Setting Up a Probe Qualification Program
Why create a Probe Qualification program?
1) It is easier to set up a regular calibration interval of all Stylus System with a program (Monday morning at start of
shift, clean all Stylus Systems and the Reference Sphere, then run the Probe Qualification Program).
2) Sometimes an RDS Stylus System accumulates many different stylus positions that are used for different programs.
To save the time it would take to qualify all stylus positions, when for any given job you may only need a few, you can
set up a Probe Qualification Program to address only selected styli.
3) If you have an XXT head, the automatic probe qualification CNC Probing System Qualification that is available in the Probing System
Qualification window, uses the more time-consuming “Qualify passive stylus” (scanning) method. To get a Stylus System
qualified with the quicker “Geometry Re-qualification” method, a Probe Qualification Program works well.
Note: Best Practice for increased accuracy for the XXT head is to do Geometry Re-qualification in your Weekly
or Daily Calibration programs and at least once a month do a Qualify passive stylus Calibration.
Creating a Probe Qualification Program:
To start, select Create New Measurement Plan (DO NOT use the Template
Program, features turned on in the template program may give you errors.)
then from the drop down menus go to Resources/Utilities/Probing system
qualification this will place into the Characteristic
Tab. Repeat until you have enough for all the Stylus Systems you want to
calibrate.
Do not forget to save your program. Here are some generic name conventions
you may wish to consider.
For a scheduled Probe Qualification Program: 01 Monthly CAL, 01 Weekly CAL, or 01 Daily CAL.
For a part specific Probe Qualification Program: Stylus Cal for PN 12345 or Stylus Cal for RGL job.
When do you add a Probing System Qualification characteristic for MasterProbe?
If the reference Sphere is in the same roatation (angle) and location every time (the Reference Sphere never moves or
there is some kind of Fixture that mounts it in the same location every time). Place a Probing System Qualification
characteristic for MasterProbe at the beginning of the program to re-qualify Sphere location.
When do you NOT add a Probing System Qualification characteristic for MasterProbe?
If the Reference Sphere gets taken on and off the CMM and has no way of getting
placed in the same location with the same roation (angle) every time you need to
Reference Sphere Position manully every time. Add a Measurement Plan Comment
(Resources/Measurement Plan Comment) to the program to remind the operator to
reference sphere position before running the program.
Calypso 2018 REV 1 Page 1|5
Characteristic Name
Choose Stylus System
Calibration Mode
Open the
characteristic, the Probing System
Qualification window opens up. Notice that
whatever Stylus System was attached is the
Stylus System that shows up when you open
the window. From this window we can
rename the characteristic, chose a different
Stylus System, add, delete, change the
Calibration Mode and even select the active
Stylus after qualification. Select active Stylus after Qualification
For this example we are going to change the
Calibration Mode from the slower Qualify passive
stylus to the faster Geometry Re-qualification. To
do this, select all the styli from the Selected styli
section, (remember that Shift selects a group and
Click here to select Styli
Ctrl chooses one at a time) a will be placed
next to the Stylus name now from the Mode drop
down , at the bottom of the window, select
Geometry Re-qualification.
Here is an example of a modified Probing System
Qualification. The name has been changed and
the calibration Mode has been changed to
Geometry Re-qualification. These are the typical
settings for an XXT head regular (weekly)
calibration. Repeat for all Stylus Systems you
wish to calibrate.
Stylus After Qualification drop down : When you select the Stylus After
Qualification drop down all the available styli appear. Choosing one of these
becomes the tip that is activated after the calibration is finished.
NOTE: The Standard selection is the Stylus that was active when you selected
Accept and Close in the Probing System Qualification Window.
This feature can be very useful if you have a probe qualification inside of a part
program, you can leave it at the desired rotation to check the next feature.
Page 2|5
To remove styli from the Selected styli List, that we
may no longer need, select what stylus or styli you
want to remove from the Selected styli List,
(remember that Shift selects a group and Ctrl chooses
one at a time) a will be placed next to the stylus
name now select to remove it from
the Selected styli list.
Note: You can add styli back to the Selected styli List
using the same method, select styli in Styli available
List and select to move to Selected
styli List.
EXAMPLE
NOTE:
Renamed the characteristic
Removed four styli &
A135 B-90 NE
A135 B90 SW just moves styli
A45 B90 SE between Styli
A45 B-90 NW available and
changed the Calibration Mode Selected styli.
to Geometry Re-qualification.
Stylus system drop down : When you select the Stylus system drop
down all available Stylus Systems are listed, select the correct Stylus
System. When you select the new Stylus System a Question window
opens, select it just deletes the Stylus System from the
Probe System Qualification characteristic, not the CMM, and replaces
it with the new Stylus System.
(OPTIONAL) Extra Results for Probe Qualification Program:
If you need your results to go to a table file (or QC Calc) or just want the data to
show up on the Printout we need to insert a Result Element for each Styli. From
the drop down menus select Size/More/Result Element this will insert
into the Characteristic Tab.
Before we continue lets understand the formula.
IMPORTANT: When using formulas you need to be very aware of upper and lower case letters, spaces, parenthesis,
quotations and comma locations, and you must use the EXACT name of the Stylus and Stylus System.
Here is the standard
formula for getting Stylus
(Probe) information.
Page 3|5
Here is an example of the getProbe formula
with selected to display the
formula calculation. If you get 9999 or nil in
the Information window the formula is
incorrect.
Other information for the probe is
available, here is a couple of popular ones.
.diameter – Stylus Diameter
.radius – Stylus Radius
Creating the Results Element for a Probe Qualification Program:
Open the characteristic, the Result
Element window opens up. Right click in the Formula bar and
choose formula.
The Formula
window will open up. In the area provided
type in your formula, in this example,
getProbe(“2mm Down Z-”,“RGL Star”).stdProbeDev now select to see the
result. Now select in the Information window. If the result was not correct
fix the formula and compute again until you get the proper result. In the Result Element
window do not forget to rename the characteristic, add nominal data (if required), and
add tolerances. When the Result element is finished select to finish creating
the characteristic. Repeat this process for all Styli and Stylus Systems and any addition
information about the Stylus you may want, like Probe Diameter. The advantage of using
the Formula window instead of just typing in the formula in the Result Element is that you
can calculate the result by selecting to see if your formula has any errors in it.
NOTE 1: If you want the Program Qualification Program to output in inches your formula needs to be:
(getProbe(“2mm Down Z-”,“RGL Star”).stdProbeDev)/25.4
NOTE 2: If you plan to send the results to a table file, remember to click the table file checkbox in your Run Screen. If it
is grayed out, go to Resources/Results to File and either turn table file on, or make it selectable at CNC start. See
Optional Template Measurement Plan section in the RGL Calypso Fast Start Guide for additional help.
Helpful Hint for “cleaning up” a Probe Qualification Program with Result Elements:
A Probe Qualification Program with Result Elements is a great place to use Calypso’s
Group function. In this example we have all the characteristics for the RGL Star. This
program is reporting the deviation of the calibration and the stylus diameter for all five
Styli of the RGL Star Stylus System. To “clean up” the characteristic tab we can use the
Group function. First highlight the characteristics (remember that Shift selects a group
and Ctrl chooses one at a time) you want in the group (shown in picture to the left), then
right click and select Form group this will create one
group for all the characteristics highlighted. The new Group characteristic (renamed RGL
Star Calibration) will look like this , one line containing all eleven
characteristics. Select to expand and to collapse the Group as needed. Repeat for
all the Stylus Systems.
Page 4|5
Running a Probe Qualification Program
When the program is finished select from the Toolbar or from the bottom of the Feature or
Characteristic Tabs to get to the Start Measurement window. With a Probe Qualification Program the settings in this
window are different than a normal Part Program.
Selection
select Current CMM
Alignment and All Order of run
Characteristics change drop
down to From
Results Characteristic
List because
Check Clear existing
there are NO
results to get new
Features.
Stylus System data
Navigate-
Feature To
Optional see Extra
Feature change
Results section
drop down to
select Table File if
Use Position
needed and only if
Points Only
you have added
Result Elements.
Viewing results WITHOUT the optional extra results:
After the program has finished
running select View/Default
Printout from the drop down
menus to see your data. The
printout gives you all the
information about the calibration.
From here, you can go to the
Printout drop down and save the
results to a file (Output to PDF…) or print if you wish.
Page 5|5