Givens Control Engineering Inc.

  Givens Control Engineering Inc.

      Graphing & Analysis, Control Simulation, Profile Analysis, PID Tuning Software; Control Engineering Services


Profile Analysis and CD Controls Performance Evaluation

Currently, this add-on consists of one tool but will be expanded shortly. This tool is called Import Profiles From Text or QMM Files to FCD. An FCD is a False Colour Display. It shows profiles in 2 dimensions (as a giant sheet) with the measurement (weight, moisture, caliper etc. from a paper or web machine) represented as colour bands to visually identify streaks, MD upsets, cycles, moving waves etc. It is indispensable both for analysis of profile variation and quality but also of the performance of the machine’s CD (Cross-Direction) controls. This add-on will be expanded to include other tools for CD controls tuning and verification. The example FCD below is from a real paper machine and represents moisture profiles over several hours. The main portion of the display is the FCD itself (the largest graph having primarily green colouring). Time (machine direction) is represented by the y-axis as profile numbers 1700 to 3000. Cells or “data boxes” are represented by the x-axis from 18 to 513. (Cells outside those limits were consistently invalid or offsheet cells). FCD

The green profile directly below the FCD is the profile (settable to global average, regions average or single profile) and below that in brown is the profile of the MD 2-sigma of each cell across the cross direction. These two show you where streaks or other problems are or where there is simply excessive variation. To the left of the FCD is the trend of the CD 2-sigma (of each profile) and to its left in blue is the trend of the CD Average (average of each profile). All show stats to correlate between MD and CD and all can be shown or hidden.

FCD_Cursor A cursor can be moved anywhere in the FCD using the mouse or arrow buttons and the cursors of the 4 other profiles/trends move to the same location and all values for that cell are displayed.

Five (5) areas are highlighted in large pink ovals in the Machine Direction ("MD") in the FCD itself. All of these show cycling in the MD from low (blue) to high (red or white). The problem disappears for some time but when present, is periodic. To verify the periodicity and to determine the period, the simplest way is place the Cursor on peaks and calculate the number of profiles between peaks or you could zoom in both the CD and MD directions and use the Copy button (dialog box is below left) to copy the data to an Analyse-Plus data (csd) file, then graph the Frequency plot in Analyse-Plus. Data from the 4 profiles/trends that surround the FCD can be copied to the csd file or to the clipboard. They can also be hidden to make the FCD larger. These streaks also appear in the pink oval in the green (average) profile directly below the FCD because they are persistent. The root cause of the problem was plugged Rewet Shower valves (for CD control). This was verified by importing the actuator setpoint profile where the cycling was even more apparent. Import Profiles was also used to show the cycle appeared in Caliper.

There are many other features in the CD not marked by pink ovals. There are many streaks such as at cell 30, 48, 185, 230, 500 etc.

A brown oval in the FCD marks one of the many MD and CD features. The profile "CD 2-Sigma" rises from profile 2125 to 2200 and then falls until profile 2250. This is due to a low area on the Back side (blue/black from cells 25 to 65) and a high area near the front (white/red from cells 435 to 465). A brown oval in the "CD Average" highlights a brief MD upset. If you wished to see the profile variation without MD effects, then you would “Force Each Profile Average to Zero” during importation.

Import Profiles can also show single profiles and by scrolling through them quickly, they can shown as a “movie”. The 4 profiles/trends surrounding the FCD can be set to display the global average, the region average (the viewed area), or single profiles and can export that data too. You can zoom into an area to create “waterfall” displays or export sections to display them in the graphing tools included in Analyse-Plus. The statistics can also be applied globally or to a region. When you zoom the FCD, the 4 profiles/trends zoom also and can maintain to display the viewed portion of the Global average or to recalculate “on-the-fly” the Region average. 2D_Stats They (Total, MD, CD and Residual) also allow comparison with the QCS built-in MIS or Reel Report stats. Sometimes QCS manufacturers deliberately or mistakenly use profile data that has been mapped down to lower resolution or filtered in the Machine Direction ("MD"). Customers are often unaware, creating the impression that reported variation is lower than reality.

The Copy button allows copying data from the 4 profiles/trends to the clipboard or Analyse-Plus data file for further analysis. FCD_Copy


















Analyse-Plus includes about 90 math functions to allow a broad range of calculation and analysis. Many are useful for both time-domain and CD profile data but the following functions were created specifically for profile work:

  • Besselzpsf - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Butterworthzpsf - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Chebyshevzpsf - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Ellipticzpsf - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Inverse Chebyshevzpsf - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • RCzpsf - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Besselzpsp - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Butterworthzpsp - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Chebyshevzpsp - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Ellipticzpsp - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Inverse Chebyshevzpsp - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • RCzpsp - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • RCzpst - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • RCzpsk - Zero Phase Shift filter to avoid position shift or phase lag.
  • Brick Wall - A Brick Wall filter converts the data to the frequency domain, zeroes the amplitude of the specified region (depends whether it is set as a low pass, high pass, band pass or band reject filter) and then converts it back to the time domain. If you look at a Fourier plot, you will see an abrupt change in amplitude to zero in the affected region. There is a brickwallf function where the frequency is entered and a brickwallp function where the period is entered.
  • Edit Fourier - allows direct manipulation of the frequency spectrum. You can copy, interchange (swap), set or ramp any region of the frequency spectrum. The function converts the data to the frequency domain, performs the desired operation, and then converts it back to the time domain. There is a fourierf function where the frequency is entered and a fourierp function where the period is entered.
  • Force Mean - forces the mean of any data file to any value (usually 0).
  • Fractional Rotate - rotates the data for a whole or fractional number of cells.
  • Symmetric - makes the data symmetric by folding it and averaging it about a certain point, usually the mid-point.
  • Stress - used to calculate the second derivative - useful for CD Controls that have Slice Screws.
  • Z-average - averages over a window that is centred on the current sample, not ending on the current sample.
  • Z-median - takes the median over a window that is centred on the current sample, not ending on the current sample.


    • The Print button allows for capturing or printing a “clean” display (without cursor and with a title). FCD_Print











    Import Profiles From text or QMM Files to FCD (”Import Profiles”) can import profile data from a variety of sources. Most QCS systems, either directly or via data recording systems such as PI or ParcView, can export profile data to text files. Import Profiles can read this data whether it is arranged as each row being a profile or each column being a profile, regardless of whether the first value is at the drive or tending side, how invalid (offsheet) data cells are represented, etc. Additional column or row data may also be present. Import Profiles also reads one vendor-specific format - Valmet QMM. QMM is a data recording program (MD and CD). It is mainly used for maintenance but it is running 24/7 on most customers' sites and data can usually be obtained with some permission. A program called QMMDACV (qdacv.exe or qdacv64.exe) is used to export the data to text. This can be done on the computer running Analyse-Plus or another computer including the one that did the QMM collection. If you are using text files, this explains the simple versatility that allows many formats and arrangements to be imported.

    The profiles are normally collected at a fixed period equal to approx. 1 scanner traverse time across the sheet. Typically, a file will contain hundreds or thousands of consecutive profiles, each containing typically 300 to 1000 "cells". A cell represents a small area of the sheet (typically 1.0 cm) and the scanner traverses the sheet while the sheet passes through it so that the measurement path relative to the paper is a large zig-zag. The profiles do not need to represent only weight, moisture or caliper. They could be dilution actuator setpoint profiles, for example.

    This add-on includes 10 windows (FCD’s) meaning that all 10 could be open at one time, each holding perhaps several million data points, subject only to memory capacity. Multiple windows are useful because you might want to import the profiles of Dry Weight, Moisture, Caliper, Slice or Dilution Actuator (measurement or setpoint), Steambox or Rewet Actuator or Caliper heating/cooling Actuators to compare them all. All can be zoomed independently in both the X and Y directions.

    MD (“Machine Direction”) effects can be ignored by choosing the option to force the average of each profile to 0.

    Remember that future tools will include CD Control bump test analysis including mapping, response etc. You won’t need to depend on your expensive supplier anymore.