To open the Scale Properties dialog from the Administer menu
Scale Properties Dialog |
Using the Scale Properties dialog, you can modify a scale's connection settings, configure how a scale obtains the weight of an item, or add a comment to an installed scale. You can access the Scale Properties dialog using one of the following methods:
To open the Scale Properties dialog from the Administer menu
From the Administer menu, select Weighing Scale Setup to open the Weighing Scale Setup dialog.
Select the desired scale in the Installed Scales list.
Click the Properties button to open the Scale Properties dialog.
To open the Scale Properties dialog from the Scale property page
On the data entry form, double-click the control to open the Scale Display Properties dialog. Alternatively, select Properties from the control's context menu.
Click the Properties button to open the Scale Properties dialog.
The following tabs are available:
General Tab
The General tab contains general information about the selected scale, including the model of the scale reported by the manufacturer. In addition to viewing this information, you can use the General tab to modify the following scale properties:
Name: Specifies a name that will identify the selected scale throughout the BarTender interface.
Comment: Contains optional text describing the selected scale.
Connection Tab
The Connection tab specifies how BarTender initiates and maintains communication with the selected scale.
The following options are available:
Connection Options
Connection Type: Defines how BarTender communicates with the scale. The available options include Serial Port, where a scale is physically connected to your computer, or TCP/IP Network Port, where a remote or local scale communicates with BarTender via the network.
When Connection Type is set to Serial Port, you can configure the following settings:
Port: Specifies the COM port that connects the scale to your computer.
Baud: Also known as "bits per second," sets the speed that data flows from the device to the port. Common values are 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, and 57600, with 9600 being the most common default setting.
Data Bits: Defines the number of "bits" used to encode each character sent via the serial port. The most common value is 8.
Parity: Sends an extra bit after the data bits of a character for the purpose of error checking. Common settings are odd, even, and none.
Stop Bits: Sets the length of the pause at the end of a transmitted character. The most common value is 1.
Flow Control: Controls the stopping and restarting of data transmission. Options include "hardware" (also known as RTS/CTS) or "Xon/Xoff" (also known as "software" flow control).
When Connection Type is set to TCP/IP Network Port, you can configure the following settings:
Address: Specifies the network location of the scale. You can specify a network location by entering a computer name (i.e. MyServer) or an IP address (i.e. 192.168.1.101).
Port Number: Specifies the TCP/IP port that BarTender will monitor for a connection to the selected scale.
Advanced Tab
The Advanced tab contains configurable options for the selected scale that are not available in other tabs of the Scale Properties dialog. Typically, these settings are complex, and should only be changed as instructed by the scale's user manual or by a technical support representative.
Stable Weight Options
Control Method: Describes which device is used to control how the scale returns the weight to BarTender. The following options are available:
Auto: If the scale has built-in support for stable weight capture, the Auto setting behaves like the Use Scale setting. Otherwise, the Auto setting behaves like the Use PC setting.
Use PC: Uses the computer to capture the stable weight based on the settings you choose below for Minimum Weight, Stable Weight Period, and Maximum Variance.
Use Scale: Uses the scale's built-in settings to determine a stable weight. To configure these settings, please consult your scale's user manual. This option is available only when you have connected to a scale that has built-in support for stable weight capture.
Minimum Weight: Specifies the smallest amount of weight that can be applied to the scale while still recognizing a stable weight.
Stable Weight Period: Specifies the length of time BarTender computes the Maximum Variance to determine whether the weight is stable. This option is only available when you have selected Use PC as the Control Method.
Maximum Variance: Refers to the percent change between the lowest sampled value and the highest sampled value within the Stable Weight Period. When the percent change is less than the specified value, the weight is considered stable. This option is only available when you have selected Use PC as the Control Method.
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The settings for Stable Weight Period and Maximum Variance are available when the Control Method is set to Use PC, or when it is set to Auto and the scale does not have built-in support for stable weight capture. |
Other Options
Polling Interval: Determines how often BarTender will check the scale for weight values.
Tare Control Method: Describes how the tare command is controlled. The following options are available:
Auto: Uses the scale's built-in support for setting and clearing the tare weight on the scale. If the selected protocol does not support a tare command, it will use the PC to simulate the tare and clear tare weight commands.
Use PC: Uses the computer's settings to simulate the tare and clear tare weight functions. You can specify the tare weight using the Input Tare Weight option in the Linked Data Sources property page.
Use Scale: Uses the scale's built-in settings for determining the tare weight. To configure these settings, please consult your scale's user manual. This option is available only when you have connected to a scale that has built-in support for stable weight capture.
Protocol: BarTender will use the specified protocol commands to request the weight values from the scale. Unless you have defined custom protocols, the protocol displayed is the standard protocol for the selected scale. For more information on custom protocols, refer to the User Defined Protocol Properties Dialog topic.
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When you are configuring the properties of a user-defined scale for which you have added more than one protocol, you can use the Protocol dropdown list to select the desired protocol you want to use for the scale. For more information about adding protocols to a user-defined scale, refer to the General tab of the User-Defined Model Properties dialog. |
Units: Defines the units of measurement of weight that BarTender will use. The type of units available can vary depending on the type of scale you are using. Please note that setting the units of measurement in the Scale Properties dialog does not affect the way that the weight will ultimately be printed. Those settings are selected in the Scale Appearance dialog.
