Properties for a characteristic linked to a QM specification

QM Specification Name

The name of the QM specification (read only).

Characteristic Name

The name of the characteristic (read only).

Characteristic Type

The characteristic type (read only).

Target

The target value of the characteristic. This is a required field.

Specifications/Limits

The specifications and limits of the characteristics. Specification limits are customer driven values and are applied to individual result values. You must provide at least one of the following specification limits for the MES Client to calculate capability statistics (Cp, Cpk, Pp, and Ppk):

Note: The number of decimals allowed for entering the target, specification limits, and data entry limits is configured in the Characteristic's properties.

• Lower Specification Limit: Specifies the lower specification limit of the characteristic.

• Lower Specification Is: Specifies whether the limit entered in the previous field is a fixed value, an offset from target, or a percent offset from target. Click to select the lower specification value from the list.

• Upper Specification Limit: Specifies the upper specification limit of the characteristic.

• Upper Specification Is: Specifies whether the limit entered in the previous field is a fixed value, an offset from target, or a percent offset from target. Click to select the upper specification value from the list.

  Fixed value is the value that is used as the Lower Specification Limit or Upper Specification Limit. Offset refers to the value that is subtracted or added from the target value. For example, a Lower Specification Limit offset of 10 will evaluate to an actual Lower Specification Limit of 40 when the target is 50 (i.e., 50 - 10 = 40). Offset percent refers to the specification that is calculated as a percent below or above the target. For example, a Lower Specification Limit percent offset of 10 will evaluate to an actual Lower Specification Limit of 45 when the target is 50 (i.e., 50 - 0.10*50 = 45). Specification limits are optional, so it is possible to define single sided limits.

• Lower Data Entry Limit: Specifies the lower data entry limit of the characteristic. Data entry limits are used to express the range of possible values that the characteristic can accept. Data entry limits are used within the Sample Viewer control which does not accept a manually entered value outside the data entry limits.

• Lower Data Entry Limit Is: Specifies whether the limit entered in the previous field is a fixed value or a multiplier of the specification limit and target. Click to select the value of the lower data entry limit from the list.

• Upper Data Entry Limit: Specifies the upper data entry limit of the characteristic. Data entry limits are used to express the range of possible values that the characteristic can accept. Data entry limits are used within the Sample Viewer control which does not accept a manually entered value outside the data entry limits.

• Upper Data Entry Limit Is: Specifies whether the limit entered in the previous field is a fixed value or a multiplier of the specification limit and target. Click to select the value of the upper data entry limit from the list.

  For single sided specifications, the Upper Data Entry Limit and Lower Data Entry Limit is calculated from the provided specification limit. For example, Lower Specification Limit is 10, Target is 20, Upper Specification Limit is 35 and the multiplier is 1.5. The Upper Data Entry Limit is 1.5 * (Upper Specification Limit – Target) + Target = 42.5. And the Lower Data Entry Limit is 1.5 * (Lower Specification Limit – Target) + Target = 5. For one sided specifications, the upper and lower data entry limit is calculated from the provided specification limit. For example, Target is 20, Upper Specification Limit is 35 and the multiplier is 1.5. The Upper Data Entry Limit is 42.5 as before, and the Lower Data Entry Limit is -2.5.

Severity

The severity of the characteristic. Click to select the severity of the characteristic. The available options are:

• Unused

• Not Monitored

• Non-key

• Key

• Critical

  The remaining fields are optional overrides for the settings at the characteristic level (or QM specification level for the sample plan name). For more information on these settings, see Variable and attribute characteristic definitions.

Default Chart

The default chart type of the characteristic.

Control Limit Source

How the control limits will be provided to the system.

Samples for Control Limit

The samples for control limits. This field is enabled only when you select Automatically calculate from data in the Control Limit Source property.

Samples required before Control Limits are calculated

The number of samples that are required before calculating the control limits. This is an optional field. By default, the samples before control limit value is Null.

The field is enabled only when you select select Automatically calculate from data in the Control Limit Source property. The Samples for Control Limit and Samples required before Control Limits are calculated properties are disabled for automatic calculation from data.

Standard Mean

The standard mean for control limits. This field is enabled only when you select Compute from standard values in the Control Limit Source property.

Standard Deviation

The standard deviation for control limits. This field is enabled when you select Compute from standard values in the Control Limit Source property.

Charts and Its Limits

The various charts available for a characteristic with its available limits. This field is enabled only when you select Preset Values in the Control Limit Source property.

Note: The number of decimals allowed for entering the preset center line and control limits is configured in the Characteristic's properties.

• Chart: Specifies the type of chart associated with a characteristic. Click to select the chart that you want to associate with a characteristic.

• Lower Control Limit: Specifies the lower control limit of the chart.

• Center Line: Specifies the center line of the chart.

• Upper Control Limit: Specifies the upper control limit of the chart.

Sample Size Source

The sample size source for the characteristic. This property is only enabled for attribute characteristics.

Normal Sample Size: Specifies the normal size of a sample. This field is only enabled when you select Fixed in the Sample Size Source property.

Minimum Sample Size: Specifies the minimum size of a sample. If you select Entered in the Sample Size Source property, you need to enter this information at run time.

Maximum Sample Size: Specifies the maximum size of a sample. If you select Entered in the Sample Size Source property, you need to enter this information at run time.

Auto Collection

Specifies whether the characteristic will be collected automatically.

• Characteristic Auto Collected: Select Yes to specify that the characteristic will be collected automatically by the system. By default, the Characteristic Auto Collected property is set to Use Characteristic Setting.

• Collection Time Interval: Specifies the time delay between the collections of the characteristics. This field is enabled only if the characteristic is auto collected and the sample size is greater than 1.

• Time Interval Unit: Specifies the unit of time interval for collection of the characteristics.