wirepro harness and wire processing software operating instructions...

WIREPRO PART 1 SECTION 1

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WIREPRO

HARNESS AND WIRE PROCESSING

SOFTWARE

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

P/N 16365-01

REVISION E

April 2014

Eubanks Engineering Co. 3022 Inland Empire Blvd.

Ontario, CA 91764 Phone: (909) 483-2456

Fax: (909) 483-2498 [email protected]


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EUBANKS ENGINEERING Co. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT IMPORTANT-READ CAREFULLY: This Software License Agreement is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and Eubanks Engineering, Co. (Eubanks) for the software included with this agreement (“Program”), which includes computer software and may include associated media, printed materials, and "online" or electronic documentation. By installing, copying, or otherwise using the Program, you agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. If you do not agree to the terms of this agreement, you are not authorized to use the Program.

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. This license Agreement permits you to use one copy of the Program included in this package on a single computer. The Program is “in use” on a computer when it is loaded into temporary memory (i.e., RAM) or installed in permanent memory (e.g., hard disk, CD-ROM, or other storage device) on that computer. Eubanks reserves all rights not expressly granted.

2. COPYRIGHT. All title and copyrights in and to the Program (including any images, photographs, and text incorporated into the software) are owned by Eubanks and are protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions and all other applicable national laws. Therefore, you must treat the Program like any other copyrighted material (e.g., a book or musical recording) except that if the Program is not copy protected you may either (a) make one copy of the software solely for backup or archival purposes, or (b) transfer the software to a single hard disk provided you keep the original solely for backup or archival purposes. No part of the documentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose other than the purchaser's personal use, without written permission of Eubanks.

3. SOFTWARE MEDIA. You may receive the Program in disk media or on a CD-ROM or installed on the hard disk or ROM on your computer, or in multiple forms of media. Regardless of the number or type(s) of media you receive, you may use only the media appropriate for your single computer. You may not use the other media on another computer, or loan, rent, lease, or transfer them to another user except as part of the permanent transfer of all software and user documentation.

4. OTHER RESTRICTIONS. You may not rent or lease the Program, but you may transfer the Program and any accompanying user documentation on a permanent basis provided you retain no copies and the recipient agrees to the terms of the Agreement. If the Program is an update or has been updated, any transfer must include the most recent update and all prior versions. You may not reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Program.

5. LIMITED WARRANTY. Eubanks warrants to the Original Purchaser only, that the Program shall perform substantially in accordance with the accompanying written material for ninety (90) days from the date of purchase.

6. EXCLUSIVE REMEDY. The Original Purchaser’s exclusive remedy for the breach of this license shall be, at Eubanks’s option, the repair or replacement of the Program that does not meet Eubanks’s Limited Warranty and which is returned to Eubanks with a copy of the original invoice. This Limited Warranty is void if the failure of the Program has resulted from accident, abuse, misapplication, or use of the Program with incompatible hardware.

7. LIMITATIONS ON DAMAGES. In no event shall Eubanks or its suppliers, if any, be liable for any consequential or incidental damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or inability to use the Program or Program Package, even if Eubanks or its suppliers, if any, have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Eubanks’s liability shall not exceed the actual price paid for the License to use the Program. In those states/countries that do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.

8. U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. The Program and documentation are provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of The Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013, or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software – Restricted Rights 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable. Manufacturer is Eubanks Engineering Co. Incorporated 950 Royal Oaks Drive, Monrovia, California 91016.


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WARRANTY AND SERVICE POLICY

THIS IS A LIMITED WARRANTY

Eubanks Engineering Co. (hereinafter “Eubanks”) products are warranted to the original owner for a period of twelve (12) months from date of shipment from Eubanks’ factory, or in the first 2080 hours of operation by the customer (whichever comes first), to be free from defects in material and workmanship for the use for which they are intended by Eubanks, under normal operating conditions and maintenance. Eubanks obligation under Warranty is limited, upon prompt notification, to the repair or exchange, either on the customer’s premises or at Eubanks’ factory, at Eubanks’ discretion, of any Eubanks product or part which proves to be defective. If a product under warranty is returned to Eubanks factory for inspection repair or replacement, freight charges to Eubanks will be prepaid by the customer. Return freight charges (Eubanks to the customer) will be paid by Eubanks using the same method used by the customer. If inspection, repair or replacement are to be made at customer’s location, the customer shall bear the cost of the service person’s travel and living expenses. THIS WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. THERE ARE NO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THIS WARRANTY STATES EUBANKS’ ENTIRE AND EXCLUSIVE LIABILITY WHETHER IN TORT OR IN CONTRACT AND BUYER’S EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY CLAIM FOR DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALE OR USE OF EUBANKS PRODUCTS, THEIR DESIGN, SUITABILITY FOR USE, INSTALLATION OR OPERATION, OR ANY CLAIMED DEFECTS THEREIN. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL EUBANKS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, ECONOMIC, DIRECT, INDIRECT, GENERAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES. NO ACTION UNDER THIS WARRANTY MAY BE BROUGHT BY BUYER MORE THAN ONE YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION OCCURRED. This warranty does not apply to equipment or replacement parts that are not given proper care and maintenance and does not cover any defect, failure, deficiency or error that is: (a) Not reported to Eubanks within the applicable warranty period; (b) Due to accident, misapplication, negligence, modification, alteration, disassembly,

abuse, misuse, improper installation by other, abnormal conditions of temperature, dirt or corrosive matter; or

(c) Due to operation, either intentional or otherwise, above rated capacities, or in an

otherwise improper manner. If it is determined that the equipment defect is not the result of original manufacture but is related to customer negligence or operational error, the customer will pay all incurred charges including, but not limited to freight, parts and labor. Wear items such as blades, blocks and drive belts are excluded from this warranty.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1 – INTRODUCTION TO WIRE PRO SECTION 1 1-i SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT 1-ii WARRANTY 1-iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1-iv SECTION 2 – INTRODUCTION 2-1 2.1 INTRODUCTION 2-1 2.1.1 WIREPRO 2-1 2.1.2 WIRE MANAGER 2-1 2.1.3 WIREPRO DEMONSTRATION 2-1 2.2 EXPLANATION OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS MANUAL 2-1 2.3 OPERATION OF THE AUTOSTRIP AND MARKERS 2-2 2.4 SPECIAL ITEMS 2-2 SECTION 3 – WIREPRO OVERVIEW 3-1 3.1 HOW WIREPRO WORKS 3-1 3.2 WHAT YOU NEED TO RUN WIREPRO 3-2 3.3 INSTALLING WIREPRO 3-2 3.3.1 WINDOWS XP COMPATIBILITY 3-2 3.3.2 WINDOWS INTERFACE 3-3 3.4 INSTALLING THE RS 232 CABLES 3-3 3.5 PUTTING THE AUTOSTRIP INTO REMOTE MODE 3-3 3.6 STARTING WIREPRO 3-3 3.7 SETTING UP WIREPRO 3-4 3.8 AFFECTIVITY OF THIS REVISION 3-4 PART 2 – RUNNING WIREPRO AND WIREPRO FUNCTIONS 4-1 SECTION 1 – THE MAIN WINDOW AND THE PULL DOWN MENUS 4-2 1.1 THE MAIN WINDOW 4-2 1.2 THE FILE PULL DOWN MENU 4-3 1.2.1 NEW – CREATING A NEW HARNESS FILE 4-3 1.2.2 OPEN – OPENING AN EXISTING FILE 4-4 1.2.3 IMPORT – IMPORTING DATA FROM PREVIOUS REVISIONS AND 4-5 SPREADSHEETS 1.2.3.1 Importing Harness Files Created Under Earlier Versions of WirePro 4-5 1.2.3.2 Bad Or Suspicious Import Data 4-6 1.2.3.3 Missing .dbt File 4-7 1.2.3.4 Importing Text Spreadsheet Files Created Using Microsoft Excel 4-7 1.2.3.5 Creating Spreadsheets 4-8 1.2.3.6 Import Spreadsheet Requirements 4-8 1.2.3.7 Import Operation 4-9 1.2.3.8 Steps Required to Import an Excel Spreadsheet 4-9 1.2.3.9 Import Column Headings 4-9 1.2.3.10 Data Field Definitions 4-9 1.2.3.11 Spreadsheet Warning Message 4-10 1.2.3.12 Duplicate Heading Warning Message 4-10 1.2.3.13 Import Problems 4-11 1.2.4 SAVE – SAVING CHANGES TO HARNESS FILES 4-11 1.2.5 SAVE AS – EDITING AND CREATING NEW FILES 4-11 1.2.6 APPEND – COMBINING PARTS OF DIFFERENT HARNESSES 4-12


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TO CREATE NEW ONES 1.2.7 CLOSE – CLOSING A HARNESS FILE 4-13 1.2.8 DELETE – DELETING A HARNESS FILE 4-13 1.2.9 RENAME – CHANGING THE NAME OF AN EXISTING HARNESS FILE 4-14 1.2.10 EXIT – EXITING WIRE PRO 4-14 1.3 THE SET UP PULL DOWN MENU 4-15 1.3.1 PORTS – SELECTING THE AUTOSTRIP RS-232 COM PORT 4-15 1.3.2 PREFERENCES – SETTING THE GLOBAL WIREPRO DEFAULTS 4-16 1.3.2.1 Company Name 4-16 1.3.2.2 Units 4-16 1.3.2.3 Modes 4-17 1.3.2.4 AutoStrip Display 4-18 Normal 4-18 Memo 4-18 Mark 4-18 See PC Screen 4-18 1.3.2.5 Initial Wire List Order 4-18 1.3.2.6 Long Field Orientation 4-18 1.3.3 AUTOSTRIP SPECIFICATION 4-18 1.3.4 MARKER SPECIFICATION 4-19 1.3.5 LANGUAGE SPECIFICATION 4-29 1.3.6 MARKING DISK INITIALIZATION 4-20 1.3.6.1 Special Marking Disks 4-21 1.4 THE CONTROL PULL DOWN MENU 4-21 1.4.1 LOCAL MODE 4-21 1.4.2 BATCH OUT 4-21 1.4.3 AUTOSTRIP CONTROL 4-21 1.4.3.1 AutoStrip Operations 4-21 Load Wire 4-21 Unload Wire 4-22 Download 4-22 Make One Wire 4-22 Mark 4-22 1.4.3.2 Wire Feed Operations 4-22 Long Feed Forward 4-22 Long Feed Reverse 4-22 Short Feed Forward 4-22 Short Feed Reverse 4-22 1.4.3.3 Wire Guide Operations 4-22 Raise Wire Guide 4-22 Lower Wire Guide 4-22 1.4.3.4 Blade Operations 4-22

Open Blades 4-22 Close To Cut 4-22 Close To Strip 4-22 1.4.3.5 Belt Operations 4-23

Open Belts 4-23 Close Belts 4-23 1.4.4 TEST INKJET COMMUNICATIONS 4-23 1.4.5 DOWNLOAD TO AUTOTAB 4-24 1.4.6 AUTOTAB DISK CONTROL 4-24 1.4.6.1 Disk 4-24

MicroStep CW/CCW 4-24 Full Step CW/CCW 4-24 MicroStep Left/Right 4-24


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Full Step Left/Right 4-25 1.4.6.2 Pinion 4-25

Pinion In/Out 4-25 Lock In/Out 4-25

1.4.6.3 Valves 4-25 Mark 4-25 Air 4-25

1.5 THE “ABOUT” PULL DOWN 4-26 1.6 WIREPRO WARNING MESSAGES 4-26 1.6.1 SAVE HARNESS BEFORE CLOSING 4-26 1.6.2 HARNESS FILE NAME ALREADY EXISTS 4-27 1.6.3 FILE AND DEFAULT CONFIGURATIONS DO NOT MATCH 4-27 1.6.4 BAD DATA WARNING 4-28 1.6.5 CORRUPTED HARNESS FILE WARNING 4-29 SECTION 2 – THE PRODUCTION WINDOW 5-1 2.1 THE PRODUCTION WINDOW 5-1 2.1.1 EDITING THE PRODUCTION WINDOW 5-1 2.1.2 INSERT/CHANGE EDITING 5-2 2.2 START 5-2 2.3 PAUSE 5-2 2.3.1 THE PAUSE DIALOG BOX 5-3 2.4 EDIT 5-3 2.4.1 THE ‘WIRE’ BUTTON – WIRE PARAMETER EDITING 5-4 2.4.2 THE ‘MARKING’ BUTTON – MARKING PARAMETER EDITING 5-4 2.4.3 THE ‘AUTOSTRIP’ BUTTON – CONTROL PARAMETER EDITING 5-5 2.4.4 THE ‘NEXT’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.5 THE ‘PREVIOUS’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.6 THE ‘TOP’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.7 THE ‘BOTTOM’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.8 THE ‘FIND’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.9 THE ‘ADD COPY’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.10 THE ‘ADD DEFAULT’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.11 THE ‘DELETE’ BUTTON 5-5 2.4.12 THE ‘SORT’ BUTTON 5-6 2.4.13 THE ‘DONE’ BUTTON 5-6 2.5 THE ‘SORT’ BUTTON 5-6 2.6 THE ‘SELECT’ BUTTON 5-6 2.7 THE ‘UNSELECT’ BUTTON 5-6 2.8 UNDO SELECT/UNSELECT BUTTON 5-6 2.9 THE ‘COPY’ BUTTON 5-6 2.10 THE ‘PASTE’ BUTTON 5-7 2.11 THE ‘UNDO PASTE’ BUTTON 5-7 2.12THE ‘ADD COPY’ BUTTON 5-7 2.13 THE ‘ADD DEFAULT’ BUTTON 5-7 2.14 THE ‘DELETE’ BUTTON 5-7 2.15 THE ‘PURGE’ BUTTON 5-7 2.16 THE ‘OPTIONS’ BUTTON 5-7 2.16.1 PAUSE ON – PAUSING PRODUCTION 5-7 2.16.1.1 1st Wire Of Harness 5-8 2.16.1.2 Wire Stock Change 5-8 2.16.1.3 Wire Program Change 5-8 2.16.1.4 Wire Gauge Change 5-8 2.16.1.5 User Flag 5-8 2.16.1.6 The Production Pause Dialog Box 5-8


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2.16.2 PRODUCTION CONTROL – ACTIVATING WIRE FILTERS 5-10 2.16.2.1 All Wires (no filter) 5-10 2.16.2.2 No Wires (max filter) 5-10 2.16.2.3 Use Filters (user defined) 5-10 2.16.3 THE FILTERS – SELECTING WIRES USING FILTERS 5-10 2.16.3.1 Equal To 5-11 2.16.3.2 Not Equal To 5-11 2.16.3.3 Greater Than 5-11 2.16.3.4 Greater Than Or Equal To 5-11 2.16.3.5 Less Than 5-11 2.16.3.6 Less That Or Equal To 5-11 2.16.4 BATCH MULTIPLIER – MAKING MORE THAN ONE COPY 5-11 OF A SELECTED HARNESS 2.16.5 AUTOMATIC LOCAL MODE 5-11 2.17 WIRE METER 5-11 2.17.1 CLEAR 5-12 2.17.1.1 Clear Last Job Totals 5-12 2.17.1.2 Clear Cumulative Totals 5-12 2.17.1.3 Remove Unused Totals 5-12 2.17.2 WIRE STOCK 5-12 2.17.3 PRINT 5-12 2.17.4 DONE 5-12 2.18 PRINT – PRINTING HARNESS FILES 5-13 2.18.1 EXAMPLE OF THE PRODUCTION SCREEN PRINT OUTPUT 5-14 2.18.2 EXAMPLE OF THE WIRE METER PART NUMBER OUTPUT 5-14 2.18.3 EXAMPLE OF THE WIRE METER WIRE STOCK PRINT OUTPUT 5-15 2.18.4 EXAMPLE OF THE WIRE EDIT SCREEN PRINT OUTPUT 5-15 2.18.5 EXAMPLE OF THE MARKING EDIT SCREEN PRINT OUTPUT 5-16 2.18.6 EXAMPLE OF THE AUTOSTRIP EDIT SCREEN PRINT OUTPUT 5-16 SECTION 3 – DATA DEFINITIONS 6-1 3.1 WIRE RECORD FIELDS EXPLAINED 6-1 3.1.1 WIREPRO CONTROL FIELDS 6-1 3.1.2 WIRE STATUS COLUMN, THE “O” COLUMN 6-2 3.1.2.1 Neutral Wires 6-2 3.1.2.2 Selected and Unselected Wires 6-2 3.1.2.3 Wires Containing Bad Data 6-2 3.1.3 PRODUCTION SCREEN COLUMN HEADINGS 6-2 3.2 PRODUCING WIRES 6-4 3.2.1 SETTING UP A DATABASE 6-4 3.2.1.1 DEFINING WIRE PARAMETERS 6-4 3.2.2 HARNESS PRODUCTION 6-5 3.2.2.1 Loading And Unloading Wire 6-5 3.2.2.2 Starting WirePro 6-5 3.2.2.3 Setting Production Pause 6-5 3.2.2.4 Stopping WirePro Mid-Harness 6-5 3.3 RECOVERING FROM WIRE FAULTS 6-6 3.3.1 CLEARING THE FAULT 6-6 3.3.1.1 Detailed Procedures For Clearing Faults 6-6 3.3.2 FAULT RECOVERY 6-8 3.3.3 REMAKING LOST WIRES 6-8 PART 3 – MARKING WIRE USING MANUAL HOT STAMP MARKERS 7-1 PART 4 – MAKING WIRE WITH THE EUBANKS MODEL 77200 8-1 PROGRAMMABLE MARKER


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PART 5 – MAKING WIRE WITH THE EUBANKS MODEL 77200 nXmXn 9-1 DUAL DISK GROUP PROGRAMMABLE MARKER PART 6 – MARKING WIRE USING THE DOMINO A200/300 SERIES MARKERS 10-1 APPENDIX A – TROUBLE SHOOTING 11-1 APPENDIX B – WIREPRO IMPORT DATA FIELD DEFINITIONS 12-1 APPENDIX C – SPECIAL MARKING DISKS INCLUDED WITH THIS SYSTEM 13-1


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SECTION 2 – INTRODUCTION

2.1 INTRODUCTION Thank you for choosing the Eubanks Engineering WirePro Software. There are three versions of the WirePro software application, WirePro, Wire Manager and WirePro Demo. All three versions operate in essentially the same way. The differences between the three software packages are discussed below. 2.1.1 WIREPRO The WirePro software application is used for the automated production of harnesses using any Eubanks engineering AutoStrip machine and Marker combination. This package comes with a large number of optional configurations and provides maximum flexibility for processing wire. This manual is used for WirePro only. 2.1.2 WIRE MANAGER The Wire Manager software application controls any Eubanks AutoStrip machine. It is used for automated wire processing and manual marking. Wire Manager does not include the controls required for the operation of programmable, automated markers. 2.1.3 WIREPRO DEMONSTRATION This software application is a demonstration version of the WirePro package. It has all of the functionality of WirePro but is configured to run in a stand-alone mode for demonstration of the WirePro capabilities. It can be used to create and store real harness files but will not control the stripping and marking machines.

Some of the Parts of this manual may be intentionally left blank depending on the version of software delivered and the hardware with which it is to be used.

2.2 EXPLANATION OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS MANUAL The manual is divided into six main parts that are briefly described below. There is also a set of appendices that relate to specialized use of WirePro at the end of this manual. This manual is organized to provide all of the commonly used operator information in an easy to find format. Part 1 – Introduction. This section introduces you to WirePro and how it works. It also covers installing and starting WirePro. Part 2 – Running WirePro And WirePro Functions. This section discusses the basics of how to create and run Harness Files with an emphasis on processing wire. Part 2 is the basic primer on the set up and operation of WirePro and should be thoroughly understood by anyone using the system. Subsequent sections specialize in the use of the various marking systems supported by WirePro 2.0. These sections identify special considerations for using the various markers and identify exceptions to the general explanations given in Part 2. Part 3 – Marking Wire Using Manual Hot Stamp Markers. This section discusses the basics of how to set up a manual hot stamp marking system and then process marked wires for harnesses. This section should be used if you are using a Eubanks Model 67200 or 67260 hot stamp markers. Part 4 – Marking Wire With The Eubanks Model 77200 Programmable Marker. This section discusses the details of how to set up the Eubanks Model 77200 programmable hot stamp marking system and then process marked wires for harnesses. Part 5 – Marking Wire With The Eubanks Model 77200 Double Disk Group Programmable Marker. This section discusses the details of how to set up the Eubanks Model 77200 programmable hot stamp marking system and then process marked wires for harnesses.


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Part 6 – Marking Wire With Domino A-Series Markers. This section discusses the details of how to set up a Domino InkJet marking system and then process marked wires for harnesses. This section should be used if you are using a Domino A-Series ink jet marker. 2.3 OPERATION OF THE AUTOSTRIP AND MARKERS It is important to read and understand the functions and limitations described in the AutoStrip and Marker manuals that come with these machines. This manual does not describe the operation or maintenance of these machines except as it relates directly to the use of the WirePro software application. Take the time to read and understand the manuals for the machines included with your system before attempting to run them with WirePro. BE SURE TO READ THE MANUALS AND UNDERSTAND THE OPERATION OF EACH

MACHINE BEFORE USING WIREPRO. 2.4 SPECIAL ITEMS BOLD FACED TYPE in text is used to indicate items that require special attention. These items are associated with safety or proper machine operation. Is used to indicate tips on how to avoid unnecessary effort. References to opening pull down menus are shown as FILE|OPEN. This indicates that the user should go to the FILE pull down menu and then select the Open option.


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SECTION 3 – WIREPRO OVERVIEW

3.1 HOW WIREPRO WORKS WirePro is a software application that runs on an I.B.M.1 compatible personal computer (PC) under the Microsoft Windows ’95, ’98 or NT Operating System2. WirePro software handles both the tasks of wire list data processing and that of controlling the production of cut, stripped and marked wires by downloading wire data to a Eubanks AutoStrip wire stripper and a programmable marker. WirePro supports the use of the Eubanks 67200 manual and 77200 programmable series hot stamp markers as well as the Domino A200, 300 and 400 series ink jet printers. The PC is connected to the AutoStrip and programmable marker RS-232 communications links. WirePro allows the user to construct a database of harnesses that can then be made automatically by Eubanks AutoStrip and programmable marking machines. WirePro uses a set of files called Harness Files that contain all of the information required to make wires for a particular harness. Each Harness File has a block of data that tells WirePro what preferences and options are to be executed called a header and a block of data that contains the data for individual wires called Wire Records. Each Wire Record is one complete set of data for the AutoStrip and the marker (if it is a programmable one) required to make a particular wire. The desired harness is selected from the database and then processed. WirePro takes control of the AutoStrip and programmable markers and supplies them with the data and commands necessary to make wires and harnesses. The harness can contain any number of wires with any number of sizes and types of insulation. WirePro can be set up to automatically queue the operator to change wire stock or tooling. The Harness File processing functions allow the user to create large lists of wires by entering information such as length, gauge, strip length, wire type, mark messages etc. Coupled with the data for each wire are user programmable machine operation parameters such as belt pressure, acceleration, and wire feed speed, etc. The user can create new Harness Files; load and edit previous Harness Files, sort the files, search for a particular wire, and print the files. The user can import harness files made under earlier versions of Wireman and WirePro including Model 9800 files. The user can also import fixed format text files generated using Microsoft Excel2. The WirePro Harness File is a simple ASCII data string that is defined in detail in the appendices at the end of this manual. The wire production task consists of loading a Harness File from disk, then downloading and processing each wire on the AutoStrip and programmable marker. The user can specify the order in which wires are produced and inhibit the production of certain wires. WirePro will pause production and then prompt the operator when a different wire type must be loaded. Automatic pauses in production can also be enabled by the user for certain other conditions such as encountering the next wire, next harness, or a wire with a user set "pause" flag. Each item in the wire list has a "memo" field into which the user can type a message that will be displayed on the PC screen when a production pause occurs. If enabled by the operator the memo field or the mark message are also shown on the AutoStrip's display during a pause. The user can also pause production at any time, then resume or terminate the current job. WirePro also has a feature called Wire Meter. If enabled by the user, the Wire Meter maintains a file that lists the amount of each type of wire used for the last job and a cumulative total. This data can be saved into a text file and then printed out on the system printer.

1 I.B.M. is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. 2 Microsoft, MS, MS-DOS, Windows and Excel are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.


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All user settings such as wire production order, wire meter enabled, serial communications settings, etc., are saved in each Harness File and need not be reset each time the program runs. Please see the Eubanks Software Licensing Agreement for information on permitted copying and execution of the software. Briefly, the end user is permitted to make one copy of the software for back up purposes and to execute the software on one computer. 3.2 WHAT YOU NEED TO RUN WIREPRO The following computer description is the MINIMUM recommended configuration to run the WirePro 2.0 software.

IBM compatible computer with P2-200MHz or better processor 512 MB RAM Windows ’98, 2000, XP Professional or NT 4.0 operating system 100 megabytes of free hard disk space VGA monitor Microsoft compatible mouse CD Reader Two free serial ports (COMM 1 and COMM 2) One parallel port Two DB 25 RS 232 null modem cables

The user needs to be concerned with the PC specifications only if they are supplying their own PC.

Refer to the sections below regarding third party PC communications and configuring WirePro for Windows XP.

Windows XP home version will not run WirePro successfully. 3.3 INSTALLING WIREPRO Please refer to the WirePro Installation Manual for information about installing the software. 3.4 INSTALLING THE RS 232 CABLES If you are not using a programmable Marker one RS 232 cable is required. If you are using a programmable Marker two RS 232 cables will be required. The default port configuration for WirePro puts the programmable marker on COM1 and the AutoStrip on COM2. WirePro will allow the selection of COM 1 through 6, be sure that the machines are connected o the correct COM port. The required cables are supplied as a part of the marker system when purchased from Eubanks Engineering. A supplied terminator plug must be installed on the Model 77200 "Terminal" port. The AutoStrip and Marker can be put onto any COM port. Applications that try to share a COM port or the related IRQ will interfere with the operation of

WirePro. It is important to make sure that no other application is trying to access the COM port while WirePro is running.

When using the A200 or A300 inkjet marker the port FLOW CONTROL must be set to

HARDWARE or the inkjet will not communicate. For details on setting the flow control see Part 6 “MARKING WIRE USING THE DOMINO A200 AND A300 INKJET MARKERS”.

3.5 PUTTING THE AUTOSTRIP INTO REMOTE MODE Before the PC can communicate with the AutoStrip, the AutoStrip must be put into REMOTE mode. This is done at the AutoStrip keyboard by selecting the MODE screen, advancing to the COMMAND field (the


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mode field will be displaying "LOCAL") and pressing the "9" key on the keypad. The control field will then display "REMOTE". This procedure must be repeated if the AutoStrip is turned off, or the Local command is sent from the PC. It is not possible to put the AutoStrip into remote mode by sending a command from the PC. 3.6 STARTING WIREPRO To start WirePro simply double click on the WirePro shortcut icon. WirePro will load and run automatically, and then it will display the WirePro Main window. On the Main window are four pull down menu selections, File, Setup, Control and About. The File pull down menu includes all of the functions required to create, control and delete Harness Files. The Setup pull down menu is used to configure WirePro for operation. The Control pull down menu allows for manual control of the AutoStrip and 77200 marker. About identifies the version of WirePro being used. 3.7 SETTING UP WIREPRO Properly setting up WirePro is the best way to assure efficient, trouble free operation. Prior to running WirePro it is necessary to perform a set up procedure. This is covered in detail in the section on the setup menu. This procedure includes: 1. Select the default language to be used. 2. Select the AutoStrip being used. 3. Select the Marker being used. 4. Set up the RS 232 ports. 5. Set up the default preferences, particularly the units of measure. 6. Initializing character positions of the disk pack for the 77200 programmable marker. It is extremely important to perform setup before attempting to run WirePro. 3.8 AFFECTIVITY OF THIS REVISION This release of WirePro is compatible with all Eubanks Model 4900, 7400 and 8000 AutoStrips made after April of 1997. Machines made before July 2000 will require an EPROM upgrade to take advantage of all of WirePro’s features and capabilities. To verify compatibility with your machines or obtain the necessary EPROM upgrade, contact the Eubanks Engineering sales or service departments. Be prepared to supply the following AutoStrip information. 1. Machine model number. 2. Machine serial number(s). 3. AutoStrip EPROM part number (look inside the machine on the CPU). This version of WirePro does not support the Model 9800.


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PART 2 – RUNNING WIREPRO AND WIREPRO FUNCTIONS

Part 2 is the basic primer on the set up and operation of WirePro and should be thoroughly understood by anyone using the system.


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SECTION 1 - THE MAIN WINDOW AND THE PULL DOWN MENUS 1.1 THE MAIN WINDOW When you start WirePro it will automatically display the Main Window. This window is the top level of control for WirePro. At the top are four pull down menus; File, Setup, Control and About. The File pull down menu includes all of the functions required to create, control, and delete Harness Files. The Setup pull down menu is used to configure WirePro for operation with various combinations of machines. The Control pull down menu allows for manual control of the AutoStrips and 77200 series programmable markers. About identifies the version of WirePro being used. The sections below detail the function and use of each item on the pull down menus.

The Main Window


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1.2 THE FILE PULL DOWN MENU The File pull down menu includes all of the functions required to create, control, and delete Harness Files.

The File Pull Down Menu If some items on a pull down menu or popup window are faded out this indicates that these items

are not available. This may be because these selections are not relevant at that time or are not available due to the AutoStrip/Marker combination selected.

1.2.1 NEW – CREATING A NEW WIREPRO HARNESS FILE To create a new Harness File select FILE|NEW from the pull down menu. You will then see the window for creating new Harness Files. Enter the file name in the space provided. Then select the disk drive and the directory where you wish WirePro to store the file. Check to be sure everything is correct and then press the Create button. The new file will be created and left open on the Production screen.. The new file contains one wire created with WirePro default values. WirePro 2.0 and on supports Windows 95 long file names. If a file is missing it has probably been put in another directory or on another drive. Inside of

WirePro only the DELETE file command can delete a Harness File. WirePro uses the file extension .hrn for all harness files. It also creates two additional file types.

The files with the extension .mtr are used for storing Wire Meter data. Files with the .lan file extension are used for storing the default language being used.


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The Create New File Popup Window 1.2.2 OPEN – OPENING AN EXISTING FILE To open a file select FILE|OPEN from the pull down menu. The Open Harness File window will appear. Select the disk drive and directory in which the desired file is stored. Then select the file. Press the open button to open the file. The Production window will appear with the selected harness. Put all of your Harness Files into the same folder. This will make them easy to find. Depending on the sort options selected it may take several seconds to open large files.

The Open File Popup Window


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1.2.3 IMPORT – IMPORTING DATA FROM PREVIOUS REVISIONS AND SPREADSHEETS WirePro will import files created under older versions of WirePro and WireMan or, text files created in Microsoft Excel. To import data into WirePro select FILE|IMPORT and then choose either WirePro/WireMan v1.x harness or Text spreadsheet under Import type. The sections below discuss the requirements and limitations of each method. Depending on the size of the file it may take several minutes to import the file. The new file will be created using defaults for the presently selected AutoStrip and Marker

to fill in missing or bad data. When importing a file, be sure the unit of measure matches the one for the file to be

imported or the file may become unusable. When importing a file the AutoStrip and Marker configuration must match the target

system. When importing files from other systems, and specifically when importing from Model

9800 systems many of the parameters in the harness may need to be changed to allow for system to system and machine to machine variations.

1.2.3.1 Importing Harness Files Created Under Earlier Versions Of WirePro The IMPORT function can be used to import existing WireMan and WirePro data created under earlier versions of this product. These old version files will have the extension “.har”. This version of WirePro now uses the file extension “.hrn” to differentiate files created under older versions from new and imported files made by this version. An import must be done before running older harness files on this version of WirePro. The existing harness files are not destroyed. The existing harness file is left intact with it’s “.har” file extension. A new file with the WirePro “.hrn” suffix will be created. To import a file select FILE|IMPORT from the pull down menu. Select the WirePro/WireMan option under Import type. Select the disk drive and directory of the “.har” file to be imported. Select the file to be imported and press the Import button. A second dialog box will appear that is used to define the name of the file and directory location of the imported file. Select the disk drive and directory where you would like the imported file to be saved. If you wish to keep the existing file name press the Create radio button. If you wish to change the name of the file edit it and the press the Create radio button. When the user clicks on Create, the conversion process begins. How long the conversion takes depends on the size of the harness file and the speed of the computer. When the conversion is complete, the converted file is left as an opened file in WirePro to allow the user to make changes or to make wire. The Import function does not automatically exit completely after doing a harness file conversion. After the conversion, the import popup window is still displayed. This is to allow the user to immediately do another import. The user must click on Cancel to exit Import completely.


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The Import File Popup Window

The Create New WirePro Harness File Popup Window 1.2.3.2 Bad Or Suspicious Import Data If WirePro detects suspicious or bad data it will warn the operator. The operator can then choose between Change or OK. Selecting Change will tell WirePro to overwrite the suspected bad data with defaults. An example of a WirePro/WireMan import warning is shown below. Selecting OK will import the suspicious data. Be sure to check all of your data before

making wire if this warning appears.


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An Import Data Warning Window Verify that the data associated with this type of warning is correct before running that

harness file. If in doubt choose Change to be safe. 1.2.3.3 Missing .dbt File If the .dbt file from older versions of WirePro/WireMan is not found the User Message data will not be imported. WirePro will warn the operator that the user message data will be lost and ask if it should proceed. Select Continue to complete the import or Cancel to abort the import and return to the Import screen.

The “.dbt” File Warning Window

1.2.3.4 Importing Text Spreadsheet Files Created Using Microsoft Excel The IMPORT function can be used to import space delimited text files created in Microsoft Excel. These text files are generated by using the Excel “Save As” feature and selecting the “.prn”, space delimited file format type. This will save the spreadsheet as a space delimited text file that can then be imported into WirePro. The format for the spreadsheet and the fields that are recognized for import are defined below. Files generated using this feature for importing data may require considerable editing

before they will be usable for making wire. This is due to the generic nature of the text import function.


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1.2.3.5 Creating Spreadsheets Spreadsheets can contain any desired data so long as the data to be imported is in compliance with the limitations listed below. It is not necessary to fill in all the data in all of the columns or even to use all of the headings. Use only the column headings for which you have data and put the import data columns in the left most columns of the spreadsheet. To create an importable file from an existing spreadsheet, use one of the supplied Excel .xlt templates and save it as the desired file name and in the .xls file format. You will then be able to enter data and delete unneeded columns. To change the format of the supplied master template, save the template under a different file name and in the .xls format. Cut and paste the column headings as desired and then save this new spreadsheet as a new master template. It is also possible to create your own spreadsheet using the headings and definitions found in Appendix B. Do not change the text in the master template column headings! This will cause the import to fail

for that column. It is not advisable to put more than one harness into a spreadsheet. 1.2.3.6 Import Spreadsheet Requirements WirePro uses a very large amount of data for processing each wire. Harness files are comprised of text, binary, Boolean, integer and decimal data. In order to import an existing Excel file, the data being imported must be provided in a known format. The requirements for the Excel spreadsheet format for text import as well as the definition of each imported data field are given below.

1. The column headings shall be in the language selected under Setup. 2. The heading for each column shall be in the first row of the spreadsheet. 3. All data to be imported shall appear in the left most columns in the spreadsheet. 4. The first data field of the first column must contain valid data. 5. All import columns must be adjacent to each other. 6. There can be no duplicate headings. 7. There can be no outlines, underlines, bold face or color used anywhere in the spreadsheet. 8. No text field can contain text that is also a column heading. 9. Long numeric entries into text columns, require that the columns be formatted in Excel as text. 10. There shall be one row in the spreadsheet for each wire. 11. The heading for each column to be imported shall be identical to one of the headings defined in

Appendix B. You should use the supplied master templates for creating importable spreadsheets. 12. Column headings may be in any order so long as they are identical to one of the headings

specified in Appendix B. 13. Any number of the import column headings may be used in any order. 14. All headings must be left justified. 15. All data must be left justified. 16. All characters must be ASCII characters. 17. The last column of data with an import column heading must contain non-blank data. 18. The spreadsheet must be saved in the “.prn” format.


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Example of Text Spreadsheet Format Missing data will be filled in using currently selected WirePro default data. 1.2.3.7 Import Operation To import a Text Spreadsheet file select FILE|IMPORT from the pull down menu. Select the Text Spreadsheet option under the Import type. Select the disk drive and directory of the .prn Excel file to be imported. Select the file to be imported and press the Import button. A second dialog box will appear that is used to define the name of the file and directory location of the imported file. Select the disk drive and directory where you would like the imported file to be saved. If you wish to keep the existing file name press the Create radio button. If you wish to change the name of the file edit it and the press the Create radio button. When the user clicks on Create, the conversion process begins. How long conversion will take depends on the size of the harness file and the speed of the computer. When the conversion is complete, the converted file is left as an opened file in WirePro to allow the user to make changes or to make wire. But the Import function does not automatically exit completely after doing a harness file conversion. After the conversion, the first popup window is still displayed. This is to allow the user to immediately do another import. The user must click on Cancel to exit the function completely. 1.2.3.8 Steps Required to Import an Excel Spreadsheet The steps required to import a file are listed below.

1. Create an Excel spreadsheet using the WirePro import column headings and format. 2. Save the created Excel file as text in the “.prn”, space delimited format. This option is available

via the “save as” function in Excel. 3. Exit Excel and open WirePro. 4. Select FILE|IMPORT. 5. Select the Text spreadsheet option under Import type. 6. Select the “.prn” file to be imported. 7. Import the desired text file by pressing the Import button. 8. When the Create window appears create the imported harness file by entering the desired file

name and pressing Create. The import window will reappear when the import has completed. 9. If no other files are to be imported select cancel on the import screen when it reappears. 10. Edit the necessary WirePro data fields. Examine all of the wire data fields to verify that the

defaults used are what are desired. 11. Save the imported file before running or closing it.

1.2.3.9 Import Column Headings The column headings recognized by WirePro are defined in Appendix B. The tables in Appendix B define the import column headings, their format and the alternative headings used for the languages supported by WirePro. WirePro supports import of English, French, German and Swedish column headings. There is an

Excel template supplied for each of these languages.


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1.2.3.10 Data Field Definitions The definition for each valid import column heading data field is given in Appendix B, Import Data Field Definitions. LEADING MARK and TRAILING MARK can replace MARK MESSAGE for double disk group

77200 markers. Do not use MARK MESSAGE and LEADING MARK/TRAILING MARK in the same spreadsheet. The columns can be in any order so long as the heading is correct. Headings that are not recognized by WirePro will be ignored. Only columns with predefined headings will be imported. The spelling and syntax of the column headings must be exact. WirePro will ignore

columns it does not recognize and fill them with default data. 1.2.3.11 Spreadsheet Warning Message If WirePro detects any invalid data in the spreadsheet as it is importing WirePro will warn the operator that bad data has been encountered and give the location of the bad data. The operator can choose to Continue and import the bad piece of data or Cancel and return to the Import File screen. Examples of these warning messages are given below.

The Text Spreadsheet Data Warning Window

Invalid data is any data that does not meet the import data requirements specified above. 1.2.3.12 Duplicate Heading Warning Message If WirePro detects a duplicate column heading in the spreadsheet as it is importing WirePro will warn the operator that a duplicate heading has been encountered. The operator can choose to Continue and WirePro will assume that it has reached the last column of import data. It will ignore the data in the second duplicate heading column. If the operator selects Cancel WirePro will return to the Import File screen. An example of this warning message is shown below.

The Text Spreadsheet Duplicate Heading Warning Window


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1.2.3.13 Import Problems There are several problems that can arise that will result in the import being aborted or in what appears to be an incomplete transfer of data. The causes and correction of these problems are discussed below. The “Import” Button Has Been Pressed But The “Create” Window Did Not Appear. This indicates that WirePro was unable to recognize the contents of the .prn file. This can occur if the file was made in some way other than Excel such as with a word processor or by just renaming some file. In this situation WirePro ignores the file. If this occurs verify that the file you are trying import was created via Excel. The Import Of Data Is Incomplete. The most common causes of this are; the syntax of one of the column headings is incorrect, the columns in the spreadsheet overlap or are too narrow or, there is bad data in one or more fields. Another less common cause is that the language of the column headings and the language selected under Setup do not agree. It is absolutely essential that the column headings exactly match those listed in Appendix B or the

master templates. Verify that this is the case. If the spreadsheet columns are too narrow or the data overlaps the import of data beyond that

point will fail. If the data entered into a cell is bad WirePro will replace it with default data. 1.2.4 SAVE – SAVING CHANGES TO HARNESS FILES This function saves all changes that have been made to the current harness file. 1.2.5 SAVE AS – EDITING AND CREATING NEW FILES Save As allows the user to edit existing Harness File and then save it under a different name and directory location. Select FILE|SAVE AS from the pull down menu. Enter the file name and then select the disk drive and folder where the file is to be saved. Press the save button to save the file. Editing existing Harness Files and then using SAVE AS is the easiest way to create new Harness

Files.


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The Save As Popup Window 1.2.6 APPEND – COMBINING PARTS OF DIFFERENT HARNESSES TO CREATE NEW ONES Append allows the user to save the current wire definitions at the end of an existing harness file thereby increasing the size of that harness file. To use the Append function select FILE|APPEND. Append adds the wires in the currently open harness file to the end of the file selected in the Append popup window. When that harness file is opened, the appended wire definitions will be displayed in their proper position in the harness as defined by the sort selections in the harness file. Append can be used to create harness files of selected wire definitions from several different harnesses. To use Append to create new harness files follow the procedure outlined below.

1. Open an existing harness file with the desired wire data. 2. Unselect the unwanted wires. 3. Using the Purge command, delete all of the unwanted wires. 4. “Save as” using a new harness file name. 5. Edit wire parameters as required. 6. Open the next file. 7. Unselect the unwanted wires. 8. Using the Purge command, delete all of the unwanted wires. 9. Edit wire parameters as required. 10. Append this file to the new file created above. 11. Close the file after it has been appended and choose No on the Save changes popup window. 12. Continue to edit, save as and purge files until the desired harness has been created. 13. Save the file created by appending before attempting to run production with it.

Be sure not to save files that have been purged under their original names. Append saves the currently open harness onto the end of the one selected. Be sure to delete your scratch files or save them all in a special location.


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The Append Popup Window 1.2.7 CLOSE – CLOSING A HARNESS FILE To close a Harness File and not leave WirePro select FILE|CLOSE. This will save all changes and return you to the greeting screen. 1.2.8 DELETE – DELETING A HARNESS FILE If for any reason you wish to delete a Harness File select FILE|DELETE. Select the disk drive and directory where the file is stored then select the file. Press the Delete button to delete the file.

The Delete File Popup Window WirePro will ask you if you are sure you want to delete the selected file. Answer Delete or Cancel. Once a file has been deleted it cannot be retrieved. Be sure you are deleting the correct

file.


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The Delete File Dialog Box

1.2.9 RENAME – CHANGING THE NAME OF AN EXISTING HARNESS FILE This function renames existing files with a new name and directory location. To rename a file follow the procedure below.

1. Select the rename function under FILE|RENAME. 2. Select the disk drive and directory to which you want to save the renamed file. 3. Select the file to be renamed. 4. Press ‘Rename’ to save the file under its new name. Press Cancel to escape to the main screen.

The Rename Popup Window 1.2.10 EXIT – EXITING WIREPRO To exit WirePro select FILE|EXIT. This command will save any changes made to the current Harness Files and return you to the desktop. When you select FILE|EXIT the exit popup window will appear. To exit WirePro to the desktop click Yes and you will return to the desktop. If you click No you will be returned to WirePro.


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The Exit Dialog Box 1.3 THE SETUP PULL DOWN MENU The Setup pull down menu is used to configure WirePro for operation with various combinations of machines. Properly setting up WirePro is the best way to assure efficient, trouble free operation. This section explains how to set up the default functions available while running WirePro. Prior to running WirePro it is necessary to perform a set up procedure. This procedure includes:

1. Select the default language to be used. 2. Select the AutoStrip being used. 3. Select the Marker being used. 4. Set up the RS 232 ports. 5. Set up the default preferences, particularly the units of measure and initial sort order. 6. Initializing character positions of the disk pack for the 77200 programmable marker.

Before WirePro can be run it is necessary to set up these key parameters. Open the AutoStrip, Marker and Language Specification popup windows and select the Model of AutoStrip, Marker and preferred Language being used with this installation of WirePro. Open SETUP|PREFERENCES and set program preferences as described below in the section on setup.

The Setup Pull Down Menu

It is extremely important to perform setup before attempting to run WirePro. None of the Setup pull down menu items are available if a harness file is open. 1.3.1 PORTS – SELECTING THE AUTOSTRIP RS-232 COM PORT It is essential that the RS 232 communication ports be correctly selected and setup. If they are not WirePro will not be able to communicate with the AutoStrip or Marker. Since each different configuration of AutoStrip and Marker have slightly different RS-232 requirements the Port setup for each configuration


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is discussed in detail in Parts 3 through 6. This section deals with the AutoStrip/77200 configuration as an example. See the Part that applies to your configuration for differences and additional details. The default setup for WirePro is with the AutoStrip on COM 1 and the Programmable Marker on COM 2. The AutoStrip and Marker can be moved to COMM 1 through 4. To change the default COMM port for the AutoStrip or Marker select SETUP|PORTS from the pull down menu. Then select the desired COMM port. The figure below shows the port configuration window for the AutoStrip and Model 77200. Port

configurations for other machine combinations are given in parts 3 through 6.

The AutoStrip and 77200 Port Configuration Popup Window If you purchased the WirePro system complete from Eubanks Engineering Co. it is not

necessary to change any port settings. Making arbitrary changes to the port settings will cause system communication problems.

In manual marking mode or when using Wire Manager the AutoStrip default is COM 1. 1.3.2 PREFERENCES – SETTING THE GLOBAL WIREPRO DEFAULTS To set the defaults select SETUP|PREFERENCES from the pull down menu. Preferences allows the user to set the global defaults used by WirePro. Each default is defined below. The initial sort order is especially important. Set the sort order to WIRE STOCK, PART

NUMBER and MARK MESSAGE for best operation. 1.3.2.1 Company Name The company name typed here will appear on printed output such as the Harness File print out and the Wire Meter print out. This also allows the user to identify the installation location of a particular copy of WirePro. 1.3.2.2 Units This sets the default units used by WirePro. Inches and millimeters are available. WirePro will convert from one unit of measure to the other by changing this preference.


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Be sure the units selected in the AutoStrip and the units selected in WirePro are the same. When importing a file, be sure the unit of measure matches the one for the file to be

imported or the file may become unusable. The Units selection should not be changed once it is initially set. WirePro will

automatically convert the files for you but, round off errors, which occur when going from metric to English units, may corrupt length related data fields.

1.3.2.3 Modes – Wire Meter Enable If this box is checked the wire meter is enabled. For special jobs or set up it may be desirable to disable the Wire Meter. The Wire Meter feature of WirePro keeps a record of the type and quantity of wire used by the AutoStrip while under control of the PC. After each wire program is run, WirePro updates a data file called WirePro.mtr. If the last run wire stock is found, the quantities are updated. If the wire stock is not found, it is appended to the file. In this way the meter file will continue to grow as different wire stocks are used. Note that you must copy both the data and index file if you wish to transfer Wire Meter data between computers. Each entry or record in this file consists of three fields: wire stock, cumulative total, and last job total. The wire stock field identifies the type of wire. The cumulative total field contains the total quantity of that particular wire which has been used while the Wire Meter was enabled and since the Wire Meter was last cleared. The last field, job total, contains the quantity for the last run Harness File. The Wire Meter is discussed in more detail in the production section.


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The Model 77200 Preferences Popup Window

1.3.2.4 AutoStrip Display This allows the user to select what will appear on the AutoStrip display during operation. Normal The Normal option causes the AutoStrip’s display to display Screen 1 while operating in remote mode. Memo The Memo option causes the AutoStrip screen to behave normally while producing wires but it will display the 40 characters of the User Message of the next wire program during production pauses. This is useful for prompting the operator to do some particular task. Mark The Mark option is similar to the Memo option except the message displayed is the mark message of the next wire program. In DDG mode the Leading Mark (left disk pack) is displayed. See PC Screen The See PC Screen option causes the fixed message: “See PC Screen for Instructions” to appear on the AutoStrip’s display when a production pause occurs. 1.3.2.5 Initial Wire List Order This selection controls which field of the wire program is used to sort the Harness File when WirePro is started with Wire Meter Enabled. There are three levels of sort available with five categories to use as sorting criteria. These categories are:

WIRE STOCK PART NUMBER GUAGE MARK MESSAGE RECORD NUMBER

1.3.2.6 Long Field Orientation – Display Beginning Of Text/Display End Of Text Long mark messages may be too long to display their entire contents in the Production window. This selection allows the user to select whether to display the beginning or the end of the mark message. 1.3.3 AUTOSTRIP SPECIFICATION This selection allows the user to select the AutoStrip with which this installation of WirePro is to be used. The AutoStrip model numbers supported by WirePro are shown in the dialog box.


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The AutoStrip Specification Popup Window 1.3.4 MARKER SPECIFICATION This selection allows the user to select the marker with which this installation of WirePro is to be used. The marker model numbers supported by WirePro are shown in the dialog box. The Manual selection should be used when using a manual marker. Unmarked wire can be made using any system configuration by setting the mark time to 0. Note that the set up required for each marker is different. Please consult the appropriate part of

this manual for setting up the marker to be used before proceeding.

The Marker Specification Popup Window 1.3.5 LANGUAGE SPECIFICATION This selection allows the user to select the default language with which this installation of WirePro is to be used. The languages supported by WirePro are shown in the dialog box.

The Language Specification Popup Window

Language selections that are shaded out are not yet available.


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1.3.6 MARKING DISK INITIALIZATION This selection invokes a dialog box that allows the user to initialize the marking disks of the Model 77200 programmable marker. The purpose of this procedure is to tell the Model 77200 controller what the current position of the disks is. The disk messages are simply read by looking through the magnifying glass on the front of the unit. The “number of disks” box entry is used to tell the Model 77200 how many disks are currently installed. After entering the disk data, push the Set button. When initializing the marking disks, first be sure that the pinion is properly aligned with

the first disk on the left as you face the 77200, consult the Model77200 manual for proper disk to pinion alignment.

It is essential to enter the correct number of disks! Entering too many disks may result in a

marking head crash! The current disk position field only recognizes UPPER CASE characters. WirePro will

convert all lower case characters to upper case.

The 77200 Marking Disk Initialization Popup Window This section is only valid when operating a system with a Eubanks model 77200 programmable

marker. See parts 4 and 5 for the 77200 or 77200 DDG disk initialization process. 1.3.6.1 Special Marking Disks Marking disks with special characters are available from Eubanks Engineering Co. When using special marking disks it is necessary to know the position of each special character and enter the character it replaces in the initialization field. It is also necessary to substitute the character being replaced in any marking message in which the special character appears. The user must substitute the original character that was replaced by the special character.


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1.4 THE CONTROL PULL DOWN MENU This pull down menu allows the user to have manual control over various AutoStrip and marker functions.

The Control Pull Down Menu

1.4.1 LOCAL MODE This command puts the AutoStrip into local mode. When this is selected the local mode popup window will appear. Choose Yes to put the AutoStrip into local mode or No to escape.

The Local Mode Popup Window

1.4.2 BATCH OUT A “Batch Out” command is sent to the AutoStrip commanding it to cut and eject any marked wires remaining from the last batch. 1.4.3 AUTOSTRIP CONTROL The AutoStrip Control window allows the user to send individual commands to the AutoStrip for normal operation and for diagnostics. Each command that is available is described below. Before feeding wire the AutoStrip will determine if it is ready to feed wire. If it is not it will reset the

belts, blades and guide tube before feeding. AutoStrip machines made before July of 2000 will not be compatible with this feature. Use

extreme caution when using the AutoStrip Controls. Failure to do so may result in jamming or damage to the machine. Contact Eubanks Engineering for updating the AutoStrip software to support this feature.


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1.4.3.1 AutoStrip Operations Load Wire This selection has the same affect as LOAD 4 on screen 1 of the AutoStrip. It commands the AutoStrip to slowly feed forward a small amount and, then cut off and eject the waste wire to the right of the cut blades. Unload Wire This has the same affect as LOAD 3 on screen 1 of the AutoStrip. It commands the AutoStrip to slowly eject the wire out of the machine and left drive head. Download This selection downloads the currently selected wire program to the AutoStrip. This selection does not start processing. Make One Wire This selection commands the AutoStrip to make one of the currently programmed wires. The Make One Wire function does not mark wire. Mark This command will cause the AutoStrip to send a mark command to the attached marker. 1.4.3.2 Wire Feed Operations The wire feed functions use the last downloaded Feed Speed and Acceleration. Use

caution when using these functions. Long Feed Forward This selection commands the AutoStrip to feed wire forward at full speed for a long fixed length. Long Feed Reverse This selection commands the AutoStrip to feed wire in reverse at full speed for a long fixed length. Short Feed Forward This selection commands the AutoStrip to feed wire forward a short length at low speed. Short Feed Reverse This selection commands the AutoStrip to feed wire in reverse a short length at low speed. 1.4.3.3 Wire Guide Operations Raise Wire Guide This selection raises the wire guide. Lower Wire Guide This selection lowers the wire guide. 1.4.3.4 Blade Operations Open Blades This commands the cutter head to open to the fully open position. Close To Cut This commands the cutter head to close to the cut stored in the WP program location.


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Close To Strip This commands the cutter head to close to the strip diameter stored in the WP program location.

The AutoStrip Control Popup Window 1.4.3.5 Belt Operations Open Belts This selection opens the belts. Close Belts This selection closes the belts. It is not necessary to manually open and close the belts to load or unload wire. It is also

unnecessary to open and close them to set the belt pressure. The AutoStrip will automatically set the belt pressure before starting a new wire.

The Open and Close belts function does not apply if the Model 4900 is selected and will not be

displayed. 1.4.4 TEST INKJET COMMUNICATIONS This selection downloads a communications check message to the A-series inkjet marker. If the communications test is successful WirePro will display a popup window indicating that communications were successful. If communications could not be established WirePro will display one of several error messages indicating the nature of the problem.


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The Inkjet Communications Test Popup Window 1.4.5 DOWNLOAD TO AUTOTAB This selection causes the marking related data in the currently selected wire record to be sent to the Model 77200 marker. The "current" wire record is the one that is currently displayed in the Edit screen. 1.4.6 AUTOTAB DISK CONTROL This selection puts the Model 77200 AutoTab into a special command mode, and then brings up a dialog box allowing the user or a service person to control the disk and pinion positions. Control of various pneumatic valves and relays is also possible for diagnostic purposes. This selection is only valid when used with a Model 77200 programmable marker.

If the disks are rotated using this mode, the AutoTab disk initialization must be re-

done. The function and purpose of each disk control button is explained below. 1.4.6.1 Disk This selection controls the rotation of the marking disks. MicroStep CW/CCW Rotates the pinion approximately 1/5 of one position Clockwise/Counterclockwise. This function is used to align the pinion with the gear tooth of the first marking disk on the left as you look at the front of the machine. Full Step CW/CCW Rotates the pinion one character position Clockwise/Counterclockwise. This function is used for testing proper marking head operation. MicroStep Left/Right Rotates the pinion approximately 1/5 of one disk width left or right. This function is used to align the pinion with the gear tooth of the first marking disk on the left as you look at the front of the machine.


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The Disk Control Popup Window Full Step Left/Right Moves the pinion one disk position left or right. This function is used for testing proper marking head operation. 1.4.6.2 Pinion This selection controls the selection of individual marking disks. Pinion In/Out Engages /disengages the pinion. This function is for checking proper pinion to disk alignment and marking head operation. Lock In/Out Engages /disengages the disk lock. This function is for checking proper lock to disk alignment and marking head operation. 1.4.6.3 Valves This selection controls the mark and main air valves. Mark Momentarily activates the marking mechanism. This will cause the marking head to mark. This function can be used for manually checking the quality of marks. Air Momentarily deactivates the main air valve. This function is used to check proper operation of the main air valve. 1.5 THE “ABOUT” PULL DOWN This pull down identifies the version of WirePro being used.


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The “About” Pull Down

1.6 WIREPRO WARNING MESSAGES If WirePro detects a condition that will result in the loss of data or the improper operation of a machine under its control it will warn the operator with various warning messages. The most common messages are described below. Other messages that may appear are discussed in Appendix A. 1.6.1 SAVE HARNESS BEFORE CLOSING This warning indicates that a request to Close the current harness file or Exit WirePro has been received but, some change has been made to the current harness file that has not been saved to disk. This warning is shown below. The operator can select Save, No or Cancel. Selecting Save will save the current harness then close it. Selecting No will close the file without saving the changes. Selecting Cancel will cancel the request to close the current harness file.

The Save File Before Close/Exit Warning Window Be absolutely sure you want to close by selecting NO. Any changes that have been made

will be lost. 1.6.2 HARNESS FILE NAME ALREADY EXISTS This warning tells the operator that the designated file name and path already exists. This warning is shown below. The operator can select Overwrite or Cancel. The Overwrite selection will save the new file


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in place of the old one. The Cancel selection will cancel the save request and return the operator to the Save As or Create window.

The File Already Exists Warning Window

Be absolutely sure you want to save by selecting OVERWRITE. The original file will be lost.

1.6.3 FILE AND DEFAULT CONFIGURATIONS DO NOT MATCH WirePro stores data using the currently selected AutoStrip and Marker selections as the default configuration. If the file being opened was not created for the same machine configuration as the current default configuration WirePro will warn the operator that the configurations do not match. This warning tells the operator that the file being opened was not made for the AutoStrip or Marker that is currently specified. An example of this warning is shown below. The operator can choose Change or Cancel. Selecting Change will command WirePro to change the file by inserting the minimum changes to default settings in the harness file in order to make it compatible with the system currently specified under setup in WirePro. Selecting Cancel will return the operator to the Open Harness File window. The configuration of the harness file must match that of the machines being used or the

system will not function properly and damage to the machines may result.


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The Open File Configuration Warning Message 1.6.4 BAD DATA WARNING This warning indicates that WirePro has detected potentially bad data in the harness file being opened or imported. An example of this warning is shown below. The operator can select Change or OK. Selecting Change will command WirePro to substitute default data for the potentially bad data. Selecting OK commands WirePro to import the data as is.

The Bad Data in File Warning Window


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Besides warnings like the one above bad data indication can also include one of the following conditions: Strip Diameter = 0 Wire Length = 0 Blade Mode 1 and a Wire Length 1.80 inches (45.7 mm). Blade Mode 2 and a Wire Length 1.80 inches (45.7 mm). These conditions will cause WirePro to mark the wires with potentially bad data with a “B” in the O column of the Production window if it is told to import the suspected values as is. The bad data detection function will not protect against bad data that is entered into the

harness file and then run. It only detects bad data when opening or importing files. 1.6.5 CORRUPTED HARNESS FILE WARNING This warning indicates that the “.hrn” harness file that is being opened has been corrupted or is not actually a WirePro file. The data in this harness is not recoverable and that file should be deleted.


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SECTION 2 - THE PRODUCTION WINDOW

2.1 THE PRODUCTION WINDOW Once a new Harness File has been created or an existing file opened WirePro will display the Production window. This is the main window used for editing the Harness File and producing wires. The Production screen consists of a spreadsheet containing all of the wire program data for the currently active Harness File and a bar of radio push buttons for selecting various features. The purpose and function of each button is explained in detail below. Please take some time to become familiar with the Production window features.

The Production Window 2.1.1 EDITING THE PRODUCTION WINDOW To see wire data that is off of the screen use the scroll bars, tab or arrow keys. The following keys control cursor movement:

Single left click Select cell Double left click Select cell for editing Enter Selects current cell for editing Selects the next cell for editing Esc Leave Editing mode Left/Right Arrow Move within a field when in Edit mode;

otherwise move field to field Tab Move to next field and resume editing Down Arrow Move to next Wire Program Up Arrow Move to previous Wire Program


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Wires that have been filtered or unselected and are not going to be made will be faded out and will appear gray.

Wires where a production pause will occur are highlighted in red. The currently selected cell or range of cells is outlined in blue. Gray, red and black fields can all be edited. To select a cell in the spreadsheet use the mouse pointer and left click once on the desired cell. This is used to select the desired wire if you are going to use EDIT to change parameters. To edit the cell on the Production window left click twice on the cell. This will allow you to change the data in the selected cell. To select a range of cells left click on the first cell and then drag the pointer. The selected zone will be highlighted. 2.1.2 INSERT/CHANGE EDITING Two editing modes are used in WirePro, the insert mode and the change mode. These are selected by using the Insert key on your keyboard. When editing in the insert mode, a typed character is placed between the two characters that lie to either side of the vertical line cursor. The length of the character string is then increased by one unless the length of the string is already at some predetermined maximum. If that is the case, the rightmost character is deleted to keep the length of the string from exceeding the maximum. When editing in the change mode, a typed character replaces the character to the immediate right of the vertical line cursor. In this case the length of the character string remains the same. Generally, the insert mode is the most useful mode when editing text strings, and the change mode is the most useful when editing numeric strings. On the run screen the text fields only allow editing in the insert mode, and the numeric fields only allow editing in the change mode. On the three edit screens, the insert mode is the default mode for the text fields, and the change mode is the default mode for the numeric fields. On the edit screens however, the user can switch between the two modes by using the Insert key on their keyboard. Use of this key switches edit modes for whatever type of field that currently has the cursor. As an aid to the user, when in the change mode in a numeric field, and when the vertical line cursor is positioned between the least significant integer digit and the period or comma separator, a typed numeric character shifts the existing digits one character to the left and the typed numeric character is placed next to the separator as a new least significant digit. Similar processing is done when the vertical line cursor is positioned to the right of the least significant fractional digit. The Boolean fields are always processed as special case change mode fields. The words yes and no do not have to be typed by the user in their entirety. The first letter of each word is sufficient. 2.2 START The START button starts the production of the harness. When START is pressed the PC will transmit the data needed for the first wire to be made and then start production. The highlighted cell will move to the COUNT column and WirePro will begin updating the wire count of the wires made as they are completed. The operator can see from the Production window which wires are complete, where WirePro is going to pause and which wires will be made. 2.3 PAUSE The Pause button pauses production at the end of the current wire. Clicking on this button causes a pause production command to be sent to the AutoStrip. The AutoStrip will respond by pausing production at the end of the current wire and sending a message to the PC when


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production is paused. When WirePro receives this message, which could be several seconds later, a message box is displayed with three selections; Continue Production, Next Wire or Cancel Production. If the operator chooses Continue Production, a continue message is sent to the AutoStrip and production begins where it left off. If Next Wire is chosen WirePro will stop processing the current wire and proceed to the next wire. If Cancel Production is chosen, the entire job is cancelled and WirePro returns to the production screen.

The Production Pause Button Dialog Box

2.4 EDIT The Edit button changes the display to show the Wire Edit window for the currently selected wire. Along the left side of this window are several buttons used for editing individual wires and parameters. A detailed explanation of the purpose and function of each button is given in the sections below. There are three main selections Wire, Marking and AutoStrip. The Wire edit window summarizes the wire cutting and stripping parameters for the selected wire. While the Production window shows all of the wires and their data, the WIRE edit screen shows the data for the selected wire only. The Marking window summarizes the marking parameters for the selected wire. The AutoStrip edit screen summarizes the AutoStrip control functions for the selected wire. The three main selections can be used to edit wire just as the Production window can. The difference is that the edit windows display the data for only one wire. If you are in the Wire edit window and wish to go to the Marking window simply press the Marking

button. The marking window for that wire will be displayed. Once an edit window has been selected you will remain in that window even though you change

wires unless you select a different window. Each of the three Edit windows has the same set of buttons available. At the top of each Edit window data area the current part number is displayed as a part of “…

Parameters for…”.


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2.4.1 THE ‘WIRE’ BUTTON - WIRE PARAMETER EDITING When you select EDIT WirePro will bring up this window. This window contains all of the main parameters used for cutting and stripping wires.

The Wire Edit Window 2.4.2 THE ‘MARKING’ BUTTON - MARKING PARAMETER EDITING This window contains all of the main parameters used for marking wires.

The Marking Edit Window


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2.4.3 THE ‘AUTOSTRIP’ BUTTON - CONTROL PARAMETER EDITING This window contains all of the main parameters used for setting the various AutoStrip control parameters. When the Model 4900 AutoStrip is selected the X10 and belt pressure fields will not appear.

The AutoStrip Edit Window 2.4.4 THE ‘NEXT’ BUTTON This button selects the next wire in the current harness based on the current sorting order. 2.4.5 THE ‘PREVIOUS’ BUTTON This button selects the previous wire in the current harness based on the current sorting order. 2.4.6 THE ‘TOP’ BUTTON This button selects the first wire in the current harness based on the current sorting order or the wire on the “top” of the list. 2.4.7 THE ‘BOTTOM’ BUTTON This button selects the last wire in the current harness based on the current sorting order or the wire on the “bottom” of the list. 2.4.8 THE ‘FIND’ BUTTON This selection allows the user to find a wire based on one of its control parameters. 2.4.9 THE ‘ADD COPY’ BUTTON This selection adds a copy of the currently selected wire to the harness. 2.4.10 THE ‘ADD DEFAULT’ BUTTON This selection adds a wire containing the WirePro default Wire Record values to the harness. 2.4.11 THE ‘DELETE’ BUTTON This selection deletes the currently selected wire from the harness. There is no ‘UNDO DELETE’ button, be sure you want to delete.


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2.4.12 THE ‘SORT’ BUTTON This selection brings up the sorting dialog box. Sorting allows the operator to control the order in which the wires are displayed and made. The sorting selections include: WIRE STOCK, PART NUMBER, RECORD NUMBER, MARK MESSAGE and GAUGE.

The Select Sort Orders Popup Window 2.4.13 THE ‘DONE’ BUTTON This button tells WirePro that the user is done using the edit screens and should now return to the Production Screen. 2.5 THE ‘SORT’ BUTTON The SORT function works as described in the sections above. 2.6 THE ‘SELECT’ BUTTON This selection allows the user to override the selected filters. It forces a wire or wires to be included in the list of wires to be made regardless of the filter settings. Be sure to reset selected wires when you are done with the Harness File by selecting the wire(s)

again and choosing ‘Use Program Controls. 2.7 THE ‘UNSELECT’ BUTTON This selection allows the user to override the selected filters. It forces a wire or wires to be excluded from the list of wires to be made regardless of the filter settings. Be sure to reset unselected and bad wires when you are done with the Harness File by selecting

the wire(s) again and choosing ‘Use Program Controls’. 2.8 UNDO SELECT/UNSELECT BUTTON This selection resets the SELECT/UNSELECT override for all of the selected cells and returns control to the options filters. 2.9 THE ‘COPY’ BUTTON This selection allows the user to copy the contents of the selected spreadsheet cell(s) into other cells using the PASTE command. Copy is accomplished by the user highlighting one or more fields in one or more wire definitions. After the highlighting is accomplished, the user must mouse click the Copy button. Copy and Paste allow the user to transport a set of parameters from one or several wire definitions to other wire definitions within a harness. Undo Paste allows the user to restore the original parameters for wire definitions that were changed due to a paste operation.


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The copied and pasted array of cells must be the same size and number of cells. 2.10 THE ‘PASTE’ BUTTON This selection pastes the copied data into the selected cell. Paste is accomplished by the user highlighting one or more fields in one or more wire definitions. After the highlighting is accomplished, the user must mouse click the Paste button. The contents of the Paste highlighted fields will be changed to match what was in the Copy highlighted fields. If there are more Paste fields than Copy fields, the contents of the Copy fields will be duplicated as needed to fill all the highlighted Paste fields. WirePro will not allow a paste to occur when there are mismatched fields. For example, a numeric field cannot be copied and pasted into a Boolean field. 2.11 THE ‘UNDO PASTE’ BUTTON This selection undoes the last PASTE command. Undo Paste is accomplished by the user mouse clicking on the Undo Paste button. The undo of a paste can only be done right after a paste has occurred. There is no “stacking” of undo operations. The user loses the ability to do an Undo Paste when the user changes the wire definitions in the paste area. 2.12 THE ‘ADD COPY’ BUTTON This selection adds a copy of the currently selected wire to the harness. The copy is added immediately below the selected wire. 2.13 THE ‘ADD DEFAULT’ BUTTON This selection adds a wire containing the WirePro default Wire Record values to the harness. The copy is added immediately and placed where dictated by the sort function setting. 2.14 THE ‘DELETE’ BUTTON This selection deletes the currently selected wire from the harness. There is no ‘UNDO DELETE’ button, be sure. 2.15 THE ‘PURGE’ BUTTON This selection deletes all of the Unselected and Bad data wires (all those that are shaded out) in a harness file. It is most commonly used when editing harness files in conjunction with the Append command. Be sure that you want to delete all of the wires that are unselected or bad (shaded out).

They cannot be recovered once a Purge has been executed. To keep wires that are marked as bad use Select to override the bad indication. 2.16 THE ‘OPTIONS’ BUTTON Production options allows the user to define the order in which wires will be made, select or exclude specific wires and set points where the program will pause for the operator. 2.16.1 PAUSE ON – PAUSING PRODUCTION This group of check boxes is used to select various conditions that will cause WirePro automatically to pause between wire programs and display the Production Pause dialog box. Production pauses are necessary to allow the operator to change wire spools, remove produced wires, set wire marking machines or do any other operation which is required before the next wire program is run. Any or all of these boxes may be checked resulting in production pauses occurring for a number of simultaneous conditions. The Production Pause dialog box displays all the conditions that are responsible for each particular pause.


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If a pause has been selected each wire on the production screen where a pause will take place will be highlighted in red.

2.16.1.1 1st Wire Of Harness This option causes a pause on the first wire of every harness. Set this flag if it is the first batch of the shift or day. This allows the operator to verify that the

entire system is working properly before proceeding with production. 2.16.1.2 Wire Stock Change If enabled a pause will occur if the previous wire program's wire stock is different from the next wire program's wire stock. Always set this flag if there is more than one wire stock to be processed. 2.16.1.3 Wire Program Change This option causes a pause before every wire program. Set this flag if quality control inspection is required on the previous wire. This flag can be used to queue the operator to change the manual mark message. 2.16.1.4 Wire Gauge Change If enabled, this option causes a pause if there is a change of wire gauge. Set this flag if a tooling change is required. 2.16.1.5 User Flag Checking this box will cause a pause before every wire program that has the user flag field set to YES. Set this flag for special circumstances. Changes made to the status of the User Flag and other pause-on data made after the pause on

selection is made may not become active until you

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