Agriculex ESC-2 Operator's Manual
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Agriculex ESC-2 Operator's Manual

Programmable electronic seed counter
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Agriculex Inc.
Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org
Agriculex
ESC-2 Programmable Electronic
Seed Counter
Operator's Manual
1-59 suburban Ave Guelph Ontario N1E 6B4

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  • Page 1 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Agriculex ESC-2 Programmable Electronic Seed Counter Operator’s Manual 1-59 suburban Ave Guelph Ontario N1E 6B4...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Table of Contents 1. Introduction to ESC2 Counter……………………………3 Sensitivity Vertical and Horizontal Gate Feed Turntable 2. Quick Installation Guide…………………………………5 3. Remote Mode…………………………………………….7 ESC2 Seed Counter Select Communication port Connect to Counter...
  • Page 3 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Format of the Output Data Totalize Mode Batch Mode Specific Codes (ASCII code) Communication Setup Collect Data from ESC2 (without sending a question) Collect Data from ESC2 (without sending a question)

  • Page 4: Sensitivity

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 1. Introduction to ESC2 Seed Counter The ESC2 seed counter is a high speed seed counter designed to accurately count at a speed of up to 100 seeds per second. Greater accuracy can be achieved at a lower speed.

  • Page 5: Feed Turntable

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org continuously without jamming the feed turntable. You may need to experiment a bit to find the best setting. 3. Feed turntable Speed The counting speed is controlled by the feed turntable speed and the size of gates. The speed range of the feed turntable is from 1 to 200.

  • Page 6: Quick Installation Guide

    Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 2. The ESC-2 Quick Installation Guide Thank you for choosing the ESC-2 Seed Counter. This Quick Installation Guide provides simple setup instructions. For more additional information refer to the operator’s manual.
  • Page 7  It is recommended to turn off the power before connecting or disconnecting the cables.  Setup all parts of ‘ESC-2 Seed Counter as shown in Figure 1 (page 6) and connect all cables to each respective port.  Use the 9 pin null modem cable provided by Agriculex to connect a PC or laptop to the ESC-2 Seed Counter.

  • Page 8: Remote Mode

    3. Remote Mode 3.1 ESC2 Seed Counter Turn on power of the ESC-2 Seed Counter and wait for the menu to appear on the display panel. Press number 1 button to select the Remote Mode. Double click ESC2_xv35 file to launch the program if the program has not been launched on your computer. The software will look like the figure 3.1 as shown below:...

  • Page 9: Select Communication Port

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org information demand by software.  Load File…: Open prearranged excel file. Above figure just is an overall view, the more detail function of each button, menu and the control items will be further explained in the follow paragraphs.

  • Page 10: Prepare To Count

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 3.4 Prepare to Count Click the down arrow from the ‘Seed List’ in the ‘Count Mode’ frame to select seed name. See figure 3.4. When a selected seed name appeared on the top of name list, the parameters in the Count Set associating with this seed name will be automatically changed.

  • Page 11: Batch Count

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org will pop up on the screen as shown at figure 3.5.2. In the Totalize mode only 5 and 6 ‘Done’ items are allowed to enter information. After entering information, Click the button or press ‘Enter’...
  • Page 12 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Enter an ID following an Enter key or scan a barcode. A dialog frame will pop up as shown figure 3.6. If you do not setup Set Counter, the items of Location and Comments will not appear on the Frame.

  • Page 13: Dump Seeds And Sample Ready Dialogue

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org ‘Done’ ‘Start’ Click on the button. Then click on the button. The counter will start counting. NB: In the ‘Batch Count Mode’ you can click on the ‘Done’ button to end the Batch Count at any time when there are not enough seeds in the hopper or should you wish to quit counting.

  • Page 14: Set Feeding Speed Of The Turntable

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Figure 3.8 ‘Add’ Click the button to add seed name and associated parameters. 3.9 Set Feeding Speed of the turntable You can set-up feeding speed of the turntable after the connection between PC and the counter has been established.
  • Page 15 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Figure 3.10.1 Click on the ‘Load File…’ button in the ‘Count Para frame’, an open file dialog frame will pop up, select a prearranged excel file, then click ok. After that, the contents of the file will display on the list table in the Count Model frame as figure 3.10.2 shown below:...

  • Page 16: Open, Save & Print Data Files

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Enter an ID number or scan a Barcode into the textbox named as I.D. (Variety), the matched ID in the item list will be selected and colored. See above figure 3.11.

  • Page 17: File Format

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 4. File Format 4.1 Limit and Constraint Before starting to prepare an ‘EXCEL’ file, the ‘Limit and Constraint’ should be understood.  ID must be set in first column in header row.

  • Page 18: Simplified Standard Prearranged File

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 4.3 Simplified standard prearranged file Figure 4.3 Note that the first row is the header. The first cell in the header must be ID. 4.4 Prearranged File Without the Header Please format each cell in the first row to ‘TEXT’...
  • Page 19 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Figure 4.5 For example; look at the row 2 and 3 at the above figure 4.5. If the Feed Speed is set to 50 speed level, the counter will run at 50 speed level for row 1 and 2 seed sample. The counter will run at 60 speed level for row 3 seed sample, and at 50 speed level for row 4 seed sample.

  • Page 20: Independent Mode

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 5. Independent Mode If you want to integrate data from the counter to your database and you have a third party software such as ‘Winwedge’. Or you have developed your own software, which is capable of RS232 communication;...

  • Page 21: Batch Counting

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Since the ‘sensitivity’ setting and gate setting have to be done manually the above number is only recommended for setting soybean if you press 1. Enter feed turntable speed...
  • Page 22 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org The other option allows you to create the program where the packages from the same seed lot have a variable number of seeds. For example; you might want to count 4 packages of 100 seeds and 2 packages of 150 seeds from each seed lot.
  • Page 23 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Enter feed turntable lower speed. Press enter to accept default. The machine defaults to a low speed 1/3 that of the high speed. Accept this default. Select a method for cleaning out machine between seed lots.

  • Page 24: Setting Valve Delay Times

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Load your seeds into the hopper. Counting continues at high turntable speed until the limit is close. The turntable then slows. When the limit is reached the main valve closes, the turntable returns to high speed, and a ‘sample ready’...
  • Page 25 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Set up a batch counting program to count just a packet of 10 seeds from a seed lot. Be sure that the sensitivity setting is correct. Run the program with a small amount of seeds in the hopper.
  • Page 26 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Select option 1, the program will go to next screen 1. Add a Crop 2. Delete a Crop 3. Edit Value Delay, Gate or Sensitivity setting 4. Done editing...

  • Page 27: Collect Data By Pressing Button

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org After that, you can enter new crop name and parameters which associated with the crop 5.6 Collect data by pressing button 6 or 7 Press button 7 for ‘totalizes count mode’ or press button 6 for ‘batch count mode’ on the control unit to send out a sequence of data to your PC.

  • Page 28: Collect Data From Esc2

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 6. Collect data from ESC2 The document is intended to provide customers who have a third party software (is capable of collecting data from the serial port device) and is able to collect the data from the seed counter in his/her own application.

  • Page 29: Batch Mode

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 6.1.3 Batch Mode The output data in the batch mode consist of Batch Number, Delimiter Code, Packet Number, Count Number, Residual Number, and End Code. The number of data field in output data varies depending on the batch number.

  • Page 30: Specific Codes (Ascii Code)

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 3 Batch count: First batch is 2 packets and 50 seed/packet Second batch is 8 packets and 39 seed/packet Last batch is 9 packets and 66 seeds/packet The residual number is 55. If the batch number increases to 1 the number of data field in the output data will increase to 2.
  • Page 31 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Step 1: Start and End of Record Events Press the button on the control box to send out data from the counter to your software. The configuration steps are shown below to run WinWedge: a.

  • Page 32: Configure Winwedge (Send A Question)

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Step 2: Click ASCII Char… button - select ASCII value 0, and then click OK Click on the ‘Continue’ button - Select each data record contains multiple delimited data field item then Click Continue button on the bottom from the frame of Input Record Structure.
  • Page 33 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org  Select ‘Hot Keys’ and ‘Hot Key Action’ from the Define menu 1. Select “Transmit String” from “Hot Key Action” textbox, 2. Move the cursor into “Hot Key Keystroke” textbox and click. ASCII Char..

  • Page 34: Maintenance

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 7. Maintenance Maintenance of the counter includes:  clean detecting unit  clean the main valve  clean feeder 7.1 Clean detecting unit The seed counter should be periodically cleaned to ensure the precision and accuracy of the counter.
  • Page 35 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Use a soft paper towel or rag to clean the exterior surface of small size acrylic window tube as shown below: Small size acrylic tube Use a soft paper towel or rag to clean the inside surface of the large size acrylic...

  • Page 36: If The Count Is Still Not Accurate

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 7.1.3 After cleaning If the count is still not accurate, the sensors may have a problem and the counter should be sent back to Agriculex Inc. for maintenance 7.2 Clean the valve plate When the main valve cannot be properly opened or closed you will need to clean the valve plate.
  • Page 37 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 7.3 The valve can not open or close If the precede cleaning procedure action of the valve’s open or close still has problem, you will need to clean the dust on the crossing way of the valve.
  • Page 38 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Take Base Integration from the base unit and place it as shown below: o Remove the 4 screws Screw 1 Screw 2 Screw3 Screw 4  Remove the top unit...
  • Page 39 Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org Clean the surface After cleaning re-assemble the unit. 7.4 Sometimes you may need to reset the position between the stroke rod and the solenoid cylinder body. Less than 1 mm...

  • Page 40: Setup Recommendation

    Agriculex Inc. Tel: 519 837 0871 Fax 519 837 4291 www.agriculex.guelph.org 8 Setup Recommendations ESC-2 Programmable Electronic Seed Counter for counting Soybean: 1. Vertical gate set at # 8 to 10 2. Horizontal gate set at # 12 3. Sensitivity set at #5 to 6 4.

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