Weld Manager for Palm OS User Manual

Version 2.0 Y50041-02

Table of Contents
Description............................................................................................................................. 2 Requirements......................................................................................................................... 2 Installation ............................................................................................................................. 2 Startup ................................................................................................................................... 3 Communication Basics ......................................................................................................... 3 5.1 Reading Data ................................................................................................................. 3 5.2 Passcode ......................................................................................................................... 4 5.3 Writing Data.................................................................................................................. 5 6 Setup/Security ....................................................................................................................... 5 6.1 Setup Parameters .......................................................................................................... 6 6.2 Security Parameters...................................................................................................... 6 6.3 Multiple User Interfaces............................................................................................... 7 6.4 Memory Setup ............................................................................................................... 8 7 Backup/Restore ..................................................................................................................... 9 7.1 Backup ........................................................................................................................... 9 7.2 Restore ........................................................................................................................... 9 7.3 Clone............................................................................................................................... 9 8 Version Info ......................................................................................................................... 10 9 Network Settings ................................................................................................................. 10 9.1 Automatic (Dynamic) Network Configuration ........................................................ 11 9.2 Static Network Configuration.................................................................................... 11 9.3 Connect Range/Control Range .................................................................................. 11 10 Arc Time .......................................................................................................................... 12 11 About Box ........................................................................................................................ 12 1 2 3 4 5

Lincoln Electric

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1 Description
Weld Manager for Palm OS is an application that allows the user to configure and manage several key settings within various models of Lincoln Electrics Power Wave machines. These features include: Configure and lock out various settings on the User Interface panel. Retrieve version information from the internal modules of the Power Wave. Set up Ethernet network configuration on the Power Wave. Backup/restore User Interface and Network settings on multiple Power Wave machines. View the total Arc Time of the Power Wave.

2 Requirements
The Weld Manager application operates on any handheld device running Palm OS version 3.5 or above. The device can have a monochrome or color display, and can be either high- or low-density. It is recommended for the device to have at least 8MB of total memory. The size of the application is about 330KB, so there must be at least that much free memory on the handheld device prior to the installation of Weld Manager. Additional free memory may be required for saving files from within the program. Weld Manager communicates with a Power Wave machine either over its serial port (the same port used for HotSync), or over Infrared. To communicate over the serial port, the handheld device must be connected to its cradle or serial port adapter, while the other end of the cradle cable must be connected to the front panel of the Power Wave (to make this connection, a DE-9 to DB-25 serial cable adapter is required). To communicate over Infrared, the handhelds Infrared port must be aimed directly at the IR PORT receiver on the Power Waves user interface panel.

3 Installation
Like most other Palm OS applications, Weld Manager is distributed as a single .PRC file, namely WeldManager.prc. To install Weld Manager onto a handheld device, the WeldManager.prc file must be transferred to the device using the HotSync operation. To HotSync this file, double-click on it, so that it will be added to the install queue for the handheld device; then press the HotSync button located on the cradle of the device. For more information on HotSync, refer to the documentation of the handheld device. Once Weld Manager finishes loading onto the device, it will be visible in the App List inside Palm OS. The icon for Weld Manager will appear as the Lincoln Electric logo, with the text WeldMgr under it (Figure 3.1). To start Weld Manager, tap on its icon inside the App List. Figure 3.1: Weld Manager shows up in the App List after installation.

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4 Startup
When Weld Manager is first started, it shows the Connection section (Figure 4.1). This section displays the name of the application, the Lincoln Electric logo, and the version number of the application. In addition, it provides a selection box which determines the means of communication to be used in the program. Tap on the down-arrow by Communication to choose either Infrared or Serial Port as the means of communication. Weld Manager remembers this setting after it is closed. In the lower-right corner, there is a Help button that, when tapped, brings up a brief message describing the purpose of this section. This Help button is present in all other sections in the application, with appropriate help messages for each section.

Figure 4.1: Introduction screen.

All of the other sections in the application are accessible from the upper-right corner of the screen, through the drop-down selection box that reads Tap here to begin. Tapping this box brings up a list of the sections provided by Weld Manager (Figure 4.2). These sections are Connection, User Interface, Backup/Restore, Version Info, Network Settings, and Arc Time. This list remains accessible from any section in the application, so that switching between sections is fast and simple. The next several sections outline the functionality offered by each of the listed sections. Figure 4.2: Popup list of available sections.

5 Communication Basics
5.1 Reading Data

Most of the sections in Weld Manager require reading data from the Power Wave, so that Weld Manager can display the data to be configured by the user. Every section in Weld Manager, with the exception of Backup/Restore, will at first appear blank, with nothing more than a Read Data button at the lower-left corner of the screen. Tap the Read Data button to begin to configure any of the sections. Weld Manager will then give a choice to read the data directly from the machine, or from a saved file (Figure 5.1). If reading directly from the machine, make sure that the handheld device is properly connected to the Power Wave (in the case of Serial Cable communication), or that the Infrared port on the handheld device points directly at the IR PORT receiver located on the Power Waves user interface panel (in the case of Infrared communication).

Figure 5.1: Data Source selection.

While data is being read, a progress message will appear, indicating the amount of data processed. If reading from a saved file, Weld Manager will show a File Open dialog where the desired file can be selected from a list (Figure 5.2).

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To open a file, tap on the desired file name, then tap OK, or tap Cancel to not open a file. To delete a file from the handhelds memory, tap on the desired file name, then tap Delete. To send (beam) a file to a different handheld device, tap Beam. Notes: All data is preserved when switching between sections. For example, switching from Setup/Security to Network Settings, then back to Figure 5.2: File Open dialog. Setup/Security, does not cause the data read in Setup/Security to be erased. If the handheld device is turned off (or powers off automatically) while running Weld Manager, then turned back on, it will come back directly to Weld Manager, and no data will be lost.

5.1.1

A Note on Infrared Communication

To properly communicate with the Power Wave over the Infrared port, it is wise to adhere to the following general guidelines: Point the handheld device at the Power Waves infrared port as straight as possible. The cone of light emitted by either infrared transmitter is between 15 and 30 degrees wide. Any greater deviation from this angle will cause Weld Manager to lose its connection. Do not hold the handheld device too far away from the Power Waves IR port. The infrared transmitter in handheld devices is significantly weaker than that of a TV remote control. The maximum recommended distance for infrared communications is about 1.5 meters (about 4 feet). The optimal distance is about at arms length. Do not hold the handheld device too close to the Power Waves user interface. Holding the device too close presents a greater risk of losing the connection because of angle deviation (due to random hand movements).

5.2

Passcode

If the handheld device successfully establishes a connection to the Power Wave, it will start reading data from it. However, the user interface of the Power Wave may be protected by a Passcode. In this case, Weld Manager will pop up the Passcode dialog (Figure 5.3) where the correct passcode must be entered to continue. To enter the passcode, use the numbered buttons shown in the dialog box, or use the standard Graffiti strokes. The passcode is a four-digit combination that adds a measure of security to the configuration of the Power Wave. This code is only enabled when it is a non-zero number (any number other than 0000). The factory default setting for the passcode is 0000 (disabled). To set the passcode to a different value, see 6.2. If the correct passcode is not entered into the dialog box, Weld Manager will not read or write any further data to or from the Power Wave. Figure 5.3: Passcode dialog.

If the correct passcode is entered, Weld Manager will continue to read data normally. The passcode will not need to be entered again for any further reading or writing to the same machine, as long as Weld Manager is running. If the passcode is forgotten, it can be reset only from Weld Manager for Windows.

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5.3

Writing Data

The data that is modified by the user in Weld Manager has no effect on the Power Wave until the Write Data button is tapped and the data successfully written to the machine (with the exception of Memory Settings). Tapping the Write Data button causes Weld Manager to connect to the machine and write the appropriate settings. When writing data, make sure that the handheld device is properly connected to the Power Wave (in the case of Serial Cable communication), or that the Infrared port on the handheld device points directly at the IR PORT receiver located on the Power Waves user interface panel (in the case of Infrared communication).

6 Setup/Security
The Setup/Security section (Figure 6.1) allows the user to modify several User Interface parameters and security settings. This section will initially appear blank, except for the Read Data button and the Help button. To begin configuring these settings, follow the instructions outlined in 5.1 (Reading Data). Once all the data has been read, the configurable parameters will be shown in a table, as shown in Figure 6.1. There are two different lists of parameters in this section; both can be accessed from the drop-down list at the top of the section by the View label. The lists are Setup Parameters and Security Parameters. Each parameter can be changed by tapping on it. After tapping on a certain parameter, Weld Manager will display a window where the new value for the parameter can be entered. Figure 6.1: Setup/Security section. There are two different types of parameters: numeric (where the value can be a number within a certain range), and selectable (where the value can be selected from one of several text descriptions). When changing a certain parameter, Weld Manager brings up the appropriate window for changing the setting based on its type. Figure 6.2 shows the window that is used to change selectable parameters, while Figure 6.3 shows the window that is used to change numeric parameters.

Figure 6.2: Window for changing selectable parameters.

Figure 6.3: Window for changing numeric parameters.

For selectable parameters, tap on the drop-down box to view all the possible values for the parameter. When the new value is selected, tap OK to accept it, or Cancel to discard the change. Tap the Help button to obtain a brief help message about the given parameter. For numeric parameters, type in the new value in the provided field. Alternatively, tap the 123 button to bring up a graphical numeric keypad with which the new value can be entered by tapping the numbered buttons.

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When all parameters have been set to the desired values, tap the Write Data button to write the new data to the machine, as outlined in 5.3.

6.1

Setup Parameters

The following is a brief overview of each parameter presented in the Setup/Security list. Note: not all parameters apply to all models of Lincoln Wire Feeders.

Wire Feed Speed Units: This sets the unit convention in which Wire Feed Speed is displayed. Select either English or Metric. Arc Display Mode: This selects the type of information the User Interface will show in its numeric display while welding. Select Amps to show welding current, or WFS to show wire feed speed. Display True Energy: If this is set to Yes, the User Interface will display True Energy in the Mode Select display while welding. Set Memory By Trigger: If this is set to True, the operator will be able to recall Memory settings by toggling the trigger (while not welding). For example, two quick pulls of the trigger recalls Memory 2, three pulls will recall Memory 3, etc. However, recalling Memory 1 requires 7 pulls, since just one pull of the trigger is used for inching wire. Procedure Change Method: Selects the method by which the operator should be able to change the machines current welding procedure. Stall Factor: In Push-Pull systems, this parameter can help prevent bird-nesting, with the tradeoff of the possibility of motor stalling. A higher number will increase the chance of a bird-nest, but decrease the chance of stalling. A lower number will decrease the chance of a bird-nest, but increase the chance of stalling. Gun Offset: In Push-Pull systems, this parameter can be used to calibrate the amount of current sent to the front motor, thereby regulating its speed (since no tachometer is present there). TIG Gas Control: When this parameter is set to "Valve", the internal solenoid will not actuate while TIG welding; gas flow is manually controlled by an external valve. When set to "Solenoid", the internal gas solenoid will turn on and off automatically while TIG welding. Travel Start Option: (PF10A only) Allows to choose whether travel begins when the Start button is pressed, or when an arc has been detected. Travel End Option: (PF10A only) Allows to choose whether travel ends when the Stop button is pressed, or when the arc has been extinguished. Inch Touch Sense: Enable or disable touch sense when inching down wire.

6.2

Security Parameters
Encoder Lockout: Locks one or both of the front panel encoders. Note that when a constant-current weld mode is selected, the right encoder will always function as an ON/OFF switch even if the right encoder is locked. Memory Change Lockout: Prevents the user from performing a memory save, setting limits, or enabling/disabling limits from the front panel of the machine. Memory Button Disable: Disables one or more memory buttons. When a memory button is disabled, the user cannot save or recall that memory. Mode Select Panel Lock: Locks various parameters that can be adjusted using the Mode Select Panel. Preference Lock: Various setup parameters and preferences can also be configured from the machine's User Interface. If set to Yes, this setting locks out access to these parameters from the User Interface. If a

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passcode is set (to a nonzero value), the operator will be able to enter it through the User Interface to make change to the preferences. If the passcode is set to zero, the preferences will be locked out completely. UI Passcode: This is the code that must be entered on the handheld computer (or on the machine's User Interface) before configuring any settings. UI Master Lockout: Locks all of the User Interface front panel controls. When the master lockout is applied, the user will be unable to change any aspect of the machine's operation via front panel controls.

6.3

Multiple User Interfaces

If the machine has more than one user interface, the User Interface section will provide a selection for which one is to be configured.

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6.4

Memory Setup

Tapping on the Memory Setup button in the User Interface section brings up the Memory Setup window (Figure 6.4). In this window, the user can configure the internal parameters of each memory in the User Interface. For example, the Power Feed 10M or 10A has six memories that contain settings such as weld mode selection, wave control, preflow time, etc. The Memory Setup window requires that Weld Manager be connected to the machine at all times (unless the User Interface data was read from a file). If a modification is made in the Memory Setup window, it is immediately written to the machine. If the machine has a dual feed head user interface, the two feed heads can be selected at the top of the Memory Setup window. Below the feed head selection is the selection of the current memory to be configured. Tap on one of the memory parameters in the table to modify it. The Change Parameter window will appear (Figure 6.5), where a new value can be entered for the parameter. Certain parameters also have configurable user limits. These limits can also be configured from this window. The Range displayed above the parameter value represents the absolute limits of this parameter. The User Limits, as well as the Value, must be within this range. When finished modifying the parameter, tap OK to accept the changes and write the new settings to the machine. The Enable User Limits check box in the Memory Setup window informs the machine whether or not to actually enforce the User Limits defined for certain parameters. If this is not checked, the User Limits will have no effect. Figure 6.5: Modifying a parameter. Figure 6.4: Memory Setup window.

When finished modifying memory settings, tap the Done button to close the Memory Setup window and return to the User Interface section.

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7 Backup/Restore
The Backup/Restore section allows the user to save Power Wave settings (memory configuration, lockout parameters, and network settings) to a file, and then restore the saved settings at a later time to the same, or to a different, Power Wave.

7.1

Backup

To create a backup file of a Power Wave, tap the Backup button. Weld Manager will display a File Save dialog (Figure 7.2), where a name must be given to the new backup file. Figure 7.1: Backup/Restore section. While data is being read from the machine, make sure that the handheld device is properly connected to the Power Wave (in the case of Serial Cable communication), or that the Infrared port on the handheld device is directed at the IR PORT receiver located on the Power Waves user interface panel (in the case of Infrared communication).

7.1.1

File Save Dialog

The maximum length of the file name in the File Save dialog is 31 characters (letters, numbers, or spaces). To accept the desired file name, tap OK. To cancel saving the file, tap Cancel. To erase the contents of the file name field, tap Clear. To delete a certain file from the handhelds memory, tap the name of the desired file, then tap Delete. To send (beam) a file to a different handheld computer, tap Beam. Figure 7.2: File Save dialog.

7.2

Restore

When it is necessary to restore a file to a Power Wave, tap the Restore button, and select the file that contains the settings to be restored. Again, while data is being written, make sure that the handheld device remains properly connected to the Power Wave.

7.3

Clone

To clone a Power Wave means to read all of its settings and apply them to a different Power Wave, thereby making a clone of the original. This function is the same as a backup, except that it does not create a file. Instead, all information is read and written from memory, which makes Cloning more efficient than Backup/Restore when multiple machines need to be cloned with the same information at once. Step 1: To begin to clone a Power Wave machine, tap the Clone button. This brings up the cloning window. In the cloning window, tap the Read Data Figure 7.3: Step 1 of the cloning process.

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button to begin the cloning process. Weld Manager will then start to read the settings from the machine. Make sure that the handheld device remains connected to the Power Wave at all times during reading. Weld Manager will show a status message indicating the amount of data processed. Step 2: When Weld Manager finishes reading data, the Write Data button will appear. At this point, the user can connect to a different machine (or aim the Infrared port at a different machine), and tap the Write Data button. Weld Manager will then write the data to the new machine. Note: Weld Manager does not remember the Cloning data after the program is closed. Clone data must be read each time the program is started. Figure 7.4: Step 2 of the cloning process.

8 Version Info
The Version Info section in Weld Manager displays information about each hardware module inside the Power Wave. This information includes versions of the hardware and software of each module, serial numbers, weld set name, and advanced information such as software revision numbers and checksums. To read this version information from the Power Wave, tap the Read Data button, and follow the instructions outlined in 5.1. Once read, the data will be organized in a tree structure, as shown in Figure 8.1. Each hardware module is represented by a tree item, and can be expanded by tapping its corresponding + symbol.

Figure 8.1: Version Info section.

9 Network Settings
The Network Settings section in Weld Manager allows the user to set up the Power Waves network configuration so that it would be accessible by a computer on a network. To read the network configuration from the Power Wave, tap the Read Data button, and follow the instructions outlined in 5.1. The configuration will then be displayed in a tree format, as shown in Figure 9.1. If the Power Wave contains more than one Ethernet (network) module, the modules will be listed at the top of the section in a pull-down list. Tap on the list to select which Ethernet module to configure. The Current Settings shown in the tree below represent the current network configuration of the machine. These settings are:

Figure 9.1: Network Settings section.

IP Address: This is the address at which the Power Wave is located on the network. Any network device attempting to communicate with the Power Wave must use this address.

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Subnet Mask: This number, assigned by the network administrator, represents the number of subnets (sub-networks) into which the entire network is broken down. Default Gateway: This is the IP Address of a router or other device that allows communication with addresses that are outside the local network.

The Obtain IP address automatically check box determines if the machine uses dynamic or static network settings. The differences between these settings are outlined below.

9.1

Automatic (Dynamic) Network Configuration

To enable the Power Wave to discover its network settings automatically, tap the Obtain IP address automatically check box so that it is checked. Tap the Write Data button to apply this setting. The Power Wave will need to be reset for this to take effect (Weld Manager will do this automatically). After the Power Wave resets, tap Read Data again to refresh the network settings shown in Weld Manager. The Power Waves new IP Address and other network settings should now be visible under Current Settings. Note: While it is convenient to allow the Power Wave to obtain network settings in this fashion, this feature may not be supported on all networks (some networks may not have a DHCP server). Furthermore, dynamic IP addresses may change frequently on different networks, making it difficult for a Power Wave to remain at the same address. Using dynamic network configuration is generally discouraged for use with Weld Manager. Contact the local network administrator for more information.

9.2

Static Network Configuration

With Static network configuration it is possible to assign a Power Wave to a fixed IP address on the network. To do so, make sure that the Obtain IP address automatically check box is not checked. Then, under Current Settings, tap on IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway to set up each of these settings. The local network administrator can provide appropriate values for each parameter. Once all settings have been configured, tap the Write Data button to apply the new settings to the Power Wave. The Power Wave will need to be reset for this to take effect (Weld Manager will do this automatically). Figure 9.2: Example IP Address.

After the Power Wave resets, tap Read Data again to refresh the network settings shown in Weld Manager. The Power Waves new IP Address and other network settings should now be visible under Active Settings.

9.3

Connect Range/Control Range

The Connect Range network settings define high and low limits for IP addresses that are allowed to connect to this machine for read-only access. If a certain computer has an IP address that is outside of these limits, the computer will not be able to connect to the machine. For example, if the low access limit is 192.168.1.0, and the high access limit is 192.168.1.255, then a computer whose IP address is 192.168.1.10 will be able to access this machine, but a computer whose IP address is 192.168.2.1 will not. The Control Range network settings define high and low limits for IP addresses that are allowed write access to the machine. This range must be a subset of the Access Range described above.

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10 Arc Time
The last section in Weld Manager displays the total arc time of the Power Wave (total amount of time that the machine has generated an arc). Tap the Read Arc Time button to acquire the arc time. The time will be shown in HH:MM:SS format (hours, minutes, seconds). If the number of hours is greater than 23, check the Show Days check box to convert the hours into days and display the result.

Figure 10.1: Arc Time section

11 About Box
Tapping in the top left corner in any section of Weld Manager brings up a menu bar with one item: Help About. Tapping on About will make Weld Manager display a window that contains copyright and version information about the program.

Figure 11.2: Application Version window. Figure 11.1: About Box

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