Background
To reduce the number of user prompts related to verification and guardbanding methods in Gold Procedures, we use a set of subprocedures to make the selections automatically. The subprocedures follow a specific hierarchy of settings checks to make these decisions, so it is important that users understand how to change these settings to match their own quality policies.
Sub Select Guardbanding Method
The first subprocedure we will discuss in this article is the Guardbanding Method selection.
The first operation that this subprocedure performs is to set ASK+ K. This is required for measurement uncertainty to be calculated.
Next, it checks the MET/CAL configuration to see if the guardbanding method is defined.
If the guardbanding method is not directly defined (this means the setting is blank since OFF is a specific setting), the procedure checks the Guardbanding Init File parameter in the Files and Folders section of the Configure menu, which defines the file location and name of a guardbanding initialization file.
This file uses the same syntax as the TSET/VSET FSCs to define parameters related guardbanding.
If neither of these locations defines a guardbanding method, the procedure checks the Shared Folder in the Files and Folders section of the Configure menu for a file named “gb.ini” as a final source.
If that file also does not exist, then the procedure creates the file in the Shared Folder and sets a default method of root difference square.
It is important to note that this behavior means that a GB method definition in the configuration overrides any guardbanding initialization file. To use a network based guardbanding initialization file, you will need to ensure that the individual work stations do not have the GB parameter set and that they include the proper initialization file in the Guardbanding Init File parameter.
Lastly, the procedure uses the VSET FSC to make the settings selections collected through the process outlined above.
Sub Select Verification Method
The first operation that this subprocedure performs is to set ASK+ K. This is required for measurement uncertainty to be calculated.
Next, it checks the MET/CAL Configuration for a Measurement Uncertainty Init file location.
This file uses the same syntax as the TSET/VSET FSCs to define parameters related measurement uncertainty.
If the Measurement Uncertainty Init file location is absent, then the procedure looks for the file in the Shared Folder. If no file is found, it creates the file in the Shared Folder and sets NMEAS to a default value of 1 and sets NTHROW based on how the author called the subprocedure, setting it to either 0 (for the No Throw call) or 1 (for the standard call).
Lastly, the procedure uses the VSET FSC to make the settings selections collected through the process outlined above.
Summary
To set Guardbanding and Measurement Uncertainty settings at the workstation level, use the local configure menu. To unify these settings across your organization, create a gb.ini file and a mu.ini file and ensure your local configure menus point to them, or just keep them in your Shared Folder.