selected If no card is shown on the drop down list verify that a fiber link card is installed in your computer and then check that drivers for the PCI bus FLCC are properly installed refer back to the FLCC troubleshooting section I O voltage levels are incorrect Review the Technical Reference section in your marking head s Operator s Manual to verify that I O signals levels are in the correct voltage range of 15 40 VDC I O wiring is not properly connected to the marking head Double check field wiring to ensure that input output signals are routed to the correct pins and that their respective return ground paths are wired to the proper pins Use Digital Scope Figure 21 2 to verify proper I O functionality between the marking head FLCC and the automation controller Digital Scope s input buttons pop in as each individual input is activated when the correct voltage level is applied Press an output button to activate an output Synrad Digital 1 0 Scope CARD PCI Card IDst O Y Bits jue e E
29. C sample code Sample code line 1 Sample code line 2 WinMark Pro User Guide 192 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Most ActiveX control methods return a numerical or Boolean value to the calling program Returned values are one of seven types BOOLEAN returns a Boolean 1 True 0 False value to indicate if the command was successful FLOAT returns a floating point value INTEGER returns an integer value LONG returns a long integer value SHORT returns a short integer value STRING returns an alphanumeric string VOID no value returned by control method Sample code Sample Visual Basic and Visual C code is provided in the WinMarkNSamplesNVisualBasicSample and WinMarkNSamplesNVisualCPlusSample folders respectively Additional VB code samples are available on the WinMark Pro CD or from the WinMark Pro web site at http www winmark com ActiveX Sample Files activex sample files htm Note All Visual Basic code samples shown below assume that the WinMark Pro ActiveX control is named mh If you have chosen a different control name the example code must be modified to reflect the new VB control name Important Note We strongly recommend that all mark files run under ActiveX control use inches as the unit of measure The calling program must calculate the conversion to inches from other units of measure Unpredictable object placement or operation may resul
30. Delta Choose a value with which to increment positive values or decrement negative values the serial number string before or after each mark Note Only alphanumeric characters are serialized Non alphanumeric characters etc remain as entered in the initial text string WinMark Pro User Guide 146 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Serial Number Mask Specify which alphanumeric characters in the serial number string should be serialized the default setting or fixed From the drop down list select a placeholder position and then choose Serialize or Fixed Tip Non alphanumeric characters are ignored by the serialization protocol so that characters such as dashes colons etc need not be Fixed by Serial Number Mask Serial Piece Step Specify how many pieces parts to mark before the serial number is incremented or decremented Hexadecimal Count Choose Yes to increment decrement serial numbers using the hexadecimal base 16 number system Choose No to count in decimal base 10 Ask Starting Serial When set to Yes a dialog box opens at the beginning of each mark session prompting the operator to enter a starting serial number Save Last Serial Restore the last serial number marked when the next mark session begins Save Serial Name Create a unique name for storing the Save Last Serial number The actual number is stored in the computer s
31. FLOAT Visual Basic example Dim value as single value mh GetFloatProp Text1 ObjectLeftPos GetHeadlnformation method The GetHeadlnformation control returns Card type Head type Data type Firmware version and PCI version data as integers Integer results correspond to the following values Card type 1 No Card 2 DDAO06 DAC Card 3 ISA bus Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC talk only 4 ISA bus FLCC talk listen 5 PCI bus FLCC Head type 0 No Data 1 SH or unknown 2 DH 3 Fenix Index 4 FH Index 5 Fenix Tracker 6 FH Tracker Datatype 0 No Data 1 12 Bit data 2 16 Bit data Head firmware version 0 No Data x firmware version 3 20 PCI card revision ID x revision ID WinMark Pro User Guide 214 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology The control method is formatted as GetHeadInformation lt Card ByRef Integer Head ByRef Integer Data ByRef Integer Firmware ByRef Integer PClrev ByRef Integer gt STRING Note Head Data and Firmware values will return as zero 0 if the marking head is not powered up or not connected to the FLCC Visual Basic example Dim Card as integer FLCC card type code listed above Dim Head as integer marking head type code listed above Dim Data as integer data type used by head listed above Dim Firmware as integer marking head firmware version Dim PCIrev as integer PCI bus FLCC firmware version ID Dim LensType as String lens type
32. File Import Filters Un installing WinMark Pro Inventory The WinMark Pro software package includes the following items Table 2 1 Shipping box contents Shipping Box Contents Q WinMark Pro Software CD 1 Hardlock USB or parallel port 1 WinMark Pro User Guide CD 1 USB Port Hardlock WinMark Pro Software CD or Parallel Port Hardlock WinMark Pro User Guide CD Figure 2 1 WinMark Pro inventory WinMark Pro User Guide 10 Getting Started Chapter 2 Installation Hardlock installation A Hardlock is installed on the marking computer to prevent unauthorized use of WinMark Pro software If the Hardlock is not installed WinMark Pro is fully functional except that marking output is disabled In this demo or off line mode WinMark Pro is still able to develop modify and save new or existing mark files Note FH Smart marking heads do not require a Hardlock in order to operate Files are created and saved in WinMark s demo mode and then downloaded to FH Smart via SmartTerm or WinMark v5 0 USB port hardlock To install the USB port Hardlock perform the following steps 14 Locate the Hardlock included with the materials shipped with your WinMark Pro purchase 2 Connect the Hardlock to your computer s USB port Parallel port hardlock To install the parallel port Hardlock perform the following steps Locate the Hardlock included with the materials shipped with you
33. Language you must close and then re open WinMark before the new language is displayed To use Japanese or Chinese languages with Windows 98 or NT4 operating systems you must have a Windows 98 NT4 Japanese or Chinese operating system installed on your computer To use Japanese or Chinese languages with Windows 2000 or XP operating systems you must first load the correct Chinese or Japanese codepage and set it as the default from Regional Settings in the Windows Con trol Panel Enable Driver Thread Release Set to No the default setting for better performance in time critical marking applications When set to Yes the WinMark Driver releases the driver thread so that other applications can run during the mark session Important Note Marking performance especially in Tracking applications may be adversely affected if the Enable Driver Thread Release property is set to Yes Clearing Mark On Begin Mark Session When set to Yes the Clearing Mark On Begin Mark Session property initiates a clearing mark at the start of each mark session The default setting is No Clearing Mark Interval If Clearing Mark On Begin Mark Session is set to No then select a Clearing Mark Interval This enables a clearing mark after the specified number of marks has occurred even across multiple mark sessions For those customers who require a clearing mark SYNRAD recommends an interval of once every 10 000 marks The default is Never WinMark Pro User Guide
34. Marking basics s E SE 1 83 E 4 4 j E f Stroke font text E Zz E TrueType font text sq 1 8 E E Za Figure 9 2 Font types The tutorial section below illustrates the relative marking speeds of stroke and TrueType fonts Mark a stroke font 4 oa sk ON Select the Text Tool from the Tool Box position it on the Drawing Canvas and click the left mouse button to set an insertion point The Text Caption Editor dialog box appears In the Text Caption Editor dialog box type ABCDEFG123 Click OK ABCDEFG123 appears on the canvas within a bounding outline On the Format tab set Font Type to Stroke and then in Stroke Font select a stroke font to mark Choose a Text Height that will allow the text to easily fit on the Drawing Canvas Click the Marking tab Figure 9 3 and set Velocity to 30 in sec Power to 60 and Resolution to 600 Figure 9 3 Marking tab object properties WinMark Pro User Guide 40 Basic Operation Chapter 9 Marking basics Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens ensure all personnel are wearing safety glasses and then click the Mark button When the Synrad Marking Progress dialog box appears click Start F 1 Observe how the marking head is producing the mark After completion of the mark note the cycle time TO Save the file as Stroke demo mkh Mark an unfilled TrueType font 4 2 O
35. PS PostScript Language Format ImageStream Level 2 Native PS Interpretation LZW PSD Adobe PhotoShop Document through v4 0 RND AutoShade Rendering File Format SH3 Harvard Graphics 3 0 Show SY3 Harvard Graphics 3 0 Symbol File TIF Tagged Image File Format v6 VSD Visio File Format WMF Microsoft Windows Metafile Win16 WPG WordPerfect Graphic File WinMark Pro User Guide 104 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Mark Initiate and preview marking of the current drawing through the Synrad WinMark dialog The dialog box also provides piece count and total elapsed time in addition to a mark log displaying real time marking status You can also click the Mark shortcut button x on the toolbar to initiate marking Tip When you chose Mark from the File menu or press F1 the drawing is marked immediately but the Launcher window closes when the mark is complete Use the Mark button on the toolbar to open Launcher and keep it open in cases where you want to view Mark Log or cycle time information or when multiple marks are required You must press F1 or click the Start F1 button to begin marking after the Launcher window is opened using the Mark button Quick Mark Initiate immediate laser marking without prompting the user Pressing the F1 function key also begins Quick Mark marking of the current drawing recent files Display the four most recently opened file
36. Pro User Guide 218 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology GetObjectName method The GetObjectName control returns the name of an object by index number Note that the Drawing object is not accessible by the GetObjectName method The control method is formatted as GetObjectName lt ObjectIndex as Integer gt STRING Visual Basic Example Note The following code is used on a form that has a list box IstObjects and a command button cmdListObjects which allows the user to list the objects currently residing on the loaded drawing Labell displays the number of objects found Private Sub cmdListObjects Click Dim I As Integer N As Integer Dim objects As String Dim Obj As String lstObjects Clear N mh GetObjectCount ReDim objects N As String For I 0 ToN 1 Obj mh GetObjectName I lstObjects AddItem Obj I Next I Labeli Caption N amp items End Sub GetObjectPos method The GetObjectPos control returns an XY reference position for an object in the drawing The refer ence position is the point around which the selected object or objects is rotated or transformed Integer results correspond to the following positions 0 Top Left 1 Top Right 2 Bottom Right 3 Bottom Left 4 Center WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 219 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology The control method is formatted as GetObjectPos lt ObjectIndex as Integer Position as In
37. Resolution value Spot Marking Style When set to Yes the mark is made using individual spots instead of a continuous line Spot spacing is proportional to the Resolution setting Spot Marking Style is primarily used when marking glass to prevent fracturing or when marking very small vector style 2D codes Spot Mark Duration When Spot Marking Style is Yes adjust the lasing duration in 1 10 of a millisecond 100 microsecond intervals WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 159 Chapter 18 Object properties Format tab Format object properties Figure 18 12 apply to objects contained within the drawing These properties set object positions and allow formatting of text and bar code characteristics Most properties are common to all objects however some properties apply only to specific types of objects Special Automation Marking Format An Object Left Pos 0 7825 in Object Top Pos 0 0608 in Fixed To Position Center Raster Scan Dir Vertical Array Columns z Array Rows 1 Mark Array Yes Show Array Yes Column Spacing 0 5000 in Row Spacing 0 5000 in Array Angle 0 00 degrees Text Caption text Font Type True Type True Type Font Times New Roman Text Height 0 2500 in Text Bold No Text Italics No Text Filled No Text Justification Left Text Curve Detail 100 Text Width 0 0926 in Line Spacing 0 2875 in Extra Char Spaci
38. SetStringProp Text1 TrueTypeFont Times New Roman mh Redraw Tip The SetStringProp method can assign values to any valid property including those that require floating point integer or Boolean values The string value will be converted to the appropriate type in these cases In cases where your ActiveX mark file contains non Event Builder output automation you can use the SetStringProp to modify the expected output states for the Drawing object s Set Digital Before Piece Set Digital Before Mark and Set Digital After Mark automation properties SetStringProp can control input or output bits on any of the digital I O lines connected to an FH Series marking head Fenix Laser Marker or Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC Note We do not recommend placing input automation into the mark file Instead perform any in put automation functions within the ActiveX control program using the GetDigitalBit control method By doing this your control program remains in charge of pre mark and post mark automation and WinMark s MarkDrawing method only maintains control of the operating system long enough to control laser on off commands during the actual marking process Performing input automation within the mark file may prevent the ActiveX control program from regaining control of the operating system if the specified input state does not occur I O string characters used to force a specific input or output bit sta
39. V fast blow fuse Symptom No marks or very light marks appear on the part Possible Causes The part is not positioned at the point of focus Locate the final test report shipped with your marking head to determine the actual working distance of the lens Measure the working distance from the bottom of the focusing lens mount to the surface of the part to be marked and ensure that it matches the distance specified on the final test report Symptom Mark quality deteriorates gradually over time and or laser power must be increased to maintain quality Possible Causes The focusing lens is coated with marking debris or vapor Carefully inspect and clean the lens as described in the Maintenance Troubleshooting section of your marking head s Operator s Manual Symptom ON and Status indicators on the marking head are illuminated green but no mark is created when the Test Mark pushbutton is pressed Possible Causes The laser is not enabled Check that the laser s Ready light is illuminated On Series 48 and Evolution lasers check that the Lase indicator is glowing dimly tickle mode and that it appears brighter lasing mode during marking On Firestar lasers check that RDY Ready and SHT Shutter indicators are lit and that the LASE indica tor illuminates during marking Refer to your laser s Operators Manual if indicators do not illuminate as described WinlViarik Pro User Guide Commands amp Propert
40. Vector Delay times Selecting Con tinuous forces each scan line to mark at a constant Velocity and Power while laser power is switched on or off according to the bitmap data Grayscale images are always marked using the Continuous scan method Note Bi Directional Raster is automatically disabled when Bitmap Scan Type is Continuous WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 177 Chapter 18 Object properties Note If Bitmap Scan Type is Continuous or if the Color Reduction Method is set to Grayscale which uses a Continuous scan method then the product of multiplying Velocity and Resolution cannot exceed 33 000 units which is the maximum command frequency of FH Series marking heads In order to obtain an accurate representation of the image WinMark Pro will display a dialog box and then automatically reset Velocity to the maximum value possible at the specified Resolution All tab All applicable properties from Special Automation Marking and Format tabs are included in this section see Figure 18 24 Special Marking Format All Polyline4 Object Left Pos 0 6614 in Object Top Pos 0 0341 in Mark Object Yes Mark Passes 1 Velocity 35 0000 in sec Power 10 0 Resolution 750 Raster Scan Dir Vertical Pline Start Delay 250 usecs Pline End Delay 450 usecs Interseg Delay Ousecs Off Vector Delay 350 usecs Bi Directional Raster Yes Array Columns 1 Array Rows 1 Polyline Fill Type Fill Polyl
41. WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 81 Chapter 15 Tracker marking TOP VIEW EDD PART MOTION COORDINATE SYSTEM OF WINMARK DRAWING CANVAS RELATIVE TO FH TRACKER HEAD Figure 15 3 Drawing Canvas coordinates relative to Tracker Note Motion Vector values of 90 or 270 allow faster line speeds than 0 or 180 values because part movement through the long axis of the marking field provides a larger Tracking Window Sensor Distance Unlike other marking methods that are time based Tracker uses a distance based marking scheme This is because at the moment a part is sensed on the rising or falling edge of the part sense signal the Tracker marking head begins counting rotary encoder pulses When the number of encoder pulses counted by the head equals Sensor Distance times Encoder Resolution marking begins Because Tracker calculates marking vectors based on encoder pulses distance Tracker can continue to accurately mark an object even when it stops once the part s Target Area has fully entered the Tracking Window The term Sensor Distance is not entirely accurate because the value entered is not related to the physi cal part sensor location but rather Sensor Distance is defined as the distance at the moment of part sense from the center of the mark field to the leading edge of the desired mark location By this defini tion the leading edge of the desi
42. additional ISA bus FLCCs are used strictly for I O purposes Refer to SYNRAD Technical Bulletin 01 for further information on adding additional I O using ISA bus cards Important Note If your application uses the Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature the signal to Input Bit 3 IN3 must be connected directly to the marking head and not to the FLCC WinMark Pro User Guide 58 Basic Operation Chapter 12 Autornation basics Multiple marking heads WinMark Pro version 4 0 does NOT currently support multiple marking heads using multiple PCI cards ISA bus FLCCs could be modified to drive multiple marking heads in a master slave configuration as long as all heads mark the same mark data at the same moment independent marking in the master slave mode is not possible Input output configuration I O connections Input Output I O connections are available on the marking head or Fiber Link Controller card so that you can connect control signals from to parts handling equipment WinMark Pro reads these input signals and sets output signals in order to fully automate the marking process Tables 12 1 and 12 2 lists input out put bit designations in WinMark Pro and shows availability on FH Series Index Tracker FH Series Smart marking heads and Fenix Laser Markers as well as older DH Series marking heads Table 12 1 Input bit table WinMark Pro Input DH Inputs FH Fenix Input FH Smart Input Input Bit 0 0 INO INO Input Bi
43. available commands Set Digital After Mark Set a specific digital output state on any or all output bits immediately after each piece is marked For example your parts handling equipment may require that a specific output bit is set or cleared to indi cate that the laser is off before staging a new part into position See Chapter 12 Automation basics for available outputs On After Mark Session Define events you wish to trigger only once after all marking in the current session is complete Click the ellipsis to open the Event Builder dialog box and display a list of definable events See Chapter 19 Event Builder commands for descriptions of available commands WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 139 Chapter 17 Drawing properties Tip A mark session ends when the number of parts marked equals the specified Mark Count value In automated systems where Mark Count is zero 0 and marking proceeds continuously as directed by start mark inputs the mark session does not end This means that On After Mark Session events are not executed On Abort Session Define events you wish to trigger only once if the mark session is aborted or halted by the user by pressing the ESC key for example Click the ellipsis to open the Event Builder dialog box and display a list of definable events See Chapter 19 Event Builder commands for descriptions of available commands Marking tab Marking pr
44. color images into mono chrome 1 bit images suitable for laser marking The differences in these three reduction methods are in the changes made to the size shape and spacing of pixels in the bitmap in order to create an illusion of shading since all pixels in a 1 bit image are either black marked or white unmarked Figure 18 21 shows an original 8 bit image and the resulting 1 bit image after being processed through WinMark Pro s color reduction algorithm Figure 18 21 8 bit black amp white image versus 1 bit Error Diffusion reduction Note Imported bitmap images are now resized according to the Resolution setting specified on the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab Previously WinMark Pro increased or decreased bitmap image size corresponding to a fixed bitmap resolution of 600 DPI WinMark Pro does not resample bitmap images but rather resizes them to preserve the image s total pixel count the overall dimensions of a 96 DPI image imported into WinMark at 300 DPI are automatically resized to 3296 of the original height and width After changing Resolution and or resizing the image test mark the bitmap image Use the Color Re duction Method property on the Format tab to change the color reduction algorithm as required Any changes are performed on the original image which is stored by WinMark during importation Note that the screen display does not necessarily indicate the improved mark quality so test marks are re
45. configure the abort sequence You can enable or disable the ability to abort using the bEnabled parameter SYNRAD strongly recommends that you enable this parameter by setting it to 1 TRUE By default the ESC key aborts marking however iKey can be set to any virtual key code When the user aborts marking a dialog box asks for confirmation Use the bShow Dialog parameter to turn this feature on or off When marking with ActiveMark ActiveX OLE control the Windows priority assigned to WinMark Pro and to the MarkDrawing Serious method is high enough that only the Escape ESC key is recognized personal by the Windows operating system Any other key except ESC S assigned as the abort key by the ConfigureAbort method is NOT Injury recognized during a mark session You should assign only the ESC key as the abort method to halt lasing during a mark session The control method is formatted as ConfigureAbort lt bEnabled as Boolean iKey as Integer bShowDialog as Boolean gt VOID Visual Basic example mh ConfigureAbort 1 VK ESCAPE 1 WinMark Pro User Guide 210 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology DeleteObject method The DeleteObject control deletes the specified object referenced by Object Name from the current drawing The control method is formatted as DeleteObject lt ObjectName as String gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example delete the text object named Text1 mh Dele
46. default Barcode Style is Code 3 of 9 add the following line of code to change the object labeled as Barcodel to a Code 128 all 128 characters code type mh SetStringProp Barcodel BarcodeStyle 7 WinMark Pro User Guide 198 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Tip When Barcode Show Text is Yes choose a Barcode Text Position from among the following Barcode Text Position Property value Off 0 Below Left 1 Below Center Below Right Above Left Above Center ON Wm Bl wl vw Above Right A Barcode Text Position property value of 0 is overridden by the state of Barcode Show Text No corresponds to text Off Yes corresponds to text On For example if the default Barcode Text Position property is Below Center 2 add the following line of code to left justify human readable text above the code mh SetStringProp Barcodel BarcodeTextPosition 4 Tip To specify a Barcode Thick to Thin Ratio refer to the following chart Barcode Thick to Thin Ratio Property value 2 1 0 2 5 1 1 3 1 2 For example to change Barcode Thick to Thin Ratio to 2 5 1 add the following line of code to modify the object labeled as Barcodel mh SetStringProp Barcodel BarcodeThickToThinRatio 1 WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 199 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology AddCircle meth
47. drawing when marking To change lens settings perform the following steps 1 From the Tools menu select General Settings 2 Inthe Applications Settings dialog box click the Application Settings tab 3 Click Lens and then click the ellipsis A Inthe Lens Selection dialog box Figure 3 1 select the lens matching the one currently installed on your marking head Lens Selection x Select your lens The focal length of the lens is printed on the lens tim on the bottom of the marking head SH DH 69 mm Other lens manually specify field size in mm Horizontal ios 22 Vertical 109 22 Cancel Figure 3 1 Lens Selection dialog box Note When using an FH Series marking head or Fenix Laser Marker select a lens from the FH Fenix lens group only 5 Open a new drawing to display a Drawing Canvas showing the new lens field dimensions Tip To use an existing mark file with a new lens having a different field size follow steps 1 5 above and then open your existing mark file Select all objects from the Edit menu choose Select All and paste them into your new blank drawing All selected objects and their corresponding object properties are pasted into the new drawing Save this new drawing with another name or append the lens size to the old filename WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 15 Chapter 3 Starting WinMark Pro Setting measurement units You can set WinMark Pro t
48. events necessary to coordinate parts handling and marking Each event is numbered for cross reference to the fol lowing steps Refer back to Chapter 10 Figure 10 1 Mark Session Flowchart or WinMark Pro s Automa tion Flowchart Help Automation Flowchart to review the automation sequence Note The following example assumes that an input signal from parts handling equipment is connected to Input Bit O INO and that an output signal to parts handling equipment is connected to Out put Bit 4 OUT4 Although applications for WinMark Pro vary widely the following example describes a typical automated marking operation using WaitDigital and SetDigital functions on WinMark s Automation tab WaitDigital commands force WinMark Pro to wait indefinitely for the designated input logic state to occur Once the expected state is read on the I O port WinMark moves on to the next automation stage SetDigital commands tell WinMark Pro to write the designated output state to the I O port After doing so WinMark moves on to the next automation stage Event Sequence Start F1 Keystroke 0 T i I I i i E SET I l I Input Bit O INO l from PLC 1 i start mark signal 1 oi l CLEAR H 1 1 1 pod 1 tA 1 1 pod 1 1 I1 1 l IN 1 1 iol 1 1 it 1 l I e Part Movement S e Marking e Part Movement 3 4 Marking a I MEME aod i 3 1 I 1 ol l I iol 1 I NET I 1 p I iol I ii I SET
49. formations dialog box check Maintain Aspect Ratio set the Current Height value to the desired size and then press the TAB key to scale text Click the Apply button and then click OK WinMark Pro User Guide 122 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Text Bold Toggle Yes to bold the selected TrueType text Text Italics Toggle Yes to italicize the selected TrueType text Text Filled Toggle Yes to fill the selected TrueType text Choosing Yes causes text characters to be filled by the raster scanning method Choosing No simply marks text characters as vector outlines Text Justification Select Left Right or Center justification for multiline text objects Vector Import Scale Select the method for scaling vector graphic files during importation Choose from 1 1 X Axis which scales the graphic to the X horizontal Drawing Canvas extents Y Axis which scales the graphic to the Y vertical Drawing Canvas extents or Best Fit which scales the graphic to best fit the optimal mark area for the selected focusing lens Text Width Enter an average width horizontal scale for text characters Enter zero 0 to return to the selected font s default width Line Spacing Enter line spacing leading between lines of multiline text Enter zero 0 to return to the selected font s default line spacing Extra Char Spacing Enter additional spacing tracking between text characters Enter zero
50. height varies slightly depending upon the metrics of the chosen typeface In general Text Height for stroke fonts is padded to allow room for lower case descenders This means that uppercase only stroke text displays and marks smaller than the value specified by Text Height Tip To obtain accurate Text Height for your mark use only uppercase letters and do the following In the Object Transformations dialog box check Maintain Aspect Ratio set the Current Height value to the desired size and then press the TAB key to scale text Click Apply and then click OK Tip Have you always specified point sizes when working with type In typography there are 72 points per inch so multiply your desired point size by 0 01389 to obtain a decimal value in inches for Text Height For example WinMark Pro s default Text Height is 0 25 inches which corresponds to 18 point type WinMark Pro User Guide 164 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Tip To obtain the best legibility when marking text the ratio of Text Height to beam spot size should be 7 1 or greater For example a 125 mm focusing lens has a spot size of 0 007 0 18 mm In this case the minimum Text Height value should be 0 049 inches 1 26 mm Text Justification Select left right or center justification for multiline text objects Text Width Enter an average width horizontal scale for text characters Enter zero 0 to return to WinMark
51. key down while dragging the mouse to create squares instead of rectangles Rectangle Tool or circles instead of ellipses Arc Tool S Release the mouse button when the desired size and shape is reached Tip To precisely size objects open the Object Transformations dialog uncheck Maintain Aspect Ratio and type in specific values to four digit accuracy in both New Width and New Height fields Spots 1 Select the Spot Tool el from the Tool Box 2 Position the cursor on the Drawing Canvas and click the left mouse button to set an insertion point S In the Property List click the Format tab and enter a Spot Lase Duration time in milliseconds ms WinlViarik Pro User Guide Getting Started 25 Chapter 5 Creating a drawing Importing a graphics file 4 Select the Graphic Tool from the Tool Box or on the File menu click Import The Open dialog box appears asking you to locate a file for import For demonstration purposes we will import a sample vector graphics file included with WinMark Pro Note TheFile Import Filters automatically installed by WinMark Pro versions 4 0 0 4018 and above a B OQ N are required to import vector graphic files When running older WinMark versions remember to install File Import Filters from the WinMark Pro CD or download and install them from the WinMark Pro web site In the WinMark folder double click the Samples folder In the Samples folder double click the SampleIm
52. line speeds are obtained when mark objects are positioned near the upstream edge of WinMark s Drawing Canvas to provide the largest possible Tracking Window and the Motion Vector on the Tracking tab is set to 90 or 270 which takes advantage of the rectangular lens field Each object in the drawing has an X Y start mark point which is the starting beam position Sensor Distance must be greater than the value of the X or Y start mark coordinate which is normally the object s top left corner unless the object has been rotated When the Tracking Motion Vector is 90 or 270 the Sensor Distance must be greater than the Y start mark coordinate When the Motion Vector is 0 or 180 then Sensor Distance must be greater than the X start mark coordinate If the Sensor Distance minus the mark position on the Drawing Canvas is less than or equal to zero this means that the part will be past the point of marking before the specified Sensor Distance is traversed If this error occurs move the part sensor further upstream If line speed cycle time is not an issue you can instead move the object s location on the Drawing Canvas In Figure 17 5 the text object s top left coordinate value is X 0 5 Y 2 0 inches If the Drawing s Motion Vector is 270 then enter a Sensor Distance greater than 2 0 inches I x p Position X position Y position Reference Pt 0 5000 in E E tois z r Sizing Tran
53. maximum value of 12 inches 305 mm Tip Position the physical location of the part sensor so that the sensor does not trigger while the Fenix or FH head is marking a part WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 117 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Encoder Resolution Set the number of encoder pulses counted per millimeter of distance traveled by the parts conveyor Measurement units are fixed as pulses mm even when WinMark is configured to display measure ment units in inches or centimeters Use Quadrature Encoder Choose Yes to specify a quadrature encoder input where A and B phases generate direction and ve locity information If No the expected input is a velocity signal from a unidirectional encoder This type of input is permissible in applications where the product transport does not reverse direction during marking Invert Encoder Direction Toggle Yes No to invert phasing of the position encoder s bi directional output signal so that the actual direction of part movement through the mark field is correctly sensed as forward This property allows you to invert phasing of the encoder s quadrature output without physically changing field wiring Product Line Speed When the Use Constant Velocity Tracking property is Yes enter a Product Line Speed value in inches per second equal to the part velocity Adjust Product Line Speed as required to fine tune tracking to actual
54. may lead to mark quality issues if the product stops or reverses direction during marking WinMark Pro User Guide 84 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking Invert Encoder Direction Invert Encoder Direction allows you to invert phasing of the encoder s quadrature output signal so that the actual direction of part movement through the marking field is correctly sensed as forward This feature eliminates the need to physically change input field wiring on the marking head Product Line Speed When Constant Velocity Tracking is Yes enter a constant line speed value WinMark Pro uses this value to time the transmission of microvector data to the marking head Determining line speed Definitions Before calculating the approximate line speed that a Tracker head is capable of attaining for a given mark several terms must be defined To obtain the highest possible line speed and mark quality please review these definitions carefully before designing your Tracking application Mark The Mark is the object or collection of objects defined by the bounding box when all marking objects are selected in the mark file Marking Window The Marking Window is best explained by visualizing WinMark Pro s Drawing Canvas superimposed on an actual part in the focal plane of the lens The Drawing Canvas would exactly cover the maximum Marking Window for the selected lens For example with a 200 mm FH Fenix lens selected maximum M
55. moment of part sense Figure 15 5 Downstream part sensor WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 83 Chapter 15 Tracker marking Maximum Tracker speeds are obtained when objects are positioned near the upstream edge of WinMark s Drawing Canvas to provide the largest possible Tracking Window and the Motion Vector on the Tracking tab is set to 90 or 270 which takes advantage of the FH Fenix head s rectangular marking field When positioning objects on the Drawing Canvas remember that each marking object has an X Y refer ence point which is the object s top left corner in the direction of part motion The specified Sensor Distance must be greater than or equal to the absolute value of the X position or Y position reference coordinate When the Tracking Motion Vector is 90 or 270 Sensor Distance must be greater than or equal to the absolute value of the Y position reference point When the Motion Vector is 0 or 180 Sensor Distance must be greater than or equal to the absolute value of the X position reference point If Sensor Distance minus the X or Y position reference point on the Drawing Canvas is less than zero this means that the part will be past its start mark position before the specified Sensor Distance is traversed To correct this Invalid Sensor Distance error move the part sensor further upstream If line speed cycle time is not an issue you can instead move the object s loc
56. need to move the physical placement of the part sensor to prevent an error when marking I9 MAXIMUM ENDING POSITION OF TEXT MARK DOWNSTREAM FIELD EDGE N A MAX MARKING FIELD AM DRAWING CANVAS OPTIMAL MARKING FIELD 02 NOILOIN 1HVd d MINIMUM STARTING gt POSITION OF TEXT MARK TEXT ROTATED 90 FOR MAXIMUM LINE H SPEED UPSTREAM FIELD EDGE Figure 15 18 Mark orientation 3 Begin marking at the desired line speed If line speed is set too fast the message Line speed too fast to finish is displayed in the mark log on the right side of the Launcher window This error occurs when a Target Area containing any unmarked microvectors moves outside the Tracking Window WinMark Pro User Guide 94 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking Marking graphics The best graphics to mark are drawings composed of unfilled vector based artwork such as those created in drawing programs like AutoCAD Adobe Illustrator Corel DRAW or Macromedia Freehand As with text objects marking of graphic objects can continue up until the last portion of the object to be marked exits the Tracking Window Be aware however that starting points for objects such as circles and squares combined with the desired direction of part motion may not always allow the graphic to move outside the Tracking Window before marking is complete To optimize marking of files containing both text and g
57. object labeled as 2D Barcode to a QR Code object mh SetStringProp 2D Barcodel 2DBarcodeStyle 1 Tip When 2D Barcode Style is Data Matrix you can choose a square or rectangular 2D Barcode Shape 2D Barcode Shape Property value Square 0 Rectangular 1 For example if the default 2D Barcode Shape is Square add the following line of code to change the object labeled as 2D Barcode1 to a Rectangular shape mh SetStringProp 2D Barcodel 2DBarcodeShape 1 WinMark Pro User Guide 196 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Tip When 2D Barcode Style is QR Code you can choose an Error Correction Mode Error Correction Mode Property value High Density 0 Standard Level 1 High Reliability 2 Ultra High Reliability 3 For example to change Error Correction Mode to Ultra High Reliability add the following line of code to modify the object labeled as 2D Barcodel mh SetStringProp 2D Barcodel ErrorCorrectionMode 3 Tip When 2D Barcode Bitmap is Yes WinMark Pro raster marks cells by filling them Choose No to mark cells using an unfilled vector circle Refer to Chapter 11 Fast 2D codes for information on marking vector or spot style 2D codes 2D Barcode Bitmap Property value No 0 mark vector circles Yes 1 mark filled squares For example if the default 2D Barcode Bitmap property i
58. of the Target Area may move beyond the downstream edge of the Tracking Window as the mark is progressing however lasing is disabled when any unmarked microvectors move outside the Tracking Window If this occurs the mark may be missing or incomplete and the mark log will display a Line speed too fast to finish error In Figure 15 13 Line 2 will mark unless any unmarked portions of the text object move outside the Tracking Window before marking is complete Line 2 must finish marking before any unmarked portions exit the Tracking Window re ing Window te Part Motion HHE H EH mors 270 E d 4 Target Area on Part Figure 15 13 Maximum marking position in Tracking Window WinMark Pro User Guide OCH Basic Operation Chapter 15 Iracker rnarking Line speed formula Note Line speed calculations do not account for differences in computer speed or the time required for automation processes to complete their respective tasks between marks These factors must be considered when determining the actual throughput of your production line As with any factory automation proposal proof of concept testing is highly recommended The first step in achiev ing maximum line speed is to first optimize your mark file to meet mark speed and mark quality requirements for the specific material to be marked The formula below provides the approximate maximum line speed for a specific mark file using an FH Series
59. or TrueType fonts Any TrueType font installed in Window s Fonts folder is available for laser marking Experiment with changing Font Type Text Justification and other text properties on the Format tab WinMark Pro User Guide 24 Getting Started Chapter 5 Creating a drawing Adding bar codes 1D bar codes 1 Select the Bar Code Tool ill from the Tool Box 2 Position the cursor on the Drawing Canvas and click the left mouse button to set an insertion point S Inthe Property List click the Format tab and enter information in the Barcode Number field A Select the appropriate Barcode Style for the code type you wish to mark Experiment with changing various 1D bar code properties on the Format tab 2D codes 1 Select the 2D Code Tool from the Tool Box 2 Position the cursor on the Drawing Canvas and click the left mouse button to set an insertion point S In the Property List click the Format tab and then enter data in the 2D Barcode Text field or click the ellipsis to enter data in the Text Caption Editor dialog box A Select the appropriate 2D Barcode Style for the 2D code type you wish to mark Experiment with changing various 2D code properties on the Format tab Adding other objects Rectangles and arcs 1 Select the Rectangle Tool N or Arc Tool O from the Tool Box 2 Click and hold the left mouse button to set a starting point and then drag to define the object s size and shape Hold the SHIFT
60. or faster 64 MB RAM 20 MB available hard drive space One CD ROM drive VGA or higher resolution display 16 bit or 24 bit SVGA color monitor recommended One open PCI bus slot WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 5 Chapter 1 Introduction Windows NT4 Pentium compatible CPU 90 MHz or faster 16 MB RAM 32 MB recommended 20 MB available hard drive space One CD ROM drive VGA or higher resolution display 16 bit or 24 bit SVGA color monitor recommended One open PCI bus slot Windows 98 486DX 66 MHz or faster Pentium 90 MHz or faster recommended 16 MB RAM 24 MB recommended 20 MB available hard drive space One CD ROM drive VGA or higher resolution display adaptor 16 bit or 24 bit SVGA color monitor recommended One open PCI bus slot Upgrades Unlike many other software packages that cost hundreds of dollars to upgrade WinMark Pro upgrades are made available free of charge on the WinMark Pro web site Users should periodically check our web site at http www winmark com to download the latest released version of WinMark Pro laser marking software Version information WinMark Pro version numbers 1 2 3 xxxx and build numbers x x x 1234 are used to track the intro duction of new features A detailed Version History is available from the WinMark Pro web site Version 5 0 WinXP 2000 PCI compatible Version 5 0 allows WinMark Pro on Windows XP 2000 NT4 and 98 operating systems to operate SY
61. part motion General Settings Object Defaults tab Customize default object properties Figure 16 12 for all new objects you create in a new or current drawing Application Settings Application Settings Drawing Defaults Object Defaults KE Defaults are the default values for the properties of new objects They will only have an effect on new objects you create Yes Yes Mark Passes 1 Wobble On No Wobble Thickness 0 0200 in Wobble Step Size 0 0100 in Velocity 15 0000 in sec Power 50 0 Resolution 600 Raster Scan Dir Vertical 100 usecs 450 usecs Interseg Delay 350 usecs Figure 16 12 Object Defaults tab WinMark Pro User Guide 118 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Use Group Properties Choose Yes to mark grouped entities using properties currently defined on the Object Defaults tab Select No to mark grouped entities with their individual properties defined prior to grouping Note In order to mark group entities using individual properties first set Use Group Properties to No and then perform the Group operation Mark Object Select Yes to mark the current selection set Choose No to disable marking of selected objects Tip Mark Object a Boolean object property is often used with MatchDigitalState automation so that a True 1 input condition causes the specified object or group to mark Objects gr
62. proper direction The encoder s A and B phases are inverted Toggle Invert Encoder Direction on WinMark s Tracking tab WinMark Pro User Guide 238 Commands amp Properties Chapter 21 Troubleshooting Symptom Characters or graphics within the mark are distorted or missing Possible Causes Marking did not finish while the part was inside the marking field of the lens Ensure that the mark is positioned as close to the upstream edge of the Drawing Canvas as possible Line speed is set too fast Lower line speed The mark is too slow for the required line speed Lower mark cycle time by changing fonts decreasing font size or reducing line spacing Simplify or elimi nate graphic objects in the mark Reduce graphic object size or resolution Symptom Tracker marks are skewed or distorted Possible Causes Encoder resolution is set improperly Load and mark the linestack200 mkh or linestack370 mkh file located in the WinMark folder Refer to the Tracker section in the marking head s Operator s Manual for instructions on how to fine tune encoder resolution settings Line speed is set too fast Lower line speed The actual part motion vector is different than the value entered as the Motion Vector on WinMark s Tracking tab Check that actual direction of part motion under the marking head equals the entered Motion Vector value WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties
63. r Rotation Transformations Enter Rotation o 00 deg Figure 16 6 Transformations dialog Note For TrueType text objects the Text Height set on the Format tab will not match the Object Height shown in the Object Transformations dialog box The value given for the Object Transfor mations Object Height is the sum of the uppercase cap height plus the space provided above and below for ascenders and descenders while for TrueType fonts the Format tab s Text Height value corresponds to the uppercase cap height of the font Stroke font heights are variable depending on the designer and do not strictly conform to this description Tip To obtain accurate text height use only uppercase letters and do the following In the Object Trans formations dialog box check Maintain Aspect Ratio set the Current Height value to the desired size and then press the TAB key to scale text Click the Apply button and then click OK Mirror Flip or mirror objects in the current selection set either horizontally or vertically You can also mirror the selected objects by clicking the Mirror X ol or Mirror Y E shortcuts on the toolbar Set Marking Order Select the order in which objects on the Drawing Canvas are marked The Configure Marking Order dialog box displays a list of all objects in the current drawing so that you can move objects up or down in the marking order By default WinMark Pro marks objects in th
64. remaining timeout period is ignored and WinMark Pro advances to the next step in the automation sequence Important Note When multiple MatchDigitalState events are defined in the Event Builder WinMark Pro begins scanning the list of MatchDigitalState events in succession If the speci fied input state does not match WinMark Pro waits the specified timeout period before continuing on to the next MatchDigitalState event in the list For this reason the cycle time of each mark will reflect the sum of the individual timeout periods specified for each non matching input state The demo file described above is configured so that only one of the three MatchDigitalState commands will set its corresponding target object and property to True provided that the state of the inputs are held steady during the succession of MatchDigitalState evaluations This results in only one object being marked for each pass through the mark loop see the Automation Flowchart found under the Help menu No mark is made if the state of the inputs do not match one of the three MatchDigitalState input conditions Once your MatchDigitalState automation works as desired you can add start mark inputs and setup the mark file to execute the mark loop as many times as desired using the basic automation scheme described in Chapter 12 Automation basics ReadFromSerialPort Reads a line of text from the specified serial port The value read can be used to dynamically set
65. s Manual that came with your particular marking head for details Symptom A mark is made when the marking head s Test Mark pushbutton is pressed but marking does not occur when commanded by WinMark Pro or WinMark Launcher Possible Causes The fiber optic cable between the marking head and the FLCC is improperly connected or is damaged Refer to your marking head s Operator s Manual for information on verifying the fiber optic connection The FLCC is not seated properly or the computer s PCI card slot is damaged Shut down the computer and reseat the FLCC in its PCI slot If this fails to work remove the Fiber Link Controller Card from its current card slot and then reinstall the FLCC into a different PCI card slot The FLCC has failed or is damaged If you determine that the FLCC is not functioning correctly contact SYNRAD Inc ora SYNRAD Au thorized Distributor for assistance FH Series marking head Symptom The DC Power cable is connected to the marking head but the ON indicator is not illuminated Possible Causes The proper DC voltage is not available from the DC power supply Ensure that 30 VDC at 3 amperes is available under full load conditions WinMark Pro User Guide 236 Commands amp Properties Chapter 21 Troubleshooting The fuse has blown Turn the fuse holder cover counterclockwise and remove the fuse Inspect or test the fuse replacing as necessary with the correct 5 A 125
66. selected objects left right or horizontal centerlines While Vertical alignments are made from the selected objects top bottom or vertical centerlines Align Objects b x Horizontal Vertical C Left C Top C Horz Center C Vert Center C Right C Bottom Apply Cancel Figure 16 5 Align Objects dialog Center on Field Center the selection set on the 0 0 origin point of the Drawing Canvas You can also center a selection by clicking the Center shortcut button EI on the toolbar Transformations Resize scale rotate or precisely move the selection set using the Object Transformations dialog box Figure 16 6 X Y position and height width resizing values are accurate to four decimal places 0 0001 You can also transform a selection by clicking the Transform shortcut etl on the toolbar For ease of use there are also Rotate 45 A and Rotate 45 Bai shortcut buttons located on the toolbar Bitmap objects including 1D and 2D barcodes rotate only in 90 degree increments WinMark Pro User Guide 108 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Object Transformations x Position X position Y position Reference Pt m for 250 in E Top Lett r Sizing Transformations IV Maintain Aspect Ratio Current Width New Width Scale fi 4483 in E 1 4483 in i fico E Current Height New Height Scale p 4206 in 4 0 4206 in a fi 00 zi
67. set mh SelectObject Text1 rotate the Textl object 90 degrees mh RotateSelection 90 mh Redraw SelectObjectlndex method The SelectObjectlndex control selects individual objects by their index number The control method is formatted as SelectObjectIndex lt ObjectIndex as Integer gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example WinMark Pro User Guide 226 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology delete existing objects mh SelectAll mh DeleteSelection add first object object index 0 mh AddRect Rectanglel 0 0 1 1 5 add second object object index 1 mh AddCircle Circlel 0 0 0 5 mh SelectObjectIndex 0 rotate Rectanglel by 90 degrees mh RotateSelection 90 mh Redraw SetBoolProp method The SetBoolProp control assigns a Boolean value 1 or 0 to a specific property of an object in the cur rent drawing ObjectName must reference a valid object in the current drawing and PropName must be an available property for that object The control method is formatted as SetBoolProp ObjectName as String PropName as String Value as Boolean BOOLEAN Visual Basic example enable bolding of Text1 object mh SetBoolProp Text1 TextBold 1 enable raster fill of Text1 object mh SetBoolProp Textil TextFilled 1 disable italics of Textl object mh SetBoolProp Text1 TextItalics 0 mh Redraw WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 22
68. string Valid character modes are N Numeric A Alphanumeric K Kanji Data Character String consists of shift JIS codes and B Binary in Binary mode the data is first preceded by the number of data characters represented as a four digit decimal number To create a QR Code using Manual data input containing the numeric data 123456789012345 enter the following string in the 2D Barcode Text property N12345678901 2345 To enter data in Manual mode using more than one character mode place a comma between the first data string and the new character data mode For example to enter the numeric data 12345 and the alpha numeric string QRCode enter the following string for 2D Barcode Text N12345 AORCode Spot format properties Spot properties Figure 18 18 apply to spot objects within the drawing Special Marking Format an Object Left Pos Object Top Pos 0 1512 in Array Columns 1 Array Rows it Spot Lase Duration 5 0000 msecs Figure 18 18 Format tab spot properties Spot Lase Duration Enter a lasing duration in milliseconds Spot Lase Duration is used for marking spots or drilling thru holes in material WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 173 Chapter 18 Object properties Bitmap format properties Bitmap properties Figure 18 19 apply to imported bitmap images within the drawing Special Marking Format an 1 3410 in
69. string e g FH Fenix 80 mm or SH DH 200 mm as stored in the computer s System Registry LensType mh GetHeadInformation Card Head Data Firmware PCIrev GetlntProp method The GetlntProp control gets an integer property value from the current drawing The control method is formatted as GetlntProp lt ObjectName as String PropertyName as String gt INTEGER Visual Basic example Dim value as Integer value mh GetIntProp Text1 Resolution WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 215 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology GetMarkErrorCode method The GetMarkErrorCode control returns the last error code if any generated during marking If mul tiple errors occur during a single mark session only the last non zero error is returned Integer error code results are O No Mark Error mark successfully completed 1 No Response From Head no response through fiber link connection 2 Line Speed Too Fast To Finish target mark area has moved outside the marking window Tracking mode only 3 Fiber Link Overrun Error FH or Fenix marking head could not keep up with the incoming data stream 4 Line Speed Too Fast Missed Start part sensor input received before previous mark completed Tracking mode only 5 Encoder Continuity Error encoder pulses at FH head corrupted Tracking mode only 6 Marking Head Not Ready 7 Bad End Of Mark Response FH or Fenix ma
70. test mark file size is limited by the marking head s non volatile memory For example the default test pattern fills approximately one half of the available memory When a custom test mark file is too large to download WinMark displays The selected mark drawing does not fit in Test Mark Memory If this happens try the following options to reduce file size A Reduce the Off Vector Resolution of mark objects in the drawing Resolutions of 50 100 DPI are sufficient to obtain a quality mark B Reduce the Resolution of mark objects 300 DPI is adequate for most marking For graphics with only horizontal or vertical straight lines not diagonals 100 DPI is sufficient C Refine the mark Use stroke text instead of TrueType fonts mark fewer words or simplify line art Note Because it is a downloaded file stored in memory a custom test mark file cannot perform serial ization real time date and time coding input output or other automation functions as it could when run on a computer using WinMark Pro Note Creation of a custom test mark file can be done offline but the marking head must be connected and communicating to WinMark Pro when setting custom test mark options To setup and download a custom test mark perform the following steps 1 Open an existing or create a new mark file 2 Under Tools click Custom Test Mark The Test Mark Control dialog opens 3 Setthe appropriate Test Mark Mode Manual or Auto and the Test M
71. that can be marked To obtain the best legibility when marking text character Text Height values should be a minimum of seven times the focused spot size Delays It is sometimes possible for the marking head s galvanometer hardware to lag slightly behind software com mands while marking To compensate WinMark Pro provides object specific delays Object delays for spe cific objects are controlled by selecting related objects in an open drawing file and then setting appropriate delays on the Marking tab See Chapter 18 Object properties for further information on delay properties Optimization The first step in creating a high speed mark starts with the computer hardware since a computer running at a faster clock speed will mark faster than one running at a slower speed After optimizing computer hardware mark file optimization is next This involves determining acceptable trade offs in WinMark Pro s Velocity Power and Resolution settings for a given drawing These settings along with object delays are best determined by careful experimentation Vector objects When marking vector type objects such as stroke fonts or imported vector graphics the fastest mark pos sible is sometimes not legible enough to be practical An acceptable high speed mark is determined by each individual application and customer The example below suggests one approach you might take to optimize vector marks for speed 1 Open the Stroke demo mkh file created ear
72. the selected Com Port Cancel Figure 19 6 ReadFromSerialPort command Timeout MSecs Set a communications port timeout period in milliseconds The mark will fail if information is not available at the port within the specified time Entering a timeout value of 1 forces WinMark Pro to wait indefinitely until a message is received or the ESC key cancels the mark session Close After Read Use CloseAfterRead to determine whether the com port remains open or is closed after each serial port read The default setting is No which means the computer s com port is opened during the initial com port read and remains open throughout the mark session Choosing Yes forces the com port to close after each read operation for cases where subsequent serial data must be ignored The com port is reopened when the next serial port read is commanded ReadLineFrombFile Reads a line of text from a text txt file and assign it to any target object or target property One line of text is read each time ReadLineFromFile is called so you must end each text string with a Carriage Return CR to provide the end of data delimiter ReadLineFromFile Command Details Filename Enter a path and filename that points to the desired text file on your computer ReadyStatus Fenix Laser Marker only Defines an output signal from either the Fenix Laser Marker or the Fiber Link Controller Card to parts handling equipment indicating that Fenix did not mark due
73. the start mark signal commanding WinMark Pro to begin marking Automation Marking Format All Wait Digital Before Piece On Before Mark Piece i Wait Digital After Piece On After Mark Piece Set Digital After Mark Figure 12 4 Setting Wait Digital Before Piece Event 2 1 Select Set Digital Before Mark 2 Click Bit 4 then select Clear from the drop down list Figure 12 5 Selecting Clear assigns a logic 0 value to Output Bit 4 OUT4 The digital output set here signals parts handling equipment that WinMark Pro is marking Important Note WinMark Pro begins marking immediately after the Set Digital Before Mark auto mation step is executed Automation Marking Format All On Before Mark Session Set Digital Before Piece Wait Digital Before Piece On Before Mark Piece i Wait Digital After Piece il i SetDigital AfterMak F On After Mark Session IS Figure 12 5 Clearing Set Digital Before Mark WinMark Pro User Guide 64 Basic Operation Chapter 12 Automation basics Event 3 1 Select Wait Digital After Piece 2 Click Bit 0 then select Clear from the drop down list Figure 12 6 Selecting Clear assigns a logic O value as the required state on Input Bit O INO In this example parts handling equipment clears Bit 0 to ensure that the start mark signal is disabled before a new part is staged To speed throughput parts handling equipmen
74. the Automation tab to link the text object s Text Caption property to the bar code s Barcode Number value Barcode Text Position If Barcode Show Text is Yes select one of six locations for the placement of human readable text around the bar code Barcode Text Font Select any TrueType font installed in your computer s Fonts folder for the human readable text marked as part of the bar code Barcode Text Size Enter a text size for the human readable text included with the bar code WimnlViari Pro User Guide 124 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Barcode Thick to Thin Ratio Select a sizing ratio between thick and thin bars spaces in the bar code Preset ratios include 2 1 2 5 1 and 3 1 Specifying a larger ratio increases the width of the thick bars and the thick spaces in the code Bitmap Inverted Inverts imported bitmap images so that white pixels are marked while black pixels are unmarked Color Reduction Method Choose a default method for reducing black amp white or color bitmaps to monochrome 1 bit or grayscale 8 bit images Bayer Dithering Error Diffusion and Halftone methods covert color images into monochrome 1 bit images suitable for laser marking The differences in the three reduction methods are in the changes made to the size shape and spacing of pixels in the bitmap in order to create an illusion of shading Use Grayscale to convert color bitmaps into 8 bit gr
75. the line Too large a value means that multiple slightly offset passes must be made to generate the wider line potentially slowing cycle time Marking too wide a line will also encroach on the white space between bars causing verification problems Barcode Checksum Choose Yes to append a Barcode Checksum if applicable for the Barcode Style selected to the Barcode Number value Although the checksum is incorporated into the Barcode Number it does not display as human readable text when Barcode Show Text is Yes Note The Barcode Checksum property is suppressed for barcodes that do not support or that always use a checksum PDF 417 X Y Ratio for PDF 417 barcodes only Set the barcode cell X Y height to width ratio by entering an integer value between 1 and 10 The default value is 4 PDF 417 Security Level for PDF 417 barcodes only Choose from one of nine levels of data security error correction and detection Each higher level of security adds additional overhead and physical size to the printed symbol The default lowest security level is O Barcode Show Text Choose Yes to include human readable text as part of the bar code object WinMark Pro User Guide 170 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Barcode Text Position If Barcode Show Text is Yes select one of six locations for the placement of human readable text Barcode Text Font Select any TrueType font installed in your Fon
76. to Set 1 select the third text object as the target object and choose Mark Object as the target property At this point the Event Builder should look similar to the view shown in Figure 19 5 although your text object names may differ event Builder p Commands Add Ins Del 1 MatchDigitalState 2 MatchDigitalState 3 MatchDigitalState TextJustification TextHeight FontT ype LineSpacing ExtraCharS pacing TextCurveDetail TextRadius MatchDigitalState 4 Attempts to match the specified digital state on the D A card Result 1 or D is assigned to the target property Only used with toggle properties such as Mark bject to include exclude an object from marking Use a timeout Cancel le af 1 ho mai forever EGP nan short E Figure 19 5 Event Builder setup for MatchDigitalState demo WinMark Pro User Guide 1986 Commands amp Properties Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands 12 Click OK then save the mark file The Timeout Msecs property determines how many milliseconds WinMark Pro waits for input status to match the specified values before returning a value of False to the target object and property WinMark Pro continuously scans the status of the input bits until the required bit pattern is matched or until the timeout value expires As soon as the input pattern matches the specified input state any
77. to a fault Bits labeled IGNORE are not changed This command queries Fenix for status after completion of a mark and sends the user de fined output signal if the marking head is not ready due to an error See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a table showing available marking head and FLCC outputs ReadyStatus Command Details PCI Card ID Enter a card ID corresponding to the ID of the card used for the input output I O connection Typically this ID number corresponds to the ID of the card used for controlling the marking head see Tools General Settings Application Settings IO Card Selection WinMark Pro User Guide 188 Commands amp Properties Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands Output Bit 1 This output is available only from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 3 This output is available only from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 4 Corresponds to OUT4 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available on the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 5 Corresponds to OUTS on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available on the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 6 Corresponds to OUT6 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available on the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 7 Corresponds to OUT7 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is not available on the FLCC RestoreProperty Restores th
78. used Bitmap Scan Type is always Continuous Note To enhance image quality Bi Directional Raster is automatically disabled when Bitmap Scan Type is Continuous or when the Color Reduction Method is Grayscale WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 125 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Interseg Break Angle Specifies a break angle between two connected polylines No Interseg Delay is used if the angle between two marked polylines is less than the specified break angle If the polyline angle exceeds the Interseg Break Angle then the Interseg Delay is executed See Chapter 18 Object properties for a detailed description and illustration of Interseg Break Angle functionality Off Vector Velocity Set a non marking galvanometer velocity when traveling between polyline endpoints Tip Increasing Off Vector Velocity to several times the marking Velocity will typically decrease cycle time without affecting mark quality Off Vector Resolution Set a non marking galvanometer resolution when traveling between polyline endpoints Spot Marking Style When set to Yes the mark path is marked using individual spots instead of a continuous line Spot spacing is proportional to the Resolution setting Spot Marking Style is primarily used when mark ing glass in order to prevent or control fracturing Spot Mark Duration Set the lasing duration for the Spot Marking Style in 1 10 of a millisecond 100 microsecond intervals
79. 0 Alternatively the FH Series Smart Operator s Manual describes the FH Smart communications protocol in detail for those customers interested in devel oping their own custom user interface WinMark Pro User Guide 28 Getting Started Chapter 7 WinMark Launcher T WinMark Launcher The WinMark Launcher chapter includes subsections Introduction Launcher display Opening a drawing Marking parts Modifying a drawing Introduction WinMark Launcher allows you to open and mark existing mark files outside of the Drawing Editor envi ronment This eliminates the possibility of inadvertent changes to archival mark files and as shown in Figure 7 1 provides a simplified graphical interface for operators Progress Window VL eist Mark Log to start marking Press ESCAPE to pause abort mark Start FT Wi d I TaT Pece xo m Indow talTime 6 61 sec Object X r Zoom to FR Mark Log Wille to Log File TY T Fast Preview in bare ami se AU ri barre 120 See Power 10 W SYNRAD Dret Part Marking Treme E s Mark Preview Window Figure 7 1 Launcher window j on your desktop or perform the Start WinMark Launcher by double clicking the Launcher icon following steps 1 Ensure that other WinMark programs including WinMark Pro and Digital Scope are closed WinMark Pro User Guide Getting Started 29 Chapter 7 WinMark Launcher Not
80. 0 to return to the selected font s default character spacing Barcode Style Select a 1D bar code from WinMark Pro s library of over twenty common bar code types or subsets See Barcode format properties in Chapter 18 for a complete list of supported bar code formats Barcode Height Set a specific bar code height WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 123 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Barcode Thin Width Define a line width for thin bars in the bar code Tip When setting Barcode Thin Width do not enter a value smaller than the spot size of the selected focusing lens Doing so causes thin bars to be marked wider than expected which encroaches on the white space between bars making the bar code unreadable in some cases Barcode Checksum Toggle Yes to include a Barcode Checksum in the bar code if applicable for the Barcode Style selected Although the checksum is appended to the bar code itself it is not included in the human readable text string when Barcode Show Text is Yes Barcode Show Text Toggle Yes to include human readable text in the bar code The text string marked is a filled raster scanned TrueType font Tip Human readable bar code text always uses filled TrueType fonts To reduce cycle times set Barcode Show Text to No then create and position a new text box Specify a stroke font for this new text object and then use the From Another Object and Assign From properties on
81. 000 in sec Power 50 0 Resolution 600 Pline Start Delay 100 usecs Pline End Delay 450 usecs Interseg Delay 350 usecs Off Vector Delay 300 usecs Bi Directional Raster Yes Interseg Break Angle 30 degrees Off Vector Velocity 75 0000 in sec Off Vector Resolution 300 Figure 18 5 Marking tab object properties Mark Object Choose Yes to mark the current selection set When No is selected marking of currently selected ob jects is disabled Although marking properties are hidden when marking is disabled property values are retained by WinMark Pro Tip The Boolean Mark Object property is often used in conjunction with MatchDigitalState automa tion so that a True input condition causes the specified object or group to mark Objects groups are not marked Mark Object set to No if the corresponding input condition is False zi ip Itis often useful to have marking instructions or reminders placed on the Drawing Canvas in view of the equipment operator Simply enter the desired instructional text then size and position the text object With only the text object selected ser Mark Object to No Although visible this text object will not mark and does not affect mark cycle times Mark Passes Specify the number of passes required to mark the selected object In some cases several low power passes are preferable to a single high power pass WinlViari Pro User Guide
82. 2 1 0 3767 must locate the PCI Device Driver files Synmarkh inf and Synmarkh vxd on the WinMark Pro CD on Disk 2 of 2 of older two disk installa tion sets or copy them from the WinMark Pro web site After installing the PCI card and rebooting the Windows New Hardware wizard guides you through the driver installation process Note Refer to the FH Series Marking Head Operator s Manual or the Fenix Laser Marker Operator s Manual for detailed instructions on installing SYNRAD s Fiber Link Controller Card Note ISA bus FLCC and DAC cards do NOT require drivers they are direct address devices WinMark File Import Filters Version 4 0 and later WinMark Pro s File Import Filters automatically load during installation of WinMark Pro versions 4 0 0 4018 and above These filters allow you to import a wide variety of graphic file formats See Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu commands in the Commands amp Properties section for a complete list of sup ported import file types Earlier versions When using earlier versions of WinMark Pro remember to install File Import Filters from the WinMark Pro CD or download and install them from the WinMark Pro web site before importing graphics To install WinMark s File Import Filters perform the following steps 1 Locate the File Import Filter executable file on the WinMark Pro CD on the WinMark Pro Laser Marking Software page or on the WinMark Pro web site 2 Click the Install File Import Filters li
83. 6 mm CO radiation when in the same area as an exposed laser beam Eyewear protects against scattered energy but is not intended to protect against direct viewing of the beam never look directly into the laser output aperture or view scattered laser reflections from metallic surfaces Enclose the beam path whenever possible Exposure to direct or dif fuse CO laser radiation can seriously burn human or animal tissue which may cause permanent damage WinMark Pro User Guide LS 2 Laser Safety A SYNRAD CO laser products are not intended for use in explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres Serious personal injury y U S customers should refer to and follow the laser safety precautions described in the American National Standards Institute ANSI Serious 7136 1 2000 document Safe Use of Lasers Procedures listed in this personal Standard include the appointment of a Laser Safety Officer LSO SMS operation of the product in an area of limited access by trained per Injury sonnel servicing of equipment only by trained and authorized person nel and posting of signs warning of the potential hazards European customers should appoint a Laser Safety Officer LSO who should refer to and follow the laser safety precautions described in EN 60825 1 2001 Safety of Laser Products A Materials processing with a laser can generate air contaminants such i as vapors fumes and or particles that may be noxious
84. 7 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology SetDigitalBit method The SetDigitalBit control sets a specific output bit on the digital output connected to an FH Series marking head Fenix Laser Marker or Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a chart showing valid FLCC or marking head output bits Use these digital output signals to handshake with external hardware or parts handling equipment The control method is formatted as SetDigitalBit lt nBit as Integer BOOL bValue gt VOID Visual Basic example 1 set Bit 4 OUT4 mh SetDigitalBit 4 True clear Bit 5 OUTS mh SetDigitalBit 5 False Visual Basic example 2 Note This is an ActiveX version of the basic automation sequence described in Chapter 12 Automation basics using GetDigitalBit and SetDigitalBit control methods Event 0 set OUT4 to indicate laser is off and the marking system is ready for a new part mh SetDigitalBit 4 True Event 1 wait for start mark command on INO lblStatus Caption Waiting for Bit 0 lblStatus Refresh Do While Not mh GetDigitalBit 0 DoEvents Loop Event 2 clear OUT4 amp update Status label to indicate laser on mh SetDigitalBit 4 False lblStatus Caption Marking lblStatus Refresh update mark file objects as required update the display and mark mh Redraw mh MarkDrawing WinMark Pro User Guide 228 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology
85. 9 Event Builder commands describes how these predefined commands provide automation functions during the marking process Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology describes WinMark Pro s implementation of ActiveX OLE control Chapter 21 Troubleshooting describes software related troubleshooting issues for marking hardware and software Note For specific hardware troubleshooting please refer to your laser or your marking head Operator s Manual WimnlViari Pro User Guide 98 Commands amp Properties WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 99 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands 16 WinMark Pro menu comm ands The WinMark Pro menu commands chapter includes subsections File Edit Objects View Tools Window Help WinMark Pro displays active commands on the menu bar s drop down lists with dark type Commands that appear dimmed are not available until a valid object selection is made File File commands Figure 16 1 allow you to perform common file operations such as opening saving and printing as well as specific functions like importing graphics files or starting the laser marking process New Ctrl N Open Chrlso Save Ctrl 5 Save As Print All Properties Print Drawing Import Mark Ctrl M Quick Mark Fi 1 medium stroke matrix mkh 2 GlassSlide2a mkh 3 SynradInfo mkh 4 2DUIDCodes mkh Exit Figure 16 1 File menu New Open a new untitl
86. Directional Raster is Yes and then test mark each filled object using first a horizontal and then a vertical Raster Scan Direction Array properties Array properties allow you to batch mark a group of parts Select an object or objects to be marked as an array element then create an array by specifying rows columns and spacing The mark location on pieces in the batch or tray of parts must all fit within the marking field of the selected focusing lens Array Columns Enter the number of element columns in the array Array Rows Enter the number of element rows in the array Mark Array Choose Yes to mark the array If No only the original object not the array will mark Show Array Select Yes to display the selected array or No to display only a single array element Column Spacing Enter the desired spacing between element columns in the array Row Spacing Enter the desired spacing between element rows in the array Array Angle Enter a baseline angle for rotating the array WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 161 Chapter 18 Object properties Text format properties Text properties Figure 18 13 apply to text objects within the drawing These properties provide typo graphical control over specific text characteristics An Text Caption text Font Type True Type True Type Font Times New Roman Text Height 0 2500 in Text Bold No T
87. FASI automation setup Note When the FASI function is enabled this interlock state is set in the marking head s non volatile memory and so does not depend on WinMark Pro software or even the computer to be running This means that even manual firing of the laser using the Test Mark button requires an active input signal on IN3 Important Note When using the Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature the signal to Input Bit 3 IN3 must be connected directly to the marking head and not to the FLCC Developing a basic event sequence Automated marking and parts handling control is typically controlled by a programmable logic controller PLC or a computer and control program capable of sending and receiving digital signals The marking head is controlled by WinMark Pro or a custom Microsoft Visual C or MS Visual Basic application using WinMark Pro s ActiveX control WinMark Pro through marking head or fiber link I O sends out WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 61 Chapter 12 Automation basics puts to and reads inputs from a separate computer as commanded by predefined Event Builder or Automa tion tab events Your parts handling or control system fully controls the automation sequence by setting or clearing marking head or FLCC input bits WinMark responds by setting or clearing marking head or FLCC output bits The state diagram shown in Figure 12 2 below illustrates one method of defining the sequence of
88. Format tab in the 2D Barcode Text field click the ellipsis The Text Caption Editor dialog box appears In the Text Caption Editor dialog box type ABCDEFG123 and click OK In the 2D Barcode Style field select either Data Matrix or QR Code Set Barcode Inverted to Yes if marking a dark material NO MO E Click the Marking tab and set Velocity to 30 in sec Power to 6096 and Resolution to 300 Note Setting the Resolution value too high may lead to cell growth errors if filled cells begin to en croach on the space allocated for unfilled cells 8 Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens then mark the code Tip For best results when marking 2D codes start with Resolution settings in the range of 600 750 Use higher resolutions when marking low contrast materials to ensure that all information is properly read Marking parameters Once a decision has been made to use either a stroke or TrueType font or to use either a bitmap or vec tor graphic the three most important object properties are 1 Velocity 2 Power and 3 Resolution These three parameters plus object delays on the Marking tab are the primary factors that determine the speed and quality of the mark Velocity Marking velocity X Y galvanometer speed determines how fast each microvector is marked Setting galvanometer velocity too high affects mark quality as delay settings become much more critical when ve locity increases Velo
89. Guide 212 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Visual Basic example 2 Note This is an ActiveX version of the basic automation sequence described in Chapter 12 Automation basics using GetDigitalBit and SetDigitalBit control methods Event 0 set OUT4 laser is off system ready for new part mh SetDigitalBit 4 True Event 1 wait for start mark signal on INO lblStatus Caption Waiting for Bit 0 lblStatus Refresh Do While Not mh GetDigitalBit 0 DoEvents Loop Event 2 clear OUT4 update Status label laser is on mh SetDigitalBit 4 False lblStatus Caption Marking lblStatus Refresh update mark file objects as required update the display and mark mh Redraw mh MarkDrawing Event 3 verify INO is clear to avoid another mark on part lblStatus Caption Waiting for Bit 0 lblStatus Refresh Do While mh GetDigitalBit 0 DoEvents Loop Event 4 mark done set OUT4 laser off ready for new part mh SetDigitalBit 4 True update captions and go back to ready state lblStatus Caption Ready cmdMark Caption Mark add loop code as needed to mark more than one part WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 213 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology GetFloatProp method The GetFloatProp control gets a float property value from the current drawing The control method is formatted as GetFloatProp lt ObjectName as String PropertyName as String gt
90. Launcher describes opening and marking files using WinMark Launcher Chapter 8 WinMark Digital Scope describes using Digital Scope to test and troubleshoot laser control and I O compo nents WinMark Pro User Guide 2 Getting Started WinMiark Pro User Guide Getting Started 3 Chapter 1 Introduction 4 Introduction The Introduction chapter includes subsections New features System requirements Upgrades Version information WinMark Pro hardware software compatibility Mark file compatibility Technical support Welcome to SYNRAD s WinMark Pro Laser Marking Software software that gives you the power to create mark files containing a variety of objects including text bar code and even imported professional graphics for laser marking your products In addition to creating virtually any image WinMark Pro is capable of controlling every aspect of the laser marking process including incrementing serial numbers changing laser parameters and interfacing with automated parts handling equipment Nevv features WinMark Pro software supports SYNRAD s FH Series Index Tracker and Smart marking heads Fenix Laser Markers and is fully compatible with previous DH Series marking heads New software features found in version 4 0 and later include Vector style 2D codes Explode and edit imported vector objects Multiple language support Eight bit 256 level Grayscale marking Extended character sets for stroke fonts O
91. Mark folder during installation 4 After downloading the new firmware file remove power from the marking head wait a few sec onds and then power up the head to begin operation with the new firmware 5 Check Help About Synrad WinMark Head Info to verify the new firmware version in memory See your marking head s Operator s Manual for complete upgrade details Note If for any reason you need to reverse the firmware upgrade you can do so by pressing and holding the Test Mark button while applying power to the head This action deletes the marking head s firmware upgrade and restores the original factory firmware Automation Flowchart Display a flowchart Figure 16 20 indicating the order of events when using WinMark Pro automation features See Marking parts in Chapter 10 for a detailed mark session flowchart Automation Flowchart x On Before Mark Session Set Digital Before Piece Wait Digital Before Piece Set Digital Before Mark Figure 16 20 Automation flowchart Synrad WinMark on the Web Automatically link to the www winmark com web site through your browser The new WinMark Pro web site contains a wealth of information including About WinMark Pro Software Downloads in cluding sample files Laser Marking FAQs User s Guides and Operation Manuals SYNRAD Marking Heads and Accessories and WinMark Pro Support Synrad VWinMark FAQ Link directly to SYNRAD s online Laser Marking FAQ This list o
92. NRAD FH Series marking heads using PCI bus Fiber Link Controller Cards and adds support for SCANLAB marking heads using a SCANLAB PCI bus RTC PC interface board Version 5 0 also provides direct serial communication to FH Series Smart marking heads WinMark Pro User Guide 6 Getting Started Chapter 1 Introduction Version 4 0 WinXP 2000 NT4 98 PCI compatible Version 4 0 beginning with the release of 4 0 0 3773 extends WinMark Pro functionality to Windows XP 2000 NT4 and 98 operating systems using PCI bus Fiber Link Controller Cards Windows 95 operating systems and ISA bus FLCCs are not supported by version 4 0 Version 3 1 WinNT4 PCI compatible Version 3 1 0 3767 as well as build 2 1 0 3509NT allow WinMark Pro to operate on Windows NT4 These builds are compatible only with PCI bus FLCCs ISA bus Fiber Link Cards are not supported Version 2 0 Win98 95 PCI ISA DAC compatible WinMark Pro versions 2 0 0 3087 through 2 1 0 3767 add support for FH Series Tracker marking heads on Windows 98 05 operating systems Beginning with build 3468 v2 1 0 3468 WinMark Pro supports PCI bus FLCCs WinMaark Lite WinMark Lite was packaged with early Fenix Laser Markers providing an inexpensive method for devel oping and marking simple files where automation features such as I O capability and serialization were not required Version 2 1 0 3767 is the last software build to support WinMark Lite Version 1 0 Win98 95 ISA DAC
93. PUTATION gedet 58 WO CORE EE 58 KEE 59 Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature eese ettet ntn 59 Developing a basic event sequence eese itn tsi ta ori aee t dist ears eges 60 Event C 62 j A D M H 63 Eegeregie ebe 63 Event EUR 64 Event EE 64 Automated serializati biauiiuc ee a RO URINE UE ER AE 65 Serial number Setups nsi rebel EEN 65 UERITAS E M 66 Automation SEENEN eebe EEN 66 EE 68 EE 70 Active Mark DasicS vocet doe t c t a ot T SE RA 70 Loading the WinMark Pro ActiveMark ActiveX control sss 11 Sample VB and Cr projects een nion nte ti Re er RETE RA E e Ede 13 WinlViari Pro User Guide Table of Contents Chapter contents ix Test Mark Control Options a a mee niece ere a rr Ee EE 15 Test EV du 15 Test Mark E 15 Creating a custom test mark ite ue tease E ete desi ER ed 16 Setting Test Mark Control options eee Edert 16 Downloading custom test mark files esee eese eii TI Custom test mark E 77 WinMark Fro Tracking tab eid erdt ella shes caves oet oret goto EE 79 Determine Leer geeiert Weeder ee gege 84 eege Eeer 84 Tracker marking Creta nuire i e e i Dr PUR Re EP ete be ID e 87 Line speed formula anite t ve te PO RU HO Gp E TIE REN So pte 90 Sample c
94. Prop ObjectName as String PropertyName as String BOOLEAN Visual Basic example Dim flag as Boolean flag mh GetBoolProp Text1 MarkObject GetDigitalBit method The GetDigitalBit control reads the state of the specified digital input connected to an FH Series marking head Fenix Laser Marker or Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC See Chapter 12 Automa tion basics for a chart showing valid FLCC or marking head input bits Use these digital input signals to handshake with external hardware start marking or perform other input functions The control method is formatted as GetDigitalBit lt nBit as Integer gt BOOLEAN Important Note When developing your automated control system using ActiveX control methods do not place input automation into the mark file Instead perform any input automation within your ActiveX control program By doing this your control program remains in charge of pre mark and post mark automation and WinMark s MarkDrawing con trol method only maintains control of the computer s operating system long enough to control laser on off commands during the actual marking process Performing in put automation within the mark file may prevent the ActiveX control program from regaining control of the operating system if the specified input state fails to occur Visual Basic example 1 get state of Bit 0 INO mh GetDigitalBit 0 get state of Bit 1 IN1 mh GetDigitalBit 1 WinMark Pro User
95. See the Tip below Tip When dealing with vector and bitmap imports in an ActiveX interface the best method is to im port and set graphic properties using WinMark Pro s Drawing Editor Save the mark file and then use you customized application or user interface to manipulate mark parameters WinMark Pro User Guide 2OO Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology AddLine method The AdaLine control adds a new line object to the current drawing positioned so that X1 Y1 is the top left corner and X2 Y2 is the bottom right corner The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new line that is created using the current default object properties specified in the WinMark Pro application The control method is formatted as AddLine ObjectName as String X1 as Float Y1 as Float X2 as Float Y2 as Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example add new line from 1 1 to 1 1 mh AddLine LineObject 1 1 1 1 mh Redraw AddLineEx method The AddLineEx control adds a new line object to the current drawing positioned so that X1 Y1 is the top left corner and X2 Y2 is the bottom right corner Power Velocity and the number of Mark Passes are also defined for the object The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new line that is created using the current default object properties specified in the WinMark Pro application Remember to set Po
96. Session Event Builder End Mark Session Abort Mark Session Figure 10 1 Mark session flowchart WinMark Pro User Guide 48 Basic Operation Chapter 10 Marking parts Piece marking In manufacturing processes that produce parts one at a time piece marking is the most appropriate method of marking The following procedure steps you through a sample parts marking session This procedure may not meet your particular needs but you can modify it by specifying different parameters To setup a single piece marking operation perform the following steps 1 Use the Drawing Editor to create a file with text artwork or imported graphic images 2 With the appropriate object or objects selected set marking Velocity Power and Resolution on the Marking tab 3 Position the cursor over a blank area of the Drawing Canvas and click the left mouse button or select Drawing in the Object List to deselect all objects 4 Inthe Property List click the Marking tab and then click Mark Count Click the arrow and set the Mark Count property to 1 Note In automated piece marking applications set Mark Count to zero 0 and carefully set input out put automation as described in Chapter 13 Automation basics or our Laser Marking FAQ Before performing the marking tutorials in this chapter ensure that all personnel in the area are wearing protective eyewear Read and Serious follow all laser safety and fume extraction pr
97. System Registry and so is not accessible by programs other than WinMark Pro Important Note If more than one mark file exists for serializing parts each file must specify a different Save Serial Name to prevent serial values from being overwritten Current Saved Value Contains the current Save Last Serial number value When creating a mark file the initial value entered should contain as many placeholder zeros as the maximum number you wish to serialize before rolling back over to zero For example if only one zero is entered for Current Saved Value then mark one 1 mark two 2 mark nine 9 mark ten 0 and mark eleven 1 Note When serializing text the character string entered for Current Saved Value not Text Caption is used for marking WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 147 Chapter 18 Object properties Date Code Text Mark standard or customized date and time formats When Date Code Text is selected the follow ing date code properties appear on the Automation tab Assign Date Format Time Offset Days Time Offset Hours and Time Offset Minutes Assign Date Format Click the ellipsis to select or define specific date code formats From the Date Format Customization dialog box select from among American Standard European Standard Week Year or Julian formats or click the Add Format button to create an unlimited number of custom date formats When coding by shift the Define Shifts
98. The TranslateSelection control re positions objects in the current selection set by specifying X and Y offset values While it is possible to move objects entirely off the Drawing Canvas remember that the mark is not completed correctly when an object is placed partially on or fully off the Drawing Canvas and the MarkObject property is Yes The control method is formatted as TranslateSelection lt xOffset as Float yOffset as Float gt BOOLEAN WinMark Pro User Guide 232 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Visual Basic example select all objects in drawing and offset to upper left quadrant mh SelectAll mh TranslateSelection 1 1 mh Redraw WritePropListToTextFile method The WritePropListToTextFile control writes all properties of the object indicated by ObjectName into the file specified by FileName The properties of the Drawing object can be written using Drawing for the ObjectName parameter If the file already exists data is appended to the end of the file the file is created if it does not exist The function returns the number of properties that were written to the file The control method is formatted as WritePropListToTextFile FileName as String ObjectName as String LONG Visual Basic example Dim Count as Integer Dim I as Integer call GetObjectCount to count the objects in a drawing Count mh GetObjectCount the Drawing object is not accessible using GetObjectName
99. Tracker or Fenix Laser Marker Line Speed Tracking Window Cycle Time Sample calculations Sample calculation 1 and 2 guide you through the definitions described earlier so that the correct values for Tracking parameters can be determined and inserted into the Line Speed equation Sample calculation 1 Refer to Figure 15 14 as you read through the following sample line speed calculation S N063 A 20160 d Size Part Motion Mark Pitch 270 mm Target Area on Part Figure 15 14 Tracker line speed calculation 1 The mark is being made by an FH Fenix Tracker unit using a 200 mm FH Fenix lens maximum lens field dimensions are 165 mm x 134 mm A Motion Vector of 270 is set in WinMark Pro on the Tracking tab due to the application s part motion requirements Mark placement in the Marking Window is such that WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 91 Chapter 15 Tracker marking the Usable Field Size is 152 mm The Tracking Window is defined as the smaller of either Usable Field Size or Mark Pitch Usable Field Size is 152 mm and Mark Pitch is 180 mm so the Tracking Window is 152 mm Cycle Time for the mark optimized in Index marking mode is 0 32 seconds Line Speed Tracking Window Cycle Time 152 mm 0 32 sec Line Speed 475 mm sec 28 5 m min 93 5 ft min Sample calculation 2 Refer to Figure 15 15 as you the following sample line speed calculation Mark Pi
100. Use Constant Velocity Tracking Select No to track part movement using a rotary position encoder even as part speed varies or stops Choose Yes to mark parts traveling at a constant velocity When Constant Velocity Tracking is Yes enter a fixed line speed value for the Product Line Speed property Rising Edge Part Sense Set Rising Edge Part Sense based on how the part sensor output should trigger the mark Selecting Yes triggers marking on the rising edge of the sensor s output waveform while selecting No triggers marking on the falling edge of the signal Figure 15 2 illustrates a typical waveform from a part sensor Falling edge of part sensor output waveform vs a a Rising edge of part sensor output waveform Figure 15 2 Part sensor output waveform Motion Vector Sets the direction of part movement through the marking field When looking at WinMark s Drawing Can vas shown in Figure 15 3 0 is part movement towards the right 90 is movement towards the bottom 180 is towards the left and 270 is part movement towards the top of the Drawing Canvas The Motion Vector can be any integer value between 0 and 359 degrees When Track Marking Object is Yes a motion arrow displays to the left of the Drawing Canvas showing the direction of the currently entered Motion Vector Unmarked parts are queued up upstream of the Marking Window while marked pieces travel downstream in the direction of the arrow head after marking
101. WinMarkoro Laser Marking Software User Guide SYNRAD An Excel Technology Company 4600 Campus Place Mukilteo WA 98275 1 800 SYNRAD1 tel 1 425 349 3500 fax 1 425 349 3667 e mail synrad synrad com www synrad com WinMarkpro Laser Marking Software User Guide Version 3 0 Released May 2006 Part number 900 17726 02 SYNRAD An Excel Technology Company 4600 Campus Place Mukilteo WA 98275 1 800 SYNRAD1 tel 1 425 349 3500 fax 1 425 349 3667 e mail synrad synrad com www synrad com Table of Contents iii Chapter contents Tab lerOt CONTENTS errorean ara EOE REE tete ETE i dete as teet pde iii Listor BEE e E E E E xii EG ET xvii Teaderaark copytight informations visto engt rrt eoru geeiert chter dereen tends eoe cH deitas xviii Warranty intra thon cosciente bre n KR IHR T RE UR PERENNE RE RENDER xix Contact informa tion E XX Worldwide headqtart ts i 2i co tti erre to rti e PR ORE XX European headquarters ie petrus Reegele XX Laser Safety Hazard information Edel casbbueanasaspasesbes LS 1 MEDIAS seas LS 1 General Mazar EE LS 1 TE LS 4 Center for Devices and Radiological Health CDRH requirements LS 4 Federal Communications Commission FCC requirements esses LS 5 European Union EU requirements eese eese ee enter tetntne tenente REENEN LS 5 New Ee 3 Oyster Tequitetiient
102. a Fenix Tracker Laser Marker Help window When a property is selected from a Property List tab a description or explanation of that property appears in the Help window Status Bar The Status Bar displays information about tools and their current XY position as well as information about icons on the toolbar Note Use the Toggle Property Window toolbar button to show hide Object List Property List and Help window views WinMark Pro User Guide Getting Started 23 Chapter 5 Creating a drawing 5 Creating a drawing The Creating a drawing chapter includes subsections Opening a new drawing Adding text Adding bar codes Adding other objects Importing a graphics file Precision positioning Opening a new drawing WinMark Pro creates a new drawing with a blank Drawing Canvas each time it opens If WinMark Pro is already open select New from the File menu Adding text 1 Select the Text Tool A from the Tool Box 2 Position the cursor on the Drawing Canvas and click the left mouse button to set an insertion point The Text Caption Editor dialog box appears S Inthe Text Caption Editor dialog box Figure 5 1 enter the desired text string If multi line text is required press ENTER to start a new line of text Text Caption E ditor Figure 5 1 Text Caption Editor dialog box 4 Click OK The text appears on the canvas within a bounding outline Use the Font Type property to select either stroke
103. a previously marked polyline Use this feature to minimize hot spots on low threshold materials in situations where polylines intersect or cross each other WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 141 Chapter 17 Drawing properties No Cross Gap When No Cross is set to Yes enter a No Cross Gap dimension No Cross Gap specifies the total non marking gap across the intersected polyline Invert X Axis Invert marking output along the horizontal axis Invert Y Axis Invert marking output along the vertical axis Format tab Format properties for the Drawing Figure 17 8 allow you to specify a new field size if the focusing lens on your marking head is changed See Tables 17 1 and 17 2 for focusing lens information Automation Marking Format All Figure 17 8 Format tab Drawing properties Important Note Field sizes on the Format tab do not update automatically when you choose a new lens in the Lens Selection dialog box After selecting a new lens you must always open a New Drawing Tip If you accidentally create a mark file using the wrong lens for your marking application simply select all objects and choose Copy from the Edit menu Select the correct lens Tools General Settings Application Settings Lens open a New Drawing and then Paste into the new file WinMark Pro will paste all selected objects and their mark properties into the new drawing file Field Width Maxim
104. al interfaces Specifically these features include a keyswitch Keyswitch versions lase and laser ready indica tors remote interlock for power on off a laser aperture shutter switch and a five second delay between power on and lasing Incorporation of certain features is dependent on the laser version Keyswitch or OEM WinMiark Pro User Guide Laser Safety 5 5 COEM models SYNRAD OEM lasers are OEM products intended for incorporation as components in laser processing systems As supplied by SYNRAD these lasers do not meet the requirements of 21 CFR Subchapter J without additional safeguards In the U S the Buyer of these OEM laser components is solely responsible for the assurance that the laser processing system sold to an end user complies with all laser safety require ments before the actual sale of the system Under CDRH regulations the Buyer must submit a report to the CDRH prior to shipping the system In jurisdictions outside the U S it is the sole responsibility of the Buyer of these OEM components to ensure that they meet all applicable local laser safety requirements In cases where the Buyer is also the end user of the OEM laser product the Buyer end user must integrate the laser so that it complies with all applicable laser safety standards as set forth above Federal Communications Commission FCC requirements The United States Communication Act of 1934 vested the Federal Communications Commission FCC with th
105. al value at the end of a mark session IncSerial Command Details Delta Enter a positive integer value to increment or a negative integer value to decrement the serial count MarkingHeadOn Defines an output signal from the Fiber Link Controller Card only to parts handling equipment indicating a No End of Mark Response signal from a Fenix FH Series marking head Bits labeled IGNORE are not changed A No End of Mark Response message is generated by WinMark Pro when the head fails to respond after mark data is sent This can occur if the head loses power or the fiber optic communication link fails during a mark session Output connections for the MarkingHeadOn event are made to the FLCC because marking head outputs are unavailable if the marking head is powered down See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a table showing available marking head and FLCC outputs MarkingHeadOn Command Details PCI Card ID Enter a card ID corresponding to the ID of the card used for the input output I O connection Typically this ID number corresponds to the ID of the card used for controlling the marking head see Tools General Settings Application Settings IO Card Selection WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 183 Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands Output Bit 1 This output is available only from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 3 This output is available only from the Output mini DIN conne
106. alculations race cit teo t HEU LEE E EPOR CR ERG PEIPER SEN OH E 90 Marking text E 92 EN E EE 94 Mark placenienitccsssissaissessee ENEE EE EEN 94 OD Iza THON ash nci eite eie quietis ANE deis re davit decided itid dea aens 95 Tracking varia blesi acest et eoe deti tait e arci E 95 WinMark Pro property variables i c eintritt tonne itat bienes elo eina oett 95 DETRESSE 95 WimnlViari Pro User Guide Table of Contents Chapter contents X p ge M S 99 ljjgenw MO x X PE 104 Gu I r 106 Mic cere D T 109 MOOS e 110 Lee 129 eeh 130 Tracking E 132 Automation taD sissies treniran aan RE GE REO OUR E aAA A SEE PARU RR RHET HUS areis 136 Marking taba ancienne no tirer ep as Rer ne Hp a ERR OE DEVE nist 139 Format cioe x M suns 141 Alle AO 143 jesetiRrlg M e E 144 Automation CAD aene erede cec ed dures deine M eu earnestness 145 Marking ci r 152 Wobble EEN 153 IR 154 Formatta iud teet rtt aene tied eodeni eeh 159 AArtay DEODSEUGS onean tnr d nen p ATH A GE EOM ERR RUIT 160 Test E 161 Polyline format properties aa eite ENEE 164 WinMark Pro User Guide Table of Contents ox Chapter contents Are format properties nus ac
107. are marked as vector objects although TrueType fonts tend to have more complex path outlines TrueType fonts are only marked using the slower raster scanning tech nique when they are filled WinMark Pro User Guide 162 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Stroke Font Select one of WinMark Pro s twelve built in stroke fonts Fonts available include Bold European Gothic LiteCom Little Sans Serif Script Simple Trip Tscr Trip Script Complex and Simplex Tip Complex and Simplex stroke fonts are proportional or monospaced fonts meaning that a lowercase i takes up as much letterspace as an uppercase W All other stroke fonts and most TrueType fonts are non proportional A proportional font is useful in situations where alphanumeric text is being serialized and any possible combination of letters or numbers must remain within a specific boundary on the part TrueType Font Select a TrueType font for marking text Any TrueType font installed in Window s Fonts folder is available for laser marking When TrueType Font is selected the following typographical proper ties appear on the Format tab Text Bold Text Italics Text Filled Text Outline Filled Text Outline Power and Text Curve Detail Note Mm Mark Pro supports all TrueType TTF fonts as well as the OpenType TTF fonts found on Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems OpenType OTF fonts are not cur
108. ark Type Index or Tracking WimnlViari Pro User Guide 128 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Note The default Test Mark Mode is Manual To enable Auto Test Mark Mode you must select the Auto option each time the Test Mark Control dialog box opens 4 Click OK to download the currently active WinMark file to FH or Fenix memory 5 After file transfer is complete a dialog box confirms a successful download 6 Ifthe data transmission fails click OK to acknowledge the failure and then repeat steps 2 5 If the Custom Test Mark option appears dimmed after a data transmission failure then under Help click About Synrad WinMark and then click Head Info to reset communications After closing the dialog boxes return to the Tools menu The Custom Test Mark option should be available Although the marking head can contain only one custom test mark at a time a new file can be downloaded at any time A copy of the factory installed test pattern Factory TestMark1 mkh is pro vided in the Program Files WinMark folder so that the default test mark file can be reloaded into FH memory as required for lens testing or mark centering It is possible for the FH Series marking head or Fenix Laser Marker to set or clear FH Fenix outputs OUT4 OUT7 when marking a custom test mark This output capability is only possible when using SetDigitalState commands in WinMark Pro s Event Builder Event Builder functions a
109. arking Win dow dimensions are 165 mm x 134 mm When using a 125 mm FH Fenix lens the Marking Window spans a 105 6 mm x 85 7 mm area See the FH Series Marking Head Operator s Manual or the Fenix Laser Marker Operator s Manual for complete FH Fenix lens specifications Usable Field Size Usable Field Size is the distance in millimeters from the downstream edge of Mark placement in the Marking Window to the downstream edge of the Marking Window in the axis of part motion Figure 15 7 illustrates Usable Field Size WinMiark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 85 Chapter 15 Tracker marking Downstream Edge RES Se sewed CES FE A Upstream Edge Figure 15 7 Usable Field Size Mark Pitch Mark Pitch is the distance in the axis of part motion from the leading edge of the Mark on one part to the leading edge of the Mark on the following part To achieve maximum line speed Mark Pitch must be greater than Usable Field Size See Figure 15 8 vec aogv Upstream Edge Downstream Edge Part Motion gt 0 Figure 15 8 Mark Pitch greater than Usable Field Size Cycle Time The amount of time in seconds required to complete the Mark is the Cycle Time Because cycle times for Index and Tracker marking are the same marks are first tested and optimized for speed and mark quality in Index mode WinMark Pro User Guide 86 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking Tracki
110. ased on another set of input conditions For example define a single MatchDigitalState event for a group instead of defining multiple MatchDigitalState commands for individual objects Ungroup Ungroup a grouped object into its individual component objects Ungrouped objects display all their previous user defined properties Explode When a Polyline Set exists use Explode to break the set down into its constituent polylines for editing WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 107 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Unexplode Converts selected polylines into a Polyline Set and optimizes polyline mark paths to obtain the fastest possible mark Note All polylines in a Polyline Set are marked using the object properties of the first polyline or Polyline Set included in the selection set Individual polyline properties are discarded and are only recover able using the Undo command To mark individual polylines using different mark parameters you must Explode the Polyline Set Note Object images may temporarily disappear from the screen display after performing an Explode or Unexplode operation Click the Drawing Canvas to refresh the display window Align Align two or more selected objects either horizontally or vertically using the Align Objects dialog box Figure 16 5 You can also open the Align Objects dialog box by clicking the Align shortcut ep on the toolbar Horizontal alignments are made from the
111. ation Marking Format All l On Before Mark Session Set Digital Before Piece Wait Digital Before Piece On Before Mark Piece Undefined Set DigitalBeforeMark gt Wait Digital After Piece rn On After Mark Piece Undefined Set Digital After Mark w On After Mark Session Undefined On Abort Session Undefined Figure 17 6 Automation tab Drawing events WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 137 Chapter 17 Drawing properties On Before Mark Session Define events you wish to trigger only once prior to the start of part marking in the current mark ses sion Click the ellipsis to open the Event Builder dialog box and display a list of definable events See Chapter 19 Event Builder commands for descriptions of available commands Set Digital Before Piece Set a specific digital output state on any or all output bits prior to each piece being marked For exam ple your parts handling equipment may require that a specific output bit is set or cleared indicating the laser is off before staging a new part See Chapter 12 Automation basics for available outputs Wait Digital Before Piece Wait for a specific digital input state to be read on any or all input bits before program execution con tinues For example your parts handling equipment may set or clear a specific input bit to indicate a new part is properly positioned See Chapter 12 Automation basi
112. ation on the Drawing Canvas In Figure 15 6 the text object s top left coordinate value is X 0 5 Y 2 0 inches If the Motion Vector is 270 then enter a Sensor Distance of 2 0 inches or greater Object Transformations Position position Y position Refererence Pt Sizing EE T Maintain Aspect Fatio Curent width New Width Scale 1 0000 in zi 1 0000 in 10 a Curent Height Mew Height cae poo Afon Hfz zi gt Rotation Transformations Enter Posten D deg 2 OK Cancel Figure 15 6 X Y start mark coordinates Rotating an object also changes the X Y coordinates of its start mark point and may require you to reposi tion the mark object on the Drawing Canvas or change Sensor Distance move the part sensor Depend ing upon the Motion Vector selected rotating an object 180 may allow the object to be placed closer to the upstream edge of the Drawing Canvas thus increasing overall line speed Encoder Resolution Encoder Resolution is the number of encoder pulses received per millimeter of distance traveled by the conveyor Encoder Resolution units are fixed as pulses mm even when WinMark is set to display measure ment units in inches or centimeters Use Quadrature Encoder Select Yes to use a quadrature type encoder that provides both speed and direction information Choose No to use an encoder that provides only speed information Using a non quadrature encoder
113. atrix code To setup a vector style 2D code perform the following steps IN 6 7 Select the 2D Code Tool and click to set an insertion point On the Format tab in the 2D Barcode Text field click the ellipsis The Text Caption Editor dialog box appears Enter the desired alphanumeric data and click OK Set 2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size to Yes In the 2D Barcode Cell Size field enter a value for the desired cell size A good starting point is to chose a cell size that is approximately two to three times the diameter of the focused spot size Set 2D Barcode Bitmap to No This changes the mark method from raster filled squares to unfilled vector circles Set a 2D Barcode Circle Radius between 50 and 80 The goals of Steps 5 through 7 are to obtain an overall marked circle diameter that just fits within the cell without overlapping into adjacent cells marking overlap can lead to Print Growth errors when scanned by barcode scanner verification software Figure 11 3 illustrates this concept WinMark Pro User Guide 54 Basic Operation Chapter 11 Fast 2D codes 15 Mil 0 015 2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size 0 007 Focused Spot Size 125 mm Focusing Lens Beam Path Using A 2D Barcode Circle Radius Value of 5096 Figure 11 3 Cell size spot size concept 8 Test mark the 2D code and if necessary adjust 2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size and or 2D Barcode Circle Radius to obtain non overlapping circular cells
114. ayscale images An 8 bit grayscale image pro vides 256 levels of gray ranging from 0 white to 255 black The best grayscale marks are obtained with FH Index or Tracker marking heads or Fenix Laser Markers running version 11 or higher firmware Note Although FH Series Smart marking heads can mark monochrome 1 bit images they cannot mark grayscale 8 bit bitmaps Tip Many times after choosing an initial Color Reduction Method during importation bitmap im ages are resized or Resolution is altered during creation of the mark file Because bitmap images are resolution dependent created for a particular display size and resolution changing image size or resolution tends to degrade display and mark quality of the bitmap If you must vary image size or resolution from the original settings do so and then click Color Reduction Method Pick the original reduction method although in some cases changing the reduction method produces better results and perform a test mark WinMark Pro applies changes in the selected Color Reduction Method to the original image in order to achieve the best possible marking results Bitmap Scan Type Choose Normal to mark bitmaps as a sequence of microvectors with corresponding Pline delays in serted between each segment Select Continuous to mark at a constant mirror speed and laser power while cycling the laser on or off in accordance with bitmap data When the Grayscale Color Reduc tion Method is
115. be down loaded at any time A copy of the factory installed test pattern Factory TestMark1 mkh is provided in the Program FilesNWinMark folder so that the default test mark file can be reloaded into memory as required for lens testing or mark centering Custom test mark I O FH Fenix marking head or Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC out puts may be set or cleared during a custom test mark download when SeCnous the mark file contains Event Builder automation personal The user must take steps to ensure that this behavior does not com INJUry promise the integrity of the control system It is possible for an FH Series Index or Tracker marking head or Fenix Laser Marker to set or clear outputs OUT4 OUT7 when marking a custom test mark However this output capability is available only when using SetDigitalState commands in WinMark Pro s Event Builder dialog You can define Event Builder functions during the following stages of the automation loop On Before Mark Session On Before Mark Piece On After Mark Piece On After Mark Session Remember that in WinMark Pro s Automation loop On Before Mark Session and On After Mark Ses Sion events run only once before after a marking session while On Before Mark Piece and On After Mark Piece events run before after each individual piece In a custom test mark application however each indi vidual mark is considered a mark session meaning that On Before Mark Session On After Mark Session
116. ble way of opening graphics files for marking In order to employ this approach it is often necessary to save your graphics files in an older format version number so that the filters can correctly import the data For example when creating AutoCAD files for WinMark Pro Save As or Export the drawing in an AutoCAD R14 or R12 format In order to import vector files from more recent programs such as AutoCAD 2005 or Adobe Illustra tor CS WinMark Pro versions 4 6 0 4927 and above contain Copy Paste and Drag Drop functionality This feature allows you to Copy or Drag a graphic from your open drawing program and Paste or Drop it onto the Drawing Canvas Because graphics files often contain multiple data formats a dialog box opens Figure 16 2 when more than one acceptable format is available In general choose Vector Image for best marking results In some cases importing your graphics file through the File Import Filters may produce better results than using the Copy Paste or Drag Drop feature WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 101 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Choose Import type x This dialog allows a choice on how to import an object from a Drag Drop or Copy Paste action when there is multiple formats available Choose the import style below File Format from explorer Figure 16 2 Choose Import Type dialog Note File Import Filters are automatically loaded when installing WinMar
117. booting check that the FLCC driver is properly installed Open the Windows Device Manager and click the View connections by type radio button Under Laser Marking Devices look for an entry titled FH Fenix Laser Marking Devices Both ISA bus and PCI bus FLCCs are installed Select the PCI card manually Open WinMark Pro and go to the Tools General Settings Application Set tings tab Locate the I O Card Selection property see Figure 21 1 and in the drop down list select PCI Card ID x WinMark Pro User Guide 234 Commands amp Properties Chapter 21 Iroubleshooting Application Settings Drawing Defaults Object Defaults pplication settings are the global properties of the application Modify these properties o modify different aspects of the behavior of WinMark PCI Card ID 0 No PCI Card Installed PCI Card ID 0 Clearing Mark Interval 1 0 Card Selection Select the 1 0 card to be used for marking Cancel ek Figure 21 1 Application Settings tab The installed FLCC is an ISA bus card WinMark Pro version 4 does not support ISA bus FLCCs You must install a PCI bus FLCC or you may choose to install a version 2 x build of WinMark Pro instead WinMark Pro version 2 supports ISA bus FLCCs running on Windows 98 or Windows 95 Because v2 is a legacy version it does not contain the latest features found in v4 builds Check the WinMark Pro CD or
118. box chkDown load and two groups of option buttons Manual optMan or Auto optAuto and Index optIn dex or Tracking optTracker Because of the grouping if optAuto is selected True optMan is then false and the same is true for Index and Tracking first set the mark file to Index or Tracking mh SetBoolProp Drawing TrackMarkingObject optTracker now download the test mark data mh AutoTestMark optMan optIndex chkDownload I jo Ix iw Synrad ActiveX Custom Test Mark r Test Mark Mode p Auto Mode Index Tracker IZ Download File Update Test Mark Figure 20 1 Sample AutoTestMark form CenterSelection method The CenterSelection control centers the current selection set in the mark field The control method is formatted as CenterSelection none gt BOOLEAN ClearSelection method The ClearSelection control deselects all objects contained in the current selection set The control method is formatted as ClearSelection lt none gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example select and rotate the Text1 object mh SelectObject Text1 mh RotateSelection 15 WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 209 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology mh ClearSelection Select the Barcodel object and move to X2 Y 3 mh SelectObject Barcodel mh MoveSelectionTo 2 3 mh ClearSelection mh Redraw ConfigureAbort method The ConfigureAbort control allows you to
119. button allows you to customize shift start and shift end hours as well as shift code characters Note Beginning with version 4 1 0 4368 custom date formats referenced in a mark file are saved in the mark file instead of just in the development computer s System Registry This prevents an unde fined format error from occurring when files with Custom Date Formats are loaded on different computers To create a custom date format 1 In the Date Format Customization dialog box Figure 18 3 click the Add Format button Date Format Customization x American Standard MM DD YY Format Name European Standard DD MM YY Week Year WWYY BEA Julian DDDY Example Date Custom Format D pae Format Definition String d2 m2 y1 Delete Fomat Available Format Commands Include these command strings to output information Percent sign 2 digit day Po 2 digit month P 4 digit year POO 2 digit year 1 alpha year X with A 1981 B 1982_etc ma 1 alpha month X with A Jan B Feb etc Zap AM PM K with a AM p PM z _Define shit Close Figure 18 3 Date Format Customization dialog box If desired type a descriptive name in the Format Name box N Browse the Available Format Commands box for available date or time formats W A Double click the desired format commands or click in the Format Definition String box and type in commands to create a custom format string WinMark P
120. cation Settings IO Card Selection Input Bit O Corresponds to INO on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 1 Corresponds to IN1 on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 2 Corresponds to IN2 on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 3 Corresponds to IN3 on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 4 Corresponds to IN4 on FH Smart heads On Fenix or FH Index Tracker marking heads this input is available only from the Input mini DIN connector on the FLCC Input Bit 5 Corresponds to IN5 on FH Smart heads On Fenix or FH Index Tracker marking heads this input is available only from the Input mini DIN connector on the FLCC Input Bit 6 Corresponds to IN6 on FH Smart heads Not available on Fenix or FH Index Tracker heads Input Bit 7 Corresponds to IN7 on FH Smart heads Not available on Fenix or FH Index Tracker heads Follow the steps below to set up a demonstration file where only one of three objects marks on each pass through the automation loop depending on the status of input bits IN2 and IN3 MatchDigitalState works by evaluating the status high or low of the actual input bit s against the specified match values WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 185 Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands and assigns a Boolean value of True or False to the target object and target property Configure MatchDigitalState automation as follows 1 Openanew mark file and place three text objects on the Drawin
121. cepi TREO HR REO UNO ER HERE 165 EE 167 2D eode format propertie Ssss etre ees 170 Spot format properties eet 172 Bitmap format properties eec retrace co te Eee eoo ge dae e desu E EES ES S 173 ULL 177 Chapter 19 Event Builder commands TR EventDBuilder E EE 178 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology TOT ActiveMaxk control overyiew auos den te e canes IU CAPERE REO NER EIER Ergo 191 iwidtsgeo P P 192 XY coordinate SySEemi s ee ge dites pace te recep ee loti ene E E EEEE eap ene Den epe 193 ActiveMark control properties eee tenete tta sex cepe EEE EEE EES ES S 193 EE E 194 Fiber Link Controller EE 233 EFI Series marking EE 235 VAUEODIACIODS eco G reta td E I A E pala dete Ween teas 239 ir UII R SE a A A EE EE ENEE 240 KE 240 Ee 240 eU QUE c eeegeEe ei 242 Laser Marking FAQ e 243 Resortes me 243 WinMark Pro User Guide xii Table of Contents List of Figures Figure 2 1 KEE 9 Figure 3 1 Lens Selectior EE 14 Figure 3 2 Changing Show Units Type ettet 15 Figure 4 1 WinMark Pro Main Mind 16 Figure 4 2 Toolbar YCOBS aao ier erre iet stets eegene 17 Figure 4 3 TOO BOXssachre rero eren EE EE 19 Figure 4 4 Drawing Canvas C 21 Figure 5 1 Text Caption Editor dialog box a ert reitera 23 Figure 5 2 Sampl imported graphic file eere ete eege 25 Figure 5 3 Object Trans
122. chart For example to specify center justification for an object labeled Test add the following code mh SetStringProp Textl TextJustification 1 WinMark Pro User Guide 206 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Tip To change the Auto Text Type of a text object refer to the following chart Auto Text Type Property value None 0 Serial Number Text 1 Date Code Text 2 Disk File Text i 3 sequential Serial Port Text 4 User Entry Text 5 Disk File Text 6 fixed From Another 7 Object For example to define an automated Text Caption for the object labeled Text using data sent to the computer s serial port add the following line of code mh SetStringProp Text1 AutoTextType 4 Tip To specify when an auto text update should occur refer to the following chart Execute Auto Text When Property value Before Mark 0 After Mark 1 For example to specify auto updating after each mark add the following line of code mh SetStringProp Text1 ExecuteAutoTextWhen 1 WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 207 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Tip To anchor text to a specific position with respect to the bounding box Fixed To Position refer to the following chart Fixed To Position Property value Top Left 0 Top Middle 1 Top Right 2 Right Middl
123. city also affects power since a faster moving beam has less heat effect on the material Velocity is adjustable in a range of 0 01 to 400 in sec 0 25 10 160 mm sec Power Laser output power must be optimized for the material being processed and for the type of mark required Power can be set from 0 to 100 of the laser s actual power output Typically 70 to 80 will equal the laser s specified output power in watts Applying too much power may engrave too deeply or char the mate rial unacceptably WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 45 Chapter 9 Marking basics Tip When marking certain plastics such as PEEK PVC brown Pakelite and dark phenolic contrasting marks are often achieved using very low power settings 1 to 2 watts Resolution Resolution actually microvectors per inch is a primary factor in mark quality Increasing resolution increases the quality or crispness of the image Reducing resolution too much can make marks look rough Practical resolution values range from 50 for spot style 2D codes to 200 for linear 1D bar codes to 1000 for high resolution graphics or filled text Apparent resolution is also a function of the spot size of the focusing lens The nominal spot size for an 80 mm lens is 116 microns 0 005 while a 370 mm lens produces a 540 micron 0 021 spot This large dif ference in spot size must be taken into account when determining the smallest character height or 2D cell
124. ck is closed the laser s Keyswitch or remote keyswitch function must be cycled which then invokes a built in five second delay prior to lasing To address this issue all FH and older DH Series marking heads and Fenix Laser Markers provide an optional Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI function When enabled the FASI function prevents the laser from firing unless a high level signal is present on Input Bit 3 IN3 The marking head responds to this rising signal transition in less than 1 ms To enable the FASI feature refer to the Technical Refer ence section in your marking head s Operators Manual for details After your marking head is configured for FASI operation you should modify each mark file as described below By adding this modification in addition to the normal start mark automation WinMark Pro will not begin lasing until both the start mark signal typically Input Bit O INO AND Input Bit 3 IN3 are active 1 Configure WinMark s Wait Digital Before Piece command on the Drawing s Automation tab to wait for a Set state on Input Bit 3 IN3 before marking begins This synchronizes marking opera tion with the FASI safety feature Normally Input Bit O INO will all ready have been Set in order to wait for the start mark signal See Figure 12 1 Automation Marking Format All On Before Mark Session Undefined On Abort Session Figure 12 1 Start Mark
125. compatible WinMark Pro versions 1 0 0 1150 through 1 0 3 2055 support both DH and SH Series marking heads run ning on Windows 98 and 95 operating systems These versions of WinMark Pro drive the marking head us ing an ISA bus Fiber Link Controller Card DH Series or a DDAO6 Digital to Analog card SH Series WinMark Pro cannot drive SH Series marking heads using the DADIO DAC card Version 1 0 5 2625 through 1 0 6 2856 add support for Fenix Laser Markers and FH Series Index marking heads on Windows 95 98 operating systems using an ISA bus Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started Es Chapter 1 Introduction WinMark Pro hardware software compatibility The compatibility matrix shown in Table 1 1 below illustrates the compatibility of WinMark Pro with various computer operating systems and Fiber Link Controller Card types Table 1 1 Compatibility matrix WinMark Pro WinMark Pro WinMark Pro NT WinMark Pro WinMark Pro Platform Windows XP No No No Yes Yes Windows 2000 No No No Yes Yes Windows NT4 No No Yes Yes Yes Windows 98 Yes Yes No Yes Yes Windows 95 Yes Yes No No No FLCC Type PCI bus No Yes Yes Yes Yes RTC ScanLab No No No No Yes ISA bus Yes Yes No No No DAC Yes Yes No No No not recommended for optimum performance Mark file compatibility Across operating systems WinMark Pro mkh mark files are compatible across all supported Windows operating systems Across WinMark P
126. control properties ActiveMark control methods Important Note When developing your automated control system using ActiveX control methods do not place input automation into the mark file Instead perform any input auto mation functions within the ActiveX control program By doing this your control program remains in charge of pre mark and post mark automation and WinMark s MarkDrawing control method only maintains control of the operating system long enough to control laser on off commands during the actual marking process Perform ing input automation within the mark file may prevent the ActiveX control program from regaining control of the operating system if the specified input state does not occur ActiveMark control overview For best results use the WinMark Pro application to layout drawing elements and then load and automate the drawing via the ActiveMark ActiveX OLE control to create custom marking solutions The cus tomized WinMark Pro ActiveX control software usually does the following Loads one or more WinMark Pro drawings into the control Manipulates drawing objects through property modification position or transformations Synchronizes with parts handling equipment Marks the drawing In this User Guide ActiveX control method descriptions are formatted as follows Control method property description Control Method Property Name and Format lt Argumentl Argument2 gt RETURNED VALUE Visual Basic Visual
127. creen Zoom to Fit check box Selecting the Zoom to Fit check box zooms the Launcher view to the extents of the mark This view is use ful when an operator must verify a manual text input serial port read or serialization event while marking very small objects Mark Log window The Mark Log records and displays every step or event in the mark sequence as it occurs in real time dur ing the marking process WinMark Pro User Guide 30 Getting Started Chapter 7 WinMark Launcher Write to Log File check box Checking Write to Log File creates a Windows Log File log and writes each log event displayed in the Mark Log window to the marking computer s hard drive Selecting the Write to Log File check box opens the Save As dialog box which prompts you for a filename and storage location Using the Write to Log File feature will affect cycle times of the mark because each event is written to the hard drive in real time Data in the saved mark log is formatted as follows DD MM HH MM SS mark event description where DD is the two digit day MM is the two digit month and HH MM SS are Hours Minutes Seconds as read from the system clock Mark event description is a copy of the same data displayed in the Mark Log window Opening a drawing To open an existing mark file perform the following steps 1 Click Open Drawing under the File menu 2 Inthe Open dialog box locate and select the file you wish to mark 3 D
128. cs for available inputs Tip Typically Input Bit O INO and the Wait Digital Before Piece event are used to provide start mark signals to WinMark Pro When INO is specified as Set WinMark Pro waits until the specified input state is met Set equals a logic high 1 state Clear equals a logic low 0 state WinMark continues executing the automation loop only after the specified input state is logically True On Before Mark Piece Define events you wish to trigger once before each piece is marked Click the ellipsis to open the Event Builder dialog box and display a list of definable events See Chapter 19 Event Builder commands for descriptions of available commands Set Digital Before Mark Set a specific digital output state on any or all output bits immediately before each piece is marked For example your parts handling equipment may require that a specific output bit is set or cleared to indi cate that the laser is on and marking See Chapter 12 Automation basics for available outputs Important Note WinMark Pro fires the laser immediately after the Set Digital Before Mark command is executed Wait Digital After Piece Wait for a specific digital input state to be read on any or all input bits before program execution con tinues For example your parts handling equipment may set or clear a specific input bit to indicate a new part is being positioned See Chapter 12 Automation basics for available inputs
129. ctor on the FLCC Output Bit 4 Corresponds to OUT4 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 5 Corresponds to OUTS on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 6 Corresponds to OUT6 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 7 Corresponds to OUT7 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC MatchDigitalState Reads the input bit pattern of the marking head or the Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC and assigns the result of this Boolean test Yes True if all bits match No False if not to the target property see Fig ure 19 4 The input state of any bits labeled IGNORE is disregarded The MatchDigitalState result is normally passed to Boolean properties such as Mark Object to include or exclude an object from mark ing See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a table showing available marking head and FLCC inputs p Commands p Command Details Timeout MSecs PCI Card ID Input Bit 0 Ignore Input Bit 1 Set 1 Input Bit 2 Clear 0 Input Bit 3 Ignore Input Bit 4 Ignore MatchDigitalState MatchDigitalState Attempts to match the specified digital s
130. cts contained within the drawing These properties help automate the serialization or coding of parts Special Automation Marking Fomat All Auto Text Type None Execute Auto Text When Before Mark Auto Text Within Array Yes Figure 18 2 Automation tab object properties Auto Text Type Select the automated text input source from among None Serial Number Text Date Code Text Disk File Text Sequential or Fixed Serial Port Text User Entry Text or From Another Object Your choice of automated input determines which associated properties appear on the Automation tab Note Some automated text and barcode captions are updated on the display when the object is selected or deselected Dates Times and From Another Object sources are updated Serial numbers are updated if Save Last Serial is Yes Serial port and disk file text is not updated until the source is read during the mark sequence None No automation is performed on the text object The Text Caption is marked as displayed in the Text Caption Editor dialog box Serial Number Text Serialize numerals alphabetic characters or alphanumeric strings entered as the Text Caption When Serial Number Text is selected the following serialization properties appear on the Automa tion tab Serial Number Delta Serial Number Mask Serial Piece Step Hexadecimal Count Ask Starting Serial Save Last Serial Save Serial Name and Current Saved Value Serial Number
131. d at www laserinstitute org WimnlViari Pro User Guide LS 4 Laser Safety Agency compliance The Agency compliance section includes subsections Center for Devices and Radiological Health CDRH requirements Federal Communications Commission FCC requirements European Union EU requirements SYNRAD lasers are designed tested and certified to comply with certain United States U S and Eu ropean Union EU regulations These regulations impose product performance requirements related to electromagnetic compatibility EMC and product safety characteristics for industrial scientific and medi cal ISM equipment The specific provisions to which systems containing SYNRAD lasers must comply are identified and described in the following paragraphs Note that compliance to CDRH FCC and EU requirements depends in part on the laser version selected Keyswitch or OEM In the U S laser safety requirements are governed by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health CDRH under the auspices of the U S Food and Drug Administration FDA while radiated emission standards fall under the jurisdiction of the U S Federal Communications Commission FCC Outside the U S laser safety and emissions are governed by European Union EU Directives and Standards In the matter of CE compliant laser products SYNRAD Inc assumes no responsibility for the compliance of the system into which the product is integrated other than to suppl
132. d to mark the selected object Tip Typically a value of 70 80 equals the laser s specified output power rating Resolution Enter a marking resolution for the selected object Units of measure are in microvectors per inch which is roughly analogous to the more common dots per inch DPI terminology Note Imported bitmap images are resized according to the Resolution setting specified on the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab Previously WinMark Pro increased or decreased bitmap image size corresponding to a fixed bitmap resolution of 600 DPI WinMark Pro does not resample bitmap images but rather resizes them to preserve the image s total pixel count For example the overall dimensions of a 96 DPI image imported into WinMark at 300 DPI are automatically resized to 3296 of the original height and width Tip In order to import a bitmap image at full scale WinMark s Resolution setting must match the file s resolution For example to import a file saved at 225 DPI first ensure that the Resolution property on the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab is set to 225 and then import the file Raster Scan Direction Specify Horizontal or Vertical raster scanning for filled objects Tip When marking raster scanned images such as imported graphics filled TrueType text or barcodes one scan direction typically marks much faster than the other depending on the object s orientation Optimize mark cycle t
133. data To implement the DLL WinMark interface the DLL must use an argument structure with the following members struct DLLStruct char szUserArg1 64 argument 1 char szUserArg2 64 argument 2 char szUserArg3 64 argument 3 char szPropBuffer 128 data buffer WORD bBufferChanged data change flag object data changed in current drawing void pfnFuncCallback void pfnCallbackData HWND hwndWinMark E The DLLs export functions must be explicitly defined in the def file for example function 91 function2 2 etc WinMark Pro User Guide 192 Commands amp Properties Chapter 19 Event Builder commands DoBeep Generates a beep from the computer s speaker P p P Tip This command might be used to provide an audible prompt for user input or a signal that marking is complete DoPause Pauses program execution for the specified number of milliseconds DoPause Command Details Delay msecs Enter a delay value in milliseconds The default is 1000 which equals 1 second IncSerial Increments or decrements alphanumeric characters in the currently selected text string by the specified delta value Non alphanumeric characters are ignored This command is normally assigned to the Text Caption property Important Note Unlike the serialization feature available from the Auto Text Type object property Event Builder automation does not provide the ability to save the current seri
134. e After installing or upgrading to a new version open WinMark Pro first before opening Launcher This allows WinMark Pro to initialize lens selection and FLCC data in the computer s System Registry before a mark session begins Click Start on the taskbar Select Programs and then locate the Synrad WinMark folder Click the Synrad WinMark Launcher icon Q BON Launcher opens and automatically loads the last file marked Launcher display Launcher s graphical display comprises several distinct windows as shown in Figure 7 1 Each is described below Progress window The Progress window provides status information about the ongoing mark session Piece Count 1 of X provides a running total of pieces marked in the current mark session in cases where Mark Count is zero or greater than one Total Time displays the total elapsed time in this mark session Piece 96 is a progress bar illustrating percent of marking complete on the current piece part to be marked Object illustrates the percent of marking complete on the current object in the mark file Mark Preview window Mark Preview displays the actual mark being made in real time During marking a red outline box sur rounds the object currently being laser marked Fast Preview check box Checking Fast Preview grays out individual elements in the mark file showing only mark location In time critical applications this option saves the small amount of time involved in redrawing the s
135. e edges of the maximum Marking Window Non marking objects such as text notes for operators can be placed outside the mark field WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 95 Chapter 15 Tracker marking Optimization Tracking variables There are several variables related to the Tracking Window that can be optimized to increase marking throughput Lengthen Usable Field Size by reducing Mark size Rotate the Mark as shown in Figure 15 12 If the Tracking Window is smaller than Usable Field Size increase the Mark Pitch so that it is equal to or greater than the Usable Field Size If this is not possible then consider adding a second marking head so that each head marks every other part which effectively doubles Mark Pitch WinMark Pro property variables Mark file cycle times are usually optimized even in Index applications to obtain the highest throughput speeds To increase Tracking line speeds try the following Increase Velocity and reduce Resolution Increase Off Vector Velocity and reduce Off Vector Resolution Use stroke text instead of TrueType fonts When marking small 2D codes set 2D Barcode Bitmap on the Format tab to No This creates a code consisting of unfilled vector circles instead of filled square cells Simplify line art If possible reduce the number of marking characters Reduce or minimize the physical size of the Launcher window on your computer display Run WinMark Pro on a faster computer
136. e 3 Bottom Right 4 Bottom Middle 5 Bottom Left 6 Left Middle 1 Center 8 Radial Center 9 For radial text objects not yet implemented For example to anchor the object labeled Text to the left middle of the bounding box add the fol lowing line of code mh SetStringProp Textl FixedToPosition 7 AutoTestMark method The AutoTestMark control downloads the current mkh mark file to the marking head s Custom Test Mark memory see the Fenix Laser Marker Operator s Manual or the FH Series Marking Head Operator s Manual for details about the Custom Test Mark feature Set bNoAuto to True when a Manual test mark is desired When bNoAuto is False an Auto test mark is specified Index test marks may be Manual or Auto tracking test marks must be defined as Auto Set bIndexMark to True for an Auto Index test mark Set bIndexMark False to specify an Auto Tracking test mark only functional when marking head is a Tracker model Set nDownload to True to download the current mark file and current test mark settings set to False to change settings without downloading a new mark file The control method is formatted as AutoTestMark bNoAuto as Boolean bIndexMark as Boolean nDownload as Boolean gt BOOLEAN WinMark Pro User Guide 208 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Visual Basic example The following code is used on a form Figure 20 1 that has a Download File check
137. e authority to regulate equipment that emits electromagnetic radiation in the radio frequency spec trum The purpose of the Communication Act was to prevent harmful electromagnetic interference EMI from affecting authorized radio communication services The FCC regulations that govern industrial scientific and medical ISM equipment are fully described in 47 CFR Part 18 Subpart C FCC caution to the user The Federal Communications Commission warns the user that changes or modifications of the unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user s authority to operate the equipment European Union EU requirements l aser safety standards Under the Low Voltage Directive 73 23 EEC the European Norm EN document EN 60825 1 was de veloped to protect persons from laser radiation by imposing requirements upon manufacturers of laser prod ucts to provide an indication of laser radiation to classify laser products according to the degree of hazard to require both user and manufacturer to establish procedures so that proper precautions are adopted to ensure adequate warning of the hazards associated with accessible radiation through signs labels and instructions to improve control of laser radiation through protective features and to provide safe usage of laser products by specifying user control measures Keyswitch models SYNRAD Keyswitch models are designed to comply with the requirements imposed b
138. e default value assigned to this property is zero 0 Any operations performed on the control are performed on the current active drawing To switch to another drawing just assign a new number to the Drawinglndex control Screen display of the control will not be updated until the Redraw method is called The control property is formatted as Drawinglndex INTEGER Visual Basic example This example opens and loads three mark files into memory Each file is then sequentially activated and marked mh DrawingIndex 0 mh LoadDrawing test1 mkh mh DrawingIndex 1 mh LoadDrawing test2 mkh mh DrawingIndex 2 mh LoadDrawing test3 mkh mh DrawingIndex 0 mh MarkDrawing mh DrawingIndex 1 mh MarkDrawing M N mh DrawingIndex mh MarkDrawing WinMark Pro User Guide 194 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology ProgressCtrlHandle property The hWnd ProgressCtrlHandle property enables the display of a progress bar during lengthy WinMark Pro operations such as loading saving or marking a document To use this property create a Progress Bar control on the same form as your ActiveX control and assign ProgressCtrlHandle the window handle for your ActiveX control When you no longer want to display progress updates assign 0 to the control The control property is formatted as hWnd ProgressCtrlHandle Visual Basic example select the active drawing index mh DrawingIndex
139. e keyboard In some instances you must press and hold the ESC key until marking is halted Because WinMark Pro is busy sending microvector and control data to the marking head in real time keyboard status is checked only intermittently during a mark To halt lasing immediately you can toggle the laser s Keyswitch to Off open the laser s Remote Reset input or open the FASI input if the Fast Acting Safety Interlock is enabled Although lasing is disabled immediately WinMark Pro is unaware of laser status and will con tinue the mark session until it is complete or halted WinMark Pro User Guide 38 Basic Operation Chapter 9 Marking basics Important Note Power settings described in this tutorial section are based on the use of a 25 W laser marking an anodized aluminum substrate with a 125 mm focusing lens When working through the examples below be sure to adjust power levels accordingly for higher or lower power lasers for the spot size power density of your lens and for the specific substrate you are marking Types of marks There are two distinct methods used to mark objects The first method vector marking is made by moving the beam from one X Y point to another X Y point a vector along a straight or curved path This type of mark is very fast limited only by the speed of the galvanometers moving the beam steering mirrors The second method of marking raster marking is accomplished by switching the beam on and o
140. e line s origin and destination endpoints snap to the nearest grid line intersection Freehand Tool draws irregular freehand lines If Snap to Grid is Yes any curves drawn are snapped to the nearest grid line and intersection Rectangle Tool draws square or rectangular objects If Snap to Grid is Yes lines and corners are snapped to the nearest grid line and intersection Arc Tool draws elliptical and circular objects By default the Arc Tool draws ellipses hold the SHIFT key down while dragging to constrain the object to a circle If Snap to Grid is Yes the arc s outer diameter is snapped to the nearest grid line Bar Code Tool places a bar code object in the drawing Click the Bar Code Tool then click in the drawing to set an insertion point Barcode Number is highlighted on the Format tab Type the characters you want converted into bar code form Modify bar code attributes on the Format tab 2D Code Tool places a 2D Data Matrix or QR Code object in the drawing Click the 2D Code Tool then click in the drawing to set an insertion point 2D Barcode Text is highlighted on the Format tab Type the characters you want converted into 2D code form Modify 2D code attri butes on the Format tab Spot Tool places spots on the drawing that represent the diameter of the laser beam Spots are useful as guides for aligning the laser beam If the correct Power and Spot Lase Duration values are specified in the Property List s
141. e order in which they were created or imported WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 109 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Tip When marking sensitive materials changing the mark order of objects helps to limit the heat input into any one area of the material at one time Use Object For Defaults Use all properties of the currently selected object as the default for any new objects created in this or fu ture drawings Before overwriting existing property values a dialog box asks you to confirm this action View View commands Figure 16 7 perform common functions such as zooming in or out of the drawing or showing hiding window elements Zoom Extents Zoom Page Zoom In Zoom Out Main Bar Draw Tools Status Bar Properties Work Book Figure 16 7 View menu Zoom Extents Maximize the display of all objects on or off the Drawing Canvas You can also zoom all by clicking the Zoom Extents shortcut button Il on the toolbar Zoom Page Display the entire Drawing Canvas You can also click the Zoom Page shortcut button Bl on the toolbar to maximize your view of the canvas Zoom In Zoom in towards the center of the current view by a factor of two You can also zoom in by clicking the Zoom In shortcut button l on the toolbar Zoom Out Zoom out from the center of the current view by a factor of two You can also zoom out by clicking the Zoom Out shortcut bu
142. e specified target property s value from a disk file The disk file name is your mark file name appended with a dat extension and is always located in the C Program Files WinMark folder Refer to the SaveProperty event for more detail SaveProperty Saves the specified target property s value to a disk file The disk file name is your mark file name ap pended with a dat extension and is always located in the C Program FilesNWinMark folder When using automation or serialization in your mark file SaveProperty RestoreProperty events are useful to ensure your mark file always close and reopen with a known or default set of property values Tip Multiple SaveProperty and RestoreProperty events can be defined for a single drawing Even though the data is stored in a single dat file a separate entry is created for each Target Object and corresponding Target Property WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 189 Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands SetDigitalState Sets individual output bits on the marking head or Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC to the specified values Bits labeled IGNORE are not changed See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a table showing available marking head and FLCC outputs SetDigitalState Command Details PCI Card ID Enter a card ID corresponding to the ID of the card used for the input output I O connection Typically this ID number corresponds to the ID of the card used for contr
143. e the mark Use stroke text instead of TrueType fonts mark fewer words or simplify line art Note Because a custom test mark is downloaded and stored in memory as a stand alone file it cannot perform serialization real time date and time stamping general I O or other automation func tions as it could if run using WinMark Pro These options are available however in the FH Series Smart marking head Visit http www synrad com for further information about FH Smart Setting Test Mark Control options Creation of a custom test mark can be done offline but to set custom test mark options the FH or Fenix head must be connected to and communicating with a computer running WinMark Pro To setup custom test mark options perform the following steps 1 Open or create the desired file to be downloaded as a custom test mark 2 From the Tools menu click Custom Test Mark The Test Mark Control dialog see Figure 14 1 opens Note If Index or Tracker Auto Test Mark Mode is currently enabled then a dialog box appears indicat ing that auto test marking has been disabled This prevents an input signal from commanding the marking head to mark while a new custom test mark file is being downloaded to memory 3 Under Test Mark Mode click Manual or Auto 4 IfAuto Test Mark Mode is selected then under Test Mark Type choose Index Mark or Tracking Mark The Tracking Mark option appears dimmed if the marking head is not a Tracker model T
144. ears to the left of the Drawing Canvas showing the direction of the currently entered Motion Vector TOP VIEW Hp WI 90 PART MOTION COORDINATE SYSTEM OF WINMARK DRAWING CANVAS RELATIVE TO FH TRACKER HEAD Figure 17 3 Motion Vector coordinates relative to Tracker WinMark Pro User Guide 134 Commands amp Properties Chapter 17 Drawing properties Tip Part motions of 90 or 270 allow faster line speeds than 0 or 180 because part movement is through the long axis of the marking field providing a larger Tracking Window Sensor Distance Change Sensor Distance to move the location of the mark on the part in the axis of part motion Units of measure for Sensor Distance are always entered in inches with a maximum value of 12 0 inches 305 mm The term Sensor Distance is not entirely accurate because the value entered is not related to the physical part sensor location but rather Sensor Distance is defined as the distance at the moment of part sense from the center of the Marking Window to the leading edge of the desired mark location Unlike other marking methods that are time based Tracker uses a distance based marking scheme This is because at the moment a part is sensed on the rising or falling edge of the part sense signal the FH Fenix Tracker head begins counting rotary encoder pulses When the number of encoder pulses cou
145. ecautions described in personal your laser and marking head Operator s Manuals injury CO lasers emit invisible infrared laser radiation at the 10 6 um CO wavelength Since direct or diffuse laser radiation can inflict severe corneal injuries always wear eye protection when in the same area as an exposed laser beam Do not allow the beam to contact a person CO lasers emit an invisible beam that is capable of seriously burning human tissue Always be aware of the beam s path and always use a beam block while testing 5 G On the Toolbar click the Mark button Figure 10 2 Place the part to be marked under the focusing lens at the point of focus ELIE 3 Figure 10 2 Mark button on the toolbar WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 49 Chapter 10 Marking parts 7 When the Synrad WinMark dialog box appears Figure 10 3 click Start F1 Synrad WinMark Untitled1 loj x Progress Press F1 to start marking Press ESCAPE to pause abort mark Piece Count gexo Close Tote e oe het Eee Mark Preview Fast Preview Zoom to Fit Mark Log Write to Log File Figure 10 3 Synrad WinMark dialog box Batch marking If your manufacturing process produces parts in batches trays of parts for example batch marking is the most appropriate method for marking them The following procedure steps you through a sample batch marking session You will create a mark file and then use Wi
146. ect property values Visual C example See sample VC code for the AddPolyLine method above Remember to set Power Veloc ity and Mark Passes values after defining a bClosed value in the argument otherwise the new polyline object is marked using default object property values AddPreviewWnd method The AddPreviewWnd control opens the WinMark Pro ActiveX form showing the Drawing Canvas The control method is formatted as AddLine lt pParent as Long resourceID as Long gt VOID Visual C example m winMarkCtrl AddPreviewWnd long this IDC SHOWMARK WinMark Pro User Guide 204 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology AddRect method The AddRect control adds a new rectangle object to the current drawing using X1 Y1 as the top left corner and X2 Y2 as the bottom right corner using the current default object properties set in the WinMark Pro application The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new rectangle The control method is formatted as AddRect lt ObjectName as String X1 as Float Y1 as Float X2 as Float Y2 as Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example add a new rectangle from 1 1 to 1 1 mh AddRect RectangleObject 1 1 1 1 mh Redraw AddSpot method The AddSpot control adds a new laser spot object to the current drawing centered at X Y using the current default object properties set in the WinMark Pro application The st
147. ects and paste them into a New drawing created with the correct lens setting If Encoder Resolution is correct then short and long lines will appear as one long line as shown in Figure 15 11 DOWNSTREAM FIELD EDGE MARK CREATED WHEN ENCODER RESOLUTION IS TOO LOW MARK CREATED WHEN ENCODER RESOLUTION IS CORRECT MARK CREATED WHEN ENCODER RESOLUTION IS TOO HIGH o02 NOILOW LHVd UPSTREAM FIELD EDGE Figure 15 11 Checking Encoder Resolution If the long line is further downstream of the short lines in the direction of part motion then increase Encoder Resolution If the long line is upstream of the short ones decrease Encoder Resolution Ac curacy to the second decimal point may be required depending upon the resolution of your encoder Mark position and orientation make a substantial difference in tracking speed because they change Usable Field Size Maximum line speed is achieved when the Mark is positioned as close as possible to the upstream edge of the Marking Window The entire mark must be positioned on the Drawing Canvas so that it lies within the boundaries of the Marking Window Figure 15 12 shows how the same text positioned differently can give two very different values for Usable Field Size WinMiark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 89 Chapter 15 Tracker marking Downstream Edge Part Motion 270 Upstream Edge Figure 15 12 Mark length comparisons Marked portions
148. ed drawing window You can also create a new drawing by clicking the New shortcut button DI on the toolbar WinMark Pro User Guide 100 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Open Open the Open dialog box to navigate through your computer to find and open existing mkh mark files You can also open an existing file by clicking the Open shortcut button Gl on the toolbar Save Save changes to the current file When saving a new drawing the Save As dialog prompts you to enter a filename You can also save a drawing by clicking the Save shortcut button KH on the toolbar Save As Display the Save As dialog which prompts you to save the current drawing with a new filename or path Print AII Properties Print object property values for all objects contained in the active drawing Use the Print dialog box to specify a printer or printer options Print Drawing Print the active drawing Use the Print dialog to specify a printer or printer options You can also print by clicking the Print Drawing shortcut button Gel on the toolbar IMport Import a graphics file for placement in the current drawing Click Import to open the Open dialog Find and open graphics files by filename or file extension WinMark Pro s Import command relies on the File Import Filters to parse the selected file and con vert the data into an importable graphic This method is the most relia
149. ee increments Note that bitmap objects rotate only in 90 increments B Rotate 45 rotate selected objects counterclockwise in 45 degree increments Note that bitmap objects rotate only in 90 increments i Mirror X mirror selected objects in the X horizontal axis ma Mirror Y mirror selected objects in the Y vertical axis iH Center center selected objects around the 0 0 origin point EF Toggle Property Window toggle the Property Window display On or Off WinMark Pro User Guide Getting Started 19 Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor Tool Box Icons in the Tool Box Figure 4 3 represent the drawing and editing tools you use in WinMark Pro To select a tool place the cursor over the tool and click the left mouse button The cursor changes into the appropriate icon When drawing with a Line Freehand Rectangle or Arc Tool press and hold the left mouse button while dragging to create the desired size length or direction and then release the mouse button D p A N el o o HI e 2 Figure 4 3 Tool Box The following tools are available in the Tool Box Di A Selection Tool selects or deselects objects on the Drawing Canvas Click the left mouse button to select an object Hold the left mouse button and drag to select multiple objects within the selec tion area or hold the CTRL key and left click objects to add them to the selection set Clic
150. enter it in the Text Caption Editor dialog box all the characters in line 1 followed by all the characters in line 2 etc refer back to Figure 15 13 When mark ing two or more lines of text the Mark must not exit the Tracking Window before the last character on the last line not the last character on the frst line is completed I MAXIMUM ENDING POSITION ze OF TEXT MARK lt NI DOWNSTREAM FIELD EDGE A i I i 1 i v i l gt i 3 MAX MARKING FIELD 1 z A DRAWING CANVAS S i o OPTIMAL MARKING FIELD 1 z X 3 i 1 2 I 1 l EE SE N g MINIMUM STARTING lt POSITION OF TEXT MARK UPSTREAM FIELD EDGE N Figure 15 16 Sample text mark Because WinMark Pro marks text from left to right and top to bottom use this feature to ensure that marking occurs at the fastest speed possible To achieve optimum line speeds perform the following steps 1 Orient either the text or the part to be marked as shown in Figure 15 17 so that the laser mark is made moving against or counter to the direction of part motion WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 93 Chapter 15 Tracker marking BEAM MOTION PART MOTION Figure 15 17 Beam mark motion 2 Position the mark on the Drawing Canvas so that the entire mark is placed near the upstream edge of the Marking Window Figure 15 18 Note Because Sensor Distance must be greater than the X or Y start mark coordinate you may
151. equipment Terms Certain terms are used throughout this manual or on the equipment labels Please familiarize yourself with their definitions and significance A Danger Imminent hazards which if not avoided will result in death or serious injury A Warning Potential hazards which if not avoided could result in death or serious injury A Caution Potential hazards or unsafe practices which if not avoided may result in minor or moderate injury Caution Potential hazards or unsafe practices which if not avoided may result in product damage Note Points of particular interest for more efficient or convenient equipment operation additional information or explanation concerning the subject under discussion General hazards Following are descriptions of general hazards and unsafe practices that could result in death severe injury or product damage Specific warnings and cautions not appearing in this section are found throughout the manual A SYNRAD CO laser products emit invisible infrared laser radiation in the 10 6 um CO wavelength band serious personal Do not allow laser radiation to enter the eye by viewing direct or re EN flected laser energy CO laser radiation can be reflected from metallic INJUry objects even though the surface is darkened Direct or diffuse laser radiation can inflict severe corneal injuries leading to permanent eye damage or blindness All personnel must wear eye protection suitable for 10
152. er Duty Cycle 0 Toggle Lase BECH Status PWM Slider A RAD Lase On Off Figure 8 1 Digital Scope display A description of each Digital Scope control follows Input Bit Status Input bit buttons pop in to indicate that an input connected to the marking head or Fiber Link Control ler Card FLCC is active See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a list of valid inputs for your particular marking head WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 33 Chapter 8 WinMark Digital Scope PVVM Slider Click and drag the PWM slider to set output laser power by varying the laser s pulse width modulation PWM between 0 100 duty cycle Power output is displayed in the Laser Duty Cycle display box Output Bit Status Click an output bit button to activate an output connected to the marking head or FLCC See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a list of valid outputs for your particular marking head Lase On Off Click the Toggle Lase button to turn the laser On The laser will fire at the specified Laser Duty Cycle Click again to toggle the laser Off Note To prevent I O conflicts always close Digital Scope before attempting to operate the mark ing head using the membrane panel pushbuttons or before starting WinMark Pro or WinMark Launcher Note Beginning with WinMark Pro version 4 0 0 3773 Digital Scope now sends a command to center FH Series marking head Fenix Laser Marker galvanometers whe
153. er Mark Session Undefined On Abort Session Undefined Figure 17 9 All tab Drawing properties WinMark Pro User Guide 144 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties 41S Object properties The Object properties chapter includes subsections Special tab Automation tab Marking tab Format tab All tab All objects created or imported on the Drawing Canvas have sets of properties associated with them These properties allow you to define how each specific object is displayed and marked Select an object on the Drawing Canvas or highlight an object name in the Object List to review or modify its properties Object properties are classified by category in the Property List and include Special Automation Marking Format and All tabs Special tab Special object properties Figure 18 1 apply to objects contained within the drawing Special Automation Marking Format All Object Name Text Figure 18 1 Special tab object properties Object Name Enter a specific descriptive name for each object created or imported onto the Drawing Canvas Instead of using the default title Text1 enter a name that better describes the object such as PartNumber or Date Code String WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 145 Chapter 18 Object properties Automation tab Automation object properties Figure 18 2 apply only to text 1D and 2D bar code obje
154. er lines which also aids in configuration management and or document control Track Marking Object Select Yes to create and mark new mark files with the Tracker feature enabled Choose No to create and mark files in Index stationary mode Use Constant Velocity Tracking When set to No XY position data is generated based on input s from an external position encoder that varies as part motion varies When products travel through the marking area at a constant ve locity select Yes to generate XY data at a fixed rate controlled by the Product Line Speed property Hising Edge Part Sense Set to Yes to trigger on the rising edge of the part sensor s output signal Select No to trigger marking on the sensor signal s falling edge Motion Vector Set the direction of part movement through the marking field When looking at WinMark Pro s Drawing Canvas 0 is part movement towards the left 90 is movement towards the bottom 180 is towards the right and 270 is part movement towards the top of the Drawing Canvas When Track Marking Object is Yes a motion arrow is displayed to the left of the Drawing Canvas showing the direction of the currently entered Motion Vector Sensor Distance Use Sensor Distance the distance at the moment of part sense from the center of the mark field to the leading edge of the desired mark location to change the longitudinal location of the mark on the part Sensor Distance values are entered in inches with a
155. er of the Software terminates your license from SYNRAD Inc You may not a Distribute the Software Documentation Photographs or copies or portions thereof in any manner or form or use b Copy or transfer the Software Documentation or Photographs in whole or in part except as pro vided above c Duplicate or electronically distribute the Software Documentation or Photographs except as pro vided above d Alter merge modify adapt decompile or reverse engineer the Software e Remove obscure or alter any SYNRAD Inc patent copyright or other proprietary rights notice WimnlViari Pro User Guide xx Contact information Contact information Worldwide headquarters SYNRAD s worldwide headquarters are located north of Seattle in Mukilteo Washington U S A Our mailing address is SYNRAD Inc 4600 Campus Place Mukilteo WA 98275 U S A Phone us at 1 800 SYNRADI1 1 800 796 7231 Outside the U S 1 425 349 3500 Fax 1 425 349 3667 Email synrad synrad com Sales and Applications SYNRAD s Regional Sales Managers work with customers to identify and develop the best CO laser solu tion for a given application Because they are familiar with you and your laser application use them as a first point of contact when questions arise Regional Sales Managers also serve as the liaison between you and our Applications Lab in processing material samples per your specifications Customer Service F
156. ercentage of PWM duty cycle power required to mark the selected object Beginning with WinMark versions 4 3 3 4528 and above Power can change in 0 1 steps This change in resolution from 1 to 0 1 steps is supported by FH Series heads running firmware version 17 or above Tip A value of 70 80 usually equals the laser s specified output power rating WinMark Pro User Guide 154 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Resolution Enter a marking resolution for the selected object Units of measure are in microvectors per inch which is roughly analogous to the more common dots per inch DPI printing terminology Note Imported bitmap images are now resized according to the Resolution setting specified on the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab Previously WinMark Pro increased or decreased bitmap image size corresponding to a fixed bitmap resolution of 600 DPI WinMark Pro does not resample bitmap images but rather resizes them to preserve the image s total pixel count the overall dimensions of a 96 DPI image imported into WinMark at 300 DPI are automatically resized to 32 of their original height and width Tip In order to import a bitmap image at full scale WinMark s Resolution setting must match the file s resolution For example to import a file saved at 225 DPI first ensure that the Resolution property on the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab is set to 225 Delay
157. erly read as a cell with the primary advantage of substantially reduced cycle times See Chapter 11 Fast 2D codes for details on setting up and using this property 2D Barcode Circle Radius When 2D Barcode Bitmap is No enter a value less than 10096 to scale down vector circle cell size Smaller diameter cells are useful for marking sensitive materials where overlapping vector strokes produce unacceptable mark quality 2D Barcode Style Select either Data Matrix or OR Code 2D code styles WinMark Pro User Guide 172 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties 2D Barcode Shape If 2D Barcode Style is Data Matrix choose between square and rectangular code formats Rect angular codes are useful for marking long thin parts but are limited to less than 98 digits or 72 al phanumeric characters Entering characters beyond this limit forces the code to revert to a square Error Correction Mode If 2D Barcode Style is OR Code choose from one of four error correction modes High Density creates the most compact code while Ultra High Reliability produces the highest accuracy when reading dirty or damaged codes Data Input Mode If 2D Barcode Style is OR Code choose Automatic the default setting or Manual data input Manual input is used when multiple data types numeric alphanumeric Kanji and binary are contained within a single data string For Manual data entry only a character mode must precede the data
158. etafile v1 3 ANSI CALS NIST CH3 Harvard Graphics 3 0 Chart File Format DOS CMN Corel ClipArt Format v5 v7 CTM Clear Text CGM DIB MS Windows Device Independent Bitmap DRW Micrografx Designer 3 1 DSF Micrografx Designer 6 0 Win95 DWF AutoDesk Drawing Web Format DWG AutoCad Native Drawing Format v12 0 v14 0 DXF AutoCad Drawing Interchange Format through v14 0 EMF Enhanced Windows Metafile Win32 EPS Encapsulated PostScript File FMV FrameMaker Vector and Raster Format FPX Kodak FlashPix File v1 O GDF IBM Graphics Data Format GDDM GEM Digital Research Graphics Environment Manager Metafile GIF Graphics Interchange Format Internet LZW GP4 Group 4 CALS Format HGL HP Graphics Language Level 2 0 HPG HP Graphics Language Level 2 0 JGS Initial Graphics Exchange Specification IGES Drawing Format v5 1 Extension File Format IMG GEM Raster Format JPG Joint Photographic Experts Group JPEG File Format MET OS 2 PM Metafile v3 0 NAP NAPLPS Standard ANSI Profile PCD Kodak Photo CD Format PCT Macintosh PICT Format v2 0 PCX Zsoft PC Paintbrush Bitmap PDF Adobe Portable Document Format v3 0 LZW PDI NAPLPS IBM PC VideoTex PIC Lotus 123 Picture File Format NAPLPS General Parametrics PIF IBM Picture Interchange Format PET HP Graphics Language PNG Portable Network Graphics Internet Format non LZW PRE Lotus Freelance for Windows
159. events are also run for each piece that is marked WinMark Pro User Guide 78 Basic Operation Chapter 14 Custom Test Mark feature It is not possible for a custom test mark to perform non Event Builder output functions Set Digital Before Piece Set Digital Before Mark or Set Digital After Mark or to perform any type of input automation Custom test mark input signals are sensed in only three cases 1 for the Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI input where Input Bit 3 IN3 must be active 2 for Index marks where Input Bit O INO the part sensor input is expected when Test Mark Mode is set to Auto or 3 for Tracking where INO is the part sensor input and IN1 IN2 are position inputs from the rotary encoder WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 79 Chapter 15 Tracker marking 45 Tracker marking The Tracker marking chapter includes subsections WinMark Pro Tracking tab Determining line speed Marking text Marking graphics Mark placement Optimization Summary Unlike static laser marking systems that require parts to be at rest during marking SYNRAD s FH Series Tracker Marking Head and Fenix Tracker Laser Marker are capable of marking parts on the fly as they move through the marking field at line speeds up to 200 feet per minute Initial material samples should be tested by SYNRAD s Applications Lab to determine the optimum power speed and lens size settings for your application This tes
160. ew Figure 13 2 Inserting WinMark Pro s ActiveX control G When the Microsoft Visual C dialog box opens click OK to Insert this component 7 When the Confirm Classes dialog box appears Figure 13 3 click OK WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 73S Chapter 13 ActiveMark automation Confirm Classes 21x The checked class es will be generated from the ActiveX Control Click on a class name to browse or edit its attributes Cancel I The selected class has already been generated Click OK to update the class Class name Base class CSynMh tx Cwnd Header file synmhatx h Implementation file ynmhatx cpp Figure 13 3 Confirm Classes dialog box amp Click the Close button The WinMark Pro ActiveX control SynMhAtx ocx has been added or updated in the open Visual C project The application must be built or rebuilt in order to include the new control Both the synmhatx cpp and synmhatx h files are machine generated IDispatch wrapper class es created by MS Visual C Sample VB and C projects See the WinMark Pro web site at http www winmark com ActiveX Sample Files activex sample files htm or the WinMark Pro CD for both Visual Basic and Visual C sample code and mark files These files include actual source code instead of an executable exe file therefore your development computer must contain a version of Visual Basic or Visual C Important Note We stron
161. ext Italics No Test Filled No Text Justification Left Text Curve Detail 100 Text Width 0 0926 in Line Spacing 0 2875 in Extra Char Spacing 0 0000 in Text Radius 0 0000 in Figure 18 13 Format tab text properties Text Caption Enter a caption for the currently selected text object If the text string displayed in the Property List is highlighted typing will replace any current text To edit click once in the highlighted field to establish an insertion point or click the ellipsis to enter multiline text using the Text Caption Editor dialog box Note If Auto Text Type is set to other than None the Text Caption string serves as only a placeholder and is replaced by the specified auto text during the mark session For example when serializing text the character string entered as the Current Saved Value not the Text Caption is used for marking Note Some automated text and barcode captions are updated on the display when the object is selected or deselected Dates times and From Another Object sources are updated serial numbers are updated if Save Last Serial is Yes Serial port and disk file text is not updated until the source is read during the mark sequence Font Type Select either TrueType or stroke fonts for text Use stroke fonts for quick marks at high throughput speeds Use TrueType fonts to match a logo maintain a corporate identity or create a certain look Tip Both stroke and TrueType fonts
162. f Frequently Asked Questions covers marking head and software topics in categories such as Product Upgrades General Troubleshooting WinMark Pro Automation Tracking Operation and ActiveX WinMark Pro User Guide 132 Commands amp Properties Chapter 17 Drawing properties 17 Drawing properties The Drawing properties chapter includes subsections Tracking tab Automation tab Marking tab Format tab All tab All objects created or imported onto the Drawing Canvas have sets of properties associated with them These properties allow you to define how each specific object is displayed or marked In addition to objects you place on the Drawing Canvas the Drawing object itself the mkh marking file contains properties that allow you to apply global changes for tracking marking output or communication with automated parts handling equipment Click on Drawing in the Object List or click the Drawing Canvas itself to select the Drawing object Drawing properties are classified by category in the Property List and include Tracking Automation Marking Format and All tabs Click on the All tab to display all properties for the Drawing object Tracking tab When WinMark Pro senses that it is communicating with an FH or Fenix Tracker it adds another tab Tracking to the Property List Tracking properties Figure 17 1 are used to set tracking parameters for part movement speed and direction Tracking Automation Marking Format
163. f line mark file development eege ele 27 EH Smart mark file development eme savcroupcvendiainscnsencusdodsnsessade ene toin doses ei ey eene 27 Introd CtlOn acuerdo OD RU DUM E Ee MU ERO OI HI GN PI ED EREE N 28 Launcher display V H 29 Progress WiBdOW estie ss stesse ae ee ease tbc EENS 29 Mark Preview WIDdOW oett resto ct petto te lee toe eben ede S 29 Mark L g Sido i 29 Opening adra wing ee 30 Marking E 30 Modifying aha iis E 31 WinMark Digital SCOpeanituccanitu eO UR UND GE RO EUG RU GER ERE E EREE 32 WinMark Pro User Guide Table of Contents vi Chapter contents eer E EE UE 38 WER E 38 ice EE 41 EE 43 KREE 44 Marking parameters zones idet ie er d RH RO TRIES ERR ERR HR RE 44 KE 44 olm CQ 44 Resol tion Suite 45 1D E M 45 e eco eti etn edet attin dote deii tended meii ti uelint toes doneaens 45 M tteg g eegent 45 Raster e 46 UE 47 PISCE MATIC eege dees 48 Mate EE EE 49 suceso ilo ERR m 52 Vectorstyle E 53 Spot style 2D eodes e tede ra I ieee apses SEHE HERE Sues tee pap E ces estet PER nes 54 WinMark Pro User Guide viii Table of Contents Chapter contents EE 51 Additional peripheral cards eise e bei rbi tete oe I o RH PE Me aed 51 Additional I O capability iui eo me terr tec e er tees RSE 51 Multiple marking heads antistite cites se teh Gee EE ote Ea E 58 Input Output COM
164. f this behavior WinMark Pro s registry access permissions are initially set to Administrator by the WinMark installer when it sets the startup language The installer does not support different access levels for registry keys so these must be changed by the program It is therefore necessary to run WinMark Pro once as an Administrator before other more restricted users can run the program 6G Click the Install WinMark Pro link to install the appropriate version for your computer s operating system 7 Follow the on screen instructions Important Note During installation WinMark Pro version 4 0 and later presents an option to pre serve your existing WinMark settings in the computer s System Registry Choose Yes to preserve current WinMark Pro registry settings including custom date code formats object defaults shift codes auto startup info and saved serial numbers Choose No to erase all previous WinMark registry entries and perform a clean installation Before installing earlier versions of WinMark check our Laser Marking FAQ on the WinMark Pro web site http www winmark com or the WinMark Pro CD for details about saving and restoring registry information WinMark Launcher As part of the software installation WinMark Launcher Launcher exe is placed in the Program Files WinMark folder and a shortcut is placed on the desktop Launcher allows operators to load existing mkh files for marking without opening WinMark s Drawin
165. factor of two to 600 DPI during importation image size decreased by a factor of two This imported square now measures one half inch on a side The right hand square illustrates the third case This time the one inch square is saved at 900 DPI and then imported into WinMark Pro Since image resolution decreased by 67 during importation 600 900 image size increased by a factor of 1 5 1 67 The imported square now measures one and one half inches on a side l Ba i 1 Square 4 Square quare 600 DPI 300 DPI 900 DPI i Figure 21 3 Bitmap image size resolution comparison Note Older versions of WinMark Pro increased or decreased bitmap image size corresponding to a fixed bitmap resolution of 600 DPI Symptom Color bitmap mark quality is not as good as expected Possible Causes The Color Reduction Method property is not optimized Because laser marking with the exception of the 8 bit Grayscale Color Reduction Method is a mono chrome black and white or on off process color or continuous tone bitmaps are converted to 1 bit images when imported This conversion is accomplished using Bayer Dithering Error Diffusion or Halftone algorithms These algorithms create the illusion of color or continuous tone by varying the size shape and or spacing of the dots making up the image just as books newspapers and magazines do WinMark Pro versions 4 0 0 4018 and above retain a copy of the original bitmap image in memory af
166. ff as it scans across the image area At the end of a scan line the beam returns is moved down one step and then makes another pass This rastering continues through the length of the image If bi directional rastering is chosen marking is enabled as the beam moves both directions across the image In addition you can specify either a horizontal or a vertical orientation for rastering Raster marking is slower than vector marking but rastering can create filled objects and text or even reproduce photographic images Figure 9 1 illustrates both types of marking Vector outline Raster fill Figure 9 1 Vector versus raster marking Text When creating text there are two categories of fonts to choose from 1 stroke fonts or 2 TrueType fonts Stroke fonts are the type of fonts typically used in CAD programs because they are drawn or marked very quickly using point to point vectors Twelve different stroke font styles are built into WinMark Pro to improve high speed coding of text date codes and serial numbers Any TrueType font installed in Windows s Fonts folder is available for use by WinMark Pro If Text Fill is set to No the font is marked as a vector outline if Text Fill is Yes the font is filled by rastering the beam effectively coloring in the outline to produce a solid fill Figure 9 2 illustrates examples of stroke TrueType and filled TrueType fonts WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 39 Chapter 9
167. formations dialog box eee 26 Figure 7 1 Launcher With ow I 28 Figure 8 1 Digital Scope displays ege tee EEN 32 Figure 9 1 Vector versus raster markings aae ceci e D tbi aiii 38 Figure 9 2 judi T 39 Figure 9 3 Marking tab object properties seine iere tint nett totae tienne 39 Figure 9 4 E yti wis Sots a ssa ertaseldut ese stats seuss Neots doves vant EEEE 41 Figure 9 5 Chaibi E 42 Figure 10 1 Mark session Hogechart sem esee ttn tton teintes tnit tn tt raesent oed 47 Figure 10 2 Mark button on the toolbar sssseecesscssnceasscssncecsecssnsensanscssecnaesceanee 48 Figure 10 3 Synrad WinMark dialog box 2 eene e tired 49 Figure 10 4 Setting number of Array Columms esee 50 Figure 10 5 Setting number of Array ROWS NEE 50 Figure 10 6 Mark button on toolbar eir tette entes etin other tena 5 Figure 10 7 Synrad WinMark dialog box sssi ntt ett tients 51 Figure 11 1 Standard raster filled 2D code eee 52 Figure 11 2 Vector style 2D Data Matrix code 53 WinlViari Pro User Guide Table of Contents xiii List of Figures Figure 11 3 Cellsize spot size CODCeDtuss iei cereo etse ere ir eet t odes 54 Figure 11 4 Spot style 2D Data Matrix code eese 54 Figure 12 1 Start Mark FASI automation setup eese teen tenent ennt 60 Figure 12 2 Sawoplestate diagram ep etes ete renta epu ec td eS ee ekle do chan iet 61 F
168. from a distance The primary disadvantages of raster filled codes are longer mark times and higher heat input into the material Figure 11 1 Standard raster filled 2D code When the job requirement calls for marking very small 2D codes a combination of unique features in WinMark Pro allows you to create two very different and very fast vector style 2D codes Use the vec tor circle method when creating small 2D Data Matrix or QR Codes on most materials Use the spot style method when marking 2D codes on glass or printed circuit board PCB substrates Overall code size is dependent upon how large or how small the focusing lens can mark individual cells Tip The ratio of individual cell size to beam spot size should be on the order of 2 1 or greater Unlike normal raster filled 2D codes these fast codes have the potential for high speed on the fly marking using FH Tracker and FH Smart marking heads at reasonably fast continuous line speeds In addition to high marking speeds these vector style 2D codes put far less heat into the material making it perfect for PCB and glass marking applications where penetration into underlying layers or uncontrolled fracturing is an issue WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 53 Chapter 11 Fast 2D codes Vector style 2D codes Figure 11 2 shows a 21 character 2D Data Matrix code marked using the vector circle method Figure 11 2 Vector style 2D Data M
169. g Canvas Give each text object a different caption so that they are uniquely identified Select the Drawing object highlight Drawing in the Property List and click the Automation tab W On the Automation tab click the ellipsis to the right of On Before Mark Piece to open the Event Builder dialog Click the Add button to add a new command Click on the drop down arrow and select MatchDigitalState Set the Timeout Msecs value in the Command Details frame to 100 NO OO E Enter a card ID number corresponding to the ID of the card used for the input output I O con nection Typically this ID corresponds to the ID of the card used for controlling the marking head see Tools General Settings Application Settings IO Card Selection 00 Set the Input Bit 2 IN2 state to Clear 0 and set Input Bit 3 IN3 to Set 1 Leave all other bits set to Ignore S Inthe Target Object and Property frame select the first of the three text objects as the target ob ject and select Mark Object as the target property 1 O Follow steps 4 through 7 to add a second MatchDigitalState command but set Input Bit 2 IN2 to Set 1 set Input Bit 3 IN3 to Clear 0 select the second text object as the target object and choose Mark Object as the target property 11 Follow steps 4 through 7 to add a third MatchDigitalState command but set Input Bit 2 IN2 to Set 1 set Input Bit 3 IN3
170. g Delay increases the sharpness of points where polylines connect See Figure 18 9 for illustrations of Interseg Delay effects Too much delay creates dwell or hot spots at the end of polylines too little delay causes corners to be rounded e Interseg Delay or Interseg Delay Correct Use of Too Long Too Short Interseg Delay Figure 18 9 Interseg Delay settings WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 157 Chapter 18 Object properties Off Vector Delay Off Vector Delay sets a proportional delay during all laser off vector moves to eliminate tails when moving between non connected polylines See Figure 18 10 for illustrations of Off Vector Delay effects Too much delay will create a good mark but marking throughput cycle time may be unac ceptably slowed too little delay may cause tails or leading marks at the beginning of polylines _ lt lt lt Off Vector Delay or Off Vector Delay Correct Use of Too Long Causes Too Short Off Vector Delay Long Cycle Times Figure 18 10 Off Vector Delay settings Bi Directional Raster not available for unfilled arc or polyline objects Set Bi Directional Raster to Yes to reduce cycle time when marking a filled raster image If set to No laser marking of bitmap or filled images is done in only one scan orientation Note When Bitmap Scan Type is set to Continuous or when marking Grayscale images
171. g Editor Using WinMark Pro s Startup Options menu Launcher can be configured to load a specific file and to start marking automatically when the com puter is powered up WinMark Digital Scope Digital Scope DigScope exe is a stand alone program included in the WinMark folder Use Digital Scope to test individual inputs and outputs turn the laser beam on or off or adjust the laser s output power level This manual control is especially useful when testing or troubleshooting I O connections to the marking head or Fiber Link Controller Card Samples folder A Samples folder is also placed in the WinMark folder during installation This folder contains a sample communications DLL Microsoft Visual Basic and Microsoft Visual C sample code demonstrating the use of WinMark s ActiveMark control methods as well as several bitmap and vector graphics files that you can import WinMark Pro User Guide 12 Getting Started Chapter 2 Installation Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC drivers PCI bus FLCC device drivers are automatically installed by WinMark Pro versions 3 1 and later Restart ing the computer after installation of the Fiber Link Card and software causes the Windows Device Man ager or NT Service to detect new hardware the PCI bus FLCC and load the correct device driver files NT4 operating systems must be rebooted again to start the new NT Service Customers using WinMark Pro versions 2 1 0 3468 through
172. gly recommend that all ActiveX control methods use inches as the unit of measure Program your application or user interface to calculate the conversion to inches from other units of measure Unpredictable object placement or operation may result if WinMark Pro s Show Units Type property is set to millimeters or centimeters WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation Chapter 14 Custom Test Mark feature id Custom Test Mark feature The Custom Test Mark feature chapter includes subsections Test Mark Control options Creating a custom test mark Setting Test Mark Control options Downloading custom test mark files Custom test mark I O Customers using FH Series Index or Tracker marking heads or Fenix Laser Markers with firmware version 7 or higher have the ability to download a custom test mark to their marking head Like the standard factory test mark a custom test mark downloaded into the head s non volatile memory is marked each time the head s Test Mark pushbutton is pressed However unlike the standard test pattern a custom test mark allows operators to 1 create a custom mark file with specific object properties 2 mark the custom test mark as an Index or Tracker mark and 3 perform true stand alone Index or Tracker marking of the custom test mark without a computer connected to the marking head Access the custom test mark command in WinMark Pro by clicking Tools and then click Custom Test Mark The Test Mark Con
173. gure 12 8 Serialization setup Marking setup 1 Make sure the text you entered is still selected Click the Format tab and go down the list setting type characteristics as desired 2 Next click the Marking tab and set desired mark characteristics including Power Velocity and Resolution 3 In the Object List click Drawing or click outside any objects on the Drawing Canvas and then click the Making tab 4 Set Mark Count to zero 0 Figure 12 9 shows how the Drawing s Marking tab should look after this step Once started marking will continue until the ESC key is pressed Automation signals from the control computer or PLC will determine when the laser fires These signals will be configured in the next section Figure 12 9 Marking setup Automation setup 1 With the Drawing object still selected click the Automation tab 2 Select Set Digital Before Piece and click the down arrow WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 67r Chapter 12 Automation basics S Click on Bit 4 click the down arrow and then select Set from the drop down list Set Output Bit 4 to signal parts handling equipment that the laser is off and is ready for a new part A Select Wait Digital Before Piece click Bit 0 and then select Set from the drop down list Input Bit O is used as the start mark signal from the PLC or automation controller WinMark Pro s automation sequence will halt until the anticipated logic state is matc
174. han once the Drawing s Mark Count must be greater than 1 or be set to O where the mark session continues until halted by the user Event O 1 Select Drawing from the Object List 2 Select the Automation tab on the Property List S Select Set Digital Before Piece and click the down arrow A Click on Bit 4 click the down arrow and then select Set from the drop down list Figure 12 3 Selecting Set assigns a logic 1 value to Output Bit 4 OUT4 This output signals parts handling equipment that WinMark is ready for a part to be moved into position under the marking head Automation Marking Format All On Before Mark Session Set Digital Before Piece S Wait Digital Before Piece Bit1 Ignore On Before Mark Piece 2 i Ignore Set Digital Before Mark it Sa Wait Digital After Piece my pe On After Mark Piece Ignored Set Digital After Mark int gno n After Mark Session Undefined n Abart Session Undefined Undefined Figure 12 3 Setting Set Digital Before Piece WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 63 Chapter 12 Autornation basics Event 1 1 Select Wait Digital Before Piece 2 Click Bit O then select Set from the drop down list Figure 12 4 Selecting Set assigns a logic 1 value as the required logic state on Input Bit O INO In this example parts handling equipment sets Bit O after a new part is in position to be marked This input serves as
175. he type of mark selected should match the current marking method Index or Tracking If the Test Mark Type choice is not compatible with the currently selected marking mode a dialog box reminds you to turn the Track Marking Object property on the Drawing s Tracking tab On or Off After setting the desired marking mode return to Tools and click Custom Test Mark to reopen the Test Mark Control dialog box WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 77 Chapter 14 Custom Test Mark feature Downloading custom test mark files 1 Under Tools click Custom Test Mark and when the Test Mark Control dialog box opens verify that the correct Test Mark Mode options are selected Note The default Test Mark Mode is Manual To enable Auto Test Mark Mode you must select the Auto option each time the Test Mark Control dialog box opens 2 Click OK to download the currently active WinMark file to FH or Fenix memory W After file transfer is complete a dialog box confirms a successful download 4 Ifthe data transmission fails click OK to acknowledge the failure and then repeat Steps 1 3 If the custom test mark feature appears dimmed after a data transmission failure then under Help click About Synrad WinMark and then click Head Info After closing the dialog boxes return to the Tools menu The custom test mark command should be available The marking head can contain only one custom test mark at a time but a new mark file can
176. hed In this example the PLC sets Bit O when all conditions for safely lasing the mark are met 5 Select Set Digital Before Mark click Bit 4 and then select Clear WinMark Pro clears this output prior to firing the laser This bit notifies the PLC that the laser is on G Select Wait Digital After Piece and clear Bit 0 This input from the PLC ensures that Bit O is Clear the start mark signal is disabled before con tinuing the automation loop 7 Select Set Digital After Mark Click Bit 4 and select Set Setting this output informs the PLC that marking is complete and another new part can be staged Figure 12 10 show how the Automation tab should look after this step is complete Important Note In WinMark Pro when a logic state is specified for an input bit or a combination of input bits the next step in the Automation List is not executed until an input state matching the specified state is read on the marking head or FLCC input bus In the Event Builder the next event defined after a MatchDigitalState or WaitDigitalState command is not executed until either a matching input state is read on the input bus or the specified timeout period is exceeded Automation Marking Format All Dn Before Mark Session Undefined Set Digital Before Piece He Wait Digital Before Piece de On Before Mark Piece Undefined Set Digital Before Mark D Wat Digital After Piece D Dn After Mark Piece Undefined Set Digital After Mark
177. hen marking a raster image If set to No laser marking of bitmap or filled images is done in only one direction Note To achieve the best image quality when Bitmap Scan Type is set to Continuous or when marking Grayscale images Bi Directional Raster is automatically disabled marking occurs in only one direction although you can still specify a Raster Scan Direction Font Type Select either a TrueType or a stroke font for text Use stroke fonts to mark text quickly at high throughput speeds Use TrueType fonts to match a logo maintain a corporate identity or create a certain look TrueType Font Select a TrueType font for marking text You can laser mark any TrueType font installed in the Window s Fonts folder Note Although WinMark Pro does support TrueType T TF fonts as well as the Open Type TTF fonts found on Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems OpenType OTF fonts are not currently supported In addition WinMark does not support Adobe PostScript PFM fonts for Windows WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 121 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Stroke Font Select one of WinMark Pro s twelve built in stroke fonts Fonts available include Bold European Gothic LiteCom Little Sans Serif Script Simple Trip Tscr Trip Script Complex and Simplex Text Height Enter a base character height for stroke or TrueType text Note For TrueType fonts Text Height is the approx
178. ies 237 Chapter 21 Troubleshooting The Laser Control cable is not connected between the laser and the marking head Refer to the Getting Started section of your marking head s Operator s Manual for information on con necting the Laser Control cable between the marking head and your particular laser The Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature on the Fiber Link Card is enabled If the FASI feature is enabled DIP switch 5 on the Fiber Link Controller Card set to On then a 15 40 V signal must be applied to Input Bit 3 IN3 on the FH Fenix marking head before the laser will fire Note On older ISA bus Fiber Link Controller Cards the FASI feature is controlled by DIP switch 6 Refer to the Operator s Manual that came with your particular marking head for details Symptom A Tracker marking head does not track moving parts Possible Causes Tracking is not enabled Check that Track Marking Object on WinMark s Tracking tab is set to Yes Encoder pulses are not being read by the FH Fenix Tracker head Close WinMark Pro and open Digital Scope DigScope exe Rotate the conveyor or position encoder and verify that Input Bit 1 INI and Input Bit 2 IN2 toggle as the encoder rotates The part sensor signal is not being read by the FH Fenix Tracker head Close WinMark Pro and open Digital Scope Trigger the part sensor and verify that Input Bit O INO toggles Part movement is not being sensed in the
179. igure 12 3 Setting Set Digital Before Piece eese etre 62 Figure 12 4 Setting Wait Digital Before Piece SEENEN En 63 Figure 12 5 Clearing Set Digital Before Mark essere 63 Figure 12 6 Clearing Wait Digital After Piece sse 64 Figure 12 7 Setting Set Digital After Markieren tart tetro 64 Higure12 8 Serialization setup eene eerte tet Iove ete enter Deb Ela SETE ES 66 Figure 12 9 Marking setup sesto peret tait ete teet E EEE ESETERE 66 Figure 12 10 Automation Setup ecciesie t eret erit dien dagegen 61 Figure 12211 Launcher window resectie tedesco ettet gedeien SE ege 68 Figure 13 1 WinMark Pro s ActiveX control in VB Toolbon eee 71 Figure 13 2 Inserting WinMark Pro s ActiveX control eee 72 Figure 13 3 Confirm Classes dialog box esee tenenet 13 Figure 14 1 Test Mark Control dialog box 74 EE racking taberei taie ae doo aetas dete 79 Figure 15 2 Part sensor output waveform SEENEN NENNEN i 80 Figure 15 3 Drawing Canvas coordinates relative to Tracker sss 81 Figure 15 4 Upstream part sensor rising edge trigger ccccesessesescrenstessenssetecssseseneees 82 Figure 15 5 Downstream patt SensOEus eee eee ertet rete eger OE EEE ER treu 82 Figure 15 6 X Y start mark coordinates ceret tette eerte eter to eia tetti 83 Pigure 15 7 Usable Field Size trt ett tret canes en AEE E EERE 85 Figure 15 8 Mark Pitch greater than Usab
180. ilable com ports detected on your computer Click the ellipsis to open the Serial Port Settings dialog This dialog allows you to view and modify serial port settings Figure 18 4 as required by your serial communications network WinMark Pro v4 supports serial baud rates between 2400 115200 baud Serial Port Settings x Com Port Comt BaudRate Joen DataBits Je Stop Bits 1 Parity None gt Use RTS flow Control I Serial port settings are saved in the registry and are used for all comms on the selected Com Port E ze Figure 18 4 Serial Port Settings dialog box Important Note Prior to version 4 0 0 4051 WinMark Pro s serial communications rate was fixed at 9600 baud WinMark Pro User Guide 150 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Com Port Timeout Set the communications port timeout period in milliseconds The mark will fail if information is not available at the port within the specified time A timeout value of 1 forces WinMark Pro to wait indefinitely until a message is received or the ESC key cancels the mark session Close Comport After Head The default and recommended setting is No which means the computer s com port is opened during the initial com port read and remains open throughout the mark session Choosing Yes forces the com port to close after each read operation in cases where subsequent serial data must be ignored The com port is reopened when
181. imate height of uppercase letters such as M or W although this height varies slightly depending upon the metrics of the chosen typeface In general the Text Height for stroke fonts allows room for lowercase descenders This means that uppercase stroke text will display and mark smaller than the value specified by Text Height Figure 16 13 compares both stroke and TrueType text strings The Drawing s Grid Spacing is set to 0 25 inches and Text Height for both fonts is set to 1 0 inches The Simple stroke font example shows that the 1 0 inch Text Height includes descenders for letters such as g j and y The Times New Roman TrueType example shows that uppercase letters are slightly less than one inch high while descenders exceed the one inch boundary The TrueType font s Current Height value in the Object Transformations dialog box indicates the actual overall text height is 1 21 inches Position X position Y position Reference Pt 2 4511 in a fo 0095 in E Top Left hed r Sizing Transformations v Maintain Aspect Ratio Current Width New Width Scale 4 9667 in E 4 9667 in a 100 a Current Height New Height Scale 1 2100 in 4 a 10 a R Rotation Transformations Enter Rotation 0 00 deg a OK Cancel Figure 16 13 Stroke TrueType height comparison Tip To obtain accurate text height use only uppercase letters and do the following In the Object Trans
182. ime by ensuring that Bi Directional Raster is Yes and then test mark each filled object using first Horizontal and then Vertical Raster Scan Direction WinMark Pro User Guide 120 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Pline Start Delay Use Pline Start Delay to minimize hot spots at the beginning of a polyline or the beginning of a se ries of polylines See Chapter 18 Object properties for a detailed description and illustration of Pline Start Delay functionality Pline End Delay Pline End Delay maintains beam output at the end of a series of polylines to ensure that the current polyline is completed before moving to the next polyline vector See Chapter 18 Object properties for a detailed description and illustration of Pline End Delay functionality Interseg Delay Interseg Delay sets a delay between marking connected polylines where the end point of the current polyline is the start point of the next polyline in the object See Chapter 18 Object properties for a detailed description and illustration of Interseg Delay functionality Off Vector Delay Off Vector Delay sets a proportional delay during all laser off vector moves to eliminate tails when moving between non connected polylines See Chapter 18 Object properties for a detailed descrip tion and illustration of Off Vector Delay functionality Bi Directional Raster Chose Yes to enable bi directional scanning which reduces cycle time w
183. in degrees Dim E As Single eccentricity of ellipse 0 gt 1 Dim N As Integer number of co ordinate pairs in array Dim I As Integer Draw an ellipse formula for t 0 to 360 degrees Dees 1 x COS t y 1 e 2 5 SIN t N 72 E s 0 5 ReDim Polyline N For I 0 To N T I 2 N 3 141592654 convert degrees to radians Polyline I X txtScale Text Cos T Polyline I Y txtScale Text 1 E 2 0 5 Sin T Next I mh AddPolyLine Polylinel N 1 Polyline 0 X False mh Redraw WinMark Pro User Guide 202 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Visual C example First dimension an array of nPts containing X and Y coordinates for each point of the polyline Dim A 2x nPts A 0 Let X coordinate point A 1 1st Y coordinate point struct FPT float x float y PolyLine 72 float fRadius 1 0f PI 3 141592 Approximate a circle with 5 degree line segments for int ang 0 ang lt 360 angt 5 PolyLine ang x fRadius float cos double ang PI 180 PolyLine ang y fRadius float sin double ang PI 180 Get the Client Rectangle CRect ClientRect GetDlgItem IDC_SHOWMARK gt GetWindowRect amp ClientRect ScreenToClient amp ClientRect Create the ActiveX control See CWnd CreateControl in MSDN help for a discussion on Create CSynMhAtx m winMarkCtl BOOL bRet m winMar
184. in the best quality 1 Open the Filled TrueType demo mkh file created earlier N Select the text object S Click the Marking tab and decrease Velocity to 15 in sec Power to 60 and increase Resolution to 1000 4 Click the Format tab and increase Text Curve Detail to 1000 the same as the Resolution and set Extra Char Spacing to 0 015 inches 5 Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens then make the mark G Compare mark quality and cycle time to the initial filled TrueType mark If mark time is too slow try reducing Resolution and Text Curve Detail together or try increasing Velocity and or Power Experiment with changing only one parameter at a time while comparing results Open the Bitmap demo mkh file and make similar changes to Velocity Power and Resolution Compare those mark results to the original bitmap marks WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation AT Chapter 10 Marking parts 10O Marking parts The Marking parts chapter includes subsections The mark session Piece marking Batch marking The mark session Throughout this manual the term mark session used In WinMark Pro terms a mark session begins after pressing F1 on the keyboard or clicking Start F1 in the Synrad WinMark dialog box or Launcher window and ends when the Mark Count property is satisfied the number of parts marked equals the specified Mark Count value In automated systems when Mark Count is set to zero
185. inMark Pro imports text and filled objects in addition to lines arcs and circles Vector files are imported as Grouped objects that can be Ungrouped to allow editing of individual polyline or text objects Any filled objects in the import graphic are imported as unfilled polylines and can be individually selected after Ungrouping and filled as required When importing vector files containing text composed of TrueType fonts not installed on the marking com puter or fonts not recognized by WinMark Pro such as PostScript fonts you will need to export the file from your drawing program with text objects converted to outlines or paths in order to successfully import them into WinMark Pro WinMark Pro does not currently support cross hatching or other fill types except solid If you require cross hatching to obtain the correct look or to increase marking speed create individual cross hatch lines in your drawing program Do not fill the object using a cross hatch or other pattern as WinMark will strip out these fills during importation Table 16 1 lists current file formats and program versions supported by WinMark Pro s File Import Filters WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 103 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Table 16 1 Supported file formats Extension File Format Al Adobe Illustrator Format v4 0 v7 0 BMP Windows Bitmap CDR CorelDRAW Drawing File Format v3 0 v8 0 COM Computer Graphics M
186. inMark Pro reverts to demo mode allowing you to create and save files The only missing functionality is the ability to send microvector mark data to the marking head You can always download the latest version of WinMark Pro free of charge from the WinMark Pro web site at http winmark com or from the WinMark Pro CD In order for mkh files to open and mark remember that the build number x x x 1234 of the off line development version of WinMark must be less than or equal to the build number of the WinMark Pro ver sion installed on the marking computer Note Because Tracking parameters are specific to each individual Tracker application properties on the Tracking tab cannot be viewed or modified unless WinMark Pro is actively communicating with a Tracker capable FH Series or Fenix marking head FH Smart mark file development FH Smart mark files are developed using WinMark Pro in demo mode Because FH Smart executes mark files in firmware any version of WinMark Pro can be used for mark file development Text automation features such as serialization date coding time stamping etc are setup in the same manner as a normal Index or Tracker file With the FH Smart head however these functions are processed by the marking head in real time and no computer interface is required Mark files are downloaded to FH Smart through an RS 232 serial interface using Smart Term a sample terminal emulation program or by using WinMark Pro v5
187. ine Mark Outline No Interseg Break Angle 180 degrees Off Vector Velocity 125 0000 in sec Off Vector Resolution 300 Spot Marking Style No Figure 18 24 All tab object properties WinMark Pro User Guide 178 Commands amp Properties Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands 19 Event Builder commands Event Builder commands Figure 19 1 are available at five different stages in the automation loop On Before Mark Session On Before Mark Piece On After Mark Piece On After Mark Session and On Abort Session These commands perform automation functions during the marking process In most cases these automation events are assigned to a specific property of a specific target object Command Details r Target Object and Property Object a Cancel Figure 19 1 Selecting Event Builder commands AskUserlnput Prompts the operator for keyboard input and assigns the resulting alphanumeric string to the specified target object and target property Tip AskUserlnput is often assigned to the Text Caption property of a text or 1D 2D barcode object AskUserlnput Command Details User Prompt Create a customized User Prompt for the User Input dialog box Use Default If a new operator input string is not required for every mark set Use Default to mark a predefined text string using From Current Property Value or Fro
188. ion LoadDrawing method The LoadDrawing control loads the specified WinMark Pro mkh mark file into the control The draw ing is not displayed until the Redraw method is called If the ProgressCtrlHandle is set to display a progress bar then the progress is indicated as the file load proceeds The control method is formatted as LoadDrawing lt Filename as String gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example mh DrawingIndex 0 mh ProgressCtrlHandle ctlProgressBar hWnd mh LoadDrawing FactoryTestMarkl mkh mh Redraw WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 221 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology MarkDrawing method The MarkDrawing control marks the current drawing If the ProgressCtrlHandle is set to display a progress bar then progress is indicated as the mark proceeds A True returned value indicates successful completion of the mark A False returned value indicates that either an error occurred during marking or that the mark was aborted See GetMarkErrorCode to determine which error occurred Important Note When developing an automated control system using ActiveX control methods do not place input automation into the mark file Instead perform any input automa tion functions within the ActiveX control program By doing this your control program remains in charge of pre mark and post mark automation and WinMark s MarkDrawing control method only maintains control of the operating system long enough t
189. k Pro versions 4 0 0 4018 and above If you are running or have re installed an earlier version of WinMark and wish to import vector graphic images you must manually install the File Import Filters File Import Filters are available from the WinMark Pro CD or the WinMark Pro web site at http www winmark com Tip In addition to marking monochrome 1 bit bitmap images WinMark Pro builds v4 0 0 4045 and above support the importation and marking of grayscale 8 bit 256 level bitmap images Best grayscale marks are obtained with FH Series Index and Tracker marking heads running firmware version 11 or higher FH Smart heads can mark 1 bit monochrome images but cannot mark 8 bit grayscale graphics See the Bitmap format properties section later in this chapter for further informa tion on marking monochrome and grayscale images File import notes Imported bitmap images are resized according to the Resolution setting specified on the Tools Gen eral Settings Object Defaults tab WinMark Pro does not resample bitmap images but rather resizes them to preserve the image s total pixel count For example the overall dimensions of a 96 DPI image imported into WinMark at 300 DPI are automatically resized to 3296 of the original height and width Because laser marking with the exception of the 8 bit Grayscale Color Reduction Method is a monochrome black amp white or on off process color or continuous tone bitmaps are converted to
190. k on a blank section of the drawing to deselect all objects Click the Selection Tool icon to regain the arrow cursor after using a tool such as the Zoom Tool which does not default to an arrow cursor Zoom Tool zooms in or out of the Drawing Canvas After selecting the Zoom Tool click the left mouse button to zoom in click the right mouse button to zoom out The zoomed image is centered on the position of the Zoom Tool when you click To enlarge a specific area hold the left mouse button and drag to define the zoom area Tip The following tools add or import objects onto the Drawing Canvas using WinMark Pro s default set of object properties You can edit these properties on the Tools General Set tings Object Defaults tab so that any new objects created reflect the specific settings required for your application Text Tool places a text object in the drawing Click the Text Tool on the Drawing Canvas to set an insertion point and open the Text Caption Editor dialog box After entering text in the dialog box you can select the text box to modify its position or change text attributes such as font type Or size using text properties shown in the Property List WinMark Pro User Guide 20 Getting Started Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor o m e B8 E ls Line Tool draws straight point to point lines If Snap to Grid Tools General Settings Applica tion Settings tab is Yes th
191. k pushbutton on the FH head is pressed WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 127 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Test Mark Type Test Mark Type determines whether the custom test mark is marked as an Index or Tracker mark If Manual Test Mark Mode is selected then Test Mark Type options do not apply and are dimmed When Test Mark Mode is set to Auto and Test Mark Type is set to Index Mark then a static custom test mark fires when the Test Mark pushbutton on the marking head is pressed or when the rising edge of an input signal is detected on Input Bit O INO Index Mark provides the ability to load a custom test mark file disconnect the fiber link cable and computer and then automatically mark an Index file each time Input Bit O INO goes active When Test Mark Mode is set to Auto and Test Mark Type is set to Tracking Mark then a track ing custom test mark fires when an input part sensor signal is detected on Input Bit O INO after encoder pulses satisfy the specified Sensor Distance If the Test Mark pushbutton on the FH head is pressed Tracker makes a static Index mark Tracking Mark allows you to load a custom test mark file disconnect the fiber link cable and computer and then automatically mark a Tracking file each time a part moves through the marking field Note The Tracking Mark option appears dimmed when WinMark Pro senses it is communicating with an FH or Fenix Index marking head Custom
192. kCtl Create NULL WS VISIBLE ClientRect this IDC SYNMHATX Load a drawing file m winMarkCtl LoadDrawing Default mkh Add the PolyLine m winMarkCtl AddPolyLine NewPoly sizeof PolyLine sizeof PolyLine 0 amp PolyLine 0 x TRUE WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 203 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology AddPolyLineEx method The AddPolyLineEx control adds a new polyline object to the current drawing using the current default object properties specified in the WinMark Pro application Power Velocity and the number of Mark Passes are also defined for the object The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new polyline object nPts is the number of X Y coordinate pairs and x is the floating point starting address of the X Y array If bClosed is True then a line is added from the endpoint coordinate to the starting point coordinate to close the polyline When bClosed is False the polyline ends at the endpoint coordinates The control method is formatted as AdaPolyLineEx lt ObjectName As String nPts As Integer x As Single bClosed As Boolean power As Single velocity As Single nPasses As Long gt INTEGER Visual Basic example See sample VB code for the AddPolyLine method above Remember to set Power Velocity and Mark Passes values after defining a bClosed value in the argument otherwise the new polyline object is marked using default obj
193. kes a static Index mark Track ing Mark provides the ability to load a custom test mark file disconnect the fiber optic cable and computer and then automatically mark a tracking file each time a part moves through the marking field Note The Tracking Mark option appears dimmed when WinMark Pro senses it is communicating with an Index marking head WinMark Pro User Guide 76 Basic Operation Chapter 14 Custom Test Mark feature Creating a custom test mark Use WinMark Pro to develop a custom test mark the same way you would create any other mark file for the appropriate Index or Tracker marking style Create a drawing with properly positioned text or graphic objects and then set object properties such as Velocity Power Resolution etc File size for custom test marks is limited by the FH head s non volatile memory For example the default test pattern fills approximately half the available memory When a custom test mark file is too large to download WinMark displays The selected mark drawing does not fit in Test Mark Memory If this happens try the following options to reduce file size A Reduce the Off Vector Resolution of mark objects in the drawing Non marking resolutions of 50 100 dpi are sufficient to obtain a quality mark B Reduce the Resolution of mark objects 300 dpi is adequate for most marking For graphics with only horizontal or vertical straight lines not diagonals 100 dpi is sufficient C Refin
194. le Field Ditze 85 Figure 15 9 Tracking Window 44cm ero re o o d HO EP PRG 86 Figure 15 10 Te Aia a n Pn eter adieu dan S PET 87 Figure 15 11 Checking Encoder Resolution eese 88 WinMark Pro User Guide xiv Table of Contents List of Figures Figure 15 12 Figure 15 13 Figure 15 14 Figure 15 15 Figure 15 16 Figure 15 17 Figure 15 18 Figure 15 19 Figure 16 1 Figure 16 2 Figure 16 3 Figure 16 4 Figure 16 5 Figure 16 6 Figure 16 7 Figure 16 8 Figure 16 9 Figure 16 10 Figure 16 11 Figure 16 12 Figure 16 13 Figure 16 14 Figure 16 15 Figure 16 16 Figure 16 17 Figure 16 18 Figure 16 19 Figure 16 20 Mark ET E 89 Maximum marking position in Tracking Window sss 89 Tracker line speed calculation 1 eee 90 Tracker line speed calculation 2 sese 91 Sampletext mark etit etra retener rente isst deett sisted ere bz Rte teet 92 Bea mark moti B ie eee HEREDI PRU REFUSES 93 Mark orient tiobi ssec ae dirae i ove cO e o P ado Seaman a n 93 Configure Marking Order dialog box see 94 File menu E 99 Choose Import Type dialog rere ege 101 Edit e cec deerant e o esee cate o ene ea eese dasqe vo adiuti dere ends 104 CDJeGES Eug 106 Alpin Objects dialon aiene Hence a eet tor odas ee Mieten 107 Transformations dialog 1er tec botte RU RIEN EUH OR I e deba sig 108 bur sum 109 Mot
195. lier 2 Click on the text object to select it S Click the Marking tab increase Velocity from 30 in sec to 80 in sec increase Off Vector Velocity from 300 in sec to 600 in sec and increase Power from 6096 to 7596 WinMark Pro User Guide 46 Basic Operation Chapter 9 Marking basics A Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens ensure personnel are wearing safety glasses and then make the mark 5 Compare mark quality and cycle time to the initial stroke font mark If mark quality is unacceptable after increasing Velocity try modifying object delays first because delays have less effect on marking speed If mark quality still suffers after optimizing object delays try decreasing both Velocity and Resolution Remember to change only one parameter at a time while comparing results Open the Vector demo mkh graphic file make similar changes and compare those mark results to the origi nal marks Raster objects When marking raster type objects such as filled TrueType fonts or imported bitmap graphics the level of quality acceptable for a mark is again a subjective issue The highest quality mark possible is often not fast enough from a production standpoint As with speed creating a quality raster mark involves trade offs in Velocity Power Resolution and delay settings and again is best determined by experimentation The following example suggests one approach you might take to optimize raster marks to obta
196. list of compatible graphics formats and versions For example you create an EPS graphics file using Adobe Illustrator version 12 CS2 Current Win Mark Pro File Import Filters only import EPS files created in versions 4 0 through 7 0 You must resave the file in an Illustrator version 7 0 or earlier format in order to import the file Bitmap graphics Symptom Imported bitmap graphics are rescaled when imported into WinMark Pro Possible Causes The graphics file was created and saved at a resolution other than the Resolution setting specified on the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab WinMark Pro does not resample bitmap images during importation WinMark Pro expects imported bitmaps to match the Resolution setting shown on the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab if not then image size is increased or decreased accordingly the change in image size is inversely proportional to the change in image resolution WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 241 Chapter 21 Troubleshooting Figure 21 3 shows the results of importing three filled squares when WinMark s default Resolution is set to 600 Each square measured one inch by one inch when drawn and was separately imported into WinMark Pro in a TIF bitmap format The square on the left is saved at 600 DPI and imports as designed it measures one inch across The center square is saved at 300 DPI Since the resolution increased by a
197. lity and marking speed Pline Start Delay Use Pline Start Delay to minimize hot spots at the beginning of a polyline or the beginning of a series of polylines See Figure 18 7 for illustrations of Pline Start Delay effects Increase the delay to reduce dwell hot spots at the beginning of each polyline If too large a delay is set the beginning of a polyline may be shortened or shapes may not close properly Pline Start Delay affects only the beginning of non connected polylines Pline Start Delay or Pline Start Delay Correct Use ofl Too Short Too Long Pline Start Delay Figure 18 7 Pline Start Delay settings WinMark Pro User Guide 156 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Pline End Delay Pline End Delay maintains beam on time at the end of a series of polylines to ensure that the cur rent polyline is completed before moving to the next polyline vector See Figure 18 8 for illustrations of Pline End Delay effects Too much delay will create dwell or hot spots at the end of polylines too little delay may cause short or incomplete polylines to be marked Pline End Delay or Pline End Delay Correct Use of Too Long Too Short Pline End Delay Figure 18 8 Pline End Delay settings Interseg Delay Interseg Delay sets a delay between marking connected polylines where the end point of the current polyline is the start point of the next polyline in the object Interse
198. m 116 219 DH SH 69 mm 100 254 125 mm lens for use with lasers 40 W and higher 7 Divide the result from Step 6 by 1000 to convert to millimeters This is the width and height of the 2D code Note 1000 microns um equals 1 mm 8 Select the 2D code object on the Drawing Canvas and then from the Objects menu click Transfor mations Enter the bar code size calculated in Step 7 as both New Width and New Height in the Object Transformations dialog box Click Apply and then click OK 9 Set2D Barcode Bitmap to No This changes cell marking from raster filled squares to unfilled vec tor circles 1 O Click the Marking tab and set the desired marking Velocity 1 1 From Table 11 1 find the starting resolution for your focusing lens Enter this number for marking Resolution 1 2 Set Pline Start Delay Pline End Delay and Interseg Delay to 0 Set Off Vector Delay to 500 13 Set Spot Marking Style to Yes and set Spot Mark Duration to a suitable value for the material to be marked usually between 1 and 10 14 Test mark the 2D code and if necessary adjust 2D bar code size using the Object Transformations dialog box Resolution and Spot Mark Duration to obtain one spot per cell with equal cell spacing across the code 1 5 Adjust Power to produce the desired mark When marking glass try a lower power setting and use multiple Mark Passes to obtain the desired mark quality WinMark Pro User Guide 56 Basic Operation Chapter
199. m Default Text entries Default Text Enter a default text string to mark if specific operator input is not required The text entered here is marked when Use Default is set to From Default Text WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 179 Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands AssignDate Allows you to create and assign a standard or customized date code format to a target object and target property see Figure 19 2 typically a Text Caption property AssignDate Command Details Date Format Click Date Format in the Command Details frame and then click the down arrow to select from a list of predefined standard or custom date formats or click the ellipsis to open the Date Format Customization dialog and create new custom formats x r Commands Command Details Date Format Customization P x American Standard MM DD YY European Standard DD MM Week Year WWYY Julian DDDY Custom Format 0 Custom Format 1 Custom Format 2 Format Name American Standard MM DD YY Example Date am 406 Format Definition String Zm2 d2 y2 Add Format Delete Format Available Format Commands Include these command strings to output information Percent sign 2 digit day XX AssignDate Ama 2 digit month x X94 4 digit year OO Assigns a cus Xy2 2 digit year XX formats can E Zyl 1 digit year bi to a TextCapl ya 1 alpha year X with A 1981 B 1982 etc
200. ma 1 alpha month x with A Jan B Feb ete EE wae Figure 19 2 AssignDate command To create a custom date format In the Date Format Customization dialog box click the Add Format button If desired type a descriptive name in the Format Name box Browse the Available Format Commands box for available date or time formats A N A Double click the desired format commands or click in the Format Defmition String box and type in commands to create a custom format string When done click the Close button Q Tip The Example Date box shows how the Format Definition String will look when marked You can add spaces dashes or other text within the string by typing characters between definitions in the Format Definition String box Because the percentage symbol 96 is used as a delimiter you must type 9696 to add a single percentage symbol to the date code string you wish to mark WinMark Pro User Guide 180 Commands amp Properties Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands Note Beginning with WinMark versions after 4 1 1 4402 custom formats referenced in a mark file are now saved in the mark file instead of just in the development computer s System Registry This prevents an undefined format error from occurring when mark files with custom date formats are loaded on different computers CallDLLFunc Calls a custom user written Dynamic Link Library DLL function The DLL can pass property and user argument
201. ma ee sl doa s Figure 4 2 Toolbar icons The following shortcuts are provided on the Toolbar New create a new blank drawing Drawing Canvas size is based on the current Lens selection Gi Open open an existing WinMark Pro mkh mark file RS Save save the current active mark file Z Print Drawing print the active drawing Cut cut selected objects and place them on the Clipboard E H Copy copy selected objects to the Clipboard Paste paste the current Clipboard contents into the drawing m Mark open the Launcher window in preparation for marking Once the Launcher window is open press FI to initiate marking Launcher remains open until closed by the user E Zoom In Zoom in towards the center of the current view Zoom Out Zoom out away from the center of the current view Te WinMark Pro User Guide 18 Getting Started Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor U Zoom Page Zooms the view to fit the Drawing Canvas in the Main Window Si Zoom Extents Zooms the view to encompass all mark objects in the drawing even those objects placed off the Drawing Canvas E Align opens a dialog that allows you to align two or more objects horizontally and or vertically MT Transform opens a dialog box that allows you to precisely resize scale rotate or position objects Si Rotate 45 rotate selected objects clockwise in 45 degr
202. mputer It should be noted however that running background applications while marking may reduce overall cycle times since WinMark Pro is competing with other open applications for processor time Important Note For version 2 x users running Windows 98 95 and ISA bus FLCCs SYNRAD high ly recommends that WinMark Pro be installed on a stand alone computer separate from any networking motion control or parts handling systems The installation of peripheral cards or software such as screen savers in this configuration may cause unintended marking behavior Additional I O capability WinMark Pro versions 4 4 0 4759 and above support expanded I O capability using multiple PCI cards Note that the additional PCI cards are strictly for I O purposes they cannot drive multiple marking heads Previous versions of WinMark Pro for Windows 98 95 using ISA bus DAC or Fiber Link Controller Cards FLCC also support expanded I O capability because the digital I O commands in WinMark Pro s Event Builder provided the ability to specify a unique address location for each individual I O command This existed in part because DAC and ISA card addresses were user selectable as long as they did not conflict with other system devices and I O ports were directly addressable by the software WinMark Pro versions 2 1 0 3468 and above that support both ISA and PCI bus FLCCs also benefit from this feature as long as the PCI bus card is connected to the marking head and
203. n Arc End is used in conjunction with Arc Start the open arc segment can be made to point in any direction Arc Clockwise Choose Yes to mark the selected arc in a clockwise direction in relation to WinMark Pro s Drawing Canvas Choose No to mark in a counter clockwise direction When the selected arc is not a closed object changing Arc Clockwise from No to Yes inverts the arc segment and changes marking direc tion Arc Filled Fill the selected arc The Arc Filled property is only available for circular or elliptical objects Open arcs cannot be filled Arc Mark Outline Choose Yes to outline arc objects This vector outline tends to smooth object edges after raster filling Tip When raster filling objects try a lower Power setting and or a lower Resolution values to prevent overburning or distortion of the part substrate Arc Outline Power Set a power level for marking arc outlines WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 167 Chapter 18 Object properties Tip Typically Arc Outline Power is set higher than the Power level used for filling arc objects Bar code format properties Bar code properties Figure 18 16 apply to 1D bar code objects within the drawing You can select specific bar code types and customize bar code properties ial Automation Marking Format An Am Barcode Number 0000 Barcode Style Code 3 of 8 Barcode Re
204. n line link to our Laser Marking FAQ Improved bitmap import functionality v5 0 introduces SCANLAB marking head support and direct download to FH Smart Please review the Release Notes included with your copy of WinMark Pro The Release Notes describe new features added since the release of this manual Check the WinMark Pro web site frequently for the very latest program updates and releases WimnlViari Pro User Guide 4 Getting Started Chapter 1 Introduction System requirements Note WinMark Pro versions 4 0 and later requires a PCI bus Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC in order to drive FH Series Index and Tracker marking heads and Fenix Laser Markers No FLCC is required to communicate with FH Smart heads A SCANLAB RTC PC interface board PCI bus is required when using WinMark Pro v5 0 and later to drive SCANLAB marking heads In order to install and run WinMark Pro software your Microsoft Windows computer system must meet the following minimum requirements Note Mm Mark Pro version 4 0 or later software is NOT compatible with Windows 95 and is NOT compatible with computers using an ISA bus FLCC Windows XP Pentium compatible CPU 233 MHz or faster 300 MHz recommended 64 MB RAM 128 MB recommended 20 MB available hard disk space One CD ROM drive Super VGA or higher resolution display 16 bit or 24 bit SVGA color monitor recommended One open PCI bus slot Windows 2000 Pentium compatible CPU 133 MHz
205. n return ground point and only Output Bit 6 is isolated See the T Technical Reference section in your markin head s Operators Manual for detailed I O circuit 8 dia Tams pin desi nations and si nal specifications Voltage levels All Fenix and FH Series marking heads require input voltage levels in the range of 15 V to 40 VDC for input output signals connected to the head When connecting I O signals to the FLCC input voltage lev els are individually user selectable by jumpers The factory default no shorting jumpers installed enables the high 15 40 VDC input voltage setting Placing a shorting jumper across any jumper pad JP3 JP8 changes the corresponding input to accept a low level 2 V to 6 VDC input signal Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature Many marking applications require a safety action to occur for each part that is marked An example of this kind of action is a machine that lowers a shield over a part prior to marking and then raises the shield to advance the part as soon as the mark is complete SYNRAD lasers are equipped with a Remote Interlock feature that disables laser firing typically when a switch on an access door or safety enclosure is opened However in marking applications where a safety interlock is frequently cycled the Remote Interlock WinMark Pro User Guide 60 Basic Operation Chapter 12 Automation basics creates an unacceptable delay This delay occurs because after the interlo
206. n the Toggle Lase button is pressed Important Note If the Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI feature is enabled on the FLCC then Input Bit 3 IN3 on FH Series or Fenix Laser Markers or Input Bit 5 on DH Series systems must be active high level voltage applied before the laser will fire WinMark Pro User Guide 34 Getting Started WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 35 Basic Operation Use information in this section to begin laser marking This section contains the following chapters Chapter 9 Marking basics explains how font selections and graphic file formats affect mark speed and quality Chapter 10 Marking parts explains how to mark single pieces or parts in batches Chapter 11 Fast spot style 2D codes demonstrates how to create fast marking vector style 2D codes Chapter 12 Automation basics describes the basic procedures in connecting to automated parts handling equip ment Chapter 13 ActiveMark automation describes the basics of WinMark Pro s ActiveMark ActiveX technology when used in a Microsoft Visual C and MS Visual Basic programming environment Chapter 14 Custom Test Mark feature explains the FH Series Fenix custom test mark feature Chapter 15 Tracker marking contains information on determining approximate Tracking line speeds and illus trates marking of text and graphics objects WinMark Pro User Guide 36 Basic Operation WinlViari Pro Use
207. nMark s Array properties to duplicate the object and create an array that matches the group of parts to be marked This procedure may not meet your particular needs but you can modify it by specifying different parameters To setup a batch marking operation perform the following steps Note Although the entire batch or tray of parts does not need to fit within the mark field the desired mark area on all parts within the batch must fit within the marking field of the selected focusing lens 1 Use the Drawing Editor to create a file with text artwork or imported graphic images 2 With the appropriate object or objects selected set marking Velocity Power and Resolution on the Marking tab 3 In the Property List click the Format tab and then click Array Columns Figure 10 4 4 Click the arrow to increase the number of columns The number of columns created should match the number of columns of parts in the batch WinMark Pro User Guide 50 Basic Operation Chapter 10 Marking parts Figure 10 4 Setting number of Array Columns 5 Inthe Property List click Array Rows Figure 10 5 and then click the arrow to increase the num ber of rows The number of rows created should match the number of rows of parts in the batch Figure 10 5 Setting number of Array Rows G From the Objects menu click Center on Field to center the array in the marking field 7 On the Format tab adjust Column Spacing Row Spaci
208. nals connected WinMark Pro will correctly see all input bits as Clear logic low WinMark will continue executing the auto mation plan until a Set input condition is expected WinMark Pro User Guide CO Basic Operation Chapter 13 ActiveMark automation 13 ActiveMark Automation The ActiveMark automation chapter includes subsections ActiveMark technology ActiveMark basics Sample VB and C projects ActiveMark technology WinMark Pro s ActiveMark technology transforms Windows ActiveX OLE automation into a power ful user customizable laser marking interface After generating a mark file or template in WinMark Pro you can create a custom ActiveX application or user interface using Microsoft Visual C or Visual Basic development tools This custom program uses WinMark Pro s built in ActiveX control methods to regulate every aspect of the marking process including object placement or manipulation and communica tion with parts handling automation ActiveMark basics Tip When developing your automated control system using ActiveX control methods do not place input automation into the mark file Instead perform any input automation functions within the ActiveX control program By doing this your control program remains in charge of pre mark and post mark automation and WinMark s MarkDrawing control method only maintains control of the operating system long enough to control laser on off commands duri
209. name Specify a path and filename pointing to the location of the text source to read WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 149 Chapter 18 Object properties Auto Text File Wrap If set to Yes WinMark Pro reads each item in a sequential disk file and after the last item is read wraps back around to the beginning item Use Mark Count on the Marking tab to specify the number of iterations through the file Because one line of text is read on each pass each line in the disk file must end with a Carriage Return CR to provide the end of data delimiter Serial Port Text Automatically open read and mark a text string from your Computers serial communications port Each time the specified communications port is read serial port data is assigned to the text object s Text Caption When Serial Port Text is selected the following serial port properties appear on the Automation tab Text From Com Port Com Port Timeout and Close Comport After Read Note When using Serial Port Text input the text string must end with a Carriage Return CR char acter to specify end of data For multiline text strings use a Line Feed LF character to force a line wrap and then end the last line with a Carriage Return Text From Com Port Specify which communications port on your computer contains the incoming serial text string Click the Text From Com Port property and then click the down arrow to see a list of ava
210. nes Note that WinMark Pro s XY coordinates are not Cartesian coordi nates positive X values are located to the right of the vertical origin while positive Y values are located below the horizontal origin Maximum Marking Area Shaded Yellow Typical Marking Area Figure 4 4 Drawing Canvas Slide Bar Grab the Slide Bar with the Pointer and pull to the left or right to change the horizontal display area of the Drawing Canvas and Object Property windows Object List Each object placed on the Drawing Canvas is added to the Object List and is associated with a set of object properties that define some characteristic of that object For example drawing a single rectangle creates an entry in the Object List named Polyline1 The Drawing Canvas itself also contains a unique set of proper ties and always appears first in the Object List as Drawing WinMark Pro User Guide 22 Getting Started Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor Property List The Property List consists of six tabs Special Automation Tracking Marking Format and All These tabs group sets of properties by function When an entity on the Object List is selected properties that affect that entity are displayed on the appropriate tabs in the Property List window Those individual properties can then be viewed or edited Note The Tracking tab only appears when WinMark Pro is actively communicating with an FH Series Tracker marking head or
211. new drawing mh SaveDrawing NewTestMark mkh ScaleSelection method The ScaleSelection control scales the selection set in the current drawing A scale value of 1 1 will scale the selection set up in size by 1096 a value of 0 9 will scale the selection set down by 10 Note Scaling a selection non proportionally results in objects being stretched or compressed in 1 axis The control method is formatted as ScaleSelection lt XScale as Float YScale as Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example Y select all objects in drawing and scale proportionally by 50 mh SelectAll mh ScaleSelection 0 5 0 5 mh Redraw WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 225 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology SelectAll method The SelectAll control selects all objects in the current drawing into a selection set Each drawing main tains a current selection set that is used to modify one or more objects The control method is formatted as SelectAll lt none gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example activate a specific drawing mh DrawingIndex 0 select all objects in the current drawing mh SelectAll rotate the current selection set mh RotateSelection 45 mh Redraw SelectObject method The SelectObject control selects an object by its name in the current drawing The control method is formatted as SelectObject ObjectName as String BOOLEAN Visual Basic example select the Textl object into the selection
212. ng and Array Angle as required to position the arrayed image over the batch of parts amp Click a blank area of the Drawing Canvas or select Drawing in the Object List to deselect all objects S Inthe Property List click the Marking tab and then click Mark Count Click the arrow and set the Mark Count property to 1 Note In automated piece marking applications set Mark Count to zero 0 and carefully set input out put automation as described in Chapter 13 Automation basics or our Laser Marking FAQ WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 51 Chapter 10 Marking parts 1 O Place the array of parts to be marked under the focusing lens at the point of focus serious personal injury 11 On the toolbar click the Mark button Figure 10 6 Deals e K elea sles elo eee a Be Figure 10 6 Mark button on toolbar 12 When the Synrad WinMark dialog box appears Figure 10 7 click Start F1 Figure 10 7 Synrad WinMark dialog box WinMark Pro User Guide 52 Basic Operation Chapter 11 Fast 2D codes 11 Fast 2D codes The Fast 2D codes chapter includes subsections Introduction Vector style 2D codes Spot style 2D codes Introduction Traditionally laser marking 2D codes is accomplished by filling square cells using a raster scanning tech nique This rasterized mark shown in Figure 11 1 is suitable for many products requiring a code large enough to be readily identified
213. ng 0 0000 in Text Radius 0 0000 in Figure 18 12 Format tab object properties Object Left Pos Set the left X coordinate position for the selected object s bounding outline Object Top Pos Set the top Y coordinate position for the selected object s bounding outline Fixed To Position Define a fixed reference point for positioning a text bar code or 2D code object when overall size is increased or decreased due to manual re sizing additional characters etc One of nine bounding outline handles is used as an anchor point the other bounding outline points are free to move as re sizing oc curs Tip When automatically serializing text strings containing lower case letters the text string may shift up when lower case letters with descenders g j p q s y are marked This occurs because the Fixed To Position property defaults to Center Set the text object s Fixed To Position property to Top Left Top Middle or Top Right for consistent vertical mark placement WinMark Pro User Guide 160 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Raster Scan Direction Specify horizontal or vertical raster scanning for filled objects or bitmaps Tip When marking raster scanned images such as imported graphics filled TrueType text or barcodes one scan direction typically marks much faster than the other depending on the object s orientation Optimize mark cycle time by ensuring that Bi
214. ng Window The Tracking Window is the fixed area beneath the Tracker marking head where marking is completed without error The length of the Tracking Window is defined as the smaller of either Usable Field Size or Mark Pitch For example Figure 15 9 shows an application using a 200 mm lens with a 0 Motion Vector The Marking Window dimension in the direction of part motion of 134 mm Mark placement creates a Usable Field Size measuring 128 mm and part spacing creates a Mark Pitch measuring 90 mm By definition the Tracking Window is the smaller of Usable Field Size which is 128 mm or Mark Pitch which measures 90 mm In this case the actual Tracking Window is limited to 90 mm Part Motion gt E 5 2 o peclqoav T PR t B T EN t ET t ti Figure 15 9 Tracking Window Target Area The Target Area is the area on the part or array of parts that is lased with the Mark as parts move under the marking head See Figure 15 10 WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation Sr Chapter 15 Tracker marking ABCDEFG 123456 i S L xi PA SI ZS t t at TJI Fa t Hi Part Motion 270 cd Part 2 of X Figure 15 10 Target Area Tracker marking criteria The entire Target Area of the part or array of parts must move completely within the Tracking Win dow before lasing will begin Lasing must be completed on the part or arra
215. ng the actual marking process Performing input automation within the mark file may prevent the ActiveX control program from regaining control of system resources if the specified input state does not occur Tip When developing mark files for an ActiveX environment always set the Mark Count property to 1 This ensures that only a single mark is made each time the MarkDrawing method is called WinMiark Pro User Guide Basic Operation LA Chapter 13 ActiveMark automation Loading the WinMark Pro ActiveMark ActiveX control MS Visual Basic The tutorial below describes how to add WinMark Pro s ActiveMark ActiveX control to a Visual Basic project To add WinMark ActiveX control to a Visual Basic project perform the following steps W Make sure that you have installed WinMark Pro After installation open WinMark Pro make sure that a lens is selected and then close WinMark Pro This step ensures that WinMark Pro and its associated ActiveX components are registered with the Windows operating system Open your Visual Pasic project or create a new project In Visual Basic under the Project menu find and select the Components menu item When the Components dialog box opens click the Controls tab If the Selected Items Only check box is checked deselect it so that all registered controls are displayed Scroll through the list until you find the Synrad WinMark control item and then place a check mark
216. nk to install the graphics import filters 3 Follow the on screen instructions Un installing WinMark Pro If you decide to remove WinMark Pro software from your computer perform the following steps Click the Start button on the taskbar Select Programs and then locate the Synrad WinMark folder Click the Uninstall Synrad WinMark icon K N Follow the on screen instructions WinMark Pro User Guide Getting Started 13 Chapter 3 Starting WinMark Pro 3 Starting WinMark Pro The Starting WinMark Pro chapter includes subsections Basic concepts Opening WinMark Pro Changing focusing lens size Setting measurements units Basic concepts A mark file is created by placing text barcodes polyline objects or imported graphics into a drawing Each individual object including the Drawing Canvas itself has its own unique set of properties whose default settings can be modified by the user Each class of objects has specific sets of properties where each property defines some characteristic of that object for example all text objects have a Text Height property In ad dition all objects share a set of general properties that define their position and how the laser transfers that object s image to the workpiece This ability to precisely control marking output by customizing drawing and object properties is one of the strengths of WinMark Pro laser marking software In automated marking systems ultimate control is pro
217. nted by the head equals the Sensor Distance calculated by the Encoder Resolution marking begins Because Tracker calculates marking vectors based on encoder pulses distance Tracker can continue to accurately mark an object even when it stops once the Target Area has fully entered the Tracking Window Note Moving the location of the mark object on the Drawing Canvas in the axis of part motion has no affect on mark location when Tracking Positioning mark objects further downstream on the Drawing Canvas only shortens the Tracking Window which decreases tracking line speed Change Sensor Distance to change the actual mark location on the part Figure 17 4 illustrates the Sensor Distance concept In this case the part sensor is placed upstream of the mark field parts are sensed before they reach the center of the mark field and the sensor is set to trigger on a rising edge transition Rising Edge Part Sense Center of Mark Field i Desired Mark Location Part 2 ABC 1234 Part Motion 270 lt lt Sensor Distance at moment of part sense Figure 17 4 Upstream part sensor rising edge trigger WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 135 Chapter 17 Drawing properties Tip Position the physical location of the part sensor so that the sensor does not trigger while the Fenix or FH head is marking a part Maximum Tracker
218. ntegrity of the control system by causing unintended machine operation WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 129 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Virtual Laser Marking Underlay a high resolution scanned image of the part to be marked on the current drawing Use this feature to precisely align the mark to your part Synrad WinMark Activex Control Help Open an online Help window describing how to use WinMark Pro s ActiveMark ActiveX control Window Window commands Figure 16 16 allow you to perform functions such as switching between or re arrang ing multiple drawing windows Cascade Tile 1 medium stroke matrix mkh v 2 2DUIDCodes mkh Figure 16 16 Window menu Cascade Overlap all open drawing windows Tile Arrange all open drawing windows side by side Current active file Select any open drawing in the list as the currently active drawing Tip You can also toggle the Work Book property on the View menu to show hide Work Book tabs Click a tab to quickly display each currently open drawing WinMark Pro User Guide 130 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Help Help commands Figure 16 17 display program and resource information About Synrad winMark Automation Flowchart Synrad WinMark on the Web Synrad WinMark FAQ Figure 16 17 Help menu About Synrad WinMark Display software version copy
219. number value is 000 and Execute Auto Text When is Before Mark serialization occurs before the mark and the first value marked is 001 Note When an object s Auto Text Type is set to Date Code Text the Execute Auto Text When prop erty is disabled date code data is always read from the computer s system clock immediately before each mark Note When the selected object s Auto Text Type property is set to From Object the Execute Auto Text When property is hidden and is replaced by the From Entity property This occurs because the selected object derives its variable Text Caption data solely from the referenced object it has no independent serialization capability Auto Text Within Array Enable the desired automation action within any array elements that exist Choose Yes to mark each array element with a different value Choose No to mark all array elements with the same initial value WinMark Pro User Guide 152 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Marking tab Marking object properties Figure 18 5 apply to objects contained within the drawing and specify how a particular object is laser marked Most properties are common to all objects however some properties ap ply only to specific types of objects such as text objects or bar code objects Special Automation Marking Format All Yes Mark Passes 1 Wobble On Yes Wobble Thickness 0 0200 in Wobble Step Size 0 0100 in Velocity 15 0
220. o OS Cd Output Eq gegen pner tte par pres oes esr pr per gsm f er Figure 21 2 Digital Scope window Note To prevent I O conflicts always close WinMark Pro or WinMark Launcher before opening Digital Scope Close Digital Scope before operating the marking head membrane panel pushbuttons or before starting WinMark Pro or WinMark Launcher WinMark Pro User Guide 240 Commands amp Properties Chapter 21 Troubleshooting The Fiber Link card is incorrectly addressed ISA bus FLCCs only When using an ISA bus FLCC verify that the I O address specified in WinMark Pro s Event Builder matches the current ISA card address Remember to convert the hexadecimal card address to a decimal address for entry into WinMark Pro The default hex address 330 equals 816 decimal Graphics Vector graphics Symptom The vector import filter dialog box appears but when the progress bar ends and the dialog closes there is no import object on the Drawing Canvas and no additional objects are listed in the Object List Possible Causes The graphics file was created and saved using a newer version of software than is supported by Win Mark s File Import Filters Open the graphics file using the graphics program that originally created it Use the program s Save As command to resave the file in an older format Refer to the SupportedFileFormats document on the WinMark Pro web site or on the WinMark Pro CD for a
221. o control laser on off commands during the actual marking process Perform ing input automation within the mark file may prevent the ActiveX control program from regaining control of the operating system if the specified input state does not occur The control method is formatted as MarkDrawing lt none gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example select the active drawing mh DrawingIndex O0 enable the progress bar mh ProgressCtrlHandle ctlProgressBar hWnd load the drawing mh LoadDrawing FactoryTestMark1 mkh refresh the screen display mh Redraw mark the drawing mh MarkDrawing WinMark Pro User Guide 222 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology MirrorSelection method The MirrorSelection control mirrors all objects in the current selection set along the X or Y axis Ob jects are mirrored about the center point of the selection set The control method is formatted as MirrorSelection lt FlipX as Boolean FlipY as Boolean gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example select all objects in drawing and mirror across X axis mh SelectAll mh MirrorSelection True False mh Redraw MoveSelectionTo method The MoveSelectionTo control moves all objects in the current selection set to the desired X Y location Specifically the top left position of the selection set is moved to the indicated location The control method is formatted as MoveSelectionTo XPos as Float YPos as Float
222. o display all measurements in inches centimeters or millimeters To change measurement units perform the following steps From the Tools menu select General Settings In the Applications Settings dialog box click the Application Settings tab o 2 S Click Show Units Type Figure 3 2 and then click the arrow 4 From the drop down list select the appropriate measurement units 5 Click Apply to apply the change and then click OK Note When using WinMark Pro s ActiveMark ActiveX controls all units of measure are calculated in inches Your application or user interface must convert measurement values from centime ters or millimeters to inches as required Make sure that the Show Units Type property is set to inches unpredictable object placement or operation may result if the Show Units Type is set to millimeters or centimeters x Application Settings Drawing Defaults Object Defaults Sona settings are the global properties of the application Modify these properties to modify different aspects of the behavior of WinMark FH Fenix 125 mm Centimeters Millimeters Show Units Type E Specifies the unit type inches centimeter or millimeters for all measurement displavs E Figure 3 2 Changing Show Units Type WinMark Pro User Guide 16 Getting Started Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor e WinMark Pro Drawing Editor The WinMa
223. od The AddCircle control adds a new circle object to the current drawing centered at X1 Y1 with the specified radius using the current default object properties set in the WinMark Pro application The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new circle The control method is formatted as AddCircle lt ObjectName as String X1 as Float Y1 as Float radius as Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example create a new circle centered at 0 0 with a radius of 1 inch 2 inch diameter mh AddCircle CircleObject 0 0 1 mh Redraw Addimport method The Addlmport control adds a new imported graphic to the drawing using the current default object properties specified in the WinMark Pro application If you are importing vector style graphics files us ing WinMark Pro v2 x or 3 x then you must have previously installed the File Import Filters library The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new imported graphic The control method is formatted as Addlmport ObjectName as String FileName as String gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example mh AddImport NewPicture c pic bmp mh Redraw Note Before importing a vector graphic using ActiveX you must open WinMark Pro and set the ap propriate Vector Import Scale Note When importing bitmap images using the AddImport method images are always imported using WinMark s Bayer Dithering Color Reduction Method property
224. olling the marking head see Tools General Settings Application Settings IO Card Selection Output Bit 1 This output is available only from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 3 This output is available only from the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 4 Corresponds to OUT4 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available on the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 5 Corresponds to OUTS on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available on the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 6 Corresponds to OUT6 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is also available on the Output mini DIN connector on the FLCC Output Bit 7 Corresponds to OUT7 on Fenix FH Series marking heads This output is not available on the FLCC WaitDigitalState Waits for a specific input pattern to be read on the marking head or Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC inputs Program execution continues if the required state is met before the specified timeout interval if not the mark will fail Input bits labeled IGNORE are disregarded See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a table showing available marking head and FLCC inputs WaitDigitalState Command Details Timeout MSecs Use a short timeout value milliseconds or tens of milliseconds to complete the input status scan immediately or enter a timeout value of 1 which forces WinMark to wait indefinitely for a valid match o
225. operties 4 2 tote tei rtr ter EROR RO ERR PER ged 139 Format tab Drawing properties suerge ANEN 141 All tab Drawing properties eerste copo eh eve ce AE cea pedea 143 Special tab object properties deeg tita eer ce pa ceterae b EE 144 Automation tab object properties eese tenente en tn nte 145 Date Format Customization dialog bus 147 Serial Port Settings dialog box mersani eneas irn RE 149 Marking tab object properties eese nenne 152 IR 154 Pline Start Delay settings ice eee tree etta tet tr ete 155 Pline End Delay settings 225 2 e ENEE 156 Interseg Delay settings Louer ti eter Eed 156 Off Vector Delay Settings utei c eeren irai a ob ieit 157 Interseg Break Angle settings eese eese eene entente 158 Format tab object properties 2 22 eee ta n ORI ret kn PE HERR E 159 Format tab text properties ed AER 161 Format tab polyline properties 5 2 eere titre tee eet iiris 164 Format tab ate properties o uec ee eet etn ette etia ro i onte eee 165 Format tab bat code properties uocis tite tereti tette 167 Format tab 2D code properties 125 2 t iere sass sstessatasscssvandesecansvedeen 170 Forrbat tab Spot properties set 0 neret sinnen RR P Ire HERR RE ORENSE RENE RUE 172 Format tab bitmap properties 7 173 Normal and inverted bitmap images eee 173 WinMark Pro User Guide xvi Table of Contents List of Figures Figure 18 21 8 bit black amp white image
226. operties for the Drawing Figure 17 7 perform global drawing transformations such as position ing or scaling your drawing on the part to be marked Drawing transformations only affect actual marking output the Drawing Canvas display does not change Automation Marking Format All Field Offset x 0 0000 in Field Offset Y 0 0000 in Field Rotation 0 00 degrees Field Transform Org Xx 0 0000 in Field Transform Org Y 0 0000 in Field Scale X 100 Field Scale Y 100 Ask Mark Count No Mark Count 1 No Cross No Invert X Axis No Invert Y Axis No Figure 17 7 Marking tab Drawing properties Field Offset X Enter the amount of drawing offset required in the X direction when marking The drawing is offset from the transformation origin point specified by the Field Transform Org X and Field Transform Org Y properties Field Offset Y Enter the amount of drawing offset required in the Y direction when marking The drawing is offset from the transformation origin point specified by the Field Transform Org X and Field Transform Org Y properties WinMark Pro User Guide 140 Commands amp Properties Chapter 17 Drawing properties Field Rotation Enter the amount of drawing rotation required around the transformation origin when marking Field Rotation is accurate to two decimal places 0 01 The drawing is rotated around the transformation origin point specified by the Field Transf
227. operty for that object The control method is formatted as SetIntProp lt ObjectName as String PropName as String Value as Integer gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example rotate marking output by 45 degrees mh SetIntProp Drawing FieldRotation 45 get 750 DPI resolution for Textl1 object mh SetIntProp Textil Resolution 750 get 2 mark passes on Textl object mh SetIntProp Text1 MarkPasses 2 mh Redraw SetOffset method The SetOffset control offsets the position of the Drawing Canvas within the preview window The offset does not affect object position when marking The control method is formatted as SetOffset x As Single y As Single VOID Visual Basic example offset Drawing Canvas position by 0 75 inches in X direction mh SetOffset 0 75 0 SetStringProp method The SetStringProp control assigns a string value to a specific property of an object in the current draw ing ObjectName must reference a valid object in the current drawing and PropName must be an avail able property for that object The control method is formatted as SetStringProp ObjectName as String PropName as String Value as String BOOLEAN Visual Basic example set the text caption for the Textl object mh SetStringProp Text1 TextCaption Power By SYNRAD select a true type font for the Textl1 object WinMark Pro User Guide 230 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology mh
228. or assistance with order delivery status service status or to obtain a Return Authorization RA number contact SYNRAD and ask to speak to a Customer Service representative Technical Support SYNRAD Regional Sales Managers are able to answer many technical questions regarding the instal lation use troubleshooting and maintenance of our products In some cases they may transfer your call to a Laser Marking Head or Software Support Specialist You may also email questions to the Technical Support Group by sending your message to support synrad com or to support winmark com Reference materials Your Regional Sales Manager can provide reference materials including Outline amp Mounting drawings Operator s Manuals Technical Bulletins and Application Newsletters Most of these materials are also available directly from SYNRAD s web site at http www synrad com European headquarters SYNRADS European subsidiary Excel Technology Europe GmbH covers Austria Germany and Italy Contact Excel Technology at Excel Technology Europe GmbH M nchner Str 2a D 82152 Planegg Germany Phone 49 89 891 462 0 Fax 49 89 891 462 69 WinlViari Pro User Guide Laser Safety 5 1 Hazard information Hazard information includes terms symbols and instructions used in this manual or on the equipment to alert both operating and service personnel to the recommended precautions in the care use and handling of Class IV laser
229. orm Org X and Field Transform Org Y properties Field Transform Org X Specify the required transformation X origin required when offsetting rotating or scaling a drawing The default X origin point is 0 0000 inches Field Transform Org Y Specify the required transformation Y origin required when offsetting rotating or scaling a drawing The default Y origin point is 0 0000 inches Field Scale X Specify the percentage of X axis field scaling around the transformation origin Field Scale Y Specify the percentage of Y axis field scaling around the transformation origin Note If Field Scale X and Field Scale Y are set to different values the non proportional field scaling causes mark distortion Ask Mark Count If set to Yes the Piece Count dialog box appears before each mark session begins This dialog prompts the operator to enter the total number of marks required during the current mark session Mark Count Specify the number of marks required during the mark session If zero 0 is entered marking continues until terminated by the ESC key or by event automation Important Note When Mark Count is set to zero 0 you must configure WinMark Pro s automation and I O features to wait for a start mark signal from parts handling equipment so that marking continues only when an indication is received that another piece is in position and is ready to mark No Cross Select Yes to prevent the beam from crossing
230. otated counterclockwise The center of rotation is the center point of the current selection set The control method is formatted as RotateSelection Angle as Integer BOOLEAN Note Only integer rotation values are permitted using the RotateSelection method Important Note Imported bitmap objects only rotate in 90 degree increments Tip Although you can rotate bitmap objects only in 90 degree intervals you can rotate the entire draw ing canvas by any interval using the Drawing object s Field Rotation property Remember that this rotation will affect all objects in the drawing Visual Basic example select all objects in the drawing and rotate 45 degrees mh SelectAll mh RotateSelection 45 mh Redraw WinMark Pro User Guide 224 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Visual C example rotate the current selection set by 45 degrees status m winMarkCtrl RotateSelection 45 SaveDrawing method The SaveDrawing control saves the current drawing If the ProgressCtrlHandle is set to display a prog ress bar then the Save progress is indicated as the mark proceeds The control method is formatted as SaveDrawing lt Filename as String gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example Y select the active drawing mh DrawingIndex O0 enable the progress bar mh ProgressCtrlHandle ctlProgressBar hWnd load the drawing mh LoadDrawing FactoryTestMark1 mkh Save as a
231. other warranties in connection with the sale service or shipment of our products SYNRAD Inc reserves the right to make changes and improve ments in the design of our products at any time without incurring any obligation to make equivalent changes in products previously manufactured or shipped Buyer agrees to hold SYNRAD harmless from any and all damages costs and expenses relating to any claim arising from the design manufacture or use of the product or arising from a claim that such product furnished Buyer by SYNRAD or the use thereof infringes upon any Patent foreign or domestic Single user one computer license SYNRAD Inc grants you a non exclusive single user license to use our computer application the Soft ware and the related documentation according to the terms set forth in this agreement SYNRAD Inc reserves all rights including ownership of all copies of this software not expressly granted to you You may a Use the Software on only one computer at time b Have the Software installed on only one computer at a time this means you need to purchase two copies if you wish to run it at home and at work c Make one backup copy of the Software which is automatically subject to this agreement in support of your use of this Software d Transfer the Software including all copies and Documentation to another party if the other party agrees to accept the terms and conditions of this agreement Your transf
232. ouble click the file or click OK to load the selected mark file Marking parts Once a mark file is loaded into Launcher begin marking by pressing F1 or click the Start F1 button By changing Startup Option settings in WinMark Pro Launcher can be configured to 1 load a specific file when opened 2 automatically launch when the computer boots up and 3 automatically start marking when Launcher opens Note To prevent I O conflicts always ensure that WinMark Pro and Digital Scope are closed before attempting to operate the marking head using the membrane panel pushbuttons or WinMark Launcher When the Start marking immediately after Launcher loads check box is selected the laser will begin firing immediately after WinMark Serious Launcher loads on start up provided that all input states set in the personal mark file s Event Automation if any are valid injury Because exposure to 10 6 um laser radiation can inflict severe corneal injuries and seriously burn human tissue appropriate safeguards must be in place to prevent serious personal injury or equipment damage WinMiark Pro User Guide Getting Started 31 Chapter 7 WinMark Launcher Tip When running time sensitive applications minimizing the Launcher window helps to shorten cycle times by reducing the time that the Windows Operating System spends on refreshing the display Modifying a drawing To edit the currently open mark file perform the following ste
233. oups are not marked if the corresponding input condition is False 0 Tip It is often useful to place marking instructions or reminders on the Drawing Canvas for the equip ment operator Simply enter the desired text then size and position the text object With only the instructional text selected ser Mark Object to No Although visible this text object will not mark and will not affect cycle times Mark Passes Specify the number of passes required to mark selected objects Tip Use the Mark Passes property to mark heat sensitive materials when multiple low power passes are required to process parts without damage Wobble On Select Yes to mark thicker line strokes by wobbling the laser beam Lines are essentially thickened by marking shorter lines at right angles to the intended line segment Line width is determined by the value specified for Wobble Thickness and line resolution is determined by Wobble Step Size Wobble Thickness Specify the Wobble width line thickness of selected objects WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 119 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Wobble Step Size Enter a specific distance between Wobble steps This value serves as the resolution of the line width smaller steps equal higher resolution Velocity Specify a laser on galvanometer velocity for marking the selected object Power Enter the percentage of laser power require
234. pen a new drawing Select the Text Tool position it on the Drawing Canvas and click the left mouse button to set an insertion point In the Text Caption Editor type ABCDEFG123 On the Format tab set Font Type to TrueType and then in TrueType Font select a font to mark Set Text Filled to No and set Text Curve Detail to 600 Set Text Height to the same value used in the stroke font example Click the Marking tab and set Velocity to 30 in sec Power to 60 and Resolution to 600 Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens ensure all personnel are wearing safety glasses and then click the Mark button When the Synrad Marking Progress dialog box appears click Start F 1 Observe how the marking head is producing the mark After completion of the mark note the cycle time 1O Save the file as Unfilled TrueType demo mkh Mark a filled TrueType font 4 2 3 A Q 0 Open a new drawing Select the Text Tool and click to set an insertion point In the Text Caption Editor type ABCDEFG123 On the Format tab set Font Type to TrueType and then in TrueType Font select the same font used in the unfilled font example above Set Text Filled to Yes Text Curve Detail to 600 and set Text Height to the same value used in the stroke and unfilled font examples Click the Marking tab and set Velocity to 40 in sec Power to 50 and Resolution to 600 Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens
235. ports folder In the Files of type drop down list select eps Encapsulated PostScript Select the Synrad eps file and click Open The SYNRAD logo appears on the Drawing Canvas Figure 5 2 1 1 T I EI Figure 5 2 Sample imported graphic file Tip Control scaling of imported vector files using the Vector Import Scale property Tools General Set tings Object Defaults tab The default setting is One to one which means that vector drawings import at full size Depending on the lens field Drawing Canvas size the image may extend out of the marking field If this occurs change scaling to Best Fit X axis or Y axis and re import the image You can also grab a corner handle of the bounding box with the Selection Tool and resize the image proportionally by dragging the pointer Note that the marking head will not mark any por tions of objects that extend off the Drawing Canvas WinMark Pro User Guide 26 Getting Started Chapter 5 Creating a drawing Precision positioning In many applications very precise dimensions and mark placement are required when laser marking ob jects In these cases use the Object Transformations dialog box to precisely resize scale or position selected objects on the Drawing Canvas 1 Add an object to the Drawing Canvas or use the Selection Tool and click to select an existing object in the Drawing
236. pots can be used to perforate or drill the workpiece Graphic Tool imports graphic image files into the drawing Click the Graphic Tool to open the Open dialog box Select a file type click on the file to import and then click Open to place the graphic on the Drawing Canvas WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 21 Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor Drawing Canvas The Drawing Canvas is the area where graphics and text objects are arranged to create a mark file for laser marking the workpiece The white center area on the Drawing Canvas shown in Figure 4 4 is the optimal mark area for the currently installed lens The yellow shaded border indicates the maximum marking field of the lens Note that objects placed in the shaded area especially near the corners may exhibit a slight degradation in mark quality Overall dimensions of the Drawing Canvas correspond to the focusing lens size entered in the Lens Selec tion dialog box These dimensions Field Width and Field Height should not be altered as they affect the overall scaling and proportionality of the marked image Dotted Origin Lines running across the canvas identify the horizontal and vertical centers of the work area The intersection of the Origin Lines X 0 Y 0 indicates the center of the focusing lens field and provides a reference for aligning the image on the parts to be marked Figure 4 4 shows X Y values for the four quadrants defined by the Origin Li
237. precautions specified throughout this manual as well as precautions given in laser and marking head Operator s Manuals Do not place your body or any combustible object in the path of the laser beam Always wear safety glasses or protective goggles with side shields to reduce the risk of damage to the eyes when operating the laser A CO ate the laser in the presence of flammable or explosive materials gases liquids or vapors laser is an intense heat source and will ignite most materials under proper conditions Never oper The use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein may re sult in exposure to hazardous invisible laser radiation damage to or malfunction of the laser Severe burns will result from exposure to the laser beam Safe operation of the laser requires the use of an external beam block to safely block the beam from travel ing beyond the desired work area Use a water cooled beam dump or power meter or similar non scatter ing noncombustible material as the beam block Never use organic material or metals as the beam blocker organic materials in general are apt to combust or melt and metals act as specular reflectors which may create a serious hazard outside the immediate work area Other hazards The following hazards would be typical for S YNRAD CO laser products when incorporated for intended use A risk of injury when lifting or moving the unit B risk of expo
238. properties Because galvanometers require a finite amount of time to overcome mirror inertia and then move the mirror into position galvanometer movement tends to lag slightly behind WinMark s software com mands Delay properties help fine tune the marking of each object in your drawing file If delay related marking problems occur adjust marking delays by performing the following steps 1 Select an object or group of related objects on the Drawing Canvas 2 Inthe Property List click the Marking tab S Scroll down to the delay section shown in Figure 18 6 Special Automation Marking Format All Resolution 300 Pline Start Delay 100 usecs Pline End Delay 450 usecs Interseg Delay 350 usecs Off Vector Delay 300 usecs Bi Y Figure 18 6 Delay settings 4 Write down your current delay settings for the problem objects WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 155 Chapter 18 Object properties 5 Compare your delay settings with WinMark s default parameters Pline Start Delay 100 us Pline End Delay 450 us Interseg Delay 350 us Off Vector Delay 300 us G Review Pline Start Delay Pline End Delay Interseg Delay and Off Vector Delay descriptions on the following pages 7 Make adjustments to the appropriate delays ensuring that only one delay is adjusted at a time in order to avoid confusion and obtain the best trade off between marking qua
239. ps 1 Click Modify Drawing under the File menu 2 fa user password has been set then the Enter Password dialog box opens Type the correct case sen sitive password and click OK W Edit the mark file as required in WinMark s Drawing Editor 4 When editing is complete save the file and close WinMark Pro before continuing to mark from Launcher WinMark Pro User Guide 32 Getting Started Chapter 8 WinMark Digital Scope amp WinMark Digital Scope Digital Scope is a stand alone program designed to test or verify the functionality of WinMark Pro s laser control and I O capability through the Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC and the digital fiber optic cable Start Digital Scope by double clicking the Digital Scope icon z2 on your desktop or perform the fol lowing steps 1 Ensure that other WinMark programs including WinMark Pro and WinMark Launcher are closed Note After installing a new or upgraded version WinMark Pro must be opened first prior to opening Digital Scope This enables lens selection and FLCC data to be initialized before a mark session begins Click Start on the taskbar Select Programs and then locate the Synrad WinMark folder Click the Synrad Digital Scope icon a B OQ N Digital Scope opens as shown in Figure 8 1 Input Bit Status Synrad Digital I O Scope App PCI Card D 0 7 d d 3 5 og Output po spem p as Re er pee e ope wr pe pr E Output Bit Las
240. quired WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 175 Chapter 18 Object properties Tip Many times after choosing an initial Color Reduction Method and importing images into WinMark Pro bitmap images are further resized or Resolution is altered Because bitmap images are resolution dependent created for a particular display size and resolution changing image size or resolution tends to degrade display and mark quality of the bitmap If you must vary image size or resolution from the original settings do so and then re select a Color Reduction Method In some cases changing the reduction method produces better results Choose Grayscale reduction Figure 18 22 to convert color bitmaps into 8 bit grayscale images an 8 bit grayscale image provides 256 levels of gray ranging from 0 white to 255 black Figure 18 22 8 bit black amp white image versus 8 bit Grayscale reduction Important Note FH Series Smart marking heads can mark monochrome 1 bit bitmap images how ever FH Smart does not support grayscale marking Prior to FH firmware version 17 and WinMark Pro build 4 3 3 4528 laser power control was limited to 7 bit resolution because Power settings were limited to integer values 196 steps This had a dras tic effect on grayscale marks because it changed the apparent resolution of the image For example 7 bit resolution equals 128 levels 0 127 if the mark requires a Power setting of 30 to obtain
241. r Guide Basic Operation 37 Chapter 9 Marking basics Marking basics The Marking basics chapter includes subsections Types of marks Marking parameters E Optimization When creating a mark file your choice of font for text and your choice of file format for imported graphic images are the primary factors that influence the overall speed and quality of the mark The following sec tions lead you through the creation of text and graphic files to illustrate how your choices affect marking The Optimization section provides examples of how to optimize a file for speed or for mark quality serious personal injury serious personal injury Before performing the marking tutorials in this chapter ensure that all personnel in the area are wearing protective eyewear Read and follow all laser safety and fume extraction precautions described in your laser and marking head Operator s Manuals CO lasers emit invisible infrared laser radiation at the 10 6 um CO wavelength Since direct or diffuse laser radiation can inflict severe corneal injuries always wear eye protection when in the same area as an exposed laser beam Do not allow the beam to contact a person CO lasers emit an invisible beam that is capable of seriously burning human tissue Always be aware of the beam s path and always use a beam block while testing In order to halt marking before a mark has been completed you must press the ESC key on th
242. r Guide xviii Trademark copyright information Trademark copyright information SYNRAD and WinMark Pro are registered trademarks of SYNRAD Inc Fenix and ActiveMark are trademarks of SYNRAD Inc All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners 2006 by SYNRAD Inc All rights reserved WinlViari Pro User Guide Warranty information xix Warranty information SYNRAD Inc warrants that for a period of ninety 90 days after your receipt of the software that the disks on which the Software is distributed will be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal operating conditions SYNRAD will replace defective disks at no charge provided you return the defective disks along with a copy of your receipt to SYNRAD within 90 days of the date you took posses sion of the software The warranty is the only express warranty pertaining to this software program and no other representations or claims of any nature shall be binding or obligate SYNRAD Inc including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular period This limited warranty gives you specific rights You may have others which vary from state to state SYNRAD Inc and SYNRAD Authorized Distributors have the sole authority to make warranty state ments regarding SYNRAD products SYNRAD Inc and its Authorized Distributors neither assumes nor authorizes any representative or other person to assume for us any
243. r WinMark Pro purchase Disconnect the printer cable if installed from the back of your computer Connect the Hardlock to the computer s parallel port BONG Connect the printer cable if installed to the Hardlock WinMark Pro installation To install WinMark Pro laser marking software on your computer perform the following steps Important Note You should install WinMark Pro before installing the Fiber Link Controller Card Note Before upgrading to a newer version of WinMark Pro backup your existing mkh mark files and then uninstall any previous versions of WinMark Pro 1 Locate the WinMark Pro CD included with the materials shipped with your WinMark Pro purchase 2 Exitall programs S Insert the WinMark Pro CD into the CD ROM drive If the CD ROM Autostart feature is enabled on your computer then your Internet browser will launch and open the Welcome to SYNRAD on CD page otherwise use Windows Explorer to navigate through the CD ROM and open TitlePage htm 4 Click the WinMark Pro software link WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started aal Chapter 2 Installation 5 On the WinMark Pro Laser Marking Software page find the version you wish to install and then click the ReadMeFirst link to review important installation notes Note On Windows XP 2000 and NT4 operating systems you must log on as the Administrator in order to install WinMark Pro and the associated FLCC device drivers Because o
244. r new drawings They will only have an effect on new drawings you create Field Scale X 100 E Field Scale Y 100 Invert X Axis No Invert Y Axis No No Rising Edge Part Sense Yes Motion Vector 270 Sensor Distance 3 0000 in Encoder Resolution 11 8000 Use Quadrature Encoder Yes Invert Encoder Direction Yes Product Line Speed 1 0000 in sec lt Track Marking Object Tum on Fenix FH Tracking feature No Stationary Yes Track Cancel Figure 16 11 Tracker properties on Drawing Defaults tab WinMark Pro User Guide 116 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands In WinMark Pro version 4 Drawing Defaults including Tracking defaults are stored in the computer s System Registry However if these Tracking defaults are modified and saved with an mkh mark file the Tracking values in the mark file not the Registry are used for marking each time the mark file is opened FH Series Smart marking heads ignore any Tracking properties stored in the mark file and instead use the values stored in the head s configuration cfg file This occurs because Tracking prop erties are likely to vary for each installation since it is common to see small differences in line speeds and encoder setup The advantage of this scheme is that in cases where each installation is identical the cfg file from any Smart head can be uploaded archived and then downloaded to heads on oth
245. r the actual working distance 2 125 mm lens for use with lasers 40 W and higher Table 17 2 SH DH lens information Lens Focal Nominal Field Max Field Working Distance Spot Size Depth of Length HxW mm HxW mm ical mm 1 e um Field mm 370 mm 200 x 200 200 x 200 455 530 10 200 mm 110 x 110 110 x 110 240 290 42 5 125 mm 70 x 70 70 x 70 148 180 1 5 69 mm 38 x 38 38 x 38 70 100 0 5 3 The exact distance is marked on the focusing lens mount because the actual working distance may vary from lens to lens within 10 mm WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 143 Chapter 17 Drawing properties All tab All applicable drawing properties from Tracking Automation Marking and Format tabs are automatically included on this single tab see Figure 17 9 Automation Marking Format All l 3 3465 in Field Height 41338 in Optimal Field Width 2 9134 in Optimal Field Height 2 9134 in Field Offset X 0 0000 in Field Offset Y 0 0000 in Field Rotation 0 00 degrees Field Transform Org X 0 0000 in Field Transform Org Y 0 0000 in Field Scale X 100 Field Scale Y 100 Ask Mark Count No Mark Count i No Cross No Invert X Axis No Invert Y Axis No On Before Mark Session Undefined Set Digital Before Piece On Before Mark Piece Undefined Set Digital Before Mark E Dn After Mark Piece Undefined Set Digital After Mark Sa On Aft
246. r until the ESC key aborts the mark session WinMark Pro User Guide 190 Commands amp Properties Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands PCI Card ID Enter a card ID corresponding to the ID of the card used for the input output I O connection Typically this ID number corresponds to the ID of the card used for controlling the marking head see Tools General Settings Application Settings IO Card Selection Input Bit O Corresponds to INO on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 1 Corresponds to IN1 on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 2 Corresponds to IN2 on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 3 Corresponds to IN3 on Fenix FH Series marking heads Input Bit 4 Corresponds to IN4 on FH Smart heads On Fenix or FH Index Tracker marking heads this input is available only from the Input mini DIN connector on the FLCC Input Bit 5 Corresponds to IN5 on FH Smart heads On Fenix or FH Index Tracker marking heads this input is available only from the Input mini DIN connector on the FLCC Input Bit 6 Corresponds to IN6 on FH Smart heads Not available on Fenix or FH Index Tracker heads Input Bit 7 Corresponds to IN7 on FH Smart heads Not available on Fenix or FH Index Tracker heads WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 191 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology 20 ActiveMark technology The ActiveMark technology chapter includes subsections ActiveMark control overview ActiveMark
247. ransformation origin when marking Field Rotation is accurate to two decimal places 0 01 degrees Field Transform Org X Specify the transformation X origin required when offsetting rotating or scaling a drawing for mark ing The default X origin point is 0 0000 inches WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 115 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Field Transform Org Y Specify the transformation Y origin required when offsetting rotating or scaling a drawing for mark ing The default Y origin point is 0 0000 inches Field Scale X Specify the percentage of X axis scaling around the transformation origin Field Scale Y Specify the percentage of Y axis scaling around the transformation origin Note If Field Scale X and Field Scale Y are set to different values the non proportional field scaling will cause mark distortion Invert X Axis Invert marking output along the X horizontal axis Invert Y Axis Invert marking output along the Y vertical axis Note When WinMark Pro senses that it is communicating with an FH Series Tracker marking head or a Fenix Tracker Laser Marker nine tracking properties are added to che Drawing Defaults tab as shown in Figure 16 11 Refer to the Tracker section in your marking head s Operator s Manual for a detailed discussion of these Tracker settings x Application Settings Drawing Defaults Object Defaults Drawing Defaults are the defaullt properties fo
248. raphics set the mark order so that all graphic objects mark before any text objects In WinMark go to the Objects menu and click Set Marking Order When the Configure Marking Order dialog box appears Figure 15 19 arrange drawing objects as required Configure Marking Order x DE Cancel Figure 15 19 Configure Marking Order dialog box Note Bar codes filled TrueType text imported bitmap images or other filled objects created in WinMark Pro are marked using a slower raster scanning method These raster objects may not be appropriate for Tracker s high speed on the fly marking Although 2D codes are also bitmap raster scanned objects later versions of WinMark Pro support a fast spot style 2D code This fast code created by marking very small unfilled vector circles is a viable option for marking 2D codes with Tracker marking heads Mark placement To move the position of marking along the axis of part movement and achieve the highest potential line speed position the Mark near the upstream field edge of the Marking Window and then adjust Sensor Distance on WinMark s Tracking tab to position the actual mark on the part To relocate the Mark across the axis of part motion select mark objects on the Drawing Canvas and use your mouse or arrow keys to move the objects perpendicular to part motion Note When positioning objects on the Drawing Canvas never place any marking objects beyond th
249. rburning or distortion of the part substrate Polyline Outline Power Set a power level for marking polyline outlines Tip Typically Polyline Outline Power is set higher than the Power level used for filling polyline objects Arc format properties Arc properties Figure 18 15 apply to arc circular and elliptical objects within the drawing These prop erties give you the ability to create circles ellipses or arcs of varying sizes 0 5182 in Minor Are Radius 0 2885 in Arc Start 0 00 degrees Arc End 360 00 degrees Arc Clock wise No Arc Filled No Figure 18 15 Format tab arc properties Arc Radius Enter an exact radius for a circular object WinMark Pro User Guide 166 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Minor Arc Radius For elliptical objects enter a minor radius For circles enter the same value as the specified Arc Radius Arc Start Use Arc Start to create an arc or semicircular object by specifying a starting angle for the object Larger values move the starting position of the arc in a counterclockwise direction from the zero point When Arc Start is used in conjunction with Arc End the open arc segment can be made to point in any direction Arc End Use Arc End to create an arc or semicircular object by specifying an ending angle for the object Smaller values move the ending position of the arc in a clockwise direction from the zero point Whe
250. re avail able during the following stages of the Automation loop On Before Mark Session On Before Mark Piece On After Mark Piece On After Mark Session Remember that in WinMark Pro s Automation loop On Before Mark Session and On After Mark Session events run only once before after a marking session while On Before Mark Piece and On After Mark Piece events run before after each individual piece In a custom test mark application however each individual mark is considered a mark session meaning that On Before Mark Session On After Mark Session events are also run for each piece that is marked It is not possible for a custom test mark to perform non Event Builder output functions Set Digital Before Session Set Digital Before Mark or Set Digital After Mark or to perform any type of input automation Input signals are sensed in only three case 1 for the Fast Acting Safety Interlock FASI function where Input Bit 3 IN3 must be active 2 for Index marks where INO the part sensor input is expected when Test Mark Mode is set to Auto or 3 for Tracking where INO is the part sensor input and IN1 IN2 are position inputs from the rotary encoder Marking head or Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC outputs may be set or cleared during the custom test mark download process when SeCnous the mark file contains Event Builder automation personal The user must take steps to assure that this behavior does not com injury promise the i
251. red mark location corresponds to the starting beam position which we call the X Y start mark location Units of measure for Sensor Distance are always entered as inches with a maximum value of 12 0 inches 305 mm Change Sensor Distance to move the location of the mark on the part in the axis of part motion moving the location of the mark object on the Drawing Canvas in the axis of part motion has no affect on part mark location Figure 15 4 illustrates the Sensor Distance concept In this case the part sensor is placed upstream of the mark field parts are sensed before they reach the center of the mark field and the sensor is set to trigger on a rising edge transition WinMark Pro User Guide 82 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking Center of Mark Field Rising Edge Part Sense Part Motion 270 Desired Mark Location Part 2 ABC 1234 Sensor Distance at moment of part sense Figure 15 4 Upstream part sensor rising edge trigger Figure 15 5 illustrates Sensor Distance when the part sensor is positioned downstream Even though the leading edge of the part has traveled past the center of the mark field the desired mark location must still be upstream of the mark field s centerline Rising Edge Part Sense Center of Mark Field Desired Mark Location Part 2 Part Motion 270 at
252. rently supported WinMark does not support Adobe PostScript PFM fonts for Windows Text Bold Select Yes to bold selected TrueType text Text Italics Choose Yes to italicize selected TrueType text Text Filled Select Yes to fill selected TrueType text Choosing Yes causes WinMark Pro to fill text characters using a raster scanning method Choosing No tells WinMark to mark text characters as vector outlines When Text Filled is set to Yes two additional properties Text Outline Filled and Text Outline Power appear Text Outline Filled Choose Yes to outline the edges of raster filled TrueType fonts This vector outline tends to smooth the character shape after the raster filling process WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 163 Chapter 18 Object properties Tip When raster filling text try lower Power settings and or lower Resolution values to prevent over burning or distortion of the part substrate Text Outline Power Set a power level for marking TrueType text outlines Tip Typically Text Outline Power is set higher than the Power level used for filling text Text Curve Detail Specify a curve resolution for TrueType fonts Higher Text Curve Detail values create smoother curves especially when marking large font sizes Text Height Enter a base character height for text Text Height is approximately the height of uppercase letters such as M W etc although this
253. right and support information Figure 16 18 You can also upgrade FH Fenix marking head firmware Update F W or check marking hardware firmware status Head Info About Synrad WinMark xj Synrad WinMarkPro Version 4 6 0 Build 4999 Driver 4 6 0 4997 Copyright 1996 2005 Synrad Inc All Rights Reserved Synrad WinMarkPro is a registered trademark of Synrad Inc http www winmark com email support winmark com Update FAW _Headinfo Figure 16 18 About Synrad WinMark dialog box Click the Head Info button Figure 16 19 to see hardware firmware information such as card type head type data transfer size lens type head firmware version and FLCC firmware revision About Synrad WinMark E x ES Vero sc Fiber Link PCI Driver Head Fenix Tracker loon Oo 16 bit ei SymadV Lens 200 mm ad Inc Firmware 20 PCI Rev E Update FA Head Info OK Figure 16 19 Marking Head dialog box To upgrade the firmware in your FH Series marking head or Fenix Laser Marker heads with firmware version 7 or greater only perform the following steps 1 Click the Update F W button 2 A dialog box opens asking you to initiate the firmware update Press OK WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 131 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands S Inthe Open dialog box select the desired firmware file Update_xx asc and press Open Note Firmware files are copied to the Program Files Win
254. ring entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new rectangle The control method is formatted as AddSpot ObjectName as String X as Float Y as Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example add a new spot at 0 0 mh AddSpot SpotObject 0 0 mh Redraw Add Text method The AddText control adds a new text object to the current drawing at X Y using the current default object properties set in the WinMark Pro application The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the text object name Text Caption is assigned as the text caption for the new object The control method is formatted as AddtText lt ObjectName as String X as Float Y as Float TextCaption as String gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example add a new text object at 0 0 mh AddText TextObject1 0 0 Power by SYNRAD mh Redraw WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 205 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Font Type Property value True Type 0 Stroke 1 Tip To specify a Font Type either Stroke or True Type text refer to the following chart For example to specify True Type for the object labeled Text1 add the following line of code mh SetStringProp Text1 FontType vo Text Justification Property value Left 0 Center 1 Right 2 Tip To specify Text Justification for either Stroke or True Type text refer to the following
255. rk Pro Drawing Editor chapter includes subsections Main Window Toolbar Tool Box Drawing Canvas Slide Bar Object List Property List Help Window Status Bar Main Window To aid creation of mark files the Drawing Editor s Main Window Figure 4 1 is divided into several dis tinct areas Each item is described in further detail below Toolbar Slide Bar Object List Property List Diesel Hele elella aleea iE gt he a e te ae T 2 3 vi Als 4 NI i i g 1 Automation Marking Format an Tool Box Olle 3 ol a m Help LC li ce pr e 21 i EE Window kaal 1 Set Digital Before Mark a Wait Digital After Piece poem gt E H On After Mark Piece Undefined Ze 1 Set Digital After Mark io Dn After Mark Session Undefined d t On Abort Session Undefined d EE EEH FERHERHERESEEENI Si d i iE j 1 Ee i 4 i 34 i S i 1 a 1 i ii li A i EET 1 Gi ean E H x Efu e sl Ready fr 2 0350 in ye 3300i Drawing Canvas Status Bar Figure 4 1 WinMark Pro Main Window WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 47 Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor Toolbar Icons on WinMark Pro s Toolbar Figure 4 2 provide shortcuts to common editing functions To use a shortcut select one of more objects on the Drawing Canvas and click the appropriate Toolbar button pe
256. rking head did not respond correctly at end of mark 8 Marking Head Not Powered Up FH or Fenix head not responding to FLCC query head is not powered up or fiber link disconnected 9 Invalid Drawing mkh mark file corrupted 10 TestMark Mode Fiber Link Error head does not respond on entry to AutoTestMark download method Check that head is powered up fiber link cable connected etc 11 TestMark Mode Clear Error cannot clear the current test mark mode 12 TestMark Mode Set Error cannot set the requested test mark mode 13 TestMark Transmit Error error during transmission of test mark to head 14 TestMark Too Big test mark is too large to fit in FH or Fenix memory 15 Bitmap Too Fast To Mark Error the product of mark Velocity times the Resolution is too large for the Continuous marking method Velocity has been reduced to an acceptable value 16 Marking Head Not Responding FH or Fenix head not responding to commands at start of mark possibly not powered up The control method is formatted as GetMarkErrorCode none INTEGER WinMark Pro User Guide 216 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Visual Basic example Dim E As Integer Dim Err As String mh MarkDrawing E mh GetMarkErrorCode If Not E 0 Then Select Case E Case 1 Err No Response From Head Case 2 Err Line Speed Too Fast To Finish Case 3 Err Fiber Link Overrun Case 4
257. ro User Guide 148 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Tip The percentage sign is used by WinMark Pro to indicate a date format command To add a percentage sign to your date format type When done click the Close button Tip The Example Date box shows how the Format Definition String will look when marked You can add spaces dashes or other fixed text within the string by typing characters between definitions in the Format Defmition String box Time Offset Days Specify a positive or negative offset from the current day when printing expiration dates Time Offset Hours Specify a positive or negative offset from the current hour when printing expiration dates or fine tuning shift code changes Time Offset Minutes Specify a positive or negative offset from the current minute when printing expiration dates or fine tuning shift code changes Disk File Text Seq Automatically open read and mark a line of text from a multiline disk file Each time the specified file is read the next sequential line of text in the file is assigned as the text object s Text Caption When Disk File Text Sequential is selected the following disk file properties appear on the Auto mation tab Text Source Filename and Auto Text File Wrap Note When using Disk File Text input each text string must end with a Carriage Return CR charac ter to indicate end of data Text Source File
258. ro versions All WinMark Pro mkh mark files are forward compatible files created with older versions will run in newer versions of software Mark files are not backwards compatible files created in newer versions may not function properly when run with older versions of WinMark The key is the build number Mark files created with software build numbers less than or equal to the build number of the current marking software will always open and mark When using WinMark Pro to open mark files created with earlier software versions prior to build 1 0 6 2856 Pline Start Pline End Interseg and Off Vector delays may need to be modified due to the development of an improved delay algorithm in build 2856 WinMark Pro User Guide 8 Getting Started Chapter 1 Introduction Technical support For assistance with many common software and hardware issues check our Laser Marking FAQ on the WinMark Pro web site at http www winmark com or on the WinMark Pro CD For in depth software or marking head support contact the Technical Support Group via email at support winmark com or support synrad com By phone contact us at 1 800 SYNRADI or at 1 425 349 3500 between the hours of 8 30 A M to 5 00 PM Pacific Standard Time WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 9 Chapter 2 Installation 22 Installation The Installation chapter includes subsections Inventory Hardlock installation WinMark Pro installation WinMark
259. ronic equipment In particular the Directive calls out European Norm EN documents that define the emission and immunity standards for specific product categories For S YNRAD lasers EN 55011 and CISPR 11 define radiated and conducted RF emission limits while the generic Standards EN 61326 and EN 50082 1 define immunity requirements published by the International Electromechanical Commission IEC When integrating SYNRAD s OEM lasers the Buyer and or integrator of the end system is responsible for meeting all applicable Standards to obtain the CE mark WinlViari Pro User Guide Getting Started 1 Getting Started Use information in this section to install WinMark Pro software and to create a sample drawing for laser marking This section contains the following chapters Chapter 1 Introduction describes new features computer system requirements software upgrades version information mark file compatibility and technical support availability Chapter 2 Installation explains how to install the Hardlock and WinMark Pro laser marking software Chapter 3 Starting WinMark Pro explains basic concepts and initial setup of operating parameters Chapter 4 WinMark Pro Drawing Editor describes WinMark Pro s drawing environment Chapter 5 Creating a drawing steps through the creation of a sample drawing Chapter 6 File development explains offline and FH Smart file development Chapter 7 WinMark
260. rties 2D Barcode Text Enter single or multiline text up to 500 characters If the text string displayed in the Property List is highlighted typing will replace any current text To edit click once in the highlighted field to es tablish an insertion point Click the ellipsis to enter multiline text using the Text Caption Editor dialog box 2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size If 2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size is No then cells are sized to fit the existing bar code bounding box If set to Yes then overall 2D bar code size is based on the number of cells and the individual cell size as specified by 2D Barcode Cell Size 2D Barcode Cell Size Specify the size of an individual 2D bar code cell when 2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size is Yes 2D Barcode Inverted Create a contrasting negative image of the bar code The spaces between the cells are marked instead of the cells themselves and a quiet zone is added so that 2D code readers can locate the outside edges of cells This feature is used for marking dark materials that produce a lighter contrast ing mark 2D Barcode Quiet Zone Defaults to Yes if 2D Barcode Inverted is selected This property creates a one cell Data Matrix or four cell OR Code quiet zone around the code to aid readability 2D Barcode Bitmap Choose Yes to mark 2D code cells as standard bitmap rastered squares Select No to mark cells as unfilled vector circles At small code sizes the unfilled vector circle is prop
261. s Drawing Defaults Object Defaults pplication settings are the global properties of the application Modify these properties o modify different aspects of the behavior of WinMark FH Fenix 125 mm Figure 16 9 Application Settings tab Lens Select a lens corresponding to the currently installed focusing lens on your marking system Click Lens and then click the ellipsis to view the Lens Selection dialog box When using an FH Series marking head or Fenix Laser Marker select a lens from the FH Fenix lens group Choosing a focus ing lens sets the proper Field Width and Field Height parameters for WinMark Pro and specifies the lens correction data set used by the marking head Password Define a case sensitive password to prevent unauthorized modification of mkh mark files from WinMark Pro s Drawing Editor When a password is specified the Enter Password dialog box appears each time WinMark Pro is opened Show Units Type Select inches millimeters or centimeters as the display unit for all measurements Note Mm Mark Pro s ActiveMark control uses inches as the unit of measure When running a custom application program or user interface based on our ActiveX control methods you must set Show Units Type to inches and then program your application to calculate the conversion from other units of measure Unpredictable object placement or operation may result if the Show Unit
262. s Chapter contents lt Version 4 0 atid latet eine oc eet RR GE 12 Ee E 12 Uneinstalling WinMark Pro 2 np ornrtr ttr RO E UE RU ERE RENE GR 12 e coit ras RT OTIO OE die ris isti i e Pid pc Pd e HS 13 Opening WinMarlk Dro 13 Changing focusing lens size oc 14 Setting measurement WAS oet ere tse distet cient EE E eese aes casey sda cese 15 Main Windows ascen nibo eege EES 16 giro M 17 RES 19 Drawing S C IE E 21 S ie EE et 21 Olet Lot epen A E E EE EE EE 21 Property List teuer 22 Help geess A IEEE E 22 otatus E ETI eie ete debi cde dais stats ung a e sedie s deste odi R dantagns 22 Opening anew drawing arai eto ie i RD OD E e HE HT TET Ee 23 E ei tunm eec i toe OD IP GRO ERR yaaa EEk EEKE ERO HERE PER 23 Adding bar codes ucnron re rete er to PO TE EUREN ERE REND RERO 24 ID DariGOd es EE AE Ei 24 BMC M 24 WinMark Pro User Guide vi Table of Contents Chapter contents Adding other objects iue ra eU P RR OT RH PERPE RHET HU A IOS 24 Rectangles arid SES eege tree estate peter etus ee protocol eee probet eoe aste ce oe 24 Su I 24 Importing a graphics leese eese epic dee eos epe exea dn etr eene E E 25 Precision pos tioni orrena i io ar a er enventa nda an en enun eie naeh ae ees sus eun eee 26 Of
263. s Select a filename to open as the current drawing Exit Close the WinMark Pro application A dialog box prompts you to save any unsaved changes Click the Cancel button to cancel the exit request Edit Edit commands Figure 16 3 perform common functions such as object copying pasting and selecting Undo Ctrl4 Z Redo Ctrl V Cut Ctrl ex Copy Ctrl c Paste Ctrl ev Delete Del Duplicate Ctrl D Select All Figure 16 3 Edit menu Undo Undo the last action The number of undo levels is controlled by WinMark s Undo Depth setting Your computer memory will limit the maximum number of undo levels actually available WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 105 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Redo Redo the previously undone action Cut Cut the selection and save to the Clipboard Only the last selection cut or copied to the Clipboard is available for use You can also cut a selection by clicking the Cut shortcut S on the toolbar Copy Copy the selection to the Clipboard Only the last selection cut or copied to the Clipboard is available for use You can also copy a selection by clicking the Copy shortcut button Bal on the toolbar Paste Paste the current Clipboard contents into the drawing You can also paste a selection by clicking the Paste shortcut button SS on the toolbar Delete Delete the selection without saving to the Clipboard Duplicate Duplicate the selec
264. s default font width Line Spacing Enter line spacing leading between lines of multiline text Enter zero 0 to return to WinMark s default spacing value Extra Char Spacing Enter additional spacing tracking between text characters Enter zero 0 to return to WinMark s default character spacing Text Radius Enter a radius for marking text on a curve Use Text Radius to fit text inside or outside an arc or circle Positive values cause text to radius in a convex form negative values cause text to radius in a concave form Polyline format properties Polyline properties see Figure 18 14 apply to polyline objects within the drawing These properties give you the ability to customize polyline objects Special Marking Format All P Polyline Mark Outline Yes Polyline Outline Power 50 0 Figure 18 14 Format tab polyline properties WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 165 Chapter 18 Object properties Polyline Fill Type Fill the selected polyline object Choosing Fill causes polylines to be filled by raster scanning Choos ing No simply marks polylines as vector outlines Polyline Mark Outline When Polyline Fill Type is set to Fill then choose Yes to outline polyline objects This vector outline tends to smooth the polyline shape after raster filling Tip When raster filling objects try a lower Power setting and or a lower Resolution values to prevent ove
265. s No add the following line of code to mark a Data Matrix or QR Code by raster filling cells mh SetStringProp 2D Barcodel 2DBarcodeBitmap 1 WinMiark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 197 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology AddBarCode method The AddBarCode control adds a new bar code object to the current drawing at the indicated coordi nates using the current default object properties specified in the WinMark Pro application The string entered as Object Name is assigned as the object name for the new bar code The control method is formatted as AddBarCode lt ObjectName as String X as Float Y as Float Number as String gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example Tip mh AddBarCode BarCodel 0 0 12345 mh Redraw To change the Barcode Style of a barcode object refer to the following chart Barcode Style Property value Barcode Style Property value UPC A 11 Digit 0 Code 93 11 UPC E 11 Digit 1 Extended Code 93 12 Ean Jan 13 Digit 2 UCC 128 13 Ean Jan 8 Digit 3 HIBC Code 3 of 9 14 Code 3 of 9 4 Portable Data File 417 15 Code39 UPC E 6 Digit 0 Type 16 Extended Code 3 of 9 5 Code Interleaved 2 of 5 6 UPC E 6 Digit 1 Type ke 17 Code Code 128 7 all 128 characters Code 128 Subset A 18 Codabar 8 Code 128 Subset B 19 Post Net 5 9 11 Digit 9 Code 128 Subset C 20 MSI Plessey 10 For example if the
266. s Type property is set to millimeters or centimeters Show Common Props Display all properties or only common properties when multiple objects are selected on the Drawing Canvas Show Grid Toggle display of Drawing Canvas grid lines on Yes or off No WinMiark Pro User Guide 112 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Show Origin Toggle display of the Drawing Canvas X Y Origin Lines on Yes or off No Grid Offset X Offset the drawing grid in the X direction by a specified amount This property changes only the grid display it does not affect mark placement relative to the Drawing Canvas Grid Offset Y Offset the drawing grid in the Y direction by a specified amount This property changes only the grid display it does not affect mark placement relative to the Drawing Canvas Grid Spacing Change spacing between drawing grid lines to speed object layout while maintaining consistent spacing between elements Snap To Grid Select Yes to constrain object placement translation or scaling to grid line intersections Nudge Spacing Specify the distance to 0 0001 accuracy that selected objects are moved using the keyboard s arrow keys If Snap to Grid is Yes the distance moved is equal to the Grid Spacing value Show Top Ruler Toggle display of the upper drawing ruler on Yes or off No Show Left Ruler Toggle display of the left drawing ruler on Yes or off No I O Card Selec
267. s database answers many common mark ing questions in categories including General troubleshooting WinMark Pro automation Tracking operation ActiveX and others The Laser Marking FAQ also includes links to various SYNRAD technical bulletins Resources See the Release Notes provided with each build of WinMark Pro for the latest information on new features bug fixes and miscellaneous issues Your SYNRAD Regional Sales Manager can provide reference materials including Outline amp Mount ing drawings Operator s Manuals Technical Bulletins Application Newsletters and much more Most of these materials are also available directly from SYNRAD s web site at http www synrad com the WinMark Pro web site at http www winmark com or from the WinMark Pro CD WinMark Pro User Guide 244 Commands amp Properties Chapter 21 Troubleshooting WinlViari Pro User Guide
268. s into WinMark Pro by specifying a DLL Filename an export Function Name and up to three user arguments CallDLLFunc Command Details DLL Filename Enter the path and filename that points to the desired DLL file Function Name Enter the DLL export function name specified in the DLLs def file User Arg 1 Enter the first argument if any User Arg 2 Enter the second argument if any User Arg 3 Enter the third argument if any To activate a DLL from WinMark Pro an event must be defined in the Event Builder via the Automa tion tab for the drawing The following steps illustrate how to define a DLL using the example provided in the WinMark Pro Samples folder 1 Open a New drawing and then place a text object on the Drawing Canvas 2 Click the Drawing Canvas to select the Drawing object and then select the Automation tab from the Property List S Select the marking automation event you want to define such as On Before Mark Piece and click the ellipsis 4 Inthe Event Builder dialog box click Add in the Commands frame 5 Inthe field labeled 1 in the Commands frame click the down arrow and select CallDLLFunc from the drop down list G6 In the Command Details frame enter the DLL path and filename C Program FilesNWinMarkN SamplesNSample DIINCommPortDIl dll the DLL export Function Name ReadSerialPort found in the CommPortDIl def file and up to three user arguments in this example only two are used
269. s marked as a static Index mark firing only when the Test Mark pushbutton on the marking head is pressed Auto In Auto Test Mark Mode the custom test mark replaces the factory test pattern in memory Depending upon the setting of Test Mark Type the stored custom test mark fires as an Index or Tracker mark when an input signal is sensed on Input Bit O INO You can also fire this test mark as an Index mark by pressing the Test Mark pushbutton Test Mark Type Test Mark Type determines whether the custom test mark is marked as an Index or Tracker mark Test Mark Type options Index Mark and Tracking Mark are described below If Manual Test Mark Mode is selected then Test Mark Type options do not apply and appear dimmed Index Mark If Test Mark Mode is set to Auto and Test Mark Type is set to Index then a static custom test mark fires when the Test Mark pushbutton is pressed or when the rising edge of an input signal is detected on Input Bit O INO Index Mark provides the ability to load a custom test mark file disconnect the fiber optic cable and computer and then automatically mark an Index file each time an input signal is sensed Tracking Mark If Test Mark Mode is set to Auto and Test Mark Type is set to Tracking then a tracking custom test mark fires when an input part sensor signal is detected on Input Bit O INO after encoder pulses satisfy the required Sensor Distance When the Test Mark pushbutton is pressed Tracker ma
270. s ueterem NEEN 4 Windows du M 4 Windows 2000 M doileesvabesuns 4 Windows Ip 5 WinMark Pro User Guide iv Table of Contents Chapter contents Windows 98 m 5 Upgrades icto o teesehietitee n ra DEO SERE EATE A REE E EESE Ea 5 KEE 5 Version 5 0 WinXP 2000 PCI compagblel eee 5 Version 4 0 WinXP 2000 NT4 98 PCI compatible eee 6 Version 3 1 WinNT4 PCI compatible esee ettet entnet 6 Version 2 0 Win98 95 PCI ISA DAC compatibel 6 EE 6 Version 1 0 Win98 95 ISA DAC compatible eee 6 WinMark Pro hardware software compatibility see 7 Markotilexconapati lt 7 Acros operating SySEEDIS disce ciet aede e itii eia Reged deeeu 1 Across WinMark Pro versions i etae better riot rettet ti cn eget cante Rees ise deseando 7 Zehren eege gege o retenti iat b e rt dee RER 8 Chapter 2 Installation eee liso p 9 Hardlock TE 10 USB su nitet te I rd esee cians Gui testo dei vq ce RE ei 10 Parallel port bien cec teer rotto eret oli ettet oo eoa ient 10 KEE 10 ManMarkiLa nchet E 11 KEE 11 Samples folder rette e roe t tor E RR 11 Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC drivers etri EEN 12 WipMark File Import Filters a rro ave e ER HER GIO GO ON Reda 12 WinlViari Pro User Guide Table of Content
271. se the menu item is disabled dimmed If the FH head is powered up and connected to your marking computer and Custom Test Mark appears dimmed under the Tools menu then under Help click About Synrad WinMark and then click Head Info to reset communications The custom test mark feature is supported when these three conditions are met 1 the marking head s firmware version is v7 0 or greater 2 WinMark Pro version 2 0 0 3019 or greater is used and 3 Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC firmware is v6 0 or greater Test Mark Control x Test Mark Mode Manual C Auto Test Mark Type Index Mark Tracking Mark Cancel Figure 16 15 Test Mark Control dialog box Test Mark Mode Test Mark Mode determines how the custom test mark is initiated either manually or automatically In Manual Test Mark Mode the custom test mark simply replaces the default factory test pattern in non volatile memory In this mode the custom test mark is always marked as a static Index mark firing only when the Test Mark pushbutton on the FH head is pressed In Auto Test Mark Mode the custom test mark replaces the factory test pattern in non volatile memory Depending on the setting of Test Mark Type the stored custom test mark automatically fires as an Index or Tracker mark each time an input signal is sensed on Input Bit O INO The Auto test mark file always marks in a static Index mode when the Test Mar
272. sformations Maintain Aspect Ratio Current Width New Width Scale 1 0000 in 4 1 0000 in a 100 zi Current Height New Height Seale 0 9441 in 4 0 9441 in a 100 a p Rotation Transformations Enter Rotation 0 00 deg E a Jl Figure 17 5 X Y start mark coordinates Rotating an object changes the X Y coordinates of its start mark point which may require you to reposition the mark object on the Drawing Canvas or change Sensor Distance move the part sen sor Depending upon the Motion Vector selected rotating an object 180 may allow object placement closer to the upstream edge of the Drawing Canvas thus increasing overall line speed Encoder Hesolution Encoder Resolution is the number of encoder pulses received per millimeter of distance traveled by the parts conveyor Measurement units for Encoder Resolution are fixed as pulses mm even when WinMark is configured to display measurement units in inches or centimeters WinMark Pro User Guide 136 Commands amp Properties Chapter 17 Drawing properties Consult the Tracker section in the FH Series Marking Head Operator s Manual or the Fenix Laser Marker Operator s Manual for detailed information on calculating and verifying the proper Encoder Resolution value Use Quadrature Encoder Choose Yes to specify a quadrature encoder input where A and B phases generate direction and veloc ity information If No the e
273. should equal the maximum number of digits you plan to serialize In our example a maximum of 9999 parts would be serialized before the counter resets back to 0000 Note WinMark Pro does not suppress the marking of leading zeros Tip In addition to serializing alphanumeric or hexadecimal text WinMark Pro can also serialize 1D and 2D bar code data With the text object still highlighted select the Automation tab from the Property List and click Auto Text Type Click the down arrow and choose Serial Number Text from the drop down list Next select Save Last Serial and set to Yes This ensures that the last serial number marked is saved after a mark session The following mark ses sion begins by retrieving the last saved number and incrementing it before marking the next piece Select Save Serial Name The default location name for storing the last serial number is Slot O which is located in the computer s System Registry Although you cannot change the storage loca tion you can edit the location name to something more meaningful By doing this multiple mark files can have their own individual serial number strings Select Current Saved Value If the value displayed is not zero then zero it out 0000 in our exam ple to initialize the serial number counter Figure 12 8 shows how the screen should look after this step WinMark Pro User Guide 66 Basic Operation Chapter 12 Autornation basics EN Fi
274. so mh WritePropListToTextFile ActiveXProps txt Drawing now step through and write properties for all other objects If Not Count 0 Then For I 0 to Count 1 mh WritePropListToTextFile ActiveXProps txt mh GetObjectName I Next I End If Customers using an Application Language other than English can print this list in order to com pare English property names with corresponding property names translated according to the lan guage specified by Application Language Units of measure are printed using the currently selected units inches centimeters or millimeters WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 233 Chapter 21 Troubleshooting 21 Troubleshooting The Troubleshooting chapter includes subsections Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC FH Series marking head Automation Graphics ActiveMark Laser Marking FAQ Resources Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC Symptom When opened WinMark Pro returns a message indicating There is no interface card installed for this system Possible Causes There is no Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC installed When using WinMark Pro in demo mode when there actually is no FLCC installed this message is normal Click OK to continue with offline file development The computer was not rebooted after installing WinMark Pro v4 0 After installation reboot the computer in order to load the new PCI Device Drivers After re
275. solution 300 Barcode Inverted No Barcode Height 0 2500 in Barcode Thin Width 0 0200 in Barcode Checksum Yes Barcode Show Text Yes Barcode Text Position Below Center Barcode Text Font i Barcode Text Size 0 2000 in Barcode Thick To Thin Ratio 21 Figure 18 16 Format tab bar code properties Barcode Number Enter a caption for the currently selected bar code object If the text string displayed in the Property List is highlighted typing will replace any current text To edit click once in the highlighted field to establish an insertion point For bar codes that support extended character sets click the ellipsis to enter multiline text using the Text Caption Editor dialog box Barcodes supporting extended characters sets include PDF417 Extended Code 3 of 9 UCC 128 Code 128 all 128 characters and Extended Code 93 Note If Auto Text Type is set to other than None the Barcode Number string serves as only a place holder and is replaced by the specified auto text during the mark session For example when serializing text the character string entered as the Current Saved Value not Barcode Number is used for marking Note Some automated text and barcode captions are updated on the display when the object is selected or deselected Dates times and From Another Object sources are updated serial numbers are updated if Save Last Serial is Yes Serial port and disk file text is not updated until the source is read during
276. sure to hazardous laser energy through unauthorized removal of access panels doors or protective barriers C risk of exposure to hazard ous laser energy and injury due to failure of personnel to use proper eye protection and or failure to adhere to applicable laser safety procedures D risk of exposure to hazardous or lethal voltages through unauthor ized removal of covers doors or access panels E generation of hazardous air contaminants that may be noxious toxic or even fatal Additional laser safety information The SYNRAD web site http www synrad com LaserFacts lasersafety html contains an online laser safety handbook that provides information on 1 Laser Safety Standards for OEM s System Integrators including product classification product housing product features and other CDRH requirements 2 Laser Safety Standards for End Users including Class I installations Class IV installations laser hazards ANSI Stan dard U S State requirements and OSHA 3 References and Sources including CDRH ANSI OSHA and 4 Assistance with Requirements In addition the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA provides an online Technical Manual located at http www osha slc gov dts osta otm otm iii otm iii 6 html Section III Chapter 6 and Appendix III are good resources for laser safety information Another excellent laser safety resource is the Laser Institute of America LIA Their comprehensive web site is locate
277. t if the Show Units Type property is set to millimeters or centimeters Tip In order to be recognized by the WinMark Pro OCX ActiveX control methods and property names must be called using their internal program name These internal names are written without spaces in English For example to add a text object with an Object Name and Text Caption when the Application Language is Spanish you would follow this convention mh AddText Objeto 1 Del Texto 0 0 Accionada por Synrad To change the Text Caption of an object when the Application Language is German and then command WinMark to mark the text using two Mark Passes follow this convention mh SetStringProp Text1 TextCaption Energie durch SYNRAD mh SetIntProp Text1 MarkPasses 2 WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 193 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology XY coordinate system The XY object coordinates used in WinMark Pro are not Cartesian coordinates refer back to Figure 4 4 On WinMark s Drawing Canvas X coordinate values are negative to the left of the origin positive to the tight while Y coordinate values are negative above the origin and positive below ActiveMark control properties Drawinglndex property The Drawinglndex property is used to store multiple mark files in one instance of the WinMark Pro ActiveX control Any number of drawings can be active limited only by available computer memory Th
278. t object expands the entity into its constituent polyline objects In this case elliptical or circular objects are converted to polyline objects comprised of a series of short microvectors instead of true mathematical arcs For best marking results create these elliptical or circular objects in WinMark Pro to obtain a true arc when marking Polyline objects are optimized and grouped into a Polyline Set to eliminate redundant off vector moves by the galvanometers so that cycle times are reduced After importation these Polyline Sets can be exploded so that individual polylines can be edited or modified as desired and then unexploded into a newly optimized Polyline Set Note that all polylines in the set are marked with the same properties the properties of the first polyline or Polyline Set Metafile formats CDR EPS EME WME etc support both raster and vector objects in the same graphics file Although vector components of a metafile are exploded and ungrouped into Polyline Sets raster bitmap objects in the metafile remain whole and are not reduced to their individual com ponents In cases where a DXF file contains rotated or vertical text the File Import Filters will rotate the text to a horizontal orientation The best solution is to create all text using WinMark Pro instead of AutoCAD as WinMark s use of stroke and TrueType text produces better marking results When importing vector based graphics files W
279. t x ByRef Float y ByRef Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example Dim x as single Dim y as single get top left position coordinates mh GetObjectPos 0 0 x y get center position coordinates mh GetObjectPos 0 4 x y GetObjectType method The GetObjectType control returns the specific object type of a particular object Integer results cor respond to the following object types 0 1 NO NY ON Aa A Unknown Group Text Polyline Raster Bitmap Vector Import Arc Bar Code Spot 2D Bar Code The control method is formatted as GetObjectType ObjectIndex as Integer SHORT WinMark Pro User Guide 220 Commands amp Properties Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology GetSelectionBounds method The GetSelectionBounds control returns the bounding rectangle dimensions for the current selection set The control method is formatted as GetSelectionBounds lt Left ByRef Float Top ByRef Float Width ByRef Float Height ByRef Float gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example Dim x as single Dim y as single Dim w as single Dim h as single mh SelectObject rect mh GetSelectionBounds x y w h GetStringProp method The GetStringProp control gets a string property value from the current drawing The control method is formatted as GetStringProp lt ObjectName as String PropertyName as String gt STRING Visual Basic example Dim value as String value mh GetStringProp Text1 TextCapt
280. t 1 1 IN1 INI Input Bit 2 2 IN2 IN2 Input Bit 3 3 IN3 IN3 Input Bit 4 4 IN4 Input Bit 5 5 IN5 Input Bit 6 IN6 Input Bit 7 IN7 on the Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 59 Chapter 12 Automation basics Table 12 2 Output bit table WinMark Pro Output DH Output FH Fenix Output FH Smart Output Output Bit 0 Output Bit 1 1 Output Bit 2 uS Output Bit 3 3 Output Bit 4 4 OUT4 OUT4 Output Bit 5 5 OUT5 OUT5 Output Bit 6 6 OUT6 OUT6 Output Bit 7 OUT7 OUT7 on the Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC There are several important differences between DH FLCC FH Fenix and FH Smart I O that must be considered All four FH Fenix inputs have individually isolated grounds and so can either sink or source current FH Smart inputs also have isolated grounds with the exception of IN7 which shares a return ground with the return line of the isolated 15 VDC supply With DH FLCC inputs however only In put Bit 5 is isolated the other five inputs are all tied to a common ground point In this case the common FLCC inputs can only sink not source current All four FH Fenix outputs have isolated grounds providing either sinking or sourcing current On FH Smart heads OUT4 OUT5 and OUT6 OUT7 share a common return ground line In DH FLCC systems Output Bit 1 Output Bit 3 Output Bit 4 and Output Bit 5 share a commo
281. t can clear this bit any time after Event 2 occurs so that the Wait Digital After Piece test is true immediately after marking is complete Automation Marking Format ai Dn Before Mark Session Undefined Set Digital Before Piece Tee Wait Digital Before Piece E On Before Mark Piece Undefined Set Digital Before Mark Figure 12 6 Clearing Wait Digital After Piece Event 4 1 Select Get Digital After Mark 2 Click Bit 4 then select Set from the drop down list Figure 12 7 Selecting Set assigns a logic 1 value to Output Bit 4 OUT4 The logic high value set here is an output signaling parts handling equipment that WinMark Pro has completed the mark and is ready to start the next mark when commanded Automation Marking Format All Set Digital Before Piece D Figure 12 7 Setting Set Digital After Mark WinMark Pro User Guide Basic Operation 65 Chapter 12 Automation basics Automated serialization In addition to communicating or hand shaking with parts handling equipment WinMark Pro can also control serialization of part numbers and date or shift coding of products The sections below describe one method for setting up automated control of part serialization Serial number setup 4 2 Select the Text Tool and click to set an insertion point When the Text Caption Editor dialog box opens type 0000 and then click OK The number of characters entered
282. tate on the D A card Result 1 or 0 is assigned to the target property Only used with toggle properties such as Mark bject to include exclude an object from marking Use a timeout Cancel alia of 2 te mait faravar ESP nan sharh E Figure 19 4 MatchDigitalState command WinMark Pro User Guide 184 Commands amp Properties Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands Tip MatchDigitalState is useful for selecting one of a number of objects or group of objects to mark in cases where you have eight or fewer objects or groups to choose from during a single mark session For example if your production process randomly places different products on the marking conveyor asynchronously you can configure WinMark Pro to mark one of eight different marks as determined by the state of marking head inputs See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a table showing available marking head and FLCC outputs MatchDigitalState Command Details Timeout MSecs Use a short timeout value milliseconds or tens of milliseconds to complete the input status scan immediately or enter a timeout value of 1 which forces WinMark to wait indefinitely for a valid match or until the ESC key aborts the mark session PCI Card ID Enter a card ID corresponding to the ID of the card used for the input output I O connection Typically this ID number corresponds to the ID of the card used for controlling the marking head see Tools General Settings Appli
283. tch 30 mm 23456 Target Area on Part Part Motion 180 Figure 15 15 Tracker line speed calculation 2 The mark is being made by an FH Fenix Tracker using a 125 mm FH Fenix lens maximum lens field dimensions are 105 6 mm x 85 7 mm A Motion Vector of 180 is set in WinMark on the Tracking tab due to the application s part motion requirements Usable Field Size is 68 mm and Mark Pitch measures 30 mm The Tracking Window the smaller of either Usable Field Size or Mark Pitch equals 30 mm Cycle Time for the mark is 0 20 seconds Line Speed Tracking Window Cycle Time 30 mm 0 20 sec Line Speed 150 mm sec 9 m min 29 5 ft min WinMark Pro User Guide 92 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking Marking text The best and fastest files to mark are those files containing only vector objects like alphanumeric text cre ated using either a stroke font or an outlined TrueType font When marking a file containing just non filled vector text such as 123XYZ Tracker starts marking only when the Target Area encompassing 123XYZ is fully within the Tracking Window Marking can con tinue up until the moment the last portion of text to be marked the last part of the Z exits the Tracking Window Figure 15 16 illustrates placement of the text to be marked on the Drawing Canvas WinMark Pro marks text from left to right just as you
284. te are listed in the following chart I O Bit State String Character Ignore Clear 0 Set 1 Valid input bits are 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7 although not all inputs may be supported by your mark ing hardware Valid output bits are 1 3 4 5 6 and 7 although not all outputs may be supported by your marking hardware See Chapter 12 Automation basics for a chart showing valid input and output bits for your specific I O interface To set Output Bit 4 OUT4 in the Drawing object s Set Digital After Mark automation property and Ignore or leave unchanged all other output bit states add the following line of code mh SetStringProp Drawing SetDigitalAfterMark w n wm wm WinlViarik Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 231 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology SetZoomFactor method The SetZoomFactor control sets the magnification of the Drawing Canvas within the preview window A zoom value of 2 zooms in by a factor of 200 of the normal view a value of 0 5 zooms out to 50 of the normal view The control method is formatted as SetZoomFactor lt fFactor as Float gt VOID Visual Basic example zoom to normal view Private Sub Zoom Normal mh SetZoomFactor 1 mh Redraw End Sub zoom in 200 Private Sub Zoom_In mh SetZoomFactor 2 mh Redraw End Sub zoom out to 50 Private Sub Zoom_Out mh SetZoomFactor 0 5 mh Redraw End Sub TranslateSelection method
285. teObject Text1 mh Redraw DeleteSelection method The DeleteSelection control deletes all objects in the current selection set from the active drawing The control method is formatted as DeleteSelection lt none gt BOOLEAN Visual Basic example delete all objects in the current drawing mh SelectAll mh DeleteSelection mh Redraw EraseDrawing method The EraseDrawing control removes all objects in the current drawing The control is formatted as EraseDrawing none BOOLEAN Note In WinMark Pro versions 4 1 1 4402 and above the EraseDrawing method removes all entities from the drawing while leaving Drawing properties unchanged In versions prior to build 4402 the EraseDrawing control opened a new blank form after erasing the current drawing This new form however used Field Height and Field Width dimensions from a DH lens square mark field even when the previous drawing was based on an FH lens rect angular mark field When using versions older than 4402 we recommend using SelectAll and DeleteSelection methods to delete all objects in the active drawing WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 211 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology Visual Basic example mh AddRect recti 0 0 1 1 mh AddRect rect2 1 1 0 0 mh EraseDrawing mh Redraw GetBoolProp method The GetBoolProp control gets a Boolean property from the current drawing The control method is formatted as GetBool
286. ter 21 Troubleshooting Performing input automation within the mark file may prevent the ActiveX application program from regaining control of the operating system if the MarkDrawing method is called and input signals are not available Set up input automation functions within the ActiveX application not in the mkh file so that your application or user interface remains in charge of all pre mark and post mark automation WinMark Pro s MarkDrawing method should only maintain control of the operating system long enough to control laser on off commands during the actual marking process Symptom The WinMark Pro ActiveX control is not available after upgrading to a newer version of WinMark Microsoft Visual C only Possible Causes WinMark Pro s ActiveX control was not updated in the MS Visual C project After installing or upgrading WinMark Pro you must add or update WinMark s ActiveX control in the Visual C project See Adding ActiveX controls pdf on the WinMark Pro CD or on the WinMark web site for instructions on adding or updating ActiveX controls in Visual C Remember that the C applica tion must be built to include the new control changes Laser Marking FAQ SYNRAD s Laser Marking FAQ is available for downloading or browsing from the WinMark Pro web site at http www winmark com You can also access the Laser Marking FAQ directly from WinMark by click ing Help Synrad WinMark FAQ Our Frequently Asked Question
287. ter importation Af ter changing bitmap Resolution and or resizing the image use the Color Reduction Method property on the Format tab to change the color reduction algorithm as required Although WinMark Pro now displays a more accurate view of actual mark quality test marking is still recommended Use the Grayscale Color Reduction Method to mark true 8 bit images An 8 bit grayscale image provides 256 levels of gray ranging from O white to 255 black The Grayscale Color Reduction Method can reproduce fine images on hard surfaces or engrave softer materials WinMark Pro User Guide 242 Commands amp Properties Chapter 21 Troubleshooting Note Prior to FH Series firmware version 17 and WinMark Pro build 4 3 3 4528 laser power control was limited to 7 bit resolution because Power settings were limited to integer values 196 steps This has a drastic effect on grayscale marking because it changes the apparent resolution of the image For example 7 bit resolution equals 128 levels 0 127 If the mark requires a Power setting of 3096 to obtain the desired mark quality image resolution becomes 3096 of 127 which equals 38 1 With integer Power resolution the original 8 bit 256 level grayscale image effec tively consists of only 38 levels of gray In WinMark pro versions 4 3 3 4528 and above with FH Series firmware versions 17 and above FH heads support 8 bit Power resolution in 0 196 steps In the example given abo
288. the desired mark quality image resolution becomes 3096 of 127 which equals 38 1 With integer Power resolution the original 8 bit 256 level grayscale image effectively consists of only 38 levels of gray Beginning with version 17 and build 4528 WinMark Pro and FH Series heads support 8 bit Power resolution in 0 196 steps Eight bit Power resolution allows for 256 levels 0 255 of gray effectively doubling the marked grayscale image resolution WinMark Pro User Guide 176 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Tip When marking grayscale images higher Power levels provide higher image resolution levels of gray For best results use a lower power laser and or increase marking Velocity so that Power can be set in the range of 90 10096 Tip Before marking a grayscale image create a matrix of filled squares as shown in Figure 18 23 By choosing various ranges for Power and Velocity you can quickly determine settings that provide the best dynamic range for your particular image and substrate S EEEEN ONEENEEENEEN g oONNEEEEEEEEN m I O EHNNENENN B o mmummmmm 5 EEHEHENEEEN SRE 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Power of total power Figure 18 23 Sample Power Velocity matrix Bitmap Scan Type Choosing Normal treats each scan line in a bitmap image as a sequence of microvectors that includes the corresponding Pline Start Delay Pline End Delay and Off
289. the mark sequence Tip Bar codes not supported by WinMark Pro can often be created using third party software After creating the bar code save it in a bitmap BMP format and then import the bitmap code directly into WinMark WinMark Pro User Guide 168 Commands amp Properties Chapter 18 Object properties Barcode Style Select from over twenty common bar code types Table 18 1 shows supported 1D bar code formats Table 18 1 1D bar code formats Supported Formats Supported Formats Codabar HIBC Code 3 of 9 Code 3 of 9 Code39 Interleaved 2 of 5 Extended Code 3 of 9 MSI Plessey Code 93 Portable Data File 417 Extended Code 93 Post Net 5 9 11 Digit Code 128 all 128 characters UCC 128 Code 128 Subset A UPC A 11 Digit Code 128 Subset B UPC E 6 Digit O Type Code Code 128 Subset C UPC E 6 Digit 1 Type Code Ean Jan 8 Digit UPC E 11 Digit Ean Jan 13 Digit Barcode Resolution Tip Define line density for the rasterized bar code This value is used as the marking resolution In many cases changing Barcode Resolution will alter the physical length of the bar code To prevent this behavior when Barcode Thin Width is 0 02 or less calculate the inverse or recipro cal of the Barcode Thin Width value round it up and then enter integer multiples of this number in order to determine the best Barcode Resolution for marking For example if your Barcode Thin Width value is 0 015 then the reciprocal is
290. the next serial port read is commanded User Entry Text Prompt the operator to manually enter a text string for each piece in a mark session When User Entry Text is selected the following user entry property appears on the Automation tab Text User Prompt Text User Prompt Create a customized dialog box prompting the operator to enter the required mark data Disk File Text Fixed Automatically open read and mark a line of text from a predefined disk file Each time the speci fied file is read the fixed line of text in the file is assigned as the text object s Text Caption When Disk File Text Fixed is selected the following disk file property appears on the Automation tab Text Source Filename Note When using Disk File Text input the text string must end with a Carriage Return CR character to indicate end of data Text Source Filename Specify a path and filename pointing to the location of the text source to read Tip Although only one line of text is read for each mark the specified file can be updated between marks by external processes From Another Object Assign a text caption for the currently selected Text Barcode or 2D Barcode object from another Text Barcode or 2D Barcode object Use From Another Object to ensure that variable text data shared between two objects remains synchronized throughout a mark session When From Another WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 151
291. the value of any target property Since one text string is read from the serial port each time ReadFromSerialPort is called you must end the line with a Carriage Return CR character to provide the end of data delimiter For multiline text strings use a Line Feed LF character to force a line wrap and then end the last line with a Carriage Return Tip While the Auto Text Type property simply assigns incoming serial data to an object s Text Caption Barcode Number or 2D Barcode Text property the Event Builder s ReadFromSerialPort event provides much greater flexibility For example you can assign serial port data to almost any Marking or Format property of the mark object or to a property of the Drawing itself ReadFromSerialPort Command Details COM Port Specify a serial communications port on your computer and then click the down arrow to see a list of available com ports detected on your computer Click the ellipsis to view and modify serial port settings Figure 19 6 as required by your serial communications network WinMark Pro versions 4 and above support serial transfer rates between 2400 115200 baud WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 187 Chapter 19 Event Builder Commands Serial Port Settings Xl Com Port om Baud Rate s v Data Bits s Stop Bits hd Parity None zl Use RTS flow Control Serial port settings are saved in the registry and are used for all comms on
292. then click the File Import Tool The Open dialog box appears asking you to locate a file for import For illustration purposes we will import a sample file included with WinMark Pro In the WinMark folder double click the Samples folder In the Samples folder double click the SampleImports folder In the Files of type drop down list select tif Tagged Image File Format Q AOON Select the Family tif file and click Open The bitmap file is shown in Figure 9 4 ee ee a es ee sett tit Figure 9 4 Family tif WinMark Pro User Guide 42 Basic Operation Chapter 9 Marking basics 11 Click on the family image to select it then use the Object Transformations dialog box to scale the im age to fit the Drawing Canvas Click the Marking tab and set Velocity to 40 in sec Power to 6096 and Resolution to 300 Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens ensure all personnel are wearing safety glasses and then click the Mark button When the Synrad Marking Progress dialog box appears click Start F 1 Observe how the marking head is producing the mark After completion of the mark note the cycle time Save the file as Bitmap demo mkh Mark a vector graphics file 4 Q kO N Open a new drawing and then click the File Import Tool The Open dialog box appears asking you to locate a file for import For illustration purposes we will import a sample file included with WinMark Pro
293. ting system 2 Open the Container program located in the C Program FilesNWinMarkNSamplesNVisualCPlus Sample folder or create a new Visual C project S In Visual C under Project Add to Project find and select the Components and Controls menu item 4 From the Components and Controls Gallery dialog box select Registered ActiveX Controls Select the Synrad WinMark PRO Control and then click Insert see Figure 13 2 Bie Edit View Insert Project Build Tools Window Help EXE RESISTE SEMI E SERERE EE lee e Speller Ge ep Workspace Container 1 project s EI Container files E43 Source Files L I Container cpp E Components and Controls Gallery RE lc Std fx cpp Choose a component to insert into your project X synmhats cpp a e d n Hoover Fics Lookin Ey Registered Activex Contos cl ES El B Container h Si ContsineiDioh FE Shockwave Flash Object JB Wang Image Ac E Resourceh Bil Weng Image Ar B Stdaixh Bel Wang Image Ec E gynmhatxh Val Tabular Data Control Bh Wang Image Sc Resource Files B Container ico tu Lia TrialEnd Class Bil Wang Image TF Lal VideoRenderCtl Class el Windows Mediz Container rc2 sampbmp bmp mi g E ReadMe txt B Filename Synrad WinMark PRO Control ink ynrad WinMark Pro ActiveX Close Path to control JEXPROGRA T WINMARK SYNMHATROCX ES ClassView 5 Sean 8 FileVi
294. ting will lead to an approximate figure for expected line speed however line speed is greatly affected by the type of mark you decide to create The fastest marks are generally alphanu meric text marks such as serial numbers date codes lot numbers etc but even then changes in font type or font size can make a significant difference in actual performance WinMark Pro Tracking tab When WinMark Pro senses it is communicating with an FH Fenix Tracker it adds another tab to the Prop erty List This additional tab Tracking shown in Figure 15 1 contains the tracking properties described below Tracking Automation Marking Format All Track Marking Object Use Constant Velocity Tracking No Rising Edge Part Sense Yes Motion Vector 270 Sensor Distance 3 0000 in Encoder Resolution 11 9000 Use Quadrature Encoder Yes Invert Encoder Direction Yes Figure 15 1 Tracking tab WinMark Pro User Guide 80 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking Note Newer tracking properties such as Use Constant Velocity Tracking and Use Quadrature Encod er are dependent on the firmware version installed in your marking head Check the SYNRAD http www synrad com or WinMark Pro http www winmark com web sites for information on the latest released marking head firmware Track Marking Object Select Yes to track and mark moving parts with the Tracker feature Choose No to mark stationary objects
295. tion Select a PCI bus Fiber Link Controller Card FLCC as the current marking controller When set ting up input or output automation events choose the same card identification number ID 0 15 to ensure that I O signals are properly processed Select No Card Installed from the drop down list to perform offline file development when an FLCC is not installed Note In older versions of WinMark Pro v1 0 v2 1 running on ISA bus systems the ISA bus FLCC board is user addressable within the range of 300 3F0 hexadecimal In order to communicate with the marking head convert the correct hexadecimal board address into decimal and enter this decimal value as the DA Card Address property WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 113 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Disable Marking Toggle to disable Yes or enable No all marking output Choose Yes to prevent lasing when testing or troubleshooting automated processing systems Undo Depth Set the number of undo levels Computer memory capacity will affect the maximum number of undo levels actually available Keyboard Locked Lock all membrane keyboard functions except for Fenix s Emergency Off pushbutton on FH Series marking heads and Fenix Laser Markers Application Language Choose one of the following languages as the default language for WinMark Pro English Dutch French German Italian Spanish Japanese or Chinese After changing the Application
296. tion and place into the drawing Tip An object inserted into a drawing using Paste or Duplicate retains all properties of the original object however you can edit those properties individually as required Select All Select all objects in the currently active drawing WinMark Pro User Guide 106 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Objects Objects commands Figure 16 4 perform common functions such as grouping aligning and transforming Group Ungroup Explode Unexplode Align Ctrl A Center on Field Ctrl F Transformations Ctrl T Mirror Set Marking Order Use Object For Defaults Figure 16 4 Objects menu Group Group selected objects into a single object When objects are grouped WinMark Pro displays the group s default object properties although their previously defined individual mark properties are retained Depending on the setting of Use Group Properties all objects in a group are marked using their default group properties or are marked using their previously defined individual mark properties Tip To mark a Group using individual mark properties first set Use Group Properties to No from the Tools General Settings Object Defaults tab and then group the desired objects ip Grouping is useful in cases where one set of objects is marked based on a specific digital or serial port input and another set of objects is marked b
297. to the left of the Synrad WinMark control If the Synrad WinMark control is not shown in the Components list then the OCX has not been registered by the Windows operating system In this case click the Browse button and use the Add ActiveX Control dialog box to locate and Open the SynMhAtx ocx file in the Program Files WinMark folder Click OK A Toolbox window with the Synrad WinMark ActiveX control laser starburst icon should appear as shown in Figure 13 1 Synrad WinMark ActiveX Control Figure 13 1 WinMark Pro s ActiveX control in VB Toolbox 7 Click on the WinMark ActiveX icon and draw the control on the form The WinMark control ap pears as a preview window for marking operation WinMark Pro User Guide 72 Basic Operation Chapter 13 ActiveMark automation MS Visual C The tutorial below describes how to add WinMark Pro s ActiveMark ActiveX control to the sample Visual C Container project This same procedure is used to add the WinMark ActiveX control to any Visual C project or to update the ActiveX control after upgrading to a newer version of WinMark Pro To add WinMark ActiveX control to a Visual C project perform the following steps 1 Make sure that you have installed WinMark Pro After installation open WinMark Pro make sure that a lens is selected and then close WinMark Pro This step ensures that WinMark Pro and its associated ActiveX components are registered with the Windows opera
298. trol dialog box shown in Figure 14 1 opens Test Mark Control x Test Mark Mode ZS Manual C Auto Test Mark Type E Inde Mark Tracking Mark Cancel Figure 14 1 Test Mark Control dialog box Note WinMark Pro must be actively communicating with an FH Series marking head or Fenix Laser Marker in order to enable the custom test mark option in the Tools menu If your marking head is powered up and connected to your computer but Custom Test Mark appears dimmed then click the Help menu and choose About Synrad WinMark Click the Head Info button and then click OK to exit This operation resets communication with the head Custom test marks are supported when the head s firmware version is 7 0 or greater the WinMark version is 2 0 0 3019 or greater and the Fiber Link Controller Card firmware ISA or PCI is v6 0 or greater WinlViari Pro User Guide Basic Operation 75 Chapter 14 Custom Test Mark feature Test Mark Control options The custom test mark feature is controlled by selecting one of two Test Mark Modes and one of two Test Mark Types Each control option is described below Test Mark Mode Test Mark Mode determines how the custom test mark is initiated The options Manual and Auto are described below Manual In Manual Test Mark Mode the custom test mark simply replaces the default factory test pattern in memo ry In this mode the custom test mark is alway
299. ts folder for the human readable bar code text Tip Human readable bar code text always uses filled TrueType fonts To shorten cycle times set Bar code Show Text to No create a new text object and set Font Type to Stroke If Barcode Num ber is a static value simply enter this information into the text object s Text Caption If Barcode Number is variable use From Another Object and Assign From properties to link bar code and text objects so that data remains synchronized throughout a mark session Barcode Text Size Enter a text size for the human readable text included in the bar code Barcode Thick to Thin Define a ratio for the width between thin bars thin spaces and thick bars thick spaces in the bar code Based on the selected ratio 2 1 2 5 1 or 3 1 horizontal spacing of thick bars thick spaces is proportionally adjusted throughout the code 2D code format properties 2D code properties Figure 18 17 apply to 2D code objects within the drawing You can choose to mark either Data Matrix or QR Code formats and customize 2D code properties 2D Barcode Text 0000 2D Barcode Fixed Cell Size Yes 2D Barcode Cell Size 0 0750 in 2D Barcode Inverted Yes 2D Barcode Quiet Zone No 2D Barcode Bitmap Yes 2D Barcode Style Data Matrix 2D Barcode Shape Square Figure 18 17 Format tab 2D code properties WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 171 Chapter 18 Object prope
300. tton pS on the toolbar WinMark Pro User Guide 110 Commands amp Properties Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Main Bar Toolbar Toggle the check mark to show hide the Main Bar the toolbar Draw Tools Toggle the check mark to show hide the Tool Box Status Bar Toggle the check mark to show hide the Status Bar Properties Toggle the check mark to show hide the Properties window VNVork Book Toggle the check mark to show hide Work Book tabs Each tab contains a separate open drawing Tools Tools commands Figure 16 8 perform functions to customize global settings and defaults or control startup options General Settings Startup Options Custom Test Mark Virtual Laser Marking Synrad WinMark ActiveX Control Help Figure 16 8 Tools menu General Settings Located under General Settings are three groups of parameters that define WinMark Pro s default Application Drawing and Object properties General Settings Application Settings tab Control global properties of the WinMark Pro application see Figure 16 9 Important Note Properties on the Application Settings tab are not saved with the mkh mark file Instead they are application properties defined for a particular WinMark Pro installa tion on a specific marking computer WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 1 11 Chapter 16 WinMark Pro menu Commands Application Settings Application Setting
301. um field width of the currently selected focusing lens WinMark Pro User Guide 142 Commands amp Properties Chapter 17 Drawing properties Field Height Maximum field height of the currently selected focusing lens Important Note Field Width and Field Height dimensions indicated by the yellow field on the Draw ing Canvas are lens specific and should not be changed Changing the default mark field dimensions causes improper scaling of mark objects and if changed non propor tionally will produce distorted marks Optimal Field Width Nominal field width of the currently specified focusing lens Optimal Field Height Nominal field height of the currently specified focusing lens Table 17 1 and Table 17 2 list FH Series Fenix and SH DH focusing lenses nominal and maximum field sizes for each lens typical working distance focused spot size and depth of field dimensions Table 17 1 FH Series Fenix lens specifications Lens Focal Nominal Field Max Field Working Distance Spot Size Depth of Length HxW mm HxW mm ical mm 1 e um Field mm 370 mm 198 x 198 241 0 x 297 0 350 5 540 10 200 mm 110 x 110 134 0 x 165 0 190 3 290 25 125 mm 74 x 74 85 7 x 105 6 128 2 180 1 5 125HP 66 x 66 80 4 x 99 0 126 x2 180 1 5 80 mm 27 x 21 33 5 x 412 14 x1 116 0 4 1 for lenses with 19 mm 0 75 high lens mounts The typical working distance is marked on each lens mount Consult your marking head s final test report fo
302. ution to 200 and Barcode Show Text to No Q If coding a dark material that will mark lighter set Barcode Inverted to Yes Tip Most bar codes are marked or printed as dark lines on a light background because the bar code must create a sharp color contrast against the material s background in order for the bar code to be readable When creating a contrasting mark on dark material ser Barcode Inverted to Yes This causes WinMark to mark the spaces between bars instead of the bars and add a quiet zone around the code so that a contrasting space between dark bars is created 6 Click the Marking tab and set Velocity to 30 in sec Power to 6096 and Resolution to 300 Note Setting the Resolution value too high may introduce reader errors if line width begins to en croach on the white space between bars Y Position a sheet of anodized aluminum under the lens then mark the bar code Tip When marking plastics that contrast or ink coated surfaces start with Barcode Resolution set tings in the range of 200 250 Bar codes on mild and stainless steels mark best at resolutions around 600 650 To decrease mark cycle time Barcode Resolution should not be set much higher than the lowest resolution that provides consistently readable results WinMark Pro User Guide 44 Basic Operation Chapter 9 Marking basics 2D codes 1 Open anew drawing 2 Select the 2D Code Tool and click to set an insertion point SG On the
303. ve a 3096 Power setting times 255 8 bit resolution equals 76 levels of gray twice the 7 bit value of 38 shades of gray The Resolution property value is not correct When marking bitmap raster images set a Resolution value that corresponds to the spot size of the fo cusing lens For example a 200 mm focusing lens with a spot size of 0 011 is capable of marking approxi mately 100 discrete microvectors per inch As a general rule set bitmap Resolution equal to 200 when using an 80 mm lens 150 for a 125 mm lens 100 for a 200 mm lens and 50 when marking with a 370 mm lens Higher Resolution values cause raster scan lines to overlap the higher the Resolution the greater the overlap Start with the minimum specified Resolution for the selected lens and if necessary increase Resolution in multiples of the recommended values 2x 3x etc Symptom When importing a metafile a graphics format containing both vector and raster graphics into WinMark Pro the last raster object to import is garbled Possible Causes An incompatibility exists with Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems Edit the graphics file so that vector and bitmap objects import separately ActiveMark Symptom The ActiveX application appears to freeze after the MarkDrawing method is called Possible Causes Input automation commands are specified in the mkh mark file WinMark Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 243 Chap
304. versus 1 bit Error Diffusion reduction 174 Figure 18 22 8 bit black amp white image versus 8 bit Grayscale reduction 175 Figure 18 23 Sample Power Velocity mais 176 Figure 18 24 All tab object properties esee ennt en eet tn ente onin 177 Figure 19 1 Selecting Event Builder commands esee 178 Figure 19 2 AssignDate command ete te eto reete deta UR Red 179 Figure 19 3 Call DLL Bune command esisiini tede EE Get ch eot notte 181 Figure 19 4 MatchDigitalState commande 183 Figure 19 5 Event Builder setup for MatchDigitalState demo sss 185 Figure 19 6 ReadFromSerialPort command eese tenent 187 Figure 20 1 Sample AutoTestMark form eese AE EARRA 208 omg 21 1 Application Settings tbid sabes etae I EH De PER e eis 234 Bipure 21 2 Digital Scope windOW cen ue me civ EEN EEN 239 Figure 21 3 Bitmap image size resolution eomporteon eee 241 WinlViari Pro User Guide Table of Contents xvii List of Tables Table 1 1 UE EE 7 Table 2 1 Shipping box COMETS ege een eege banca Ehe 9 GE ON 55 Table12 regele 58 Table12 2 Output bit table urere reete erento eet eee istas 59 Tabled6 1 Supported file formats ee tette tt reete iore 103 Table 17 1 FH Series Fenix lens specifications esee 142 Table17 2 SH DH lens information EEN 142 Table 18 1 UD barcode formats te ttt ree trece eren etes eU dunes bnt ane 168 WimnlViarik Pro Use
305. vided by WinMark Pro s ActiveMark technology Adding WinMark Pro s ActiveMark ActiveX controls to your Microsoft Visual Basic or MS Visual C program offers virtually unlimited control of the marking process See Chapter 13 ActiveMark automation in the Basic Operation section for an introduction to ActiveMark technology Opening WinMark Pro Open WinMark Pro by double clicking the Shortcut to WinMark icon X on your desktop or perform the following steps Ensure that other WinMark programs including WinMark Launcher and Digital Scope are closed Click Start on the taskbar Select Programs and then locate the Synrad WinMark folder BONG Click the Synrad WinMark icon Note Ifa user password has been set then the Enter Password dialog box opens Type the correct case sensitive password and click OK 5 The first time WinMark Pro opens after a new installation the Lens Selection dialog box appears and prompts you to enter the size of the currently installed focusing lens The lens size entered here determines overall dimensions of the Drawing Canvas Double click the desired lens or make a lens selection and then click OK WinMark Pro User Guide 14 Getting Started Chapter 3 Starting WinMark Pro Changing focusing lens size If you change the focusing lens on your marking head to a lens having a different field size then you will need to enter the new lens size so that WinMark Pro properly scales the
306. wer Velocity and Mark Passes values otherwise the new polyline object is marked using default object property values The control method is formatted as AddLineEx lt ObjectName As String X1 As Single Y1 As Single X2 As Single Y2 As Single Power as Single Velocity As Single nPasses As Long gt INTEGER Visual Basic example add new line from 1 1 to 1 1 and mark at 80 power 25 inches per second using 1 pass mh AddLineEX LineExObject 1 1 1 1 80 25 1 mh Redraw AddPolyLine method The AddPolyLine control adds a new polyline object to the current drawing using the current default object properties specified in the WinMark Pro application The string entered as Object Name is as signed as the object name for the new polyline object nPts is the number of X Y coordinate pairs and x is the floating point starting address of the X Y array If bClosed is True then a line is added from the endpoint coordinate to the starting point coordinate to close the polyline When bClosed is False the polyline ends at the endpoint coordinates WinlViari Pro User Guide Commands amp Properties 201 Chapter 20 ActiveMark technology The control method is formatted as AdadPolyLine lt ObjectName As String nPts As Integer x As Single bClosed As Boolean gt INTEGER Visual Basic example Private Type PLARRAY X As Single Y As Single End Type Dim Polyline As PLARRAY Dim T As Single angle
307. xpected input is a velocity signal from a unidirectional encoder A unidirec tional input is permissible in applications where the product transport does not reverse direction during marking Invert Encoder Direction Invert Encoder Direction allows you to invert phasing of the encoder s quadrature bi directional out put signal so that the actual direction of part movement through the marking field is correctly sensed as forward This feature eliminates the need to physically change input field wiring on the marking head Product Line Speed When Use Constant Velocity Tracking is Yes enter a Product Line Speed value in units of inches per second equal to the actual part velocity Adjust Product Line Speed as required to fine tune track ing to actual part motion Automation tab Automation events for the Drawing Figure 17 6 occur at various stages during the mark process as il lustrated in the Automation Flowchart refer back to Figure 16 20 Automation flowchart Certain events can execute predefined Event Builder commands that perform various automation functions while other events exert input output I O control through marking head or FLCC input and output bits These events establish interface protocols between WinMark Pro and your parts handling equipment and are spe cific to each individual drawing Refer back to Chapter 10 Marking parts for a detailed flowchart illustrat ing the marking automation sequence Autom
308. y EN 60825 1 for Class IV laser products OEM models SYNRAD OEM lasers are OEM products intended for incorporation as components in laser process ing systems As supplied by SYNRAD these lasers do not meet the requirements of EN 60825 1 without additional safeguards European Union Directives state that OEM laser products which are sold to other manufacturers for use as components of any system for subsequent sale are not subject WinMark Pro User Guide LS 6 Laser Safety to this Standard since the final product will itself be subject to the Standard This means that Buy ers of OEM laser components are solely responsible for the assurance that the laser processing system sold to an end user complies with all laser safety requirements before the actual sale of the system Note that when an OEM laser component is incorporated into another device or system the entire machinery installation may be required to conform to EN 60204 292 Safety of Machinery the Ma chinery Directive EN 89 392 EEC and or any other applicable Standards In cases where the Buyer is also the end user of the OEM laser product the Buyer end user must integrate the laser so that it complies with all applicable laser safety standards as set forth above Electrornagnetic interference standards The European Union s Electromagnetic Compatibility EMC Directive 89 336 EEC is the sole Directive developed to address electromagnetic interference EMI issues in elect
309. y and or recommend laser compo nents that are CE marked for compliance with applicable European Union Directives Because OEM laser products are intended for incorporation as components in a laser processing system they do not meet all of the Standards for complete laser processing systems as specified by 21 CFR Part 1040 or EN 60825 1 SYNRAD Inc assumes no responsibility for the compliance of the system into which OEM laser products are integrated Center for Devices and Radiological Health CDRH requirements Keyswitch models SYNRAD Keyswitch model lasers comply with requirements for Class IV laser products imposed by the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968 Under this Act the U S Food and Drug Adminis tration FDA issued a performance standard in the Code of Federal Regulations CFR for laser products This performance standard 21 CFR Subchapter J Part 1040 10 was developed to protect public health and safety by imposing requirements upon manufacturers of laser products to provide an indication of the presence of laser radiation to provide the user with certain means to control radiation and to assure that all personnel are adequately warned of potential hazards through the use of product labels and instructions Product features incorporated into the design of SYNRAD Keyswitch lasers to comply with CDRH re quirements are integrated as panel controls or indicators internal circuit elements or input output sign
310. y of parts before the next part or array of parts reaches the Tracking Window If lasing is not complete before the Target Area of the next part reaches the Tracking Window the next part or array of parts will not be marked and the mark log will display a Line speed too fast missed start error Depending upon Sensor Distance and Mark Pitch Tracker heads can buffer up to 16 start mark signals The number of start signals buffered by the head equals the number of parts that pass the part sensor before the first part enters the Tracking Window Note that when a Line speed too fast missed start error occurs the buffer is reset to zero In cases where start mark signals are buffered those pieces will not mark when the buffer resets Position the part sensor so that it does not trigger while the Tracker marking head is marking a part Refer back to Figures 15 4 and 15 5 Encoder Resolution encoder pulses per millimeter of conveyor motion must be properly set to prevent mark distortion or marking outside the Target Area See the FH Series Marking Head Operator s Manual or the Fenix Laser Marker Operator s Manual for details on calculating Encoder Resolution WinMark Pro User Guide 88 Basic Operation Chapter 15 Tracker marking After determining the correct Encoder Resolution open and run Linestack200 mkh or Linestack370 mkh to verify the calculated value For heads with 80 mm or 125 mm lenses copy the linestack obj

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