Viper Communication Suite Installation Manual & Users Guide For Laser Engraving Systems. To be used with Viper Communication Suite Version 104

Transcription

1 Viper Communication Suite Installation Manual & Users Guide For Laser Engraving Systems To be used with Viper Communication Suite Version 104

2 Table of Contents SAFETY INFORMATION AND MACHINE SETUP... 3 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION... 4 REQUIREMENTS... 4 OPERATING ENVIRONMENT... 4 ELECTRICAL... 4 WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE... 5 COMPONENT PLACEMENT... 5 CONNECTING THE CABLES... 5 VIPER COMMUNICATION SUITE... 7 INSTALLING THE VIPER COMMUNICATION SUITE... 8 DETECTING YOUR SYSTEM TESTING YOUR IP CONNECTION UPDATING FIRMWARE VCS PROGRAMS JOB EDITOR JOB CONSOLE JOB NAME SERVER MOTION MECHANIC MACHINE PARAMETERS CALIBRATE GLCD SCREEN SETTINGS JOB SERVER FACTORY VCS AND OTHER PROGRAMS SETTING XGW TO WORK WITH THE VCS SOFTWARE MULTIPLE SYSTEMS WORKING WITH THE PRINT DRIVER AND ROTARY DRIVER THE VIPER TOUCHSCREEN GENERAL INFORMATION ONE FINAL NOTE THE MAIN MENU JOBS Revision 3 Page 1

3 MECHANICAL HOME TEMP HOME JOB OFFSETS MOVE X/Y FOCUS REPORT POSITION THE SETTINGS MENU AIR ASSIST BLOWER DELAY BUZZER POINTER UNITS MOTTLE HPGL PREHEAT FOCAL LENGTH CONTINUOUS PATH SPEED/POWER INDEXER DUAL HEAD RUBBER STAMP DIAMOND DRAG (XENETECH DUO LASER ONLY) SERVICE BEAM ALIGNMENT TABLE HOME EDGE/TICKLE Z POSITION PERMANENT XY CHECK LIMITS SELF TEST MOTOR PHASE TEST IP ADDRESS RESET MACHINE CHECK HOME REGISTRATION Revision 3 Page 2

4 Section 1 Safety Information and Machine Setup In this section we will discuss the following: Important Safety Information Requirements What You Should Have Component Placement Connecting the Cables It is important to thoroughly read all Sections of this manual. Any malfunction with the Viper Series Laser System that was caused due to lack of proper use, maintenance, upkeep and/or neglect may cause unsafe operating conditions and will void the warranty for the machine. Revision 3 Page 3

5 Important Safety Information The Xenetech Laser System is built to meet UL CSA VDE CE CDRH Class I laser safety requirements. The type of laser used is an infrared laser which emits a light that is not visible to the naked eye. To ensure the operator is not exposed to conditions that may present a hazard, the Xenetech Laser is equipped with enclosure safety switches and positive interlocks. The plastic window in the lid is specially designed to reduce the effects of the laser light on the operator. As the engraving material is being cut by the laser it emits vapors that can be hazardous to the operator, or those in close proximity. OSHA safety regulations require that the fumes or vapors be exhausted. This exhaust system must be installed and operational prior to turning the machine on. Make sure all power cords are placed in such a way as not to cause a tripping hazard. Any time service operations are being performed, the technician must wear OSHA approved safety equipment and keep unprotected personnel a safe distance from the machine. Warning labels are placed at key areas of the enclosure to warn against invisible laser radiation and are required to be in place by CDRH regulations. If any of these labels become illegible, call Xenetech immediately for replacements. DO NOT LEAVE THE SYSTEM UNATTENDED WHILE IN USE. Requirements Operating Environment The Xenetech Laser System, like all electronic equipment, should be kept cool, clean and dry. The equipment should be placed so that air can easily circulate around the entire system. The temperature in the work area should not exceed 85 F or 29 C, and should not fall below 60 F or 15 C. Humidity should to be kept to a minimum. Electrical The Xenetech Laser System should have a dedicated grounded branch circuit. In other words, the laser system and computer should be the only equipment using this branch. Revision 3 Page 4

6 This prevents interference which can be caused by the operation of other equipment on the circuit. It is absolutely essential that the equipment be plugged into a grounded outlet. The Laser System controller uses a Switching Power Supply w/power Factor Correction. Input VAC 50/60 Hz What You Should Have Once your new Laser System is out of the crate, take a quick inventory to be certain that the proper parts and accessories you ordered were shipped with the machine. One Xenetech Engraving System One Accessory Kit (to include Ethernet cables, power cord, cleaning kit and spare fuses etc.) Xenetech CD One Installation DVD Any other accessories you may have ordered. In the event that something is missing or damaged, immediately contact your distributor. Component Placement Once everything is accounted for, the next decision is where to put it all! There are countless ways in which to set up your work area. The most common is to keep the computer that will run the system near the system itself. This way, the engraver can keep a watchful eye on the machine as it engraves and at the same time work on new layouts. One last thing...it is always a good idea to put the system in a place where it can be pulled away from the wall without a lot of difficulty. This way it can be easily accessed for cleaning. Connecting the Cables Before plugging in the cables and turning on the machine, be certain that all packing materials are removed from table. The motion system on the Revision 3 Page 5

7 laser is locked in position before shipment so be certain that all straps are removed as well. Test this by physically moving the motion system left and right and front to back and turning the Z knob down before proceeding. By now you have the System set up right where you want it, so let s get the cables connected. Looking in the accessory kit you will notice 2 Ethernet cables, a grey one and a red one. The grey cable is a crossover cable. This cable is used when you are running from a computer directly to the Laser System. The red cable is standard patch cable. This cable is used when you are running the Laser System via a network hub, switch or router. Once you have determined how the Laser System will be connected, connect one end of the desired Ethernet cable Ethernet port located on the lower right corner on the back of the laser. Connect the other end to either the network hub or Ethernet card in the computer (whichever applies). Next plug the black power cord into the laser system, again in the lower right hand corner on the back of the laser) and plug the other end into the outlet or a surge protector. In the next section we will install the Viper Communication Suite. (VCS) The VCS Software is what will be used to run your engraving system. It is the communication interface between the Xenetech Graphic Workstation (XGW) and the engraver. Revision 3 Page 6

8 Section 2 Viper Communication Suite In this section we will discuss the following: Installing the Viper Communication Suite Detecting Your System Testing the IP Connection Updating Firmware VCS Programs It is important to thoroughly read all Sections of this manual. Any malfunction with the Viper Series Laser System that was caused due to lack of proper use, maintenance, upkeep and/or neglect may cause unsafe operating conditions and will void the warranty for the machine. Revision 3 Page 7

9 Installing the Viper Communication Suite THE XGW SOFTWARE CAN BE SET UP TO OPERATE THE VIPER SYSTEM AS ENGRAVER #1 OR #2 PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY SO YOU WILL HAVE A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO SET YOUR SYSTEM UP CORRECTLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE TYPE OF CONNECTION TO USE, CONTACT YOUR DISTRIBUTOR OR XENETECH. Insert the Xenetech Professional Engraving Systems software CD into your CDROM drive. If auto play is enabled on your PC then you will see the Xenetech Installation menu. If auto play is not enabled, then browse the CD and double click on the icon. Doing this will run the CD and will also show the Xenetech Installation menu. Click on the button. To Install the Viper Communications Suite, click on the button. Revision 3 Page 8

10 Select to begin the installation. Take a moment and read the license agreement. Once ready, select to continue We always recommend installing any Xenetech related software in the default directory. Select to continue. Revision 3 Page 9

11 Select to continue. And once again, select continue. to The software will now be installed on your computer. You can watch the progress bar to determine how much time is left in the installation. Revision 3 Page 10

12 Detecting Your System As part of the installation process, you can let VCS help you detect and set up your system. Just click do this. to If you would rather not set up any systems at this time or already know what you are doing,, then press to exit the installer without setting up any systems. You will want to take note of the following information should you have any issues with communicating with your system after the installation process. Most users will not have to make any modifications to their computers, but some cases might require exceptions be made for ports. For those instances, your network administrator can take care of that for you. NOTE TO NETWORK ADMINISTRATORS: VCS USES THE FOLLOWING PORTS IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE SYSTEM. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THESE PORTS ARE OPEN AND AVAILABLE: IP: 23, 29 AND 30 UDP: 6201, 6202, 6203, 6207 AND 6221 So before we begin, let s make sure that the Engraving System is turned on. You can look at the Touch Screen on the pendant to verify. If you see the menus on the pendant then your machine is turned on. Revision 3 Page 11

13 This is the Connection Manager screen. If your system is turned on and connected properly, you will see it here in this window. If you have only one engraver then you will only see one connection on the screen. If you have several Xenetech engraving systems then you might see something like what is shown above. If you look at the Machine Name column, you will see two types of machine types, each followed by numbers. Viper means a Xenetech Rotary systems and LMC represents a Xenetech Laser system. The four digit number after represents the controller board serial number. So which connection is mine? If you look at your pendant for a moment you will see tabs along the top of the screen. Touch the INFO tab. Now look about halfway down to the line that reads: CTRL: LC520R2 SN# (your specific controller board serial number will be displayed here) Direct your attention to the top of the screen. The bubble will also instruct you on what to do for each step as well. Now I know that my controller board number is 4752, so I will set up a connection with Viper (4752). So as the bubble says, right click on the connection and select Add. The first thing we need to do is let VCS know if we are installing a Laser System or a Rotary System. We also need to let VCS know if this is the only engraver or not. So let s determine it this way. If this is your only system running VCS then you will select for engraver 1. If you have another system running VCS already, then you will select engraver 2. For this installation, I am setting up for XLT 13x25. Revision 3 Page 12

14 This is a Laser System and it is my only engraver using VCS, so I will select Laser Defaults for engraver 1. Also be sure to check the box that says Auto Launch Job Name Server. When finished click Now we need to set our machine type. Select the folder for your type of system. In my case, I have a laser system so I will open the laser folder. On the next screen you will need to choose either the Color Screen folder or the Monochrome Screen folder. Do not guess at which screen you have. Loading the wrong firmware can cause damage to the controller! Here is how to determine which screen you currently have. There are two types of monochrome screens. One is a green screen with dark blue/black lettering and the other is blue screen with white lettering. If either of these matches the type of screen you have then you should choose the monochrome screen folder. If your screen is multicoloured (black background with blue menus and yellow text), then you have a color touchscreen. If this is the case then you will choose the color screen folder. Now select the file for your system. Each file is named after the individual systems. For example, if you have a Xenetech 9x12 then you would select the 912.xmi file. If you have a Xenetech 25x50, then you would select the2550.xmi file. For me, I have an XLT 13x25 so I will select the laser 1325 file. Once you have selected the proper file, select. Revision 3 Page 13

15 Testing your IP Connection Next, let s check our connection and make sure that we are communicating with the engraving system before we continue. To do this, right click on your connection in the Connection Manager window and select Test IP. This is the IP Address Test Tool. To begin, simply press the button. You will see that VCS attempts to establish a connection on each of the three ports. It looks like everything is working fine thus far. Let s click on to move on. Back at the Connection Manager window, the bubble says to close the Connection Manager window. So do that now. Updating Firmware Upon closing the window, you will be prompted to run machine update. This is to ensure that we are running the latest version of firmware on our engraving system. Select to continue. From the list, select your machine that you wish to update and click. In my case, I am updating Viper (4752) which is my Gift Engraver. Revision 3 Page 14

16 This is primarily an information screen displaying what firmware version your controller has currently installed and what you are about to install on it. Select RELOAD to update the engraving system. You will notice that during the update there will be a few different progress bars. This is normal. WHEN RUNNING MACHINE UPDATE YOU SHOULD ALWAYS USE THE RELOAD BUTTON WHEN INSTALLING OR REINSTALLING FIRMWARE. Once the updater has finished, click complete the installation. to If you have either the Jobserver Suite or the Viper Driver installed on your system, you will no longer need it. The VCS installation does NOT uninstall either of the two programs. The installer will add a program to your Start-Up Section on your computer called Machine Tools. This program is the main control center for both Rotary and Laser Systems. This program will start automatically and run all the time regardless if your engraver is on or off. VCS should be running at this point. To verify this, look at the System Tray at the bottom right hand corner or your desktop near the clock. You should see the VCS icon If you do not see this icon in your System Tray you will need to start it manually. Select Start Programs Startup and click on Viper Communications Suite. Revision 3 Page 15

17 VCS Programs When you right click on the VCS icon in the system tray, you will see several programs that are used with the VCS software. I will give you a basic overview of these programs here. If you would like more information on a particular program, each has detailed help links within each program. Please Note!!! DO NOT change any of the values in any program within VCS. This could cause adverse effects to the software and possibly the engraving system and may void the warranty. Job Editor Job Editor can be used to view jobs and verify how they will run. You can step through or view a job before engraving it to verify it s correct. Job Console Job Console is a very powerful program. You can run the job directly from here if you like. This program also gives you a real-time display of the running job. As the job is running a cursor will follow the job on the screen in real-time so you can see where it s at during the engraving progress. This works both on Rotary and Laser Machines. Revision 3 Page 16

18 Job Name Server The DNC tab is where we will specify the default location where files are stored after a job is ran. It is also used for job replay and when you select Jobs from the Touch Screen. What this means, is if you press the JOBS button on your Touch Screen, the files that are in the DNC default folder will be displayed. HotWatch specifies where the Inbox and OutBox is set for your machine. This is a list of our default file locations: Rotary Machines: Engraver1 InBox OutBox c:\xfiles\rotary Inbox c:\xfiles\rotary Outbox Engraver2 InBox OutBox c:\xfiles\rotary Inbox2 c:\xfiles\rotary Outbox2 Revision 3 Page 17

19 Laser Machines: Engraver1 InBox OutBox c:\xfiles\laser Inbox c:\xfiles\laser Outbox Engraver2 InBox OutBox c:\xfiles\laser Inbox2 c:\xfiles\laser Outbox2 Don t close Job Name Server as this will disable it. Just minimize it and it will return to its run state. Motion Mechanic Motion Mechanic is a utility that Xenetech Customer Service may have you use to display information about your machine. This is a terminal program that communicates to the main electronics. Use only as directed by Xenetech or your Distributor. Machine Parameters Machine Parameters shows all your specific parameters for your machine. Parameters like max speed, table size etc. DO NOT CHANGE ANY OF THESE VALUES! DAMAGE TO YOUR SYSTEM COULD RESULT AND COULD POSSIBLY VOID YOUR WARRANTY. Revision 3 Page 18

20 Calibrate GLCD Screen Use this to recalibrate the Touch Screen on your pendant. You might find over time that the screen will need to be recalibrated. When selected, you will be prompted on the touchscreen for further instructions. Settings Settings are the settings used by the translator. They tell the translator how to convert files for a specific machine. DO NOT CHANGE ANY OF THESE VALUES! DAMAGE TO YOUR SYSTEM COULD RESULT AND COULD POSSIBLY VOID YOUR WARRANTY. Job Server Factory Job Server Factory shows you all the available connections you have detected on this PC and if they re set to be used on this computer. As you can see my connection is listed in the Monitored Connections side. This tells me that I can use this machine with this computer and no one else on the network can unless I move it to the other side by selecting the arrows pointing to the left. When it s on the left side, others on your network can detect it and use it as needed. To get control back they will have to release it and move it over to available connections so you can use it. Again, any connection on the monitored side is set to be used by the local computer only. To let others on your network use the machine you have to move it to the Available side. Click on Hide to exit this program. Revision 3 Page 19

21 Section 3 VCS and Other Programs In this section we will discuss the following: Setting XGW to Work With the VCS Software Multiple Systems Working With the Print Drive and Rotary Driver It is important to thoroughly read all Sections of this manual. Any malfunction with the Viper Series Laser System that was caused due to lack of proper use, maintenance, upkeep and/or neglect may cause unsafe operating conditions and will void the warranty for the machine. Revision 3 Page 20

22 Setting XGW to work with the VCS Software Start the XGW software by clicking on its icon. If the XGW Software is not installed, go ahead and install it at this time and then come back to this point. YOU NEED TO BE RUNNING VERSION 6.41 OR LATER OF XGW TO BE ABLE TO USE THE VCS SOFTWARE FROM XGW. From Xenetech select Misc Edit INI Files... We need to select the Xenetech.ini file to edit. (Lower left box). The section is Ancillary. (Lower right box). Once selected scroll down using the top window until you see the text VCS= Set this to 1 to enable the VCS features in the XGW Software and then click on OK. Now if you put a temporary job on the screen in XGW and select File To Engraver... you will see something like the image to the right. If you look at the bottom of the dialog you will see Available Connections. Right now it is set to No Connection Selected. Select the arrow next to it and you should see the connection you just detected in the VCS Software. Select your connection and click on OK. Of course this will send the job to the engraver, so just press cancel on the touchscreen. Now each time you are in the Engraver Setup dialog this is the connection that will be used. Revision 3 Page 21

23 Multiple Systems One great aspect of the new VCS Software is now you can really output to any number of machines just by selecting the machine connection you want to use. Working with the Print Driver and Rotary Driver Once you have detected your system and have gone through the steps in Section 1, all you have to do is set the Destination Output of the drivers to the correct InBox for your system. For the Rotary Driver the default inbox is c:\xfiles\rotary InBox. For the Laser the default InBox it c:\xfiles\laser InBox Revision 3 Page 22

24 Section 4 The Viper Touchscreen In this section we will discuss the following: General Information The Main Menu The Settings Menu The Service Menu Contact Information It is important to thoroughly read all Sections of this manual. Any malfunction with the Viper Series Rotary System that was caused due to lack of proper use, maintenance, upkeep and/or neglect may cause unsafe operating conditions and will void the warranty for the machine. Revision 3 Page 23

25 General Information The touch screen is what you will use to control your Xenetech Laser Engraver. The screen is controlled by the touch of your fingertips. If preferred, a stylus or the eraser end of a pencil may be used. Refrain from using sharp pointed objects on the touch screen as it could easily damage the screen. Looking at the touch screen you will see a wide variety of menu choices as well as menus. This section will cover all aspects of the touch screen Menu Bar There are four menu bars along the top of the touchscreen. Each has their own specific menu options. To access any menu from the menu bar, simply touch the desired menu choice. 2. Last Job Repeat As long as the Xenetech Laser is actively connected to VCS, the last job that was ran on the engraving machine will remain in memory and can be recalled with this button. 3. Return to Mechanical Home This will move the X and Y-axis back to its known mechanical home location. Note: This will not mechanical home the system and should not be used as such. 4. Return to Temp Home This will move the X and Y-axis back to its known temp home position, providing one exists in memory. If there is none, then this button will be grayed out. 5. VCS Connection Status The small computer icon indicates whether you have an active VCS connection. The blue computer icon indicates that the VCS connection is active. Loss of connection will be indicated by a red computer with a small red circle with a line drawn through it. 6. Micro Jog When activated, the jogging speed will be reduced by ½ and diagonal direction will be suspended, making it easier to fine-tune a position. 7. Blower Status When the blower is turned off, you will see the icon. When the blower is 10 9 turned on, you will see the icon. Revision 3 Page 24

26 8. Cylindrical Attachment Engaged/Disengaged This will indicate whether or not your cylindrical attachment is plugged in and ready for use. A grey icon indicates that the cylindrical attachment is not attached. A red icon indicates that the cylindrical attachment is attached and ready for use. 9. Z Axis UP/DOWN Directional This directional indicator will move the Z-axis up and down. Using the center as a marker, pressing above center will move the table up and pressing below the center point will move the table down. Not only that, but the farther you move your finger from center, the faster the Z-axis will travel. 10. X and Y Axis Directional This directional indicator will move the motion system left, right, forward and backward. Using the center as a center point, pressing the directional indicator in any direction (diagonals included) will move the motion system in that direction. Not only that, but the farther you move your finger from center, the faster the motion system will travel. 11. Status Bar During a job, this will display information such as the name of the job, the time that has elapsed and the current power and speed. 12. Menu Options Under each file menu there are various menu options. Each option will open up a new screen with choices and options of their own. At the top right hand corner of each menu there is a Return button. Touching this button will confirm a given menu choice and return you to the main menu. WHEN CONFIRMING CERTAIN MENU OPTIONS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE SYSTEM WILL NEED TO MOVE TO PERFORM THE REQUESTED OPERATION. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT BEFORE YOU CONFIRM THESE CHOICES TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU REMOVE ANY MATERIALS THAT MIGHT OBSTRUCT THE MOVEMENT OF THE MOTION SYSTEM UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED. ALWAYS BE AWARE OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE PLUNGER AND/OR THE DIAMOND TIP WHEN THE MOTION SYSTEM AND/OR WORK TABLE IS IN MOTION. Player Screen The following screen is what YOU WILL SEE WHEN YOU SEND A JOB FROM THE COMPUTER TO THE ENGRAVER Revision 3 Page 25

27 1. Preview Screen A preview of the layout that is in queue will be displayed in this window. Touch anywhere in the preview screen and you can zoom in on specific parts of the layout. (See Zoom Screen for more information) 2. Draw Extents This feature will draw a box around the extents of the layout in queue. A box around the text means that the feature is turned on. If you have a Gift Engraver or another one of our systems fitted with a diode attachment, you can use this button to run through the job. The cutter will not drop down to the material; instead, the diode will trace out the job. This will give you a preview of where exactly everything will mark on the material. Text alone without the box means that the feature is turned off. 3. Dry Run Activating this feature will send the job to the engraver, but with no laser power. This is helpful if you want to do a dry run and see where the system will engrave. A filled in box means that the feature is turned ON. An empty box means the feature is turned OFF. 4. Controller Buttons These buttons control the movement of the engraver once you have set the engraving system to move by character, line, plate or batch. will start the layout that is loaded in queue. will cancel the layout in queue and return to the home screen. 5. Z Axis Control The Z axis adjustment has been disabled in this menu. 6. Power Speed Display Once the job has been started, the systems current power and speed will be displayed here. 7. Job Timer This is a job timer that will start once the play button has been pressed. Run Screen WHILE THE engraver is running A job, THE TOUCHSCREEN WILL DISPLAY THE RUN SCREEN. BELOW IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE RUN SCREEN Revision 3 Page 26

28 1. Preview Screen A preview of the layout that is in queue will be displayed in this window. Touch anywhere in the preview screen and you can zoom in on specific parts of the layout. (See Zoom Screen for more information) 2. Draw Extents This feature is turned off while the system is engraving. 3. Dry Run This feature is turned off while the system is engraving. 4. Controller Buttons These buttons control the movement of the engraver once you have set the engraving system to move by character, line, plate or batch. Touching this button will automatically pause the engraver and send it to the home position. 5. Z Axis Control - The Z axis adjustment has been disabled in this menu. 6. Power Speed Display Once the job has been started, the systems current power and speed will be displayed here (the top value is the speed and the other is the current tube power). If you touch either power or speed, you will have the option of raising or lowering the touched value. Press this button to raise the value. Press this button to lower the value. 7. Job Timer This is a timer that keeps track of the run time for the current layout being engraved. Zoom Screen TOUCH THE LAYOUT PREVIEW WHILE IN THE PLAYER SCREEN AND YOU CAN ZOOM IN ON PARTS OF THE LAYOUT IN QUEUE. BELOW IS AN EXPLANATION OF THE CONTROLS AVAILABLE IN THE ZOOM SCREEN. 1 WHILE IN ZOOM MODE, TOUCH THE SCREEN ANYWHERE AND THAT POINT WILL BECOME THE NEW CENTER POINT FOR THE VIEW. 1. THESE ARE THE ZOOM CONTROL BUTTONS. WILL ZOOM OUT FROM CENTER. WILL ZOOM IN FROM CENTER. WILL ZOOM OUT FROM CENTER. WILL CANCEL THIS SCREEN AND MOVE BACK TO THE PLAYER SCREEN. Revision 3 Page 27

29 One Final Note A few of the menus you will encounter look like the one below. Let s take a moment to go over the three different types of positions to help familiarize you with each. Current Offset For whichever menu option you are in, if you have an offset already in memory it will be displayed here. Pressing under Current Offset, will move the X, Y-axis to that position. Absolute Position This is the current position of the X, Y and Z-axis. You will note as you move any of the three axis these values will change to represent the current position. Pressing move the X and Y-axis to the mechanical home position. under Absolute Position will Relative Position This value is the difference between the Absolute Position and the Current Offset. Revision 3 Page 28

30 The Main Menu Jobs When your Xenetech Laser is connected to VCS, you will be able to view jobs that are in the outbox folder on the computer. The up and down arrows will scroll one page at a time in that arrows direction. To open a folder, select it and press. To run any job, select it and press If there is no active connection with VCS, this option will not be available. Press to return to the main menu. Mechanical Home Mechanical Home will send the motion system back to its set mechanical limits. There, it will test each limit switch by physically contacting them before moving out to its home position. When pressing Mechanical Home from the main screen, you will be presented with a confirmation screen. Upon confirmation, you will have the option to cancel as the system moves toward the home position. Temp Home A temporary home position will allow you to set a position out on the table that will be reported to be a position for the X and the Y-axis. This home position will remain constant until you either mechanical home or restart the system. To set a temp home position, use the directional indicators to move the motion system to its desired position then press. Press to return to the main menu. Revision 3 Page 29

31 Job Offsets Your Xenetech Laser has six programmable offsets. Three of the more common offsets are already named for you. Keep in mind that these are only named and there are no offsets programmed, that will be up to you to set, as you should so wish. To set or change an offset: 2. Press the Job Offsets button on the touch screen 3. Select the offset which you want to set 4. Move the motion system as well as the work table to the desired position 5. Press 6. When finished press to return to the main screen To move to a predetermined offset: 7. Press the Job Offsets button on the touch screen 8. Select the offset which you want to move to 9. Press the under Current Offset 10. Press to return to the main screen Move X/Y You can use Move X/Y to move either axis to a specific distance from your current position. 11. Press either Goto X or Goto Y depending on which axis you wish to move. The decimal does not move so when setting the location you will need to keep that in mind as you enter in values. 12. Use the number pad to type in the distance that you wish to travel in that axis. For example, if you want to move.5 inches you would need to type Once you type in the distance, press the to move the motion system to that location. 14. Press to return to the main screen. Focus The lens on the laser system must be properly focused to the material in order to achieve the best engraving quality. The large box on the screen represents the entire work table. Pressing anywhere inside the box will move the lens carriage to that location. When the lens carriage is in the desired position, press focus on the touch screen. This will bring the table upward until the work table contacts the plunger. Then drop the proper distance. Revision 3 Page 30

32 To focus to a more exact location, position the diode pointer on the desired point of focus. Press the button on the touchscreen. The Focus button will change to Pointer Focus. Now by pressing Pointer Focus, the plunger will move to the position of the diode pointer and the laser will then perform the focusing procedure. Report Position If you would like to retain offsets for future layouts, you can use report position. This works by moving the motion system as well as the table to the desired location. Next simply press on the touch screen. When you choose File To Engraver in the XGW software, you will notice that the X and Y coordinates will be listed under the X and Y offsets. Revision 3 Page 31

33 The Settings Menu Air Assist This option will only work if you purchased the air assist option with your system. With the air assist, there are four possible settings. Off will turn the air assist off and will not run regardless whether the system is raster or vector engraving Always on will run the air assist constantly whether the system is engraving or not Vector only will only run the air assist when the system is vector cutting Raster/Vector will run the air assist whether the system is raster or vector engraving Blower Delay This delay refers to the amount of time that elapses between the job finishing and the blower shutting off. A longer delay will let the blower continue to run which can aid in removing more smoke and/or particles from the system. In order to use the delay, Auto must be selected. Use the and buttons to adjust the delay time. To run the blower constantly, regardless if the system is engraving or not, select On. Buzzer Your Xenetech Laser is equipped with an end of job buzzer that will alert the operator that the job has completed. This timer is set to one second by default, but can be set to a longer time if so desired. To change the time, simply press the and buttons to set the seconds as so desired. Pointer This menu only controls the diode module that points to the work table; this does not affect the second module that runs the auto focus. Off will turn off the diode module completely. Revision 3 Page 32

34 Auto will only run the diode module each time the laser tube fires On will turn on the diode module so that it runs all the time. Units The measurements on the touch screen can be changed from standard measurement (inches) to metric (meters). Simply touch the unit of measure that you wish to use on the touch screen and press when finished. Mottle When engraving acrylic, mottle will help achieve a nice smooth surface. Mottle was designed for rastering acrylic only. This will not have any affect if vector cutting. Frac is the fraction of power that will fire on the space pixels Space is the number of pixels that will be off or fractional power Width is the number of pixels that will fire at full/download power For example, if you set the following values: Frac 50 Space 14 Width 3 The laser tube will fire 3 pixels at the full downloaded power. For the next 14 pixels, the laser tube will drop the power by 50%. After this, the process repeats. HPGL Using HPGL, you can run plotter files directly to the laser without the Xenetech software. For each pin you can select between: Raster or vector Speed Revision 3 Page 33

35 Power VPPI Once all the pins are set correctly, drop the PLT file into the lasers inbox and the laser will do the rest. Preheat Preheat is a factor that is preset at the factory and is based on the type of laser tube and wattage of that tube. The higher wattage tubes can leave an outline on certain materials. In these cases, lowering the factor will reduce and eliminate that outline. Focal Length This is another setting that is preset at the factory. The only time that you would need to make any adjustments here is if you purchased another lens that had a different focal length. When using a lens that has a different focal length, you will need to change the setting in this menu so that the laser will focus properly. Notice that there are preset focal lengths already in the menu. If yours is not available, you can use the Comp to set any further distance if needed. Continuous Path By default this option is already activated in the system. When lasering sharp angles, this option will cause the laser to slightly round the edge. Doing so will keep a constant power throughout the corner which will make for an even cut. If this setting is turned off, then corners will cut deeper than the remainder of the layout. This is because the beam will turn off at the end of a line and then turn on again at the start of the next, causing burning in the corners. The closeness and/or Min Angle should only be adjusted by a Distributor or under the advice of a Xenetech Customer Service Representative. Revision 3 Page 34

36 Speed/Power There are several places where the speed and/or power can be adjusted. This is one of them. This option is primarily for the use of PLT files that are being dropped into the inbox directly. When doing so, come here first and set the power and/or speed. Indexer Indexing is used in conjunction with a cylindrical attachment. For example, to engrave a box with 4 sides, you would enable the indexer. Next, you would set the angle to 90. This is because at every 90 degrees the next face of the box would be facing upward. Now when the laser is engraving and finishes one side, it will go home, the cylindrical will turn 90 degrees and then the lens carriage will move back out and laser the next side. This will repeat for each of the four sides. Dual Head If your Xenetech Laser is a dual head system, then this will turn the option on and off. Remember that when turning the option off, you will need to remove the additional head and bracket from the system. Rubber Stamp Suggested settings for rubber stamps on gray laserable rubber are listed below: Split Pixel = 2 Split Power = 60% Base Width = 6 Adjust the Split Pixel, Base Width, and Split Power to change the shape of the stamp shoulder. Increasing the Split Power while decreasing the Split Pixel will yield a steep shoulder. Decreasing the Split Power while increasing the base width will yield a wide shoulder. Revision 3 Page 35

37 When creating a job in Corel Draw, the text will be set to white and placed on a black background. This same process can be used in XGW, but the user can also set Laser Routes Background on Raster Images to Yes in the F1, Engraver Setup. Air Assist is necessary when laser engraving rubber stamps. A 30 Watt laser will need to make 2 passes to get enough depth for rubber stamps. (100% Power, ips) We recommend a 60 Watt laser or higher for rubber stamp production. Diamond Drag (Xenetech Duo laser only) When in diamond drag mode for the Xenetech Duo, make all changes to Z stroke, float, speed as well as the X and Y offsets here. The changes made will remain in effect for any diamond drag jobs that are sent to the laser until they are modified. Press any of the values to select them. Use the and keys to raise and lower the selected value. Revision 3 Page 36

38 . Service Beam Alignment When in beam alignment mode, you can adjust the power and the time in which the tube will fire. Use the and keys to raise and lower the values. When you are ready to fire the laser tube, press the. Pressing the will turn on the blower. Table Home Return to Home will send the work table back to its position. You can view the work table s current position from the main screen. When selecting this option, make certain that there is not material on the work table that could obstruct the table from its upward travel. Set New Zero will set the current work table position as the new offset for the work table. Reset Table will reset the work tables by first raising the table until it contacts the plunger. Then it will drop to preset distance which is based on the values in the Focal Length menu. WHEN USING THE RESET TABLE OPTION, BE SURE THAT THERE IS NO MATERIAL ON THE WORK TABLE. Edge/Tickle THE ITEMS IN THIS MENU SHOULD ONLY BE ADJUSTED UNDER THE ADVICE OF A XENETECH REPRESENTATIVE OR YOUR DISTRIBUTOR. Edge refers to the edge quality on rastered text. Tickle period and width refer to adjustments that can be made to the laser tube if it is shadowing at the ends of lines of text. Revision 3 Page 37

39 Z Position Z position is used as a method of defeating the upper limit on the worktable should the need arise. This should only be used under supervision of a Xenetech Representative as damage to the system could occur should this is used improperly. Permanent XY Making changes to this setting will change your permanent XY offset. This should only be done under the advice of a Xenetech representative or your distributor. To change the offset: 1. Jog the motion system to the desired location 2. Press Set Origin to set the permanent XY offset The permanent XY position is set at the factory and should never need to be altered. Check Limits Here you can check to make sure that all of the limit switches are working properly. These include: X axis limit switch Y axis limit switch Z Limit Door and Lid Self Test The self test feature is useful to run the system after preventive maintenance. Burn In will run the X and they Y axis at different intervals 2X2 Test Job is designed to test the different aspects of the motion system. Some kind of coated brass or anodized aluminum is required for these tests as the tube will fire. Use the + to raise the repetitions and/or speed and the - to lower the repetitions and/or speed. Press the to start either of the two options. Revision 3 Page 38

40 Motor Phase Test This feature will test all of the motors on the system and then give information about temperatures and ratios as well as the controllers buss voltage. IP Address This information screen will show the systems current IP address, subnet mask and other connection information. You can also clear the IP address from this menu if the need arises. Reset Machine As implied, this option will restart the laser system. Check Home This feature is one that is primarily used as a testing tool by Xenetech representatives. When utilized, it checks the position of the motors with the controller. Any differences in readouts are displayed. Revision 3 Page 39

41 Registration Registration is test that will check the edge quality on the laser system. This test should only be performed under instruction of a Xenetech Representative. Revision 3 Page 40

42 Contact information Mailing Address Xenetech Global Inc Airline Highway Baton Rouge, Louisiana Telephone XENETEC Fax: Support - tech@xenetech.com Sales - sales@xenetech.com Website Online Knowledge Base Distributor Information Name: Address: Phone: Revision 3 Page 41