TD-Scan v19.12 Overview
Date 07 – October – 2016.
· DFX Import.
Added import of DXF files for “Complex” overlays. To access this option from the menu select <Setup>, <TD Super-View Panel Layout>, press the <Overlay Config> button, and then select the <Complex> tab.
Note: Only items in the <Visible Edges> layer are imported, and it is assumed that the vertical position of all probes is at Y = 0.
Once imported the image may be manipulated with the <Rotate>, <Flip Vertical>, and <Flip Horizontal> buttons.
During data acquisition and analysis the overlay may be manipulated by selecting <View>, <Overlay Adjust>.
· TCG modifications.
1. For the Handy-Scan (and card stack derivatives), each conventional channel now has its own TCG curve. Therefore TCG selection is simply on /off, and not 1 through 8. This feature requires firmware v3.16 which is included in this release.
2. Added the options to Import/Export TCG curves via CSV files. This is only available for conventional channels and single focal law PA channels.
3. TCG display in the A-Scan window is automatically enabled when the TCG tab is selected.
· Curved Surface Correction (CSC).
This option is configured in the <TD Super-View Display Control> dialog. From the menu select <Setup>, <TD Super-View Panel Layout>, and set the <Surface Correction> field to the required option. These are:-
1. None: No correction is applied.
2. Display Only: All images are not CSC corrected, only the displayed text (axes, cursors and status bars) show the corrected value of depth (radial depth). Distance is not corrected.
3. Image Enabled: Correction is carried out during the image construction stage, both depth and distance are corrected and the displayed text reveal the true values.
Notes:
· These options are available only when test piece geometry is set to <Curved prior data acquisition.
· You cannot do CSC when the geometry has already been set to <Flat>.
· The geometry setting can be changed later offline along with other parameters.
· The <Geometry> field can be found in the <Probe> setup page. Also the <Internal Diameter> field must be set which is also in the <Probe> setup page.
· Dual-linear array.
Only side-by-side arrangement is supported and it’s assumed the phased arrays and wedges of TX and RX are symmetrical. Therefore, only one set of parameters, i.e. for TX, is needed.
First element separation:
Separation between centres of first element of two linear arrays. Here the first elements refer to the elements with biggest separation between them if squint angle is greater than 0.
Squint (angle):
Half of the angle between the two wedges.
Roof (angle):
The angle that the phased array rotates around its central line. When facing the front of the wedge, the TX array is assumed at right, and the roof angle will be positive if the phased array rotates clockwise, which is always the case as the arrays should face each other so that beams can cross at certain point.
Probe Direction (angle):
The angle between the symmetrical plane of TX/RX array and the secondary scan axis, similar to 1D array. Only 0/180 degree is allowed.
Offset:
The horizontal and vertical offsets are relative to TX unit, i.e. the 1st element when 0 degree wedge or no wedge is used, or the front of wedge when a non-zero degree wedge is used, similar to 1D array.
To setup dual-linear PA, just do it using the same procedure for setting up a single PA. The parameters for TX and RX control should be identical except Element 1 Connection. When no wedge is used, Squint angle and 1st Element -Separation are available; while with wedge in use, in addition to those two angles, Roof angle is available as well. Other wedge parameters are those of the TX unit.
· Matrix Arrays.
Matrix arrays are selected by choosing <2D_Matrix> from the <Array Geometry> list in the <Probe> setup page for phased array channels. They are configured by pressing the <Configure> button which opens the <Matrix Array> dialog box.
With <2D_Marix> probe selected, the <Skew> angle field becomes enabled in the channel’s <Focal Law> setup page. The skew angle may be set between ±45°.
2D_Matrix array probe can be used for performing multiple sectoral scans/pitch-catch, with all of its elements activated. The position of steering plane is defined by Skew Angle.
The definition of Probe Direction (skew), and Beam Skew when matrix array is used. Viewing from top. Red line indicates the beam steering plane. Probe Direction is set in Probe pane / Direction (Skew),
· Time base options.
o A-Scan Display Window.
The options are:-
§ Time (µS).
§ Range (mm-R / in-R). No corrections made for Dual Linear Arrays.
§ Depth (mm-D / in-D). No corrections made for curved surface and Dual Linear Arrays.
o Probe Delay – Phased Array Channels.
The options are:-
§ Time (µS).
§ Range (mm-R / in-R). No corrections made for Dual Linear Arrays.
o Probe Delay – Conventional Pulse Echo Channels.
The options are:-
§ Time (µS)
§ Range (mm-R / in-R). No corrections made for Dual Linear Arrays.
§ Depth (mm-D / in-D). No corrections made for curved surface and Dual Linear Arrays.
o Gate Setup.
The options are:-
§ Time (µS)
§ Range (mm-R / in-R). No corrections made for Dual Linear Arrays.
§ Depth (mm-D / in-D). No corrections made for curved surface and Dual Linear Arrays.
o A-Scan Display (TD Super-View).
For Phased Array and conventional Pulse Echo channels, the options are now:-
§ Range.
§ Depth.
The options can be selected from the right-click popup menu. If neither is selected the horizontal scale default to time (µS).
For ToFD channels the horizontal scale is always time (µS).
· Probe Skew.
This can be performed with conventional pulse echo probes or linear array probes with a physical angle of rotation, or a matrix array with beam steering. In the above screen shot, the skew angle can be seen in the C-Scan image.
· Soft Gain.
Added Soft Gain for off-line TD Super-View. To enable / disable this option from the menu select <View>, <Soft Gain>. The soft gain can be modified up to ±60dB by pressing the ±6dB, ±1dB, or ±½dB buttons. The soft gain can also be set by selecting the current soft gain value and entering via the keyboard. In this case the images are only updated when the <Enter> key is pressed. The level of soft gain is displayed in the window’s title bar.
· Gain and Reference Level in A-Scan Display Window.
Pressing the right mouse button anywhere within the A-Scan display window (except enabled controls, e.g. the cursors button) open the following pop-up menu:-
Here the modify value of the gain +/- button on the A-Scan display window can be set to ±0.2dB, ±0.5dB, ±1dB or ±2dB (the default value).
Also, if the Max amplitude is being displayed (press <Show> button on A-Scan display window), the option to set the amplitude of the signal within the de-limiters to “Reference Level” is included in the menu. The “Reference Level” is set by selecting the <Set reference level> menu item.
· Offline setup modifications.
Editing hardware setup parameters when offline.
1. Open the data file as usual from <Analysis>.
2. Proceed to File\File Data\Hardware Setup.
3. Make changes to Offsets, Probe Delay, Probe Direction, and others in <Probe> panel.
4. When exit the setup, there is a chance to save the changes.
5. All views will redraw regardless if any change is made.
· Offline Probe Delay Modification.
Changing probe delay based on a reference echo in offline A-Scan display window.
1. Find the specific reference echo from A-Scan display window.
2. Right Click to bring up the popup menu.
3. Choose <Cursors>. The cursors just behave the same as those dual cursors in B/C/D/S display.
4. Move the RED cursor to the actual position, and the blue cursor to the reference echo. Right click to exit the dual cursor mode.
· Hysteresis Correction.
Added hysteresis correction in TD Super-View for data acquired with 2 axis scanners. This option is accessed by opening the C-Scan’s context menu (place the mouse pointer within the C-Scan image and press the right mouse button) and selecting <Hysteresis Correction>. Here Odd or Even scan lines may be moved left/right by a maximum of ±10 collection steps.
· User defined dB level.
For TD Super-View Echo Dynamic views, the options to set, display, and find extents of an operator dB level have been added. The minimum value is -1dB, with the maximum being -20dB.
· Channel / Focal Selection.
Display user selected Flaw(s) in TD Super-View C/B/S image display.
1) Online from Setup/TD Super-View View Layout/Select.
2) Offline from View/Panel Control/Select.
Changing a channels usage or for phased array channels changing the number of focal laws will reset the selection back to the default.
· Bug fixes and minor changes.
1. Setting text in dialog boxes failed if the source buffer was on an odd address. This only seemed to happen on AMD A6 CPUs.
2. In TD Super-View the ±FL buttons on the A-Scan view didn’t work once the focal law had been selected another way. E.g. cursors in another view, e.g. S-Scan.
3. Speeded up phased array element balancing.
4. When using the phased array calibration wizard to calibrate per focal law TCG curves, the chanel’s focal law balancing data is deleted.
5. The <Configuration> menu option was disabled if the TDScan software didn’t communicate with acquisition hardware. This caused a problem because the <Reset Ethernet Configuration> button in the <System> page could not be accessed.
6. Improved phased array element usage checking.
7. FFT image in TD Super-View A-Scan view did not appear on print-outs.
8. Added cursors to TD Super-View A-Scan views (offline only).