Exporting a Data File or Appending a Data String to a File via FTP

You can configure your In-Sight vision system to export a data file or append a data string to a file on an FTP server on the network. Use this feature to log data results that you view in a file.

To configure an FTP connection:

  1. From the Communications group box, select FTP.
  2. Select the File tab.

  3. Press the Add button to add an entry and configure the export parameters.

    Note: You can add more than one file export operation to a job.
  4. Select the Settings tab and configure the FTP server settings.
  5. Place the In-Sight vision system Online. The vision system must be Online to execute; otherwise, no data will be exported.
  6. Trigger the vision system. For each trigger, a data file is exported or a data string is appended to a file, and stored on the FTP server specified in the Settings tab.
Note:
  • When Transfer Condition is set to None (default), a data file is exported or a data string is appended to a file every time a new image is acquired. When Transfer Condition is set to other than None, a data file is exported or a data string is appended to a file every time the specified event occurs. For example, when Transfer Condition is set to Job.Fail, a data file is exported or a data string is appended to a file, and stored on the FTP server every time the job fails.
  •  When using the In-Sight emulator as an FTP server, by default, files are written to the Emulator folder ([ProgramData]\Cognex\In-Sight\Emulators\x.x.x). In addition to this directory, files can be written to a user-defined location (Authorized FTP directory). For more information on the Authorized FTP directory, see Emulation Panel.

File Tab

Provides parameters for defining the exported data, its format, when the data is exported and where the data is exported.

ClosedEnabled check box

Defines whether or not the export operation is operational (by default, it is checked), and whether or not it will be exposed as an EasyView item (for example, WriteLocal_1.Tool_Enabled), which can be displayed on the VisionView Operator Interface Panel and is editable by the operator.

Note: To enable, check the Enable checkbox in the table. This is the only parameter you can configure in the table.
ClosedName

Defines the name of your data export operation, which can be utilized in configuring the results Inputs/Outputs and Communication); the default name is "WriteFtp_1" (if it is the first image export operation added to the job, otherwise it will be incremented, e.g. “WriteFtp_2”, “WriteFtp_3”, etc.). Customize the operation by giving it a name that is associated with its Transfer Condition, for instance.

ClosedTransfer Condition

Defines when the data should be sent to the FTP server, such as when a particular tool passes or fails, or an input is received. By default, None is selected, which ensures that the data will be exported every time an image is acquired, when the Enabled checkbox is checked. If the Enabled checkbox is disabled, or the tool referenced is disabled, the export operation will not execute.

ClosedDevice

Defines the FTP server, configured in the Settings Tab, that will receive the exported data. By default, Device 1 is selected.

ClosedFile Type

Defines the format of the exported file: Text, HTML (default), XML or CSV.

ClosedWrite Type (Overwrite or Append)

Defines the way that data is written to the file.

  • Overwrite: Overwrites the existing data in the file.
  • Append (default): Appends the data string to the end of the file.
ClosedFile Contents/Format String button

Defines the data written to the file using the FormatString dialog. For more information, see Format String Dialog.

ClosedFile Name Preview

Previews the name of the file that is exported; by default, File is displayed. You can customize the file name by configuring the following parameters: Default File Name, Add Link and Add Timestamp.

Note:
  • Define at least one parameter for the file. If the Default File Name field is blank and the Add Link and Add Timestamp checkboxes are unchecked, the file export operation will fail.
  • The order of the parameters cannot be changed.
ClosedDefault File Name

Defines the name of the file that is exported; the default name is "File". Long file names are supported.

ClosedAdd Link

Defines whether or not the selected tool will be linked and added to the name of the file that is exported. By default, this checkbox is disabled.

Note:
  • The export operation will fail if the selected tool is linked to a string that contains any of the following invalid characters: <, >, :, ", /, \, |, ? or *.
  • The Add Link checkbox is grayed out when EasyBuilder cannot find any tool that can be linked.
  • If the linked tool is removed from the job, the Add Link checkbox will be automatically disabled.
  • When the Add Link checkbox is enabled, do not select Undefined from the drop-down list; it may produce undefined results.
ClosedAdd Timestamp

Defines whether or not a timestamp will be added to the name of the image file that is exported. By default, this checkbox is disabled. When enabled, one of the following pre-configured timestamp formats can be selected from the drop-down list: MMDDYY, YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS, DDMMYY_HHMMSS, MM-DD-YYYY_HH.MM.SS, HHMMSS, YYMMDD_HHMMSS or YYDDMM_HHMMSS.

Note: You can configure the In-Sight vision system's date/time settings in the Date/Time Setting dialog. For more information, see Date/Time Settings Dialog.
ClosedAdd button

Adds a new export operation to the list.

ClosedRemove button

Removes an export operation from the list. Only one export operation may be removed at a time.

Settings Tab

The Settings Tab provides parameters for defining two target devices. The target device can be an In-Sight emulator, or any other host acting as an FTP server on the network.

ClosedHost Name

Defines the host name (or IP address) for the target device's FTP server.

Note:
  • If an invalid Host Name is specified, the connection may take up to 30 seconds to timeout.

  • When specifying the Host Name or User Name, do not use spaces before or after the name. If the name specified in the Host Name or User Name setting contains a space before or after the name, the image export operation will fail to write the image to the specified server.

  • If you have another PC with an FTP server installed, you can choose that as your storage location. Note that In-Sight Explorer software is considered an FTP server. If you are using a third party FTP server, In-Sight Explorer should be closed. If no other FTP server is running, In-Sight Explorer must be running. If you are using a third party FTP server, the PC's IP address must be used in the Host Name parameter.
  • The port number of the FTP server connection can be changed by appending the Host Name (or IP address) with a colon (:) and the new port number. For example, if the current Host Name was PRODUCTION1, to change the default port number (21) to port 34, the Host Name parameter is changed to: PRODUCTION1:34.
ClosedUser Name

Defines the valid user name for the target device's FTP server (must not exceed 255 characters). This name does not have to exist on the In-Sight vision system that is exporting the image file or data.

ClosedPassword

Defines the valid password for the target device's FTP server. The password is case-sensitive, and its length cannot exceed 20 characters.

Note:
  • For security purposes, the password you enter is masked with "*" in the field.
  • The password will be saved in the job file in encrypted form.
ClosedConnection Type

Defines the type of image export connection: Standard FTP (default selection), Secure FTP or Mitsubishi GOT. Secure FTP provides a secure transmission protocol, for use with SFTP applications, and Mitsubishi GOT provides support for displaying images on a Mitsubishi GOT terminal.

Note: When the Connection Type parameter is set to Mitsubishi GOT, ensure that the File Format parameter in the Images tab is set to JPG for the best display results.
ClosedFTP Settings button

Launches the FTP Settings dialog. For more information, see FTP Settings Dialog.

Note: Typically you do not need to modify the default settings on dedicated, local In-Sight networks where all FTP connections will occur between In-Sight vision systems. However, if FTP connections are needed between In-Sight vision systems and other network servers, or between vision systems on different networks, you may need to change the default FTP settings.
ClosedLast Network Error

Displays the cause of an error when one is encountered during an export operation. An event specified in File Tab - Transfer Condition must have occurred, e.g. triggering an image, or you must place the In-Sight vision system online for this field to be updated.

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EasyBuilder Help  |  2019 August 24  |  Revision: 5.7.4.3