How do I use the ActiveX AutoTestMark method?
The ActiveX library in WinMark Pro installations of build 3155 or higher include an additional method to allow mark files to be downloaded to the Marking Head as a Custom Test Mark. For further details of the Custom Test Mark functions, see the FH Series Marking Head Operator’s Manual.
The method is used as follows:
BOOL AutoTestMark <bNoAuto as Boolean, bIndexMark as Boolean, nDownload as Boolean>
The function arguments are defined as:
bNoAuto FALSE = Auto Test Mark, TRUE = Manual Test Mark
bIndexMark TRUE = Index marking, FALSE = Track marking
nDownload TRUE = download current drawing, FALSE = no download (just update
the binary settings)
How do I determine the line speed I’ll be able to support with my Tracking Marking Head?
For detailed information regarding the calculation of line speed on Tracking Marking Heads and optimization of mark files to provide the best line speed values, refer to Technical Bulletin #0003, available for download here.
Why are some of my parts partially marked or completely unmarked?
There are a LARGE number of possible causes for partially marked or unmarked parts. In answering the following questions, you should be able to discover the answer on your own. If you don’t, then contact Synrad with the answers in hand, and we will have a head start in the troubleshooting process.
- 1. For Fenix: does the Fenix display any error codes or unusual information? If so, do the displays on both sides of the Fenix agree?
- 2. Check the reliability of the source of the “mark start” input signal. Does it originate from a newly installed sensor, whose sensitivity may need adjusting? Does it originate from an old sensor that has become faulty?
- 3. Are the unmarked parts randomly distributed through the marking session, or do they occur in a clump?
- 4. If in a clump, was it at the beginning or end of the marking session, or somewhere in between? Have you verified the stability of the power source: for Fenix, check for fluctuations on the power line; for SH, DH and FH heads, verify that the supply voltage is at 30 +/- 2VDC under load.
- 5. If spread out, verify that the parts are not occasional out of place: missing from the normal stream, set too close or too far from the Marking Head (out of the depth of focus of the lens).
- 6. Were the problem parts completely blank, or were there partial marks on any of them? Partial marks would indicate that the mark was started or ended correctly, but interrupted by something (like a reset, or the line indexing to the next part before the mark was started or completed).
- 7. WinMark Pro displays a count of the number of objects marked. Does the WinMark Pro count agree with the number of parts that have been presented? Is it off by the number of unmarked parts? If so, this would indicate that WinMark Pro didn’t recognize the start mark signal for the unmarked parts. See Technical Bulletin #0004, available for download here.
- 8. Do you have any interlocks or remote key switch connections in place or are using the FASI feature? Verify that all controlling sources for these signals are operating reliably.
- 9. Did anything else unusual happen during the mark session that might be correlated with the missing marks? Does the line have to be stopped and restarted to load new parts during a run? If WinMark Pro must be reset to continue marking, what is the last entry in the mark log (the scrolling list of status messages shown on the right side of the computer screen during marking)?
- 10. What is the temperature in the area around the marker? Is there any possibility that the laser is shutting down due to an over-temp condition?
- 11. Are you using the WinMark Pro computer for any other function on the line? Did you remove all network and modem cards from the WinMark Pro PC?
- 12. Do you have a screen saver in operation on the WinMark Pro computer? If so, disable it.
If you get to this point and haven’t found the problem, contact Synrad. It would be helpful if you e-mail us your marking file and fax us a wiring diagram or sketch of your I/O connections to the Marking Head.
At low power levels, my marks look great. At high power, the marks are trashed. What’s going on?
Check the stability of the power source. For Fenix, check for fluctuations on the power line. For SH, DH and FH heads, verify that the supply voltage is at 30 +/- 2VDC under load.
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