Page 1 Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451 Web: https://www.abqindustrial.net E-mail: info@abqindustrial.net Dakota Ultrasonics DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector - Detector Manual Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451...
Page 2: Table Of Contents
CHAPTER EIGHT DISTANCE AMPLITUDE CORRECTION (DAC) ....60 CHAPTER NINE TIME CORRECTED GAIN (TCG) ......... 66 CHAPTER TEN ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF THE DFX-7 ......71 CHAPTER ELEVEN DATA STORAGE – SETUP, EDIT, & VIEW FILES ..95 CHAPTER TWELVE SETUPS – CREATE, STORE, EDIT, & RECALL ..120 ...
Page 3: Chapter One Introduction
A/B Scan thickness scope, in a single unit. It’s a combination of both our CMX DL+, as well as our new DFX-7 flaw detector series. Why is this advantageous? Thickness gauge are specifically setup to very accurately measure thickness, locate pits, flaws and blind surface corrosion.
Page 4: Chapter Two Quick Start Guide
DFX-7, use the UP/DOWN arrow keys to select “flaw detector”, followed by pressing the OK key start the DFX-7 in flaw mode. If this is the first time the gauge has been used, a general startup configuration will automatically be loaded and the DFX-7 is ready for general inspections.
Page 5 Note: The following features are set to off: GT2, TRIG, AWS, TCG, DAC, DGS. 2.3 Top & Submenu Reference The following table is a quick menu reference guide. The DFX-7 has 15 top level menu titles, and multiple submenu items as illustrated below. Refer to Chapter Three for additional definitions and information on the keypad and menu items.
Page 6 TB SIZE SIGNAL 2.4 Loading the Default Setup If the DFX-7 has previously been used, the basic default settings can be reloaded at any time, as outlined below: Load Default Setup The following section assumes the gauge is powered up, the flaw detector option selected, and the main measurement screen is being displayed.
Page 7 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until DEFAULT SETUP is highlighted. 3) Press the ENTER key to display the confirmation screen. 4) Press the OK key to load the default setup and return to the measurement...
Page 8: Chapter Three Keyboard, Menu, & Connector Reference
CHAPTER THREE KEYBOARD, MENU, & CONNECTOR REFERENCE 3.1 Menu Key (Operation & Sub Menus) The Menu key activates the primary menu structure containing 15 menu tab groups. These tab groups then contain sub menu items, or functions. The sub menu items have been organized in the tab groups according to how closely they are related to the individual tab group names.
Page 9 Dakota Ultrasonics Activating and Navigation of the Menu Items 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the desired tab group is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 10 ZERO PROBE: Used to zero the transducer and calibrate the screen. The DFX-7 is zeroed in much the same way that a mechanical micrometer is zeroed. If the DFX-7 is not zeroed correctly, all of the measurements made using the DFX-7 may be in...
Page 11 3.5 TUNE – Menu FILTERS: The DFX-7 is a wide band flaw detector with a frequency range of 1.8 to 19 MHz (-3dB). The DFX-7+ is additionally equipped with selectable narrow band filters at;...
Page 12 It should be noted that if the VIEW is set to positive, and the gate negative, the DFX-7 will not display an amplitude percentage of full screen height. Refer to page 30 for further info.
Page 13 Refer to page 50 for further info. THICKNESS: Used to set the thickness of the test material. The thickness will be used to determine which skip/leg the DFX-7 is detecting on. Refer to page 50 for further info.
Page 14 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 3.9 AWS – Menu AWS: This feature toggles the AWS feature on/off. Used in the analysis of welds according to American Welding Society’s structural welding code D1.1-94, to calculate the Indication Rating (IR). Refer to page 55 for further info.
Page 15 Refer to page 125 for further info. DEFAULT SETUP: Loads a basic default setup. Use only as a last resort when the setups in the DFX-7 have been corrupted and a computer is not accessible. Refer to page 127 for further info.
Page 16 Refer to page 71 for further info. GAUGE: Gives the user the ability toggle the DFX-7 gauge type to either a flaw detector, or a thickness gauge. Refer to page 3 for further info.
Page 17 DFX-7 DakView software for a complete electronic manual. RESTORE SETUPS: Enables the user the ability to restore the setups currently saved on a PC to an DFX-7 via RS232 port. Refer the help section of the DFX-7 DakView software for a complete electronic manual.
Page 18 The ESC key is used in the MENU, MEAS, and EDIT functions as a back or escape function. If the DFX-7 is displaying a grid or sequential log, the OK key toggles the display options: RF, +RECT, -RECT and RECTFW views.
Page 19 Dakota Ultrasonics In order to understand how to operate the DFX-7, it’s best to start off with an understanding of what we’re looking at. The DFX-7 has a lot of great features and tools that will prove to be a huge benefit for the variety of applications you’re constantly facing on a continual basis.
Page 20 K. A-Scan Display – The actual echo reflections returned from the backwall or defect. 3.26 Navigating the Hot Menu The diagram above is a screenshot of the “Hot Menu” feature of the DFX-7. The Hot Menu’s contain all the most regularly adjusted features of the gauge. The primary...
Page 21 Dakota Ultrasonics purpose of the design, was to provide the user with an efficient way to make adjustments on the fly during inspections. The following procedure outlines the steps to navigate and make adjustments as follows: Hot Menu Gate1 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate the Hot Menu. Press the MEAS key multiple times to advance the cell right, and the ESC key multiple times to advance the cell left, until the WIDTH1 cell is highlighted.
Page 22 Refer to Diagram: The RS-232 connector, located on the bottom end cap, is a 2 pin female Lemo connector. It is designed to connect directly from the DFX-7 to a standard AT serial port on a PC. The cable supplied with the DFX-7 is a Lemo to 9...
Page 23 Dakota Ultrasonics pin serial cable. Note: This connector is also used to upgrade the DFX-7 with the latest version of firmware. USB Serial to USB Converter Cable A converter cable can be attached to the 9 pin serial cable in needed (part no. N-402-...
Page 24: Chapter Four Setting Up For Measurement
CHAPTER FOUR SETTING UP FOR MEASUREMENT 4.1 Selecting Display View The DFX-7 includes a variety of viewing options for the waveform display. There are three primary options waveform options with selectable polarity. These are all outline below as follows: Radio Frequency (RF): Displays the entire sine wave signal, much like an oscilloscope, from a reflector or return echo.
Page 25 The Delay represents the left side of the display, and can be adjusted to start at any thickness value within the overall range of the DFX-7. Note: Once the delay is set, it will remain the same for the views: RF, +RECT, - RECT, RECTFW.
Page 26 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Setting Delay 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left, until the DELAY cell is highlighted.
Page 27 Dakota Ultrasonics The Range is the distance from the delay that will be viewable on the screen. It can be adjusted to any value greater than the Delay. The procedures to adjust the range are outlined below: Setting Range 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left, until the RANGE cell is highlighted.
Page 28 If it’s turned down too much, you can’t hear it at all. The DFX-7 commands a 110dB gain range using 3 stages of amplification. The overall range makes the DFX-7 extremely versatile regarding a variety of applications and material types.
Page 29 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) Press the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 3) Alternatively, press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 4) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value.
Page 30 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector The user can also access and adjust the gain from the tabbed menus. However, this method is more tedious than making the adjustments using the Hot Menus. The procedure using the tabbed menus is outlined below: Adjusting the Gain using the Tabbed Menus 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 31 70%. The width and range are adjusted to cover the range tested, and the inspection is underway. The DFX-7 is equipped with 2 fully independent gates. Each gate has a start and stop or width, a threshold, a polarity switch, and a detect option. A gate can only detect on reflections that occur inside the boundaries of the gate.
Page 32 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector No Gate Gate On The screenshots above show a rectified waveform with and without a gate enabled. The following steps outline how to enable a gate as follows: Activating a Gate Gate1 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the GT1 menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 33 Dakota Ultrasonics Note: Above will trigger the alarm when a signal meets or exceeds the height of the gate, and below will detect on anything that meets or is below the height of the gate. Set Gate1 Start 1) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys until GATE1 is highlighted, followed by pressing the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the value.
Page 34 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 6) Press the OK key to set the GATE1 WIDTH and return to the menu screen, or ESC to cancel entering the GATE1 WIDTH. Note: This sets the overall width of the gate in terms of the horizontal axis or depth.
Page 35 Dakota Ultrasonics Note: Sets where the detection will occur, on the negative or positive going echoes.
Page 36: Chapter Five Calibration
CHAPTER FIVE CALIBRATION In this section we’ll focus on calibrating the DFX-7. There are a number of ways to go about performing a calibration, but we’ll be focusing on the simplest and most accurate method, which is performing a two point calibration. This method is very convenient, as it will automatically calculate the material velocity and zero using a minimum and maximum calibration standard of know thickness and material type.
Page 37 However, the user should invest the necessary time getting to know the features and options included in the DFX-7, as well as gaining a good understanding of their function: Loading Default Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 38 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 2) Press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 3) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 4) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations.
Page 39 Dakota Ultrasonics Activating a Gate 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the GT1 menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 40 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 until the desired GATE1 value is displayed. Note: In our example, a value less than 1 inch should be selected. 6) Press the OK key to set the value and return to the GT1 menu.
Page 41 5.2 Straight Beam Calibration Now that the DFX-7 is setup with a valid range and a gate enabled, we’re ready to perform a two point, calibration using a single element contact style transducer, as follows: Two Point Calibration –...
Page 42 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Coupling to the 1” Cal Standard (1 Point) Apply a drop of couplant on the transducer and place the transducer in steady contact with the 1” calibration standard. Be sure that the reading is stable and the repeatability indicator, in the top left corner of the display, is fully lit and stable.
Page 43 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 4) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 5) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations. 6) Repeat steps 4 & 5 until the known thickness value is correctly displayed.
Page 44 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector stable. Also, be sure there is sufficient signal amplitude in order to avoid ‘peak jumping’ or missing the first cycle. Adjusting the Gate 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate the measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left, until the GATE1 cell is highlighted.
Page 45 Dakota Ultrasonics 4) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 5) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations. 6) Repeat steps 4 & 5 until the known thickness value is correctly displayed.
Page 46 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Adjusting the Gate to Calibrated Range 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate the measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left, until the GATE1 cell is highlighted.
Page 47 Refer to section 5.1 and 5.2, regarding the procedures to setup and calibrate the DFX-7. The following are a list of additional items to consider when using an angle beam...
Page 48 Selecting the Material Type: The user can also select a material type directly from a table built into the DFX-7 with shear wave values. This would only get the user close, in terms of velocity, to the...
Page 49 Dakota Ultrasonics wave values, the TRIG mode must be enabled. The following outlines the steps to enable the shear wave velocity table and select a material type from the chart: Selecting the Material Type 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the TRIG menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 50 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 7) Press the ENTER key to select the material type and initiate the overwrite confirmation screen. 8) Press the OK key to confirm the material selection, or ESC key to cancel changing the material type.
Page 51: Chapter Six Trigonometry Mode
CHAPTER SIX TRIGONOMETRY MODE 6.1 Introduction to TRIG Trig mode is most commonly used for inspecting welded joints using an angle beam transducer. Based on the location, orientation, and geometry of the weld, a straight beam transducer is typically not suitable for inspection. As a result, a transducer emitting sound at a given angle will allow the operator to position the transducer away from the actual weld, and “skip”...
Page 52 (B). Curved Surface Correction: The DFX-7 will also compensate for convex curved surfaces of longitudinally welded pipes. A curved surface will produce a greater sound path than a flat surface will, using a transducer with a given angle. The user should consider the angle used on curved surfaces, with respect to the material thickness, in order to be sure a reflection will occur from the opposite surface of the test material.
Page 53 Dakota Ultrasonics Activating & Setting the Parameters Activate Trig Mode 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the TRIG menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 54 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 4) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations. 5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 until the thickness is correctly displayed. 6) Press the OK key to set the THICKNESS and return to the menu screen, or ESC to cancel entering the THICKNESS.
Page 55 Dakota Ultrasonics 6) Press the OK key to set the X-OFFSET and return to the menu screen, or ESC to cancel entering the X-OFFSET. Note: The X-Offset is used for purposes of marking, and is physically measured with a ruler from the index point to the front edge of the transducer.
Page 56: Chapter Seven Aws - Weld Inspection
(SP), surface distance (SD), and depth (D). The following sections provide an outline for using the AWS feature. 7.2 Additional Comments Since the DFX-7 is a gain controlled instrument, the following formula applies: A – B – C = D Where:...
Page 57 Dakota Ultrasonics inspection, and should additionally be setup prior to enabling the AWS feature. Refer to Chapter Six for instructions on setting up TRIG mode. Activating & Setting AWS Activate Trig Mode 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the AWS menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 58 GATE1 cell is highlighted. Note: A gray cursor should be visible in the waveform area of the display. Also, since the DFX-7 has been previous calibrated and the TRIG feature has been setup, a gate should be enabled and active.
Page 59 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to position the start of GATE1 to trigger on the waveform. 3) Optionally, press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left, until the WIDTH1 cell is highlighted.
Page 60 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Note: The AWS screen can be toggle on by pressing the OK key while in the main measurement screen. Equally, the Hot Menus can be toggled by pressing the MEAS at any time.
Page 61: Chapter Eight Distance Amplitude Correction (Dac)
Therefore, if the -6/-12dB curve option has been selected, the user can toggle the TRIGGER options: GATE, DAC, -6dB, or -12dB. Note: Based on the screen resolution of the DFX-7, the dynamic range of the DAC is approximately 18dB. As a result, inspection of any materials that attenuate more than 18dB over the inspection range, the DAC feature should not be used, and TCG (Time Corrected Gain) should optionally be considered.
Page 62 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector %FSH – The top of the waveform display represents 100% full screen height. Any waveform amplitudes generated greater than 100% full screen height will not be displayed. 100% is the greatest value that can be displayed.
Page 63 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until DAC is highlighted. 3) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to toggle the DAC feature ON or AUDIBLE. The menu items should now become active and adjustable, as illustrated above.
Page 64 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 2) Proceed to the next section – Drawing the DAC. Drawing the DAC 1) With all the parameters set in the previous section, press the MEAS key once to return to the main measurement screen. Note: The user should now see a highlighted cursor displayed in the waveform area, starting at the left most side of the display area.
Page 65 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right, and the ESC key multiple times to move left until the DAC BOX: cell is highlighted. Now that the DAC BOX: cell is highlighted, the cursor can be controlled by moving the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys.
Page 66 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 7) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys until DRAW is highlighted, followed by pressing the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys until OFF is displayed. The DAC curves are now set and ready to be used for inspection.
Page 67: Chapter Nine Time Corrected Gain (Tcg)
CHAPTER NINE TIME CORRECTED GAIN (TCG) 9.1 Introduction to TCG The TCG feature increases gain as distance increases, in order to achieve an overall level of sensitivity for the same reflector at different distances. It is very similar to the DAC feature noted in a previous chapter.
Page 68 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Activating TCG 4) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the TCG menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 69 Dakota Ultrasonics 11) Press the OK key to set the % SCRN HEIGHT and return to the menu screen, or ESC to cancel entering the % SCRN HEIGHT. Activating Draw Mode 4) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until DRAW is highlighted.
Page 70 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector ex. 1 ex. 2 2) Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right, and the ESC key multiple times to move left until the TCG BOX: cell is highlighted. Now that the TCG BOX: cell is highlighted, the cursor can be controlled by moving the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys.
Page 71 Dakota Ultrasonics 7) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys until DRAW is highlighted, followed by pressing the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys until OFF is displayed. The TCG curve is now set. 8) Optionally, the TCG curve can be displayed by pressing the UP and DOWN arrow keys until CURVE is highlighted, followed by pressing the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys toggle ON.
Page 72: Chapter Ten Additional Features Of The Dfx-7
ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF THE DFX-7 10.1 Material Velocity The DFX-7 has a built in feature to manually adjust the material velocity to a know value in the calibration section of the DFX-7. It should be noted that this does not calculate the zero value like the two point calibration option does.
Page 73 9) Finally, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen. 10.2 Zero The DFX-7 has a feature to manually adjust the electronic zero. This feature used in conjunction with manually adjusting the velocity, are the primary features necessary to perform a ‘crude’...
Page 74 9) Finally, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen. 10.3 Material Velocity Charts The DFX-7 has two material velocity charts built into the gauge with both longitudinal and shear material velocities. It should be noted that in order to display the chart containing the shear wave velocities the TRIG mode must be activated, as we’ve...
Page 75 Dakota Ultrasonics 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the CAL menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 76 10.4 Auto Find The DFX-7 is equipped with a very handy feature for locating the detection point of a return echo that is not currently in the viewable region of the display. The AUTO FIND feature is a convenient way to automatically bring the detected echo into view on the display.
Page 77 10.5 Brightness The DFX-7 is equipped with a brightness feature to adjust the display visibility and optimize battery life. It has an arbitrary scale with a values from 1-20, with 20 representing the brightest setting. The procedures for adjusting the brightness are...
Page 78 10.6 Color Scheme The DFX-7 has a variety of display color options to select from. These will change the look and feel of the according to the users preference. The procedures for changing the VIEW, are outlined below:...
Page 79 Dakota Ultrasonics 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DISP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 80 However, if the gauge is turned on, set for a DIM of 120sec, and then left idle for 5 minutes, the DFX-7 will dim in 2 minutes, then power off in 5 minutes. The procedures for adjusting the DIM time are outlined below: Setting a DIM time 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 81 10.8 Graphics Options (look & feel) The DFX-7 includes a couple of cosmetic features for user preference when viewing the waveform. These features only serve as cosmetic items, and do not change the functionality of the DFX-7 in any way.
Page 82 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector The procedure to select the look and feel option is outlined below: Setting the Look & Feel 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DISP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 83 Dakota Ultrasonics 10.9 Detect Mark Another look and feel option of the DFX-7 is the DETECT MARK feature. The detect mark give the user the option to select: none, line, dots, or box. Depending on the select made, an indication will be displayed on the waveform, showing where the detection is occurring.
Page 84 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector The diagram above is an RF view, showing both the positive and negative going cycles for purposes of explanation. Notice the +/- positions in the diagram. The positive phase is everything above the horizontal center line, and the negative everything below the center line.
Page 85 Dakota Ultrasonics Note: The screenshots above show where all the possible locations for polarity selection are found in the DFX-7. For more information on the above, refer to the sections on VIEW, DAC, GT1, & GT2. 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU...
Page 86 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Z-Cross Flank Peak Refer to the diagrams above. The current polarity is positive, as shown by the position of the gate above the baseline: Z-Cross: The detection occurs as the first positive half cycle crosses the baseline and goes negative.
Page 87 10.12 Pulse Width The DFX-7 has a square wave pulser with adjustable pulse width option. Pulse width, refers to the duration of time the pulser is left on. This time results in increased energy sent into the test material. There are three width options (SPIKE, THIN, and WIDE).
Page 88 The DFX-7 has a 200 volt square wave pulser that can be adjusted for specific applications and transducers. The Pulser Volt feature offers a 50 volt cut/boost option to the user. The standard setting is 200 volts. This enables the DFX-7 to offer greater penetration for difficult material types, or increased resolution on noisy materials.
Page 89 10.14 Screen Update (Refresh) The DFX-7 has a maximum screen redraw rate of 120Hz. While it’s extremely fast for a digital flaw detector, it also requires additional power as it draws more current. As a result, we’ve opted to include an option to toggle between 60Hz and 120Hz in order to provide the user the option to conserve on battery life.
Page 90 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 10.15 Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) The DFX-7 is equipped an adjustable pulse repetition rate, with adjustable settings of 8, 16, 32, 66, 125, 250, and 333Hz. The primary purpose is to control how fast the pulser is firing. The repetition rate is tied into the alarm LEDS. Therefore, when scanning at higher speeds, a higher repetition rate will make the alarm trigger more responsive.
Page 91 10.16 Damping The DFX-7 has an adjustable damping feature, enabling the user to select from a variety of settings according the transducer frequency and overall output. The range of the damping feature is 50-1500 ohms. The available steps are 50, 75, 100, 300, 600 and 1500 ohms.
Page 92 10.17 Filters (Wide & Narrow Bands) There are two versions of the DFX-7 series: DFX-7 and DFX-7+. The DFX-7 is a wide band only gauge, which includes a single wide band filter with a range of 1.8MHz to 19MHz. The DFX-7+ includes the same wide band filter, but also includes a few narrow band filter options at 2MHz, 5MHz and 10MHz.
Page 93 10.18 Peak Hold The DFX-7 includes a peak hold feature that draws and saves the maximum waveform amplitude on the screen. This allows an inspector to move the transducer in all directions, in an effort to “peak up” on a signal, and locate the maximum amplitude.
Page 94 10.19 Freeze Waveform The DFX-7 also includes a FREEZE mode that allows an operator the ability to freeze a the current waveform being display on the screen at anytime. Once the operator freezes the waveform, the transducer can be removed from the test material.
Page 95 Dakota Ultrasonics Note: Assuming the operator currently has a waveform that they’d like to freeze on the display. 1) Press the MULTI MODE key located in the bottom left corner of the keypad to display the mode options. 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys FREEZE is highlighted.
Page 96: Chapter Eleven Data Storage - Setup, Edit, & View Files
Multiple grids can be created and stored until the DFX-7’s memory is full. If the user attempts to store a new file in the DFX-7 and the size of the file exceeds the capacity of memory, the DFX-7 will respond with an error message indicating that the memory is unable to store the new file.
Page 97 Dakota Ultrasonics Grid File Formats Sequential Log Formats Important Note: For the duration of this chapter, all references to GRIDS and SEQ LOGS should be considered synonymous with references to FILES. 11.2 Creating a new Grid or Sequential Log (File) Important Note: This entire section is a step by step guide to successfully create a grid or sequential log.
Page 98 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Creating a Name Grid/Seq Log Name : Can contain a combination of up to 20 numeric, alpha, or special characters listed in the first section of this chapter. Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the DATA menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 99 Dakota Ultrasonics Grid Log Sequential Log 4) Press the ENTER key to display the new Grid or Seq Edit Box. 5) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until NAME is highlighted.
Page 100 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 9) Use the CLR key to backspace if necessary. 10) Repeat steps 6 - 9 until the Grid or Seq Name (File Name) is completed. 11) Press the OK key to save the Grid or Seq Name and return to the Grid or Seq List Items menu, or ESC to cancel entering the Grid or Seq Name (File Name).
Page 101 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to highlight the appropriate alpha characters. 4) Press the ENTER key to select a character and advance to the next field of the Grid or Seq Note. 5) Use the CLR key to backspace if necessary.
Page 102 20 of the same character set. Note: The identifier cannot start or end with a special character. Once a start and end ID are entered into the DFX-7 and the log created, the DFX-7 will automatically generate all the identifiers within that range.
Page 103 Dakota Ultrasonics Grid Log Sequential Log 3) GRID LOG: Use the LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the Columns, and the UP, DOWN arrow keys to scroll the Rows. SEQ LOG: Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to highlight the appropriate alpha characters.
Page 104 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until LOWER RIGHT or END ID is highlighted. 2) Press the ENTER key to activate the Coordinate or End ID Edit Box.
Page 105 OK or ESC key to return to the Grid or Seq List Items menu. It may be necessary to free some memory in the DFX-7 at this time. Refer to page 111 for more information on Deleting a File.
Page 106 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Selecting the Auto Increment Direction The Auto Increment feature gives the user the ability to specify which direction to advance the cursor after storing a reading. Grid Log Sequential Log 5) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until INCR.
Page 107 Dakota Ultrasonics Saving Graphics The DFX-7 provides the user with the ability to save a snapshot of the display screen and all the current settings of the DFX-7 with every reading, or just save the reading only. Saving the graphics might be advantageous to the user when the A-Scan views will be used to graphically save a picture of the scanned areas for reporting purposes.
Page 108 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Saving a Grid Once all the parameters are set, the user has the option of saving or canceling the new grid. Grid Log Sequential Log 4) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until CREATE GRID or LOG? is highlighted.
Page 109 Dakota Ultrasonics Grid Log Sequential Log 6) Press the OK key to save the New Grid or Seq Log, or the ESC key to cancel the New Grid or Seq Log setup and return to the DATA menu. 7) Press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen and begin storing readings.
Page 110 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Press the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the target cell cursor to the desired storage location. 2) Press the ENTER key to save the current reading in the highlighted cell location.
Page 111 Dakota Ultrasonics Viewing Stored Waveforms Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left until the LOG cell is highlighted.
Page 112 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 5) Abort the Grid/Seq Log View Box by pressing the MEAS key at any time. 11.5 Deleting Grids (Files) Deleting One or All Files from Memory Deleting One File 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DATA menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 113 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the ENTER key to display the File List Box. 4) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the stored Files until the target File to delete is highlighted. 5) Press the OK key to delete the File.
Page 114 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until DELETE ALL DATA is highlighted. 3) Press the ENTER key to activate the confirmation screen. 4) Press the OK key to delete All Files from memory, or the ESC key to abort.
Page 115 Dakota Ultrasonics 11.6 Editing a Grid (File) Once a grid has been created and saved to memory, the user can edit the Comments or Increment Direction at a later time. The following procedures outline this process: Editing a Grid 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DATA menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 116 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 5) Press the ENTER key to activate the Alpha Edit box – Only used when editing the NOTE. 6) Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to highlight the appropriate alpha characters. 7) Press the ENTER key to select a character and advance to the next field of the Comments.
Page 117 The user may have transferred grid/seq templates from a PC to the DFX-7, or setup grids/seq using the DFX-7 at an earlier time. The name of the currently active file is always displayed at the top of the Grid/Seq Box in measurement mode (refer to photo below).
Page 118 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DATA menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 119 Dakota Ultrasonics 5) Press the ENTER key to activate the confirmation screen. 6) Press the OK key to load the file from memory. 7) Press the MEAS key to return to the measure screen. 11.8 Closing an active File - Close A user might not have a current requirement to store measurements, but a file is currently open or active and needs to be closed.
Page 120 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until CLOSE is highlighted. 3) Press the ENTER key to close the active file. Note: Following the key press, the CLOSE text will be grayed out indicating the file has been close...
Page 121: Chapter Twelve Setups - Create, Store, Edit, & Recall
12.2 Opening a Setup The DFX-7 is loaded with a number of setups from the factory. These setups can be opened, edited, and saved to any one of 64 setup locations. If a factory setup is written over, the user can simply reload the default factory setups at anytime using the utility software included with the DFX-7.
Page 122 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Opening a Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 123 7) Press the MEAS key to return to the measure screen. 12.3 Saving a Setup Once the DFX-7 parameters and features have be adjusted for an application, the user may elect to save these setting to a specific setup location for future use. This can potentially save time and reduce error between users.
Page 124 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Saving a Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 125 Dakota Ultrasonics 5) When the parameter to edit is highlighted, press the ENTER key to activate the Alpha Edit Box. 6) Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll through the characters, the ENTER key to select characters, and the CLR key to backspace through the characters, until the Name or Note fields have been edited.
Page 126 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 11) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the setups until the target location to save the Setup is highlighted. 12) Press the OK key to activate the confirmation screen. 13) Press the OK key to save the Setup, or ESC to cancel saving the Setup.
Page 127 Dakota Ultrasonics Deleting a Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 128 7) Finally, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen. 12.5 Using the Default Setup The default setup feature was added to the DFX-7 to use, as a last resort, if there are no setups stored in the gauge –factory or otherwise. The only time this might...
Page 129 Dakota Ultrasonics Using the Default Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 130 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 12.6 Selecting a Language The DFX-7 is equipped with a language option. Currently, the only languages supported are English, Spanish, and German. The steps to select one of these languages are outlined as follows: Selecting a Language 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 131: Chapter Thirteen Using The Utility Software
DakView. DakView requires an available communications port in order to transfer data to and from the DFX-7. DakView supports COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4. USB to Serial Converter Some newer laptop computers do not have standard serial ports. In this case it is possible to use a USB to Serial converter.
Page 132 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 13.3 Using the XFER menu (DFX-7) The XFER menu of the DFX-7 will be used in conjunction with the DakView PC software. The steps below outline the procedure for accessing the XFER menu and basic operation as follows: Accessing and Using the XFER Menu 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 133: Appendix A - Velocity Table
APPENDIX A - VELOCITY TABLE Material L-Wave L-Wave S-Wave S-Wave velocity velocity Velocity Velocity in/µs in/µs in/µs Aluminum 0.2510 6375 .1240 3130 Beryllium 0.5080 12903 .3500 8880 Brass 0.1730 4394 .0830 2120 Bronze 0.1390 3531 .0880 2235 Cadmium 0.1090 2769 .0590 1500 Columbium...
Page 134: Appendix B - Setup Library
DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Steel 0.2230 5664 .1230 3120 Stainless" Teflon 0.0540 1372 .2500 6350 0.1310 3327 .0660 1670 Titanium 0.2400 6096 .1230 3120 Tungsten 0.2040 5182 .1130 2870 Uranium 0.1330 3378 .0780 1980 Water 0.0580 1473 Zinc 0.1660 4216 .0950...
Page 135 - Refund the purchase price. • After the Warranty Period • If your hardware should fail after the warranty period, contact Dakota Ultrasonics for details of the services available, and to arrange for non-warranty service. Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451 Web: https://www.abqindustrial.net E-mail: info@abqindustrial.net...
Page 136 Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451 Web: https://www.abqindustrial.net E-mail: info@abqindustrial.net Dakota Ultrasonics DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector - Flaw Manual Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451...
Page 137 CHAPTER EIGHT THRU PAINT MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE ....91 CHAPTER NINE PULSE-ECHO COATING & COATING TECHNIQUES ..94 CHAPTER TEN ADDITIONAL FEATURES OF THE DFX-7 ......109 CHAPTER ELEVEN DATA STORAGE – SETUP, EDIT, & VIEW FILES ..131 CHAPTER TWELVE SETUPS – CREATE, STORE, EDIT, & RECALL ..157 ...
Page 138: Chapter One Introduction
The Dakota Ultrasonics model DFX-7 is both, an ultrasonic thickness gauge, as well as a flaw detector. Since the DFX-7 is basically two gauges in a single package, we split the manual into two manuals, one for each gauge type. This manual will focus only on the thickness gauge portion of the gauge.
Page 139: Chapter Two Quick Startup Guide
CHAPTER TWO QUICK STARTUP GUIDE Turn the DFX-7 on and off using the switch located on the bottom right corner of the keypad. When DFX-7 is initially turned on, a flash logo and blinking lights will be displayed, followed by attempting to identify the transducer (probe) currently plugged into the gauge.
Page 140 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector In order to understand how to operate the DFX-7, it’s best to start off with an understanding of what it is we’re looking at exactly. The DFX-7 has a lot of great features and tools that will prove to be a huge benefit for the variety of applications you’re constantly facing on a continual basis.
Page 141 Dakota Ultrasonics F. Scan Bar – Another view of material thickness in a deflection style horizontal bar. This is a visual tool that would enable the user the ability to see thickness changes during high speed scans from flaws and pits.
Page 142 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 2.2 Auto Probe Recognition When the DFX-7 is initially powered up, the gauge will automatically check to see if the transducer plugged into the gauge can be recognized. The steps that follow assume the DFX-7 recognized the probe type:...
Page 143 & Calibration section outlined below. 2.3 Selecting the Transducer Type If the DFX-7 does not identify a specific transducer type on initial power up, the user will be required to select a type from a predefined list of types by diameter and frequency.
Page 144 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Selecting the Transducer Type 1) Press the OK or ESC keys to display the factory list of transducer types (by diameter and frequency). 2) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the transducer list...
Page 145 2.4 Probe Zero & Calibration The next steps are to perform a probe zero and calibrate the DFX-7 to the material and transducer being used. If the sound velocity is unknown, the DFX-7 can be calibrated to a known thickness sample.
Page 146 2) Press the OK key to perform the automatic probe zero, or ESC key to cancel the zero operation. Coating Probe Identified Coating Probe Not Identified 3) The screens illustrated above will be briefly displayed followed by the main measurement screen. The DFX-7 is ready to be calibrated.
Page 147 Dakota Ultrasonics Performing a Manual Probe Zero (On Block) Note: When the zero probe option is set to manual, the probe zero disk (battery cap) located on the top of the gauge, will be used as a zero standard and the warning screen illustrated above will be displayed.
Page 148 Note: The value that is displayed will change depending on the current velocity setting in the DFX-7. Disregard the number that is displayed. It is not important. What is important is accurately performing the steps outlined above to insure reliability of the probe zero calculation.
Page 149 Dakota Ultrasonics Using a Known Thickness Note: Be sure that the probe zero procedure has been performed prior to performing this calibration procedure. 1) Physically measure an exact sample of the material or a location directly on the material to be measured using a set of calipers or a digital micrometer.
Page 150 2.5 Zero Coating In order to account for very slight electronic differences in transducers of the same type, frequency, and diameter, the DFX-7 has been equipped with a “zero coating” feature. This enables the DFX-7 to obtain very accurate readings on coatings, eliminating potential errors incurred from slight differences in the manufacturing processes.
Page 151 Dakota Ultrasonics Performing a Coating Zero 1) Press the MULTI MODE key once to activate the measurement mode options. 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until Coating Only (CT) mode is highlighted.
Page 152 If the velocity of the coating is known, and different than the above default setting, the user can simply enter the coating velocity into the DFX-7. However, if the velocity is unknown, the DFX-7 can also be calibrated to a specific coating sample/type using the 1pt calibration option in PECT (pulse-echo coating)
Page 153 If the coating velocity is known, the user may wish to simply enter the velocity number into the DFX-7, rather than have the DFX-7 calculate the velocity value using a known thickness on a coating sample. The steps for entering the velocity are...
Page 154 It would be very handy to carry a set of mechanical calipers to use in conjunction with the DFX-7 for calibration in the field: Using a Coating Sample to Calibrate 1) Physically measure a location on a coating sample using a set of calipers or a digital micrometer.
Page 155 Dakota Ultrasonics Important Note: In PECT (pulse-echo coating) mode, the coating sample must be coupled to metal in order to calibrate successfully. Simply place a drop of couplant on a piece of metal, lay the coating sample over the couplant on the metal and proceed to step 2.
Page 156 2.7 Measure The DFX-7 is now ready to measure. There are four different measurement view options, each with a specific purpose – Digits, RF, RECT, & B-Scan. The steps below outline how to toggle between the different view mode options: Selecting the Measurement View Option 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 157 DIGITS: Displays the digital thickness value using a large font size. This view is useful when the DFX-7 is being used as a basic thickness gauge. RF: Displays the actual waveform signal, much like an oscilloscope, from the reflection of the opposite surface, pit, flaw, crack or void. This view shows both the positive and negative peaks, and is often used to fine tune the scope settings, prior to inspection.
Page 158 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Adjusting Delay (B-Start) & Range (B-DEPTH) 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate the measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left, until the either the DELAY (START) or RANGE (DEPTH) cell is highlighted.
Page 159 Dakota Ultrasonics 1) Press the ENTER key to display the digits edit box. 2) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 3) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations. 4) Repeat steps 3 & 4 until the DELAY (START) or RANGE (DEPTH) value is correctly displayed.
Page 160 65 measurements a second in scan mode. When the DFX-7 is idle, only the left vertical bar will be displayed. However, when the DFX-7 is making a measurement, four or five of the bars should be displayed on the repeatability indicator.
Page 161: Chapter Three Keyboard, Menu, & Connector Reference
CHAPTER THREE KEYBOARD, MENU, & CONNECTOR REFERENCE 3.1 Menu Key (Operation & Sub Menus) The Menu key activates the primary menu structure containing 8 menu tab groups. These tab groups then contain sub menu items, or functions. The sub menu items have been organized in tab groups according to how closely they are related to the individual tab group names.
Page 162 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Activating and Getting Around in the Menu Items 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the desired tab group is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 163 If the DFX-7 is not zeroed correctly, all of the measurements made using the DFX-7 may be in error by some fixed value. The DFX-7 is equipped with an optional automatic or manual zero feature. Refer to the section on page 48, for an explanation of this important procedure.
Page 164 Refer to page 56 for further info. VELOCITY: Function to calibrate the DFX-7 by setting the velocity to a known material velocity. Refer to page 52 for further info.
Page 165 ATTN: This feature is a 20dB attenuator, as well as a 20dB amplifier. The primary purpose is to is to offer further flexibility to the DFX-7 , by either cutting or boosting signal strength. In instances where the 60 dB range is not enough, or too much, this feature allows you to increase/decrease the amplifier strength by a power of 10 or (20dB).
Page 166 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector GAIN: The DFX-7 has 100dB gain range from (-30 to 70 dB), used in conjunction with the attenuator feature above. This feature is used to increase/decrease the power or amplitude of the signal. This might easily be considered as similar to turning the volume up or down on a stereo receiver.
Page 167 Refer to page 163 for further info. DEFAULT SETUP: Loads a basic default setup. Use only as a last resort when the setups in the DFX-7 have been corrupted and a computer is not accessible. Refer to page 164 for further info.
Page 168 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector LANGUAGE: Provides the user the ability to select different languages for the DFX- 7. Refer to page 166 for further info. 3.10 DATA – Menu NEW: Allows the user the ability to create a new alpha numeric grid, or sequential log file with auto identifiers.
Page 169 3.12 XFER (transfer) – Menu BACKUP SETUPS: Enables the user the ability to backup the setups currently stored in the DFX-7 to a PC via RS232 port. Refer the help section of the DFX-7 DakView software for a complete electronic manual.
Page 170 The primary function of the OK key is confirmation of a change or selection. The OK key also toggles the Hot Menu area, while in measurement mode, to a large digits display area. If the DFX-7 is displaying a grid log, the OK key toggles an advance to row number option.
Page 171 Dakota Ultrasonics which transducer is being used as follows: Coating Off (P-E), Coating On (PECT), Temp Comp (PETP), Thru Coat (E-E), Thru Coat Verify (E-EV), and Coating Only (CT). 3.20 ON/OFF Key The ON/OFF key simply powers the unit either ON or OFF. Note: Unit will automatically power off when idle for 5 minutes.
Page 172 Lemo connector. It is designed to connect directly from the DFX-7 to a standard AT serial port on a PC. The cable supplied with the DFX-7 is a Lemo to 9 pin serial cable. Note: This connector is also used to upgrade the DFX-7 with the latest version of firmware.
Page 173: Chapter Four Principals Of Ultrasonic Measurement
CHAPTER FOUR PRINCIPALS OF ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENT 4.1 Time versus thickness relationship Ultrasonic thickness measurements depend on measuring the length of time it takes for sound to travel through the material being tested. The ratio of the thickness versus the time is known as the sound velocity. In order to make accurate measurements, a sound velocity must be determined and entered into the instrument.
Page 174 DFX-7, and a key is pressed to establish a zero point for the particular transducer. If the Auto Zero feature is enabled, a simple key press will perform an electronic zero to establish the same zero point.
Page 175 Dakota Ultrasonics V-Path Correction Dual element delay line transducers have two piezoelectric elements mounted at an angle on one end of the delay line. One element is used for transmitting sound, while the other element only receives sound. The two elements and their delay lines are packaged in a single housing but acoustically isolated from each other with a sound barrier.
Page 176 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Dual Element Transducer in Echo to Echo mode Echo-Echo Verify Mode – Thru-Verify (E-EV) The echo-echo verify mode measures between 3 reflections. Similar to E-E mode, this technique is commonly used to eliminate errors from surface coatings and also to make measurements in multiple layered materials.
Page 177 Dakota Ultrasonics Pulse-Echo Temperature Compensated Mode – Temp Comp (PETP) This is a custom mode that combines pulse-echo and electronic zero techniques to automatically adjust for temperature changes in the transducer as a result of an increasing/decreasing temperature gradient in the test material. Note: rough surface conditions can have an effect on the overall accuracy in this mode.
Page 178: Chapter Five Selecting The Measurement Mode
SELECTING THE MEASUREMENT MODE 5.1 The setup library The DFX-7 contains 64 user configurable preset locations to store custom setups for easy recall. These setups can be optimized for the user’s specific application needs and can also be stored on a PC and transferred bi-directionally using Dakota’s PC interface software included with the instrument.
Page 179 This mode can also be used as a stand alone coating thickness gauge, where the coating has not been applied to another material surface. An auto identified coating probe must be attached to the DFX-7 in order to enable this mode.
Page 180 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Restricted access Measuring materials with extreme curvatures or restricted access, higher frequencies with smaller diameters should be considered. The smallest diameter uses 3/16” crystals with a contact area of .250”. Custom transducers are available on request.
Page 181: Chapter Six Making Measurements
In this case the reference disk mounted to the DFX-7 is not used. This is called two- point calibration and is described on page 56.
Page 182 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector In this first example the transducer was automatically identified: Probe Automatically Recognized 1) Press the OK key once to use the identified probe, or ESC to display a list of optional transducers. Note: if the DFX-7 recognizes a specific transducer, the user should always select OK to use the identified probe.
Page 183 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to toggle the coating option on/off. 4) Wipe all couplant from the transducer face and proceed to the Probe Zero section that follows. In this second example the transducer was not identified and will force the user to...
Page 184 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 6) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the transducer list until the appropriate type is highlighted. 7) Press the ENTER key to select the transducer type and display overwrite existing probe screen.
Page 185 However, when the manual zero is being used, the DFX-7 must be in pulse-echo mode in order to perform the zero. The DFX-7 will also see to it that this occurs by simply forcing the gauge into this mode when zero. Therefore, if the DFX-7 is in the echo-echo measurement mode and a manual zero is being performed, the DFX-7 will put the gauge into pulse-echo mode automatically before performing the zero.
Page 186 2) Press the OK key to perform the automatic probe zero, or ESC key to cancel the zero operation. Coating Probe Identified Coating Probe Not Identified 3) The screens illustrated above will be briefly displayed followed by the main measurement screen. The DFX-7 is ready to be calibrated.
Page 187 Dakota Ultrasonics Performing a Manual Probe Zero (On Block) Note: When the zero probe option is set to manual, the probe zero disk (battery cap) located on the top of the gauge will be used as a zero standard and the warning screen illustrated above will be displayed.
Page 188 6.3 Material Calibration In order for the DFX-7 to make accurate measurements, it must be set to the correct sound velocity of the material being measured. Different types of materials have different inherent sound velocities. For example, the velocity of sound through steel is about 0.233 inches per microsecond, versus that of aluminum, which is about...
Page 189 If the material velocity is known, the user may wish to simply enter the velocity number into the DFX-7, rather than have the DFX-7 calculate the velocity value using a known thickness on a material sample. The steps for entering the velocity are...
Page 190 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 3) Press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 4) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 5) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations.
Page 191 .100” (2.54mm) to 1.0” (25.4mm), the user should calibrate on a known thickness sample close to 1.0” (25.4mm). Note: It’s always handy to carry a set of mechanical calipers to use in conjunction with the DFX-7 for calibration in the field:...
Page 192 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector ESC key multiple times to tab left until the CAL menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items. 3) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until MATL 1PT is highlighted.
Page 193 (6.35mm), the user would perform a one point calibration on a known thickness sample close to .250” (6.35mm), followed by a two point calibration close to .080” (2.03mm). When a two point calibration is performed, the DFX-7 calculates the zero and the velocity. The following steps outline this procedure:...
Page 194 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 4) Press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 5) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 6) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations.
Page 195 Dakota Ultrasonics being tested. Use these values only if a close approximation is acceptable. Follow the steps below to select a basic material type: Selecting a Basic Material Type 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the CAL menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 196 6) Finally, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen and begin taking readings. To calibrate the DFX-7 for a specific type of coating using samples with known thicknesses, please refer to the chapter 9 – Pulse-Echo Coating (PECT) or Coating (CT) for a complete explanation of using the DFX-7 for coating measurements.
Page 197: Chapter Seven Using The Display Options
B-Scan, and Large Digits). We’ll take a better look at these options in this chapter. Note: In order to recall and use the new adjustments made to the DFX-7 at a later time, the user must save the modified settings in one of the setup locations prior to...
Page 198 When all the vertical bars are fully illuminated and the last digit on the digital thickness value is stable, the DFX-7 is reliably measuring the same value 3 to 200 times per second, depending on which measurement mode and features are enabled.
Page 199 Dakota Ultrasonics • Alarm Mode (ON/OFF/AUDIBLE) • Gain Setting (VLOW, LOW, MED, HI, VHI) E. Digital Material Thickness Value – Extra large font size for viewing ease. F. Scan Bar – Another view of material thickness in a deflection style horizontal bar.
Page 200 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector the user would see is a black screen from 0.00” – 1.00” with no view of the bottom contour at 1.75”. The following is a list of the viewable features on the display: A. Repeatability/Stability Indicator – This indicator should be commonly used in conjunction with the digital thickness values displayed.
Page 201 When all the vertical bars are fully illuminated and the last digit on the digital thickness value is stable, the DFX-7 is reliably measuring the same value 3 to 200 times per second, depending on which measurement mode and features are enabled.
Page 202 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector E. Gate – An electronic feature that allows the user to monitor signals inside the boundaries of the gate settings. The height of the gate from the baseline is known as the threshold, and controls the sensitivity of the reflections that trigger a detection from the opposite surface of the material.
Page 203 When all the vertical bars are fully illuminated and the last digit on the digital thickness value is stable, the DFX-7 is reliably measuring the same value 3 to 200 times per second, depending on which measurement mode and features are enabled.
Page 204 I. Units – The current measurement units being used (English, Metric). J. Velocity – The material velocity value the DFX-7 is currently using or calibrated for. Displayed in either English or Metric units, depending on what units the gauge is set for.
Page 205 Dakota Ultrasonics 7.2 Changing Display Options The following procedure outlines how to select or toggle display options: Changing Display Options Color VGA 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the DISP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 206 The Delay (B-Start) represents the left side of the display, and can be adjusted to start at any thickness value within the overall range of the DFX-7. The value the Delay (B-Start) is set too, is the minimum thickness value that will be displayed on the screen.
Page 207 Dakota Ultrasonics Adjusting Delay (B-Start) using the Hot Menus 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left, until the DELAY cell is highlighted.
Page 208 Therefore, the Range (B-Depth) is the overall area, from the delay, that will be viewable on the screen. The DFX-7 digitizer will round up from the Range (B-Depth) that’s entered. Therefore, if the Range (B-Depth) is set at 1.0”, the digitizer will round this value up to the next adjustment available.
Page 209 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) Press the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 3) Alternatively, press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 4) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value.
Page 210 Adjusting the B-Scan Speed The DFX-7 has the capability to adjust the the scrolling speed of the time based B- Scan displayed in the gauge. The procedures to adjust the speed are outlined below: Adjusting the B-Scan Speed 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the DISP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 211 If it’s turned down too much, you can’t hear it at all. The DFX-7 has 110dB gain range, but has been limited to a 60dB gain range (-10 to 50 dB), for thickness gauge applications. The common starting point for standard thickness gauge applications is 46dB.
Page 212 Note: When the echo-echo thru-paint, or echo-echo-verify measurement modes are selected, the manual gain feature is disabled and grayed out in the menu items. In this mode, the DFX-7 switches to an automatic gain mode (AGC) that optimizes the gain setting automatically in the hardware of the DFX-7.
Page 213 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Alternatively, press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 4) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 5) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations.
Page 214 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector The user can also access and adjust the gain from the tabbed menus. However, this method is more tedious than making the adjustments using the Hot Menus. The procedure using the tabbed menus is outlined below: Adjusting the Gain using the Tabbed Menus 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 215 Dakota Ultrasonics 4) Alternatively, press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 5) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 6) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations.
Page 216 This level can be used in conjunction with the gain. Example: suppose the user can visually see a potential flaw on the display, but the DFX-7 is not detecting on the flaw because the Gain is too low, or the Threshold to high. The Threshold level can be decreased (lower sensitivity) in order to detect signals with lower amplitudes.
Page 217 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) If the correct THRESHOLD is displayed, press the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 3) Alternatively, if the correct Threshold is not being displayed, press the ENTER key to display the List Box.
Page 218 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the GT1 menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 219 Dakota Ultrasonics 10) Finally, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen and begin taking readings.
Page 220 Gates, in some way. There are 3 gates in the DFX-7, and as a result, operating and setting them up can become somewhat convoluted, to say the least. However, a thorough understanding of the functionality presented in this section, will reveal how easy they actually are to operate overall.
Page 221 Dakota Ultrasonics pulse, or in the material, the gate can be moved to the right of the noise and block the unwanted noise. Gates 2 and 3 will automatically start from the end of gate 1, or from a detection found inside of the boundaries of gate 1. Therefore, we use a hold- off delay as a start feature for gates 2 and 3.
Page 222 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Activating the gates: • Automatically: The gates are automatically activated, when a measurement mode is selected. Gate1 is active in all measurement modes. These modes have been internally setup at the Dakota factory. Therefore, if the user selects the Thru Coat (E-E) option, an internal setup will be loaded, and 2 gates will automatically be activated.
Page 223 Dakota Ultrasonics 7.7 Gates The DFX-7 is equipped with 3 gates, as explained in the previous section. One gate is active at all times in every measurement mode, with the exception of coating mode. These gates are full featured and completely adjustable. They can be fine tuned by the user to accommodate a variety of application scenarios.
Page 224 (A) refers to the noise in front of the actual back wall signal (C). Notice the start position of the gate. As a result, the DFX-7 is detecting on the noise (A) as shown at point (B). However, the true measurement should be taken at point (C).
Page 225 Dakota Ultrasonics Note: This is a combined procedure that works the same for any of the features associated with the gates, regardless of which feature and gate number that is being adjusted. Therefore (Ж) = Gate1, Hold-Off, and Width respectively. Finally, the illustrations may not be applicable to the exact feature being adjusted, but the concepts relevant.
Page 226 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 4) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the List Box items until the correct (Ж) is highlighted. 5) Press the MEAS key to return to the measure screen and Hot Menu items.
Page 227 Dakota Ultrasonics 4) Alternatively, press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 5) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 6) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations.
Page 228: Chapter Eight Thru Paint Measurement Technique
2 echoes. By doing this, the DFX-7 can confirm that a peak jump has not occurred, and the measurement made is stable and correct. This mode is only suitable for thin materials and coatings, as the ability to achieve 3 reflections is not always possible.
Page 229 Note: Once the values of the fields have been changed or modified, these changes must be saved to a setup location prior to powering the DFX-7 off. Failure to do so will result in losing your changes. Refer to page 157 for additional information on setups.
Page 230 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector at point (C) in the incorrect diagram, to point (B) in the correct diagram. If we adjust the GATE2 hold-off further to the right of the first reflection, the ring down noise from the first back wall echo no longer interferes with the true detection (D), shown in the correct diagram.
Page 231 The DFX-7 is preset to a coating velocity of 0.0850 in/µsec (2159 m/sec) from the factory. This velocity is a very close approximation of the common coating velocities found in the field.
Page 232 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 3) From the tabbed menus under TUNE, MEASURE MODE. The steps that follow will demonstrate all three methods in the order listed above: Probe Automatically Recognized (PECT only) 1) Press the OK key once to use the identified probe, or ESC to display a list of optional transducers.
Page 233 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to toggle the coating option on/off. Multi Mode Key Pressed (PECT & CT) Applied to Metals Not Applied to Metals 1) Press the MULTI MODE key located on bottom left of the keypad to display the MEASURE MODE options menu.
Page 234 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 3) Press the ENTER key to enable the coating option, or ESC to cancel changing the measure mode, and return to the main measurement screen. Measure Mode (Tabbed Menus) – (PECT & CT) Applied to Metals Not Applied to Metals 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 235 9.3 Zero Coating In order to account for very slight electronic differences in transducers of the same type, frequency, and diameter, the DFX-7 has been equipped with a “zero coating” feature. This enables the DFX-7 to obtain very accurate readings on coatings, eliminating potential errors incurred from slight differences in the manufacturing processes.
Page 236 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 5) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the PRB menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 237 If the coating velocity is known, the user may wish to simply enter the velocity number into the DFX-7, rather than have the DFX-7 calculate the velocity value using a known thickness on a coating sample(s). The steps for entering the velocity are...
Page 238 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 3) Press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 4) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value. 5) Press the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the digit locations.
Page 239 .040” - .080” (1.0mm 2.3mm), a coating closest to .080 (2.0mm) should be used. Note: It’s always handy to carry a set of mechanical calipers to use in conjunction with the DFX-7 for calibration in the field:...
Page 240 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector and place the transducer in steady contact with the coating and sample or actual test material. Be sure that the reading is stable and the repeatability indicator, in the top left corner of the display, is fully lit and stable. Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 241 In the previous sections we’ve discussed how to setup and use the coating feature for use in conjunction with material thickness for flaw and pit detection. The DFX-7 also has the capability to be used for general coating measurements. This measurement mode is called Coating (CT) and can be enabled using the same methods as described in a previous section above.
Page 242 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector One Point Calibration Note: Use the maximum coating sample for the one point calibration first. 1) Physically measure the thicker of the two samples of coating, as close as possible to the maximum expected coating measurement range, using a set of calipers or a digital micrometer.
Page 243 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until COATING 1PT is highlighted. 4) Press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 5) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value.
Page 244 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Two Point Calibration Note: Use the minimum coating sample for the two point calibration. 1) Physically measure the thinner of the two samples of the coating, as close as possible to the minimum expected coating measurement range, using a set of calipers or a digital micrometer.
Page 245 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until COATING 2PT is highlighted. 4) Press the ENTER key to display the Digits Edit Box. 5) Press the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll the highlighted value.
Page 246 Suppose the DFX-7 is currently setup with a delay of 0.0” and a width of 1.0”, and the user is measuring material thickness of 2.5”. The DFX-7 will make the correct measurement and display it digitally.
Page 247 10.2 High Speed Scan The High Speed Scan feature of the DFX-7 increases the overall repetition rate to a maximum of 140Hz with a high speed screen refresh rate of 25 times a second. This feature enables a user to make scanned passes over an arbitrary length of the test material, while still maintaining a reasonable representation of thickness over the scanned area or region.
Page 248 4) Press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen. 10.3 Alarm Mode The Alarm Mode feature of the DFX-7 provides the user with a method of setting tolerances, or limits, for a particular application requirement. This feature may be used for a variety of applications to verify the material is within the manufacturer specifications.
Page 249 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to toggle the ALARM on/off/audible. 4) Continue on to the next section “Setting the Alarm Low Limit”. Setting the Alarm Low Limit 1) Assuming the ALARM is ON, use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until ALARM LOW is highlighted.
Page 250 ALARM HIGH limit using the same procedures. 10.4 Differential Mode The Differential Mode of the DFX-7 provides the user with the ability to set a nominal value, according to what the expected thickness should be, and measure the +/- difference from the nominal value entered.
Page 251 Dakota Ultrasonics 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the UTIL menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 252 10.5 Brightness The DFX-7 is equipped with a brightness feature to adjust the display visibility and optimize battery life. It has an arbitrary scale with a values from 1-20, with 20 representing the brightest setting. The procedures for adjusting the brightness are...
Page 253 Dakota Ultrasonics Adjusting Brightness 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DISP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 254 9) Finally, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen and begin taking readings. 10.6 VIEW The DFX-7 has a variety of display color options to select from. These will change the look and feel of the according to the users preference. The procedures for changing the VIEW, are outlined below: Selecting a Color Scheme 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 255 However, if the gauge is turned on, set for a DIM of 120sec, and then left idle for 5 minutes, the DFX-7 will dim in 2 minutes, then power off in 5 minutes. The procedures for adjusting the DIM time are outlined below:...
Page 256 10.8 Damping The DFX-7 has a built-in damping feature to control the impedance input of the receiver. This enables the user the ability to match and optimize the transducer for better signal quality at various frequencies. The available settings are 50, 75, 100, 300, 600 and 1500 ohms.
Page 257 10.9 Introduction to Flaw Mode The Flaw Mode feature was added to the DFX-7 to provide inspectors with a basic prove-up flaw detection mode using an angle beam transducer. This mode enables inspectors to locate porosity, defects, inclusions, and cracks in a variety of test materials.
Page 258 (Full Screen Height). The other grid lines correspond to 25% amplitude increments, in order to calibrate the DFX-7 in this mode. The digital thickness value has been replaced by dashed lines at point (B). The digital thickness value is not applicable while operating in this mode.
Page 259 Dakota Ultrasonics point (C) is the peak hold symbol - carrot. The carrot is only displayed if the flaw mode is set to “peak”. The peak hold position represents the highest amplitude obtained during the scan. Pressing the CLR key will reset the peak hold position to zero.
Page 260 We’ve added a couple of graphic interface features to the DFX-7 , accommodate customer requests we’ve received in the past. These features only serve as cosmetic items, and do not change the functionality of the DFX-7 in any way. RECT Wave:...
Page 261 Dakota Ultrasonics The rectified wave feature, is only functional when using RECT wave view, and provides the user the following display options: Outline – Draws the unfilled outline of the waveform. Filled – Draws a filled version of the waveform.
Page 262 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 10.11 Polarity The DFX-7 is equipped with an option to select the polarity, or phase +/-, for the purpose of detection. The phase can be a very valuable feature to have when the signal returning from the test material is marginal, a low frequency transducer is being used, and the user has a very weak positive or negative cycle, while trying to measure very thick materials.
Page 263 Notice the +/- positions in the diagram. The positive phase is everything above the horizontal center line, and the negative everything below the center line. The DFX-7 uses a zero crossing method for detection. Therefore, the detect line (A) is represented by the broken vertical dotted line, and is currently detecting on the negative portion of the waveform (B) at the zero crossing (C).
Page 264 Important: Be sure to do a Probe Zero after changing the polarity! 10.12 Pulse Width The DFX-7 has an adjustable pulse width option. Pulse width, refers to the duration of time the pulser is left on. This time results in increased energy sent into the test...
Page 265 4) Once the Pulse is displayed, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen. 10.13 Pulser Voltage The DFX-7 has a 200 volt square wave pulser that can be adjusted for specific applications and transducers. The Pulser Volt feature offers a 50 volt cut/boost...
Page 266 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector option to the user. The standard setting is 150 volts. This enables the DFX-7 to offer greater penetration for difficult material types, or increased resolution on noisy materials. The procedure to change the pulser voltage is outlined below: Changing the Pulser Voltage 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 267 Dakota Ultrasonics attenuation. The attenuation value is added to the gain value. Therefore, if the attenuator is increased to 20dB, this value is added to the value of the gain setting. The procedure to change the attenuator is outlined below: Changing the Attenuator Setting 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 268: Chapter Eleven Data Storage - Setup, Edit, & View Files
Multiple grids can be created and stored until the DFX-7’s memory is full. If the user attempts to store a new file in the DFX-7 and the size of the file exceeds the capacity of memory, the DFX-7 will respond with an error message indicating that the memory is unable to store the new file.
Page 269 Dakota Ultrasonics functionality and structure. The illustrations below are snapshots of typical GRID and SEQ LOG file formats: Grid File Formats Sequential Log Formats Important Note: For the duration of this chapter, all references to GRIDS and SEQ LOGS should be considered synonymous with references to FILES.
Page 270 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Creating a Name Grid/Seq Log Name : Can contain a combination of up to 20 numeric, alpha, or special characters listed in the first section of this chapter. Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right, and the ESC key multiple times to tab left, until the DATA menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 271 Dakota Ultrasonics Grid Log Sequential Log 4) Press the ENTER key to display the new Grid or Seq Edit Box. 5) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until NAME is highlighted.
Page 272 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 9) Use the CLR key to backspace if necessary. 10) Repeat steps 6 - 9 until the Grid or Seq Name (File Name) is completed. 11) Press the OK key to save the Grid or Seq Name and return to the Grid or Seq List Items menu, or ESC to cancel entering the Grid or Seq Name (File Name).
Page 273 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to highlight the appropriate alpha characters. 4) Press the ENTER key to select a character and advance to the next field of the Grid or Seq Note. 5) Use the CLR key to backspace if necessary.
Page 274 20 of the same character set. Note: The identifier cannot start or end with a special character. Once a start and end ID are entered into the DFX-7 and the log created, the DFX-7 will automatically generate all the identifiers within that range.
Page 275 Dakota Ultrasonics Grid Log Sequential Log 3) GRID LOG: Use the LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to scroll the Columns, and the UP, DOWN arrow keys to scroll the Rows. SEQ LOG: Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to highlight the appropriate alpha characters.
Page 276 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until LOWER RIGHT or END ID is highlighted. 2) Press the ENTER key to activate the Coordinate or End ID Edit Box.
Page 277 OK or ESC key to return to the Grid or Seq List Items menu. It may be necessary to free some memory in the DFX-7 at this time. Refer to page 147 for more information on Deleting a File.
Page 278 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Selecting the Auto Increment Direction The Auto Increment feature gives the user the ability to specify which direction to advance the cursor after storing a reading. Grid Log Sequential Log 5) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until INCR.
Page 279 Dakota Ultrasonics Saving Graphics The DFX-7 provides the user with the ability to save a snapshot of the display screen and all the current settings of the DFX-7 with every reading, or just save the reading only. Saving the graphics might be advantageous to the user when the A/B-Scan views will be used to graphically save a picture of the scanned areas for reporting purposes.
Page 280 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Saving a Grid Once all the parameters are set, the user has the option of saving or canceling the new grid. Grid Log Sequential Log 4) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the new Grid or Seq List Items until CREATE GRID or LOG? is highlighted.
Page 281 Dakota Ultrasonics Grid Log Sequential Log 6) Press the OK key to save the New Grid or Seq Log, or the ESC key to cancel the New Grid or Seq Log setup and return to the DATA menu. 7) Press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen and begin storing readings.
Page 282 Simply press the ENTER key to display the file from the measurement screen. 11.4 Viewing stored readings It is sometimes necessary to go back and view the stored readings and B-Scans using the DFX-7 without a PC. The following procedures outline this process:...
Page 283 Dakota Ultrasonics Viewing Stored Readings & A/B Scans Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Press the MEAS key once to activate measure menu items. Press the MEAS key multiple times to move right and the ESC key multiple times to move left until the LOG cell is highlighted.
Page 284 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector the reading. Readings stored in memory are indicated by displaying a MEM in the top left corner of the measurement screen. 4) The user may opt to clear a specific reading and save a new one at any time.
Page 285 Dakota Ultrasonics 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until DELETE ONE FILE is highlighted. 3) Press the ENTER key to display the File List Box. 4) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the stored Files until the target File to delete is highlighted.
Page 286 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 2) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the sub menu items until DELETE ALL DATA is highlighted. 3) Press the ENTER key to activate the confirmation screen. 4) Press the OK key to delete All Files from memory, or the ESC key to abort.
Page 287 Dakota Ultrasonics 11.6 Editing a Grid (File) Once a grid has been created and saved to memory, the user can edit the Comments or Increment Direction at a later time. The following procedures outline this process: Editing a Grid 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DATA menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 288 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 5) Press the ENTER key to activate the Alpha Edit box – Only used when editing the NOTE. 6) Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, & RIGHT arrow keys to highlight the appropriate alpha characters. 7) Press the ENTER key to select a character and advance to the next field of the Comments.
Page 289 The user may have transferred grid/seq templates from a PC to the DFX-7, or setup grids/seq using the DFX-7 at an earlier time. The name of the currently active file is always displayed at the top of the Grid/Seq Box in measurement mode (refer to photo below).
Page 290 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Grid Log Sequential Log 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the DATA menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 291 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the ENTER key to display the Grid/Seq List Box. 4) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the grids until the target grid is highlighted. 5) Press the ENTER key to activate the confirmation screen.
Page 292 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector A user might not have a current requirement to store measurements, but a file is currently open or active and needs to be closed. The following procedures outline how to close an open or active file: Closing an Active File 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 293 Dakota Ultrasonics 3) Press the ENTER key to close the active file. Note: Following the key press, the CLOSE text will be grayed out indicating the file has been close and is no longer active.
Page 294: Chapter Twelve Setups - Create, Store, Edit, & Recall
12.2 Opening a Setup The DFX-7 is loaded with a number of setups from the factory. These setups can be opened, edited, and saved to any one of 64 setup locations. If a factory setup is written over, the user can simply reload the default factory setups at anytime using the utility software included with the DFX-7.
Page 295 Dakota Ultrasonics Opening a Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 296 7) Press the MEAS key to return to the measure screen. 12.3 Saving a Setup Once the DFX-7 parameters and features have be adjusted for an application, the user may elect to save these setting to a specific setup location for future use. This can potentially save time and reduce error between users.
Page 297 Dakota Ultrasonics Saving a Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 298 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 5) When the parameter to edit is highlighted, press the ENTER key to activate the Alpha Edit Box. 6) Use the UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT arrow keys to scroll through the characters, the ENTER key to select characters, and the CLR key to backspace through the characters, until the Name or Note fields have been edited.
Page 299 Dakota Ultrasonics 10) Press the ENTER key to activate the Setup List Box. 11) Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll through the setups until the target location to save the Setup is highlighted. 12) Press the OK key to activate the confirmation screen.
Page 300 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector 12.4 Deleting a Saved Setup This option allows a user to delete setup files that were previously saved and no longer needed. It’s a simple feature to allow the user to do a bit of “house cleaning”.
Page 301 7) Finally, press the MEAS key to return to the measurement screen. 12.5 Using the Default Setup The default setup feature was added to the DFX-7 to use, as a last resort, if there are no setups stored in the gauge –factory or otherwise. The only time this might...
Page 302 DFX-7 Ultrasonic Flaw Detector Using the Default Setup 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 303 Dakota Ultrasonics 12.6 Selecting a Language The DFX-7 is equipped with a language option. Currently, the only languages supported are English, Spanish, and German. The steps to select one of these languages are outlined as follows: Selecting a Language 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab. Press the MENU key multiple times to tab right and the ESC key multiple times to tab left until the SETUP menu is highlighted and displaying the submenu items.
Page 304: Chapter Thirteen Using The Utility Software
DakView. DakView requires an available communications port in order to transfer data to and from the DFX-7. DakView supports COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4. USB to Serial Converter Some newer laptop computers do not have standard serial ports. In this case it is possible to use a USB to Serial converter.
Page 305 Dakota Ultrasonics 13.3 Using the XFER menu (DFX-7) The XFER menu of the DFX-7 will be used in conjunction with the DakView PC software. The steps below outline the procedure for accessing the XFER menu and basic operation as follows: Accessing and Using the XFER Menu 1) Press the MENU key once to activate the menu items tab.
Page 306: Appendix A - Velocity Table
APPENDIX A - VELOCITY TABLE Material sound velocity sound velocity in/us Aluminum 0.2510 6375 Beryllium 0.5080 12903 Brass 0.1730 4394 Bronze 0.1390 3531 Cadmium 0.1090 2769 Columbium 0.1940 4928 Copper 0.1830 4648 Glass (plate) 0.2270 5766 Glycerine 0.0760 1930 Gold 0.1280 3251 Inconel...
Page 307 Dakota Ultrasonics 0.1310 3327 Titanium 0.2400 6096 Tungsten 0.2040 5182 Uranium 0.1330 3378 Water 0.0580 1473 Zinc 0.1660 4216 Zirconium 0.1830 4648...
Page 308: Appendix B - Setup Library
APPENDIX B - SETUP LIBRARY Name Comment 1 Gn/AGC Velocity Enter Custom Name … … … … … … …...
Page 309 - Refund the purchase price. • After the Warranty Period • If your hardware should fail after the warranty period, contact Dakota Ultrasonics for details of the services available, and to arrange for non-warranty service. Distributed by: ABQ Industrial LP USA Tel: +1 (281) 516-9292 / (888) 275-5772 eFax: +1 (866) 234-0451 Web: https://www.abqindustrial.net E-mail: info@abqindustrial.net...

DAKOTA ULTRASONICS DFX-7 Manual

Section 1

Section 2

Quick Links

Chapters

Need help?

Questions and answers

Summary of Contents for DAKOTA ULTRASONICS DFX-7

Page 2: Table Of Contents

Page 3: Chapter One Introduction

Page 4: Chapter Two Quick Start Guide

Page 8: Chapter Three Keyboard, Menu, & Connector Reference

Page 24: Chapter Four Setting Up For Measurement

Page 36: Chapter Five Calibration

Page 51: Chapter Six Trigonometry Mode

Page 56: Chapter Seven Aws - Weld Inspection

Page 61: Chapter Eight Distance Amplitude Correction (Dac)

Page 67: Chapter Nine Time Corrected Gain (Tcg)

Page 72: Chapter Ten Additional Features Of The Dfx-7

Page 96: Chapter Eleven Data Storage - Setup, Edit, & View Files

Page 121: Chapter Twelve Setups - Create, Store, Edit, & Recall

Page 131: Chapter Thirteen Using The Utility Software

Page 133: Appendix A - Velocity Table

Page 134: Appendix B - Setup Library

Page 138: Chapter One Introduction

Page 139: Chapter Two Quick Startup Guide

Page 161: Chapter Three Keyboard, Menu, & Connector Reference

Page 173: Chapter Four Principals Of Ultrasonic Measurement

Page 178: Chapter Five Selecting The Measurement Mode

Page 181: Chapter Six Making Measurements

Page 197: Chapter Seven Using The Display Options

Page 228: Chapter Eight Thru Paint Measurement Technique

Page 268: Chapter Eleven Data Storage - Setup, Edit, & View Files

Page 294: Chapter Twelve Setups - Create, Store, Edit, & Recall

Page 304: Chapter Thirteen Using The Utility Software

Page 306: Appendix A - Velocity Table

Page 308: Appendix B - Setup Library

DAKOTA ULTRASONICS DFX-7 Manual

Section 1

Section 2

Quick Links

Chapters

Need help?

Questions and answers

Related Manuals for DAKOTA ULTRASONICS DFX-7

Summary of Contents for DAKOTA ULTRASONICS DFX-7

Table of Contents