Difference between revisions of "VTube Communication for SOCO"

This page describes the setup and use of the VTube to SOCO communications.

The distributor of SOCO benders is TFS - Tube Form Solutions in Elkhart, Indiana.

The developers from SOCO, TFS, and Advanced Tubular have thoroughly tested the features explained in this page.

If you have any questions, please contact Michael Cone at Advanced Tubular Technologies, or Kyle Eagle at TFS (Tube Form Solutions - Distributor for SOCO).

VTube-STEP can export Supravision data to SOCO benders using the SOCO SVNet protocol.

VTube-LASER, the version of VTube that connects to a FARO measuring center arm, can send measured data to the SOCO control for corrections.

• Correct communications requires at least Revision 728 (September 10, 2016) of the SOCO software. (The control filenames include the revision number in the name like this: "NVS728.exe". They are in the "c:\Program Files (x86)\Bending Machine" folder. You can see the SOCO NVC revision number also at the bottom of the startup screen (See the right image.)
  
  
• Connect the SOCO bender to the network using a standard Ethernet cable. SOCO computers can be accessed through the lower front of the operator station. Run the cable through the small side door on the right, and up to the computer system. The SOCO control computer will have Ethernet ports available for connection.
  
  
• Setup a shared network location either in the SOCO windows control or in a network path on your network.
  
  
• In the SOCO YBC screen, press the measuring center button.
  
  
• Enter the shared network path in the Exchange Directory field. This path name cannot be a UNC name (like \\192.168.0.2\VTube\). It must be a path with a drive and a path that follows. If you must network to a location on the network, then map a drive letter to that location, and use the mapped drive letter in this field.
  
  
• Enter the bender number. Each bender number needs to have a unique number in the network. The bender number must be 1 or higher. Don't use "0" for the bender number, because VTube requires a bender number that is at least 1.
  
  
• Activate the SV/SV Network communications. Touch the checkbox field until it shows a check mark (see the image on the right).
  
  

1. Enter the VTube System Options menu.
   
   
2. Enter the Measure 2 tab menu.
   
   
3. Enter the Setup Benderlink Network menu.
   
   

1. Choose an unused row in the grid for a new SOCO bender setup. (Click on the image at the right to see a zoomed image.)
   
   
2. Assign a bender name that will help operators identify what this bender is. This text will be displayed at the top of the Bender Setup menu.
   
   
3. Assign the SOCO SVNet protocol.
   
   
4. Enter the path to the shared drive or folder in the NetPath field. Use the same location as the SOCO setup. VTube accepts UNC names as well as regular paths with drive letters.
   
   
5. Enter the IP address in the PING IP ADDRESS field if it is a fixed field. (This is not required. It allows VTube to ping the address to see if the network location is active before trying to open communications.)
   
   
6. Press Close to save the settings. VTube will save these values to a persistent configuration file that will not change unless you change them in this grid.

You can import data into VTube-STEP then send the data calculated to the SOCO bender using the VTube Bender Output menu.

1. Enter the SOCO XYZ Screen. With the XYZ Screen open, the SOCO control will automatically interpret an incoming SVNET file as a file with MASTER XYZ data and import that into the SOCO NVS software.

Follow the steps in the image on the right to send data

The connection the bender is made with standard network connection, and a shared folder location between the VTube computer and the operator station computer.

The YLM control handles corrections differently than any other control. This is how it is unique:

• First, for a CORRECTION, the YLM takes in VTube MEASURED Supravision LRA data. To make a correction to a YLM bender, it is important to send ONLY this data. The standard correction process will not work with the YLM.
  
  
• Second, the YLM uses the correction in the opposite way in its standard setup when taking in the MEASURED data and comparing it to its MASTER or NOMINAL data. For example, if the Measured data shows 1 degree overbent, then the YLM correction procedure will send that bend one MORE degree.

Handling Opposite Corrections

There are two ways to overcome the opposite correction problem:

1 - Use a special INVERSION checkbox in the VTube Supravision Export menu. Only use this inversion switch when sending measured data for correction.

2 - Have the YLM technician change the internal low level setting in the YLM control that makes the correction be apply in the normal way.

Switch to the MEASURED TUBE window and press the FILE tab.

Most YLM benders use the pure MEASURED data for corrections. However, some YLM benders need the MEASURED data changed into the CORRECTED data - and the CORRECTIONS are always made based on the MASTER data (not the existing data in the bender). We call this "YBC Correction Inversion".

If you find that the corrections move in the wrong direction on a YLM, then check the inversion check box. The inversion check box will only display if VTube knows you are saving MEASURED data to a Supravision file.

Save the Supravision file.

Move to the YLM control and follow the steps below to import the correction.

In the YLM YBC menu, click on CORRECTION.

Note: This button can be disabled on some controls and must be enabled in the setup. Contact Joe Seibel ([email protected]) of this button is disabled so that he can give you instructions for enabling the feature.

Search for and select the $$$ file that was created by VTube-LASER.

Select COMPARE to bring the data into the YLM control. The COMPARE button will only display when a file is selected.

NOTE: DO NOT press the IMPORT button for corrections. Pressing IMPORT will make the correction data the nominal data - which would be incorrect.

Press the menu close button in the lower right corner.