This month ECD announced availability of the new 2.20a version of M.O.L.E.® MAP software.  Introduced in 2007, MAP (Machine-Assembly-Process) received multiple innovation awards, and is now the software platform for ECD’s entire line of thermal profilers: SuperM.O.L.E.® Gold 2, MEGAM.O.L.E.® 20, V-M.O.L.E.®, SuperM.O.L.E.®, Gold and PTP® VP-8

This version release coincides with the new SuperM.O.L.E.® Gold 2 availability and implements inputs from our Software Advisory Board (yes, we have one!)  So without further ado, here are the top 5 new features and benefits of M.O.L.E.® MAP 2.20a.

1. AutoPlay

This new feature auto-detects your M.O.L.E.® type and quickly links your plugged-in M.O.L.E.® to perform these basic tasks:

• View the status of your M.O.L.E.®
• Setup your M.O.L.E.® to perform a data run
• Download your most recently recorded data
• Start M.O.L.E.® MAP

This instant USB access eases the learning curve for the novice and focuses the operator on the basic profiling tasks at hand, shielding them from the full feature set of the software.

2. Improved Navigation

When you do open MAP, the “Welcome” screen now displays links to recently used Directories and recently viewed Profiles.  Quickly resume your previous work session by clicking where you left off with this convenient new feature.

3. Bulk Import of Previous M.O.L.E.® Files

Speaking of Profiles, you will probably want to import your libraries of SuperM.O.L.E.® Gold profiles (from SMGSPC) into MAP, which converts the .mdm file into the new .xmg format.

This MAP version implements group importation of existing .mdm and collaborative .xmg profile data. With a simple click-shift and drag, you can now move the contents of old Workbooks (an SMGSPC term) into new Directories, M.O.L.E.® MAP’s term for the currently viewed data in the Spreadsheet Tab.

4. PDF Printing to File and Email

Another way to collaborate your process engineering work between EMS/OEM is to provide documents to operators in PDF format.  The new MAP integrates PDF printing with an improved Print Selection dialog to accomplish portrait or landscape orientation directly to Email or a File. Great when your customer demands hardcopy proof!

5. Free Self-Serve Web Authorization and Automatic Upgrade Notification

Last but not least, licensing fees and pay authorization have been replaced with free “Self-Authorization” through the ECD website.  We give you a 31-day window to go to the Help menu, select “Authorize” then click on “Web Authorize”.  After you fill out the web form and agree to standard terms, our site sends you an email with your software unlock key.

It’s as simple as that!  Plus, you will be notified of new releases in the future.  We always want you to have the advantages of our current release.  Thank you for reading this month’s What’s New!

Free MAP 2.20a download is available at ECD DOWNLOADS.  (Check out the Readme file for the entire list of Rev 2.20a M.O.L.E.® MAP improvements!)

Till next time,
Ray Pearce
ECD Sales Engineer
ray.pearce@ecd.com

Calibration of electronic measurement instruments is a necessary process, even though most electronic equipment is very stable and somewhat “resistant” to the effects of environment and changes due to aging.

Q: So why calibrate if my MOLE is “in spec” every time I send it in for calibration?

Because calibration is not so much an adjustment process but rather a proofing process that shows, over time, that your MOLE has been in calibration and thus should remain in calibration, because you have a track record to prove it. Documented history of a MOLE’s performance is the only way to claim your MOLE is in calibration at any given instant.

Most good labs will tell you that when your MOLE is calibrated, it is compared to standards , typically standards that have traceability to NIST, and if it is shown to be measuring within its specified accuracy they will not make any attempt to “adjust” it. Only if it is “on the edge,” which usually means it is getting to the last 10% to 20% of the specified accuracy limit, will they make any adjustments. Your MOLE may still be “in spec” and thus “in calibration,” when the lab received it, but getting close, so they will adjust it closer to the middle of the spec. range.

If it is out-of-spec when received by the lab, then a red flag goes up and calls into question every measurement made since the last calibration! The lab will tell you how far out of spec it is, and you can decide if its measurements during that time affect the quality of the measurements made more than can be tolerated, or if they are “close enough” to still be acceptable.

Q: So, when should the MOLE be calibrated?

The number one best time to calibrate the MOLE is on a regular time-based interval, which is recommended once a year. However, there are other events which may cause you to want to seek calibration at other times of the year, such as:

1. When the MOLE is subjected to rough treatment like a fall to the floor,
2. When your MOLE is accidently “over heated” ,
3. When you are starting a new product introduction and you are characterizing an oven and new assembly to find the right recipe,
4. When a new customer’s contract stipulates you use equipment that has been recently calibrated,
5. When your in-house quality program requires a calibration interval.

Getting your MOLE calibrated is easy and we want to make sure you are always making the highest quality temperature measurements.

So why take the risk of being yet another abuser of the “Car Talk” theme? Well because I have been asked this question many times: “Why did you call it a Mole?” Call what a Mole?

You know the M.O.L.E. ® Thermal Profiler, that pocket sized 6-channel temperature measurement logger used to see if you are getting the right temperature to your solder joints without overheating your thermally sensitive components (J-STD-075) in reflow or wave soldering machines.

There is a mouth full! Well, to answer this question I thought I’d take a look at the many really cool things a Mole can be. Here are a few:

A Mole of any substance shall have the same number of atoms, molecules, ions, or other elementary units, as the number of atoms in 12 grams of carbon. That number is: 6.0225 × 10^23, AKA: Avogadro’s number. So if you want to calibrate your scale, simply pile up 602,250,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms of carbon and you’ll have 12.001 grams.

An annual celebration of the date and time represented by the numbers 6.02×10^23 or October 23 from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. There is a cool web site in honor of this important number in the world of chemistry and physics. Check it out.

A small gray burrowing mammal, that is for the most part blind, although they probably can tell night from day. Moles tunnel through dirt and eat small worms living mostly underground. Moles can be found in most parts of North America, Asia, and Europe, although there are no moles in Ireland.
What do you call a Mole’s baby? Yes, a Pup. A female Mole is called a sow and the male is called a boar. And if you have more than one Mole you have a “company” of Moles.

A benign skin tumor found on human skin appearing as a small, sometimes raised area, with darker pigment.

A Mexican sauce made from chili peppers, other spices, and chocolate. However, it’s pronounced “Mole-Ay” and I often take service calls from Spanish speaking customers who say they have a “Mole-ay” that is due for calibration. I recommend this dish at your favorite Mexican restaurant. However, there are many different ways to make it so if you don’t like it at one restaurant, don’t be afraid to try it again at another.

A spy who has worked their way into an organization or country for the purpose of getting information. Wasn’t there a TV show?

A pier, jetty, or junction between places separated by water. I did not know this could be called a Mole until today.

A complete line of stage and production lighting products made by the Mole-Richardson Co I’m into theatrical lighting so naturally I’d know about this one.

OK, so this has been fun. Can we get on and just answer the question, “Why did you call it a MOLE?” Taking from the best parts of the many uses of the word Mole, we grabbed the following:

1. A Mole crawls through tunnels.
2. A Mole secretly spies on the goings-on of something or someone without detection
3. A Mole of something is a number that starts with the number 6 (6.02…)
4. A Mole is a delicious Mexican sauce. OK, we took nothing from this possible definition of Mole.

Put these together and you get an instrument that goes through the dark tunnels of many different thermal processes, measures the temperature of that process without disturbing it, and does it in 6 (or 3, or 20, since the original naming of the brand) locations of that process. Only a M.O.L.E. ® can do that. So that is why we called it a Mole. So what does the acronym M.O.L.E. stand for?

M = Multichannel – more than one temperature measurement input

O = Occurrent – events that happen (or occur) at the same time

L = Logger – a recording instrument

E = Evaluator – one who makes a judgment, as in the “OK” button on the new V-M.O.L.E. and MEGAM.O.L.E.

1. “I’m from the Metrology lab and it’s time for the annual calibration of your reflow oven.” We’ve got an app for that.  After you’ve finished with the oven’s calibration procedure, you can run the MegaRIDER-20 with a Process Test Pallet to see if the machine is uniform across the conveyor width and has the same heating capacity as it did the last calibration or maintenance.

2. “I’m the Manufacturing Engineer and our QC Department wants me to show that this oven is in control.” We’ve got an app for that. You probably need more information than the once a year Metrology profile can provide. So weekly you can an OvenRIDER and see that every zone in the oven is performing the same using X-Bar R charts to prove it.

3. “I’m on the New Product introduction team and I need a good recipe to solder a new board without killing the parts.” We’ve got an app for that. The Super M.O.L.E.® Gold thermal profiler will let you connect T/Cs to the board to see exactly what’s going on, thermally, on the areas where you and the designer have the most concern. Use the Prediction tools in the new MAP software to lock in the perfect recipe.

4. “I’m a Line Technician and I have to know my reflow oven is ready to run product without all the wires and circuit board stuff.” We’ve got an app for that. OvenCHECKER is one pallet loaded with the most powerful profiler on the market today. It takes no more time to run than the first production board and it lets you know if the reflow oven is ready or not. No downloading, no comparing numbers on a chart, just Go, or No-Go.