Gentlemen,
        I would like to thank you for your insightful information.  This was
a good sanity check for me.  I wasn't going crazy after all.

Paul,
        It seems that we were doing the wrong thing by utilizing the
optimize function in this software package.  I had a feeling that it may be
something that we were doing that was causing the foot to step on previously
deposited solder paste.  You all have confirmed my suspicions and I will
definitely not use the optimize function.  Could you please provide e-mail
or contact information on the people that you mentioned in your last reply
that had experience with Camalot machines.  Have you tried to utilize the
outline function in the C.O.P.S. software?  If so any success?  More about
this below.

Nasir,
        I wish I had gotten as far as you apparently had with this software.
When I mentioned my problem with my fiducials, it was still at the
programming stage, I have not even had a chance to test the fiducial
function out on the machine.  I think that we may have different versions of
the software.  The software that I am referring to is Camalot's latest
windows software for the Camalot solder dispensing machine: Camalot COPS
version 1.50.
What is happening is that after I have programmed all of my parts and I am
ready to translate my Neutral file (Mentor), along with my library parts
that I have made, into the Calls and  Functions that the Camalot uses to
dispense the solder I get an error message.  This error message is
apparently caused by the fact that at the time when the software is ready
for me to translate the data, it gives me the option of specifying Layout,
Fiducials, and Offset in a file that called the outline file.  I try to do
so but, whenever I enter this information and try to translate it, this is
when the program "bombs-out" and I get some sort of memory error.  I have
noticed that the values that are actually displayed in this outline file are
not the ones that I originally entered.  I try to re-enter the values but to
no avail.  However, if I bypass specifying the Fiducials and therefore
bypass the outline file altogether I have no problems.  It is just that we
purchased this software so that the machine would be fully automated and at
this point it is not.  I even tried to contact the designer of this software
out in Germany, but could never get him on the phone.

Thank you very much for the advice.

John Arroyave
Production Engineer (Plant #3 PDF Labs)
Honeywell Space Systems
13350 US Hwy 19 N. M/S 802-3
Clearwater, FL  34624
Phone:  (813) 539-2272
Pager: (813) 508-6700
Fax:  (813) 539-4469
e-mail:  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask]

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