2DBench

New Design Tools for Electronic Detonators

Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2
New Features.................................................................................................................. 2
Stocks Definition............................................................................................................ 3
Detonators .............................................................................................................. 4
Connectors.............................................................................................................. 4
Blast Design Process ...................................................................................................... 6
Hole Numbering............................................................................................................. 9
Label Multiple Holes.................................................................................................. 9
Renumber Holes (in rows) ......................................................................................... 9
Downhole Delay Mode ................................................................................................ 10
Interval method - single or row .................................................................................... 12
Relief method ............................................................................................................... 14
Calculated Relief Rate.................................................................................................. 16
Surface Delays.............................................................................................................. 16
Detonator ID numbers .................................................................................................. 16
Edit Delays ................................................................................................................... 16
Modify Downhole Accessory................................................................................... 17
General Time Offset................................................................................................. 17
Delete Detonators ..................................................................................................... 17
Data Export / Import .................................................................................................... 18
Known Bugs ................................................................................................................. 18
 2DBench - New Features for Electronic Detonators

Introduction
2DBench can now create a blast design using electronic delays (ED). Several new tools have
been added to insert the delays, edit the data and output the results. All of the original
features such as hole layout, charging, downhole and surface delays, detonation simulation,
analysis and printing remain unchanged and will function with both pyrotechnic and
electronic delays.
Designing a blast for programmable electronic detonators requires a different approach from
pyrotechnics. With pyrotechnics, 2DBench calculates the time when a downhole detonator
will fire from the pre-defined properties of the components, the pattern of surface connections
and their burn rates, and the detonator delay times. Once the design is complete, the blast is
fired from an initiation point and the timing calculated as the blast progresses. The ultimate
firing time for any downhole detonator is therefore a cumulation of delay and burn times as
the detonation simulation progresses from the initiation point. Once the simulation is
completed, the desired detonation timing is typically confirmed from the shape of the
detonation front, either by observation of the simulation or from a plot of the timing contours.
Changing the initiation point will almost always change the outcome.
Programmable electronic detonators, on the other hand, do not have a pre-defined delay, so
the standard process of simulation from an initiation point will not work. There are no
surface delays, and the blast simulation progresses from the initiation point to each downhole
detonator instantaneously through the connecting wire. It is still necessary that each blast
hole fire in a delayed sequence, but in this case the final firing time for each detonator,
calculated in the simulation, is equal to the delay time for each detonator. Once this property
is determined for each detonator, all other aspects of blast design in 2DBench can be utilised.
In this case, the objective is to determine what time the detonator should fire, either from
manual entry or back-calculated from a desired outcome.
These notes describe the new features in 2DBench for creating a blast design using electronic
delays.

New Features
Several new features have been added, and are described in detail in these notes. These
features are only activated if a license for the electronic delay version of 2DBench has been
installed (except those marked *, which are active in the standard version of 2DBench). In
summary, these are:
in Downhole Mode, new tools and parameter entries for inserting delays and surface
connections
o interval method: set a delay interval between holes and rows
o relief method: calculate times by relief rate in ms/m
modify properties of nearest downhole detonator
adjust detonation time of a selected group of detonators
display relief rate between holes in Detonation Simulation Mode *
visibility option for electronic surface connections *

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export text file of blast design, with extended items for electronic detonators (same format
as copy / paste action) *
In brief, the process for creating a blast design using electronic delays is:
1. Define the components for electronic delays in the stocks database.
2. Create strings, holes and decks using the current tools in 2DBench.
3. In downhole delay mode, select an electronic delay and insert in the holes using the
specific tools - this will also connect the holes with a null surface delay and buswire
connection.
4. If desired, modify the surface connections to represent the actual cable network.
5. Run the detonation simulation to check firing times, and analyse timing using standard
tools.
6. Edit downhole detonators either individually for ID, delay time and depth, or globally
to assign an offset time to selected delays.
7. Print plans showing hole details and delay times, and export a text file with a
description of the entire blast, including all detonators and their properties.

Stocks Definition
The first step is to define the properties of the electronic detonators and connectors to be used
in the design. This can be done in a standard stocks database. The items are then selected
from the database during the design process, as currently done for other items.
(Note: The properties for electronic detonators and connectors have been added to the stocks
databases now supplied with JKSimBlast. These notes are provided where it is necessary to
add them to a pre-existing database.)
Although electronic delays do have surface connections, there are no surface detonators.
However, 2DBench requires a surface detonator between all blast holes in order to run a
simulation. This can be overcome by using a null surface delay, i.e. a detonator with zero
delay. 2DBench inserts all four items downhole detonator and connector, and surface
detonator and connector - as a group, linked via the connection and surface delay IDs in the
detonator properties.
The major difference is to designate a detonator as electronic this is done by setting the burn
direction value to 3. In all other respects it behaves as a bi-directional delay (value = 2), but
the different value tags it for special treatment within 2DBench.
Examples of the new items and their relevant properties are shown below. Compulsory
values are shown in italics these values must be entered as shown for the detonation
simulation to operate correctly. The StockView program cannot be used to enter all of the
details because it only allows for uni-directional or bi-directional delays. The stocks database
must be opened in MS Access to enter the records or correct the differences. If this is not
possible, contact Soft-Blast for assistance.

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Detonators
downhole detonator
display label 1 electronic (to select from dialog)
series name electronic
nominal delay 0 or maximum possible delay
actual delay 2 0
scatter percent 0.01
plus cutoff -1 (= no limit)
minus cutoff -1 (= no limit)
burn direction 3 3
connector id 4 id number (of leg-wire, see below)
surface det id 5 id number (of null, see below)
surface detonator ( = null detonator) 5
display label electronic (to select from surface delay dialog)
series name electronic
nominal delay 0
actual delay 0
scatter percent 0
plus cutoff 0
minus cutoff 0
3
burn direction 3
connector id 6 id number (of buswire, see below)
surface det id -1 (= none)

Connectors
downhole connector
display label leg-wire
series name electronic
supplied length -1 (= N/A) or could be set if required
vod 7 1032 m/s (maximum possible value)
surface connector 6
display label buswire
series name electronic
supplied length -1 (= N/A) or could be set if required
vod 5 1032 m/s
Notes
1) The electronic detonator display label will be set by the software to a unique, sequential
value for each detonator, and can be later replaced by the actual ID for each detonator.
2) The actual delay will be replaced by the calculated value.
3) Signifies an electronic delay, with bi-directional properties.
4) The leg-wire is the external connection to the detonator.
5) Although there are no surface delays in an electronic system, the detonation simulation in
2DBench requires a surface delay. This is overcome by inserting a null detonator with
zero delay time, which will have no effect on the calculations. The surface delay must
have a surface connector defined.

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6) The surface connector is a buswire, which enables communication with all of the
detonators in the blast it has the same properties as the leg-wire.
7) The burn rate of both the leg-wire and buswire is set at the highest possible value that can
be used in the software. Using these values, the timing difference between two points
3000 m apart is less than 1x10-6 ms, several orders of magnitude greater than the accuracy
of the detonators and therefore small enough to be ignored. This value must be set as high
as possible, otherwise the detonation simulation will include significant burn times
between and down holes.
By utilising the current format for definition of stock items, almost all data handling routines
within 2DBench (database read / write, change marked, query, etc) will continue to operate
with no change. The only differences are:
when an electronic downhole detonator is selected in the parameters dialog (burn
direction = 3), the linked downhole connector, surface delay and its linked surface
connector are all selected as a group;
the electronic detonator is assigned a unique ID which becomes the display label; and
the actual delay time is calculated in the program.

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Blast Design Process

There are no changes in 2DBench to the design methods for drawing lines and polygons,
drilling holes, charging with explosives and other materials, or detonation simulation and
analysis. Inserting downhole and surface delays also remains unchanged for pyrotechnic
detonators.
Electronic delays are inserted in the blast holes in Downhole Delay mode. At the same time,
if the items are correctly entered in the stocks database, the surface connections are also added
to the design. Therefore, the Surface Delay mode can be skipped when creating an ED
design. However, the surface delays can be inserted or modified in Surface Delay mode and,
when the design is saved, the surface delays are still saved to the relevant table in the
database.
Prior to creating an ED design, items for downhole and surface delays and connectors must be
entered in the stocks database (see Stocks Definition). It is suggested to place these in every
stocks database in use.
The following steps outline the entire process for creating an ED blast design, exporting the
details to the hardware for programming of the delays, and retrieving the actual delay data for
upload to the blast design. Check the list of known bugs before proceeding to avoid any
problems.

1. Select the stocks database /File /Select database.

2. Create or import strings.
3. Layout blast holes. Make sure there are no nodes in the design (see Known Bugs).
4. If the electronic delay hardware can only accept numbers for blast holes labels, then
renumber the blast holes to unique numeric labels only, either by /Edit /Label multiple
holes, or [Renumber holes] on toolbar (see Hole Numbering below).
5. Load decks (explosives and non-explosives).
6. Turn on visibility for [Downhole Delay Name] and
[Downhole Actual Delay] in /View /Options
Visibility. This will show the internal ID numbers
and delay times assigned to the first detonator in
each blast hole, and is a visual check that the delays
have been correctly inserted. The ID numbers
should appear as a number followed by an asterisk,
such as 1*. To see electronic surface connections,
turn on the visibility for [Electronic Surface
Connection] at the end of the list.

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7. Select Downhole Delay Mode, and open the

parameters dialog. Select electronic for both the
Series and the Name. If the properties have been
specified as defined above in the stocks database,
this will automatically select leg-wire for the
Connector, and null for the surface detonator and
buswire for the surface connector. The surface
detonator and connector will be applied
automatically. The name of the downhole
detonator is the display label for each detonator,
but this will be replaced with the internal ID
number as each detonator is assigned.

8. Enter any other details for the downhole delay: distance, primer, other properties, etc.
9. Select a method, either Interval or Relief, and enter the relevant details in the parameters
dialog. The parameters for each method are described below.
10. Click the appropriate button on the toolbar for inserting delays. Electronic delays can be
inserted in any of the methods, but only the methods [hole to hole interval], [multiple hole
interval] and [Apply relief rate to marked holes] will assign ID numbers and detonation
times. The other methods, which also apply to pyrotechnic delays, will only place a delay
in the hole with these methods, the delay time must be manually assigned.
11. Insert the delays in the holes. There are three methods available.
Interval Method - hole to hole delay interval
This method is similar to hole to hole for surface delays - any two holes can be
connected. In this case, the delay is placed in the first hole and assigned the time, and
then a delay is placed in the second hole and
assigned a new time equal to the first delay plus
the increment. Select Apply time to start hole
to insert a delay in the first hole at the defined
delay time. After the first delay interval has
been completed, select Use minimum time
to continue with further delays increasing by the
defined interval.
Interval Method - multiple hole delay interval
This method is similar to multiple hole tie-up for
surface delays - only marked holes can be
connected. In this case, a line of holes is
selected, a delay is placed in the first hole at the
assigned time, and further delays are placed in
the highlighted holes in sequence, increasing by the delay interval. Select Apply time
to start hole to insert a delay in the first hole at the defined delay time. After the first
delay interval has been completed, select Use minimum time to continue with
further delays increasing by the defined interval.

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Relief Method - apply relief rate to marked holes

This method is essentially a reverse of
contouring. In this case, the final contours are
defined by a point and a direction. Place the
cursor at the reference point and click. Move the
cursor in the direction of firing the contour
orientation is shown by a solid line at the
reference point, and the firing direction by a
dotted line. Click again to set the direction.
Delays will be inserted into every marked hole
and assigned a delay time based on their distance
from the contour line.

See the corresponding sections below for more detail.

12. At the same time as the downhole delays are inserted, the holes are connected on the
surface. The surface delay is actually a null detonator (delay = 0 ms) and a wire
connector (burn rate = 1032 ms). The actual connections are made in the sequence of
assigning the times, so they will probably not appear as a practical layout, if visibility is
turned on. This will not affect the detonation time of each delay during the detonation
simulation.
13. Save the design.
14. Run the detonation simulation. Because the design uses electronic downhole delays and
no surface delays, the simulation can be initiated from any position and will produce the
same results every time. There will be a slight difference in the initiation sequence, but
there will be no difference in the detonation sequence.
15. To display the relief rate between any two holes, place the cursor on the first hole and
activate the anchor and the query dialog. Move the cursor to the second hole the query
will display the distance, time difference and the relief rate in ms/m between the two
holes.
16. Analyse the design as required. The analyses will perform without any differences, but it
must be remembered that there is almost zero standard deviation. This means that if the
simulation is re-run, using Monte Carlo, the analyses will produce the same results every
time.
17. Save the design.
18. Export a text file with the relevant data for upload to the ED hardware. Mark the holes
and select /File /Export /To Hole Data Clip File. Enter a name for the file. Either .clp or
.txt will produce the same file, but using .txt will directly associate the file with a text
editor. The file is the same as that produced by copying the holes via /Edit /Copy marked
holes. The section in the file labelled 2DBENCH DOWNHOLE DELAY ELEMENT
DATA contains all of the data for describing the delays used in the design.
19. Print the design, with hole numbers and actual delay times visible.
20. Program the delays on the bench, and fire the blast.

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Hole Numbering
If the ED hardware used to program the electronic detonators can display only numeric hole
labels, then all of the holes in 2DBench must be renumbered, from the default row/hole
numbering to numbers only. The default numbering may not acceptable because of the /
character.
There are two alternatives for hole numbering either renumber all holes by /Edit /Label
Multiple Holes, or renumber a row of holes at a time by the toolbar button [Renumber Holes].

Label Multiple Holes

This method will create a unique, sequential
number for every hole, either marked,
unmarked, or both. This is typically used in
iron or gold mines where every hole is given a
unique number for grade control.
For the purposes of electronic delays, apply this
to all holes (both marked and unmarked). If a
filler character is used, or if extra text is added
before or after the numbers, make sure that only
numeric characters are entered. An example of
the numbering is shown at the bottom of the
form.
Enter the details and click [OK] to apply the
numbering.

Renumber Holes (in rows)

Use this method to number holes with combined row and hole numbers (such as 0201 for row
2, hole 1). This method is applied to a single row of holes at a time. The figure below shows
the method and result.
First, mark the holes. Click the toolbar button, and then click on the first hole in the row.
Move the cursor to the last hole in the row, and click again. The dialog is displayed. Enter
the details.
To number rows or holes with a two-digit number, enter the desired number in both of the
Label fields, as well as the corresponding row Number and hole Start fields, as shown.
The Example shows how the new labels will appear.

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Downhole Delay Mode

The new functions for electronic detonator design are accessed in the downhole detonator
design mode. The parameter values are entered or selected in the same way as pyrotechnic
delays and connectors. The new tools automate the inserting of surface and downhole
detonators and connectors, as well as calculating and assigning detonation times to each
downhole delay.

Open parameters dialog. The dialog contains five tabs. The first three are for
selecting items from the stocks database, and are unchanged from the current dialog:
When a delay is selected, a linked connection and primer will also be automatically selected.
With an electronic detonator (burn direction = 3) the linked surface detonator and its linked
connector will also be selected from the stocks database. If these do not exist in the database,
the internal default values will be used.
[Interval] - set the parameters for the interval sequencing method (see below).
[Relief] set the parameters and run the relief sequencing method (see below).
Parameters can be saved to and recalled from an .ini file.

Insert a single detonator, connector and primer in the nearest hole to the cursor, as
defined in the parameters dialog. For an electronic delay, assign a unique, sequential display

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label as a default detonator ID, in the form 1*, 2* etc. Each detonator will have a delay
time as defined in the parameters.

Insert a detonator, connector and primer in all holes, as defined in the parameters
dialog. If an electronic delay has been selected, assign a unique, sequential display label as a
default detonator ID to each detonator.

Insert a detonator, connector and primer in all marked holes, as defined in the
parameters dialog. If an electronic delay has been selected, assign a unique, sequential
display label as a default detonator ID to each detonator.

Insert a detonator, connector and primer in all unmarked holes (as for current
downhole delays), as defined in the parameters dialog. If an electronic delay has been
selected, assign a unique, sequential display label as a default detonator ID to each detonator.

Insert a downhole detonator in the first hole, and again in the second hole with a single
surface connector and null detonator between the two holes, and increment the downhole
detonator times, according to the values defined in the parameters dialog - see Interval
method below. Tool tip: hole to hole delay interval

Similar to single surface connection (above), but insert multiple surface connectors
and null detonators along a line of marked holes. Tool tip: multiple hole delay interval

Calculate delay times for marked holes based on a reference time and position and a
relief rate in the defined direction see Relief method below. Tool tip: Relief rate for
MARKED holes

The methods for removing downhole detonators are unchanged.

[Backspace] removes the nearest detonator.
[Delete] displays a dialog to remove selected delays from marked or unmarked holes.
[Undo] removes the last detonator/s inserted.
Both [Backspace] and [Delete] apply only to [single], [all], [marked] and [unmarked]
methods. To delete electronic delays, change to one of these methods.

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Interval method - single or row

Both of these methods appear similar to the
standard method of inserting pyrotechnic delays
on the surface between holes and rows, in order to
apply sequential timing to downhole delays
(surface design mode). The objective is to allow
the user to map out a blast sequence in a similar
fashion to a normal blast, by defining the timing
interval between holes, except that in this case the
electronic detonator times are calculated and
assigned as the surface connections are made.
As each connection between any two holes is
inserted, the interval time is added to the detonator
time at the start (from) hole, and the total is
assigned to the detonator in the next (to) hole.
Each step in the two options within this method is
displayed in a similar manner to the corresponding options in Surface Delay Sequencing
mode.
The steps in the method are as follows.
1. Set the parameters for delay, connector and primer. By selecting an electronic delay, the
linked connector and surface delay and its linked connector are automatically selected. If
any other type of detonator is selected, no surface delays will be created.
2. Enter the parameters for the Interval method in the dialog. If there is not an existing
detonator at the start hole, the time for the start hole detonator should be entered and the
option Apply time to start hole selected. Enter the delay interval between holes.

3. Select either single or multiple delay interval.

4. Click on the start (from) hole for the connection (selects the nearest hole to the cursor).
5. Move the cursor to the next (to) hole in single mode, or to the end of the line in multiple
mode. Click to insert delays in the first hole and every highlighted hole.
In the single method, this will insert an electronic detonator into the first and second
holes. In the multiple method, this will insert a detonator in each marked hole.
If the option Apply time to start hole has been selected, the first detonator will be
assigned the start time, and the second detonator will be assigned the start time plus the
interval. If there is already a detonator in the first hole, then no detonator will be inserted,
but the second detonator will have a calculated time based on the defined parameters,
regardless of the time at the first hole.
If the option Use minimum time already at start hole has been selected, the time for the
first hole will be the minimum delay time in that hole. The delay times for the other holes
will increase in sequence by the defined interval. If there is no detonator in the first hole,
a delay will be inserted based on the properties defined on the [Delay] tab of the
parameters dialog.

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Click [Esc] to remove the detonator and stop the function.

If /View /Options - Downhole Detonation Time Labels is set to visible, the times for each
detonator are displayed as they are inserted.
6. Continue for new connections, or press [Esc] to complete the connection sequence.
If still connected to the last hole, continue as for step 5. If using the single interval (hole
to hole) method, select Use minimum time before proceeding to the next blast hole.
If [Esc] has been pressed to complete the connections, then start at a new hole as outlined
in step 4.
The Visibility options can be turned on to show the number of downhole delays, downhole
delay labels (det ID), or nominal or actual delay times. These options are unchanged from the
current program. For surface connections, turn on both inter-hole surface delays and
electronic surface connections.

The example above shows single hole connections after several connections have been made.
In this case, the first connections were between the rows with an interval of 50ms, and the
first hole was set at 200ms. The first connection created detonators 1* and 2*, and the second
connection created detonator 3* (from 2*) with times of 200, 250 and 300 ms respectively.
The first row of delays were created with an interval of 15ms and Use minimum time already
at start hole (1* = 200ms) to give detonators 4* to 7* at delays of 215, 230, 245 and 260 ms.
The second row of delays is in process, at the same interval but starting at 250 ms.
It is possible to put multiple delays in blast holes, set for different times. Say, in the above
example, that it is required to insert a second delay in each hole, to detonate at 10ms after the
first delay. First, set the depth of the delay on the [Delay] tab. Turn on visibility for Number
of Downhole Delays. Select Apply time to start hole. For the first row, set the start time
to 210ms (200 + 10), and keep the interval at 15ms. Mark the holes, and select multiple hole

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delay interval on the toolbar. Click on the first hole in the first row, and then click again at
the end of the row. This will insert a delay in each hole at the defined depth, with times of
225, 240, 255, 270 and 285 ms. Press [Esc] to end the process. Reset the start time to 260
ms, click on the first hole in the second row, click again at the end of the row to insert the new
delays, and press [Esc]. Repeat for the third row, with start time 310 ms.
Note that this did not insert a new delay in the first hole. To insert these delays, set the actual
delay time for each delay on the [Delay] tab, select the single detonator method, and click on
the first hole in each row to insert a delay.

Relief method
In a standard pyrotechnic blast, detonation contours
are calculated from the times from the detonation
simulation, to check if the desired result has been
achieved. In this method for electronic delay
sequencing, the process is reversed the relief rate and
direction are specified, and the time for each detonator
calculated from them. This achieved by using a tool
similar to the anchor to define the reference location
and direction.
The steps for the method are as follows.
1. Mark the holes to be calculated.
2. Open the parameters dialog and select the [Relief]
tab.
3. Enter the detonation rate. The detonation rate is positive in the same direction as the relief
direction. If, however, the method is applied from the back of a blast, the rate would be
negative.
4. Enter the detonation time for the Reference point.
5. Place the cursor near the reference point in the design. If a blast hole is to be used as the
reference point, use the [Home] key to place the cursor exactly on the hole. Alternatively,
a text label can be used.
Click the left mouse button or press [Enter] to set the reference point.
Press [Esc] or [Backspace] to cancel the process.
6. Move the cursor toward the desired relief direction. As the cursor is moved, a dotted line
is drawn from the reference point to the cursor, and a solid line is drawn through the
reference point at right angles to the relief direction (this is the detonation contour). The
second line is used as a reference to align the ultimate detonation contours relative to the
blast holes.
Click the left mouse button or press [Enter] to set the relief direction.
Press [Esc] to cancel the process, or [Backspace] to go back one step.
To display the relief direction on the status bar, activate the anchor before moving the
cursor. GoTo can also be used to set the direction.

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7. Click again to insert detonators in the marked holes, and calculate and assign the resulting
times to the detonators. All holes are connected by null surface delays and electronic
connections.
The directional distance of each marked hole from the reference point is calculated. The
detonation time calculation is:
detonation time = reference time + rate x reference distance

The results are shown below, based on 12ms/m and a reference time of 500ms.

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Calculated Relief Rate

After a detonation simulation has been performed, the anchor and the query
can be used to display the distance and relief rate between holes. When the anchor is
activated, the anchor point takes on the first detonation time of the nearest hole. As the cursor
is moved, it takes the first detonation time of the nearest hole, subtracts the time of the anchor
point, and divides by the anchor distance. Note that this is the relief rate between the holes,
and is not necessarily the relief rate for the blast detonation. It is left to the user to ensure that
the result is correct, preferably by displaying detonation contours, attaching the anchor point
to a hole and moving the cursor in a direction perpendicular to a contour. This calculation is
available in both normal and electronic delay versions of 2DBench.

Surface Delays
Surface connections are applied automatically only if one of electronic methods is used to
insert the downhole delays. If a standard method is used, then the surface connections must
be added to the design in order to run a detonation simulation. The standard tools can be used
to insert or remove electronic surface detonators and connections. To place surface
connections, select the null detonator and electronic (buswire) connection, and then the
standard tools can be applied. Turn on visibility for Electronic Surface Connections and
InterHole Surface Delays. If the surface connections were added in downhole mode, first
delete all surface delays in surface mode before adding new connections.
Electronic detonators do not depend on the actual surface layout to define their detonation
times, so this functionality is generally only used to modify the surface connections in order
to represent the desired cable layout.

Detonator ID numbers
Electronic detonators have unique internal ID numbers, built in to the electronics at the time
of manufacture. However, 2DBench is entirely unaware of these, and so must apply its own
numbers in order to create individual delays. This is critical for the data export to ensure that
each detonator is individually described in the data.
In 2DBench, each detonator is assigned a sequential number, as a label in the form 1*, 2*, etc,
as it is inserted in the blast holes. The * signifies that this is an internal ID number within
2DBench. The applied label should be replaced by the actual detonator ID when the data is
imported back into 2DBench.

Edit Delays
There are two new items in the edit menu in Downhole mode:
/Edit /Modify /Nearest Holes Downhole Accessory
/Edit /Modify /Assign Time Offset to Downhole Accessories.

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Modify Downhole Accessory

This opens a dialog similar to Modify Nearest Hole.
The values that can be modified are detonator ID, depth
in the hole and delay time. Click [Change Delay] to
change the details for the selected delay. Click the
other buttons to select another delay (either in the same
hole, the next or previous hole (in sequence) or the
nearest hole to the cursor), or to delete the selected
delay.

General Time Offset

This opens a pop-up dialog, similar to the delete dialog
for downhole delays, to add a single time value to the
selected detonators in the design. The dialog has an
entry field for the offset value, a list for selecting
which detonator in each hole to apply the offset, and a
choice of marked or unmarked holes or both.
Each selection option produces a list of detonators in
the blast holes. Select the detonators from the list by
clicking on the lines use the [Shift] to extend a
selection, and the [Ctrl] key to select additional lines.
A detonators delay time cannot be set to less than
zero, so the minimum allowable offset time is the
negative of the minimum detonator time in the design
(i.e. the new minimum would be zero). Any delay that
does not meet these criteria will not be changed.
Note that the first detonator in a hole is the closest detonator to the collar, etc.

Delete Detonators
There are three methods for deleting detonators from blast holes: [Backspace], [Delete] and
/Edit /Modify /Nearest
[Backspace] and [Delete] can only be applied in Downhole Delay Mode, and only when one
of the non-electronic methods is selected (single, all, marked or unmarked).
Press [Backspace] to delete the delay unit (detonator, connector and primer) closest to the
collar in the nearest hole.
Press [Delete] to display a dialog for selecting which delays will be deleted. The dialog
shows a list of defined delays for electronic delays, this will be one line per delay. Select
the items in the list, marked and / or unmarked holes, and click [Delete ].

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 2DBench - New Features for Electronic Detonators

Downhole delays can also be deleted using the /Edit /Modify /Nearest Holes menu option.
Select the delay to be deleted and click [Delete Delay].

Data Export / Import

All of the data describing the blast design and the electronic delays can be exported to or
imported from a text file. The file can be modified to transfer the data to the ED hardware.
The export option creates a text file exactly the same as the 2DBClip.txt file from the hole
copy function. The difference is that under the menu option /File /Export /To Hole Data Clip
File the user can specify a file name (note: use the .txt option in preference to .clp, as this
will automatically load into a text editor, or use .xls to load into an Excel spreadsheet).
The objective is to output a complete description of the blast that can be read by other
software to re-create the design. The section labelled 2DBENCH DOWNHOLE DELAY
ELEMENT DATA has been extended to carry the extra data needed to fully describe the
electronic delays. Otherwise, the file is no different from the previous copy format and is still
100% compatible with older versions of 2DBench. The extra fields describe the first hole that
the detonator appears in, and thus is also be relevant for a standard blast design using
pyrotechnic delays. Since each electronic delay is unique in the design, the first hole is also
the only hole that the delay appears in. The extra fields are:
In Hole (ID)
Display Label
Row
Hole In Row
Distance From Collar (m)
Collar East (m)
Collar North (m)
Collar Level (m)
Data can be imported from the same file format with the option /File /Import /From Hole
Data Clip File A possible future addition is an option to merge a Clip File with a text file
of the actual detonator IDs and times, as exported by the ED hardware.

Known Bugs
1. Nodes
If there are any nodes in the blast design, a downhole delay will be inserted in the node,
regardless of its marked status. Nodes are typically only required to connect surface
delays at a point other than a hole collar. Therefore, if nodes are required in the design,
do not place them until after the downhole timing has been completed.
To create a fixed reference point for the relief rate method, either place a text label or an
unmarked blast hole at the position. Use /View /GoTo Position To Object Position
Label to place the cursor at a label, or [Home] to place the cursor at a blast hole.

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