This document outlines the basic communications setup for a Lightspeed control.

First, the VTube Benderlink setup grid must be properly configured for Supravision Network communications before it works with LightSpeed.

• Read this article: Supravision Network Protocol, for the basics of the protocol
• Also, see the Infrastructure Setup Notes for IT Departments.

Second, inside VTube-LASER, use the Benderlink Network grid to set up the connection. See Bender 4 in the Benderlink grid on the right.  It is set up as an EL LightSpeed control using the EL LightSpeed SVNet protocol.

You can use these steps on the LightSpeed system to set up a connection to LightSpeeds with our VTube-LASER, VTube-STEP, and Benderlink software packages. The LightSpeed Supravision Network protocol is an automated file-sharing protocol that LightSpeed uses to communicate with VTube-LASER and VTube-STEP. 

Change to the Systems menu. If you are not running the operator station as an administrator, press SECURITY and enter the administrator code. (The default administrator code is "123," - but some customers will have changed this code.)

Press the DEVICE CONFIG button.

In DEVICE CONFIG, enter the MACHINE menu.

Select a Measure Machine tab. LightSpeed can store four simultaneous measuring center setups to connect multiple measuring centers.

• NAME: The name value does not affect the protocol. However, you can give the setup a name here.
  
  
• PROTOCOL: For communications with our software, select the SupraGauge protocol.
  
  
• BENDER NUMBER: Set the bender to a unique integer number. This is very important if you have multiple benders that share the same network location to transfer data files.
  
  The bender number allows each bender to understand if the data files dropped in the shared path are its responsibility or another bender's.
  
  The original SV protocol can handle bender numbers from 1 to 99. VTube can go higher if necessary.
  
  
• CHECKBOX OPTIONS: Select any checkbox option you want to enable.
  
  
  • 1 - LOG: To log activity as it occurs
    
    
  • 2 - METRIC: To make all linear data communicate in Millimeters rather than the default Inches
    
    
  • 3 - PRESET CLR: To ignore any incoming Centerline Radius data. If you leave this disabled, you will probably need to set up the CLR after LightSpeed receives a new part file from the measuring center.
    
    
• NETWORK PATH: Set the Network Path to a location on the network that allows read/write access. This is where all machines and measuring centers will drop and pick up command files using the Supravision Network protocol.
  
  

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT WHERE TO PUT THE NETWORK PATH

Use only a path pointing to a location on the LightSpeed control local hard drive. Then link the VTube-LASER computer to that path through the network.

It is our experience that LightSpeed controls will often only communicate using the Supravision Network protocol if the path is set to LightSpeed's local hard drive.

Either LightSpeed cannot handle a UNC path (with slashes like \\192.168.0.2\VTube-LASER), or it cannot handle slightly delayed network speeds.

However, sharing the LightSpeed drive and using it as the shared path works well.

The Part Number is very important when VTube-LASER performs a bender data RECALL. It must be set first before you press RECALL.

During RECALL, the Eaton Leonard LightSpeed returns data from the FILE in the bender control based on the part number you entered in VTube-LASER's Bender Setup window.

For example, suppose you are running "Simulator Part" (see the image on the right) and want to recall the data you see on the screen in the LightSpeed controls. In that case, it is important to type in the exact part number in VTube-LASER's Bender Setup screen before recalling.

What Happens When You Recall a Different Part Number

If you recall part "12345" from VTube-LASER, then LightSpeed will search for part "12345" in the part database on the disk - and return the data for "12345" from storage if it is found. If it isn't found, LightSpeed will just let the connection timeout.

What Happens When You SEND a Different Part Number

During SEND from VTube-LASER to the LightSpeed, if the part number is different than the one that is running in memory, then the data will overwrite the data in the FILE and not the one in the control's memory. Please be careful to use the correct Part Number during communications for both SEND and RECALL.

This is a bug in some versions of LightSpeed controls - but it does not create a problem for VTube-LASER. If you recall 123456', then LightSpeed will answer with the data in 123456, but always truncate the part number to "1" alone.

If this happens during a RECALL, tell VTube-LASER to IGNORE the incoming part number every time. (The fact that the LightSpeed answered means that you are using a part number on the LightSpeed control.)

The part number character length can be greater than 33 characters in both the LightSpeed and VTube-LASER. However, the part number length is truncated to 33 characters maximum by LightSpeed during communications.

See the example RECALL on the right. The incoming part number is truncated in length.

This is a limitation on the LightSpeed side of the connection. VTube has no control over this limitation. You might want to restrict your part names so that they have less than 33 characters if you want to communicate with VTube.

Be sure to exit AUTO mode if that is the mode it is currently in. LightSpeed does not communicate if it is in AUTO mode.

Click on the "Vector" button on the right side of the screen.

Newer versions of LightSpeed let you choose which measuring center to communicate with.

Choose the VTube option.

In the VECTOR menu, press the "Allow Network Control" button until it turns orange. (Orange indicates that it is toggled on.)

With a part loaded in VTube-STEP, you can use the VTube-STEP Bender Output menu to send new part data to a bender using the LightSpeed SVNet protocol.

Go to the Send Data tab and choose the bender number. This will use the Benderlink setup in System Options to control the LightSpeed SVNET path.

• The Supravision Network protocol uses a bender number (from 1 to 99) to indicate which bender should pick up and use the Supravision file saved by VTube-STEP to the file path in the network box. Use whatever you have programmed into the EL LightSpeed setup for the bender number.
  
  
• The LightSpeed uses the Part Number value from the VTube PART SETUP menu to create a part file if it does not exist on the LightSpeed hard drive. If it does exist, then the data can be merged into the existing file with the same part number.

The Communications Status box in the LightSpeed Vector menu should show activity - like the incoming file was saved.

You will also see the options of Overwriting the part data or Importing the YBC data only. Overwriting the part data will allow the new data to overwrite the part in memory completely. Pressing the YBC data will change only the YBC data in memory with the incoming data.

For setting up a new part, you can press overwrite. For corrections, you can press YBC data only.

In this test, press Overwrite Part Data.

If you press Overwrite the Part Data, LightSpeed will clear the current setup and the Tools. A tool set must be recalled to clear the red cells in the ALL page Bend Die column.

Be sure to exit AUTO mode if that is the mode it is currently in. LightSpeed does not communicate if it is in AUTO mode.

Click on the "Vector" button on the right side of the screen.

Newer versions of LightSpeed let you choose which measuring center to communicate with.

Choose the VTube option.

Press the "Allow Network Control" button in the VECTOR menu until it turns orange. (Orange indicates that it is toggled on.)

From VTube-LASER, send a part to LightSpeed. (This assumes that the connection has been made, that the SVNET protocol is being used, and that the appropriate bender number is used at the measuring center.)

The screen on the right shows an example Bender Setup screen in VTube-LASER for communication.

To send new data, choose the bender number, set the Part Number (if it is not, enter the "Bender Setup" menu, and press the AUTO SEND button.

Remember that the PART NUMBER value in VTube is the name that will be used by LightSpeed to save the part data that it received.

The Communications Status box in the LightSpeed Vector menu should show activity - like the incoming file was saved.

You will also see the options of Overwriting the part data or Importing the YBC data only. Overwriting the part data will allow the new data to completely overwrite the part in memory. Pressing the YBC data will change only the YBC data in memory with the incoming data.

For setting up a new part, you can press overwrite. For corrections, you can press YBC data only.

In this test, press Overwrite Part Data.

If you press Overwrite the Part Data, then LightSpeed will clear the current setup and clear the Tools. A tool set will need to be recalled to clear the red cells in the ALL page Bend Die column.

Change any value in the YBC data. Make the value change easily recognizable when we recall the data in VTube-LASER.

Now, at VTube-LASER, press RECALL. LightSpeed should answer VTube-LASER with the new data in the blue columns.

The communication was successful if the new values are now displayed in the blue LRA columns.

Note: VTube-STEP cannot perform a RECALL from the bender. Only VTube-LASER can RECALL data.

If you send a part to the LightSpeed with dies that do not match the current die setup, the Bend Die columns in the VIEW page will turn red - indicating a problem.

The key to fixing the problem is ensuring the incoming radius eventually matches the TOOL page die radius value.

Changing the radius values for a tube model before sending the data to the bender is easy.

In the example, the data uses a radius value of 1 in the VTube-LASER Bender Setup page. 

However, in the Eaton Leonard LightSpeed, the die centerline radius is 1.125".

So, just before sending data to the bender, we can change the radius to match the bend die on the bender in this menu. This does not change the shape of the tube in space. It only changes the lengths between bends.

When you clear a part, the process also can clear the tool page so that all the values are reset to zero. The image on the right shows what happens after clear of a program in LightSpeed.

The LightSpeed control needs these values to be filled out to work properly.

Also, the centerline radius value on the YBC page must match the radius value on the TOOL page.

On the YBC page, be sure that the radius value in the radius box matches the radius value at the top of the die icon.

In the image example, the centerline radius value is ZERO, but the tools are set up for 1.875". This will cause the Bend Die value in the corresponding cell of the FULL view to turn red.