XR20-W support and FAQ

The wireless range is determined by the Bluetooth device in the XR20-W and the dongle or onboard device in the PC. The ‘Class 2'; device in the XR20-W has a specified range of 10 metres. This ‘specified range'; describes the expected performance when XR20-W is used in a ‘good environment'; i.e. when there is minimal interference with the Bluetooth radio signal between the XR20-W and the dongle/PC.

Physical obstructions to the wireless path will all affect the Bluetooth range, machine guards and even the PC itself can block Bluetooth signal. The worst materials for Bluetooth transmission are fibrous materials such as office partitions and liquids (the human body being a good screen)

It is good practice to have the dongle pointing towards the XR20-W wherever possible. One solution if experiencing loss of communication or poor Bluetooth range is to use plug the dongle in to a USB extension cable, This can then be placed closer to the XR20-W or better still, hung over the top of machine guards.

1. Check the packaging – dongles that refer to Widcomm, Broadcomm or Blue Soleil may be more difficult to set up as they are designed for operation with their own stack.
2. If a dongle is packaged without any software, then it will have been designed to use the Microsoft stack and so will stand the best chance of working 'out of the box' with RotaryXL software.

1. Click on the start menu and select "control panel"
2. In the control panel select the "system" icon
3. The system properties window will then appear with multiple tabs along the top
4. Click on the "hardware" tab and then click on the "device manager" button
5. If the device list shows "Generic Bluetooth Radio" and "Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator" then your PC is both Bluetooth capable and has the Microsoft stack installed.

There are two specifications for Bluetooth devices - "class" and "standard"

Class
There are three Classes: 1, 2 and 3. They specify the radio power with 1 being the most powerful with upto 100 metres range. XR20-W is a Class 2 device i.e. 10 metres. Class 3 is very weak - 1 or 2 metres, used for keyboards etc. We can use a Class 1 or Class 2 device on the PC side, Not class 3.
Standard
Standard is a version of the protocol that the Bluetooth device is running. The XR20-W is fully compatible with 1.2, 2.0, 2.1. Not compatible with 3.0.
Any of these standards can be Class 1 or 2 or 3 

When PC's (usually laptops) have an internal Bluetooth device they will also have a stack installed. The first action for each PC should be to install RotaryXL software. When complete, search for XR20-Ws within RotaryXL software. At this point the software will do one of two things.
1. Connect to the XR20-W and start showing live readings
2. Show an error message "There is no Bluetooth radio present"
When the error message is shown it is most likely that this is due to the Bluetooth device not using the Microsoft stack. At this point there are two options, the simplist being to use a dongle that uses the Microsoft stack (see section below). The alternative is to attempt to get the onboard device to use the Microsoft stack, to do this visit the support website for the PC manufacturer. 

This is probably because the CD that came with the dongle has installed it's own Bluetooth stack (software drivers) which is not compatible with the RotaryXL software. To solve this you must uninstall the incompatible stack by following the steps below:
1. Unplug the Bluetooth dongle from the PC
2. Click on the start menu and select 'Control Panel'
3. Select 'Add or Remove Programs' and uninstall the non-Microsoft Bluetooth stack (eg: Toshiba)
4. Remove the CD from the disk drive and restart the PC
5. Check the Microsoft stack is now active by again opening the Control Panel
6. In the Control Panel select the 'System' icon
7. The system properties window will then appear with multiple tabs at the top of the frame.
8. Click on the 'hardware' tab and then click on the 'device manager' button
9. If the device list shows 'Generic Bluetooth Radio' and 'Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator' then your PC is both Bluetooth capable and has the Microsoft stack installed.
10. Plug the USB dongle into a different USB port (as additional measure) and run RotaryXL software For more information on this subject read our Introduction to Bluetooth application note.

No it is not possible to use RotaryXL software to capture data with an RX10. Both RX10 and XR20-W record files in .rta format so can be analysed with either software package.

Currently it is not possible to use the XR20-W with ML10 laser.

No, you are not able to replace the optics without returning it to Renishaw. The optics need to be placed into the device so that they are perfectly parallel to the base of the XR20-W to guarantee the accuracy of the device.

If the optics have been damaged on XR20-W then there is also a high chance that the housing and/or workings that surround the optics have also been damaged. Therefore to ensure the accuracy of the device they must be returned to Renishaw for a full diagnosis, maintenance and recalibration.

Yes. The recommended time between recalibrations is 36 months for items when used in a 'normal' environment. More frequent calibration is advised for units used in extreme environmental conditions, or where damage is suspected. The requirements of your quality assurance programme or national/local regulations may also dictate more frequent recalibration.

During storage, transportation and use, XR20-W units should not be subjected to excessive shock, vibration or extremes of temperature, pressure or moisture, as any of these factors could invalidate calibration.

The battery in an XR20-W is a Varta EasyPack XL (rechargeable Li-Polymer) 3.7V. Manufacturer part number VKB 56446 702 099. These are available through Renishaw or alternative suppliers. A variety of chargers are also available.

Currently it is not possible to use the XR20-W with ML10 laser.

A battery will show that it is low on charge by displaying an amber LED on the XR20-W, rather than blue. This will replaced with a flashing amber light during testing. Once the amber light is illuminated, please complete the current test and then replace the battery. We recommend using the charger and multiple batteries to ensure that you always have a battery available with charge.

The USB power facility will not work through a standard USB port on a PC as it cannot draw enough power. It must be connected to a power source running at mains power. To ensure correct operation please only use the USB power supply and USB cable supplied with the correct power rating for your location. Replacement USB power supplies and USB cables and are available from Renishaw.

Typically, the battery will last for 3 hours of usage. After a prolonged period of inactivity, the charge stored in a battery will reduce so we suggest charging before use and rotating the batteries you use.

The system operates vertically, horizontally or upside down for easy calibration of rotary tables. 

The maximum speed at which the XR20-W maintains accuracy and reliability is 10 rpm.

An arc second is equal to 1/3600^th of a degree.

A millirad is equal to one thousandth of a radian.

There are no importing/exporting issues when transporting the XR20-W unit as it is classed as an ‘unrated' product. Using the XR20-W travel case will protect it from shock, moisture and variations in temperature. When travelling, we recommend that you do not leave the battery in the XR20-W unit for safety purposes.