VTube Communication for SOCO

VTube-STEP and VTube-LASER Communications with SOCO Benders

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 , or Kyle Eagle at "[email protected]".

Protocol

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.

Communications Setup with the SOCO Bender

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).

Setup Benderlink inside of VTube-STEP or VTube-LASER

Entering Benderlink Setup

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

Setup the Benderlink for the SOCO Bender

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.)
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.
Assign the SOCO SVNet protocol.
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.
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.)
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.

How to SEND MASTER XYZ Data to the SOCO Control from VTube-STEP

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

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

Using VTube-LASER to send NEW MASTER Data to YLM Benders

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

For a NEW TUBE, the YLM takes in VTube MASTER Supravision LRA data in a Supravision file.

Follow these steps at VTube-LASER to Send a NEW TUBE SETUP to a YLM Bender

STEP 1
Switch to the MASTER TUBE window and press the FILE tab.

STEP 2
Save the Supravision file.

STEP 3
Move to the YLM control and follow the steps below to import the new data.

Follow these steps at the YLM CONTROL to import the MASTER data from VTube-LASER

STEP 1

In the YLM control, clear the YBC data. (Note:Clearing is optional. It is not always necessary - but seems to keep data from overlapping between older and newer setups.)

STEP 2

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.

STEP 3

In the lower right corner of the screen, select the drive and path then explore for and select the $$$ file that was created by VTube-LASER.

STEP 4

In the YLM YBC menu, click on IMPORT. (Do not click "COMPARE" - as that is for corrections.)

STEP 5

Press the Exit menu close button in the lower right corner of the screen.

STEP 6

In order to exit the YBC screen, you might need to double tap on the teach mode button in order to turn on teach mode. Then double tap on the sequences icon on the top of the sequences column. Reset the sequences.

VTube-LASER CORRECTION Steps for YLM Benders

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.