Scale Troubleshooting

With a scale an establishment can post sales of menu items that are priced by weight. The Mettler-Toledo Viva scale interface is supported within MICROS

In the event you are unable to connect the Mettler Toledo scale to the Micros workstation, consider the following troubleshooting tips.

• Ensure the connection is secure between the workstation, and serial port of the scale.

• The power supply is plugged in and the scale is turned on..

• You are using a scale data cable.

• The serial port on the workstation is functional

• No errors are shown in the scale display (see below).

Errors

The Viva will display an error message if a scale problem or incorrect keyboard entry is sensed. The error
codes are:
E11 RAM error
E16 ROM error Call METTLER TOLEDO service
E18 EEPROM error
nnnnnn Over capacity or total price > 9999.99 Remove weight from the Platter. If that does not
work try turning off the power, wait 5 seconds and
the reapply power.
uuuuuu Negative weight Press the Zero Key. If that does not work try turning
off the power, wait 5 seconds and then reapply
power.

Cleaning and Maintenance

 Remove power by removing the line cord or transformer from the wall outlet.
 Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe the exterior surfaces.
 DO NOT use solvents and chemicals to clean the unit.
 DO NOT attempt to remove the cover or perform service or maintenance on the internal parts of the
scale.

Serial Communications

The Viva scale acts as a peripheral device when connected to a host computer. When the host requests weight data by sending an uppercase W, the scale will respond with the weight data or a status byte if the scale is in motion or an invalid state. The host can also request a scale zero operation. In this case the scale will respond with the scale status, so the host can determine if the scale is in zeroing range and/or if the scale is at zero. A scale confidence test can also be initiated by the host to cause the scale to perform RAM, ROM, and NOVRAM tests and put the results in a status byte for later interrogation by the host. Data is transmitted and received by the scale using an RS-232 voltage level interface in the following ASCII format: 7 bit, even parity, and one stop bit. Data transmission rates are 1200, 2400, 9600, or 19200 baud asynchronous. The host computer must send requests to the scale as specified single uppercase ASCII characters to have it perform various functions. The scale will send a response back to the host computer as a string of ASCII numeric digits or as an ASCII ? followed by a status byte. There must be at least a 200 ms delay between commands to allow for response time at the scale for processing data.

The following is a list of commands supported in the Mettler Toledo Scale Protocol:

Note: Use capital letters for commands.

Scale Serial Communication Test (RS232)

This test can be used to confirm the Viva scale is properly connected, is communicating by serial RS232 to your PC, and is transmitting the proper weight value This test can determine if the scale is communicating with the PC thought the given ports and cable.
 

1. Connect Scale to the PC as shown in the Quick Start Guide – Serial Option.

o Connect small RS232 connector to the 9-hole port under the scale. Connect the other  RS232 connector to the PC. Note the serial port that the cable is connected to (IE: Com A or Com 1) for step number 4.
o Connect the Power Supply to the connector on the scale and to an AC outlet.
o After Scale Powers up, enter GeoCal value if “Geo in” is displayed. See Quick Start Guide for Geo Location Codes and how to enter the value.
 

2. Check the scale’s serial set up parameters. Specifically you need the speed or baud rate, the number of  bits, the parity, the number of stop bits and the protocol the scale is set for.
Write down the values for BAud, ASCii, PAr, StoP, and Proto.

a) To check the scale settings, press the Units key and hold until “SETuP?” is displayed (IE: Approximately 10 seconds).
b) Press the Units key repeatedly until “BAud” is shown on the display.
c) Press the Zero key to read the Baud parameter value (IE:9600). Write down this value in the chart below.

Scale Description	Example	Actual Value
BAud rate	9600
ASCii	7
PArity	Even
StoP bits	1
Protocol	toLEdo

d) Repeat steps b) and c)
to read the values of ASCii, PAr, StoP, and Proto.
e) To exit the SetuP,
o Press the Units Key until “END” is displayed.
o Press the Zero Key until “Abort” is displayed.
o Press the Units key to accept and exit program mode.

3. Access the HyperTerminal program on your PC as shown below. HyperTerminal is a legacy Windows terminal emulation program last included in Windows XP. Alternatively you can use the POSprint utility from Beagle Hardware.

 
4. Once HyperTerminal is opened, choose “File” than “New Connection”. Name the connection “PS Scale” for future reference and click “OK”. Click on the drop down bar for “Connect Using”. Select the communication port that the scale cable is connected to on the PC. COM A would be equivalent to COM 1. Click “OK” when completed.

5. Program the same set up parameters in HyperTerminal as per the Baud, ASCii, Par and Stop settings in the scale.

Scale Description  => HyperTerminal Description
BAud => Bits Per Second
ASCii => Data Bits
PAr  => Parity
StoP => Stop Bits
(none) =>Flow Control - For the Flow Control setting, input “None”. Scale does not use this parameter.

Click Apply after entering the data values. The data will be accepted.
Click OK and a blank HyperTerminal screen will appear.

6. Now that the scale set up matches the HyperTerminal set up, type in the
corresponding weight command per the Proto setting in the scale.

<CR> is a carriage return (enter button)

Note: To see the character you typed (IE:W),
go to FILE – PROPERTIES – SETTING tab – ASCII SETUP box,
and click “Echo typed characters locally”.
For MT SIC Proto, also click “Send line ends with line feeds”.

o Put some weight on the scale. Note display value (IE: 1.58 lb).
o Go to the HyperTerminal screen and click the curser on the blank screen.
o Type the required entry per chart to the right. Capital letters (“W”) must be used, a lower case (“w”) will not work. Note that the typed “W” does not get displayed unless the Echo setting is checked (see note).
o A weight value should now be displayed on the HyperTerminal screen that matches the weight on the scale display. If another message appears, zero the scale first by repeating this step with no weight, than try again with a weight.

If the correct weight is displayed:

• The scale is communicating correctly to the PC.

• Otherwise, Consult Shipping Software provider for further assistance

Problems:

If you only see your command being sent, and no data...

• Make sure that the scale is switched on and plugged into the PC's com (RS232) port.

• Check that the communication settings you entered in Hyperterm match those currently in use by the scale: COM port, baud rate, parity, etc. The default scale settings of 7 bits, Even parity, 1 stop bit are not typical for most  common serial devices.

• Check that the Protocol on the scale is set correctly. The Protocol determines which command will return the current weight on the scale.

• If using a USB-RS232 converter, its settings must also match those used by the scale.
   

3 conductors go through the cable and
2 conductors are connected together on each end.
Note that transmit and receive are crossed:
 pin 2 connects to pin 3 and visa versa.