In this article you will learn how to connect and control a SmartTower with ELAM Solutions.
In order to establish a connection between ELAM Solutions and SmartTower, in some cases the address and port in the firewall must be released by your IT department.
By default, the address and port for EU and USA are as follows:
By default, the address and port for ASIA are as follows:
The SmartTower is powered via a power supply unit and connected directly to the Internet via an RJ45 LAN cable. ELAM Solutions establishes the connection to the SmartTower directly via the cloud.
A SmartTower is created via the MAC address of the integrated controller in ELAM.
To create a new tower, proceed as follows:
In the next window, enter the 12-digit MAC address of the SmartTower and select a station where you want to use your SmartTower:
Note: The 12-digit MAC address of the SmartTower is located on the controller under the QR code and looks like this:
If the SmartTower was successfully created, you will see the standard information about the tower. In addition, further tower-specific settings are displayed under the "Discs and positions" area, which are read out with the first initialization of the tower.
Disc - designates one or more levels on the SmartTower that are read out automatically. Within a disc are the individual positions for the compartments.
Position - designates a fixed 18 positions of the trays. The number of positions / trays is fixed.
Click on the drop-down of a disc so that the individual positions are displayed.
So that you can place components in the correct compartments, the position can be approached via the "Activate" button. The components that are to be removed later can be placed in the position that has been moved to. The components are assigned via the drop-down menu.
Optionally, individual components can be weighed. With the optional feature, component removals can be automatically acknowledged by the weighing function in the Assisant.
To do this, click on the "Teach weight" button. The compartment is automatically approached and the SmartTower LED lights up purple. Make sure that the compartment is empty before the teach function is activated. After you have clicked on the "Teach weight" button, the position is approached and the balance is tared to 0 g. Then place a single component in the compartment so that the weight is determined. Then save the weight and fill the compartment with components.
Note: Components weighing less than 0,4g should not be weighed. Inaccuracies occur when calculating the sample quantity multiplied by the weight. As a result, the system accuracy between the specified (target) and the actual (actual) withdrawal quantity deviates considerably. In such cases, we recommend that components under 0,4g be acknowledged manually on the tower.
Note: Weight teaching with 2M Boxes is not yet supported by ELAM Solutions. This function will be added in a future update.
The SmartTower allows the use of both 1M and 2M boxes per level. The key difference between these box sizes is that a 2M box is twice the size of a 1M box. That means, the maximum number of boxes per level is reduced from 18 to 9 when only 2M boxes are used.
In ELAM Solutions, the number of connected levels is automatically detected by the SmartTower. Regardless of the actual configuration, the software automatically creates 18 boxes per level under Administration > Tools > SmartTower.
In order to activate the SmartTower in an active flowchart and to remove components, a SmartTower template is provided. In the detail settings, the correct component with the extraction quantity can be specified, as well as an optional setting for the extraction type. The following setting can be selected for the removal type:
In the SmartTower step, you can also have the next component moved forward after the operator acknowledges the actual removal. To do this, select the next component to be moved forward in the optional field. This setting increases efficiency and drastically minimizes waiting times.
Note: Please note that the next component is automatically moved forward if the flowchart is canceled in the middle of an active SmartTower step (in the ELAM Assistant). The position automatically moves back again when the flowchart is continued.
When a SmartTower step in the Assistant becomes active, the respective disc rotates to the correct component position. During manual acknowledgement, a blue LED from the button lights up. The button is pressed after the removal so that the removal can be acknowledged and the next step is displayed in the flowchart.
When a SmartTower step in the ELAM Assistant becomes active, the desired disc rotates to the correct component position. When confirming the weight, a turquoise LED lights up when the scale is ready to weigh the quantity to be removed.
Note: If components are removed before the scale is ready for measurement, the target and actual removal quantities are automatically calculated incorrectly. Optionally, the removal can be confirmed in the assistant by clicking the "Manual OK" button.
If the tower does not receive any commands for 10 minutes, it goes into sleep mode (without a visual or acoustic signal, the LED button also remains unchanged). If the tower receives a command while it is in sleep mode, it plays a short warning sequence and then executes the command.
Warning sequence:
The entire warning sequence lasts 2-3 seconds.
Max height (2 discs): 66cm
Diameter: 90cm
Safety distance: 50cm
Weight: 40kg per disc / approx. 120kg total (excl. desk)
Max weight/disc: 100kg
Capacity: 18 boxes á 1,8L (max. 5kg/box) / 9 boxes á 4L (max. 5kg/box)
Power supply: 220V (Gateway) IP40 / 24V (Disc) IP20
Fuse of the power supply: 16A
Ethernet
