Chapter 7 TM-X Navigator

TM-X Navigator

TM-X Navigator is a PC application for the TM-X5000 Series.

Connecting TM-X Navigator to the controller enables the same operations to be performed as the dedicated display.

In addition, by using the simulator function, the controller measurement content can be simulated on a PC and measurement settings can be created and/or changed.

  1. Connect to the controller (terminal function)

Clicking this button connects the application to the controller.

For details about operations after the application is connected, refer to “Basic Operation”.

[Send to Excel] is a function only available on TM-X Navigator (it is not available on the dedicated display).
  1. Simulator

Clicking this button displays the list of workspaces and starts the selected workspace simulator.

New workspaces can be created and controller settings can also be transferred (uploaded, downloaded, imported, and exported).

To download settings from the controller, first delete the reference images for the Program numbers to be downloaded to the workspace.
  1. Connection

Configure the settings to connect to the controller (USB or Ethernet).

To connect via Ethernet, specify the controller IP address and port number.

  1. Language

Select the language to be displayed on TM-X Navigator and the simulator.

  1. Update

Updates the controller firmware.

Operating Environment

To use TM-X Navigator, the environment must meet the requirements shown below.

Main PC system specifications

Supported operating systems

Microsoft Windows 10 Home/Pro/Enterprise, Windows 11 Pro

  • The OS supports English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Thai, German, French, Italian, Mexican Spanish, Czech, Hungarian, and Polish.

Free hard disk space

2 GB or more (an area for saving image data is required separately)

Display resolution

Minimum: 1366 × 768 pixels or higher; recommended: 1920 × 1080 pixels or higher

  • In order to prevent a decrease in performance, it is recommended that software other than TM-X Navigator are closed when using this application.
  • Do not use multiple instances of TM-X Navigator at the same time. Additionally, do not start the same workspace at the same time.
  • To use the simulator, “Activation” is required.

Installation method

Run the TM-X Navigator installation file (setup.exe) downloaded from the TM-X5000 Series user’s support site (www.keyence.com/tmxus) and follow the instructions displayed on the screen.
  • If the PC being installed to does not have the necessary runtime components used by this software, it will be asked to install those components. Install all the necessary components at that time.
  • Installation must be performed by a user with Administrator privileges.
  • The USB driver is also stored in “[Installation_folder]\TM-X Navigator\driver”.
  • To uninstall the application, click the Windows [Start] menu → [KEYENCE TM-H1X] → right-click [TM-X Navigator], and then select [Uninstall].

Activation

To use the simulator function, the activation code issued by KEYENCE is required.

The procedure to obtain the activation code is as follows.

  1. Click [Simulator] to start the simulator.

The [Input activation code] dialog box will appear.

  1. Take note of the displayed user ID (8-digit alphanumeric characters) and save it. It will be required for input later.

Clicking the [Copy] button enables the user ID to be copied.
  1. Access the simulator use registration (activation code issuance) page from the TM-X5000 Series user’s support site (www.keyence.com/tmxus).

To issue a request for the activation code, perform the user registration on the KEYENCE website.
  1. Enter the user ID displayed in step 2 into the [User ID] field, and then click [Next].

KEYENCE will send an “Activation code” to the registered email address within one business day.

  1. Enter the activation code in the activation code input screen.
  • The activation code is only valid for the User ID specified when the activation code was requested.
  • Keep the activation code in a safe place for backup purposes.
  • When using the TM-X Navigator simulator feature with multiple users logged in on the same PC, activation must be performed for each user. (The activation code issued can be used for all users.)

To prevent input errors, copy and paste the activation code from the e-mail that is received.

Simulator

Start the Simulator

  1. Click [Simulator]. Select the workspace displayed on the screen, and then click [Start simulator].

The main screen and image strip start.

  1. Drag the images to be simulated to the image strip and enter a trigger from the trigger buttons to run a simulation.

Omitted images (1/X omissions) can also be loaded and used in simulations.

If an omitted image is used for measurement, the values will not match the measured values of the original image.

Differences Between the Controller and Simulator

Useful functions unique to the simulator

Special trigger functions

Image strip trigger buttons and trigger input on the keyboard can be used, which are unique triggers to the simulator.

Image strip

First execute button

Last execute button

Reverse execute button

Forward execute button

Re-execute button

Continuous trigger button

Keyboard

Forward execution trigger

Press the “T” key.

Reverse execution trigger

Press the “F” + “T” keys

(Press the “F” key while pressing the “T” key.)

Re-execute trigger

Press the “S” + “T” keys.

(Press the “S” key while pressing the “T” key.)

Cycle execution trigger

Press the “T” key for 0.3 seconds or longer.

Clicking a thumbnail on the image strip also enables execution.

Differences between the controller and simulator

Measurement time/capture time

As the hardware configuration is not the same on the PC and controller, the measurement time is different even for the same process.

Difference in measurement results

Due to the differences in the computing hardware on the PC and controller, there may be differences in the measurement results.

Differences in head settings

  • The head settings will not function.
  • In Run mode, the internal trigger does not operate.
  • When executing from the image strip, the trigger interval can be set independently in [Trigger interval settings] (set by right-clicking the image strip).

Although other items can be set, the operation differs from the controller.

Program Operation

  • When Programs are copied, the images registered on the image strip are also automatically copied.
  • Programs cannot be backed up nor restored.
  • CAD data (DXF files) can be loaded using [CAD Import] to create Programs.

Display of system information

Only the controller version, serial number, MAC address, and connection device details (version and serial numbers) are displayed.

Output of images and image processing results

Output is not possible to any devices other than the SD card and USB HDD.

Items that cannot be set

  • Date/time

Items that cannot be used

  • Reboot
  • Communication commands for control

Folder configuration on the PC

The folder configuration on the PC when using the TM-X Navigator simulator is shown below.

*1 Stores head-to-head adjustment data when using head-to-head adjustment.

*2 The tolerance table is stored if the tolerance table is saved with the screw tool.

*3 Connecting to the controller with TM-X Navigator and clicking the button generates the “capture” folder and saves the screen image.

To use the simulator function, an environment must be created in which the simulator operates on the PC. This is called a “Workspace” and the folder that stores the workspace is called a “Base path”.

CAD Import

CAD data (DXF files) can be loaded to create Programs that include CAD elements.
  • To use [CAD Import], a USB key for CAD import TM-H1C (sold separately) is required.
  • The DXF file versions that you can import are AutoCAD Versions 2.5 to 2018.
  • Only figures drawn with continuous lines can be extracted.
  • Only figures drawn in the model space can be extracted. Figures drawn only in the paper space cannot be extracted.
  • [CAD Import] is a TM-X Navigator function and it is not available on the dedicated display.
  • If it is not a closed shape (if there is a gap in the CAD line), it cannot be filled correctly.
  • The tolerance created as dimension allowance deviation will be applied to the upper and lower limit settings (tolerance entered as simple text will not be applied).
  • Dimension lines and elements may not be correctly linked and applied depending on the CAD data to be imported.
  1. Select [Program Operation] → [CAD Import].

When two heads are connected, data is imported to the connected head. To import to a different head, select the other head, and select [CAD Import].

  1. Open the CAD data (DXF file) to be loaded.
  2. Perform [Range] and then click [Next].

Specify the region to be captured (view range) from the CAD data.

View toolbar

View settings

  1. Perform [Create image] and then click [Next].

  1. Perform [Generate elements] and then click [Complete].

If [Import CAD contour data] is set to ON, the CAD contour data will be used as the reference for the [Master Difference (Contour)] and [Profile] tools.

The CAD data (DXF file) is imported.