Setup Options - Entry Eye

Summary

To use and configure, navigate to SITE COMMAND->SETUP OPTIONS->ENTRY EYE

The Entry Eye settings within Site Command allow the user to configure how the entrance photo eye or signal is interpreted and handled by the controller.  The entrance eye is what detects vehicle presence as well as measures vehicle length as the vehicle passes through its sensing beam.

Update From Controller

Pressing this button will force Cruz to pull from the car wash controller its most recent settings, and then Cruz will refresh this page immediately. Its advisable to use this feature if the page has been displayed or not manually refreshed after a time, as this will ensure any settings you view or change are the most current.

Entry Eye - Input Signal To Controller

Entry photo eyes or similar hardware vehicle entrance detection devices often come in two different variants; the detection signal is normally off, or the detection signal is normally on, where 'normal' is defined to be 'when nothing is detected'.

This drop down list contains two items.  The currently selected choice is bolded and displayed when the list is collapsed.  In the case shown above, "On When Vehicle Present" is the currently selected option.

On When Vehicle Present

This option configures the controller to accept the vehicle as present and begin measuring when the physical input signal transitions from a low steady state to a high steady state; in other words, when the input light on the PLC is off, the controller understands this to mean 'there is no vehicle present'.  When the input light on the PLC is on, the controller understands this to mean 'there is a vehicle present'.

Off When Vehicle Present (Preferred)

This option configures the controller to accept the vehicle as present and begin measuring when the physical input signal transitions from a high steady state to a low steady state; in other words, when the input light on the PLC is on, the controller understands this to mean 'there is no vehicle present'.  When the input light on the PLC is off, the controller understands this to mean 'there is a vehicle present'.

Entry Eye - Pre-Wash Vehicle Prep

Pre-Wash Vehicle Prep refers to the frequency at which wash employees will trigger the entry eye.  If the wash employees perform any "prep" to the front of the vehicle, while standing or walking in front of the vehicle, prior to the vehicle entering the system to be washed, then this setting allows for the controller to less often detect that employee as a vehicle. 

This drop down list contains two items.  The currently selected choice is bolded and displayed when the list is collapsed.  In the case shown above, "SELDOM Block Entry Eye" is the currently selected option.

SELDOM Blocks Entry Eye

This option defines to the controller how long to wait after the vehicle has been detected (see Entry Eye - Input Signal To Controller).  "Seldom" in this context indicates employees rarely trigger the entry eye, and so the controller will more quickly accept the entry eye signal as a valid vehicle and begin processing.

OFTEN Blocks Entry Eye

This option defines to the controller how long to wait after the vehicle has been detected (see Entry Eye - Input Signal To Controller).  "Often" in this context indicates employees frequently trigger the entry eye, and so the controller will wait longer to accept the entry eye signal as a valid vehicle and begin processing.

Entry Eye - Installation Type

Installation Type refers to the physical mounting and physical configuration of the entry eye, and the entrance end of the conveyor.  These devices are often 'thru beam' devices and require a sending unit on one side of the conveyor (for example, the driver's side), and a receiving unit on the other (the passenger's side in this same example).  This setting allows the user to inform the controller whether these two sides are perpendicular to the conveyor, or "in line" with one another, or installed such that one side is significantly closer to the start of the conveyor than the other; "offset".

Note:  Offset is the recommended installation configuration as this lowers the possibility of each side of the entry eye seeing each other mid vehicle; for example seeing between the cab and bed of a pickup truck. 

This drop down list contains two items.  The currently selected choice is bolded and displayed when the list is collapsed.  In the case shown above, "In-Line" is the currently selected option.

In-Line

If the entry eye devices are installed perpendicular to the conveyor, each side at roughly equal distances away from the front of the conveyor, select this option.  Using this option with this hardware installation configuration will significantly increase the ability of the controller to ignore seeing thru vehicle gaps (for example, consider a pickup truck, between the end of the cab and beginning of a bed).  However, this also means that the legitimate end of a vehicle won't be detected right away by the controller, thus resulting in the potential for equipment to run slightly longer than expected.

Offset (Preferred)

If the entry eye devices are installed such that one side is significantly closer to the start of the conveyor than the other, select this option.  Using this option with this hardware installation configuration will significantly improve the controller's ability to detect the legitimate end of a vehicle and therefore allow for tighter equipment control, as the controller does not have to account for potential gaps within the vehicle in question (for example, consider a pickup truck, between the end of the cab and beginning of a bed).  The offset nature of the hardware installation accounts for this by nature.

Auto Eye Mode

When the entry photo eye is working properly and a vehicle enters the tunnel, the vehicle will interrupt the entry photo eye's beam, signaling that a vehicle is present (as per settings Entry Eye - Input Signal To Controller, Entry Eye - Pre-Wash Vehicle Prep, and Entry Eye - Installation Type). By measuring the conveyor travel distance while the signal is interrupted, the system determines the length of the vehicle and adjusts the car wash equipment accordingly.

The Cruz car wash controller can also accommodate situations in which the entry photo eye has ceased functioning.  In these cases and when configured correctly, when a roller up request is received (sometimes referred to as "Dollie Up"), the controller will add the distance specified by your "Dollie Up To Photo Eye" (Setup Options - Conveyor) to a default vehicle length of 20' (twenty feet).  It will then use this resulting value and fire the first function after the conveyor has traveled that distance, and continue to process the wash as a 20' (twenty foot) long vehicle.

This drop down list contains two items.  The currently selected choice is bolded and displayed when the list is collapsed.  In the case shown above, "OFF (Normal)" is the currently selected option.

OFF (Normal)

This indicates to the controller that the entry photo eye is in good working order and therefore should be used to process vehicles.

ON (Entry Eye Broken)

This indicates to the controller that the entry photo eye has failed, and therefore the controller should instead assume a vehicle length of 20' (twenty feet), that is triggered by the roller up request (sometimes referred to as "Dollie Up") and start processing at the distance of your specified "Dollie Up To Photo Eye" setting (Setup Options - Conveyor)