As new data is collected you can create a copy of this data in an Archive file automatically. This can be done for backup purposes, or it can be useful if the amount of data being collected into a single .qcc file grows quickly, making the normal QC-CALC Real-Time operation slower.
Archive Concept
QC-CALC has two interrelated concepts for archiving data. First, QC-CALC Real-Time can have a Circular database. This simply means you set the size of the database to a maximum number of parts (records), and when it becomes full, it wraps around to record 1 and begins overwriting old data. If losing old data is undesirable, do not make the database Circular, or make it circular but Auto Archive the data to another drive.
For example, let’s say you want QC-CALC Real-Time to maintain 1 month of data, which you determine is approximately 900 parts. You set the file size to 1000 and make it Circular. As parts are inspected, QC-CALC Real-Time shows the newest value as usual but quietly wraps around to record 1 when 1000 records have been filled. This circular method continues endlessly allowing you to scroll back and forth throughout a little more than a month’s worth of parts.
If you turn on the Archive system and select a network drive, the inspection data is quietly copied to a second location, thereby requiring no human intervention or knowledge. The archive file is much larger and basically endless, so QC-CALC Real-Time has the latest history, while QC-CALC SPC can open the archive file and show all the data.
NOTE: This process ONLY backs up the data collected during data collection. Any changes or additions made after the first data collection process will NOT be reflected in the Archive file.
Auto Archive Path
The Tools – Options – Data Collection – Set Paths option forces QC-CALC to create a 2nd copy of your active .QCC file in a different location. Although you can choose the same folder location as your active data file, the path should be on a network drive where the data is backed up daily. QC-CALC adds “_Archive” to your active file name to distinguish the difference between the two files
MyPart.QCC 🡪 MyPart_Archive.QCC
You can set the folder for QC-CALC to Archive all .QCC files by clicking the Enable checkbox, click the Browse button, navigate to the desired folder, and click OK. If this folder becomes unavailable due to network or computer server problems, QC-CALC keeps track of the last known “good archive”. When the network is restored, all “unarchived” records are sent at one time. There is no settings for this feature, QC-CALC takes care of all details fully automatically.