Experience & Capabilities

Data acquisition

• High-speed synchronized analog acquisition
• Encoder / phase lock loop spatial correlation
• On-the-fly analysis and branching
• Multi-device simultaneous acquisition
• Multi-threaded acquisition and control applications
• High speed data acquisition
• Programming for myriad data acquisition IO boards and external systems
• Interrupt-driven routines and data acquisition
• Integration with vision systems
• DMA / REP INSW

Process control

• Real-time multi-parameter feedback control
• Material handling based on acquired measurements and specified limits & sort categories
• Software PID control
• Integration with customer process machinery via DIO / PLC / serial / analog / TCP/IP

Data processing & analysis

• Frequency-domain analysis (FFT, DFT)
• Multi-threaded background calculation capabilities
• Pass / fail determination based on multiple parameters
• Smoothing / filtering / noise removal
• Linearization & auto-calibration
• Rotational data analysis (TIR, NRR, etc.)
• Edge detection and position determination from data streams

Graphical analysis

• Power spectrum (FFT)
• FFT pass/fail using frequency band limits
• Multiple test overlays
• Histograms
• Multi-axis Cartesian graphs
• Polar graphs
• 3D graphs
• Scanning cursor for graph analysis
• Zoom in/out
• Image capture

Motion control & robotics

• Seiko SCARA and Cartesian robots (w/ multi-task optimizations)
• Motion controller programming
• Stepper motor programming w & w/o encoder feedback
• DC Servo motors
• Multi-axis stages, including rotary
• Background (thread) motion sequencing and monitoring
• Pneumatic motion and monitoring
• Vacuum-actuated devices
• Conveyor control / part sequencing & singulation

Schedulers

• Extensive experience with complex task scheduling
• Deterministic schedulers (including mid-run rescheduling for unexpected event handling)
• Non-deterministic schedulers
• Self-optimizing schedulers with multi-threaded background simulation capabilities

SPC

• X-bar and Range graphs
• Extremely flexible SPC collection, limits, and excursion handling specification
• Auto-calculation of control limits
• Real-time SPC, with automatic notification of excursion events
• Simultaneous SPC tracking and graphs for multiple parameters
• Interface with external SPC packages

Data management

• Built-in database (native format)
• Client/Server distributed control and monitoring applications
• Table-driven data perusal / sorting / selection
• Export to many formats
• Traceability file data logging
• Production statistics / session management
• Yield analysis
• Reports – aggregate and travelers
• HTML report output
• Multi-station shared database
• Flexible data field definition

Connectivity

• PLC interfacing
• DDE
• Serial (including multi-port serial and USB)
• Multi-system communication
• Central monitoring of multiple measurement stations
• TCP/IP client/server
• Ethernet control networks
• IEEE GPIB
• Robotics command and control handshaking
• Built-in remote operation capability

Sensors & devices

• Capacitive & inductive displacement probes
• Pressure transducers
• RTDs and thermocouples
• Temperature control (relay & SCR)
• Laser displacement sensors
• Laser scanning micrometers
• Laser interferometers
• PC-based spectrophotometer
• Load cells & strain gauges
• Accelerometers
• Vacuum sensors
• Proximity/opto sensors
• Video capture / Vision
• RF tags
• Bar code readers / printers
• Weight (scales)
• Encoders (absolute and relative)
• Counter/timer devices
• Bench test equipment

User interface features

• Simple, appealing, intuitive operator interfaces
• User-defined “Setups” (recipes) for varying part type handling
• Unit-independent data – flexible unit specification & auto-conversion
• Comprehensive configuration capabilities, user-level and “hidden” tech level
• Powerful built-in multi-level debug trace output capability (Software EKG™)
• Extensive error handling / reporting / recovery
• Context-sensitive help w/ hyperlinked graphics
• Operation log (automatic)
• Maintenance log w/ automatic machine-specific maintenance schedule & tickler
• Real-time diagnostics
• Context-sensitive diagnostics
• Demo mode
• Password protection of features
• Critical file backup
• Professional installation & update disks / CDs
• Touchscreen-optimized screens

Documentation

• End-user operation manuals (illustrated & indexed)
• Technical reference manuals
• Functional description / specification generation
• Verification & Validation protocols

Quality

• 21 CFR regulatory compliance
• IEC 62304 compatible software lifecycle
• Formal software verification and validation
• Highly productive, senior software development team