Settings
This section discusses various settings of the Array Explorer application. Access to some settings is restricted depending on your permission level.
To access settings, click the Settings button in the button area.
Continuous Mode Panel
This setting determines the number of measurements taken in continuous mode. It can be set to take between 5 and 100 measurements (determines how long continuous mode lasts for).
To enter continuous mode, push and hold the Get button. To leave continuous mode, click the Get button again, or simply wait until RSWA cycles through the specified number of measurements.
Algorithm Panel
Algorithm panel is available only to users with the Advanced access level. It is here that you will be able to modify various algorithm settings, such as Absolute adjustment, Minimum size adjustment, Secondary Echo Processing, Peak Detector, Echo Shape Processing and Surface Follower.
Read this section to learn how these settings work.
Hardware Panel
Hardware panel is available only to users with the Advanced access level.
Disable controller - Allows to disable controller activation
Waveform Panel
Waveform panel is available only to users with the Admin access level.
Supersampling - The base sampling frequency is 66.6 MHz; supersampling is a multiplier that allows you to increase the sampling frequency (i.e. if supersampling is set to three the sampling frequency is tripled).
Averaging - This is a signal processing technique that reduces the amount of noise; multiple scans are taken and the average over the scans is used.
Inter-pass delay - Allows you to change the time delay between averaging scans.
Adjust Signal
Adjust Signal panel is available only to users with the Adjust Signal permission.
To aid in setting these parameters a grid of transducer elements and an A-scan window is shown. Clicking on a transducer element will cause the signal from that element to populate the A-scan window.
Delay - Controls the data acquisition delay. Then you change this parameter, the entire A-scan curve is shifted in the A-scan window. A properly calibrated tool must show the front surface reflection within the gates (green area in A-scan window).
Gain - Controls the amplitude of the signal. The signal should be adjusted so that the peaks are close to the horizontal lines connecting the gates (green area in A-scan window). For this adjustment, the transducer must be placed on a thick metal plate.
Auto Setup - Use Auto Setup to automatically initialize the Delay and Gain parameters
User Interface
These settings allow you to configure various user interface options.
C-Scan Area settings
Display type - Allows you to choose between a smoothed color image and a gray-scale block image.
In-air indicator - Allows you to choose if you want to be warned when the transducer is not coupled to a sample and a measurement is taken.
Setup warnings - Warns the user if:
- Setup button wasn't pressed before the Get button on a weld that has no recorded front plate thickness
- Setup button acquires a front plate thickness that doesn't match the recorded front plate thickness (possibly checking the wrong weld)
The level of warning can be adjusted from none (Hide), to many warnings (Many). They correspond to how close the measured front plate thickness has to be to the recorded front plate thickness.
The Setup Warnings are only meant to help inspectors. They should not be relied upon.
Automatic Decision
This setting controls the automatic decision mode. When automatic decision mode is activated, the obtained diamater and indentation are compared to the specified ranges (minimum nugget, minimum and maximum indentations) via the following procedure:
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The obtained diameter is compared against the minimum nugget diameter. If the obtained diameter is too small, then the decision algorithm determines that the weld is bad.
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If the obtained diameter is greater than the minimum nugget diameter and is also less than the target nugget diameter, then the decision algorithm determines that the weld is marginal. If the obtained diameter is greater than or equal to the target diameter, then the algorithm determines that the weld is good.
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Once a decision has been made based on the nugget diameter, the algorithm then checks the obtained indentation against the minimum and maximum indentation settings. If the obtained indentation is too small or too large, then the algorithm determines that the weld is bad, regardless of the decision it made based on the nugget diameter. If the indentation is within the minimum and maximum settings, then the previous decision made based on the nugget diameter is kept.
The automatic decision mode is only available when you run the software as Admin. The possible settings are:
- Hide: do not show automatic decisions (default).
- Show: show a quality decision suggestion, it is still up to the operator to make a final decision by pressing Pass or Fail buttons.
- Show and Apply: makes an automatic decision and automatically passes or fails the weld.
In order to use automatic decisions, you must specify a nugget diameter for the weld.
Minimum diameter
This setting is only available when you run the software as Admin.
In addition to the standard diameter reading, the software will also estimate a minimum diameter of the nugget. The minimum diameter reading is trying to stay more on the safe side of the diameter estimation. In the case of oval nuggets shapes, the estimated value will be closer to the minimum size of the nugget.
In the example below, the standard diameter reading would be around (5.0 + 6.6) / 2 = 5.8mm and the minimum size would be 5.0mm.
Other Settings
Second interface - Controls the second interface indicator. When Position is chosen, the A-scan window shows the absolute position of the second interface. When Thickness is chosen, it shows the thickness of the stack measured through the center of the nugget.
Indentation indicator - Controls how the indentation is shown in the Indicator area (Indicator Area). When the Depth option is chosen the indentation is shown in millimeters. When Percent option is chosen, the indentation is shown as percentage (relative to the front plate thickness).
Use coin element G for AutoSetup - This option changes the message that is displayed during Auto Setup procedure. When set to 'No', a standard message is displayed that recommends to press transducer firmly against flat metallic surface. When set to Yes, a message then recommends to press transducer firmly against coupon G on the calibration coin.