This Article Applies From:
CVI Fusion 6.0
Infinity Client --
Infinity Module --
Core Services --
DeMeter --
CVI Net Web --


Introduction

In the following article, we will explain how to create stations, how to create steps and how to organise them in order to make processes both with and without any branches.


Processes in Pivotware generally work in a "flow-style" similar to how you would imagine a traditional flow chart. Users can define actions to be done in their cycle, make logical decisions based on input data, record valuable data and so forth. 


Contents

1 Creating Stations

2  Creating Steps

2.1  Step Behaviour

3  Ordering Processes

4  Filtering Process Steps


Creating Stations  

  • Open Process Manager or Station Manager.
  • Create a new or open an existing project.
  • Click the Station tab in the bottom right-hand corner.

  • Click "New Station".


After clicking on "New Station" you will see the station configuration properties load on the property workspace.


From this menu you can change station-level properties relating to this particular station/device.

  • Name = Station/Process Name
  • Station Type = Type of License to expect for the station
  • Description = Station/Process Description
  • IP Address = IP Address to use for deployment purposes
  • Active? = Defines if the station should connect to Core Services
  • Auto apply new process? = Defines if the station should auto-apply the configuration upon being detected.
  • Define the ports that are open waiting for connections to Core Services, Infinity Modules and DeMeter.
  • Define COM Port Settings on your station/device to connect to peripherals
  • Define whether your station is using a custom login like a company-specific domain, user and password.
  • Link associated I/O Module assets - defined in local assets - to events in Infinity Client such as scrap cycle or skip step.
  • Define documents to be deployed with your configuration so that operators can open them in production.
  • Define calls operators can make on Infinity client. These can be connected to I/O using I/O Event Monitoring, DeMeter Dashboards and DeMeter Assistant


Click "Save Station" to add your station configuration to your project. It will show in the main workspace.


Creating Steps  

  • Open Process Manager.
  • Create a new or open an existing project.
  • Click the Station tab in the bottom right-hand corner.

  • Click "New Step".


After clicking on "New Step" you will see the step properties load on the property workspace.


From this menu you can change the properties of specific steps that will be added into your process and/or processes. The properties seen here are common to all step types.

  • Step Type = Define the type of step to use
  • Name = Define the step's name
  • Description = Define a description of this step's purpose/activity
  • Step Behaviour = Define whether this step is unique, shared or common.
  • Step Timing = Define an expected time duration for this step
  • Define variants that must be detected - in an associated variant project - for this step to be included in a cycle.
  • Define a lookup table/section of a lookup table which applies to this step 
  • Screen Message = Define the text to be displayed to the operator whilst this step is active on the Infinity HMI.
  • Screen Background Media = Define the media to be displayed to the operator whilst this step is active on the Infinity HMI.
  • Define the availability to skip or retry this step
  • Define available comments/reasons in the event of steps being skipped/retried/deferred or the cycle being scrapped during this step. 
  • Define documents to be deployed with your configuration that operators can open during this particular step in production.


Click "Save Step" to add your station configuration to your project. It will show in the main workspace.


To see our full list of available step types and their uses, check our step type list or our step types articles.


Step Behaviour  

There are three types of step behaviour:

  • Common
  • Shared
  • Unique


TypeCommonSharedUnique
SummaryUsed in multiple stations.
Executed multiple times.		Used in multiple stations.
Executed one time.		Used in one station.
Executed one time.
DescriptionCommon steps are steps that are repeated throughout production.Shared steps are steps that only need to executed once during production but can be executed at multiple points during in the line/work area.Unique steps are steps that are executed on one specific station at one point during the production.  
ExampleScan's at the start of processes used in most stations, end of process confirmation, digital I/O steps common to many stations.On a moving line, a specific tightening may be able to done on multiple stations therefore balancing cycle time more effectively.A station with a specific tightening tool will likely have a dedicated step and settings not used elsewhere.


Shared Step cannot be used without a Core Service connection and requires a special license. 


Ordering Processes

Moving steps in processes is done by dragging them from a step library to your individual station; both of which are located on the main workspace. 


Steps can be reordered within the station allowing for quick changes and fine tuning or processes.


You can use multi-select by ng using the Ctrl and Shift keys.


Filtering Steps  

As well as organising our steps in a logical order to create a process that we desire, we can also filter steps by variant to add or remove steps to a process depending on the part/variant being produced.


You could have something like this.


Here we can see a process with all our possible steps for the station. Instead of having to lots of decision to find which step applies to which part - effectively a separate process each time - we can just filter out the steps we don't want to execute based on the part being built.


The advantage of using this filter is that as the process expands and grows Infinity Client needs to change very little; the process works progressively, you either add more steps with the same filter applies or add more rules to the filter. In both cases you don't need to add more and more branches to your process.


To find out more about variants and how they are used, see here 


Configuring the Variant Filter  

So how we do configure our variant filter in CVI Fusion?

  • Open Process Manager.
  • Create a new or open an existing project.
  • Create a new or click on an existing station.
  • After saving the station, click the "Process Configuration" tab in the bottom right-hand corner.

  • Open the "Build Source" sub-menu


The Build Source menu is where users define important data for each cycle and where Infinity Client will find it in the process. We have three kinds of "special data" that can be defined - all of which are captured at the top of all cycles in reporting:

  • UID = Unique Identifying Data - Ex. Serial Numbers, VIN Numbers, Part Numbers with added datetime stamps.
  • SEQ = Sequence Numbers - Ex. a reoccurring number from 0000 to 9999 that is easier to communicate in production than a UID.
  • DATA = Build Data/Variant Data - Ex. data that identifying the type or characteristics of part required to be produced.


What does this do exactly?

  • In an Infinity Client process, when data enters into the step defined in "Process Configuration > Build Source > DATA", this string is compared against all the variants in associated variant projects. 
  • Any variants that match the format of the string are regarded as TRUE.
  • Any steps in the process after our step defined "Process Configuration > Build Source > DATA" that do have a TRUE variant are removed like seen here:


To define your "DATA" you simply need to know one which step in your process you will receive the data that will be compared to your defines variants in an associated variant project (if you have one).


How do I map which steps apply to which variant?

  • Open Process Manager
  • Create a new or open an existing project.
  • Create a new or click on an existing step
  • In the step properties, open the "Variants" sub-menu

  • Here you can define which variants apply to which steps in your process