KIC start User Manual Download Page 12

KICstart  

Version 

1.1.0.x 

KICstart User Manual 

 

Starting KICstart 

 

 
The software installation automatically adds a 

KIC

 folder to main Windows Start Menu.  Click on the 

Windows Start

 and scroll up to the 

KIC

 folder.  Then click the

 KICstart

 icon.  There are five buttons on the 

main 

KICstart 

screen.  The buttons on the Left are for setups; the buttons on the Right are for running and 

viewing profiles.  Click the KIC on Board logo to view 

About

 information of the 

KICstart 

software or to 

view the 

KICstart

 read me file.  See the descriptions of the function for each button below 

 
 

Main Screen Buttons 

 

 Global Preferences 

Set units of measure, 
Maximum product start 
temperature, Oven name and
Password. 
 
 

 Define/Edit Process Window 

Create or edit Process 
Window files for solder paste 
and profile specifications. 
 

 

 

 Run a Profile 

Begins the step-by-step 
procedure for running a 
product profile. 
 
 

 Profile Explorer 

Filing system used to 
manage and view all Profiles 
run using the KICstart 
software. 

 

 Exit 

Exits the KICstart software. 

 
 

S

ETUP

 

R

UN

 

V

IEW

 

E

XIT

 

Summary of Contents for start

Page 1: ...KICstart User Manual Hardware and Software Version 1 1 0 x ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ......

Page 4: ...s are reserved Patents pending This document may not be sold altered or redistributed KIC hereby grants the user permission to duplicate in part or in whole this document for whatever purposes the user sees fit provided all copyright patent and trade notices remain in tact and are acknowledged KIC is a registered trademark and tradename of Embedded Designs Inc KIC 24 7 SlimKIC SlimKIC 2000 Profile...

Page 5: ...dition 2 4 2 Replacement Within the first year of the start of the Warranty KIC will replace any product proven defective in materials or workmanship without additional charge on an exchange basis 2 4 3 Correction of Software KIC will either replace or repair without additional charge any software that does not perform in substantial accordance with the specifications of the Documentation This wil...

Page 6: ...NTERING OVEN RECIPE 14 INSTRUCTIONS ON ATTACHING TCS 14 SELECT THERMOCOUPLES AND START PROFILE 16 STARTING THE PROFILE 17 LIVE PROFILE GRAPH DISPLAY 18 VIEWING THE PROFILE AND STATISTICS 20 AUTOMATIC CALCULATION OF DELTA T DELTA OR RANGE FOR ALL STATS 24 GRAPH POINTER 24 PROFILE SCREEN BUTTONS 24 UPON EXITING THE GRAPH SCREEN 25 KICSTART PROFILE EXPLORER 26 INSERTING KICSTART DATA FILES FROM AN OU...

Page 7: ...UM TEMPERATURE 44 APPENDIX A THE PROCESS WINDOW INDEX 45 THE PROBLEM 45 DEFINING THE PROCESS WINDOW INDEX 45 CALCULATING THE PWI 46 BENEFITS OF RANKING THERMAL PROFILE PERFORMANCE 46 CONCLUSION 47 APPENDIX B ATTACHING THERMOCOUPLES TO THE PRODUCT 48 OVERVIEW 48 ALUMINUM TAPE 48 HIGH TEMPERATURE SOLDER 49 CONTACTING KIC 50 ...

Page 8: ...tware key The software key will be installed in the computers parallel printer port or USB port so you may have to temporarily remove your printer cable to install the software key To install the software key follow these steps Power off the computer and the printer Remove the printer cable currently connected to the parallel port parallel port version Firmly attach the male end of the software ke...

Page 9: ...e used with their respective operating systems English German and Spanish can be run on any of the supported Windows operating systems To run KICstart in Japanese the operating system must be Windows Japanese version To run KICstart in Simplified or Traditional Chinese the operating system must be Windows Chinese version Japanese Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese cannot be used with Engli...

Page 10: ...ave Solder 10 Cure 3 Semiconductor 4 The KICstart sample rates will vary depending on the selected Application type KICstart Maintenance Changing the Battery To install or change the battery or for calibration of the KICstart profiler you will have to unscrew the battery cover from the bottom side of the KICstart This will require a small Flathead screwdriver The screw has a retaining clip to keep...

Page 11: ...d to 2 degrees above the Maximum Product Start temperature See Global Preferences for this value Hardware Monitor The combination of the KICstart and the KICstart software closely monitors the KICstart battery internal temperature and the product temperature even before you start a profile There are built in checks in the software to insure that the product and KICstart are cool enough and battery...

Page 12: ...oard logo to view About information of the KICstart software or to view the KICstart read me file See the descriptions of the function for each button below Main Screen Buttons Global Preferences Set units of measure Maximum product start temperature Oven name and Password Define Edit Process Window Create or edit Process Window files for solder paste and profile specifications Run a Profile Begin...

Page 13: ...ng the name click on the Green Checkmark button The software will ask you if you want to add this Process Window to you list of current Process Windows Click on Yes to save it 4 From the Main Menu click on the Run a Profile button Enter in your product name or choose an existing one from the drop down list Choose your Process Window this was created in the previous step Name your oven or choose an...

Page 14: ...ched to the product and KICstart must be below this temperature to start a profile This will insure that a profile is not started while the board is still to hot Default setting is 40 C Languages Drop down list user selects the language in which to run the software Available languages are English Japanese Must be run on Japanese Windows OS Simplified Chinese Must be run on Chinese Windows OS Tradi...

Page 15: ...uld be used if you had component specific specifications that differ from the general solder paste specs Another use for this would be if you wanted to monitor the actual board temperature as well as component temps You would then only select the statistics for that TC that are relevant If you wish to use the same specifications for all thermocouples put a check mark in the box Select TC to View T...

Page 16: ...KICstart Version 1 1 0 x KICstart User Manual 9 ...

Page 17: ... Process Window When checked the fields for limit values will appear If you have chosen a predefined solder paste the appropriate statistics and limit values will already be applied Though you can edit these Specification These are the labels for the data you may use in analyzing your profiles There are a total of up to eleven specifications that can be used Limits low and high values establishing...

Page 18: ...te specs are being used this is the only place where you can select or deselect which TCs will be used for a profile TC Label This area will allow you to type in a description or label to identify that particular TC If left blank the TCs will simply be identified as TC2 TC3 etc Maximum Slope between Temperatures This feature will allow you to determine the maximum slope between 2 specific temperat...

Page 19: ...specs if necessary Name the Process Window Save the Process Window To save Click on the Green Check Save and Exit button A dialog box will appear asking if you want to add this Process Window to your list of Process Windows Clicking on Yes will save it and exit to the KICstart main screen You can click on No and click on the Red X Cancel button to exit without accepting or saving any changes ...

Page 20: ...variables that might change depending on the selected Application type are data sample rate profile temperature trigger values and specific artwork It is very important to choose the correct Application type If you are unsure you can contact KIC technical support for help tech kicmail com KICstart Application Specifications Oven Name Enter a unique oven name or choose an existing oven from the dro...

Page 21: ...e graph will always display a top and bottom setpoint values Zone Temperature fields You will have a field for input of the temperature setting for each zone based on the Number of Zones you enter at the top For more than six zones you will have to scroll over to enter the temperatures Conveyor Speed Enter the Conveyor speed that your oven is curretnly set at Instructions on Attaching TCs The next...

Page 22: ...Solder Reflow Cure and Wave Off Application type specific graphics Example of Semiconductor Application type specific graphics Example of Wave On Application Type specific graphics Please see the Appendix for using the Aluminum tape to attach your thermocouples ...

Page 23: ...e temperature updates Battery Voltage This displays a live reading of the KICstart battery voltage The software will recognize if your voltage is too low and not allow you to start a profile until you have a battery with enough voltage to complete the profile KICstart Internal Temperature This displays the internal temperature of the KICstart profiler If the temperature is too high to complete the...

Page 24: ...n and start the profile over If your answer is YES it will prompt you to disconnect the KICstart cable and then place the KICstart and board into the oven The maximum operating temperature for the KICstart profiler is 105 C 220 F If your process temperatures will cause the KICstart to exceed this limit then DO NOT place the KICstart into the oven Trailing Wire Profiling The KICstart profiler can b...

Page 25: ...and conveyor speed for this profile is displayed beneath the Statistics table The Profile status is displayed at the bottom section of the screen Trailing wire profiling If the KICstart profiler remains connected to the communication cable while profiling the live profile will be plotted on the graph The KICstart profiler can be used with elongated thermocouples or a thermocouple extension long en...

Page 26: ...s please contact KIC Technical support tech kicmail com KICstart Profile Download While the KICstart profiler is profiling it stores the profile data in its on board memory Once the KICstart detects that all of the thermocouples have cooled below the profile end trigger value it will begin downloading the profile data Connect the KICstart communication cable to the KICstart and the download will b...

Page 27: ...er the graph area and Double click to enlarge the graph Statistics View Place the cursor over the Statistics table and Double click to enlarge the Statistics Graph Controller Click on the TCs column header to activate the Graph Controller See instructions on page 23 Graph Pointer Place the cursor in the graph area and Right click to activate the Graph Pointer See details on page 24 Description Tab...

Page 28: ...the KICstart software lists the PWI and oven settings for the profile This table is divided into the original section top and the Predicted section bottom The original values represent the oven settings at the time the profile was run The predicted values represent the predicted oven settings as determined by the user To predict changes to the oven settings click on the zone you wish to change In ...

Page 29: ...ured PWI is below 100 the value will be displayed in a Green font If the measured PWI is 100 or higher the value will be displayed in a Red font This enables you to easily identify if the profile is in or out of spec Original profile plot solid lines Predicted profile plot dotted lines Profile Graph A PWI under 100 is acceptable A PWI above 100 is unacceptable ...

Page 30: ...rofile without a particular or multiple thermocouples you can deselect individual thermocouples or deselect the All check box and choose only the thermocouples you wish to view Deselecting Thermocouples If a thermocouple has become disconnected during the profile the profile results may be affected to due above normal peak temperatures and such This situation may cause the profile PWI value to be ...

Page 31: ...ointer is moved across the profile the following data will be displayed The first column is the actual temperature for each TC marked in Blue The Delta T T for both actual and predicted TC data The time during the profile at which the pointer is placed Profile Screen Buttons There are four buttons at the bottom of the profile screen Edit Define Process Window Choose this button to either view or e...

Page 32: ...ly save the changes with the profile To save the changes to Process Window file see next dialog box Saving changes to the Process Window If you have made changes to the Process Window from the graph screen you can save these changes when you exit the graph screen The Process Window will permanently have these changes whenever it is used to profile from this point forward The KICstart software will...

Page 33: ... the Profile Description in the upper Right corner Double clicking on the profile will display the graph and statistics for that profile Clicking on the Display Graph button can also do this The Save button with the Blue floppy disk allows you to save a profile to another folder or to a floppy disk The Delete button trashcan allows you to delete the selected profile The button in the lower right c...

Page 34: ...are will not allow the user proceed The user will be prompted with a message stating that one of the selected TCs is not reading valid temperatures You will have to wait till the thermocouple or the object your thermocouples are connected to cools below this temperature setting before the KICstart will allow you to proceed This software feature helps the user to collect consistent profile data by ...

Page 35: ...ct Application type Failing to do so can affect the profile results For wave solder select to run the profile with the wave On or Off If you select Wave on the KICstart software will utilize two wave TCs in addition to the Air TC The Wave TCs will measure wave dwell time and Parallelism when profiling with the wave on The Air TC must be positioned to run through the wave s If you select Wave on th...

Page 36: ...setpoints are the same This will allow you to enter different values for top and bottom heaters in each zone If your oven has top and bottom heaters but not in all of the heated zones just enter the same value as the actual setpoint in that zone for both the top and bottom setting This is also were you will enter the temperature settings for each zone or pre heater in your wave solder machine and ...

Page 37: ...ir TC The next screen shows directions for attaching the Air TC to your product It is important to follow these instructions The Air TC starts and stops the profile automatically measures the oven and provides useful profile information In certain processes it may be beneficial to wrap the end of the Air TC with tape to give it more surface area KIC recommends wrapping the Air TC when profiling Wa...

Page 38: ... what slot channel of the KICstart to connect each Wave TC to It is very important to follow these directions Plug the Left Wave TC into the 2 slot of the KICstart Plug the Right Wave TC into the 3 slot of the KICstart When you have properly connected your Wave TCs select the Forward Arrow button to proceed Connecting Product TCs The next screen will depict placement of the thermocouples used for ...

Page 39: ...ple number The live temperature is displayed beneath each thermocouple label only when the KICstart is on and connected properly Thermocouple Labels Optionally you can check the box to include thermocouple labels When this box is checked you can type a text label for each selected thermocouple 20 character maximum Distance from the Air TC Measure and enter the distance from the Air TC to each ther...

Page 40: ...in the Global Preferences screen The default setting is 40ºC 104ºF If any of the selected thermocouples read too high this message will appear When the KICstart software detects valid temperatures for all of the selected thermocouples it will allow you to start the profile In certain situations the KICstart software may display other messages with directions in addition to what is outlined below R...

Page 41: ...tart User Manual If you selected yes the software shows a picture of and instructs the user to put the KICstart and the board into the oven and then select the Arrow Forward button Next the software will display the Live Profile graph ...

Page 42: ...e the KICstart is in the oven and until the profile has ended the software will continue to display the live profile graph The other tab at the top of the screen Description is inaccessible The current oven temperature setpoints and conveyor speed for this profile is displayed beneath the Statistics table The profile status is displayed at the bottom of the screen The Live profile graph display wi...

Page 43: ...iling it stores the profile data in its on board memory Once the KICstart detects that all of the thermocouples have cooled below the profile end trigger value it will begin downloading the profile data Connect the KICstart communication cable to the KICstart and the download will begin automatically The KICstart profiler will be hot to the touch Use gloves if necessary to avoid burn injuries whil...

Page 44: ...is displayed in a window at the upper Right hand corner of the profile graph This information includes Dwell time and Parallelism in seconds and the solder temperature setpoint and actual for the wave s portion of the profile The Dwell time is measured by the Wave TCs The Parallelism is the measured time difference between when the Wave TC Left and Wave TC Right hit the wave The Solder Temperature...

Page 45: ...ouple has become disconnected during the profile the profile results may be affected to due above normal peak temperatures and such This situation may cause the profile PWI value to be artificially inflated due to bad data In the event a single or multiple thermocouples become disconnected from the product during the profile you can deselect the affected thermocouple s The KICstart software will r...

Page 46: ...rofiling wave solder machines using the KICstart profiler These tips are intended to help you in profiling your wave solder machine Your process may not match the pictures below Contact KIC Technical support if you have any questions regarding wave solder profiling using the KICstart profiler tech kicmail com Use a blank spare board or palette to carry the KICstart on It may be useful to secure th...

Page 47: ... from the application list The KICstart software profile results are based on this setting it is imperative that your select the correct application type Failing to do so can affect the profile results Choose Cure Select your oven name from the list If you re profiling on a new oven or machine type the name in the Oven Name field o Optionally you can type notes or descriptions for this profile in ...

Page 48: ...pending upon model and shield KICstart Maximum Internal Temperature is 105 C Removing the KICstart cover To remove the KICstart cover or change the battery you will have to first unscrew the battery cover from the bottom side of the KICstart This will require a small Flathead screwdriver The screw has a retaining clip to keep it in place so it will not come all the way out Just loosen it enough so...

Page 49: ...omponents J2 This is the 8 pin download communication port located at the rear of the KICstart P1 This is the main power connector This connector fits a 9Volt battery R10 This is the CALIBRATE potentiometer and is the only adjustment on the KICstart used for calibrating the unit R6 This is the MAX TEMP Potentiometer This is used to increase or decrease the upper range of temperatures that the KICs...

Page 50: ...from your open programs Perform the following steps to properly calibrate the KICstart within 1 2 C 2 0 F Let the KICstart stand for at least 30 minutes with its power on in a constant ambient environment free of drafts Turn on the computer and start the KICstart software Connect the KICstart to the computer with the communication cable On the KICstart software s Host screen the temperatures for e...

Page 51: ...ture setting for your KICstart is not set high enough for the temperature application you re attempting to measure See instructions above for enabling the KIC Host screen Follow these steps to change the KICstart Maximum Temperature Turn on the computer and start the KICstart software Connect your KICstart to the computer via the communication cable Turn on your KICstart Observe the Host screen Th...

Page 52: ...l process statistics is said to be inside the Process Window The center of the Process window is defined as zero and the extreme edge of the process window as 99 A Process Window Index of 100 or more indicates that the profile will not process product in spec A Process Window Index of 99 indicates that the profile will process product within spec but it is running at the very edge of the Process W...

Page 53: ...ge i j is the i j th statistic s high limit minus the low limit Table 1 Process Window Index Formula measured_value i j average_limits i j range i j 2 i j 1 N M 100 MAX PWI Thus the PWI calculation includes all thermocouple statistics for all thermocouples The profile PWI is the worst case profile statistic maximum or highest percentage of the process window used and all other values are less Bene...

Page 54: ...t points were changed and the oven stabilized a second profile was run to confirm that the predicted PWI had been achieved The table below shows that there is significant variation in oven performance between various makes and models In this test Oven C had more zones than Ovens A and B and performed better as would be expected Table 2 Comparison of Oven Performance Best Achievable PWI Oven Board ...

Page 55: ...ure solder provides excellent repeatability and is a very strong attachment method The cons to using high temperature solder are that it s not easy to work with requires tools and is usually destructive to the test product For these very reasons KIC tested alternative means of attaching thermocouples to PCBs Of the many different attachment methods tested by KIC Aluminum tape provided profile resu...

Page 56: ...f the eutectic solder is not removed the tension of the thermocouple wire may lift the component as soon as the eutectic solder reaches it s melting point which is a lower temperature than high temp solder Your temperature reading will come from the first point of contact between the two wires leading from the TC To insure accurate readings it is critical to carefully separate the two wires all th...

Page 57: ...ww kicthermal com or www kic cn KIC Technical Support KIC Tech Support phone is available 24 hours a day 365 days per year 858 673 6050 or by eMail USA tech kicmail com Asia asia tech kicmail com Europe europe tech kicmail com KIC Product Training Contact KIC Customer Support 858 673 6050 or by eMail training kicmail com KIC Sales Contact KIC sales USA phone 858 673 6050 or by eMail sales kicmail ...

Reviews: