Current Help System: PC-DMIS CMM (View Core Help)

#### Type of Operation area

The Type of Operation area allows you to select the operation that will be performed when you click the Measure button on the Measure Probe dialog box. The available operations include:

Calibrate Tips:

This option is used to do a standard calibration of all marked tips.

Calibrate the Unit:

The Calibrate the Unit option creates error maps for both infinite wrist devices and indexable wrist devices. For indexable wrist devices see the information below in this topic. For information on infinite wrist devices, see Calibrate the Unit for Infinite Wrist Devices in the Using a Wrist Device section of the PC-DMIS Core documentation.

Important: This option only functions with single arm configurations.

Calibrate the Unit (For Indexable Wrist Devices):

This option is used to error map a Probe Head or a Wrist device. This section describes error mapping an indexing probe head such as the PH9, PH10, or the Zeiss RDS. A special probe configuration, consisting of three styli of the same diameter, is placed in the probe head and as many tip orientations (all possible orientations is best) that the user desires are measured with this probe configuration. Generally, you should arrange the styli in a ‘T’ configuration at least 20mm tall and 40mm wide (like a star probe with styli at 20mm from the center). The farther the styli are separated, the more accurate the error map will be.

Once you have measured all possible orientations using the special configuration, you will be able to change probe configurations without having to do a calibration of the entire tip list. Each of the orientations measured in the original map will now automatically be calibrated in the new configuration. PC-DMIS provides complete support for calibrating and using all Renishaw and DEA probe heads, as well as the Zeiss RDS head.

Note: This option, as discussed here, refers exclusively to probe heads that have repeatable index positions such as the PH10. This calibration requires a 3-stylus star probe. After this calibration is performed, only the indexed positions that were qualified during the unit calibration can be used in future probe files without performing a full calibration. The Calibrate the Unit option is not available when using an analog probe regardless of whether the probe head is of a type that is either indexable or infinite. This is because an analog probe must have each individual position calibrated to obtain the required deflection coefficients.

See the "Using a Wrist Device" section of the PC-DMIS Core documentation for information on calibrating wrists.

'Calibrate the Unit' Process for Indexable Wrist Devices:

1. Create the unit probe configuration similar to that shown in the graphic below:

A - 50 mm extension

B - 5 way center

C - Three 3BY20 tips

2. The exact sizes of the components may vary but the shape must remain the same. It is also best to choose the lightest components possible. Gravity can cause some error in the measurements.

3. From the Probe Utilities dialog box, click the Add Angles button and add as many different orientations as you desire. A complete mapping of the probe head would mean measuring each possible orientation.

4. Select the Measure button from the Probe Utilities dialog box. The Measure Probe dialog box appears.

5. Enter the default values to use.

6. Select Calibrate the Unit for the type of operation to perform.

7. From within the Measure Probe dialog box, click on the Measure button. PC-DMIS will then measure each of the three tips at each of the selected orientations. PC-DMIS will use this data to map the Offset, Pitch, and Yaw of each orientation.

8. Next, place a probe configuration that you wish to use for measurement on the probe head.

9. Choose at least four of the mapped orientations.

10. Select the Use Unit Calib Data check box from the Probe Utilities check box.

11. Now calibrate this probe in the chosen orientations. To do this:

- Click Measure in the Probe Utilities dialog box. The Measure Probe dialog box appears.

- Select the Calibrate Tips option for the type of operation to perform.

- Click on the Measure button in the Measure Probe dialog box. PC-DMIS will then calculate the actual length offset for this probe configuration and PC-DMIS will automatically create tips for each of the mapped orientations.

Lower Matrix:

This option lets you calibrate your SP600 probe's lower level matrix. See the "Notes on SP600 Lower Matrix:" and "Performing a Low Level Matrix Calibration" topics for information.

Qualification Check:

This re-measures the tip orientations specified by the user within the selected probe file and does a comparison to the previously measured data for these tip orientations. The user can use this comparison to determine if a complete calibration is needed. This is an audit-only procedure within the selected probe file and does not update the tip offsets.

Home the Unit:

This will perform a partial wrist mapping procedure on selected previously qualified tip angles to determine the proper orientation of A = 0 and B = 0 within the wrist error map. PC-DMIS includes Home the Unit for selection if the PC-DMIS Settings Editor entry RenishawWrist is equal to 1. For information on modifying registry entries, please view the "Modifying Registry Entries" documentation.

Note: The port lock must have the wrist option turned on in order for PC-DMIS to enable the wrist support.

Calibrate NC-100 Artifact:

This option is used to calibrate an NC-100 qualification tool. To enable this option you must have previously purchased the NC-100 option. Having this option available on the portlock will enable the NC-100 tab in the Setup Options dialog.

The NC-100 must then be correctly setup before the Calibrate NC-100 Artifact option will be available for selection.

Calibrate ScanRDV

When using an analog scanning probe, some machine types support using a radius deviation from the tip's nominal size. This deviation from the nominal may be different for discrete hits (referred to as PRBRDV) as compared to continuous scanning (referred to as SCANRDV). This option button lets you easily calibrate a tip, from directly within this dialog box, for purposes of calculating a scan-specific radius deviation. If your machine does not support the radius deviations separately from the tip size, this option button will not be available for selection.

Before using this option, you must first calibrate the tip in the usual manner, typically by using the Calibrate tips option. Once done, you may then use the Calibrate ScanRDV option to calculate a scan-specific deviation. PC-DMIS will measure a single circular scan on the equator of the calibration tool to calculate this value.

Note: PC-DMIS has an older method for measuring a scan-specific deviation by using a part program containing suitable commands. While this older procedure still functions and remains a flexible approach, it requires considerable effort to develop a suitable calibration program. The new method is likely adequate for most situations, but you can still use the previous method, as needed. See "Using Separate Deviations for Discrete and Scan Measurements" for that method.