Active Tip List

PC-DMIS is capable of storing data that describes a large number of probe tips. This data includes the probe tip's ID, rotation, type, location, direction, diameter and thickness, date and time of calibration, and any non-calibrated tips. These are all stored inside the Active tip list.

Active tip list

The list can display up to 32767 probe tips. This number may be limited by the amount of disk space available on your system.

PC-DMIS describes a probe according to the following criteria:

Tip List Description

1. TIP ID#- This ID is the permanent number that PC-DMIS assigns to a tip when it is loaded into memory.
2. Tip Rotation- This field displays the rotation of the tip in the vertical (A) and horizontal (B) direction
3. Tip Type- This field displays the probe type (BALL, DISK, TAPER, SHANK, OPTICAL).
4. X,Y,Z Location- These values describe the location of the tip. This location is in relation to the bottom of the Z rail.
5. I,J,K Direction- These values describe the direction of the probe tip. This vector goes from the center of the probe tip towards the Z rail.
6. Diameter and Thickness- These values describe the diameter of the tip and the thickness of SHANK and DISK probes. PC-DMIS defines these values when the probe is loaded. (To change a field, see "Edit Tool".)
7. Date and Time- These boxes indicate the most recent date and time the probe tip was calibrated. If a new tip is created without being calibrated, PC-DMIS will display "NEW" for the date and time values. If an old probe tip is loaded and the date and time information is unavailable, PC-DMIS will display "UNKNOWN" for the values. Only probe tips that are actually calibrated have their time and date values updated.

* (asterisk) - Noncalibrated Tip

Adding Tips to the List

You can use the Add Angles button to define new tips and add them to the list. To do this, see the "Add Angles" topic.

Editing Tip Data

1. Highlight the desired active tip in the Active tip list.

2. Click the Edit button to show the Edit Probe Data dialog box.

3. Modify the displayed values.

4. Click OK to save your changes.

Non-calibrated tips have an asterisk before their Tip ID # in the Active tip list.

Setting the Calibration Order

The calibration order is determined by the order in which the tips are chosen from the list box.

To set the calibration order:

1. From the Probe Utilities dialog box, click Measure to show the Measure Probe dialog box.

2. From the Measure Probe dialog box, Calibration mode area, select the User Defined option. (See the "Measure" topic.)

3. Hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard.

4. With your left mouse button, select the tips from the Active tip list for calibration. A number representing the index of the tip measurement order appears next to each Tip ID as you select it.

If you do not select any tips, PC-DMIS prompts if you want to measure all tips.

Selecting a Tip to Use

You can define a specific probe tip to use in your measurement routine in these ways:

• Type TIP in the Edit window's Command mode and press the Tab key on your keyboard.

• Select the probe tip from the list on the Settings toolbar.

The Edit window command line for a sample tip would read:
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0

Until PC-DMIS encounters another TIP command in the measurement routine flow, it uses that tip.

Deleting a Tip or Wrist Angle

To delete one or more tips from the Active tip list:

1. Select the item or items to be removed.

2. Click the Delete button.

PC-DMIS also allows specific wrist angles to be removed from the Active tip list. If you delete a tip or probe head, PC-DMIS also deletes all related wrist angles from the file.

This option deletes the tip from the Active tip list and removes it from the file of tips known to the system.