Rofin Software

8/9/2019 Rofin Software

1/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin-Sinar UK Ltd. ROFIN Multi scan

Software Guide

ROFIN Multiscan

CO2 Vector Marking


2/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd CO2 Vector Marking 1-1

This manual is copyrighted with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, thismanual may not be copied in whole or part or reproduced in any other mediawithout the express permission of Rofin-Sinar UK Ltd. Permitted copies mustcarry the same proprietary and copyright notices as were affixed to the original.Under law, copying includes translation into another language.

Please note that while every effort has been made to ensure that the data givenin this document is accurate, the information, figures, illustrations, tables,

specifications and schematics contained herein are subject to change withoutnotice. The most recent additions and supplementary information are given inthe Additional Information Section

Rofin-Sinar UK Ltd.York WayWillerbyKingston upon HullU.K. HU10 6HD

Tel: 44 (0) 1482 650088Fax: 44 (0) 1482 650022

February 2009

Barcode technology provided in this product is copyrighted by TALTechnologies Inc.


3/130


Contents

Page

Section 1 Menu 1-1

1.0 Menu 1-1

Section 2 Login /Logout 2-1

2.0 Login/Logout 2-1

Section 3 Creating a Code 3-1

3.0 Create Code 3-1

3.1 Field Type 3-3

3.2 Text Field 3-4

3.3 Extended Characters 3-5

3.4 EXTENDED CHARACTERS - UNICODE 3-6

3.5 Style 3-7

Section 4 Date and Time 4-1

4.0 Date 4-1

4.1 Custom Day / month 4-4

4.2 Custom Dates 4-5

4.3 Week type 4-6

4.4 Time 4-7

Section 5 Operator Field 5-1

5.0 Operator Field 5-1

Section 6 Increment 6-1

6.0 Increment 6-1

6.1 Leading Zero 6-2

6.2 Reset Counters 6-3

Section 7 External Text 7-1

7.0 External Text 7-1

Section 8 Logos & Bitmaps 8-1

8.0 Logo type 8-1

8.1 Logo Download 8-2

8.2 VLM Logo 8-3

8.3 Bitmap / DXF 8-5


4/130


Section 9 Barcodes 9-1

9.0 Barcode Formats 9-1

9.1 Barcode Settings (default values) 9-3

9.2 Barcode Optimisation 9-3

9.3 Barcode type 9-7

9.4 Barcode style 9-8

9.5 Bookland 9-9

9.6 Codabar 9-10

9.7 Code 39 Normal, Code 39 Full ASCII, Code 39 HIBC and Code 93 9-12

9.8 CODE 128 9-13

9.9 EAN-8, EAN-13 9-14

9.10 EAN / UCC 128, INTERLEAVED 2 OF 5 (ITF) 9-16

9.11 MSI-PLESSEY 9-17

9.12 POSTNET 9-18

9.13 UPC-A, E 9-19

9.14 PDF417 9-20

9.15 PDF417 STYLE SCREEN 9-21

9.16 AZTEC 9-23

9.17 AZTEC STYLE SCREEN 9-24

9.18 DATA MATRIX 9-25

9.19 DATA MATRIX STYLE SCREEN 9-28

Section 10 Settings 10-1

10.0 Settings 10-1

10.1 Line Settings 10-1

10.2 Product movement while marking 10-1

10.3 Detector 10-2

10.4 Detector Delay (not applicable to Product Present mode) 10-6

10.5 Product Interval (only applicable to Product Present mode) 10-6

10.6 Tacho resolution 10-7

10.7 Dual Fault Tolerant marking on both detectors 10-7

10.8 Dual Fault Tolerant Marking on Detector 1 10-8

10.9 Detector Type Dual Either 10-9

10.10 Minimum pitch 10-10

10.11 Laser Settings 10-10

10.12 Materials 10-11

10.13 Advanced laser settings 10-12

10.14 Optimisation 10-16

10.15 Optimise code position 10-20

10.16 Optimise code direction 10-21

10.17 Optimise marking order 10-22


5/130


10.18 Show on-the-fly moves 10-23

Section 11 Saving / Loading 11-1

11.0 Saving 11-1

11.1 Loading 11-2

Section 12 Printing a code 12-1

12.0 Printing a code 12-1

12.1 Shutdown 12-2

12.2 Unlock 12-3

Section 13 Password Levels 13-1

13.0 Password levels 13-1

Section 14 Setup 14-1

14.0 Digital code selection 14-2

14.1 Communication setup 14-3

14.2 Contrast 14-4

14.3 Interlocks 14-5

14.4 Status 14-6

14.5 Local setup 14-8

Section 15 System Faults/Warning Messages 15-1

15.0 Description 15-1

15.1 System Fault Messages 15-1

15.2 Warning Messages 15-1

15.3 Software warnings 15-2

Append ix 1 Index Append ix 2 Addi tional Information

A2.0 Revision History

A2.1 Fault Codes and History Screen


6/130


Section 1

Menu


7/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Menu 1-1

Section 1 Menu

1.0 Menu

I. Status

Allows the system status and histories to be viewed.

II. Setup

Allows access to the following screens -Local setupComm setupContrastInterlocks

III. Password Levels

View and change the password levels for access to various operations,such as editing or printing codes (see section 13.0).

IV. Login / Logout

Allows user to login to gain access to password – protected screens. Ifthe user is logged in then this button is used to logout.

V. Shutdown

Shutdown the system ready for turning off the power switch.

VI. Create Code

Create a new print code.


8/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Menu 1-2

VII. Edit Current Code

Edit the current print code, if one exists.

VIII. Edit Code Settings

Edit the current print code settings, if one exists. Modified settings(line settings, laser settings or advanced laser settings) areautomatically saved.

IX. Edit Stored Code

Edit an existing code stored in the system’s memory. If ‘Edit code’ ispassword protected then this button changes to ’Load Stored Code’,and the user may load but not edit a code.

X. OK

Exit from this screen


9/130


Section 2

Login/Logout


10/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Logi n/Logout 2-1

Section 2 Login/Logout

2.0 Login/Logout

I. LOGIN / LOGOUT

If access to various options have been set up in the Password Levelsscreen to require a password to be entered, it is necessary to login.

II. Password

Enter the User, Setup or Maintenance password to login to the system.The password entered determines the login level for the system.

III. Cancel

Return from the login screen without logging in.

IV. OK

Return from the login screen using the password level entered. If thepassword is incorrect a warning will be given.

The menu button used to reach the login screen now changes to read‘Logout’ Pressing this button logs the user out immediately.


11/130


Section 3

Creating a Code


12/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Creating a Code 3-1

Section 3 Creating a Code

3.0 Create Code

The Create Code Screen shows the marking field area. Within the markingarea, marking fields such as text and date fields can be added or edited.These will be displayed in the positions, sizes and fonts which have beenset up for each field when they are created. The marking area can bezoomed in or out, centred on the current cursor position. Pressing the 'z'button on the keyboard causes the display to zoom out, and pressing 'Shift'and 'z' buttons together (upper case Z) causes the display to zoom in.Guide lines are indicated in the marking field area at 10mm intervals. Whenzooming out, the full extent of the marking area can be shown. The cursoris moved by pressing one of the four arrow keys to the right of the display.The cursor position in millimetres and the zoom factor are shown. When thedisplay is zoomed in so that the full marking field is not visible, moving thecursor near the edge of the display causes the display to scroll.

I. Add Field / Edit Field

Allows a new field to be added to the mark code. The available fieldtypes are displayed after 'Add Field' is selected. If the cursor is movedonto an existing field, the field is highlighted and the Add Field buttonlabel changes to identify the type of field. The field can then be edited ifrequired, or deleted by pressing the Delete key. To move a field, movethe cursor onto the field then press the shift button together with one ofthe four arrow keys.


13/130


II. Moving all fields

To move all fields simultaneously, hold the 'Ctrl' (Control) key downand press the 'A' key. All the fields should become highlighted.Release the keys. Hold down the 'Shift' key and press one of the arrowkeys to move all the fields in the direction of the arrow. Release the'Shift' key if further cursor movement is required without moving all thefields.

III. Cut and paste

To cut a field, place the cursor on it so that it is highlighted, hold downthe Ctrl (Control) key and press the 'X' key. The field should bedeleted. To 'paste' the field, move the cursor to the required position,hold down the Ctrl key and press the 'V' key. The field should becreated at the cursor position. If more than one paste operation isrequired, move the cursor to another position, hold down the Ctrl keyand press the 'V' key.

IV. Copy and paste

To copy a field, place the cursor on it so that it is highlighted, holddown the Ctrl (Control) key and press the 'C' key. To 'paste' the field,move the cursor to the required position, hold down the Ctrl key andpress the 'V' key. The field should be created at the cursor position. Ifmore than one paste operation is required, move the cursor to anotherposition, hold down the Ctrl key and press the 'V' key.

V. Cancel

Return to the previous screen.

VI. Settings

Displays the settings menu screen, which allows access to -

• Line Settings• Laser Settings• Advanced Laser Settings

If the cursor is placed on a marking field, the Settings button changesto 'Group 0 settings’, ‘Group 1 settings' etc depending on the selectionwhich has been made in the style screen for that field. If this button is

selected, the parameters which are displayed apply to all the markingfields which have been set to this group. To set the field settings of thisfield to a different group, edit the field, select the Style screen andchange the 'Field settings'.

VII. Save / Print

Allows the mark code to be saved in the system memory (hard drive)for later retrieval. All codes must be saved before they can be printed.Once a code is saved, the button text changes to 'Print' allowing thecurrent code to be printed.


14/130


3.1 Field Type

This screen is displayed when the 'Add Field' button is pressed. Markcodes are created from individual fields. Fields contain information specificto the user's requirements. They can include information such as fixed text,date codes, time codes, incremental codes and external text fields andlogos. Each of these is described below.

I. Text

A text field is fixed text that remains unchanged for the duration of anyprint run. This text could be 'Sell by', 'Manufactured by', a Companyname or any other text required by the user to be coded on each item.

II. Date

Date field can be formatted in different ways. The simplest form of datecode is 'DD/MM/YY'. This prints the current day, month and year innumeric form, eg 22/04/01.The formatting characters DD, MM, YY aresubstituted by the current day, month and year numbers when thecode is printed (See section 4.0).

III. Time

Time fields print the current system time using formatting charactersHH:MM:SS. They can be either 12 or 24 hour clock, with an am/pm

designator if required. The HH, MM, SS characters are substituted bythe current system time values when the code is printed (see section4.0).

IV. Cancel

Return to the previous screen.

V. Operator

Operator fields are text fields which can be modified quickly by theoperator without going through the menu system (see 5.0)


15/130


VI. Increment

Incremental codes are codes which change based on either thenumber of products printed or the time elapsed. Various types ofincremental code sequences are available, including a user-definedsequence (see section 6.0).

VII. External Text

External text fields are fields which have content provided by anexternal source. The external source sends ASCII character codes viaan RS232 serial communication port directly to the laser. The laserinserts these codes at the appropriate position before printing the code(see section 7.0).

VIII. Logo

Company logos which have been created for use on the ROFINMultiscan system or bitmaps can be downloaded to the ROFINMultiscan via an RS232 serial communication port. Logos can beselected from a list, scaled and inserted as a marking field at therequired position (see section 8.0).

IX. Barcode

Various linear or two-dimensional barcode types may be selected (seesection 9.0).

3.2 Text Field

I. TEXT

Enter the characters in the text field. The cursor position can be movedleft or right using the arrow keys. To delete a character, position thecursor to the left of the character and press the 'Del' (Delete) key. The'TEXT' label on the screen shows the current 'Caps Lock' status. If'TEXT' is shown, Caps Lock is ON, if 'text' is shown, Caps Lock is OFF.

II. Extended Chars

Display a list of additional characters which are not available on thekeyboard. If an extended character is selected from the list, it will beinserted in the text field at the current cursor position (see section 3.3)


16/130


III. Style

Set the font, height, width ratio, character spacing, angle, orientationand field settings of the text field (see section 3.5).

IV. Cancel

Return from the text field screen without adding or editing a text field.

V. OK

Add the new text field to the mark code or edit an existing text field,using the values entered in this screen.

3.3 Extended Characters

Extended characters are characters which are not available on thekeyboard. They may be inserted into the following field types:-

• Text• Date• Time• External Text• Operator

Use the arrow keys to highlight a character.

I. OK

Return with the highlighted character selected. The character will beinserted at the current text cursor position.

II. Cancel

Return without selecting a character.


17/130


3.4 EXTENDED CHARACTERS - UNICODE

When a Unicode font is selected in the style dialog, the number of extendedcharacters is significantly larger. In order to simplify character selection theUnicode characters are grouped into regional collections. After a region isselected, the list of available characters is displayed, along with a largerrepresentation of the selected character and its Unicode number.


18/130


Symbols shown in grey are applied to the previous character selected. In

the example shown above, the accent will be applied above the previouscharacter. Note that the ‘o’ is used to represent the position of the symbolrelative to the character to which it is applied. The ‘o’ is not a part of thesymbol.

3.5 Style

The style screen allows the properties of text based fields to be set. Thestyle can be set for the following field types:-

• Text• Date• Time• External Text• Increment• Operator

I. Enter

Press the Enter key to move to the next field in the screen.

II. Font

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select the font to be used for thetext field. The appearance of each font is shown in the white box onthe right. The symbol to the left of the font name indicates a vector or


19/130


TrueType font. Note that TrueType fonts are significantly slower tomark. Certain characters are not available in all of the True Type fonts. Always check that the correct characters are displayed in the image ofthe marking field when using True Type fonts.

III. X/Y Position

Allows the user to specify co-ordinates on the mark area where thedata will be printed.

IV. Height

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to adjust the height of the text field inincrements of 0.1 mm, or enter a value between 1mm and 50 mm.

V. Width ratio

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to adjust the width of the text fieldfrom the normal value (1) in increments of 0.01, or enter a valuebetween 0.1 and 10.

VI. Character spacing

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to adjust the spacing betweencharacters, as a fraction of the character width for the font selected inincrements of 0.1, or enter a value between 0.1 and 5.

VII. Angle

Use the up and down arrows to enter an angle from 0 to 359 degrees,

or type an integer value between these limits.

VIII. Orientation

Four options are available –

normalinverted characters reflected verticallytower characters stacked vertically from

top to bottom inverted towertower characters reflected horizontally

The current selection is indicated inside the white box. The orientation

can be used in conjunction with the Angle selection to achieve variouscombinations. An example of ‘tower’ text is shown below.


20/130


IX. Field settings

This feature may be used to change the laser or galvo parameters foran individual field, for example to mark a bitmap with a lower laserpower than the other fields.

If the cursor is placed on a marking field, the Settings button changesto 'Group 0 settings’, ‘Group 1 settings' etc depending on the selectionwhich has been made in the style screen for that field. If this button isselected, the parameters which are displayed apply to all the marking

fields which have been set to this group. To set the field settings of thisfield to a different group, edit the field, select the Style screen andchange the 'Field settings'.

X. Line width widen

Increase the value from zero to widen the marked width of lines.Widening the width of lines significantly increases the marking timebecause the laser spot moves in a spiral instead of moving in a straightline from one point to another.


21/130


XI. Quality factor

This parameter increases the frequency of oscillation and is onlyavailable if the ‘Line width widen’ parameter is not zero. Increase thequality factor of the widened lines at the expense of increased markingtime.

XII. Cancel

Return without changing the values set on this screen.

XIII. OK

Return using the values on this screen.


22/130


Section 4

Date and Time


23/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Date and Time 4-1

Section 4 Date and Time

4.0 Date

I. DATE FORMAT

Enter the characters in the date field using the characters displayed inthe box near the bottom of the screen. These characters will beconverted to date field characters by the unit. For example, DD/MM willcause two numeric day and month digits to be printed. If 'DATEFORMAT' is displayed, the 'Caps Lock' is ON, if 'date format' isdisplayed, 'Caps Lock' is OFF. The cursor position can be moved leftor right using the arrow keys. To delete a character, position the cursorto the left of the character and press the 'Del' (Delete) key. Othercharacters may be entered in a date field, but they will not changedepending on the date.

II. A/B/C Custom day / month / date character

In addition to conventional day and month names, it is also possible toprint customised day, month and date characters.


24/130


III. J/W - Jul ian date/week digi t (Standard setting)

The Julian date is the number of days since 1st January, ie day 1-365

of the year, or the number of weeks.

The Julian week is numbered from 00 to 53.If January 1

st -6

th is part of the last week of the previous year then it will

be numbered 00. Week 01 begins on the day selected.

IV. J/W - Julian date/week digit (Custom setting)

Allows week 61 to begin on the 1st March.

V. Offset

Offset allows the printing of a date code which is offset from the currentdate by the given amount. The offset can be a number of days, weeks,months or years. It is commonly used to indicate product life, forexample 'expires by', 'display until', 'best before'.

VI. Time of change

The time of day at which date codes should automatically change.


25/130


VII. Language

Select the language of the day and month names to be printed.

VIII. 'Enter' key


IX. Week type

Allows the week numbering start definition to be selected (see section4.3).

X. Style

Set the font, height, width ratio, character spacing, angle, orientationand field settings of the date field (see section 3.5).

XI. Cancel

Return from the text field screen without adding or editing a text field

XII. Custom dates

Allows entry of any required sequence of date characters (see section4.2).

XIII. Custom day / month

In addition to conventional day and month names, it is also possible to

print customised day and / or month characters (see section 4.1).

XIV. Extended Chars

Display a list of additional characters which are not available on thekeyboard. If an extended character is selected from the list, it will beinserted in the date field at the current cursor position (see section3.3).

XV. OK

Add the new date field to the mark code or edit an existing date field,using the values entered in this screen.


26/130


4.1 Custom Day / month

The custom day / month screen can be selected from the date screen (seesection 4.0).

Use the Enter key to select the date field to be modified.Use the delete key to delete the character to the right of the cursor.Type in the required custom date name, up to three characters per field.

I. Extended Chars

Select a character which is not available from the keyboard (seesection 3.3)

II. Cancel

Return without setting custom dates.

III. OK

Return with the custom dates entered.


27/130


4.2 Custom Dates

Enter the required characters or numbers to be printed in place of theactual date number.

I. Extended chars

Display a list of additional characters which are not available on thekeyboard. If an extended character is selected from the list, it will beinserted in the custom date list at the current cursor position. Seesection 3.3.

II. Cancel

Return from this screen without changing the custom dates.

III. OK

Return from this screen with the custom dates entered on this screen.


28/130


4.3 Week type

I. Example Week Numbering

Day Date Week number(Starts Sunday) Week number(Starts Monday) Week number(Start 1st Jan)

Thursday 1st 00 00 01Friday 2

nd 00 00 01

Saturday 3rd

00 00 01Sunday 4

th 01 00 01

Monday 5th 01 01 01

Tuesday 6th 01 01 01

The week type screen can be selected from the date screen (see section4.0).

Press the button next to the required week numbering type. The selectedtype is highlighted.

II. Cancel

Return without selecting a week type.

III. OK

Return with the selected week type.


29/130


4.4 Time

I. TIME FORMAT

Enter the characters in the time field using the characters displayed inthe box. These characters will be converted to time field characters bythe ROFIN Multiscan . For example, HH:MM will become two hourdigits (24 hour clock) and two minute digits. If 'TIME FORMAT' isdisplayed, the 'Caps Lock' is ON, if 'time format' is displayed, 'CapsLock' is OFF. The cursor position can be moved left or right using thearrow keys. To delete a character, position the cursor to the left of thecharacter and press the 'Del' (Delete) key. Other characters may beentered in a time field, but they will not change depending on the time.

II. Extended Chars

Display a list of additional characters which are not available on thekeyboard. If an extended character is selected from the list, it will beinserted in the time field at the current cursor position (see section 3.3).

III. Style

Set the font, height, width ratio, character spacing, angle, orientationand field settings of the time field (see section 3.5).

IV. Cancel

Return from the text field screen without adding or editing a text field

V. OK

Add the new time field to the mark code or edit an existing time field,using the values entered in this screen.


30/130


Section 5

Operator


31/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Operator 5-1

Section 5 Operator Field

5.0 Operator Field

Operator fields allow the user to rapidly access text fields which may needchanging frequently, but which cannot be represented using the other typesof field. A single keypress from the main print screen gains access to theoperator field editing screen, and a single keypress accepts, saves andactivates the changes.

I. Prompt

This field will be displayed when the user chooses to edit the operatorfield. The prompt is to assist identification of this operator field.

II. Text

This is the text that will be printed in the markcode.

III. Extended Chars

Display a list of additional characters which are not available on thekeyboard. If an extended character is selected from the list, it will beinserted in the text field at the current cursor position (see section 3.3)

IV. Style

Set the font, height, width ratio, character spacing, angle, orientationand field settings of the text field (see section 3.5).

V. Cancel

Return from the text field screen without adding or editing a text field.


32/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Operator 5-2

VI. OK

Add the new text field to the markcode or edit an existing text field,using the values entered in this screen.

The F5 key changes from ‘Shutdown’ to ‘Edit Operator Fields’ whenthe markcode contains one or more operator fields. ‘Shutdown’ can stillbe accessed via the menu.

The user (operator) can modify the text in each operator field, but is

not able to modify the ‘prompt’ text.

Operator fields can be protected from unauthorised tampering by usingthe keyboard lock facility.


33/130


Section 6

Increment


34/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Increment 6-1

Section 6 Increment

6.0 Increment

Figure 6.0-1 Increment

I. Type

Select from one of the following using the Up and Down arrow keys -

Numeric Sequence through the characters 0 - 9 onlyUpper-case Alpha Sequence through the characters A-Z onlyLower-case Alpha Sequence through the characters a-z onlyUpper-case Alphanumeric * Sequence through the characters 0-9, A-Z.Lower-case Alphanumeric * Sequence through the characters 0-9, a-z.User defined sequence The sequence entered is the sequence of

each of the characters as they increment.Care should be taken to avoid repeating

characters, which will lead to ambiguousfield values.

* These codes are commonly referred to as 'base 36'.

II. Sequence

See above, 'User defined sequence'.

III. Lower limit

The lowest value of the increment field.The lower and upper limits and the start value must be entered using

the same number of characters.

IV. Upper limit

The highest value of the increment field.


35/130


V. Start value

The start value of the increment field. The start value must be withinthe lower and upper limits

VI. Type

The increment can be controlled by product detection or by timeinterval. The 'Increment by' fields change depending on the selectionmade.

Increment by / every:- the value of the increment, between 1 and1000000, every X number of products, or every X minutes or hoursstarting at hh:mm dd/mm/yy.

VII. Style

Set the font, height, width ratio, character spacing, angle, orientationand field settings of the increment field (see section 3.5).

VIII. Serial control index

The increment field may be reset or set to a value by a remote serialcontrol program if required. The serial control index identifies this field.Note : do not use the same index number for other increment fields.

IX. Cancel

Return from the increment field screen without adding or editing an

increment field.

X. OK

Add the new increment field to the markcode or edit an existingincrement field, using the values entered in this screen.

6.1 Leading Zero

Numeric codes can be marked with leading zeroes printed or omitted.To print leading zeroes the user should enter the lower limit including theleading zeroes. To omit leading zeroes the user should enter the lower limitomitting the leading zeroes. This feature is only available for type ‘Numeric’

Examples:

Lower Limit: 0Upper Limit: 999Print sequence: 0, 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 100,101,102, 998,999, 0

Lower Limit: 00Upper Limit: 999Print sequence: 00, 01, 02, 10, 11, 12, 100,101,102, 998,999, 0

Lower Limit: 000Upper Limit: 999

Print sequence: 000, 001, 002, 010, 011, 012, 100,101,102, 998, 999, 000


36/130


6.2 Reset Counters

Figure 6.2-1 Reset Counters, keyboard

The counter can be reset in print mode using the keyboard or using anexternal digital input. The ‘value at reset’ can be entered on this screen,enabling a different reset value and start value.

If ‘keyboard’ is selected then on the main print screen key F4 or F5 will beused to reset the counter, depending on other selected features which alsouse these keys (e.g. operator fields, lock keyboard, shutdown). If more than2 features are selected then a quick menu is used via F5 giving access tothe multiple operator features.

Figure 6.2-2 Reset Counters, Dig ital

If Reset Counters ‘Digital’ is selected then program select 4 is used to resetthe counter. Digital message selection will then be limited to 8 messages(see ‘Digital code selection’ and Installation Manual).


37/130


Section 7

External text


38/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd External text 7-1

Section 7 External Text

7.0 External Text

External text fields are fields which update under the control of a remotecommunication device, for example a PC or PLC, via a serialcommunication link.

I. Enter


II. Number of characters

Enter a number of characters in the external text field, between 1 and99.

III. Initial Text

Enter a start value. Marking of the field will start once the start value isrecognised.

IV. Field ID

Enter a value between 1 and 99. The field will be updated according tothe external data when the field identifier matches the identifier sent bythe remote program via the serial communication link.


39/130


40/130


Section 8

Logos & Bitmaps


41/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Logos & Bi tmaps 8-1

Section 8 Logos & Bitmaps

8.0 Logo type

I. VLM logo

Select from a list of logo's created in the VLM (Visual Laser Marker,.log) format.

II. Bitmap

Select from a list of logo's created in the Bitmap (.bmp) format.

III. DXF

Select from a list of logos created in the DXF (.dxf) format. The

following dxf entities are supported –

ARCCIRCLEELLIPSEINSERTLINELWPOLYLINEPOLYLINESEQENDSOLIDTEXTTRACE

VERTEX3DFACE


42/130


The following entities are unsupported – ACAD_PROXY_ENTITY ATTDEF ATTRIBBODYDIMENSIONHATCHIMAGELEADERMLINEMTEXTOLEFRAMEOLE2FRAMEPOINTRAYREGIONSHAPESPLINETOLERANCEVIEWPORTXLINE

It is recommended that text is converted to polylines before saving theDXF file, because the font specified may not exist on the system. It isalso recommended that DXF files are saved as revision 13 files.If a dxf file which includes unsupported entity types is selected forinclusion in a mark code, a warning screen shows the unsupportedentity types. In this case, the dxf file will not be drawn completely.

IV. Cancel

Return from this screen.

8.1 Logo Download

The serial communication protocol is described in Serial Control Protocolsupplement ref 906-0078-00.

A logo download program is available to allow a remote PC to downloadlogo files to the unit. The unit automatically senses that a logo file is beingsent and indicates the status of the download on the Print screen. Awarning is given if the file name matches an existing filename on thesystem. The download may be cancelled if required.

Note:

• Use Com 1/2 at each end of the serial link, ie at the logodownload PC and at the ROFIN Multiscan .

• Use RTS / CTS at the PC and at the ROFIN Multiscan .


43/130


8.2 VLM Logo

I. LOGO SCREEN

Logo files may be downloaded via the serial communications link.

II. Filename

Type a filename or use the Up and Down arrows to select a logo fromthe list. The currently selected logo is shown in the box on the right.

III. X/Y Position


IV. Scaling

The aspect ratio may either be preserved, so that changing the heightautomatically changes the width of the logo, or if ‘User’ is selected, theheight and width may be set independently.

V. Height

The logo height is adjusted by pressing the Up or Down keys or by

typing a value.

VI. Width

If the aspect ratio is ‘User’, the logo width is adjusted by pressing theUp or Down keys or by typing a value.

VII. Delete

Deletes the currently selected logo from the system memory. Awarning is given if the logo is used in any of the marking files saved onthe system.

VIII. Angle

Use the up and down arrows to enter an angle from 0 to 359 degrees,or type an integer value between these limits. The current orientation isshown in the white box.


44/130


IX. Orientation

The orientation may be set to normal or inverted. The correspondingimage of the logo is shown in the white box. Orientation can be used inconjunction with the Angle setting to achieve various combinations.

X. Field settings

If the cursor is placed on a marking field, the Settings button changesto ‘Group 0 settings’, ‘Group 1 settings’ etc depending on the selectionwhich has been made in the style screen for that field. If this button isselected, the parameters which are displayed apply to all the markingfields which have been set to this group. To set the field settings of thisfield to a different group, edit the field, select the Style screen andchange the ‘Field settings’.

XI. Line width widen

Increase the value from zero to widen the marked width of lines.Widening the width of lines significantly increases the marking timebecause the laser spot moves in a spiral instead of moving in a straightline from one point to another.

XII. Quality factor

This setting controls the frequency of oscillation and is only available if

the ‘Line width widen’ parameter is not zero. Increase the quality factorof the widened lines at the expense of increased marking time.

XIII. Cancel

Return from this screen without selecting a logo.

XIV. OK

Add the selected logo to the mark code using the values entered in thisscreen.


45/130


8.3 Bitmap / DXF

I. Filename

Type in the filename or select from the list using the up and downarrow keys.

II. Scaling

If ‘Aspect ratio’ is set to preserved, adjustment of the height causes thewidth to be scaled by the same amount. If ‘User’ is selected, the heightand width can be set independently.

III. X/Y Position


IV. Height

Set the height of the bitmap in millimeters.

V. Width

Set the width of the bitmap in millimeters.

VI. Angle

Select 0, 90, 180 or 270 degrees.

VII. Orientation

Select Normal or Inverted. The orientation of the bitmap is indicatedinside the white box.

VIII. Field sett ings

If the cursor is placed on a marking field, the Settings button changesto ‘Group 0 settings’, ‘Group 1 settings’ etc depending on the selectionwhich has been made in the style screen for that field. If this button isselected, the parameters which are displayed apply to all the markingfields which have been set to this group. To set the field settings of thisfield to a different group, edit the field, select the Style screen andchange the ‘Field settings’.


46/130


IX. Pixel On time ( S)

Set the pixel on time to adjust the marking time at each pixel positionfor the required marking on the material.

X. Mode

Select either ‘Jump’ or ‘Scan’. In Jump mode, the laser spot remains ina single position for each pixel. In Scan mode, the laser spot movesacross continuously from one pixel position to the next.

XI. Cancel

Return from this screen and abandon any changes made.

XII. OK

Return from this screen using the parameters to create or edit thebarcode.

Note:

Bitmaps may be more strongly marked than other field types due tooverlapping of laser scans. To avoid this, the original bitmap should bescaled to give a pixel distance of the laser spot size and the bitmap fieldshould be scaled to the same size.


47/130


Section 9

Barcodes


48/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Barcodes 9-1

Section 9 Barcodes

9.0 Barcode Formats

The table below indicates the barcode types supported by the ROFINMultiscan vector marker and the character set supported by each type.Please consult the relevant standards for further details including theacceptable bar / space width tolerances.

Barcodetype

Numeric

Checkcharacter

Supplemental Lower-casealpha

Uppercasealpha

Othercharacters

Notes

Code 39normal

Yes 1, optional No No-convertedto uppercase

Yes - . $ / + % Invalidcharacter *

Code 39 Full Ascii

Yes 1,optional No Yes Yes Yes – full128 ASCIIcharacters

Code 39HIBC

Yes 1 No No-convertedto upper

case

Yes - . $ / + % Invalidcharacter *One check

digitautomaticallyadded.

UPC-A 11 1 2 or 5 No No No

UPC-E 6 1 2 or 5 No No No

EAN-8 7 1 2 or 5 No No NoEAN-13 12 1 2 or 5 No No No

Bookland(978)+9Seenotes

1 2 digits5 digits startingwith character 5.90000

No No No Digits 978automaticallyinserted at thestart of thebarcode

Code 93 Yes 2 No Yes Yes Yes – full128 ASCIIcharacters

2 check digitsautomaticallyadded

Codabar Yes 1 optional No No No - $ : / . + Charactersa,b,c,d,A,B,C,D only validas start andstopcharacters.Start and stopcharactersmust beincluded inthe text.


49/130


Barcodetype

Numeric Check character Supplemental

Lower-case alpha

Upper-casealpha

Othercharacters

Notes

Interleaved 2of 5

Yes 1 optional No No No No An oddnumber of

digits willhave aleading 0addedautomatically.One checkdigitoptionallyaddedautomatically.

Code 128 Yes 1 No Yes Yes Yes – seenotes

Automaticswitching

betweenthreecharactersets usingspecialcodesinserted inthe barcode.

EAN/UCC128

Yes 1 optional No Yes Yes Yes – seenotes

Automaticswitchingbetweenthreecharactersets usingspecialcodesinserted inthe barcode.If the checkdigit isenabled, thedata must benumericonly.

MSI-PLESSEY

Yes No No No No No

Postnet 5911

No No No No No Only positivemarkingsupported.

PDF417 Yes Security levels 0-9 No Yes Yes Yes 256character

ASCII or ANSI.

Aztec Yes Correction %overhead

No Yes Yes Yes 256character

ASCII.Data Matrix Yes 6 levels –

ECC 000 (None)ECC 050ECC 080ECC 100ECC 140

ECC 200 (highest)

No Yes Yes Yes 256 byte ASCII.Rect. 16x48Rect. 16x36Rect. 12x36Rect. 12x26Rect. 8x32

Rect. 8x18


50/130


9.1 Barcode Settings (default values)

I. Linear barcodes

The initial settings for the barcode parameters are: –

Narrow bar width 0.33mmBar width reduction 0%Measured line width 0.2mm

II. 2D barcodes

PDF417Module height 0.75 mmModule width 0.25 mmBar width reduction 0Measured line width 0.2 mm

Maximum rows 30Maximum columns 90 Aspect ratio0.5

III. Aztec and DataMatrix

Module size 0.5 mmBar width reduction 0Measured line width 0.2 mm

9.2 Barcode Optimisation

Step 1 – Determining the dimensions (height and width) of the barcode

The overall length of the barcode is determined by the narrow bar widthparameter. Increase this value to create longer bar codes, decrease it forshorter barcodes.

Step 2 – Determining the measured line width

Mark a single line on the product, and measure its width. This can be doneusing the letter M, or part of a logo. Enter the measured line width. Alternatively, increase the measured line width parameter until stripes are

seen within the wide bars and the quiet zone, then reduce the measuredline width until the stripes disappear.

Step 3 – Determining the bar / space ratio

Mark the sample product with the barcode. Measure the width of thenarrowest bar and the narrowest space. These widths should be equal. Adjust the ‘bar width reduction’ parameter by +/- 10% until the bars andspaces appear equal in size. For normal barcodes this parameter willusually be positive, and inverse barcodes it will be negative.

Step 4 – Checking readability

Check the barcode with a barcode reader. Adjust the bar width reductionparameter up and down to determine the readability limits, and set the finalposition in the middle of these limits. If adjustment of the bar widthreduction parameter produces no visible effect on the barcode, you mayneed to increase the narrow bar width parameter. Once the bar width


51/130


reduction percentage x narrow bar width parameter is less than themeasured bar width, it will not be possible to further reduce the narrow barwidth, ie the width of a bar cannot be made less than the width of the laserbeam on the product. After setting the parameters for a barcode, alwaysperform test-marking on the material and verify the readability of the codewith a barcode verifier. As a preliminary check, the barcodes can becompared with the following examples.

I. Code 39 Normal

II. Code 39 Full Ascii

III. HIBC

IV. UPC-A

V. UPC-E

VI. EAN-8


52/130


53/130


XIII. EAN/UCC 128

XIV. MSI-Plessey

XV. Postnet

(Data 12345678901)

XVI. PDF417

(Normal non-truncated type shown, data 12345678)

XVII. Aztec

(Normal type shown, data 12345678)

XVIII. DataMatrix

(ECC 200 shown, data 12345678)


54/130


9.3 Barcode type

The type of barcode data to be printed may be one of the following:-

I. Text

The same numeric or alphanumeric data is printed on each product.

II. Increment

The data to be printed can change according to the time or productcount (see section 6.0.)

III. External Text

The data to be printed can change according to an external text sourcevia a serial interface (see section 7.0).

IV. Cancel

Return from this screen.


55/130


9.4 Barcode style

This screen applies to linear barcodes. Refer to 'Barcode Optimisation',section 9.2 which describes a technique for setting the following

parameters.

I. X/Y Position


II. Bar height

Enter the height of the barcode in millimetres.

III. Text height

Enter the height of the readable text in millimetres.

IV. Narrow bar width

Enter the required width of the narrowest bar in millimetres. Thenarrow bar width cannot be less than the measured line width.

V. Bar width reduction

Enter a positive value to reduce the ratio of bar width to space width fora normal barcode, or a negative value for an inverse barcode (seebelow).

VI. Measured line width

Enter the measured line width in millimetres, i.e the width of a singleline measured by test-marking the product.

VII. Inverse barcode

Set to NO if marking produces a dark line, YES if marking produces awhite line. White lines generally occur when using the laser to remove

ink from a substrate.


56/130


VIII. Quiet zones

Quiet zones are white borders around the barcode. They areautomatically selected around inverse barcodes. Select NO if quietzones are not required.

IX. Field settings

If the cursor is placed on a marking field, the Settings button changesto 'Group 0 settings’, ‘Group 1 settings' etc depending on the selectionwhich has been made in the style screen for that field. If this button isselected, the parameters which are displayed apply to all the markingfields which have been set to this group. To set the field settings of thisfield to a different group, edit the field, select the Style screen andchange the 'Field settings'.

X. Cancel


XI. OK

Return from this screen using the parameters to create or edit thebarcode.

9.5 Bookland

I. Type

Select the required type of barcode.

II. Text

Enter the data to be converted to a barcode using the followingcharacters:-Numeric, 10 digits including one check digit

III. Comment

Add a text field printed above the barcode if required.

IV. Alignment

Left, centre or right alignment of text can be selected.


57/130


V. Angle


VI. Show readable text

Select readable text, printing below the barcode, if required.

VII. Supplement text

Either 2 or 5 supplementary digits may be added if required.If 5 supplementary digits are required, either

• enter four digits, a leading 5 is insertedautomatically

• enter 90000

VIII. Style

Allows setup of the barcode drawing parameters. See Section 9.4

IX. Cancel


X. OK

Add a barcode to the mark code using the parameters set in thisscreen and the Style screen.

9.6 Codabar

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted to a barcode using the following

characters:-Numeric- $ : / . +

Notes:


58/130


Characters A,B,C,D are reserved for use as start and stop characters.Enter the start and stop characters and do not use them within thebody of the barcode. If lower-case a,b,c,d are entered, they areautomatically converted to upper-case.

III. Comment


IV. Alignment


V. Angle




VII. Check d igit

Select whether a check digit is automatically calculated and inserted inthe barcode.

VIII. Style


IX. Cancel


X. OK



59/130


9.7 Code 39 Normal, Code 39 Full ASCII, Code 39 HIBC and Code 93

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted to a barcode using the followingcharacters:-NumericUpper case alpha- . $ / + %

Notes:Lower case alpha characters are converted to upper-case.The character * is reserved for use as a start and stop character and isinserted automatically.

III. Comment


IV. Alignment


V. Angle




VII. Check d igit

Automatically insert a check digit if required, either in the barcode onlyor in the barcode and the readable text.

VIII. Style

Allows setup of the barcode drawing parameters.


60/130


61/130


VIII. Cancel


IX. OK


9.9 EAN-8, EAN-13

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted to a barcode using the followingcharacters:-Numeric, 7 digits plus one check digit

Notes:If 8 digits are entered, the 8th digit is ignored. The check digit iscalculated and inserted automatically.

III. Comment


IV. Alignment


V. Angle





62/130



Either 2 or 5 supplementary digits may be added.

VIII. Style

Allows setup of the barcode drawing parameters.

IX. Cancel


X. OK



63/130


9.10 EAN / UCC 128, INTERLEAVED 2 OF 5 (ITF)

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted to a barcode.

Notes:The character set automatically switches between three sets by usingspecial codes inserted in the barcode.

An additional check digit can be selected if required, but in this casethe data must be numeric only.

III. Comment


IV. Alignment


V. Angle




VII. Check d igit

An additional check digit can be selected if required, but in this casethe data must be numeric only.

VIII. Style

Allows setup of the barcode drawing parameters. See section 9.4

IX. Cancel



64/130


X. OK


9.11 MSI-PLESSEY

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the numeric data to be converted into the barcode.

III. Comment

Enter text to be printed above the barcode if required.

IV. Alignment

Select left, centre or right alignment of the comment text.

V. Angle



Show the barcode data below the barcode if required.

VII. Style

Select drawing parameters for the barcode.

VIII. Cancel


IX. OK

Return from this screen using the parameters entered to create or editthe barcode.


65/130


9.12 POSTNET

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the numeric data to be converted into the barcode. It must beeither 5,9 or 11 digits.

III. Angle


IV. Style

Set the measured line width for the barcode. Postnet is a fixed-dimension code. See Section 9.4

V. Cancel


VI. OK



66/130


9.13 UPC-A, E

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted to a barcode using the followingcharacters:-Numeric, 11 digits plus one check digit

Notes:

If 12 digits are entered, the 12th digit is ignored. The check digit iscalculated and inserted automatically.

III. Comment


IV. Alignment


V. Angle





Either 2 or 5 supplementary digits may be added.

VIII. Style


IX. Cancel



67/130


X. OK


9.14 PDF417

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted into the barcode, 256 character ASCIIor ANSI.

III. Angle


IV. Truncate

Select truncate to remove the Right Row Indicator code words and thestop pattern at the right side of the code.

V. Security level

Select a pre-defined security level between 0 (none) and 8 (highest) orselect level 9 and enter an Overhead percentage for error correction.

VI. Overhead

Applies to security level 9, see above.

VII. Inverse barcode

Select Inverse if marking produces a white mark. White lines generallyoccur when using the laser to remove ink from a substrate.

VIII. Style

Select the drawing parameters for the barcode. Refer to 'Barcodeoptimisation', section 9.2.


68/130


IX. Cancel


X. OK


9.15 PDF417 STYLE SCREEN

I. Module height

The recommended module height is three times the module width.

II. Module width

The recommended module width is between 0.26mm and 0.76mm (10and 30 mils).

III. X/Y Position


IV. Bar width reduction

Enter a positive value for positive marking, or a negative value forinverse marking, to achieve equal bar / space widths.

V. Measured line width


VI. Max Rows

Sets an upper limit to the overall height of the barcode in conjunctionwith the module height setting.

VII. Max Columns

Sets an upper limit to the overall width of the barcode in conjunctionwith the module width setting.


69/130


VIII. Aspect Ratio

Determines the overall height to width ratio of the barcode. Thesoftware creates a barcode with the closest match to this value withinthe limits of the barcode parameters.

IX. Field settings


X. Cancel


XI. OK



70/130


9.16 AZTEC

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted into the barcode. The 256 character ASCII character set is valid.

III. Angle


IV. Symbol Type

Select normal, compact or full range.

Normal The barcode expands or contracts depending on thenumber of characters to be converted.

Compact The bulls-eye is made smaller and the amount ofdata layers surrounding it are limited to four.

Full Range The bulls-eye is made larger and the number of datalayers surrounding it can be up to 32.

V. Correction

For Normal types of Aztec code, specify the amount of error correctionoverhead (additional data) to be included in the code as a percentageof the total area.

VI. Total layers

If the Symbol Type is set to Compact or Full Range, the total number

of layers must be specified. If the number of layers is greater than therequired number, the remaining layers are filled with error correctiondata. If insufficient layers are set, an error message will be displayed.


71/130


VII. Style

Select drawing parameters for the barcode, refer to 'BarcodeOptimisation', section 9.2.

9.17 AZTEC STYLE SCREEN

I. Module size

The recommended module size is between 0.38 mm and 0.76 mm (15and 30 mils).

II. Bar width reduction

Enter a negative value for inverse marking, to achieve equal bar /space widths.

III. X/Y Position


IV. Measured line width


V. Field settings


VI. Cancel



72/130


VII. OK


9.18 DATA MATRIX

I. Type


II. Text

Enter the data to be converted into the barcode. The 256 character ASCII character set is valid.

III. Angle


IV. Correction

Select from one of the following:-

ECC 000 No error correctionECC 050 Error correction for up to 2.8% damage of the

printed symbolECC 080 Error correction for up to 5.5% damage of theprinted symbol

ECC 100 Error correction for up to 12.6% damage of theprinted symbol

ECC 140 Error correction for up to 25% damage of the printedsymbol

ECC 200 Error correction for between 20% and 60% damageof the printed symbol. This level of error correction isrecommended for all new applications


73/130


V. Format

For Error Correction types ECC 000-140, select one of the followingformat types:-

• Numeric 0-9 and space• Upper-case A-Z and space• Upper-case alphanumeric and space• A-Z, 0-9, space, - . , /• 7 bit ASCII• 8 bit ASCII

For ECC200 Format types:-

• 8x18• 8x32• 12x26

• 12x36• 16x36• 16x48

VI. Tilde codes

For ECC 200 codes, select whether tilde codes are to be inserted intothe code.

~X (a tilde character followed by any upper-case alpha character)is used to insert control codes.

~1 represents FNC1 code~2 Represents structured append, must be followed by a 3 digit

number between 1-255 and a six digit file identifier.~3 message to be used for reader programming~5 Data will contain an abbreviated format header and trailer

followed by normal data.~6 See ~5~7 Followed by a 6 digit Extended Channel number~d Followed by 3 digits, creates ASCII decimal value for a 3 digit

code word.


74/130


VII. Tilde

The Tilde Button will only be visible when editing a fixed text bar codeand when tilde codes have been enabled. To insert the tilde code thetext field must be selected, pressing the Tilde Button will insert at thetilde character at the beginning of the text code.

VIII. Style

Select drawing parameters for the barcode, refer to 'BarcodeOptimisation', section 9.2.

IX. Cancel


X. OK



75/130


9.19 DATA MATRIX STYLE SCREEN

I. Module size

Enter the module size (the size of each data element) in millimetres.

II. Bar width reduction

Enter a positive value to reduce the ratio of bar width to space width fora normal barcode, or a negative value for an inverse barcode (seebelow).

III. Measured line width


IV. Field settings


V. Cancel


VI. OK



76/130


Section 10

Settings


77/130

906-0039-00 Rev 6 EN © 2009 Rofin – Sinar UK Ltd Settings 10-1

Section 10 Settings

10.0 Settings

10.1 Line Settings

Figure 10.1-1 Line Settings Screen

10.2 Product movement while marking

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select the product movement. It maybe one of the following:-

• None(Static marking)• Left to right• Right to left• Bottom to top• Top to bottom


78/130


10.3 Detector

Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select the product detector. It may beone of the following:-

A. Single #1

Sense detector 1 to initiate marking. If another product is sensedbefore the mark is complete, a ‘detector fault’ status occurs.

B. Single #2

Sense detector 2 to initiate marking. If another product is sensedbefore the mark is complete, a ‘detector fault’ status occurs.

C. Dual #1

A detector 1 transition to the active state must occur before detector 2,but it does not need to remain in the active state when the product issensed by detector 2. Marking is initiated from the time that detector 2becomes active. If another transition of detector 2 is sensed withoutsensing detector 1, or if either detector transitions to the active stateagain before the end of the mark, a ‘detector fault’ status occurs.

D. Dual #2

A detector 2 transition to the active state must occur before detector 1,but it does not need to remain in the active state when the product issensed by detector 1. Marking is initiated from the time that detector 1becomes active. If another transition of detector 1 is sensed without

sensing detector 2, or if either detector transitions to the active stateagain before the end of the mark, a ‘detector fault’ status occurs.

E. Product present

Mark products while detector 1 sensing is active. The marking intervalis determined by the product pitch setting.

F. Both (long)

Both detector 1 and detector 2 must sense the product and be in theactive state simultaneously. If a detector delay is set, both detectorsmust continue to be sensed until marking occurs, and the time delay is

timed from whichever detector is the second to become active. Iffurther transitions of detector 1 or 2 occur during the delay period, thedelay is re-started from the time that both detectors are active.

G. Both (short)

Both detector 1 and detector 2 must sense the product and be in theactive state simultaneously. Marking is initiated from whicheverdetector is the second to become active. If a further detector transitionto the active state occurs before marking is complete, a ‘detector fault’status occurs.


79/130


H. Either

Either detector 1 or detector 2 must transition to the active state. Theother detector can be either in the active or inactive state. Aftersensing the product, the state of the other detector is ignored until theproduct is marked. If the same detector transitions to the active stateagain before marking is complete, a ‘detector fault’ status occurs.

I. Gated Detector

Gated detector uses 2 signals to generate the product detect signal tothe laser.

Detector 1 is used to synchronise the laser marking to the product.Detector 2 is used to gate (allow or deny) the signal from detector 1.

On a carousel carrying the product to be marked it is usual to detectthe trigger position from a mechanical part of the carousel or from atacho index pulse rather than from the product itself. This trigger signalwill be generated even if no product is present in the carousel slot. Thecarousel will have a second signal indicating if a particular slot containsa product. This signal is used to gate the trigger signal.

Figure 10.3-1 Gated Detector

J. Gated Labeller Trigger Mode

The Gated Labeller trigger mode is an extension to the standard Gatedmode. As with the standard Gated mode, two detector signals arerequired to function correctly.

The first detector is the product detect signal which is usuallygenerated from either a mechanical part of the carousel, or from atacho index pulse. This signal is generated whenever the productionline is moving, irrespective of whether products are available to becoded.

The second signal is the gate signal which is active when the labeller isapplying labels to the pallets. This signal is used to enable/disable (orgate) the product detect signal.

The user enters a parameter indicating the coding position in relationto the controlling label tray. This allows coding of a product to be‘delayed’ by the appropriate number of product detector pulses. Additionally this allows any labels remaining on the pallets after the

Detector 2

Detector 1

Mark out ut


80/130


label tray is deactivated to be coded. With respect to Figure 10.3-2, thecontrolling label tray is at position 0, which is the reference position inGated Labeller mode, and coding of the labels is performed at position2.

Figure 10.3-2 Labelling Machine with example Labelling and CodingStation posit ions.

I. Detector Inputs

To operate in Gated Labeller mode the system requires the use ofDetectors 1 and 2. Detector 1 input is on J20, Detector 2 input is onJ21, which are both located on the Interface Board (refer to the

Installation Manual for detailed information). Detector 1 is to be usedfor the product detect signal, Detector 2 is used for the Label gatesignal.

II. Shaft Encoder Input

The Gated Labeller trigger mode can operate in Moving or Stationarymodes. When used in moving print, the Gated Labeller trigger modewill work with either a Shaft Encoder (tacho) input or with a specifiedline speed (constant line speed with no tacho signal input). The tachosignal input is located on J19 on the Interface Board (refer to theInstallation Manual for detailed information).


81/130


III. User Interface

Figure 10.3-3 shows an example of the Line Settings Menu whenGated Labeller mode is selected.

When Gated Labeller mode is enabled, the Coding Position value canbe set between 0 and 127 (inclusive). A value of 0 equates to theposition of the Label Tray, and is equivalent to operating in standardGated Detector mode.

The Coding Position value is stored as part of the mark information,and is not a global system setting.

Figure 10.3-3 Line Settings Menu

IV. Examples 1

In the following example the Coding Position index is set to a value of0. In this instance Gated Labeller mode operates as per the standardGated detector mode.

Figure 10.3-4 Gated Labeller Signals wi th Coding Posit ion value of 0


82/130


V. Example 2

In this example the Coding Position index is set to 2. The first twotrigger signals after the gate goes high (1 and 2) do not generate amark. Subsequent triggers generate marks until the gate goes low. Thenext two triggers (8 and 9) generate the final marks.

Figure 10.3-5 Gated Labeller Signals wi th Coding Posit ion value of 2

10.4 Detector Delay (not applicable to Product Present mode)

For on-the-fly marking, set the delay distance in millimetres between theproduct detector and the start of marking.

For static marking, set the time delay in milliseconds from the productdetection to the start of marking.

10.5 Product Interval (only applicable to Product Present mode)

The definition of product interval used by the system is the interval from thestart of one mark to the start of the next mark, not the gap between marks.The minimum product interval is determined by the overall maximum dutycycle of the laser tube as set in the service screen. The overall duty cyclecalculation takes into account the laser duty cycle during marking, the ratioof marks to jumps within the mark code, and the off time between products.The minimum mark time calculation is the actual marking time together withan additional ‘recovery time’ while the galvo position is reset and the set ofmarking vectors is reloaded. The total time is shown as the minimuminterval in stationary marking. When marking on-the-fly, the value shown isthe minimum product pitch.


83/130


10.6 Tacho resolu tion

The number of pulses per millimetre, for tracking the product movementwhen marking on-the-fly.

A. Max Linespeed

The maximum expected line speed.

B. Linespeed for on-the-fly

The maximum expected line speed. This value is only required if notacho is fitted or the minimum pitch calculation is used.

C. Mark time

The time to mark the current code.

10.7 Dual Fault Tolerant marking on both detectors

Dual Fault tolerant detector type is designed to allow the use of 2 detectorsto give high reliability triggering with fault detection on both detectors.Figure 10.7-1 shows an example of a typical detector installation andcorresponding entries in the Line Settings screen.

The system is normally triggered by detector 1 following a small detectordelay. Detector 2 must sense the product during this delay for normaloperation. The product will be marked after the detector 1 delay. Ifdetector 2 fails to trigger during the delay period then a warning is issued,but the product will still be marked. This allows production to continue, but

warns that maintenance is required on detector 2.

If detector 2 senses the product without a preceding detector 1 signal thenthe product is marked after the programmed delay 2, and a detector 1 faultwarning is issued.

Note that detector 1 must be the first detector triggered, with detector 2providing the backup detection.


84/130


Figure 10.7-1 Example Installation

10.8 Dual Fault Tolerant Marking on Detector 1

An alternative installation method allows coding only on detector 1, withdetector 2 used only for confirmation of a product.

In this example the Detector 2 delay is set to ‘No Trigger’ by using thedown cursor after Detector 2 Delay has been set to 0. The product will bemarked 50mm after detector 1 is triggered.

If detector 2 is NOT triggered during the detector 1 delay period then adetector fault message will be issued.

If detector 2 is triggered without a preceding detector 1 signal then awarning is issued, but the product will NOT be marked.

Figure 10.8-1 Alternative Dual Fault Tolerant Setup

30mm

50mm

Laser Head

Detector 1 Detector 2


85/130


10.9 Detector Type Dual Either

‘Dual Either’ detection allows printing to be triggered by either detector.

This may be used when product is to be fed into the marking area from 2different lanes for example. This mode has been improved from earliersoftware versions by the addition of separate delays for each detector.This makes the relative mechanical fixing of the detectors less critical, withany displacement being handled by the software detector delays.

Figure 10.9-1 Dual Either

40mm

50mm

Detector 1

Laser Head

Detector 2


86/130


10.10 Minimum pitch

The minimum product pitch required to mark the current code. Pitch isdefined as the distance from the start of one product to the start of the next

A. Cancel

Return without changing the line settings

B. OK

Return using the line settings entered in this screen.

10.11 Laser Settings

The current laser power, frequency of the laser pulses, duty cycle, pulsewidth and marking speed (speed of the focused spot) for the selected fieldsettings (group number) are shown. Note that the laser power indicated is aguide figure only, and does not represent the actual power.

-

Decrease the laser power to achieve lighter marking.

+

Increase the laser power to achieve heavier marking. When the maximumlaser power is reached, the marking speed is automatically reduced toachieve more material interaction.

I. Materials selection

Allows selection of typical marking parameters from a list of materials.

II. Cancel

Return without changing the laser power settings

III. OK

Return with the laser power setup in this screen.


87/130


10.12 Materials

Different materials require different power and speed settings for marking.Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select a material to be marked fromthe list.

I. Delete Material

Delete a material from the list.

II. New Material

Add a new material to the list. The material will use the current

settings.

III. Cancel

Return without selecting a material

IV. OK

Return with the current material selected.


88/130


10.13 Advanced laser settings

If more than one field settings group has been created, the settings foreach group can be selected by selecting the ‘Group’ box and using the upand down arrow to change the group number.

These parameters determine the laser power and optimisation of thegalvanometer / laser timing. They determine the maximum rate at whichproducts can be marked and the marking quality. The laser frequency andduty (the proportion of the repetition period for which the laser is turned on)both control the laser power.

In the diagrams that follow, the jumps before and after a character is drawnare represented by dotted lines. The arrows indicate the direction of the jumps. The diagrams assume drawing of characters in the normal direction,left to right. Code optimisation can cause drawing of characters backwardsand from right to left. In this case the jumps to and from the character arereversed and the effects shown in the following diagrams apply to theopposite ends of the characters.

I. Frequency

The pulse frequency of the laser output. The range of frequencies is100 - 50000 Hz. At a constant percentage duty, the average laserpower is controlled by the frequency. If the frequency is set too low, theindividual pulses of the laser will be visible on the marked characters.

II. Duty

The pulse width of the laser output. The minimum pulse width is 8 μS,the maximum duty is 85%. At a constant frequency, the average laserpower is determined by the duty.

III. Mark speed

The writing speed of the laser beam on the material to be marked. Athigh mark speeds, some deterioration in marking quality will occur dueto the response time of the galvanometers to changes of movement. Also, more laser power is required to mark a material because the

laser beam traverses the material for a shorter period of time.


89/130


IV. Jump speed

The speed of the laser beam while jumping to a new position with thelaser beam turned off. High jump speeds minimise the marking time,but the settling time of the galvanometer may deteriorate and the jumpdelay may need to be adjusted to compensate.

V. Off delay

The delay of the laser beam before turning it off. This delaycompensates for the lag of the galvanometer movement whenreaching the end of a vector. The Off delay should always be greaterthan the On delay.

LASER OFF DELAY TOO LONG

The laser is switched off too late after the last vector, after the mirrorspeed has decreased. The result is burn-in effects at the end point ofvectors.

LASER OFF DELAY TOO SHORT

The laser is switched off before the mirrors have reached the endposition of the mark. The result is an incomplete mark at the end of thevector.


90/130


VI. On delay

The delay of the laser beam before turning it on. This delaycompensates for the lag of the galvanometer movement when startinga new vector. It is used to avoid burn-in at the start of markingcharacters.

LASER ON DELAY TOO LONG

The laser is switched on too late at the start of a mark. The result isthat the first part of the vector is not marked.

LASER ON DELAY TOO SHORT

The laser is switched on be

Documents

Rofin Software