Import data from Prolink

Use an API endpoint to instantly connect to Real-Time SPC to display and analyze data from gages, PLCs, and CMMs using Prolink's automated data collection software.

All information from Prolink measurements, contained within the payload, creates components that are stored in the Components area. The Prolink components are displayed in the Prolink Sync folder. Components created by Prolink may not be edited within Real-Time SPC. Use an API call for necessary edits.

From Prolink, entire records are sent via API endpoint. An entire record includes information about all the descriptors and data measures.

Access requirements

Users must have a valid API key to send data from Prolink to Real-Time SPC. If the API key expires or is revoked, then the user will no longer have access to send data. To revoke a user's ability to send data to Real-Time SPC, an administor must revoke the user's API key from Minitab Connect.

Users must have the Edit products permission to create components and send data to Real-Time SPC. Users can have either Engineer or Operator roles. For more information, go to User roles and permissions.

Note

If you cannot see the measurement data in the Process Quality Snapshot or the Station Dashboard, you may not have access. For more information, go to Manage users.

Data collection details

Each request can have a maximum of 100 observations. For example, a valid request can have 10 measures with 10 observations each, or 2 measures with 50 observations each.

Multiple jobs go through a queue and Real-Time SPC sends a response upon completion of the job.

Proper statistical control requires that records are plotted on control charts in time order. Thus, when a measurement is repeated, Real-Time SPC keeps the original timestamp.

Monitoring control charts and capability analyses

Data from Prolink output measures are plotted on the following control charts depending on subgroup size.

Subgroup size = 1: When the subgroup size = 1, data are plotted on the I-MR chart.
Subgroup size > 1: When the subgroup size > 1, data are plotted on the Xbar-R chart.

If the subgroup size changes, from n=1 to n>1 or from n>1 to n=1, then the control chart type also changes. When this happens, new control limits are recalculated based on the new data. Data from the old chart are archived.

Real-Time SPC provides continuous capability analyses for Prolink output measures. You can choose between a normal capability analysis, a capability analysis with a Box-Cox transformation, or a nonormal capability analyses with a fitted distribution. For more information, go to When to use a nonnormal capability analysis.

Real-Time SPC also provides Pareto charts when you have assignable cause and corrective actions to help focus your improvements efforts.

You can also set up notifications in Real-Time SPC. By default, each subscription is set to receive all notifications, as they occur, by email. For more information, go to My Account.