Provide Increased Sensor Support and Factory Visibility of Operations with FabGuard v18.05.00

Michael Neel – Product Manager, FabGuard Applications and Controls Engineering, Newton MA

We are pleased to announce the release of FabGuard v18.05.00. The new version provides end users with guided troubleshooting, new dashboards, and greater sensor support to get more out of INFICON and 3rd party sensors.

In version 18.05.00, the development team has integrated portions of the FabGuard eOCAP system into FabGuard Help and FabGuard Explorer. Called FabGuard Guide, the system uses embedded procedures to guide users through common tasks, perform troubleshooting, and diagnose configuration issues. In this version, a block of RGA tuning procedures has been added to the system. Buttons labelled "Guide" in the user interface link to the relevant procedures (Figures 1 - 3). FabGuard Guide requires a web server to operate. The installers for FabGuard Help and FabGuard Explorer automatically enable and configure the Windows IIS web server during installation to support FabGuard Guide. Additional content will be added in future versions providing increased sensor and FabGuard operation support.

New throughput and capability metrics provide better visibility into equipment performance. End users obtain a better view of their overall factory capability. Modifications to FabGuard Web dashboards and the addition of a billboard style display give factories the ability to quickly asses the status of any process area.

Learn more about tools and processes with our enhanced sensor support and sensor integration capabilities. Maintain FabGuard and its fleet of sensors using the RGA tuning procedures integrated into FabGuard eOCAP.

Figure 1: FabGuard Guide button in the Tune screen of FabGuard Acquisition.

Figure 2: Sample RGA tuning guide with RGA image from FabGuard eOCAP.

Figure 3: Sample RGA tuning guide with FabGuard image from FabGuard eOCAP.

Key Features and Benefits

Features	Advantages	Benefits
Guided troubleshooting using FabGuard eOCAP	Guides users through tasks and troubleshooting	Complex or uncommon tasks are made easier and performed using expert guidance
Web billboard display	Real-time updates of tool group billboards for display on monitors across the factory	Quick view of tool status without having to log in and manually look up status information
Simplified plot right-click menus	Moves all the “Show” choices into their own sub-menu. Combines “Grid” and “Legend” sub-menus into “Appearance” sub-menu.	Simplifies menu choice and increases selection speed to help users get to data faster
RGA external pressure reference used for calibration	Allows more accuracy in calibrating total pressure	User can calibrate the total pressure in the RGA using an external reference rather than a user entered value

Highlighted Features

Features	Descriptions
Add Analysis Quality Summary report	The Analysis Quality Summary report is a replacement for the Analysis Health rollup table. Includes: Two tables, one per Analysis, one per Tool/Chamber location
Independent serial communication threads	Keeps serial gauge/sensor communications intact even if one of the gauges is offline
Support for NIDAQmx 17.6.0	Provides support for the latest NIDAQ drivers. Some older boards are no longer supported, see full release notes for details
Edwards EcoLink/SECS as a SECS Gauge	Supports collection of SVID data from devices that use Edwards EcoLink/SECS communication
Thermoflex Chiller as a gauge	Supports communication with Thermoflex chillers
Display filament status in FabGuard (Transpector® MPx RGAs)	Note that this requires that the Transpector MPx RGA be running firmware version 1.5.1 or higher
Selectable Dark or Light theme for FabGuard Web	Previously, only a Dark theme was available
Allow Modbus/Serial Register to indicate what Function Code to use	Add "(3)" to the end of the Register to use function 3 and add "(4)" to use function 4. If nothing is added, function 3 is used as the default selection
In Executive web configuration add parameters for Capability	Process capability is calculated using Cpk or CLR for every SPC and control report. For the dashboard bullseye plot, the worst Cpk or CLR is reported per Chamber on the Tool Overview tab, and per Tool on the Group Overview tab of FabGuard Web.
Preference for TOI to get PPID from a database	Enter the Connection Name in this field. The Connection Name is the name given in the setup in Report and Model Manager >> Advanced >> External Database connections
Allow user to enter Auto Startup Delay in FabGuard	For FabGuard IPM: Auto Startup Delay must be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 170 seconds. For FabGuard Executive: Auto Startup Delay must be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 290 seconds
Add history plots for dashboard on the web	History is available for Throughput, Utilization, Fault Rate, Coverage, and Configuration. The history plots appear when a user clicks on one of the small bar charts in the Executive Overview, Group Overview, or Tool Overview tabs on FabGuard Web
Allow IPM restore via API	Restore a failed FabGuard IPM PC automatically using an API to eliminate required human interaction
Add DatabaseStatus to list of values reported by FabGuard Web service	As with SecsStatus, DatabaseStatus is reported only if the request is for ChamberNumber=0, SensorNumber=0, SensorFunction=-1. The possible values returned by FabGuard are: 1.0 (Off), 2.0 (Not Connected), or 3.0 (Connected)

May 2018

Provide Increased Sensor Support and Factory Visibility of Operations with FabGuard v18.05.00

Key Features and Benefits

Highlighted Features