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Connect any gage, run multiple instruments to one printer, go wireless, and log to SPC software or Excel simultaneously — no DP-1VA reconfiguration required.
The Mitutoyo DP-1VA is a well-established inspection tool. Quality engineers trust it for on-the-spot statistical calculations, go/no-go judgments, and printed measurement records that satisfy hard-copy documentation requirements. But the DP-1VA has three hard constraints that limit where and how it can be deployed. If you’ve run into any of them, this post explains exactly how MobileCollect Wireless removes all three — and adds output capabilities the DP-1VA can’t deliver on its own.
Standalone, the DP-1VA accepts measurement data from one source: gages with a Mitutoyo Digimatic SPC output. That covers a lot of ground if your floor runs Mitutoyo calipers, micrometers and indicators. But the moment you need to print from anything outside that ecosystem — a bench scale, a surface roughness tester, a hardness tester, an RS-232 micrometer, or a caliper from Mahr, Starrett, Fowler, Sylvac, or Insize — the DP-1VA can’t accept the input. The printer sits idle while your operator writes the measurement down by hand.
The MobileCollect to DP-1VA cable (SC-9600N81-MIT) connects the DB9 RS-232 port on the MobileCollect RS-232 Base EVO to the Digimatic input on the DP-1VA. Protocol translation between MobileCollect’s RS-232 output and the Digimatic format the DP-1VA expects is built directly into the cable assembly — no separate converter box, no reconfiguration of the DP-1VA, no changes to how operators trigger measurements.
From the DP-1VA’s perspective, it’s receiving data from a wired Digimatic gage. It has no awareness that the measurement traveled wirelessly from a gage three workstations away.
The practical result: any of the 3,500+ gages supported by the MobileCollect system across more than 50 manufacturers can now feed the DP-1VA. Calipers, micrometers, digital indicators, height gages, comparators, hardness testers, surface roughness testers, scales, force gages — if the gage can connect to MobileCollect, the DP-1VA can print it.
The DP-1VA has one Digimatic input. One gage at a time.
For many single-characteristic inspection routines, that’s sufficient. But consider a first article inspection under AS9100D, a PPAP dimensional results submission under IATF 16949, or an in-process check that covers multiple critical features simultaneously. An operator measuring OD with a micrometer, bore with an indicator, and flatness with a height gage is running three separate single-gage sessions or manually consolidating three separate print records. Neither is efficient, and neither produces a single consolidated measurement record tied to one part.
Each gage in a MobileCollect system gets its own transmitter. All transmitters pair to a single RS-232 Base EVO and route their measurement data through it — sequentially, as readings are triggered — to the DP-1VA. The base supports hundreds of paired transmitters simultaneously. The practical ceiling is what’s operationally feasible at the inspection station, not a hardware limit.
A mixed system collecting from a micrometer via a Mini Mobile Module, a bench scale via a RS-232 Remote, and a digital indicator via a Digital Remote all feed a single RS-232 Base EVO — and from there, a single DP-1VA. One printer. One consolidated record. No limit on gage count or gage type.
The Digimatic cable that runs between a gage and the DP-1VA tethers the operator and the instrument to the printer. On large inspection fixtures, CMM tables, or in confined measurement areas, that cable is a practical constraint. In aerospace and medical device environments it’s also a potential FOD source and a contamination consideration in cleanroom-adjacent inspection areas.
MobileCollect transmitters are battery-powered and attach directly to the gage. There is no cable between the gage and the base receiver. The operator moves freely within the measurement area — up to 140 ft line-of-sight from the RS-232 Base EVO — and data reaches the DP-1VA on every reading. The RM2.4 wireless protocol was designed specifically for factory floor measurement environments: low RF duty cycle, noise resilience in high-density industrial RF environments, and no continuous RF traffic between readings.
Beyond removing the DP-1VA’s native limitations, the RS-232 Base EVO enables a capability the DP-1VA can’t deliver on its own: simultaneous output to a printer and a PC from a single measurement event.
The RS-232 Base EVO has two output ports — a DB9 RS-232 port and a USB Serial port — and both are active simultaneously by default. No configuration required.
Connect the SC-9600N81-MIT cable to the DB9 port and plug it into the DP-1VA: the printer receives the measurement and prints immediately at the inspection station.
Connect the USB port to a PC: the same measurement is simultaneously available to SPC software or data collection applications on that PC via virtual COM port.
One operator. One button press. One measurement. Two destinations. No data splitter, no additional hardware, no secondary entry step.
This directly addresses a documentation control requirement that many quality engineers manage by hand: ISO 9001 Clause 7.1.5 requires documented evidence of measurement results, and many QMS procedures — particularly in automotive and aerospace — require both a hard-copy station record and a digital dataset for SPC trending, control chart generation, and Cp/Cpk reporting. The current workaround in many facilities is printing to the DP-1VA and then manually re-entering those values into a spreadsheet or SPC application. That re-entry step is a documented nonconformance risk — transcription errors, transposed digits, and missed decimal points are failure modes that procedural controls alone can’t fully eliminate. The MobileCollect and DP-1VA setup removes that step entirely.
The RS-232 Base EVO’s USB port delivers measurement data as USB Serial over a virtual COM port. What happens at the PC depends on your software environment.
Dedicated SPC platforms with native COM port support — including Mitutoyo MeasurLink, Prolink QC-CALC, InfinityQS, and others — connect directly to the Base’s virtual COM port. Point the software at the correct COM port assignment and data flows in on every measurement trigger. No intermediate software layer, no additional license required.
Applications that don’t read COM ports natively require a keyboard wedge to bridge the gap. WedgeLink Xpress is a free software keyboard wedge included with MobileCollect that handles this. It reads measurement data from the RS-232 Base’s virtual COM port and delivers it as keyboard input to whichever Windows application has focus — Excel, a browser-based SPC platform, a cloud QMS data entry form, Minitab, or any other application that accepts keyboard entry.
The measurement value lands in the active cell on every reading. No manual entry. No transcription error. Date and time stamping is configurable — relevant for lot traceability documentation and first article inspection records. Configurations save for recurring inspection routines, so setup time on repeat jobs is minimal.
WedgeLink Xpress is a free download included with MobileCollect and can be installed on as many computers as needed.
Three hardware components and one optional free software download:
MobileCollect RS-232 Base EVO — The base receiver and hub of the wireless system. Receives measurement data from all paired transmitters and delivers it simultaneously through the DB9 RS-232 port (to the DP-1VA) and the USB Serial port (to your PC). Both outputs are active by default — no configuration required.
MobileCollect Transmitter — Matched to your gage type and application:
Use the MobileCollect Selection Tool to confirm the correct transmitter and gage cable for your specific gage model. The database covers 3,500+ confirmed compatible gages across 50+ brands.
SC-9600N81-MIT Cable — Connects the RS-232 Base EVO’s DB9 port to the DP-1VA’s Digimatic input. Protocol translation is built into the cable. Also compatible with the older Mitutoyo DP-1VR (264-504-5A) — facilities still running DP-1VR units do not need a separate cable.
WedgeLink Xpress — Free download, required only if routing PC-side data to Excel or other keyboard-entry applications. Not needed if your SPC software connects via COM port natively.
The Mitutoyo DP-1VA (264-505A) is sold separately and is not included. MicroRidge is an authorized Mitutoyo distributor and can source the DP-1VA for you. Contact sales@microridge.com if you’d like to purchase the complete system in one order.
This setup is a strong fit when:
It’s not the right fit when you’re running a single Mitutoyo Digimatic gage, wired connection is acceptable, and you have no need for simultaneous PC logging. In that case the DP-1VA’s native standalone setup already covers the requirement and no additional hardware is needed.
The SC-9600N81-MIT cable and RS-232 Base EVO are available in the MicroRidge store. Use the MobileCollect Selection Tool to identify the right transmitter and gage cable for your instruments, or contact MicroRidge if you’d like to talk through your specific setup before purchasing.
Not sure if MobileCollect is right for your application? Request a demo kit and evaluate the system at your location before you buy.
Riley Tronson is President and owner of MicroRidge Systems, a role held since 2023. Riley brings a strong technical foundation to leadership in measurement solutions. An experienced entrepreneur, Riley has founded and grown multiple software companies, including a venture focused on developing iPhone applications, blending engineering expertise with innovative product development.