Partner™ Support Information

Partner Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

The Partner FAQ provides you with an easy way to automatically get answers to your specific questions, online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you do not find the answer to your question, you can submit your question and a reply will be sent to you.

Browse the Partner FAQs

Operating System and Controller Compatibility

If you are considering upgrading to a newer version of Windows^® or Partner Software, these are the only supported controller types:

• I-Series
• 5500
• Mark III
• Eurotherm 2416

Notes:

• The above chart is for Partner 8.4a. Please contact software support for information concerning other versions.
• Partner 8.4a is not supported on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Me, Windows XP Home, and 64-bit Windows XP.
• Partner 8.4a supports Office XP, Office 2003, and Office 2007. The controller type is not a factor for Office support.
• Before considering a move to Windows XP, please read Microsoft^®'s upgrade information:
  • Windows XP
• Instron^® does not support systems that have been converted from Windows 95 or 98 to Windows XP unless the hard drive has been reformatted and a clean installation performed.
• Support for Windows 98 has been dropped beginning with version 8.0a.
• Support for Windows 2000 has been dropped beginning with version 8.4a.

Partner Software Verification Letter

Is your company currently undergoing an ISO audit? This letter certifies that upgrading to a newer version of Partner does not affect transducer readings or calculation results.

Download the Verification Letter

What's New in the Latest Releases

Version 8.4a (October 2008)

• NEW: (5800/8800 only) Added an option to use a digital input bit to limit the manual adjust rate.
• NEW: Added "Distance / Force" units.
• CHANGE: (ISRS/3300/5500 only) Partner disables the frame if the motor temperature is too high.
• CHANGE: Partner is no longer supported on the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system.
• CHANGE: Partner no longer supports Microsoft Office 97.

• NEW: New options have been added to the Calc Complete Event (GenTest) to allow the event to fire if the calculation result is too high, good, or too low.
• FIX: Fixed a problem in which the graph did not appear on printouts on computers using Internet Explorer 6.
• FIX: Corrected a problem in which the Excel Report Generator would fail when specifying a second Y axis.

NEW: Partner supports Instron's new Ethernet Frame Interface for communication with the ISRS, 3300, & 5500 controllers.
• NEW: Partner is supported on the Windows Vista™ operating system (32-bit Business Edition only). Please see the notes about using Partner with Windows Vista in the Reference Help.

• NEW: A Display as Tolerance Bar Graph option has been added to the Test Results display setup.
• NEW: (5800/8800 only) A data point file may be used to specify a control waveform (Sample Data Playback).
• NEW: (5800/8800 only) The balance point may be set for digital transducers.
• CHANGE: (5500 only): New firmware included with this version of Partner may not run on some older 5500 controllers. If you receive an error message stating that your testing machine requires a memory upgrade please contact Instron technical support. A memory upgrade is required; ask for part number OP565-47.
• CHANGE: Version 8.1.108 of Instron Console is included on the Partner CD.
• CHANGE: (ISRS/3300/5500 only) Position is not zeroed when the software is started.

• NEW: Partner supports Microsoft Office 2007 Professional.

• NEW: Partner printouts have been greatly enhanced.
• Users may now select from multiple print layouts.
• There is a Print Preview feature.
• A printout can be automatically generated after each test.
• Partner can automatically archive a printout for each test.
• NEW: Extra options, including the ability to specify an Excel template file, have been added to the Excel Report Generator.
• NEW: Expressions may be used to specify defined points for a calculation domain.
• NEW: The Standard Level 1 Calculation library includes a new Line Intersection calculation.
• NEW: Calculation lines may have their color, style, and width changed. They may also be hidden.
• NEW: The Spring Rate calculation can now show a calculation line.
• NEW: Graphs may be exported as JPG files.
• NEW: Partner supports the Instron 8800 controller.
• NEW: Multiple improvements have been made to GenTest:
• Partner supports cyclic waveforms on the 5800 and 8800 controllers.
• The option to automatically adjust rate polarity so as to move toward and through a specified level is now available for Mats II and Apex controllers.
• The user interface has been enhanced.
• NEW: Additional safety limit actions have been added for the 5800 and 8800 controllers.
• NEW: Partner works with sensitivity-calibration transducers (5800 and 8800 controllers).
• NEW: Partner supports the Instron 5800 controller.
• NEW: Partner works with EMSY spring testing systems.
• NEW: Partner supports the ASMD (Automatic Specimen Measuring Device).
• NEW: 3300 and 5500 transducers may be excluded when a Zero All is done.
• NEW: There is now an option to remain off-line after editing certain procedure parameters.
• NEW: The Test Flow dialog may be resized.
• NEW: Partner supports gain multipliers when used with 3300 and 5500 controllers.
• NEW: Extra options have been added to the Digital Input Event (Gentest).
• CHANGE: When automatically identifying a transducer Partner now uses information from the transducer connector to determine if the transducer measures load or strain.
• CHANGE: The XY Graph setup pages have been simplified.
• CHANGE: Unit abbreviations are now used consistently throughout the Partner user interface.
• CHANGE: The maximum data acquisition rate (when using a 5800 or 8800 controller) is now 5 kHz.
• CHANGE: For the 3300 and 5500 controllers the "hardware and software zero" option has been replaced by an option to only hardware zero.
• CHANGE: The Test Point calculation now lets users enable a result for each measurement.
• CHANGE: Users are allowed to save the procedure from a retrieved result.
• FIX: (3300/5500 only) Transducer ID checking is enforced for 0-0 code transducers.

• NEW: Partner supports the Instron 8800 controller.
• NEW: Multiple improvements have been made to GenTest:
• Partner supports cyclic waveforms on the 5800 and 8800 controllers.
• The option to automatically adjust rate polarity so as to move toward and through a specified level is now available for Mats II and Apex controllers.
• The user interface has been enhanced.
• NEW: Additional safety limit actions have been added for the 5800 and 8800 controllers.
• NEW: Partner works with sensitivity-calibration transducers (5800 and 8800 controllers).
• CHANGE: The maximum data acquisition rate (when using a 5800 or 8800 controller) is now 5 kHz.

• NEW: Partner supports the Instron 5800 controller.
• NEW: Partner works with EMSY spring testing systems.
• NEW: Partner supports the ASMD (Automatic Specimen Measuring Device).
• NEW: 3300 and 5500 transducers may be excluded when a Zero All is done.
• NEW: There is now an option to remain off-line after editing certain procedure parameters.
• NEW: The Test Flow dialog may be resized.
• CHANGE: For the 3300 and 5500 controllers the "hardware and software zero" option has been replaced by an option to only hardware zero.
• CHANGE: The Test Point calculation now lets users enable a result for each measurement.
• CHANGE: Users are allowed to save the procedure from a retrieved result.

• NEW: Partner supports gain multipliers when used with 3300 and 5500 controllers.
• NEW: Extra options have been added to the Digital Input Event (Gentest).

• NEW: A Spring Level 2 calculation library is now available. It contains the Test Point Advanced calculation, which calculates an average of and/or difference between two test points.
• NEW: The Profile Backup & Restore utility now allows the user to specify a location other than "A:".
• NEW: Customers may define their own unit families.
• NEW: Added Polar Angle and Polar Radius measurements.
• NEW: The new "Change Result Labels" dialog box allows users to quickly change the label of several calculation results.
• CHANGE: Many changes were made to the Chinese translation. More details, including important implications for the storage of results and the generation of reports, may be found in the Chinese Operating Help.
• CHANGE: The Units menu has been moved. It is now under the View menu.
• CHANGE: The default unit family is now selected under the Tools\Default Units menu.
• CHANGE: The Profile Restore tool may only be run by users who have the Configure the System security privilege.

• FIX: Fixed a graphing display problem that was introduced in 7.1c.

• NEW: Several enhancements have been made to Partner's displays.
  • Users can choose which items should be shown.
  • The order of items may be specified.
  • Right-click functionality has been added to allow users to easily:
  • access display settings
  • access calculation and measurement properties
  • print
  • copy the graph to the clipboard
  • NEW: Multiple improvements have been made related to Test Tags.
  • Test Tags may be configured to automatically increment.
  • Test Tags may be added to the global list from within the wizard.
  • "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons have been added to the wizard and to Parameters... Test Tags to allow for easy ordering of test tags.
  • NEW: (5500/3300 only) Partner's Digital I/O capability has been increased.
  • The Grip Digital Inputs may be used as generic digital inputs.
  • (Gentest only) The "Aux In" digital input (labeled "PIP" on the controller) may be monitored with a Digital Input Event.
  • The active level of digital inputs may be set to either low or high. There is no user interface for this; therefore, customers wishing to use active-low digital inputs should contact software support.
  • Digital I/O bits may be re-labeled.
  • NEW: Places supporting Run-Time Entry of Procedure Parameters are now indicated by the presence of a calculator button.
  • NEW: The General Test, General Torsion Test, and fastener templates now include one predefined counter.
  • NEW: Moving procedures to a new system is now easier because Partner will automatically select a new test environment if only one appropriate test environment is available. Partner will also automatically change transducer selections when only one appropriate transducer is available.
  • NEW: Toolbar buttons have been added for quick access to the report generators.
  • CHANGE: When saving a procedure Partner also saves, for each report generator, the last report opened with that procedure. This report is opened automatically the next time the report generator is used with the procedure.
  • CHANGE: The compliance files shipped with Partner have been renamed to "Compression Correction Simulation.cmc" and "Tension Correction Simulation.cmt" to emphasize that these files are only for demonstration purposes. Compliance files are specific to each machine, and thus the demonstration files are not appropriate for use on a customer frame.
  • CHANGE: The default units for Energy/Torque and Power/Torque Rate have been changed.
  • FIX: Fixed a problem in which Servo/Manual machines could move unexpectedly when switched from Servo to Manual.
  • FIX: Proof procedures created on Mats II or Apex/Vertex systems may be used on 5500/3300 systems.
  Version 7.1b (February 2005)
  • NEW: Partner is officially available in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.
  • NEW: Partner supports Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional with Service Pack 2.
  • NEW: A Decrement Counter action is available.
  • NEW: Counters may be used in many edit fields that support run time entry of procedure parameters.
  • NEW: Counter Events, in Gentest, now support extra comparison types such as "Greater Than" and "Less Than".
  • NEW: Calculation Results may be used in Domain Expressions.
  • NEW: The Torsion Spring template was held back in Partner 7.0a. It is now available.
  • CHANGE: Changed the way Partner searches for wave files so that it is more likely to find a wave file appropriate for the currently selected language.
  • CHANGE: Partner provides an option to exit the software if communication errors are encountered on a 5500 system.
  • FIX: The Maximum Strain calculation reported the result from the last test if no data was collected in the current test. It now reports failure.
  • FIX: Corrected a situation in which the Flexural Yield Strength calculation could crash.
  • FIX: Corrected the Flexural Offset Yield algorithm help so that the help no longer references equations that the calculation does not actually use.
  • FIX: In prior versions of Partner the units of Marked Measurements and Recorded Values did not change if the measurement being marked/recorded was changed. This could cause an incorrect unit to be reported. Similarly a Recorded Value could be incorrect if the measurement being recorded stayed the same but the unit associated with it changed.
  • FIX: Entry of angle rates (for control) as a percentage of maximum rotational speed now works correctly.
  • FIX: In certain situations, the frame was not being disabled when Partner was closed. This has been corrected.
  • FIX: Prior versions of Partner could incorrectly report controller hardware problems when using the Self-Test feature of the 5500 controller.
  • FIX: Corrected a problem in which Partner 7.1a could crash when running very old procedures.
  Version 7.1a (September 2004)
  • NEW: A beta version of Partner is now available in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.
  • NEW: A Language Settings dialog has been added to the Tools\Configure\Language menu.
  • NEW: Composite Strain allows strain data to be collected from a position measurement after the removal of an extensometer.
  • CHANGE: The Excel Report Generator will function without Microsoft® Access being installed on the system.
  • CHANGE: The test frame will be disabled when exiting Partner.
  • CHANGE: Partner can be operated by a Restricted User on Windows® 2000/XP systems.
  • CHANGE: Test Wizard Animations have been updated to allow for translation.
  • FIX: (Gentest) Events are now evaluated properly if the test flow is redirected to the same zone that is currently active.
  • FIX: Corrected a problem in which Hold zones using marked measurements (including Return To Start) could go to the wrong target level (the negative of the intended level). This only occurred if the Display Negative Numbers option in the transducer setup was selected.

  Are you interested in upgrading to the latest version of Partner? Fill out our online support form or call us. Please include your software serial number in your request so we can serve you better.

  On-Line Diagnostic Support

  Occasionally, Instron's support technicians will use LiveMeeting to troubleshoot a software problem in real time. If you're directed to a Instron LiveMeeting a support technician will provide you with the meeting name and log-in.

  Interested in a Support Agreement?

  Instron® Support Agreements ensure that you continue to receive support after your warranty expires. Find out more about Instron's Support Agreements