FAQs: Personal IAS
In order to provide our customers the best possible service, we have listed a number of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Please look below to find an answer to your question.
The analysis function I want to use is not displayed in the tool bar and the Run menu?
Assign your analysis buttons by following the procedure detailed in “Customizing the Display of Analysis Buttons” in the User’s Guide.
The measurements I want are not listed in the results pane?
Description
The measurements I want are listed under View|Results… but not in the results pane.
Solution
You can select the measurements that display in the results pane by following the procedure detailed in “Changing the Display of Measurement Results” in the User’s Guide.
The Personal IAS software is running slowly or it is frozen or locked up?
There are a few reasons for the Personal IAS to lock-up or run slowly.
Solution 1: The first thing to try is to reset the Personal IAS using a straightened paper clip. See the User's Guide for detailed instructions.
Solution 2: The second thing to try is to remove picture files from the Personal IAS by either deleting them or transferring them to a desktop PC using ActiveSync.
Why don't I get any measurement results?
When measuring lines or dots, sometimes the software does not find any lines or dots to analyze. There can be several reasons for this.
| Solution 1: |
Reset the ROI to full size by tapping Options|Full Size ROI on the menu bar. You may have a very small ROI selected |
| Solution 2: | For lines, check the Options|Line… setting. For dark lines on a light field, select Dark Line. For light lines on a dark field, select Light Line. |
| For dots, check the Options|Dot… setting. For dark dots on a light field, select Dark Dot. For light dots on a dark field, select Light Dot. | |
| Solution 3: | For dots, check the threshold setting for dots. If the setting is too high or too low, no dots will be found. See the User’s Guide sections “Dot Quality Analysis” and “Void Analysis” for details and examples. |
Why do I get a Light intensity too low error message?
This is usually caused by the light being off. Check to see if the light is on. The light has a separate on switch that must be in the ON position. Check the batteries and/or AC adapter. Make sure the adapter is plugged in and the outlet is turned on. If the Personal IAS gives additional error messages, try resetting the unit with a straightened paper clip.
What is the correct AC power adapter to use with the Personal IAS?
The Personal IAS uses the Casio E125 Pocket PC and uses the 5.9V Casio power supplies. In the US and Japan, the appropriate power adapter is the AD-C59200U. In Europe, the appropriate power adapter is the AD-C59200G, which is an international supply that can support voltages from 100-220VAC. Although other power supplies may function properly, QEA can only recommend these two power supplies as being approved by Casio.
How do I get a replacement stylus (pen, pointer) for my Personal IAS?
There are two choices. Identical replacement stylus can be purchased from either QEA or Casio (Casio Part number STYL100). Similar stylus can be purchased from any computer store. There is one limitation however: depending on the shape of the stylus you purchase, it may, or may not, fit in the stylus holder in the Personal IAS.
Microsoft has a product called “Remote Display Control” that can simultaneously run on your Personal IAS and Desktop PC. The software can be downloaded at www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/downloads/powertoys.asp. Connect your Personal IAS to your Desktop PC before installing the software. The installation software will install a program on your Desktop PC and your Personal IAS. Both pieces of software must be running for the process to work. Try setting the Zoom to 2X on your desktop software to get a bigger image.
Note: The Desktop software updates very slowly. It takes about 10 seconds for the Desktop screen to match the Personal IAS screen.
Where can I find the ActiveSync® CD?
Description
I just received my new Personal IAS, where can I find the ActiveSync® CD?
Answer
The “Microsoft® ActiveSync® 3.1” CD is provided within the booklet, Discovering Microsoft Outlook 2000.
If you have lost the ActiveSync CD, you can download the ActiveSync software from the Microsoft website at here or http://www.microsoft.com/. You can also purchase a replacement from QEA. There is a replacement fee charged for any lost accessories such as User’s Guide, Test Target, software, cables, etc. Please email your request to support@qea.com.
Can ActiveSync be used with the Personal IAS and Windows 95 or Windows NT on the USB interface?
No, Windows 95 and Windows NT do not support USB and therefore you cannot connect the Personal IAS using USB. However, it is possible to setup ActiveSync using the RS232 serial port (typically a 9 pin D-sub connector) on Windows 95 and Windows NT. You will need to obtain a serial port cable (Casio Part Number JK-580CA).
What if my computer does not have a USB port to support ActiveSync® connections?
You can either add a USB expansion card, purchasable through most computer stores, or use a serial port cable (Casio® Part Number JK-580CA), which can be purchased through QEA or from Casio directly. If your computer is running Microsoft® Windows 95® or Windows NT®, however, you can only use serial cable connections since these operating systems do not support USB.
Can I connect the Personal IAS to an Apple Macintosh computer?
Connections to Apple Macintosh computers are still being investigated. Some users have reported limited success with Virtual PC and Pocketmac. However, at this time QEA cannot say for certain whether or not these products work.
Are the test targets shipped with the Personal IAS calibrated?
No. The test images shipped with the Personal IAS are not calibrated. These targets are only included as part of the tutorials in the User's Guide. Please note that the line widths and dot sizes printed on the target are the requested values (intended sizes). The measured values will be different (probably larger).
Can I get a copy of the digital file for the test targets?
No. These test targets are very large (25MB) and only suitable for 720dpi printers. As a result, we don't make these targets available. However, a PDF test target is available on the QEA website here. After you see the target on the screen, click the disk icon in Acrobat to save the file to your hard disk.
On the Personal IAS, how are graininess and mottle computed? What is the methodology employed?
Graininess and mottle are both measures of non-uniformity. Simply put, both graininess and mottle are the standard deviation of reflectance values within the area being measured by the instrument. If, in the unlikely event, every point in the image has the same reflectance value, then both graininess and mottle are equal to zero.
The difference between graininess and mottle is the size scale or “tile size” used in the measurement. The mottle computation averages together all of the reflectance data within tiles that are 250µm x 250µm square. The mottle value is the standard deviation of these tiles’ values. The graininess computation averages together all the reflectance data within tiles that are 42µm x 42µm square. The graininess value is the standard deviation of these tiles. However, graininess excludes reflectance variation on a size scale larger than 250µm. The math describing this process is defined in the ISO standard number 13660.
The Personal IAS does use the ISO-13660 methodology, but there are two small differences. Firstly, ISO-13660 requires mottle tile size of 1270µm x 1270µm but the Personal IAS uses a 250µm x 250µm tile size. In reality, mottle can occur on many different size scales and there is no "right" tile size. The 250µm tile size for the Personal IAS was chosen because it was empirically found to work well. Secondly, the ISO-13660 standard requires the reporting of mottle and graininess in density units rather than reflectance units. However, since the density scale has a highly nonlinear behavior for dark patches, the Personal IAS uses the reflectance scale to provide results that are more consistent.
On the Personal IAS, what are the measurement units of graininess and mottle?
Graininess and mottle are computed based on reflectance data. Reflectance data is on a scale from 0% (black or dark) to 100% (white). Since graininess and mottle are standard deviations of reflectance data, they too are in reflectance units. So, for example, a graininess value of 8 indicates a standard deviation value of 8% in reflectance units or 0.08 reflectance units.
For most applications, the gray color filter is recommended. Research has shown that humans are more sensitive to spatial variations in lightness and darkness than to spatial variations in color. In other words, humans are more sensitive to variations in L* than in a* or b*, if you think in these terms. With the Personal IAS, you can approximate this by selecting the "gray" color filter that forces the Personal IAS to use the "Visual Density" standard. This filter is a fairly broadband color filter centered on the green colors. This is where the human eye is most sensitive to spatial variations.
Under certain circumstances, you may find that a specific color filter produces more sensitivity to the non-uniformity of concern. If you are not satisfied with the gray filter, experiment to determine the filter that works best for your application.
With extremely close lines, the Personal IAS might interpret the space between the two lines as a light area in the center of one line. There are a couple ways to force the software to see the space between the lines as a line boundary:
1) Draw an ROI that only includes one line. This will make the software analyze the one line in the ROI.
2) In a full size ROI, position the unit so that only one line’s edges are visible. By hiding the edge of one of the lines, it will be excluded from analysis.