OPERATING

MANUAL
Pillarhouse International
Chelmsford
ENGLAND
Tel: +44 (0)1245 491333
Fax: +44 (0)1245 491331
Email: sales@pillarhouse.co.uk
Email: support@pillarhouse.co.uk
Website: www.pillarhouse.co.uk

Operator Manual Rev. I

 NOTICE

2010-13 Pillarhouse International Ltd.

Rodney Way, Widford,
Chelmsford, Essex CM1 3BY
ENGLAND UK.

+44 (0) 1245 491333

All rights reserved

Proprietary Information
The Information and descriptions described herein are the property of Pillarhouse International Ltd.
Such descriptions and information may not be copied or reproduced (duplicated) by any means (in
any form), or disseminated or distributed without the express prior written permission (consent) of
Pillarhouse International Ltd.

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be
construed as a commitment by Pillarhouse International Ltd. Pillarhouse International Ltd assumes no
responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. The software described in this
document is furnished under a license and may be used (not copied) only in accordance with the terms
of such license. Unlawful tampering with any portion of the software or hardware contained in the
Pillarhouse equipment automatically voids the expressed and/or implied warranty and will be
construed as copyright infringement.

No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of hardware or software on equipment that is not
supplied by Pillarhouse International Ltd.

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Limited Warranty
Pillarhouse International Ltd, with respect to the equipment described in this document, gives the
limited warranty set forth below.

Pillarhouse warrants each item of its own manufacture delivered there under shall, at the time of
delivery and for a period of twelve (12) months thereafter, be free from defects in material and
workmanship; and if any such item shall prove to be defective in material or workmanship under
normal intended usage and maintenance during the warranty period, upon examination by Pillarhouse
International Ltd or its authorised representative, then Pillarhouse International Ltd shall repair or
replace, at its sole option, such defective item at its own expense; provided however, that the Buyer
shall be prepared to ship each defective item freight prepaid to the Pillarhouse plant in Chelmsford,
Essex, England. UK.

The warranty on components not manufactured by Pillarhouse International Ltd, but part of the
Pillarhouse system, is linked to the warranty provided by the original manufacturer of said
components, and only to the extent, that such original manufacturer actually honours such warranty
(Pillarhouse International Ltd having no independent obligation as to such warranty).

Warranty Disclaimer
All warranties are expressly limited to the repair or replacement of defective items as set forth herein
above, and in no event shall seller be liable for loss of profits, personal injury or property damage
(unless caused by Pillarhouse's negligence, expense or inconvenience) or any other special incidental
or consequential damages by reason of any breach of warranty or defect in material or workmanship.

Copyright Notice
This document contains propriety information, which is protected by copyright. All rights are
reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced by any means, or translated into
another language without the prior written consent of Pillarhouse International Ltd.

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Amendment Record
AMENDMENT DATE SECTION DESCRIPTION
B 05/09/12 2&3 Addition of light setting details and updating toolbar details.

C 07/09/12 Appendix Addition of setup details for barcode readers.

3&
D 10/10/12
Appendix
Addition of Board Warp details and Soldering Techniques.

E 11/02/13 Appendix Addition of Mobis MES system

Additional details for the Board Warp option and
F 11/03/13 3
Continental MES.
G 13/03/13 2 Details added for Bath Coding.
Additional information for Bath/Reel coding.
H 26/06/13 2
Addition of details for setting up the Production Log output.
Addition of Nitrogen Sampling and Nozzle Calibration
I 12/08/13 2
options.
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U

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Contents
1. Health & Safety............................................................................................................................. 11
Safety ................................................................................................................................................ 11
Solder and Dross ............................................................................................................................... 11
Flux ................................................................................................................................................... 11
Fumes ................................................................................................................................................ 12
Machine Safety ................................................................................................................................. 12
Safety Precautions............................................................................................................................. 13
Soldering in a Nitrogen Atmosphere ............................................................................................ 13
Safety Precautions ......................................................................................................................... 13
General .......................................................................................................................................... 13
Asphyxiation Hazard - Oxygen Deficiency .................................................................................. 13
Working Near an Inerted Soldering System ................................................................................. 13
Liquid Nitrogen Hazards............................................................................................................... 14
Precautionary Labels ..................................................................................................................... 14
Personal Protective Equipment ......................................................................................................... 14
Hand Protection ............................................................................................................................ 14
Respiratory Protection................................................................................................................... 14
Protective Clothing ....................................................................................................................... 14
Eye Protection ............................................................................................................................... 14
2. Commissioning ............................................................................................................................. 15
Power Up .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Warm-Up And Temperature Settings ............................................................................................... 15
Offsets ............................................................................................................................................... 17
Offsets (Machine Specific Details) ............................................................................................... 18
Checking Offsets ........................................................................................................................... 20
Offset Mode Overview.................................................................................................................. 21
Setting Up Solder Nozzles ................................................................................................................ 37
Set Up Sequence ........................................................................................................................... 41
Setting Up The Nozzle Offset Position ......................................................................................... 54
Setting Up The Wave Height Offset ............................................................................................. 56
Nitrogen Purity Sampling (Option)................................................................................................... 62
Setting the Offset Position ............................................................................................................ 62
Using the Nozzle Gas Sensor ........................................................................................................ 64
Solder Baths/Reel Coding (Option) .................................................................................................. 66
Colour Match Tolerance ............................................................................................................... 66
Associating the Reel Colour with the Bath ................................................................................... 66

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 Running Programs ........................................................................................................................ 67
Fluxer ................................................................................................................................................ 68
Stack Light ........................................................................................................................................ 69
1) Red Light .................................................................................................................................. 70
2) Yellow Light ............................................................................................................................. 70
3) Green Light ............................................................................................................................... 71
4) Sounder ..................................................................................................................................... 71
Conveyor ........................................................................................................................................... 72
Sleep Mode ....................................................................................................................................... 73
Production Log.................................................................................................................................. 74
Configuring the Log file ............................................................................................................... 74
Barcode Reader (Option) .................................................................................................................. 77
Setting-Up ..................................................................................................................................... 77
External Communications (Option) .................................................................................................. 79
Nitrogen Generator (Option)............................................................................................................. 80
Internal Lighting (Option)................................................................................................................. 81
3. Programming................................................................................................................................. 83
Getting Started .................................................................................................................................. 83
Top Screen – Overview .................................................................................................................... 83
A - Machine Subsystem Icons ...................................................................................................... 84
B – Software Quick Access Icons ................................................................................................. 84
C – Machine Status ....................................................................................................................... 86
D – Temperature, Pump & Cycle Information.............................................................................. 88
E – Pressure Information............................................................................................................... 89
Program Edit Screen ......................................................................................................................... 91
1 - Board Image ............................................................................................................................ 91
2 - Joint Parameters ....................................................................................................................... 92
3 - Program Navigation Icons ....................................................................................................... 93
4 - Process Library ........................................................................................................................ 93
5 - Joint Navigation....................................................................................................................... 93
6 - X -Y Axis Coordinates ............................................................................................................ 94
7 - Inch Controls ........................................................................................................................... 94
8 - Video Display Window ........................................................................................................... 95
Programming Considerations............................................................................................................ 95
Path/Route ..................................................................................................................................... 95
Flux Type ...................................................................................................................................... 95
Solder Temperature ....................................................................................................................... 95
Clearance Height Required ........................................................................................................... 95

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 Solder Height ................................................................................................................................ 95
Selection Of Appropriate Joint Type ............................................................................................ 95
Nozzle Size Required .................................................................................................................... 96
Creating A New Program.................................................................................................................. 97
Program Header - General ............................................................................................................ 97
Program Header - Solder Bath ...................................................................................................... 99
Program Header - Wave Height .................................................................................................. 100
Program Header - Level Detect .................................................................................................. 101
Program Header - Fluxer............................................................................................................. 101
Program Header - Infrared Preheat ............................................................................................. 102
Starting The Program ...................................................................................................................... 104
Programming Flux Joints ............................................................................................................ 106
Programming Solder Joints ......................................................................................................... 115
Programming Ring Heater Joints ................................................................................................ 132
Programming Board Warp Joints................................................................................................ 141
Editing The Program ....................................................................................................................... 145
Deleting Joints ................................................................................................................................ 145
Reviewing The Program ................................................................................................................. 146
Preview Program............................................................................................................................. 146
Testing The Program....................................................................................................................... 147
Joint Type.................................................................................................................................... 148
Program Grid .............................................................................................................................. 148
Try Action Form Buttons ............................................................................................................ 149
Step And Repeat ............................................................................................................................. 150
Programming Step And Repeat................................................................................................... 150
Board View ..................................................................................................................................... 163
PillarPAD .................................................................................................................................... 164
Scanned Image ............................................................................................................................ 165
Photograph .................................................................................................................................. 165
Importing The Image .................................................................................................................. 167
Programming With Board View ................................................................................................. 175
Additional Information ............................................................................................................... 179
4. Appendix - Fiducial Correction (Option).................................................................................... 182
Choosing Fiducial Points ................................................................................................................ 182
Examples Of PCB Position Discrepancies.................................................................................. 183
Fiducial Image Quality ................................................................................................................... 184
Alternative Fiducial Images ........................................................................................................ 184
Manual Fiducial Correction (Option) ............................................................................................. 186

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 Automatic Fiducial Correction (Option) ......................................................................................... 191
Disabling Fiducial Correction ......................................................................................................... 195
5. Appendix - Nozzle Calibration System (Option) ........................................................................ 196
Calibrate Nozzle Vision Camera..................................................................................................... 196
Setting the Nozzle Vision Camera Offset ....................................................................................... 198
Calibrating the Nozzle Flow ........................................................................................................... 199
6. Appendix - External Communications ........................................................................................ 200
Inter-Machine Communications ..................................................................................................... 200
Data Packet Transfer ................................................................................................................... 200
Data Logging .................................................................................................................................. 201
Production Log Export ................................................................................................................ 201
Factory Information Systems .......................................................................................................... 201
Continental MES Communications ............................................................................................ 201
Mobis MES Communications ..................................................................................................... 208
7. Appendix - Barcode Readers ...................................................................................................... 209
Cognex DM100............................................................................................................................... 209
Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 209
Single Reader Mode .................................................................................................................... 209
Multi-Reader Mode..................................................................................................................... 216
MicroScan MS-3 Barcode Reader System...................................................................................... 222
Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 222
Configuring the USB to Serial Adaptor ...................................................................................... 222
Configuring the MicroScan Barcode Reader .............................................................................. 223
Configuring PillarCOMM ........................................................................................................... 224
MicroScan MS-4 Barcode Reader System...................................................................................... 227
Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 227
Configuring the USB to Serial Adaptor ...................................................................................... 227
Configuring the MicroScan Barcode Reader .............................................................................. 228
Configuring PillarCOMM ........................................................................................................... 229
MicroScan HS-2D Barcode Reader System ................................................................................... 232
Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 232
Configuring the USB to Serial Adaptor ...................................................................................... 232
Configuring the MicroScan Barcode Reader .............................................................................. 233
Configuring PillarCOMM ........................................................................................................... 236
8. Appendix - Security .................................................................................................................... 239
Enable Security. .............................................................................................................................. 239
Setup A New User: ......................................................................................................................... 239
Edit Groups ..................................................................................................................................... 241

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 Disable Security Temporarily ......................................................................................................... 241
Disable Security Permanently ......................................................................................................... 241
Set the Auto Log off Time .............................................................................................................. 241
Manual Logoff ................................................................................................................................ 241
9. Appendix - Soldering Techniques............................................................................................... 242
Double-sided Boards....................................................................................................................... 242
Multi-layer Boards .......................................................................................................................... 242

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1. Health & Safety
Safety
IMPORTANT: IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EMPLOYER TO INFORM
HIS EMPLOYEES AND TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE VENTILATION AND
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. SOME ADVICE AND INFORMATION IS LISTED
BELOW.
Fumes evolved during soldering process are hazardous to health. It is therefore essential that
these fumes be removed from the working atmosphere. The extractor fan is only adequate to
extract the fumes from the working area of the machine. It is therefore necessary to provide
ducting and an additional fan to extract the fumes to atmosphere. If you require any
information or help, please contact Pillarhouse International Ltd or its agent.

Solder and Dross

WARNING: THE SOLDER BATHS CAN REACH EXTREMELY HIGH
TEMPERATURES. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT PROTECTIVE HEAT RESISTANT
GLOVES ARE WORN WHEN WORKING ON OR NEAR A HOT SOLDER BATH.
FAILURE TO OBSERVE CORRECT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS COULD RESULT
IN SERIOUS BURN INJURIES.
SOLDER MAY CONTAIN LEAD, WHICH IS HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH. IT IS
ESSENTIAL THAT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING SUCH AS GLOVES AND A MASK
ARE WORN AT ALL TIMES WHEN HANDLING SOLDER AND LEAD OXIDE
DROSS.

When handling solder or when working on or near a machine using solder, cleanliness is
very important. All solder pots produce dross, the powder dross is pure lead oxide and should
only be removed from the solder pot when wearing protective gloves and mask. The dross
must be placed in a sealed container; these should be available from your solder supplier.
A leaflet entitled 'LEAD AND YOU' is available from the UK Health and Safety Executive.
A copy must be given to each person working on or near the Soldering Machine. In the UK
these leaflets are available FREE from your local Health & Safety office. The basic
precautions each employee should take are:
 Make sensible use of any control measure provided by your employer.
 Wear protective clothing and respirators when required.
 Keep medical appointments.
 Wash before eating, drinking or smoking.
 Don't eat, drink or smoke in a lead-contaminated area.
 Keep your workplace clean.
 Wash and where necessary, change before going home.

Flux
WARNING: ALWAYS CONSULT THE HEALTH & SAFETY DATA SHEET THAT
SHOULD BE SUPPLIED WITH THE FLUX BEFORE HANDLING ANY FLUX OR
THINNERS. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USER TO ENSURE THAT
PROPER PRECAUTIONS ARE TAKEN WHILST USING THESE MATERIALS.

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The flux and thinners used in this machine may be of a hazardous nature. Because of the wide
range of fluxes available for different applications it is not possible to cover in this document
the precautions that may be necessary when handling these materials.
When filling the machine with flux or thinners always use a funnel to ensure the flux goes
into the flux containers and not over the machine. If an accidental spillage does occur switch
the machine off and clean off the flux with a suitable cleaning agent (thinners).
CAUTION: IF A MAJOR SPILLAGE OCCURS WHERE THERE IS A
POSSIBILITY THE FLUX MAY HAVE COME INTO CONTACT WITH ANY
ELECTRICAL OR MECHANICAL COMPONENTS, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A
SUITABLY QUALIFIED PERSON INSPECTS THE MACHINE, TO ENSURE THAT
THE MACHINE IS SAFE TO OPERATE.

Fumes
WARNING: THE SOLDERING PROCESS GENERATES FUMES FROM THE
FLUX. THESE FUMES CAN BE HARMFUL TO AN OPERATOR’S HEALTH.
THE MACHINE IS FITTED WITH AN EXTRACTOR FAN (LOCATED OVER THE
SOLDER BATH), WHICH DRAWS THE FUMES AWAY FROM THE OPERATOR
AND OUT OF THE CABINET. THE EXHAUSTED FUMES MUST BE CONNECTED
TO AN EXTRACTION AND FILTRATION SYSTEM, BEFORE BEING RELEASED
BACK INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MUST THE
MACHINE FAN BE USED TO FORCE AIR UP INTO DUCTING, AS IT IS NOT
ADEQUATE FOR THIS PURPOSE AND WILL RESULT IN THE OPERATOR
BEING EXPOSED TO THE SOLDERING FUMES.

Machine Safety
The machine must be operated at all times with all guards in place, as these are provided for
operator safety. If, or when, it is necessary to open or remove a guard the machine should
first be turned off to avoid accidental contact with moving parts. Removal of guards is only to
be done by suitably qualified and authorised personnel.
The Soldering system is designed to work at temperatures up to 400ºC. Therefore care must
be taken whilst working within the machine guards even when the machine is turned off. The
Solder Bath & surrounding areas will take a number of hours to cool down to a temperature
at which it would be safe to come in contact with these parts.
Removal or examination of the electronic/electrical components within the machine is only to
be done by qualified personnel. Before proceeding with either of these operations the
machine should be turned off and the power disconnected.
If it is necessary to work on or examine electronic/electrical components while the power is
supplied to the machine, extreme Caution must be observed.

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Safety Precautions
Soldering in a Nitrogen Atmosphere
These instructions are intended for the use of supervisory personnel and trained, responsible
operators. Personnel not familiar with nitrogen and its use as an inert gas must read and
understand the safety instructions and safety data sheets provided by the nitrogen supplier.
This material must be brought to the attention of the operators of any equipment using
nitrogen inerted systems.
Safety Precautions
The nitrogen released from a soldering machine being inerted with nitrogen can create safety
hazards affecting operating and service personnel. It is essential that any person who operates
an inerted-soldering appliance should be briefed on the precautions required. Only trained
and responsible persons should install or operate an inert gas process.
General
This information is intended to supplement, not substitute the instructions provided by the
nitrogen supplier. Operators must observe their employer's and the nitrogen supplier's
instructions. Where instructions appear to conflict with instructions issued by the nitrogen
supplier it is incumbent on the user to resolve any such conflict before proceeding to operate
the equipment. Nitrogen is not flammable, nor is it toxic. Nitrogen can be hazardous when it
is used in an inerted-soldering machine; some of the potential hazards are discussed in the
following paragraphs.
Asphyxiation Hazard - Oxygen Deficiency
Nitrogen is invisible, like air, and has no odour. Personnel cannot depend on their senses to
alert them when nitrogen is present in amounts that exceed its normal concentration in the air
(i.e. 79%). Victims can be overcome suddenly and without warning.
Never enter any enclosed space connected to a source of nitrogen unless the inlet pipe has
been disconnected and the atmosphere inside has been tested with an approved oxygen
analyser and found to contain at least 19.5% oxygen.
The warning signs of asphyxia are dizziness, headache, or nausea. If any of these symptoms
occur, move the person to a well-ventilated area. If someone passes out or stops breathing in
what may be an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, move the person to a well-ventilated area,
providing it can be done without endangering the recovered, and administer artificial
respiration. Call a Doctor and an ambulance immediately.
Never enter a room known or suspected to contain oxygen-deficient air without wearing
appropriate protective equipment (such as self-contained breathing apparatus) or without
having been properly trained in the use of protective equipment.
Working Near an Inerted Soldering System
The Nitrogen gas flowing out of the nozzle and in the air space directly above it is not safe to
breathe because it is deficient in oxygen. Breathing this atmosphere, even for a few seconds,
is likely to cause symptoms of asphyxiation, including fainting or mental failure. Persons
operating an inerted lead-tinning machine must never place their faces in the space above the
machine. Pillarhouse machines are equipped with covers and extractor fans. When nitrogen is
used, exhaust gases must be ducted directly to atmosphere via a suitable filter.
Machine operators would normally be quite safe during production runs. However,
maintenance personnel are strongly advised to be equipped with oxygen meters which are set

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to give warning when the oxygen content of the air falls to 19.5% or less.
Liquid Nitrogen Hazards
Liquid nitrogen is extremely cold. Contact with the skin can cause frostbite and severe tissue
damage. DO NOT touch frosted pipes or valves that contain liquid nitrogen or cold gas,
unless your hands are protected with insulated gloves.
Do not operate the inerting system if the pipes supplying the apparatus are frosted past the
tank regulator outlet, as this indicates that the withdrawal rate exceeds the vaporiser capacity.
However, the vaporiser in the tank will normally raise the temperature of the vapour to above
freezing point (0°C) by the time it reaches the pressure regulator.
Precautionary Labels
Read and fully understand the precautionary labels associated with the inert gas control
apparatus and follow the instructions on the labels. DO NOT REMOVE OR OBSCURE
THESE LABELS. If the labels are missing or become difficult to read, replace them.

Personal Protective Equipment

It is recommended that the protective equipment detailed below is made available for use by
ALL personnel working on the machine.
Hand Protection
 For maintenance on solder baths: Mercury 400 Kevlar Gloves. Providing Heat
protection to EN388
 For handling Solder and printed circuit boards (PCBs): Lightweight cotton gloves.
 For handling Flux and Thinners: Disposable Latex gloves to EN374
Respiratory Protection
For maintenance of solder baths: Dust/Mist/Metal Fumes Respirator, to EN149 FFP3SL or
better.
Protective Clothing
For maintenance of solder baths: Cotton lab coat or overalls, Leather apron and sleeves and
fully enclosed shoes.
Eye Protection
For maintenance and normal operation: Safety Spectacles to EN166 1F

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2. Commissioning
Once all of the ancillary parts have been assembled and the services connected, some checks have
to be made to ensure that the unit is functioning correctly after transit.

Power Up
 Turn on the PC and allow windows to boot up. (a user name and password are needed to gain
access to the system this is set to a factory default, details below)

 Turn the Isolator to the on position and wait for the unit to initialise (The light stack will cycle
through the three lights, indicating that initialisation is complete)
 Start the PillarCOMM program by double clicking on the PillarCOMM icon on the desktop

 Close the doors and check that the emergency stop button is released (it is a latching button and
must be twisted to release)

 Press the green button and the Drives Off Error should clear from the errors & warnings box.

 Before the machine undertakes any movement operation it must find its datum position, this is
effectively the zero point from which all program coordinates are derived. This can be done
manually by pressing the datum icon (pictured below) or if any movement requests are made of
the machine, it will automatically return to the datum position before moving.

Warm-Up And Temperature Settings

As soon as the drives are engaged the bath heaters switch on and attempt to bring the solder

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temperature to the set temperature.
NOTE: When the drives are switched off the heaters will remain active for 60 minutes before
shutting down and allowing the bath to cool
Pillarhouse does not make a recommendation for a particular solder temperature, each product has
its own requirements and variations may be significantly different for different machines. However,
as a guide or starting point, the following figures could be considered:
Low temperature solder (leaded) 260°C
High temperature solder (lead free) 300°C
The current set temperature (SP) can be seen from the main screen of PillarCOMM, this also
displays the temperature limit (LI) (this is the number of degrees over and under the set point that
are permitted before any temperature alarms occur).

To change the Temperature Set Point the following sequence should be followed:
 Program - Edit program - Program Header

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Type the desired temperature into the TEMPERATURE box and the ± temperature limit into the
LIMITS box

PROGRAM HEADER – SOLDER BATH TAB

Offsets
An Offset is a known co-ordinate from the machine datum to the centre of the Flux Nozzle, Solder
Nozzle or Programming Camera.
It is VERY IMPORTANT that the Flux Nozzle, Solder Nozzle and Programming Camera positions
are calibrated, to prevent position errors being experienced.
There are three major offsets to check on a standard machine:
 Camera
 Bath
 Fluxer
Depending on machine options some, or all, of the following may also require setting:
 Preheater (Selective preheat option)
 Warp (Board warp correction option)
 Fluxer 2
 Maintenance
 Preheater Deployed (Underside preheater option)

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Offsets (Machine Specific Details)
Each machine in the Pillarhouse range uses a different setting PCB and mounting arrangement. The
procedure for setting each offset is however the same.

Jade
All offsets are programmed using the CALIBRATION BOARD (pictured below)

Jade Offset Board

The calibration board is placed onto the rails at the 0,0 point (as pictured below)
NOTE: The orientation of the board will change dependent upon which offset is being calibrated.

Calibration Board In Solder/Camera Offset Position

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Handex
All offsets are programmed using the CALIBRATION BOARD (pictured below)

Handex Offset Board

The calibration board is placed onto the rails at the 0,0 point (as pictured below)
NOTE: The orientation of the board will change dependent upon which offset is being calibrated.

Calibration Board In Solder/Camera Offset Position

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Synchrodex
All offsets are programmed using the CALIBRATION BOARD (pictured below)

CALIBRATION BOARD

CALIBRATION BOARD LOADED ON CONVEYOR

When the offset board is loaded onto the machine it must be in the correct orientation (as show
below) it is also critical that edge of the board is squarely up against the pin stops.

Checking Offsets
When the offsets have been set up they should remain set as long as the machine remains

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mechanically undisturbed. But it is advisable to check them at the start of every shift as this can
avoid many easily preventable production issues. In some situations the offsets MUST be checked:

 The bath has been removed for maintenance

 The nozzle has been changed
 If the fluxer has been serviced or replaced
 The camera has been changed/moved during cleaning
Offset Mode Overview
To access offset mode use the following path:
 Configure
 Offsets

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 The offset form will now be presented.
NOTE: Numbers relate to descriptions on the following page

1) OFFSET DROP DOWN MENU

This is where the different offsets can be selected, the box can be dropped down and the
appropriate offset selected from the list

2) GO-TO
The machine will drive to the last set offset point

3) CLOSE
Closes the form

4) CANCEL
Does not apply any changes made

5) COORDINATES
Shows the current position of the offset, if the figures all read 0 as in this example then no
offset position currently exists.

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6) APPLY
Confirm any changes made

7) DATUM
Moves the head back to its datum point

8) INVERT
When viewing a PCB from the programming camera, the movement of the machine relative
to the view from the video feed becomes reversed (for example right becomes left). By
checking the invert box the key directions relate directly to the movement of the camera.

9) INCH KEYS
Moves the head in the X, Y & Z axis

10) STEP SIZE

Defines how far the carriage will move with each press of an inch key button

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Camera Offset
 From the drop down menus at the top of the screen select CONFIGURE then OFFSETS.
NOTE: Remove any PCBs that are on the conveyor as the rails will adjust to their datum position
before moving out to the width of the offset PCB. Any boards left on the conveyor will be crushed.

 Once the conveyor has adjusted to position the following form will be displayed:

 If the board is not already loaded select YES to start the conveyor motors and pull the offset
PCB up to the pin stops
NOTE: If the conveyor needs to be adjusted to width the following message will be displayed

Press OK once it has been confirmed that there are no PCB’s on the conveyor. The rails will
datum, then drive out to the width of the calibration board displaying the following message:

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 The Offset form will now be displayed

 Select CAMERA from the drop down menu.

 Choosing the GO TO option will cause the carriage to move to the last known offset position.
NOTE: In the below example there are no figures in the X Y & Z coordinate field, this indicates
that the camera offset has not been set so the go to button will have no effect.

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 Using the directional keypad and selecting the appropriate step size, the crosshair should be
lined up exactly with target on the calibration board.

CAMERA CROSSHAIR AND CALIBRATION BOARD ALIGNED

 When the alignment is complete, press the APPLY button to confirm any changes.

Fluxer Offset
 Select the offset mode from the CONFIGURE menu and load the calibration as detailed in the
camera offset section.
 Select FLUXER from the drop down menu.

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 The fluxer offset options will now populate the form.

 Choosing the GO TO option will cause the carriage to move to the last known offset

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 Open the front door to gain a clear view of the top of the offset board. Press the FIRE FLUX
icon to shoot a single pulse of flux at the offset board

NOTE: Do not look directly down at the flux head whilst performing this action.

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 Check that the flux pulse hits the central cut out of the SPRAY TARGET area of the offset
board (shown below) The best way to check this is to place a piece of thin paper or Perspex over
the spray target and observe the witness mark made by the flux.

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 Use the directional arrows to make any adjustments needed, then fire the fluxer again and
recheck the offset. Repeat this process until the flux pulse is directly in the centre of the of the
target

 When the alignment is complete, press the APPLY button to confirm any changes.

Solder Bath Offset

 Select the offset mode from the CONFIGURE menu and load the calibration as detailed in the
camera offset section.
 Select SOLDER BATH from the drop down menu.

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 The solder bath offset options will now populate the form.

 Pressing the GO TO icon whilst the inch keys are in X – Y mode (as shown) will cause the
carriage to move to the last known X-Y offset.

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 Click the MOVEMENT MODE icon in the centre of the directional arrows

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 The Z axis movement of the machine can now be controlled with the UP and DOWN arrows.
Clicking on the GOTO icon will cause the solder bath to move to the last know Z offset
position.

 With the nozzle in this position the offset can be checked in the X, Y & Z axis. For the Z axis
the top of the nozzle should be about 0.1mm away from the calibration plate, this can be
checked by sliding a piece of paper between the nozzle and calibration board. When the paper
cannot longer be moved freely the nozzle is too close to the board, so should be driven down by
0.1mm to set the desired distance.

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 To set the X – Y component of the offset use the NOZZLE SET UP section of the calibration
board as shown below.

 Change the inch keys over to the X, Y mode

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 Use the inch keys to move the nozzle to the exact centre of the target.

 When the alignment is complete, press the APPLY button to confirm any changes.

Board Warp Offset

 Select the offset mode from the CONFIGURE menu and load the calibration as detailed in the
camera offset section.
 Select WARP from the drop down menu.

Warning: the laser is class 2 rated which is eye safe but you still shouldn't stare into the beam as it
could cause eye injury.
 Choosing the GO TO option will cause the carriage to move to the last known offset position.
NOTE: In the below example there are no figures in the X & Y coordinate fields, this indicates

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 that the warp offset has not been set so the go to button will have no effect.

 Using the directional keypad and selecting the appropriate step size, the laser light should be
lined up exactly in the centre of the target on the calibration board. Shown here as a red dot.

 Select the TEACH button to train the laser. The read height which will be displayed in the text box.

 When the alignment and training is complete, press the APPLY button to confirm any changes.

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Setting Up Solder Nozzles
Pump Speed, wave height & level settings must be set up for each individual nozzle, once these
parameters are set they are stored in the Nozzle Library and called up each time that particular
nozzle is selected.
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the quick access
panel

 The EDIT NOZZLE screen is now displayed; the various sections of this form are explained in
the subsequent pages.

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1) Pump On/Off
Pressing this icon causes the pump to activate or deactivate. Some offsets require the pump to be on
such as level detect and wave height, whereas others such as the nozzle offset require the pump
to be off.

2) Maximum Pump Speed

The figure set in this box dictates the absolute maximum speed (Measured in RPM
Revolutions Per Minute) that the pump may spin. This is predominantly a safety feature to
ensure that there is no possibly of the pump over speeding causing a spillage of solder.

3) Soldering Speed
This box sets the pump speed during normal soldering operation, this is explained in more
detail in the following chapters.

4) Idle Speed
The idle speed critical for soldering applications using the pull off feature, this is explained
in more detail in the following chapters.

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5) Burst Speed
Burst speed is the RPM value above the set soldering speed that can added during
programming to give some extra wave height. This is used mainly in conjunction with jet tip
nozzles but can also be used with any standard AP nozzle.

6) Go To Maintenance
Pressing this icon will move the bath to the maintenance offset position, this allows for
optimum access to the bath when setting up/changing nozzles.

7) Nozzle Offset Position

The nozzle offset position is completely separate from the global nozzle offset position set
in the offsets section. This allows each nozzle to have its own individual offset without have
to reset the calibration each time a nozzle is changed, whilst this is generally not necessary
with a standard AP tip if an extend, jet wave or custom nozzles is used then they should be
given their own offsets.

8) Wave Height Offset

The wave height offset is used to maintain a consistent soldering wave during production by
altering the pump speed to preserve the optimum wave.

9) Solder Level Offset

This system is used to automatically maintain the optimum level of solder in the bath in
order to provide maximum consistency during the soldering operation.

10) Update
This icon apply and saves the current status of a give parameter, if update is not pressed
after making changes then said changes will not be saved.

11) Cancel
If changes have been made that are not required, pressing the cancel icon will reject the new

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 information and revert to the previous settings.

12) Edit
To change any of the parameters in the nozzle edit screen, the edit icon must be pressed to
allow the settings to be manipulated.

13) Add
The add icon is used solely as a means to create a new set of nozzle parameters for a new
nozzle.

14) Preheat Nozzle

By pressing the preheat nozzle icon the machines will enter its nozzle warming routine. This
consists of turning on the nitrogen diffuser to use the hot gas to heat the nozzle tip,
additionally the pump will run at 300 rpm (this brings the solder about half way up the spiral
transferring the heat to the nozzle) This sequence runs for 300 seconds (5 minutes) but can
be cut short at any point by pressing the cancel button.

15) Nozzle Image

A picture of the solder nozzle can be added to the profile to make recognition easier.

16) Selective Preheat Valve Mode

This option allows the user to decide upon the behaviour of the selective preheat valve when
used in conjunction with the selected nozzle. Some jet wave and custom nozzles require an
increased nitrogen supply, this can be achieved by using the selective preheat nozzle as an
additional diffuser, this does naturally mean that the selective preheat system cannot be used
whilst the nozzle is in use.

17) Nozzle Description

This allows the user to describe in their own words the particular nozzle that the profile is
linked with. This is useful when there are multiple nozzles of the same diameter in use, for
example an 8mm AP, 8mm extended and an 8mm jet tip as the various types will have all
have differing profiles.

18) Nozzle Details

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 This is where critical information about the dimensions and type of nozzle is entered. The
most significant of which is the nozzle size, the figure typed into this box dictates the size of
the nozzle crosshair rendered with programming soldering joints. The nozzle type drop
down box influence to type of crosshair rendered.

Set Up Sequence
When adding the details of a new nozzle it is important to adhere to the correct procedure. Many of
the features rely on the previous setting being correct else they will lose their optimum functionality.
An example of this would be if the wave height was taught before the soldering speed was correctly
set up, the machine would then attempt to adjust the wave during production to an undesired setting
causing process errors. The correct set up sequence for adding a new nozzle is:

1) Pre tin the nozzle by immersing it in Activ8 and then dipping it into the solder.
2) Type in correct nozzle description.
3) Select the correct nozzle size and type from the nozzle details section of the form.
4) Set the maximum pump speed. Be sure to make absolutely certain that the nozzle is
completely tinned before setting the maximum speed.
5) Set the soldering speed verifying that the nozzle is completely tinned.
6) Set the idle speed.
7) Set the bust limit (if required).
8) Set up the level detect offset (if fitted).
9) Teach the wave height offset (if fitted).
10) Set up the nozzle offset position if necessary.
11) Set ancillary options if required.

NOTE: Once a nozzle is set-up and all offsets have been taught, in future when that nozzle type is
selected, all settings for the nozzle will automatically be recalled.
Initial Set Up
To begin setting up a new nozzle:
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the quick access
panel.

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 From the edit nozzle screen press the ADD icon.

 The following message will then be presented, select YES to continue with the set up.

 From the NOZZLE DETAILS section of the form, type in size of nozzle currently installed.

NOTE: The dimension typed into this box will determine the size of the crosshair target that
is generated whilst programming.
 From the drop down menu select the type of nozzle that is currently installed.

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 Type in a description of the installed nozzle in the DESCRIPTION box. This is very important
as it can be the only way to distinguish between different styles of nozzles that are the same
size. E.g. 8mm AP or 8mm AP Extended.

NOTE: The description typed in this box has no effect of the nozzle settings or the appearance
of the nozzle crosshair during programming; it is solely for identification purposes.
 When complete either proceed with further changes to the nozzle profile or press the
UPDATE icon to save the changes

Setting Maximum Pump Speed

The maximum pump speed limits the pump rpm therefore reducing the risk of solder spillage. This
limit also affects the wave height offset, the pump may only compensate up to the rpm limit set in
this field. If the wave height system requires increasing the pump speed beyond the maximum speed
then an error will be generated.
NOTE: If the nozzle is being used for the first time it is prudent to pre tin before undertaking this
procedure
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the quick access
panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

NOTE: If the nozzle is newly installed and had not yet reached operating temperature, it is
advisable to activate the PREHEAT NOZZLE function. This should prevent solder from
freezing in the nozzle aperture whilst setting the pump speeds.

 The maximum speed is defined as the highest possible pump rpm that can be safely achieved
without the possibility of spillage. The flow of solder should be as high as possible without
any risk of it running over the shroud, it is important to remember that whilst the bath is static
the wave will remain stable, but whilst the bath is in motion the wave may shift and catch the
shroud. The below example shows a wave set at the maximum speed note how it is fairly
turbulent and has a high flow rate, yet it still remains at a safe distance from the lip of the
shroud.

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 CAUTION: THE NOZZLE MUST BE FULLY TINNED AND THE SOLDER PUMP
CLEAN AND FREE FROM ANY BLOCKAGES BEFORE SETTING THE
MAXIMUM SPEED, FAILURE TO OBSERVE THIS PRECAUTION CAN RESULT
IN RESULT IN SOLDER BEING EJECTED FROM THE NOZZLE
UNEXPECTEDLY.
 Using the UP icon adjacent to the maximum speed field, increase the pump speed to its
maximum level.

NOTE: When adjusting the pump speed left clicking the mouse will alter the rpm value by 1

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 right clicking the mouse will alter the value by 10. By holing the left mouse button a
continuous change can be effected.

 When complete either proceed with further changes to the nozzle profile or press the
UPDATE icon to save the changes.

NOTE: If the maximum speed setting is altered at any time after its initial set up the
following warning message will appear:

The pump speed is reduced to the figure currently set in the soldering speed box, click YES to
continue and adjust the maximum speed which must then be brought back up to the desired level by
using the arrow buttons adjacent to the maximum solder speed figure.
Setting Soldering Pump Speed
The soldering pump speed is the most critical of the nozzle settings; this is how the nozzle flows
whilst it is actually soldering a PCB.
NOTE: The nozzle must be fully tinned whilst setting up the soldering speed; any inconsistency in
the flow of the nozzle can result in soldering defects and reduced repeatability.
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the quick access
panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

NOTE: If the nozzle is newly installed and had not yet reached operating temperature, it is
advisable to activate the PREHEAT NOZZLE function. This should prevent solder from
freezing in the nozzle aperture whilst setting the pump speeds.

 The soldering speed is defined as the rpm at which the solder wave it as its most stable whilst
maintaining the highest possible flow of solder. The example below shows a wave set up at
perfect soldering speed, the wave should be totally stable and flowing evenly around the
entire nozzle. The appearance of the wave should be that of a ball bearing placed on top of the

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 nozzle, with a perfect dome and virtually no visible movement.

NOTE: Sometimes the wave can appear to be flowing correctly, but whilst the shape of the
wave is good there is little to no flow down the actual tip. The best way to check the flow of
the nozzle is to look directly down at it so the flow of solder down the return spiral can be
observed. A balance should be struck between the stability of the wave and the flow of solder
down the nozzle.
 Using the UP icon adjacent to the soldering speed field, increase the pump speed to its
maximum level.

NOTE: When adjusting the pump speed left clicking the mouse will alter the rpm value by 1

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 right clicking the mouse will alter the value by 10. By holing the left mouse button a
continuous change can be effected.

 When complete either proceed with further changes to the nozzle profile or press the
UPDATE icon to save the changes.

Setting Idle Pump Speed

The idle pump speed is used exclusively for the pull off feature used during soldering. The pull off
feature is used to ‘pull’ solder back into the nozzle so it does not remain on the PCB in the form of a
bridge. When the feature is programmed it put in as a time (e.g. pull off time 1.5 seconds) this refers
to how long the pump has to get its speed from soldering to idle, however when setting up the
feature in the nozzle form the rpm value is set.
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the quick access
panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

NOTE: If the nozzle is newly installed and had not yet reached operating temperature, it is
advisable to activate the PREHEAT NOZZLE function. This should prevent solder from
freezing in the nozzle aperture whilst setting the pump speeds.

 The idle speed is defined as the rpm of which there is no flow of solder from the nozzle and
the wave is either level with or slightly under the top lip of the nozzle. The below image
shows a nozzle set up at idle speed, the solder is just below the tip of the nozzle. In some
situations where long pins are used it may be necessary to set the solder to recede further
within the nozzle.

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NOTE: During programming the pull off time is set in seconds, this is how long it takes the
pump to go from the soldering speed to the idle speed, the longer the time the more smooth
and progressive the pull off.

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 Using the UP icon adjacent to the soldering speed field, increase the pump speed to its
maximum level.

NOTE: When adjusting the pump speed left clicking the mouse will alter the rpm value by 1
right clicking the mouse will alter the value by 10. By holing the left mouse button a
continuous change can be effected.

 When complete either proceed with further changes to the nozzle profile or press the
UPDATE icon to save the changes.

Setting Burst Offset Pump Speed

The burst offset pump speed is mainly used in conjunction with jet tip nozzles but can also be set

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with a standard AP nozzle.
NOTE: The nozzle must be fully tinned whilst setting up the burst speed, there will be a large flow
of solder running over the nozzle and uneven flow may cause solder to flow over the shroud.
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the quick access
panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

NOTE: If the nozzle is newly installed and had not yet reached operating temperature, it is
advisable to activate the PREHEAT NOZZLE function. This should prevent solder from
freezing in the nozzle aperture whilst setting the pump speeds.

 The burst offset speed is defined as the rpm at which the solder wave is forms it’s ‘jet’ in the
case of a jet tip (or simply has a stable yet high flow in the case of a standard AP). The
example below shows a jet tip nozzle set up at its burst offset speed, the wave should form a
stable ‘jet’ that takes the appearance of a secondary dome on top of the soldering wave. With
a standard AP nozzle the burst should be set slightly below the maximum speed.

NOTE: If the pump speed is set to high with a jet tip nozzle then the wave will start to
collapse upon its self and become unstable.

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 Using the UP icon adjacent to the soldering speed field, increase the pump speed to its
maximum level.

NOTE: When adjusting the pump speed left clicking the mouse will alter the rpm value by 1
right clicking the mouse will alter the value by 10. By holing the left mouse button a
continuous change can be effected.

 When complete either proceed with further changes to the nozzle profile or press the
UPDATE icon to save the changes.

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Using The Burst Function
During programming it may occasionally be necessary to increase the height of the wave to solder
longer pins; this is best achieved with the use of a jet tip nozzle. The jet tip nozzle behaves as a
normal nozzle when set to soldering speed but when a pump offset is applied it forms a jet allowing
the solder to reach at least 4mm higher than a standard AP nozzle.
To activate the burst function during programming, simply use the UP arrow adjacent to the burst
offset box from within the solder PROCESS LIBRARY PARAMETERS box and set the desired
rpm. The burst rpm figure is then added to the soldering speed rpm figure to give the burst. The
figure that can be set in this box is limited by the figure set when setting up the burst offset. E.g. if a
burst offset of 20rpm was set then the maximum burst figure that can be set is 20.

NOTE: If a burst offset is added to a particular joint, remember that all points that have been
programmed with the same joint library identity will have the same offset. If a burst is only required
once or twice during a program then it is wise to create a new joint type.

Fluxing Speed Offset

The Fluxing Speed Offset is used to set a speed for reducing the pump speed during fluxing as the rapid
movements of the head can cause solder to be ejected from the nozzle.
Its value can be set positive or negative but would normal be made negative. It is programmed in the same
way as the soldering speed.

Wetting Speed Offset

The Wetting Speed Offset is used to set a speed for keeping the nozzle wetted when the machine is idle.

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Its value can be set positive or negative but would normal be made positive. It is programmed in the same
way as the soldering speed.

Setting Up The Solder Level Offset

The automatic level detect and top up system is used to maintain a consistent level of solder in the
bath, this in turn helps to maintain a steady solder wave and increases repeatability. The offset is
unique to each nozzle profile, as different size nozzles displace a different amount of solder.
The system uses a proximity sensor that senses the presence of the metallic float on the solder bath,
as solder is used and the float drops the sensor measures the reduction in solder and automatically
compensates by adding feeding more solder into the bath. To set up the offset:
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the access panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

 From the NOZZLE OFFSET POSITION box press the SETUP icon.

NOTE: The pump must be switched on in order to teach the offset, this is done by pressing
the pump on/off icon.

 Press the GOTO button; this will move the carriage so that the solder level float lines up with

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 the detector on the machine chassis. If the detector does not line up with the float then use the
X – Y inch keys to manoeuvre the carriage to the correct position.

 Click on the TEACH icon, the bath is then raised until the level detect proximity detector
detects the float. Once the proximity sensor is activated the current Z axis position is saved.
 During auto cycle when the level is checked the machine will drive to the saved Z axis
position, if the sensor is activated then it is assumed that the solder level is correct. If however
the sensor is not activated then the solder level is assumed to be low and solder is fed until the
correct level is attained.

Solder Level Detect & Top Up Sequence Flow Chart

Setting Up The Nozzle Offset Position

When the nozzle offset is taught, it is generally done so with a standard AP nozzle installed, this can

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result in having to set the solder bath offset each time a different style nozzle is installed (such as
extended, jet wave or single dip) To save having to re-teach the offset each time one of these
nozzles is used an individual nozzle offset can be saved, this is then recalled when that particular
nozzle profile is selected.
In the example below a 2.5mm AP was installed in the pump, this is then changed for a 2.5mm
extended nozzle. As the extended nozzle is 10mm higher, if the same program was run with
alteration then the nozzle will collide with the PCB.
One solution to this problem is to re-teach the nozzle offset, this can be very time consuming when
setting up jet wave and single dip nozzles. So the best solution is to teach an individual nozzle
offset which is independent of the solder bath offset.

 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the quick access
panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

 From the NOZZLE OFFSET POSITION box press the SETUP icon.

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 The selected nozzle can now be given an individual offset that will be called up each time the
profile is selected. The offset is taught by following the SOLDER BATH OFFSET procedure
as detailed earlier in this chapter.
NOTE: This offset overrides the solder bath offset calibration position, if the nozzle offset is
no longer required then press the CLEAR icon to remove the offset.

Setting Up The Wave Height Offset

The wave height feature of the machine is tool for automatically monitoring the condition of the
soldering wave and maintaining its stability, this is in order to maintain repeatability during the
soldering process. The system is essentially a continuity tester, the wave is brought into contact
with a titanium pin, when the solder touches the pin the circuit is made and the wave is measured.
NOTE: Refer to the set up sequence list before teaching the wave height offset.
 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the access panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

 From the WAVE HEIGHT OFFSET box press the SETUP icon.

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NOTE: The pump must be switched on in order to teach the offset, this is done by pressing
the pump on/off icon.

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 The solder wave must now be aligned with the detector pin, to do this use the X–Y inch keys
to move the nozzle so that it the highest point of the wave lines up with the tip of the pin.

NOTE: The detector pin must be cleaned in accordance with machines maintenance schedule
to ensure optimum repeatability.
 To make the alignment easier switch the movement mode to Z axis control by pressing the
icon at the centre of the inch keys. Now the Z movement inch keys become active, drive the
nozzle up so that it is just below the pin, this makes alignment with the crest of the wave
much more accurate.

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 NOTE: When setting this particular offset, any Z axis movement set by the operator is
discarded. When the offset is actually taught the Z axis will re-datum before driving the
nozzle up to the pin, effectively resetting the Z axis position. Only the X & Y coordinates are
actually used.
 When the wave and pin are aligned, press the TEACH icon. The wave height will now
automatically be measured and saved using the following movement sequence:
 The Z axis will datum.
 The pump speed is increased to give the wave additional height; the nozzle is then
driven up slowly towards the detector pin until contact is made with the solder wave.
The wave will envelope the pin by about 5mm to get an approximate position
 Once contact has been made the Z axis lowers the nozzle away from the pin until
contact is broken.
 The pump is now switched to the soldering speed and the nozzle is then slowly brought
back until the solder just touches the pin.
 At this point the wave height offset measurement is taken; the offset figure is taken to be
the Z axis position that the wave contacted the detector pin.
NOTE: Once the offset has been taught once pressing the GOTO button will automatically
recall the last X – Y coordinate used, this should position the nozzle under the detection pin
allowing for the offset to be rest quickly.

 Click the UPDATE icon, this will save the wave height offset value as part of the nozzle
library for the selected nozzle type.

 During auto cycle when the wave height is checked, the solder bath is driven to the wave
height offset position (X, & Z) the detector pin is then checked to see if the solder wave is
present. If the wave is in contact then it is assumed that the height is correct and no action is
taken, if however the wave is not present then it is assumed that the wave height has dropped.
If this is the case the pump speed is increased and the pin re-tested, if again no contact is
detected the pump speed is gradually increased until the wave is again present.

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 Solder Wave Height Detection Sequence Flow Chart

Wave Height Pump Correction Limits

The wave height system has an inbuilt safety system that puts a maximum RPM limit into the wave
compensation sequence. The threshold of this limit can be configured from within the software, to
choose the correction limit:
 From the drop down menu select CONFIGURE > PREFERENCES.

 The PREFERENCES form will now be presented; herein the preferred correction limit method
can be selected.

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 Use Absolute Maximum Speed – With this method the maximum correction limit is derived
from the maximum pump speed setting, this means that the system will generate an error if
the wave needs to be corrected beyond the figure set in the maximum pump speed.

Using this option the only user settable feature available from the PROGRAM HEADER >
WAVE HEIGHT tab is frequency that the wave height is measured.

Use Manual Limit Setting – Using this feature allows the operator to set the correction limit to
a custom figure. Once the manual limit box has been checked in the preferences page, the
desired correction figure should be entered in the PROGRAM HEADER > WAVE
HEIGHT tab.

Caution should be exercised when setting this figure as if a blockage occurs in the pump and the
RPM is overcorrected then there is a risk of solder ejecting from the nozzle.

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Nitrogen Purity Sampling (Option)
The Nozzle Gas Sampler allows the customer operator to check the purity of the Nitrogen provided
at the solder tip. It is supplied as an add-on to any Pillarhouse Selective Soldering Machine and is
normally fitted close to the Machine Datum point:

Setting the Offset Position

Before the Nozzle Gas Sampler can be used, the sampling position for each nozzle must be taught.

 Open the EDIT SOLDER NOZZLE Screen by either selecting CONFIGURE > NOZZLES
from the drop down menu or by pressing the EDIT NOZZLE ICON from the access panel.
 Press the EDIT icon to activate the settings within the form.

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 From the NOZZLE GAS SENSOR OFFSET box press the SETUP icon.

NOTE: The pump must be switched off in order to teach the offset.
 The solder nozzle must now be aligned with the gas detector inlet, to do this use the X–Y inch
keys to move the nozzle so that it is positioned approximately 5mm from the inlet tube.

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 To make the alignment easier switch the movement mode to Z axis control by pressing the
icon at the centre of the inch keys. Now the Z movement inch keys become active drive the
nozzle up so that it is positioned approximately 5mm from the inlet tube.

 Click the UPDATE icon, this will save the Nozzle Gas Sensor offset value as part of the
nozzle library for the selected nozzle type.

Using the Nozzle Gas Sensor

 To use the Sampler, select Nozzle Gas Purity Test from the Diagnostic menu

 The Nozzle Gas Purity form will be displayed.

 Clicking on the Pump button will purge the solder nozzle and start the solder pump running
 Clicking on the Start button will position the solder nozzle underneath the sampler inlet pipe

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 and begin sampling:
 During the sampling process, the value in the Nitrogen Purity window will flash red to
indicate that sampling is not yet complete. A fixed green value indicates that sampling is
complete.
IMPORTANT! Use of cleaning materials on the solder nozzle whilst sampling may result in
corrosive fumes being drawn into the inlet pipe with consequent damage to the sensor

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Solder Baths/Reel Coding (Option)
This optional is used with the automated solder feeders. It consists of a small unit containing three
illumination LEDs and a detector which will automatically detect the colour of the solder reel attached to the
machine.

The detected colour is displayed on the machine mimic and compared with the colour that has previously
been programmed for the solder bath used by the Program. If these colours do not match, the Operator will
be warned and the machine will wait until either the solder reel is replaced or the program is edited to use a
bath containing the correct solder.

Initial setup of this option needs to be done by a Pillarhouse approved engineer.

Colour Match Tolerance

Because of the variations in colour between different manufacturers’ solder reels; the signals sent by the
sensor are converted into HLS values which can then be compared. The software uses a Tolerance value to
determine how close a match the Reel and Bath colours need to be in order to be considered a match. The
smaller the value, the closer the colour match needs to be. A default tolerance value of 20% is set during
installation.

Associating the Reel Colour with the Bath

Before the system can be used, each bath must have a solder reel colour associated with it.

Select the Solder Bath tab on the Configuration screen.

With the appropriate Solder reel in position, select the Colour button. This will read the reel colour and
display it on the form. When the Apply button is clicked, this colour will be associated with the solder bath

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Running Programs
When the Machine is started, the colour of the fitted reel will be displayed on the Machine Mimic diagram:

When Auto-cycle is started the machine will check the colour of the fitted solder reel with that stored for the
bath to be used. If the colours match, the Program will run, otherwise the following message will be
displayed:

The program will not run until either the reel has been replaced by one of the appropriate colour or the
Program is edited so that it uses a bath with the appropriate reel colour associated with it.

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Fluxer
The User can configure the parameters associated with the flux heads that are fitted within the
system. The actual information displayed on this screen will be dependent on the number and type
of flux heads fitted. The machine can be fitted with one or two jet or ultrasonic flux heads or a
combination of the two.

If the type of fluxer head fitted is a Jet Fluxer then the User has the following options:
 Purge Time, this is the period that the flux head will be switched on during a purge action.
 Purge Hold Off Time, This is a timer set in minutes, whenever the flux head operates the timer
restarts. The flux purge will only occur if the timer has reached zero.
If the fluxer head is Ultrasonic then the following controls are also displayed.
 Ultrasonic Power, this is the required power setting to get optimal performance from the flux head.
The recommended setting for this is: 3.0 Watts.
 Power On: This turns the fluxer on and off for testing purposes.
 Purge Hold Off Time, This is a timer set in minutes, whenever the flux head operates the timer
restarts. The flux purge will only occur if the timer has reached zero.

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Stack Light
The User can choose how the stack will behave in certain situations. To customise the behaviour of
light stack:
 Select from the drop down menu CONFIGURE > STACK LIGHT.

 The Light stack configuration form will be presented:

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1) Red Light
By checking the relevant boxes the red stack light can be made to react to certain machines
conditions should they occur. The red light is linked with system critical situations.

2) Yellow Light
Again selecting or deselecting the boxes dictates the behaviour of the lamp under given conditions. The
yellow light is used predominately to alert to low consumables (such as flux & top up solder) or override.

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3) Green Light
As previously mentioned checking or deselecting the boxes the behaviour of the green lamp is
tailored to the user’s preference, it can also be configured to turn on in multiple situations if
required. The green light is used to indicate that the system is either ready for use or currently in use
with no critical situations occurring.

4) Sounder
The sounder is used to give an audible signal that the machine status has changed and provides a
supplement to the stack light visual signals. When the ‘use sounder’ box is checked as an
accompaniment to any of the light colours, the duration of the tone is configured from the sounder
box.

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Conveyor
This allows the User to configure the parameters associated with the Conveyor if fitted.

The parameters available are:

 SMEMA, this enables the use of SMEMA control for the Conveyor for the Pillarhouse
System. The options are:
 SMEMA In, this enables SMEMA communication between the Pillarhouse System and
the feeding equipment.
 SMEMA Out, this enables the SMEMA communication between the Pillarhouse System
and the receiving equipment.
 Wait for board available, this option will cause the Pillarhouse System to only set its
'Board Request' signal after seeing that the feeding equipment has set its 'Board Available'
signal. This is normally used when extra actions are required before a board can be loaded.
Typically this would be used with a Barcode Reader.
 Set board in request, this option will cause the Pillarhouse System to set its 'Board Request'
signal as soon as it is ready to load a board.
 Auto Width Adjust, this allows the User to enable the Conveyor Automatic Width Adjust
option on, if fitted.
 Calibration Board Size, this is a non-settable indication of the dimensions of the Calibration
jig used to correctly configure the conveyor width.

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Sleep Mode
The Sleep Timer is a 7-day programmable timer for switching on the System at a pre-set time and day.

Enter the required start up time in the New switch on time box. Select the required day and the
Select Apply.
The time is automatically entered and the next day selected. Click on the check boxes to set which
days the machine is required to heat up.
To enable/disable Sleep mode the User select either the Sleep Timer button or presses F11 on the
main screen. When the Pillarhouse System is in sleep mode the following is displayed.

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Production Log
The Pillarhouse Selective Soldering Systems produces a log file for all process cycles. This log file format is
CSV (Comma Separated Values) and is stored in the folder
C:\Users\Public\Documents\Pillarhouse\PillarCOMM\LogFiles\Production
Each day a new file is generated and the filename format is Production Log dd-mm-yyyy.csv
where is the date.
The information stored in this log file is user configurable. The data values available to be logged are:
Field Name Data Values Units
Date Current date.
Time Current time.
Machine_Name Machine serial number.
Process_Status Status of last cycle. Complete
Aborted
Program File name of process program used.
Barcode Barcode of part, if applicable.
Bath_Temp Solder bath temperature. °C
Bath_RPM Soldering speed. Rpm
Bath_Wave_Enabled Wave height correction enabled True
False
Bath_Wave_Hgt Value of the adjustment made to maintain the mm
required wave height.
Pressure_Units Units of measure for pressure values psi, bar,
kPa
Bottle1_Pressure Flux bottle 1 pressure.
Bottle2_Pressure Flux bottle 1 pressure.
Nitrogen_Pressure Incoming Nitrogen pressure.
Air_Pressure Incoming Air pressure
Cycle_Count Total number of cycles, since last cycle count
reset.
Cycle_Time Time to complete the last process cycle. Sec
Plume_Monitor_Enabled Flux plume monitoring enabled True
False
Nitrogen_Purity Purity of the Nitrogen. ppm
Nitrogen_Flow Flow rate of the Nitrogen. lpm
Flux Volume Quantity of flux used for that cycle. mg
Preheater_Temp Temperature of the board at the end of the °C
preheat cycle.
Preheater_Time The time the board was exposed to the preheat Sec
lamps.
Fiducial_Enabled True
False
Fid_XCorrection X axis fiducial correction. mm
Fid_YCorrection Y axis fiducial correction. mm
Fid_RotCorrection Rotational fiducial correction. °

Configuring the Log file

 Select from the drop down menu CONFIGURE > PRODUCTION LOG

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 This will then display the current Log-file configuration.

 Ensure that the Production Log dropdown box is set to Local Production Log. For details of the other
options see section Production Log Export.

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 For each Field select the required data by clicking on the white box and selecting from the dropdown list.
To complete the set-up set the field after the last field with required data to a blank value.

 Selecting Update will finalise the Production Log File format.

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Barcode Reader (Option)
Barcode readers can be used for program identification. The programs are associated with a barcode
on the board/component for processing.
 Ensure that Barcode Reader is enabled by selecting CONFIGURE > BARCODE READER and
select Barcode, see below.

 BARCODE READER ON is displayed on the Main screen, to indicate that the Barcode
facility is enabled, see below.

Setting-Up
 Ensure that the Barcode reader hand set is connected to the PC.
 In PillarCOMM, select PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM > PROGRAM HEADER.

NOTE: When scanning a barcode for the first time, ensure that the current loaded program is
the correct program to be associated with the barcode.
 Scan the barcode on the board/component. The associated barcode appears against Barcode

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 Mask in the PROGRAM HEADER > GENERAL TAB.
NOTE: If the part of the Barcode comprises item specific code(s) (e.g. serial number of the
individual board/component), then replace that part of the barcode displayed with a
“wildcard” by overtyping using either question marks (?) or asterisks (*), retaining the part of
the barcode that is common to all boards/components of the same type. Using “wildcards”
enables the associated program to be used with a number of boards of the same type.

 Click APPLY to store the barcode displayed against the current selected program. Once the
barcode has been stored, when scanned in future the associated program is automatically
loaded. A “Loading Program Name” message is displayed while the associated program is
loaded.
CAUTION: TAKE CARE NOT TO ASSIGN THE SAME BARCODE TO MORE THAN
ONE PROGRAM. WHEN THE BARCODE IS SCANNED THE SYSTEM WILL SEARCH
THE LIST OF BARCODE ASSOCIATED PROGRAMS AND WILL AUTOMATICALLY
SELECT THE FIRST ONE IN THE LIST ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCANNED
BARCODE. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOADING OF A DIFFERENT PROGRAM TO
THAT EXPECTED.
NOTE: If the program is running in cycle mode, then barcode scanning is not allowed. Attempts to
scan barcodes while a program is running cause the following message to be displayed:
“Unable to Load Barcode while machine is busy”.

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External Communications (Option)
The Pillarhouse system has the ability to communicate with external equipment. There are currently two
options for this communication,
1. The Data Packet option allows the system to ensure correct process program is used and board
traceability is recorded for each product by passing a packet of data down the production line with
each board that is processed. The data packet is transmitted between machines via a TCP/IP link.
2. FIS/MES integration allows the system to communicate with Factory Information Systems. This is
typically used to confirm that product maybe processed and/or to record the process result of each
part processed.
For details on each External Communications option and how to configure them refer to Appendix 1.

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Nitrogen Generator (Option)
Where appropriate the Pillarhouse System can be used in conjunction with a PillarGEN Nitrogen Generator.
This screen allows the User to enable this functionality and configure the parameters associated with it.

The parameters available are:

 Enabled, this will when enabled allow the Pillarhouse System to communicate with the PillarGEN so
that status information can be received and displayed by PillarCOMM.
 Sieve Elapsed Time, this is the accumulated operational time for the Sieve within the PillarGEN. This
is a monitoring function only.
 Dryer Elapsed Time, this is the accumulated operational time for the Dryer within the PillarGEN.
This is a monitoring function only.
 Oxygen Alarm, this is the value, in parts per million, of oxygen within the generated Nitrogen above
which an alarm will be generated.

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Internal Lighting (Option)
The Pillarhouse Systems can be fitted with multi-coloured internal lights. The colour for the lights is user
selectable.
 From the drop down menu select CONFIGURE > PREFERENCES.

 The PREFERENCES form will now be presented:

The parameters available are:

 Colour, this allows the user to select the required colour of lights.
 Brightness, this allows the user to select required brightness for the lights.

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3. Programming
Getting Started
Before programming the machine, ensure that the Machine Offsets are correct. Machine Offsets are Factory
Set and should be checked and adjusted, if necessary, as part of the Set-up Procedure.

NOTE: If the machine nozzle has been changed or the machine has been moved, the Offsets must be
checked and reset if necessary.

Once the machine is powered up, the Green Lamp on the Stack Light is illuminated and the mimic lamp on
the PillarCOMM screen is Green, the machine will need to be programmed to suit the board to be
processed.

A separate program will be required for each different board type.

Each program when completed should contain all the instructions required to process the board in the
required sequence to flux and solder all programmed joints.

Top Screen – Overview

The top screen is starting point for all machine operations; it holds all programming menus and quick start
icons. The main features of this screen are highlighted in the picture below and explained in the Subsequent
pages.

Figure 1 - PillarCOMM Main Screen

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EACH SEGMENT IS EXPANDED AND EXPLAINED IN THE FOLLOWING SECTION

A - Machine Subsystem Icons

These icons give access to the various sub systems of the machine allowing flexibility to add or remove
various process stages from a program.

Solder Pump On/Off

Drop Jet Fluxer Arm/Disarm

Ultrasonic Fluxer Arm/Disarm

Selective Preheat Arm/Disarm

IR Preheat Arm/Disarm

Auto-Cycle On/Off

Stop Cycle

Datum

Acknowledge Current Alarm

Sleep

Change Camera

Board Display Display/Hide

Unload Board

Load Board

Bypass Mode On/Off

B – Software Quick Access Icons

These icons can be used to move from one commonly used form to another.

New Program
Open Program
View Log File
Set Wakeup Times

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 Configure General
Configure Nozzles
Configure Offsets
Option Codes
Program Header
Program Joints
Program Notes
Fiducial Positions
Import Scanned Image
Step And Repeat
Preview Program
Try Action
Manual Mode
Maintenance Mode

Figure 2 - Main Toolbar

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C – Machine Status
The central image of the main screen is that of a representation of the machine being controlled by the PC.
The image actively shows the status of all the critical parts of the machine and can give the operator an
overview of all subsystems and consumables on the machine.

Figure 3 - Machine Status Graphic

C-1) Flux Bottle Pressure

This icon shows the current pressure of the incoming air. The icon contains a real-time digital pressure
readout as well as a mimic of an analogue pressure gauge, this gives an overview of the condition of the
supply at a glance.

Figure 4 - Pressure Indication

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C–2) Nitrogen Pressure
The icon shows the current pressure reading in relation to the upper and lower pressure thresholds.

Figure 5 - Nitrogen Gauge

C–3) Air Pressure

This icon shows the current pressure reading in relation to the upper and lower pressure thresholds.

Figure 6 - Air Gauge

C–4) Light Stack

The representation of the light stack will mimic the current output of the actual light stack. The various
different colour outputs can be configured to trigger with certain events. (This can be done from the
CONFIGURE > LIGHT STACK form)

Figure 7 - Light Stack

C–5) Solder Bath

The image of the solder bath gives an indication of its current temperature status, the various colours relate
to certain temperature scenarios are shown below. The solder pump will not activate if the temperature is
above or below the set point.

Figure 8 - Bath Temperature

NOTE: The animation within the pot represents the bath heaters, when the icon is illuminated the heaters
are on. When the machine is first switched on this icon will constantly on, this is because the heaters are at
full power to get the bath to temperature. As the pot nears the set point the animation will begin to flash,
this shows that a small amount of power is being applied to maintain the current temperature.

C–6) Machine Status Indicator Light

The lamps on the front of the machines are mimicked by the status indicator icons within the machine status
icon. When the icon is green the machine in its ready condition with the drives engaged, when the lamp is
red this indicates that the machine is running a cycle and the lid lock is engaged.

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 Figure 9 - Status Lamps

C–7) Pre Heater

The preheater is represented by the icon below, each horizontal bar represents one inferred lamp.
Depending how many lamps have been selected for the particular program the sections of the icon will light
accordingly. The colour of the lamp icon relates to the current power of the lamp

Figure 10 - Preheater Status

D – Temperature, Pump & Cycle Information

This box gives a quick overview of the status of the bath and pump on the machine. No settings can be
altered from this section all of the temperature set points & limits are set from the SOLDER BATH TAB on
the program header. The pump RPM’s are set from the EDIT NOZZLE screen.

Figure 11 - Machine Status

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D–1) Temperature Information

Figure 12 - Bath Temperature

A) TEMPERATURE SET POINT (SP) -This is target temperature of the solder
B) CURRENT TEMPERATURE - The real time reading from the bath thermocouple. This is the
temperature of the solder that is actually flowing from the nozzle.
C) TEMPERATURE LIMITS (LI) – This is the upper and lower temperatures permissible for the
operation of the pump.

D–2) Cycle Time

This timer is the total process time of the board measured between starts.

Figure 13 - Cycle Time

D–3) Pump Settings

Figure 14 - Pump Status

D) PUMP SET POINT (SP) - This is the target speed of the pump (this is set in the EDIT NOZZLE
form)
E) CURRENT PUMP RPM - Displays the current RPM of the pump

E – Pressure Information
This section shows all of the critical gas pressures in the machine.

Figure 15 - Pressure Status

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E–1) Bottle Pressure
The bottle pressure can be adjusted via the slider in the program header, the default setting is 7.5psi (0.5bar)
with a pressure tolerance of ±0.5psi (0.03bar) If this threshold is breached then the pressure indication
figure will turn red and an error message will be generated.

Figure 16 - Bottle Pressure

E–2) Air Pressure

The main air supply is used predominantly for pneumatic actuators such as the solder feeder and
camera/fluxer covers. If the pressure drops below the threshold value then the readout will turn red to
indicate a problem.

Figure 17 - Air Pressure Status

E–3) Nitrogen Pressure

The main nitrogen supply feeds both the nitrogen diffusers and also provides the pressure for the flux
bottles. As with the above examples a green figure indicates a healthy supply, a red figure indicates a
problem.

Figure 18 - Nitrogen Pressure Status

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Program Edit Screen
The central feature of the PillarCOMM software is the Program Editing Screen, which provides the facility
to program all flux and solder joints from within the same screen.

Figure 19 - Program Editor

1 - Board Image
This window displays a representation of the PCB currently loaded in the machine generated from the board
size information in the program header general tab. If a board image has been loaded into the system then it
will be displayed here. This can also be used to navigate the camera about the PCB.

Figure 20 - Board Image

NOTE: The board size must be correctly input to the program header in order for this system to function
correctly.

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2 - Joint Parameters
For each joint type selected a list of selectable parameters for the joint profile is displayed above. The
parameters are adjustable using the up/down arrow keys adjacent to the values.

Figure 21 - Solder Parameters

FLUX JOINTS
 PULSE - Single pulse in selected coordinate position.
 START - Start vector position for run of flux joints.
 CONTINUE - Vector position for change of direction during a run of flux joints.
 END - End vector position for a run of flux joints.
SOLDER JOINTS
 DIP - Single dip in selected coordinate position
 START - Start vector position for a run of solder joints.
 CONTINUE - Vector position for change of direction during a run of solder draw joints.
 END - End vector position for a run of solder joints.
 DETOUR – Used to move the solder nozzle around obstacles on the board.
SELECTIVE PREHEAT JOINTS
 PULSE - Single pulse in selected coordinate position.
 START - Start vector position for run of preheat joints.
 CONTINUE - Vector positions for change of direction during a run of preheat joints.
 END - End vector position for a run of preheat joints.

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3 - Program Navigation Icons
Allows for navigation within the programming window:

Figure 22 - Navigation Controls

 HELP - Opens the associated Help page
 CLOSE - Closes the Program Point Editor window
 ADD - Adds the displayed joint into the program at the current position
 INSERT -Inserts the selected joint into the program at the current position
 INSERT AFTER - Inserts the selected joint into the program immediately after the current position
 EDIT – Adjust parameters of an existing joint.

4 - Process Library
The process library is used to call up the various flux and solder profiles that are used within a program.

Figure 23 - Process Library Controls

5 - Joint Navigation
Allows for navigation to any point of the program:

Figure 24 - Joint Navigation Controls

 SCROLL BAR - a scroll list of all joint types, enabling already programmed joint types to be selected
for use again.
 GOTO - Allows navigation to any joint in the program, the current joint is shown in the Programmed
Joint Position Scroll Bar. The Path and Node associated with the selected Joint are displayed adjacent
to the selected Joint Number, indicating the exact position within the program.

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6 - X -Y Axis Coordinates
Displays the coordinates of the selected joint position.

Figure 25 - Coordinates

7 - Inch Controls
Allow manual selection/adjustment of the joint position, if required. The head will move by the selected
distance in the direction of the arrows. The inch keys can be set to operate at increments of 10mm, 1mm or
0.1mm for each key press. Alternatively, keys can be held for continuous movement in direction of arrow
until key is released.

Figure 26 - Inching Controls

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8 - Video Display Window
Displays the video image received from the programming camera, allowing accurate programming of joint
positions.

Figure 27 - Camera Image

Programming Considerations
When creating programs for individual boards, there are a number of important considerations to bear in
mind, such as:

Path/Route
Consider the arrangement of joint positions on the board for selection of optimum path around board

Flux Type
This machine is designed for use with alcohol-based or water based flux, if a long preheat time is required
for the PCB and higher solid content flux should be used to ensure the flux remains active

Solder Temperature
CAUTION: Some boards may contain temperature sensitive components. The temperature should be set
according to the type of solder used and any temperature restraints imposed by components on the PCB. A
higher temperature is required for lead free solder

Clearance Height Required

Avoiding contact with any existing on-board components that may provide obstruction to free movement of
the flux/solder head. For example a large capacitor on the underside of the PCB may protrude 20mm, so the
clearance height should be set to 25mm.

Solder Height
This should just position the top of the solder flow to the underside of the board.

Selection Of Appropriate Joint Type

Either Dip for single joints or Draw for a run of joints (e.g. for connectors with several pins in a straight
line).

Dip
Consider height and duration of dip required to achieve a good result. Factors that affect the time are PCB

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thickness, component heat dissipation ability & proximity to ground planes.

Draw
Consider speed and height of travel required along path.

Nozzle Size Required

Generally bigger is better, use the largest nozzle possible with consideration to avoiding “washing away”
adjacent SMT components during processing. This is particularly important where small components are in
close proximity to the required solder joint positions. Consider using a smaller nozzle to avoid the problem.

NOTE: When programming a board it is recommended that trial boards are used to test the program(s)
created before running the program “live” on actual production boards. It is important that the trial boards
are identical in layout to the production board, to allow the program to be tested.

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Creating A New Program
The following procedure assumes that the Offsets have all been set correctly, that the machine is ready to
run and that the board has been positioned correctly in the board placement frame and clamped in position.

Select PROGRAM > NEW PROGRAM. The Save New Program window is displayed (see below).

Figure 28 - Program Menu

Enter the name of the new program under New Program Name. Select SAVE to store the new program in
the location detailed across the top of the Save New Program window.

Figure 29 - Select Process Program

The Program Header window will automatically appear on screen open on the GENERAL tab

Program Header - General

From the list of options presented in the general tab, select the pertinent parameters required for the PCB in
question.

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NOTE: The Program Header window can be accessed at any time by selecting PROGRAM - EDIT
PROGRAM - PROGRAM HEADER.

Figure 30 - Program Header - General

 Clearance height - Set the required Clearance Height, to allow the head movement in X and Y axes
beneath the board without fouling any components/pins.
 Fiducial correction - Select “Use Fiducial Correction”, where the Fiducial Correct option is fitted.
 Separate flux and solder joints - Select “Separate Flux and Solder Joints”, if required, to flux all joints
then solder all joints in the program.
 Step & repeat - Select “Enable Step and repeat”, where the Step and Repeat facility is required.
 Burst pump after “pull off” – The nature of the ‘pull off’ means that any dross or flux present at the
time of soldering will be drawn into the nozzle. The burst function increases the pump speed to clean
the nozzle.
 Board dimensions - Enter the X and Y board dimensions (measure from edge to edge).
 Global offset - Enter the “Global Offsets” (X and Y), if required, to provide global adjustment of all
programmed positions in the X and Y dimensions.
 Pallet details – If a pallet is being used the ‘pallet mounted board’ box must be checked. This setting is
used compensate for any positional differences that mounting a board on a pallet may introduce in the
X, Y & Z axis.
NOTE: If multiple PCB’s are used (therefore step and repeat is in use) then the figures for the X & Y
offset should relate to the first programmed PCB

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Program Header - Solder Bath

Figure 31 - Program Header - Bath

 Bath Settings, Nozzle - The solder nozzle fitted to the machine from the Solder Nozzle scroll list.
 Temperature Set Point & Limit - The required bath temperature and set the Limit for over/under
temperature
NOTE: The Pump Speed Settings are shown in this window, but are not available for editing. To Adjust the
Pump Speed Settings select CONFIGURE > EDIT SOLDER NOZZLES. The setup process is outlined the
commissioning section of this manual.

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Program Header - Wave Height

Figure 32 - Program Header - Wave Height

The parameters available are: -
 Enable, this parameter allows the User to enable/disable this function.
 Check Height Every, this parameter defines how often then wave height will be checked. The wave
height will be checked before the first board after Auto-cycle is selected and then every x cycles.

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Program Header - Level Detect

Figure 33 - Program Header - Level

The parameters available are: -
 Enable, this parameter allows the User to enable/disable this function.
 Check Height Every, this parameter defines how often then wave height will be checked. The wave
height will be checked before the first board after Auto-cycle is selected and then every x cycles.
 Maximum Feeds, this parameter is the maximum number of feeds of solder in a single top-up
operation.
 Solder Melt Delay, this parameter is the time between solder feeds. This time is to allow the solder
to melt into the bath.
 Final Melt Delay, this parameter is the time the bath will pause for before moving away from the
Solder top-up station. This delay is used to ensure that the solder has melted. If the delay is too short
then it is possible to bend the solder feed and this will prevent further top-up operations.
Program Header - Fluxer
This allows the User to configure the Fluxer parameters that are associated with the Process Program.

Note: The parameters available on this screen will be dependent on the number and types of Fluxer head
fitted to the system.

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 Figure 34 - Program Header - Fluxer
The parameters available are: -
 Select Flux Head, this parameter allows the User to define which fluxer is to be used for the process
program. The choices are:
 Drop-Jet,
 Ultrasonic.
 Bottle x Pressure, this parameter is the required bottle pressure for specified Fluxer. The limits for
the bottle pressure will depend on the type of Fluxer head fitted. The limits are:
 Drop-Jet, minimum pressure 4psi; maximum pressure 7psi; recommended pressure 5psi.
 Ultrasonic, minimum pressure 1psi; maximum pressure 2psi; recommended pressure 1.2psi.

Program Header - Infrared Preheat

This allows the User to configure the Infrared Preheat parameters that are associated with the Process
Program. Note: The parameters available on this screen will be dependent on the types of Preheater fitted to
the system.

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 Figure 35 - Program Header – Preheater
The Pillarhouse can be fitted with two preheat modules. They both are fitted with up to 4 Infrared lamps
and have the same settings and functions, with the exception that the bottom-side module cannot preheat
whilst fluxing.
The parameters available are: -
 xxxx Side Preheat
 Enable, this parameter allows the User to enable/disable the top-side, or bottom-side, preheater
option.
 Select xxx Lamps, this parameter allows the User to select which lamps are to be used for the
Preheating process.
 Options
 Preheat While Fluxing,
 Preheat After Fluxing,
 Preheat Before Fluxing,
 Use Closed Loop Control, see below for further details.
 Use Open Loop Control, see below for further details.
The Pillarhouse Systems have two different modes of preheating. Closed loop control uses the pyrometer
mounted within each preheat module to control the lamp power. Open loop control applies a user-defined
power setting to the lamps for a user-defined period of time.

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Closed Loop Control

The parameters are:

 Target Temperature, this is the temperature that the User requires the board to reach.
 Ramp Rate, this is maximum rate of temperature rise that the User will allow the board to warm-up
at.
 Soak Time, this is the period of time that the board is to be heated for after it has reached the target
temperature.

Open Loop Control

The parameters are:

 Heater Power, this is the power setting for the lamps during the initial heating phase of the
preheating sequence.
 Soak Power, this is the power setting for the lamps during the soak heating phase of the preheating
sequence.
 Heating Time, this is the period of time that the board is to be heated for during the initial phase of
the preheating sequence.
 Soak Time, this is the period of time that the board is to be heated for during the soak phase of the
preheating sequence.

Starting The Program

 Select PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM to display the Program Edit screen.
NOTE: If the Fiducial Correction option is selected and fiducial positions have not yet been set-up, the

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 Fiducial Correction screen is displayed. Once fiducial correction has been set-up, the program can be
created edited.

Figure 36 - PROGRAM EDIT – FIRST SCREEN

 Click ADD to activate the Joint Type and Joint Selection menus. The screen display changes, as shown
below.

Figure 37 - Add Joint

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 Select the position of the first joint on the board, either using the Inch keys or by positioning the cursor
directly on the required position shown in the video display area and clicking on that position.
Clicking on the Inch keys and holding the mouse button down moves the camera beneath the board in
the selected direction until the key is released. This enables viewing of the required area of the screen,
before using the “Point and Click” method of selecting the required position.

NOTE: The “Point and Click” method of selecting a position allows the user to view the board in the video
window and select the required joint position by moving the cursor on the screen and clicking on the
selected location to capture the coordinates

The board will have to be examined to decide on the most efficient paths to take and the appropriate types
of joint required for both fluxing and soldering. The choice of path will vary according to the location and
arrangement of joints to be fluxed and soldered on each board.

Consider also whether most appropriate to flux then solder individual joints, or to flux then solder groups of
joints that are close together, or to flux all joints before soldering all joints. You may also consider using
flux and solder “runs” to reduce process time.

NOTE: The “Separate flux and solder joints” option can be selected in the Program Header-General screen,
once all joints on the board have been programmed, to automatically re-arrange the program to flux all
joints in the program then solder all joints irrespective of how they were programmed.

The flux and solder joints can now be programmed.

Programming Flux Joints

Flux joints can be programmed as:

 Flux Pulse Joint

 Flux Start Joint
 Flux Continue Joint
 Flux End Joint.

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Flux Pulse Joint
To program a Flux Pulse Joint:

1) Move the cursor to the required joint position in the video window (Use Inch-Keys or “Point &
Click”).

Figure 38 - Flux Pulse Joint

2) Select FLUX as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 39 - Flux Joint

3) Select PULSE as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 40 - Flux Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Flux Pulse should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

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 Figure 41 - Flux Joint - Library Ref.
NOTE: Initially all listed joint types will be set with default values. As you program further joints
with different attributes it is important to remember to select a different joint number from the list
for each different joint profile required.

Once a joint profile has been programmed for one joint it can be selected again for use by other
joints in the program by simply selecting from the list.

NOTE: It is important to remember that any changes made to a profile will globally affect all joints
in the program of the same type.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 42 - Flux Process Parameters

Figure 43 - Flux Joint - Profile

 PULSE DURATION (MS) - This is the duration of each individual flux pulse, A longer pulse
duration will apply more flux to the joint were as a shorter time will give a sparse coating.
 NUMBER OF PULSES - by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows.
6) Enter a NODE NAME for the programmed node. (This can be useful to identify particular joint
positions on a board).

Figure 44 - Flux Joint - Node Name

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 7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint.

Flux Joint - Start

To program a Flux Start (Vector) joint (Use as start flux position for a run of pins)

1) Move the cursor to the required joint position in the video window.

Figure 45 - Flux Start Joint

2) Select FLUX as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 46 - Flux Joint

3) Select START as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 47 - Flux Joint - Action

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4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Flux Vector should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 48 - Flux Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 49 - Flux Process Parameters

Figure 50 - Flux Joint - Profile

 VECTOR SPEED (MM/S) - This is the speed that the head travels for the duration of the flux run.
A high speed will lessen the flux application but will decrease the overall cycle time. By
balancing the pulse duration, pulse interval and vector speed a fast and complete flux pattern can
be increased.
 PULSE INTERVAL (MS) - This is the interval between repeat pulses during the flux run. A
shorter interval time will result in more shots per second therefore more flux applied to the PCB,
a longer interval will have the opposite effect.
 PULSE DURATION (MS) - This is the duration of each individual flux pulse, A longer pulse
duration will apply more flux to the joint were as a shorter time will give a sparse coating
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node. (This can be useful to identify particular joint
positions on a board).

Figure 51 - Flux Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

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 8) Click on ADD to program the next joint.

Flux Joint - Continue

To program a Flux Continue (Vector) Joint:

NOTE: Continue Joints can either be added in sequence, following creation of a Start Joint (using the Add
button) or inserted after a Start Joint and before an End Joint (using the Insert After and Insert buttons
respectively).

1) Move the cursor to the required Continue joint position in the video.

Figure 52 - Flux Continue Joint

2) Select FLUX as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

Figure 53 - Flux Joint

3) Select CONTINUE as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

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 Figure 54 - Flux Joint Action
4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Flux Vector should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 55 - Flux Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 56 - Flux Process Parameters

Figure 57 - Flux Joint - Profile

 VECTOR SPEED (MM/S) - This is the speed that the head travels for the duration of the flux
run. A high speed will lessen the flux application but will decrease the overall cycle time. By
balancing the pulse duration, pulse interval and vector speed a fast and complete flux pattern can
be increased.
 PULSE INTERVAL (MS) - This is the interval between repeat pulses during the flux run. A
shorter interval time will result in more shots per second therefore more flux applied to the PCB,
a longer interval will have the opposite effect.
 PULSE DURATION (MS) - This is the duration of each individual flux pulse, A longer pulse
duration will apply more flux to the joint were as a shorter time will give a sparse coating
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

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 Figure 58Flux Joint - Node Name
7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

Flux Joint - End

The end type joint represents the last point of a fluxing path, if no end position is programmed then a run is
considered incomplete and errors will be generated when closing the programming form.

1) Move the cursor to the required Continue joint position in the video.

Figure 59 - Flux End Joint

2) Select FLUX as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

Figure 60 - Flux Joint

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3) Select END as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

Figure 61 - Flux Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Flux Vector should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 62 - Flux Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 63 - Flux Process Parameters

Figure 64 - Flux Joint - Profile

 VECTOR SPEED (MM/S) - This is the speed that the head travels for the duration of the flux
run. A high speed will lessen the flux application but will decrease the overall cycle time. By
balancing the pulse duration, pulse interval and vector speed a fast and complete flux pattern can
be increased.
 PULSE INTERVAL (MS) - This is the interval between repeat pulses during the flux run. A
shorter interval time will result in more shots per second therefore more flux applied to the PCB,
a longer interval will have the opposite effect.
 PULSE DURATION (MS) - This is the duration of each individual flux pulse, A longer pulse
duration will apply more flux to the joint were as a shorter time will give a sparse coating
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

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 Figure 65 - Flux Joint Node Name
7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

Programming Solder Joints

Solder Joints can be programmed as:

 Solder Dip Joint

 Solder Draw Start Joint
 Solder Draw Continue Joint
 Solder Draw End Joint

Solder Dip Joint

1) Move the cursor to the required joint position in the video window. The red circle shown is a
representation of the solder contact area of the nozzle currently selected (This will vary in size to
match the nozzle currently selected in the program header) this gives a guide to how close the joint
can be moved to adjacent components without causing damage.

NOTE: The circle represents diameter of the nozzle, about 1-2mm extra clearance should be given around
the outer diameter to account for the flow of solder down the side of the nozzle.

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 Figure 66 - Solder Dip Joint
2) Select SOLDER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 67 - Solder Joint

3) Select DIP as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 68 - Solder Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Solder Dip should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 69 - Solder Joint - Library Ref.

NOTE: Initially all listed joint types in the process library will be set with default values. As you
program further joints with different attributes it is important to remember to select a different joint
number from the list for each different joint profile required.

Once a joint profile has been programmed for one joint it can be selected again for use by other

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 joints in the program by simply selecting from the list.

It is Important to remember that any changes made to that Joint Type would apply to all joints in
the program of the same type.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 70 - Solder Process Parameters

Figure 71 - Solder Joint Profile

1. PRE-DWELL TIME – Used in conjunction with the approach height, the dwell time is the
measurement of how long the bath will sit just beneath PCB. This function can be employed as a
form of pre-heating (see approach height for details)
2. APPROACH OFFSET – The Z axis has two discrete phases of movement when lifting the solder
bath to the PCB, the first is to move rapidly from the datum position to close to the board, and the
second is to move from this close position up to the actual PCB in a controlled fashion. The
approach height controls how close to the PCB this second controlled movement begins.
3. APPROACH SPEED – As outlined in the approach height description, this is the speed that the
bath makes its final controlled ascent to contact the PCB.
4. DWELL TIME – This controls the time that the joint spends immersed in the solder
5. DIP OFFSET - This is the distance (in mm) from the underside of the PCB that the nozzle will
move to. this should be set close enough that the solder immerses the joint but not so close that the
flow of solder from the nozzle is plugged
6. PUMP OFFSET SPEED – The pump speed can be set to exceed the set ‘soldering speed’ having
the effect of increasing the height of the wave. This is function is predominantly used when a jet tip

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 nozzle is installed and the ‘jet’ function is required.
7. WITHDRAW HEIGHT – When the joint is complete the bath withdraws to a set distance at a
controlled speed to maintain joint quality.
8. WITHDRAW SPEED – When the joint is complete and the bath leaves the PCB to the set withdraw
height, this setting the speed of which this process will occur.
9. PULL-OFF TIME – This feature can be used to ensure joint shape is correct and also to prevent
bridging. Pull off time is effectively how long the pump takes to go from it soldering speed to its
idle speed (both set in the nozzle set up form) The gradual transition from the full wave to no wave
gives good joint quality and prevents bridging by allowing the solder to return to the bath and not
remain on the board.
NOTE: For best results Pull Off time should be set between 1-2 seconds with Withdraw height set
to 0 and Withdraw speed set to 1

6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

Figure 72 - Solder Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

Solder Draw - Start

The draw joint is use for soldering rows of pins on a connector for example, the nozzle will move up to the
board where the ‘start’ position is programmed and move to the ‘end’ position remaining in contact
throughout the move.

1) Move the cursor to the required Start joint position in the video window.

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 Figure 73 - Solder Start Joint
2) Select SOLDER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 74 - Solder Joint

3) Select START as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 75 - Solder Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Solder Draw should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 76 - Solder Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

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 Figure 77 - Solder Joint Process Parameters

Figure 78 - Solder Joint - Profile

10. PRE-DWELL TIME – Used in conjunction with the approach height, the dwell time is the
measurement of how long the bath will sit just beneath PCB. This function can be employed as a
form of pre-heating (see approach height for details)
11. APPROACH OFFSET – The Z axis has two discrete phases of movement when lifting the
solder bath to the PCB, the first is to move rapidly from the datum position to close to the board,
and the second is to move from this close position up to the actual PCB in a controlled fashion.
The approach height controls how close to the PCB this second controlled movement begins.
12. APPROACH SPEED – As outlined in the approach height description, this is the speed that the
bath makes its final controlled ascent to contact the PCB.
13. DWELL TIME – This controls the time that the nozzle will remain at the start position before
moving off to complete the run movement. This is useful
 VECTORING OFFSET - This is the distance below the PCB the nozzle will move to and remain
at throughout the solder run. The setting will depend on the type of joint being soldered. If this
figure is too small the nozzle may hit the component pins. If Offset is too large, solder flow may
not reach the joint properly.
 PUMP OFFSET SPEED – The pump speed can be set to exceed the set ‘soldering speed’ having
the effect of increasing the height of the wave. This is function is predominantly used when a jet
tip nozzle is installed and the ‘jet’ function is required
 VECTOR SPEED - This is the rate that the nozzle will move along the joint. The vector speed

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 should be set according to the type of component being processed, the larger the pins and the
higher heat dissipation of the component will necessitate a slower speed. Typical figures for an
AP style nozzle run would be from 1mm/s – 7mm/s
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

Figure 79 - Solder Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

Solder Draw - Continue

Continue joints can be inserted between start and end joints, this has the effect of making an uninterrupted
movement for the soldering of unconventional shapes or large connectors in a single movement saving time
on Z axis movement.

1) Move the cursor to the required Start joint position in the video window.

Figure 80 - Solder Continue Joint

2) Select SOLDER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

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 Figure 81 - Solder Joint
3) Select CONTINUE as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 82 - Solder Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Solder Draw should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 83 - Solder Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 84 - Solder Process Parameters

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 Figure 85 - Solder Joint - Profile
 VECTORING OFFSET - This is the distance below the PCB the nozzle will move to and remain
at throughout the solder run. The setting will depend on the type of joint being soldered. If this
figure is too small the nozzle may hit the component pins. If Offset is too large, solder flow may
not reach the joint properly.
 PUMP OFFSET SPEED – The pump speed can be set to exceed the set ‘soldering speed’ having
the effect of increasing the height of the wave. This is function is predominantly used when a jet
tip nozzle is installed and the ‘jet’ function is required
 VECTOR SPEED - This is the rate that the nozzle will move along the joint. The vector speed
should be set according to the type of component being processed, the larger the pins and the
higher heat dissipation of the component will necessitate a slower speed. Typical figures for an
AP style nozzle run would be from 1mm/s – 7mm/s
 END DWELL TIME – The length of time that the nozzle will remain stationary at the end of the
continue movement before moving on the either the next continue or end movement.
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

Figure 86 - Solder Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

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Solder Draw - End
The end joint signals the conclusion of a draw action, when the nozzle reaches the set location then the
nozzle will withdraw from the PCB.

1) Move the cursor to the required End joint position in the video window.

Figure 87 - Solder End Joint

2) Select SOLDER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 88 - Solder Joint

3) Select END as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 89 - Solder Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Solder Draw should be
displayed - again, check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type
from the list when creating a new profile)

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 Figure 90 - Solder Joint - Library Ref.
5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 91 - Solder Process Parameters

Figure 92 - Solder Joint - Profile

 VECTORING OFFSET - This is the distance below the PCB the nozzle will move to and remain
at throughout the solder run. The setting will depend on the type of joint being soldered. If this
figure is too small the nozzle may hit the component pins. If Offset is too large, solder flow may
not reach the joint properly.
 PUMP OFFSET SPEED – The pump speed can be set to exceed the set ‘soldering speed’ having
the effect of increasing the height of the wave. This is function is predominantly used when a jet
tip nozzle is installed and the ‘jet’ function is required
 VECTOR SPEED - This is the rate that the nozzle will move along the joint. The vector speed
should be set according to the type of component being processed, the larger the pins and the
higher heat dissipation of the component will necessitate a slower speed. Typical figures for an

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 AP style nozzle run would be from 1mm/s – 7mm/s
14. WITHDRAW HEIGHT – When the joint is complete the bath withdraws to a set distance at a
controlled speed to maintain joint quality.
15. WITHDRAW SPEED – When the joint is complete and the bath leaves the PCB to the set
withdraw height, this setting the speed of which this process will occur.
16. PULL OFF TIME – This feature can be used to ensure joint shape is correct and also to prevent
bridging. Pull off time is effectively how long the pump takes to go from it soldering speed to its
idle speed (both set in the nozzle set up form) The gradual transition from the full wave to no
wave gives good joint quality and prevents bridging by allowing the solder to return to the bath
and not remain on the board.
NOTE: For best results Pull Off time should be set between 1-2 seconds with Withdraw height set
to 0 and Withdraw speed set to 1
 END DWELL TIME – This is the length of time that the nozzle will remain stationary at the end
joint location before moving away from the PCB.
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

Figure 93 - Solder Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

Solder Draw - Detour

The detour is a useful tool for speeding up programs by minimising Z axis movement; it allows the user to
set a small CLEARANCE HEIGHT figure in the program header. This results in the nozzle remaining
closer to the PCB during the soldering cycle, which in turn creates less z movement, hence shorter cycle
times.

Setting the clearance height can however result in the nozzle hitting components on the underside of the
PCB when moving from joint to joint; this is where a detour can be utilised to move the nozzle beyond set
clearance height therefore avoiding component collisions.

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 Figure 94 - Program Header - General
The illustration below shows a potential application for the detour function. Suppose the clearance height
has been set to 10mm to reduce cycle time, and then consider the two following examples:

Clearance Height Only

 Once the first row of pins has been processed (e.g. the nozzle reaches the SOLDER END), the nozzle
will withdraw 10mm
 The nozzle will now move to the next SOLDER START position to process the second row of pins,
the D-type connector protrudes 20mm from the underside of the board. The result will be a collision
between the nozzle and D-type (indicated by the red X)
 The quickest solution to this would be to increase the clearance height to about25mm (so as to clear
the 20mm D-type) but this would introduce an increased amount of z axis travel.

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Conclusion: This method of programming is perfectly useable for most PCBs as the clearance height can be
set reasonably close to the board. This also keeps the program simple by not introducing extra joint types.

Clearance Height & Detour Function

 The first row of pins is processed as detailed in the previous example.

 Once the SOLDER END joint is reached the nozzle will drop to the clearance height as normal, and
then continues to move away from the board to the DETOUR offset height (set to 25mm so as to pass
over the 20mm D-type).
 The nozzle will then proceed to move to the location that the DETOUR program point was placed (in
this case directly over the D-type connector, represent by the yellow circle)
 The nozzle will remain at the detour height as it drives from the DETOUR program point over to the
next program point, in this instance a SOLDER START joint.
 Upon arrival at the location of the SOLDER START joint, the detour has finished and the original
program parameters are reinstated.

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1) Move the cursor to a position between the previous dip/end joint and the next start/dip. This will
provide a detour between these two points.

Figure 95 - Detour Joint

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2) Select SOLDER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 96 - Solder Joint

3) Select DETOUR as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 97 - Solder Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Detour should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 98 - Detour Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 99 - Detour Process Parameters

Figure 100 - Detour Joint - Profile

 DETOUR Z OFFSET – This figure should be set to allow the nozzle to move past any large
components without colliding, this figure must be set to exceed the set clearance height.
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

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 Figure 101 - Detour Joint - Node Name
7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

When all joints have been entered, select CLOSE. The head will return to the Datum position.

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Programming Ring Heater Joints
Ring Preheater joints can be programmed as:

 Ring Preheater Pulse Joint

 Ring Preheater Start Joint
 Ring Preheater Continue Joint
 Ring Preheater End Joint.

Ring Preheater Pulse Joint

To program a Ring Preheater Pulse Joint:

1) Move the cursor to the required joint position in the video window (Use Inch-Keys or “Point &
Click”).

Figure 102 - Preheater Pulse Joint

2) Select RING PREHEATER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 103 - Preheater Joint

3) Select PULSE as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

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 Figure 104 - Preheater Joint - Action
4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (Ring Pulse should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 105 - Preheater Joint - Library Ref.

NOTE: Initially all listed joint types will be set with default values. As you program further joints
with different attributes it is important to remember to select a different joint number from the list
for each different joint profile required.

Once a joint profile has been programmed for one joint it can be selected again for use by other
joints in the program by simply selecting from the list.

NOTE: It is important to remember that any changes made to a profile will globally affect all joints
in the program of the same type.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 106 - Preheater Process Parameters

Figure 107 - Preheater Joint - Profile

 PULSE DURATION (S) - This is the duration of each individual Preheater pulse; longer pulse

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 duration will apply more heat to the joint.
 POWER - This is the power setting for the lamp during the pulse action.
6) Enter a NODE NAME for the programmed node. (This can be useful to identify particular joint
positions on a board).

Figure 108 - Preheater Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint.

Ring Preheater Joint - Start

To program a Ring Preheater Start (Vector) joint (Use as start preheater position for a run of pins)

1) Move the cursor to the required joint position in the video window.

Figure 109 - Preheater Start Joint

2) Select RING PREHEATER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

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 Figure 110 - Preheater Joint
3) Select START as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu.

Figure 111 - Preheater Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (RingDraw should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 112 - Preheater Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 113 - Preheater Process Parameters

Figure 114 - Preheater Joint - Profile

 DWELL TIME (s) - This is the time that the preheater is on for before starting to vector.

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  VECTOR SPEED (mm/s) - This is the speed that the head travels for the duration of the
preheater run. A high speed will lessen the applied heat.
 POWER - This is the power setting for the lamp during the vector action.
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node. (This can be useful to identify particular joint
positions on a board).

Figure 115 - Preheater Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint.

Ring Preheater Joint - Continue

To program a Ring Preheater Continue (Vector) Joint:

NOTE: Continue Joints can either be added in sequence, following creation of a Start Joint (using the Add
button) or inserted after a Start Joint and before an End Joint (using the Insert After and Insert buttons
respectively).

1) Move the cursor to the required Continue joint position in the video.

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 Figure 116 - Preheater Continue Joint
2) Select RING PREHEATER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

Figure 117 - Preheater Joint

3) Select CONTINUE as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

Figure 118 - Preheater Joint Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (RingDraw should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 119 - Preheater Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 120 - Preheater Process Parameters

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 Figure 121 - Preheater Joint - Profile
 VECTOR SPEED (mm/s) - This is the speed that the head travels for the duration of the
preheater run. A high speed will lessen the applied heat.
 POWER - This is the power setting for the lamp during the vector action.
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

Figure 122 Preheater Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

Ring Preheater Joint - End

The end type joint represents the last point of a Ring Preheater path, if no end position is programmed then
a run is considered incomplete and errors will be generated when closing the programming form.

1) Move the cursor to the required Continue joint position in the video.

Figure 123 - Preheater End Joint

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2) Select RING PREHEATER as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

Figure 124 - Preheater Joint

3) Select END as the Joint Action from the drop-down menu, if not already selected.

Figure 125 - Preheater Joint - Action

4) Check that the correct Joint Type is displayed in the Joint Select scroll list (RingDraw should be
displayed - check that you are either using an existing profile or select the next unused type from
the list when creating a new profile)

Figure 126 - Preheater Joint - Library Ref.

5) Set the following parameters, by either over-typing the current value or using the adjacent up/down
arrows. The letter next to each parameter relates to the adjacent profile diagram.

Figure 127 - Preheater Process Parameters

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 Figure 128 - Preheater Joint - Profile
 DWELL TIME (s) - This is the time that the preheater is on for before after completing the
vector.
 POWER - This is the power setting for the lamp during the vector action.
6) Enter a Node Name for the programmed node.

Figure 129 - Preheater Joint Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint

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Programming Board Warp Joints
The Pillarhouse board warp correction system uses a precision laser height sensor to measure the height of
the board, to better than 0.1mm, at pre-programmed coordinates and adjusts the movement of the solder
nozzle to compensate for height differences. Because the board can distort more during the soldering
process the height measurements can be programmed in sequence.

Each time a new board warp measurement or group of measurements is taken the previous measurements
are forgotten. The software automatically selects the nearest board warp measurement to make the
correction.

For example a “Draw” function, on a long connector, by taking a board warp reading at each end of the
connector the software will automatically select the nearest warp point to the start and end of the ‘draw’ and
will also calculate the vector between the two heights. The tip of the nozzle will follow the line between the
two heights while the head moves between the start and end positions. Both board warp points must be
programmed before the solder joints.

Those board warp point will be used for all subsequent joints until a new board warp point is programmed.

The Board Warp Laser works best if the program is written in chunks of one laser point to joints within
about a 20mm radius.

Notes:

1. The points should be chosen on bare areas of the board avoiding pads, components and areas that
may have wet flux on them.
2. There is a check box for each joint to select whether it is affected by board warp correction.
3. If the program was written with all the Warp joints first it would not be able to take into account
any warpage that occurs during soldering.
4. When using a board mounted in a pallet it is not to program a pallet Z offset as board warp will
automatically correct the height difference.

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To add a Board Warp point to a process program the following sequence of actions are required:-

1) Move the cursor to the required joint position in the video window (Use Inch-Keys or “Point &
Click”).

Figure 130 - Warp Joint

2) Select WARP as the Joint Type from the drop-down menu.

Figure 131 - Warp Joint

3) PULSE will be the only Joint Action available from the drop-down menu.

Figure 132 - Warp Joint - Action

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 4) The only available Joint Library Reference will be 213, as there are no parameters to set for a Warp
joint.

Figure 133 - Warp Joint - Library Ref.

5) As there are no parameters to configure for a Warp joint this simple profile diagram is displayed.

Figure 134 - Warp Joint - Profile

6) Enter a NODE NAME for the programmed node. (This can be useful to identify particular joint
positions on a board).

Figure 135 - Warp Joint - Node Name

7) Click on APPLY to save the joint in the program.

8) Click on ADD to program the next joint.

After entering a Warp position all solder joints that are after this position in the process program sequence
will automatically be reassigned to their nearest warp point.

Example for programing with Board Warp Correction

If the program was written with all the Warp joints first it would not be able to take into account any
warping that occurs during soldering.

Assume that you are going to write a program of four 9 way D Connectors. This would mean each
connector consists of 2 end pins, a row of five and a row of four pins next to each other as shown below.

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 Board warp point
(joint 1)

1st solder dip joint

(joint 2)

The first joint in the program (Joint 1) will be a Laser Warp joint somewhere in the region shown above.

Next add in the first SOLDER joint, a DIP (Joint 2). Once this position has been selected and the
parameters set tick the box marked USE WARP. Click on NO to the ALL BOARD message that comes up.
Click on UPDATE. The box to the left of USE WARP will now display the number 1 (it was a 0).This
means it is going to use Laser Warp point 1 to measure its height. This is the only occasion where the Joint
1 and Warp 1 are both the number 1.

Next add in Joint 3, a SOLDER START, to run along both sets of pins. Once the START position has been
selected and the parameters set tick the box marked USE WARP. Click on NO to the ALL BOARD
message that comes up. Click on UPDATE. The box to the left of USE WARP will now display the number
1 (it was a 0). This means it is going to use Board Warp point1 to measure its height.

Next add in Joint 4, a SOLDER END, to finish soldering both sets of pins. Once the END position has been
selected and the parameters set tick the box marked USE WARP. Click on NO to the ALL BOARD
message that comes up. Click on UPDATE. The box to the left of USE WARP will now display the number
1 (it was a 0). This means it is going to use Board Warp point1 to measure its height.

Next add in Joint 5, another SOLDER DIP. Once this position has been selected and the parameters set tick
the box marked USE WARP. Click on NO to the ALL BOARD message that comes up. Click on UPDATE.
The box to the left of USE WARP will now display the number 1 (it was a 0).

This is the first connector taught. If the machine was run in auto-cycle now it would firstly go to joint 1, the
Warp Laser joint, and take a measurement. It would then do a solder dip, solder draw and then the final dip,
all using the first laser joint as a reference for the board height.

Repeat the above for the next connector. This will use warp joint 2 (joint 6). The next connector will use
warp joint 3 (joint 11) and the final connector will use warp joint 4 (joint 16).

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Editing The Program
The buttons across the bottom of the screen (see below) enable further editing of the program.

CLOSE - closes the Point Position Editor window and returns the head to the Datum position.
ADD - adds a new joint to the end of the program and allows editing of the new joint profile.
INSERT - adds a new joint immediately before the current joint position shown and allows editing of the
new joint profile.
INSERT AFTER - adds a new joint immediately following the current joint position shown and allows
editing of the new joint profile.
EDIT - allows editing of the current joint shown in the joint scroll list.
DELETE - deletes the current joint shown in the joint scroll list.
NOTE: Where the Fiducial Correction option is installed, it is important to set-up the Fiducial Positions
before editing the current program.

Deleting Joints
Whilst a User can delete individual joints when in the editing screen, there occasions when it may be
required to delete multiple or groups of joints. This screen allows the User this functionality.

To delete joints the following sequence is required:

 From the menus select Program-Edit Program-Delete Joints. This will display the screen shown
above.
 Use the first column to highlight the first joint to be deleted. Note: If the joint is part of a path then
the complete path will be highlighted.
 Whilst using either the Ctrl or Shift key highlight the next joint to be deleted. The Ctrl key will
highlight only the selected joint. The Shift key will highlight all the joints between the first joint and
the current joint.
 When all required joints are highlighted select Delete Selection to remove them from the process
program.

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Reviewing The Program
When all required joints are entered, the program can be reviewed by selecting PROGRAM > EDIT
PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM then selecting each joint in turn from the Joint List (located below the
Inch keys - see below).

Figure 136 - Reviewing The Program

As each joint is selected the head will move to the selected position and the program can be stepped though
in this way as a “dry run”, viewing the path between each joint and checking the positioning of the solder
and flux head.

Preview Program
Another way to check the programs basic structure is to use the ‘preview program’ mode, this will move the
camera over all of the programmed point giving a quick overview of the program. This can be found by
clicking PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM > PREVIEW PROGRAM

Figure 137 - Preview Menu

Or press the below icon

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 Figure 138 - Preview Icon

Testing The Program

Selecting TRY ACTION from the Program Menu or the Try Action Quick Access key opens the Try Action
window (see below).

The Try Action window allows selected paths of the program to be selected by clicking on the start and end
nodes. The machine will run the program exactly as it would if it were running production, with the
exception that there will be no soldering or fluxing (unless the user specifies otherwise)

Figure 139 - Try Action Menu

Or press the below icon

Figure 140 - Try Action Icon

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 Figure 141 - Try Action

Joint Type
This allows you choose which type of joints are displayed for clarity purposes, by un-checking the box the
flux or solder joint can be removed from the list.

Figure 142 - Joint Types

Program Grid
This grid shows all the points in the current program. Paths/Joints can be selected individually by clicking
on them, or a group of paths/joints can be selected by holding the SHIFT key and clicking on multiple
joints.

Figure 143 - Joint Grid

Path: A path can be either a single pulse/dip or a collection of a start/continue/end that makes up a run. The
first pulse or run in the program is represented as the first path.

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Node: This shows how many individual points make up a path. For example a dip only has one node as
only contains on point of movement, a run may contain any number of nodes as each continue between the
start and end point is counted as a node.
Type: Will be show as solder, flux or preheat
JOINT NAME: If you have put names to the points in your program they will be displayed here, putting
names to you joints such as ‘connector 1’ or ‘PL12’ makes finding point in the try action screen much
simpler.
Vector Action: Shows the type of action that has been assigned to a particular node EG start or end
Joint Lib ID: The joint library identity shows the particular set of parameters that the joint has been
assigned.
X Coordinate: The X coordinate of a particular node
Y Coordinate: The Y coordinate of a particular node
Rotation: Shows the degrees of rotation of a joint (0° = no rotation).

Icons – An explanation of each icon is next to is corresponding picture below

Figure 144 - Try Action Icons

Try Action Form Buttons

These buttons allow control of your current selection

Figure 145 - Try Action Buttons

Try Action: At the bottom of the window can test the selected paths. This causes the selected parts of the
program to be run exactly as the program would behave whilst in production mode.
Clear Selection: Clears the current selection.
Close: Closes the form and returns to the main window.
Once the program is complete, it can be run, provided the machine is in run mode.

NOTE: When programming a board it is recommended that trial boards are used to test the program(s)
created before running them live on actual production boards. It is important that the trial boards are

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identical in layout to the production board, to allow the program to be tested.

Step And Repeat

The step and repeat system is used to replicate a program in a different position of the machine work space.
This is especially useful when a board is in a multiple panel or several PCB’s are in a pallet.

The advantage of this system is that a program need only be written for one board, the entire program can
then be moved to a different position to process another board.

Figure 146 - Step and Repeat

NOTE: For step and repeat to function correctly the additional PCB’s must always remain in the same
orientation. Pallets are very useful for this purpose and will add enhanced repeatability over simply placing
PCB’s on the rails.

Programming Step And Repeat

To program step and repeat follow the below procedure:

 Fully construct a program for one board. The first board program should be written with the PCB at
the 0,0 coordinate.
 Now the first program is written, it can be duplicated and applied to other PCB’s in the array.

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 Figure 147 - Step and Repeat Overview
NOTE: The reason for the first program being positioned at the 0,0 point is the duplicated programs can
only be offset from the original using positive numbers. If the first program was written in the diametrically
opposing coordinate, then all subsequent duplicate program coordinates will be negative and therefore will
not work.

1) To enable step and repeat select from the top drop down menu PROGRAM > STEP AND REPEAT.
Alternatively press the step and repeat icon from the quick access panel.

Figure 148 - Step and Repeat Menu

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 Figure 149 - Step and Repeat Icon
2) The step and repeat form will now be presented.

Figure 150 - Step and Repeat

3) Pitch and Array figures must now be input into the form so the duplicate program information can be
calculated. The first step is to identify the PCB’s X and Y axis in relation to the machine, this will
depend how the board is loaded:

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 Figure 151 - Step and Repeat
The example above shows the relationship between the way the PCB is loaded into the machine, and
how the X and Y axis are assigned to the board.

4) Once the PCB’s X & Y axes have been established the form can now be populated with the pertinent
figures. Firstly the information for the X axis can be entered.

Figure 152 - X-axis Pitch

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No Of Arrays – X Axis
The array number refers to the number of PCB’s in the given axis. The examples below detail how to
identify the number arrays:

Figure 153 - X-axis Array

Example - Number of x-axis arrays = 2

Figure 154 - X-axis Array

Example - Number of arrays = 3

The array number can now be filled in on the X axis section of the form.

Pitch – X Axis
The pitch is the measurement (in mm) from a reference point on one PCB to the identical point on the
adjacent PCB. The picture below gives two examples of how the pitch of the board can be measured

NOTE: Regardless of where the measurement is taken from, the distance acquired should be the same.

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 Figure 155 - X-axis Pitch
X AXIS PITCH = 150mm

The pitch information can now be filled in on the X axis section of the form.

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5) The same process must now be applied to derive the figures for the Y axis.

NOTE: The X axis information has now been entered.

No Of Arrays - Y Axis
This is derived in exactly the same way as outlined previously for the X axis.

Figure 156 - Y-axis Array

Example: Number of arrays in Y-axis = 2

The array number can now be filled in on the Y axis section of the form.

Pitch - Y Axis
As with measuring the pitch of the X axis, the Y pitch should be measured from an identical reference point
on two PCB’s. The illustration below gives two examples of points that the Y axis pitch could be measured.

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 Figure 157 - Y-axis Pitch
Y AXIS PITCH = 150mm

The pitch information can now be filled in on the Y axis section of the form.

6) From the FLUX/SOLDER OPERATIONS section of the form, select the drop down menu from the
SEQUENCE field.

Figure 158 - Step and Repeat

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7) From the drop down menu, two options are available:

Figure 159 - Step and Repeat - Sequence

Flux All, Solder All

Selecting this option will alter the order of process so all of the PCB’s are fluxed, then soldered. The
advantage of this is the flux has a longer time to activate before the soldering process begins. The
disadvantage is on large programs, the flux can be on the PCB for too long and become inactive (go off).

Flux 1, Solder 1
This option will change the order of the program so that one board is fully processed before moving onto
the next one. This option is useful when manual fiducial is fitted as corrections can be made individually
before each board is processed.

8) The final step is to choose how the fiducial correction will be used in the program. This selection will
depend on how the PCB’s are loaded into the machine

Figure 160 - Step and Repeat - Fiducials

If the PCB’s are in ‘biscuit’ form and there are fiducial marks on the outer edge then the box should remain
unchecked. This means that only one fiducial check is needed as the individual PCB’s will be orientated

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uniformly within the frame. Leaving this option off will reduce cycle time and is the preferable method if
manual fiducial is used.

The image below represents PCB’s in biscuit form; the frame has fiducial marks that can be used to correct
the position of the all boards at once:

Figure 161 - Step and Repeat Fiducials

If however the PCB’s are loaded into a pallet, they are free to rotate independently of one another. In this
instance the individual fiducial correction box should be checked.

Figure 162 - Step and Repeat Fiducials

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This method can add cycle time to a program as each board’s position is checked individually, consequently
this method is not recommended for machines equipped with manual fiducial systems.

Figure 163 - Step and Repeat Fiducials

NOTE: Each board will have its fiducial positions checked individually.

9) Once all of the information has been filled out press the APPLY icon.

Figure 164 - Step and Repeat

10) The additional program coordinates have now been calculated based on the information entered onto
the form. The program grid will now be populated with the supplementary program information.

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 Figure 165 - Step and Repeat
11) Now all of the information has been entered into the form, press the CLOSE icon

Figure 166 - Step and Repeat

12) To activate step and repeat, it must first be selected from the program header. To do this select the
program header from menu as depicted below:

Figure 167 - Program Header Menu

13) From the program header, check the ENABLE STEP AND REPEAT box.

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 Figure 168 - Program Header - General
14) The program can now be tested and run
NOTE: When testing the program using try action, only points from the original program can be used.

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Board View
The board view system can make writing a program simpler by giving the user an indication of the position
of the programming camera in relation to the PCB.

The first step in this process is to obtain an image of the PCB that is to be programmed. This image file
must be either a JPEG (file extensions: .JPG, .JPEG, .JPE or .JFIF) or a BITMAP (file extensions: .BMP or
.DIB)

NOTE: The image below shows how to save an image as the required file format. The procedure may vary
depending the software used but generally, by selecting FILE > SAVE AS then from the SAVE AS TYPE
box select either JPEG or 24-BITMAP (the colour depth for the bitmap is not important, but 24-bit is
preferable to maintain image quality)

The two highlighted options in the ‘save as type’ box are the preferred file types.

Figure 169 - Select Board Image

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 Figure 170 - Edit Screen with Board Image
The accuracy of the board view system depends on the precision, aspect and scaling of the image used.
There are three main ways to obtain the required picture; these methods are listed below in order of
preference.

PILLARPAD
SCANNED IMAGE
PHOTOGRAPH

PillarPAD
If PillarPAD has been used to create a program, the board image is automatically loaded into the program.
This is the most accurate method of importing an image into the program and also requires the least amount
intervention resulting in greater accuracy.

If a program has already been created using the online programming method without a board image,
PillarPAD can still be used to create a board image without having to rewrite the program using the offline
software. To achieve this complete the steps of the following procedure:

 Use PillarPAD – Import to assemble the required Gerber data into a file for PillarPAD – Draw. (See
PillarPAD instruction manual for details of this procedure)
 Open the file using PillarPAD – Draw then save the project giving it an appropriate file name.
 Find the program, the default location is:
C:\All users\Documents\Pillarhouse\PillarPAD\Programs

Within the program folder there will be a Bitmap image with the same name as the program, in the
below example TEST.bmp.

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 Figure 171 - PillarPAD

Figure 172 - Edit Screen with PillarPAD Image

Scanned Image
Using a flatbed scanner gives the most accurate image of a physical PCB, the flat nature of the scanning bed
provides an image free from pin cushioning or barrelling. The advantage of this system is that the final
image of the board is accurate in scale, aspect & angle.

The downside to this system is that generally the board must be scanned unpopulated so that it sits flatly on
the scanner, this can make it difficult to identify pertinent areas on the board.

Photograph
This method has the advantage of being able to use a fully populated PCB which allows for easy
identification and navigation of the board. However this method is the least accurate and is prone to optical
aberration, the following two illustrations show both good and poor examples of pictures to use in the board
view system.

EXAMPLE 1

This photograph will work well when imported into the program, the image is in good perspective, is
relatively free from barrel and pincushion distortion and is well lit and clear. The blue line around the edge

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of the image represents the ‘crop box’ from the board image import routine, this fits well and indicates that
the image will relate correctly to the program coordinates.

Figure 173 - Photograph of Board

EXAMPLE 2

The example image below suffers from several types of optical aberration and will not provide a suitable
picture for the board view function. Firstly the picture was not taken directly above the PCB so there is a
perspective distortion effect where the top of the board tapers inwards. There is also barrel distortion that is
pushing the central edges of the image further out than the corners, the image is also badly lit and unclear.

Again the blue box represents the ‘crop box’ from the board image import routine, the corners of the image
are not in contact with the corners of the crop box so the operator will have to click into the white
background to drive the camera to the corner of the PCB.

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 Figure 174 - Photograph of Board

Importing The Image

Once an appropriate image of the PCB has been attained, it can then be imported into the program. This is
achieved be selecting from the drop down menu: PROGRAM > IMPORT IMAGE.

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NOTE: If the program has been created in PillarPAD then this process can be omitted as the information
will be preloaded into the program.

Figure 175 - Import Image Menu

1) The board view importer form will now be presented:

Figure 176 - Import Image

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2) From the icons at the bottom of the form select ‘LOAD IMAGE’.

Figure 177 - Import Image Controls

3) Locate the chosen image and load it into the program by highlighting the selection then pressing the
OPEN icon.

Figure 178 - Select Image

4) The selected image will now appear in the import image form. The image must now be cropped to
remove any unwanted boarders from the image of the board and rotated if necessary.
5) The image must be orientated so that the position of the programming camera correlates with the
indicated position on the board image. To rotate the images check the appropriate box in the
DEGREES section of the form and then press the ROTATE icon.

Figure 179 - Image Rotation

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 0° 90° 180° 270°

6) Once the image is correctly orientated, it may be necessary fine tune the rotation of the picture so it
sits squarely within the crop box. To rotate the picture check the FREE box in the DEGREES field,
then type in the required degrees of rotation and click the ROTATE icon. However free rotation can
cause barrelling/pin cushioning and loss of image quality so should be avoided if possible.

Figure 180 - Image Rotation

IMAGE ANGLED WITHIN CROP BOX IMAGE ROTATED 1° TO FIT CROP BOX

7) Move the cursor to the top left corner of the PCB as show below aligning the arms of the crosshair
with the edges of the board.

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 Figure 181 - First Corner
8) Whilst holding down the left mouse button, drag the crop box down towards the bottom right corner.
When the crop box is overlaying the entire PCB release the left mouse button.

Figure 182 - Drag Area

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 Figure 183 - Second Corner
9) To confirm the selected area, click the CROP icon.

10) Once satisfied that the crop box is correctly placed over the PCB press the SAVE icon.

11) The following options will now be presented:

Select if the image is of the TOP VIEW of the PCB (the side that is not being processed) or the
BOTTOM VIEW of PCB. For example the image below would be classified as the bottom view, as
this is the side that will actually be in contact with the solder (contact area highlighted).

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12) This process can now be repeated with an image of the top of the PCB if required. Using top or
bottom view images is a case of personal preference, if both views are imported they can be easily
switched during programming.
13) The final stage of setting up the board view system is to ensure that the board size information is
entered into the program header general tab, this is accessed by selecting from the drop down menu
PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM > PROGRAM HEADER.

Figure 184 - Program Header Menu

14) Select the general tab and input the board dimensions into the appropriate box on the form. If using
PillarPAD then this information will be automatically filled in.

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 Figure 185 - Program Header - General
NOTE: Now the image has been successfully imported into the program, the board display icon can be
pressed to display the PCB image in the PillarCOMM top screen

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 Figure 186 - Board Display
NOTE: The board image will have the program superimposed upon it once the program is constructed.
During Auto cycle the current joint will be highlighted showing the progress of the program.

Programming With Board View

Once the image is fully imported programming can commence as normal by selecting from the drop down
menu PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM.

Figure 187 - Edit Program Menu

The programming form will now be presented with the PCB image loaded into the board view window:

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 Figure 188 - Edit Program
To move the programming camera to a desired location on the PCB click on the ADD icon.

Then clicking on any point on the PCB image will result in the programming camera moving to the
corresponding area on the actual board.

The board view system has several options that can be engaged to customise the appearance of the board
view. These functions are outlined and described below:

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 Figure 189 - Program Edit - Board View
 JOINT AND PATH INDICATORS - By checking or un-checking the boxes in this section of the
form, the program indicators can be added or removed from the board view image.

Figure 190 - Program Edit - Board View

1) FLUX, SOLDER, PREHEAT & BOARD WARP - These boxes superimpose the relevant program
positions on the board image. If too many of these views are overlaid the image can become
confusing, for clarity the example above has the preheat and board warp program positions hidden.
2) ROUTE – This is the back line that indicates the sequence that the program will be executed. This
indicates the path from the end of one joint to the beginning of the next.
3) HIGHLIGHT CURRENT LIBRARY TYPE – By ticking this box all currently viewed programming
points are deselected and all joints of the currently selected process library are shown. For example if
flux pulse 1 is currently selected in the joint library then all of the joints programmed as flux pulse 1

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 will be displayed. In the example below all flux pulse 1 joints are highlighted as white dots.

Figure 191 - Program Edit - Board View

4) BOARD VIEW TOP/BOTTOM SELECT - This option switches between the top and bottom view of
the PCB (This option is not available unless both views have been imported) the bottom view is as
seen by the programming camera; whereas the top view is as seen by the operator.

TOP VIEW BOTTOM VIEW

5) PATH IDENTITY - This option puts a number next to each program point to show the sequence of
the program.

PATH IDENTITY ON PATH IDENTITY OFF

6) ZOOM - Moving this slider to the right side of the screen will zoom into the board image in for ease
of programming.

FULLY ZOOMED OUT FULLY ZOOMED IN

7) COORDINATES - This box indicates the X and Y coordinates of the current of the selected area of

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 the board image

NOTE: When editing a program the board view system is always active, but if no image has been imported
then a green grid will be used to represent the PCB, the board dimensions must still be input to the program
header general tab for this system to work correctly.

Figure 192 - Program Edit - Board View

Additional Information
Occasionally the colour of a PCB or imported image can be very similar to the default colours of the joint
markers. For example the image below shows a solder joint marker that is the same colour as the PCB
image so it is not visible.

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 Figure 193 - Program Edit - Board View
To increase the clarity of the image it is necessary to change the colour of the solder joint markers. To do
this click on the coloured square next to the solder tick box, the colour pallet will then be presented:

Figure 194 - Colour Selection

Click on one of the pre-set colours from the pallet to change the marker colour to a more contrasting shade.
This will make the solder program points are more visible making the program clearer and simpler to
review.

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Figure 195 - Program Edit - Board View

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4. Appendix - Fiducial Correction (Option)
The Fiducial correction system allows the machine to compensate for positional differences between the
first programmed PCB and subsequently loaded PCB’s. For example if a board is loaded into the machine
and its position differs slightly in the X axis from the original programmed position, the fiducial system will
recognise this discrepancy and alter all program points to compensate.

Choosing Fiducial Points

The location of the fiducial points has a huge effect on the effectiveness of the correction system. The ideal
location for the points is as far apart as possible, in diagonal opposites of the PCB; this allows the system to
correct for positional errors in the X and Y axis as well as any rotational position discrepancies (Ø)

Figure 196 - Fiducial - Good Positions

If the fiducial positions are taught directly in line with each other then this means that the vector (Ø) will be
a more acute angle, so rotational errors will not be detected as easily as per the example below.

Figure 197 - Fiducial - Poor Positions

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Examples Of PCB Position Discrepancies

ROTATIONAL

(Ø)

Figure 198 - Rotational Error

Y AXIS

(Y)

Figure 199 - Y-axis Error

X AXIS

(X)

Figure 200 - X-axis Error

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Fiducial Image Quality
When selecting the reference image for the fiducial points some, consideration should be taken to ensure the
first image retains some resemblance to the image seen by the camera on production boards.

The primary factor when taking the images is light, there are two ways this can affect the image.

1) LIGHT INTENSITY – This can be adjusted from the slide bar on the top left of the fiducial screen,
this varies the intensity of light ring that sits around the camera. This can be adjusted by sliding the
light intensity bar on the top right of the fiducial screen. Moving the slider fully to the right will set
the light ring to full intensity, moving it fully to the left will reduce the power to its minimal level.

MINIMUM INTENSITY MAXIMUM INTENSITY

2) AMBIENT LIGHT – This is affected by the status of the various doors and covers. An example is if
the image is taken with a door open or cover removed the ambient light will be much higher, this will
give a much brighter that when the machine is running production (e.g. all doors closed and override
off)
Following examples show how varied the fiducial image can be by altering the light intensity & ambient
light:

This image was taken with the all covers removed from the machine with all doors
open and the light intensity set to full.

This image was taken will all doors closed and covers fitted, and the light intensity
set to full

The final image is with all doors and covers fitted and closed, but with the light
intensity set to minimum.

NOTE: The quality and lighting of an image is far more important when using
automatic fiducial recognition then manual but it is simply good practice to keep conditions consistent.

Alternative Fiducial Images

As mentioned in the foot note of point 2 of the set up procedure, some PCB’s may not have
dedicated fiducial points, in this case alternative images can be used. It is important that the chosen
image is consistent with each PCB, therefore using a via or an empty surface mount component
pad is highly recommended, as these will remain consistent with each PCB.

The following images are examples of suitable fiducial images to use in absence of dedicated
positions. All of the following images have these points in common:

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 Using vias, component pads or tracks, the position on the PCB will remain consistent.
 They have X and Y alignment positions, that is a component of the image that can be used to
line up the vertical and horizontal plane of the crosshair.

1 2 3 4
The next four images show examples of inappropriate fiducial images:
 The first two images are using the edge of a sticker and the text of a sticker respectively, these
are put on by hand so the position will vary greatly with each PCB.
 Image 3 is unreliable in two ways, firstly the image uses the silk screen as reference and
secondly the fuse that sits adjacent could easily obscure the image depending how the PCB is
assembled.
 The last image has only a horizontal reference component, so in this particular case any Y axis
errors can be corrected but the X axis has no reference point so position errors will not be
detected.

1 2 3 4

NOTE: If fiducial correction is to be used on a program, the fiducial positions need to be taught before the
program is written. Before teaching the positions make sure that the PCB is placed in its optimal location on
the conveyor/fixture rails:

CONFIRM FULL CONFIRM

CONTACT WITH FULL
FRONT RAIL CONTACT
WITH PIN

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Manual Fiducial Correction (Option)
Enabling Fiducial Correction
To enable the fiducial correction system, ensure that FIDUCIAL CORRECTION is enabled in the program
header screen.

Figure 201 - Program Header - General

NOTE: After pressing the APPLY button the software may issue the following warnings:

This is simply to warn the user that the fiducial reference images have not yet been taken. These warnings
can be cleared by pressing the OK button.

Adding Fiducial Positions

 In PillarCOMM, select PROGRAM > EDIT PROGRAM > FIDUCIAL POSITIONS.
Alternatively press the FIDUCIAL POSITION ICON from the quick access panel.

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 NOTE: It is important to set-up the Fiducial Positions before editing the current program.

Set the Fiducial Positions as follows:

Figure 202 - Fiducial Menu

Figure 203 - Fiducial Icon

1) Click POSITION 1 to set the first fiducial position. The machine head moves to Datum
position.

Figure 204 - Fiducial Setting

NOTE: When teaching the fiducial positions, try and arrange them diagonally as far apart as
possible, for example a good location for the fiducial positions on the below PCB are highlighted
in blue:

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 Figure 205 - Fiducial - Board
2) Use the Inch-Keys or point and click to move the camera position to beneath the first fiducial
position and click APPLY to store the value. The coordinates of Fiducial Position 1 are
stored and a video image is stored and displayed in the Position 1 image window within the
Set Fiducial Positions.

Figure 206 - Fiducial Setting

NOTE: If the PCB does not have dedicated fiducial points then alternative markings on the board can be
used, see ALTERNATIVE FIDUCIAL IMAGES section for more information.

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3) Click POSITION 2 set the second fiducial position.

Figure 207 - Fiducial Setting

4) Use the Inch-Keys to move the camera position to beneath the second fiducial position and
click APPLY to store the value. The coordinates of Fiducial Position 2 are stored and a video
image is stored and displayed in the Position 2 image window within the Set Fiducial
Positions.

Figure 208 - Fiducial Setting

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5) Click CLOSE to close the window. The Fiducial Positions are now set and can be used as
position reference points when programming joint positions.

Disabling Fiducial Correction

If for any reason there is a requirement to run a program without fiducial correction simply uncheck the
USE FIDUCIAL CORRECTION box in the Program Header screen.

Figure 209 - Program Header – General

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Automatic Fiducial Correction (Option)
Enabling Fiducial Correction
To enable the fiducial correction system, ensure that FIDUCIAL CORRECTION is enabled in the program
header screen.

Figure 210 - Program Header - General

NOTE: After pressing the APPLY button the software may issue the following warnings:

This is simply to warn the user that the fiducial reference images have not yet been taken. These warnings
can be cleared by pressing the OK button.

Adding Fiducial Positions

To configure the Fiducial correction the following sequence is required:

 From the menus select PROGRAM-EDIT PROGRAM-FIDUCIAL POSITIONS.

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 Alternatively press the FIDUCIAL POSITION ICON from the quick access panel.
NOTE: It is important to set-up the Fiducial Positions before editing the current program.

Figure 211 - Fiducial Menu

Figure 212 - Fiducial Icon

 This will display the screen shown below.

 Select Train to enable the offset position entry function.

 Use the Point-and-Click system and/or the inch keys to position the cross-hair directly over the

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 centre of the required Fiducial mark.
 Select Train Offset to confirm this position.

 The video image will now have a box superimposed over the image.

Drag the sides and/or corners to create a box around the Fiducial mark.
1. Select Train Image to confirm this image size.

2. The video image will now have two boxes superimposed over the image. The white box is the
search image and the red box is the search area.

Drag the sides and/or corners of the red image to create a search area.
3. Select Train Area to confirm this search area size.

4. Select Teach Fiducial to allow the system to find the image and return the true position of the
Fiducial mark.

5. If the system has correctly found the Fiducial mark then select Apply to confirm this data.

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 6. Select Fiducial 2 and repeat steps 2 to 11 for the second Fiducial position.

7. To complete the Fiducial training select Close.

Note: If the User is adding Fiducial positions and images to a process program that already has programmed
joints then the following message is displayed:

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Disabling Fiducial Correction
If for any reason there is a requirement to run a program without fiducial correction simply uncheck the
USE FIDUCIAL CORRECTION box in the Program Header screen.

Figure 213 - Program Header – General

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5. Appendix - Nozzle Calibration System (Option)
Current demands in PCB manufacture are resulting in the need for much higher degrees of accuracy. Rapid
and accurate application of solder is particularly desired where electronic components tend to be smaller.
Smaller components typically heat up quicker, and overheating will lead to damage of the components.
With a smaller nozzle, however, the required accuracy of application is increased since erroneous
alignments, such as inaccurate vertical or sideways positioning, can quickly take the solder flow away from
a workable or efficient soldering position. Only a small positioning error can lead to ineffective soldering.
Even small nozzle locating errors relative to the PCB/components can mean ineffective soldering for the
larger, more conventional nozzles.

Calibrate Nozzle Vision Camera

 Remove contact glass from camera unit.
 Fit calibration plate to camera unit.
 From the menus select CONFIGURE-CAMERA CALIBRATION

 Do not load the calibration board, when requested.

 Setting camera will drive to its previously taught position.
 Select Camera 2.

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 A live image of the calibration plate will now appear.

 Adjust position of plate so that 2 crosses are visible in both X and Y axis.
 Click on Y button.
 Place cursor on middle of top cross and left click mouse.
 Repeat for bottom cross.
 Enter a figure of 10 in the Y-Cal box.
 Click on APPLY.
 Click on X button.
 Place cursor on middle of left cross and left click mouse.
 Repeat for right cross.
 Enter a figure of 10 in the X-Cal box.
 Select APPLY button.
 Select CLOSE button to complete the calibration.
 Remove the calibration plate from the camera unit.
 Fit contact glass to the camera unit.

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Setting the Nozzle Vision Camera Offset
 From the menus select CONFIGURE-OFFSETS.

 Do not load the calibration board, when requested.

 Select Nozzle Flow Camera.

 Use the X, Y & Z keys centralise nozzle about the cross hair.

 Set Z height so that top of nozzle just touches glass.

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 Select the APPLY button.
 Select CLOSE button to complete the offset set-up.

Calibrating the Nozzle Flow

 Ensure that the pump speed is correctly on the NOZZLE EDIT PAGE.
 From the menus select DIAGNOSTICS-CALIBRATE NOZZLE FLOW.

 Turn pump on (if not already on).

 Check flow is still okay.

 Set inner circle size using up and down arrows (nozzle size).
 Set outer circle size using up and down arrows (Nozzle size + 1.0 – 2.0mm).
 Set Z offset to 0.5mm.
 Click on GO TO TEST.
 Bath will now move in X and Y to previously taught offset position then rises up in Z to the offset
height. It will stay there for 60 seconds (or whatever the Inactivity Level has been set to) then go down
to Z Datum.
 Whilst the bath is up at the Z offset height the flow of solder contacting the glass can be observed.
Errors in contact area size can be corrected by:
1. Adjusting the cross hair position using the arrows. Then click on Apply XY offset.
2. Adjusting the pump speed in 1 RPM increments using the arrows. The bath will go back down to Z
datum and then back up after each change. Then click on Apply Pump Speed. This transfers the
changes to the program. When CLOSE is clicked a prompt is shown to re-teach the Wave Height
Offset.
 Both of the above will be applied to the nozzle selected in the program.

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6. Appendix - External Communications

The Pillarhouse Systems can communicate with external systems through TCP/IP data links.
Note: These values should only be changed if there is an understanding of Network communications.

Inter-Machine Communications
Data Packet Transfer
This option allows for a packet of data (typically the manufacturing information), to be transmitted for each
board to be processed.

 I/P Address, this is the IP address of the upstream system.

 Server Port, this is the port that the upstream system is listening on.
 Listen Port, this is the port that PillarCOMM is listening to for data requests from the downstream
system.
The sequence of operation for the Data Packet Transfer option is:
 The upstream system sets its SMEMA 'board available' signal.
 The Pillarhouse System requests the data packet.
 The upstream system sends the data packet.
 The Pillarhouse System loads the correct process program for the packet of data.
 The Pillarhouse System adjusts its conveyor width, if required.
 The Pillarhouse System sets it's SMEMA 'board request' signal.
 Board transfer then takes place.
 Both SMEMA signals are cleared.
 The Board is processed.
 The Pillarhouse System sets it's SMEMA 'board available' signal.
 The downstream system requests a packet of data.
 The downstream system sets it's 'board request' signal.
 Board transfer then takes place.
 Both SMEMA signals are cleared.

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Data Logging
Production Log Export
……………………………….

Factory Information Systems

Continental MES Communications

The communications parameters for the MES connection require to be configured at time of system
installation.

To configure the parameters select Configure-Network Setup from the menus.

This will display the following screen:

The IP Address and Port Number of the MES will need to be entered. The IP Address must be entered in

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the format xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. The values for both these fields will need to be supplied by Continental
Temic IT department.

The ASCII values for <STX>, <ETX>, <ACK>, <NACK>, <VAL> and <SEP> should be left as their default
values.

The Ping Interval value can be set to any value between 1 and 120 seconds.

To confirm that the MES Communications option is enabled select Configure-Communications from the
menus.

This will display the following screen:

Confirm that the ‘Continental MES Enabled’ field is the only option selected within the External
Communications group.

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Configuring the Process Program
Each Process program needs to be configured to ensure that all the required data is entered before
production is started.

On the Program Header-Barcode screen the number of barcode reads per product needs to be set.

If each product consists of a single PCB then this value should be 1. If the product is a two-part assembly
then the value should be set to 2.

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On the Program Header-Step and Repeat screen the number of assemblies per pallet requires configuring.

The process program should be written for a single board on the fixture and then the step-and-repeat values
entered to allow the process program to be repeated for each assembly.

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The Sequence of Operation
To operate the Handex with the Barcode Reader and MES options the following sequence is followed.

1. Ensure that the correct Process Program is loaded on the Handex.

2. Ensure that the Handex is in Auto-cycle.
3. PillarCOMM will then display the following information on the screen

4. Either scan the ‘STARTSCAN’ barcode, on the supplied sheet, or select the barcode toolbar

button.
5. This will display the Barcode Entry screen.

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6. Scan the Pallet barcode. This information will be sent to MES for confirmation that the pallet is
valid. Once this pallet has been confirmed the Pallet ID will be displayed and the screen will
change to:

7. Scan the barcode for the first product. This information will be sent to MES for confirmation
that the product is valid. Once this data has been confirmed the barcode will be displayed.
8. Repeat this for each product required to fill the pallet. Upon completion of all the scans the
screen will display:

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9. Use either the ‘COMPLETESCAN’ barcode or the Ok button to complete the entry of the
data.
10. The Handex table will then be unlocked. This allows the Operator to rotate the table to the
process position and when the Start button is pressed the processing of the boards will start.
11. Whilst this group of assemblies is being processed the information for the next set can be
entered. Repeat steps 4 to 9.
12. At the completion of each process sequence the process results data will be sent to the MES
before the table will be unlocked.

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Mobis MES Communications
This option allows for communications between the Pillarhouse System and a Mobis MES system.

 I/P Address, this is the IP address of the Mobis MES system.

 Port Number, this is the port that the mobis system is listening on
 <STX>, this is the ASCII value for the 'start of message' character within the message string.
 <ETX>, this is the ASCII value for the 'end of message' character within the message string.
 <VAL>, this is the ASCII value for the 'next data is a value' character within the message string.
 <SEP>, this is the ASCII value for the 'data separator' character within the message string.
 Identity’
 Line ID, this string identifies which line the system is part off.
 Process ID, this string identifies the type of system within the production line.

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7. Appendix - Barcode Readers

The Pillarhouse Systems can communicate with a number of different Barcode Readers.

Cognex DM100
Overview

The Cognex® DM100 is a fixed-mount, camera-based barcode reader that reads both 1D and 2D
barcodes. The reader can be connected to the PC via either a RS232 port or USB. If the reader uses a
USB connection then a Cognex USB cable is required to create a virtual serial port. This also then
provides the power for the Barcode Reader.

Single Reader Mode

Configuring Reader for a Serial Connection

The PC is pre-configured by Pillarhouse with all the drivers required for the Barcode Reader. It is
necessary to confirm the correct allocation of the Serial port when the PC is first installed. To confirm
this, the following procedure is required.

 Start the ‘Device Manager’ application. This can be found either through Control Panel or ‘My
Computer’ properties.

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 Expand the ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ branch.

 Record the com port value for this device. This data will be required to confirm that
PillarCOMM is looking at the correct com port.

Configuring the Reader for a USB Connection

The PC is pre-configured by Pillarhouse with all the drivers required for both the Barcode Reader and
the USB adaptor. Due to the nature of USB ports it is necessary to confirm the correct allocation of
the Virtual Serial port when the PC is first installed. To confirm this, the following procedure is
required.

Note: You will need to have both the USB adaptor and the Barcode Reader connected at this point.

1. Start the ‘Device Manager’ application. This can be found either through Control Panel or ‘My
Computer’ properties.

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2. Expand the ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ branch and look for the ‘DataMan 100 Series CDC Port’
property.

3. Record the com port value for this device. This data will be required to confirm that
PillarCOMM is looking at the correct com port.

Configuring the Cognex Barcode Reader

The Barcode Reader is configured and controlled by the PillarCOMM software during normal
operation. However there is software installed on the PC to allow testing of the Barcode Reader. This
software is called Dataman Setup. To test the Barcode Reader the following procedure is required.
 Start the Dataman Setup program from either the programs list or the desktop icon.

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 This will display the main program screen.

 If ‘(DM100)’ is not displayed next to a serial port then select ‘Refresh’.

 Highlight the correct com port and select ‘Connect’.
 Use the ‘Trigger’ button to start the read process. Note: there will be a brief period before the
results of the read are displayed. This is due to the initial internal checks that the Barcode
Reader performs.

In the example above the DM100 is reading the barcode as ABCD13.

 It might be necessary, due to the background lighting or nature of the barcodes, to retain the
Barcode Reader,

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 Use the ‘Optimize Brightness’ and ‘Train Code’ buttons to adjust the settings for the Barcode
Reader. For further details please consult the manufactures help information.
 Expand the ‘Communications Settings’ branch and record the values highlights in yellow in
the following image.

Configuring PillarCOMM

PillarCOMM communicates with and controls the Barcode Reader. The user setup of the Barcode
Reader is minimal, but a series of test options are provided. To access the test functions the following
sequence is required:

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1. From the menus select ‘Machine Constants”

2. Ensure that settings, highlighted in yellow, match the values recorded above.

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3. From the menus select ‘Configure Barcode Reader’.

4. This will display the following screen.

5. The buttons on this form perform the same functions as described in the Dataman Setup section
above, with the exception of the ‘Trigger’ button which performs only a single read instead of
a continuous series of reads.

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Multi-Reader Mode
When more than one Barcode Reader is connected to a Pillarhouse Selective Soldering System they are
connected in multi-drop mode. Multi-drop mode requires a serial port connection, however each barcode
reader will require individually setting up via an USB connection.

Configuring the Reader via an USB Connection

The PC is pre-configured by Pillarhouse with all the drivers required for both the Barcode Reader and the
USB adaptor. Due to the nature of USB ports it is necessary to confirm the correct allocation of the Virtual
Serial port when the PC is first installed. To confirm this, the following procedure is required.

Note: You will need to have both the USB adaptor and the Barcode Reader connected at this point.

1. Start the ‘Device Manager’ application. This can be found either through Control Panel or ‘My
Computer’ properties.
2. Expand the ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ branch and look for the ‘DataMan 100 Series CDC Port’
property.

3. Record the com port value for this device. This data will be required to confirm that PillarCOMM is
looking at the correct com port.
4. Exit ‘Device Manager’.
5. Start the Dataman Setup program from either the programs list or the desktop icon.

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6. This will display the main program screen.

7. Highlight the correct com port, as recorded in Device Manager, and select ‘Connect’.
8. Use the ‘Trigger’ button to start the read process. Note: there will be a brief period before the results
of the read are displayed. This is due to the initial internal checks that the Barcode Reader performs.

In the example above the DM100 is reading the barcode as ABCD13.

9. It might be necessary, due to the background lighting or nature of the barcodes, to retain the Barcode
Reader,

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 Use the ‘Optimize Brightness’ and ‘Train Code’ buttons to adjust the settings for the Barcode
Reader. For further details please consult the manufactures help information.

10. Expand the ‘Communications Settings’ branch and record the values highlights in yellow in the
following image.

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11. Ensure that the ‘Enable Multi-Ports (RS-232 Sharing)’ option, highlighted in red, box is enabled.

12. If any values are changed ensure that the new profile is sent to the Barcode Reader.
13. Exit DataMan set-up program.
14. Repeat steps 5 to 13 for each Barcode Reader on the Multi-drop connection. But for step 10 ensure
that the values match those recorded for the first Barcode Reader.

Configuring PillarCOMM

PillarCOMM communicates with and controls the Barcode Reader. The user setup of the Barcode Reader is
minimal, but a series of test options are provided. To access the test functions the following sequence is
required:
1. From the menus select ‘Machine Constants”

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2. Ensure that the settings highlighted in yellow, match the values recorded above. And that the
Multidrop Mode box, highlighted in red, is checked.

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3. From the menus select ‘Configure Barcode Reader’.

4. This will display the following screen.

5. The buttons on this form perform the same functions as described in the Dataman Setup section
above, with the exception of the ‘Trigger’ button which performs only a single read instead of a
continuous series of reads.

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MicroScan MS-3 Barcode Reader System
Overview

The MicroScan® MS-3 is a fixed-mount, laser-based barcode reader that reads 1D barcodes. The reader is
connected to the PC via an USB to Serial adaptor to create a virtual serial port. This also then provides the
power for the Barcode Reader.

Configuring the USB to Serial Adaptor

The PC is pre-configured by Pillarhouse with all the drivers required for both the Barcode Reader and the
USB adaptor. Due to the nature of USB ports it is necessary to confirm the correct allocation of the Virtual
Serial port when the PC is first installed. To confirm this, the following procedure is required.

Note: You will need to have both the USB adaptor and the Barcode Reader connected at this point.

 Start the ‘Device Manager’ application. This can be found either through Control Panel or ‘My
Computer’ properties.
 Expand the ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ branch and look for the ‘ATEN USB to Serial Bridge’ property.

 Record the com port value for this device. This data will be required to confirm that PillarCOMM is
looking at the correct com port.

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Configuring the MicroScan Barcode Reader

The Barcode Reader is configured and controlled by the PillarCOMM software during normal operation.
However there is software installed on the PC to allow testing of the Barcode Reader. This software is
called MicroScan ESP. To test the Barcode Reader the following procedure is required.
 Start the ESP program from either the programs list of the desktop icon.

 This will display the main program screen and a message box asking if you wish to connect to the
MS-3.

 Select ‘Yes’ and the following screen will be displayed.

 Ensure that the port is set to the same value as recorded in the previous section and then select
‘Start’. This will initiate communications between the PC and the Barcode Reader.

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 Use the ‘Test’ button to start the read process. Note: there will be a brief period before the results of
the read are displayed. This is due to the initial internal checks that the Barcode Reader performs.

In the example above the MS-3 is reading the barcode as 599-7047R and with a decode quality of
86%. If the barcode is incorrectly decoded or the percentage drops below 50% then the Barcode
Reader may require a recalibration.
 To re-calibrate the Barcode Reader ensure that the test has been stopped and then use the ‘Calibrate’
button to initiate the routine. This procedure can take up to 2-3 minutes to complete.
Note: This function should only be used if the Barcode Reader is securely mounted in its correct
position over the required barcode.
 Record the values highlights in yellow in the following image.

Configuring PillarCOMM
PillarCOMM communicates with and controls the Barcode Reader. The user setup of the Barcode Reader is
minimal, but a series of test options are provided. To access the test functions the following sequence is
required:

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6. From the menus select ‘Machine Constants”

7. Ensure that highlighted settings match the values recorded above.

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8. From the menus select ‘Configure Barcode Reader’.

9. This will display the following screen.

10.
11. The buttons on this form perform the same functions as described in the ESP section above, with the
exception of the ‘Trigger’ button which performs only a single read instead of a continuous series of
reads.

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MicroScan MS-4 Barcode Reader System
Overview

The MicroScan® MS-4 is a fixed-mount, camera-based barcode reader that reads both 1D and 2D barcodes.
The reader is connected to the PC via an USB to Serial adaptor to create a virtual serial port. This also then
provides the power for the Barcode Reader.

Configuring the USB to Serial Adaptor

The PC is pre-configured by Pillarhouse with all the drivers required for both the Barcode Reader and the
USB adaptor. Due to the nature of USB ports it is necessary to confirm the correct allocation of the Virtual
Serial port when the PC is first installed. To confirm this, the following procedure is required.

Note: You will need to have both the USB adaptor and the Barcode Reader connected at this point.

 Start the ‘Device Manager’ application. This can be found either through Control Panel or ‘My
Computer’ properties.
 Expand the ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ branch and look for the ‘ATEN USB to Serial Bridge’ property.

 Record the com port value for this device. This data will be required to confirm that PillarCOMM is
looking at the correct com port.

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Configuring the MicroScan Barcode Reader

The Barcode Reader is configured and controlled by the PillarCOMM software during normal operation.
However there is software installed on the PC to allow testing of the Barcode Reader. This software is
called MicroScan ESP. To test the Barcode Reader the following procedure is required.
 Start the ESP program from either the programs list of the desktop icon.

 This will display the main program screen and a message box asking if you wish to connect to the
MS-4.

 Select ‘Yes’ and the following screen will be displayed.

 Ensure that the port is set to the same value as recorded in the previous section and then select ‘Auto
Connect’. This will initiate communications between the PC and the Barcode Reader.

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 After communications has been established then the following message will be displayed.

Select ‘Yes’ and allow the Barcode Reader to download it’s configuration to the PC. When the
download is complete the main program screen will be displayed.
 Use the ‘Locate’ button to switch on the blue pointer indicator. If the Barcode Reader is mounted on
the Pillarhouse supplied brackets then it should be at the correct height for accurate reading.
Otherwise adjust the position until the two blue lines meet to form a point.
After the vertical position is set use the ‘Test’ button to start the read process. Note: there will be a
brief period before the results of the read are displayed. This is due to the initial internal checks that
the Barcode Reader performs.

In the example above the MS-4 is reading the barcode as CK20-AP10053-0001R-001 and with a
decode quality of 100%. If the barcode is incorrectly decoded or the percentage drops below 50%
then the Barcode Reader may require a recalibration.
 To re-calibrate the Barcode Reader ensure that the test has been stopped and then use the ‘Calibrate’
button to initiate the routine. This procedure can take up to 2-3 minutes to complete.
Note: This function should only be used if the Barcode Reader is securely mounted in its correct
position over the required barcode.
 Record the values highlights in yellow in the following image.

Configuring PillarCOMM
PillarCOMM communicates with and controls the Barcode Reader. The user setup of the Barcode Reader is

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minimal, but a series of test options are provided. To access the test functions the following sequence is
required:

12. From the menus select ‘Machine Constants”

13. Ensure that highlighted settings match the values recorded above.

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14. From the menus select ‘Configure Barcode Reader’.

15. This will display the following screen.

16. The buttons on this form perform the same functions as described in the ESP section above, with the
exception of the ‘Trigger’ button which performs only a single read instead of a continuous series of
reads.

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MicroScan HS-2D Barcode Reader System
Overview

The MicroScan® HS-2D is a Handheld, camera-based barcode reader that reads both 1D and 2D barcodes.
The reader is connected to the PC via an USB to Serial adaptor to create a virtual serial port. This also then
provides the power for the Barcode Reader.

Configuring the USB to Serial Adaptor

The PC is pre-configured by Pillarhouse with all the drivers required for both the Barcode Reader and the
USB adaptor. Due to the nature of USB ports it is necessary to confirm the correct allocation of the Virtual
Serial port when the PC is first installed. To confirm this, the following procedure is required.

Note: You will need to have both the USB adaptor and the Barcode Reader connected at this point.

 Start the ‘Device Manager’ application. This can be found either through Control Panel or ‘My
Computer’ properties.
 Expand the ‘Ports (COM & LPT)’ branch and look for the ‘USB to Virtual COM Port’ property.

 Record the com port value for this device. This data will be required to confirm that PillarCOMM is
looking at the correct com port.

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Configuring the MicroScan Barcode Reader

The Barcode Reader is configured and controlled by the PillarCOMM software during normal operation.
However there is software installed on the PC to allow testing of the Barcode Reader. This software is
called MicroScan ESP. To test the Barcode Reader the following procedure is required.
 Plug in the HS-2D barcode reader.
 Scan the code for USB Virtual COM Mode.

 Start the ESP program from either the programs list of the desktop icon.

 Select the HS-2D as the model type.

 When ESP displays “Would you like to connect to the HS-2S?” select Yes.

 Auto-connect using RS-232 and ensure that the ESP and the HS-2D connect to each other. Note:
Ensure that the Com Port number matches the value recorded above.

 Scan the following barcode IN ORDER.

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 Rescan the code for USB Virtual COM Mode.

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 Restart ESP. Before connecting making sure that you change the communications setting to 56k6
baud; 8 data bits; 2 stop bit; no parity.
 Confirm that communications is established.
 Scan the following codes.

 Click the ‘Decode’ button. The HS-2D is now ready to decode symbol data.
Use the HS-2D trigger to start the read process. Note: There may be a brief delay before the results of
the read are displayed.

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 In the example above the HS-2D is reading the barcode as C37-000001-02
 Exit ESP. When it asks to save the setting say ‘Yes’ and name it HS-2D.

Configuring PillarCOMM
PillarCOMM communicates with and controls the Barcode Reader. The user setup of the Barcode Reader is
minimal, but the communications parameters will requires setting up. To access these functions the
following sequence is required:

1. From the menus select ‘Machine Constants”

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2. Ensure that highlighted settings match the values recorded above.

3. From the menus select ‘Configure-Barcode Reader’.

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4. Enable the Barcode Reader option and exit this form

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8. Appendix - Security
Enable Security.
Click on menu configure/options and enter the option code for security.
Click the apply button and then close the form. The Password menu and the Security Settings icon
(keys) in the toolbar should now be enabled.

Setup A New User:

Click on menu Passwords/Security Settings or click on the Security Settings icon. You will be
prompted to enter a password: From the User Name drop down box select Administrator. Enter the
password entropy. You can change the Administrator password but it is your responsibility to
remember it as it cannot be read back. If all else fails Pillarhouse can provide an alternative override
password.

Click on add user button. On the Assign Access Rights form enter in the new user name. Enter in the
new password in the User Password box and the Confirm Password box. Click on the Save Password
button.

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Click on Add Rights. In the Assigned Rights box select all items and click on the Full Rights button.
The assigned rights should now show as full. Click on Group Info to view how the rights groups are
split. The groups can be reassigned as described later.

Click on Save Rights. You have now set yourself up as a user with full rights to everything. Note that
the administrator password only has rights to security.

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Other users can now be set. The rights groups are divided as follows:

 Configure: controls access to menus that affect the setup of the machine. Access is not normally
required except during maintenance and setup.
 Diagnostics: allows access to manual modes etc. Access is not normally required except during
maintenance and setup.
 File: allows programs to be selected, copied, backed up and created.
 Program: Allows programs to be modified.
 Security: Should only be needed by the machine manager.
 System: Sets the basic machine options. Should only be needed by the machine manager.

Think about what rights you want to give your other users. The machine operator may only need
“File” rights so they can select a program but not modify it. The setter may need “File” and
“Program” rights.

If the default rights groups don’t fully meet your needs then the groups can be modified and new
groups can be created.

Edit Groups
On the Security Settings form click in the Edit Groups button. This will display the Define Groups
form. The form displays the rights groups on the left hand side and lists the protected procedures on
the right. To move a procedure to a different group: select the procedure by clicking on it, use the shift
and control keys to make multiple selections. Click on the drop down box and select the group that
you want to move the selected procedures to. Alternatively type the name of a new group into the box.

Click the apply button and the selected procedures will be assigned to the new group.

If you want to remove password protection from some procedures then select them in the list box and
click on the disable key.

To return to the default grouping click on the Default Groups button.

Disable Security Temporarily

Click the disable security check box on the security settings form. Security will the disabled until you
either uncheck the box, click on menu Password/Enable Passwords or until PillarCOMM is restarted.

Disable Security Permanently

Click on the menu Configure/Options and delete the security option code (or change it say by adding
an extra character that can later be removed). Open the security settings window and click on the
disable security checkbox.

Set the Auto Log off Time

Open the Security Settings form and enter the required log off time in the text box. The log off timer
automatically logs the user off after the elapsed time. The timer runs from the last user operation.

Manual Logoff
Click on the Log Off icon (padlock) on the toolbar or select menu Password/Logoff

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9. Appendix - Soldering Techniques

A good solder joint is one where a good wetting is achieved so that the solder flows through the hole to
complete the joint. It will appear shiny, smooth and with no spikes or flux residues. There are many factors
that contribute to a successful solder joint the main points for consideration are as follows:

 Nitrogen flow is correct

 Correct pre-heat is achieved
 Solder has been set for the correct temperature
 Correct form and quality of flux has been chosen
 Joint is spending long enough in the solder
 Speed of approach to and withdrawal from solder nozzle correct
 Correct solder nozzle has been fitted, height and alignment correctly set
 The solder flow is correct
 PCB is correctly located and held on the tooling
 All parts are clean and free of any contaminants

If these conditions have not been met then it will be noticed that the joint may be; Dry, the solder does not
run properly through the hole or that solder bridges have joined pins. Also there could be signs of
oxidisation and flux residues around the joints. If this happens, these are steps that the operator should
consider:

 Apply more pre-heat

 Allow more time in the solder
 Increase solder temperature
 Increase the flow of nitrogen
 Avoid dirty components
 Ensure plating is solder compatible
 Check settings and speeds are correct
 Check the Flux type and the amount deposited

Double-sided Boards

All the above apply. Trials may be advisable to ensure that solder has successfully wetted the top and the
underside of the board. It may be necessary to break off components in order to do this.

Multi-layer Boards

All the above apply. Pre-heating of boards with ground planes is recommended. Successful joints with
multi-layer boards pose additional problems that are generally dealt with through adjusting pre-heating and
increasing dip times.

Another idea is to select the order of joints so that the making of previous joints warms the board in
preparation. In effect, working as a pre-heat process. A pre-heater conveyor is available and is necessary for
certain boards to ensure proper penetration.

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