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Functional Specifications

NWA Quality Information System™

Data Collection Specifications

User Interface can be composed of any number and combination of components

  • Input Box
    • Key entry
    • Drop-down selection list
    • Measurement device input
  • Display Box
    • Calculations
    • Informational data
  • Tabulate Box - simplifies defect category entry
  • Input Prompt - specific to each Input Box
  • Label Text - full font and color control
  • Picture - supports BMP, GIF, JPG, and other formats
  • Command Bar - dockable groups of command buttons
  • Pop-up Menu - cascading groups of command buttons
  • Action Button - individual command button
  • Alarm Indicators - alarms linked to each input and display box
  • Alarm List - displays current alarms
  • "Quick View" - tabular display of previously collected data

Input source and management features

  • Source
    • Keyboard entry
    • Read from measurement device
    • Read from barcode
    • Read from text file
    • Calculation result from defined formula
    • Constant value
    • Incrementing or sequence count
    • Default to previous value
    • System date - system clock
    • System time - system clock
  • Upper and Lower Bound limits
  • Allow/Prevent modification of existing data
  • Input Mask for key, device, and calculation input
  • Field-specific prompt text
  • Field-specific help reference

User Commands

Command Bar, Pop-up Menu, and Action Button options

  • Command bars dock to any margin
  • Pop-up menus cascade to 10 levels
  • Button text includes full font and color control
  • Button definition includes short-cut (function) keys
  • Command Actions
    • Display Chart - display SPC charts
    • Print Chart - print SPC charts
    • Help - display field-specific help
    • Alarms - display alarm lists
    • Run - start NWA Quality Analyst automation script
    • Send - send pre-defined commands to devices
    • Launch - start other Windows applications
    • Archive - manually start data archive

Help System

Complete SOP support on the plant floor

  • Context sensitive help for each input field
  • Full font and color control
  • Embedded graphics and pictures
  • Includes built-in Help file editor
  • Reads RTF file format from word processors and editors

Alarm System

Visual and audible alarming on specifications and SPC limits

  • Alarm Types
    • Specifications
    • SPC Limits - control, warning, and rule violations
    • Fixed Limits
  • Alarm Indicators
    • Separate indicators for each alarm type
    • Specific to each Input and Display field
  • Alarm Lists
    • Fully definable text for each alarm type
    • Pop-up or continuous display
    • Includes complete alarm history for each data record
  • Alarm Actions
    • Add message to alarm list
    • System beep
    • Assign text comment to data field
    • Play .WAV files
    • Send alarm list by email at record completion

Device Interface

Real-time data collection from measurement devices

  • Interfaces through standard RS-232 and USB ports
  • Simple point-and-click device definition
  • Interfaces with common measurement devices
    • Scales
    • Gages
    • Multiplexers
    • Special Purpose
  • Includes extensive library of predefined devices
  • Device configuration and troubleshooting tool
    • Troubleshoot communications problems
    • Test input devices
  • Interface with text files

Data Interface

  • Link multiple NWA QIS workstations for multistep manufacturing processes
  • Allows up to 200 characteristics per Data Set (includes any combination of variable, attribute, or descriptive data)
  • Automatically writes to ODBC-compliant databases (e.g., SQL Server)
  • Reads specifications and descriptive data from ODBC-compliant databases