Using a WES Pro

This chapter describes the WES Pro's E-Stop button, menu screen, and alerts, and explains how to charge it, replace its battery, connect it to a receiver, and store it safely between uses.

This chapter describes the features of the WES Pro and explains how to connect a WES Pro to a receiver.

Operating Your Equipment Safely with WES Pro

This chapter has warnings and cautions throughout for how to use the WES Pro safely in specific situations, such as when charging it or turning it off and on. Keep the following warnings in mind as well:

Warning:

Whenever approaching equipment for inspection or maintenance, press the E-Stop to be certain that the equipment is in a safe state and won’t start operating unexpectedly. In addition, power off the machine via its power source, and follow relevant lock-out-tag-out procedures, to minimize the risk of energy-related hazards during maintenance.

Once you disengage the E-Stop, the connected device will operate normally. Be certain that the connected machine is safe to operate before disengaging the E-Stop.

Warning:

Do not use the E-STOP button to pick up, hold, or carry the WES Pro. Doing so may damage the E-STOP button and create an unsafe operating scenario.

Warning:

If the E-STOP button breaks, is damaged, stuck, or hard to operate, immediately press the power button to turn the device off and contact FORT’s customer support.

Do not turn the device back on again until you have been asked by FORT’s customer support to do so.

Charging the WES Pro

The WES Pro is powered by a rechargeable battery and is shipped with a docking station and a power supply and cable for charging the device.

../images/wes_pro_dock_and_cable.png — Figure 1. Fig. 29 Docking Station Charger

The WES Pro provides a haptic indicator (vibrates) when the battery charge drops to 10%, as well as a different vibration pattern if the device shuts off because of low battery.

To Charge the Device

Warning:

Always charge the device where the dock is not exposed to dust or moisture. If the dock is wet, towel it off before charging the device.

Plug the power supply into an outlet.
Turn the docking station over and insert the USB-C connector into the port on the underside of the docking station:

Figure 2. Fig. 30 Docking Station Underside
As a precaution, press the E-Stop button on the WES Pro before inserting it into the dock.
Push the WES Pro into the docking station until it clicks in place.

Figure 3. Fig. 31 WES Pro in Docking Station

The WES Pro turns on (if off) and the indicator light on the docking station shows that it is charging. The LCD screen also shows the charge percentage for the battery.
Remove the WES Pro from the docking station when it’s sufficiently charged.

Note:
When you place a WES Pro in the dock, it automatically powers on. To prevent it from reconnecting to a receiver, potentially triggering the equipment under control (EUC) to operate, the system keeps the receiver in a safe state until you explicitly disengage the E-Stop. If you haven’t pressed the E-Stop, the WES Pro displays a message: “Press the E-STOP to Enable WES Pro.” that remains on until you engage the E-Stop. To reconnect to a receiver, press the E-Stop, then disengage it. If the E-Stop is engaged, the message does not appear.
If you haven’t engaged the E-Stop, press it now and proceed to the next step (or if it’s engaged, just go to the next step).
When it’s safe to do so, disengage the E-Stop by turning the button clockwise until it snaps out, which allows the EUC to operate normally. If the WES Pro is connected to a receiver and in range of it, when you disengage the E-Stop, the EUC powers on.

Replacing the Battery

CAUTION:

If the battery needs replacement, contact customer support and request service. Do not attempt to replace the battery yourself. The WES Pro has no user-serviceable parts, including the battery.

WES Pro Features and Operation

The following figure highlights the WES Pro features:

../images/wesp_callouts.png — Figure 4. Fig. 32 WES Pro Features

Turn WES Pro On or Off

Push the power button (located on the bottom of the device) to turn the WES Pro on or off. When you turn it on, the LCD screen lights up and the device vibrates when it is ready to use. Inserting the device into the docking station also turns it on if the docking station is connected to a power supply.

CAUTION:

We recommend that you press the E-Stop button before powering the WES Pro on or off. However, the WES Pro has a built-in mechanism to prevent it from automatically reconnecting to a receiver when turning on, potentially triggering the EUC to operate unsafely. If the E-Stop button is not engaged when you turn the WES Pro on, the system prompts you to press the E-Stop button and keeps the receiver in a safe state until you first press the E-Stop button and then disengage it.

When you push the power button to turn it off, the WES Pro stops sending valid safety messages, which causes any connected device to go to the safe state after the timeout period is exceeded.

Note:

To reboot the device, push and hold the power button (for 8 seconds or more) and release it when the screen dims.

Connecting the WES Pro to a Receiver

There is no explicit procedure to connect a WES Pro to receivers. Once the configuration to which the devices belong has been uploaded¹, the devices begin communicating with each other if they are turned on and in range of each other.

Note:

A WES Pro can be paired to an EPC or to an NSC Pro receiver.

In a Two-to-One configuration, the WES Pro shares its receiver with a second sender, and both act on the same output. The machine stays stopped while either device is requesting a stop, so releasing the E-Stop on the WES Pro does not restart the machine if the other sender is still stopping it. For more information, see Two-to-One with a WES Pro and an EPC.

Which output the two senders share is set for the configuration and may be Output 1 or Output 2. For more information, see Choosing Which Output the Senders Control

Before You Begin

Make certain that you have uploaded the configuration to all devices (Loading a Configuration onto Your Devices).

To Connect a WES Pro to an EPC:

As a safety precaution, press the E-Stop button.

When the devices connect, the E-Stop signal guarantees that the receiver is in a safe state and the equipment won’t start operating unexpectedly.
Power up both devices and keep them within range of each other.

The WES Pro displays a message indicating that the E-Stop button has been pressed.

The WES Pro provides haptic feedback (vibrates) when it connects to the receiver.
Press ✔ to exit the E-Stop activated screen.
You can press the Menu button ☰ and click Receiver Devices to verify that the WES Pro has connected to the receiver.
When it is safe to do so, turn the E-Stop button clockwise until it pops out to release it.

At this point, the EUC should be operating normally.

E-Stop Button

Press the E-Stop button to send a safety command to a connected device or devices. The LCD will display the following alert: E-Stoptriggeredforallconnectedmachines

Warning:

Once you disengage the E-Stop, the connected device will operate normally. Be certain that the connected machine is safe to operate before disengaging the E-Stop.

Turn the E-Stop button clockwise until it pops out to disengage the E-Stop command.

Press ✔ to clear the alert.

WES Pro Menu Screen

Press the three-line Menu button ☰ to access the WES Pro menus:

Press the up and down arrows to navigate between menus and between menu items.
Press ✔ to open a menu or to change the setting for a menu item.
Press the Menu button ☰ to move back a level in the menu structure.

Note:

For some menus, you press ✔ or the Menu button ☰ to exit, in which case, the menu instructs you to do so.

The WES Pro provides the following menus:

Receiver devices —

Lists lists all receivers to which the WES Pro is able to connect ² .
Device Attributes —
Lists WES Pro device information, including:
- Serial Number - Shows the serial number for the device.
- Firmware Version - Shows the version of the firmware that is running on the device.
- RSSI - (Received Signal Strength Indicator) as perceived by the WES Pro.
- Battery Information - Shows the Volts and Amps for the battery.
- Config Name - Name of the configuration to which the device belongs.
- MAC address - Shows the MAC address of the device.
Device Settings —
The settings menu allows you to customize the following settings:
- Brightness - Set the display to low, medium, or high.
- Haptics - Turn haptic responses on or off. The WES Pro provides three distinct vibration patterns to indicate device issues (low battery, communication loss, weak signal, etc.).
- Motor Test - Set the motor haptic response to Normal, Strong, or Pulse.
- Button Test - Allows you to verify that each of the buttons is responding when pressed.
- Display Test - Allows you to verify that each pixel of the display can be activated and deactivated.

Alerts

The WES Pro provides visual and haptic alerts:

It vibrates to indicate low battery (below 10%).
It vibrates if it shuts down due to low battery.
It vibrates if it loses communication with a receiver.
It vibrates to indicate a weak wireless signal.
The LCD displays the following alert when an E-Stop is triggered: E-Stoptriggeredforallconnectedmachines

When it’s safe to do so, turn the E-Stop button clockwise until it pops out to disengage the E-Stop command. Once you disengage the E-Stop, the connected device(s) will operate normally.

Storing the WES Pro

If you plan to store the WES Pro for an extended period of time, we recommend doing so at the following temperatures to maximize battery life:

Table 1. Table 13 WES Pro Recommended Storage Temperatures
Period	Temperature
Up to one month	-20 °C to 50 °C
One to three months	-10 °C to 45 °C
Longer than three months	-10 °C to 35 °C

A WES Pro can pair with one receiver only. The receiver can be an EPC or an NSC Pro. Consult the Release notes for information specific to the version of the product that you are using.

² For this release, a WES Pro can pair with only one receiver. Consult the Release notes for information specific to the version of the product that you are using.