RIMAS for DOS Software

To: All Users of (Advanced) RIMAS for DOS

From: The SHARED LOGIC Group, Inc.

Re: Set Up and Testing Scale Indicators

Date: May 23, 2000

There are four steps to the successful installation and use of a scale indicator with Shared Logic Material Purchasing software:

1. Select the PC on which the Shared Logic Material Purchasing application will be run. The scale indicator must be attached to a COM port on this specific PC, as COM ports cannot be shared under the standard Windows 95/98/NT operating system. Refer to your scale indicator manual for directions on setting the baud rate, data bits, parity option, continuous data mode in the scale indicator, and how to construct the cable that attaches the scale indicator to the PC’s COM port. You must know the baud rate, data bits and parity settings before proceeding to the next step.

2. On the PC to which the scale indicator is now attached, run the standard Hyperterm communications program that is included with Windows 95/98/NT. Either during startup of the program, or by accessing the “Properties” selection under the “File” menu bar choice, enter the following values:

a. Select the “direct to COM #” that matches the port to which the scale indicator is attached.

b. Select the baud rate, data bits and parity option that match how the scale indicator is configured.

If the scale indicator is working in continuous mode, if the cable is constructed correctly, if the COM port on the PC is working, and if Hyperterm is setup correctly, you will see data streaming across the window. If your scale indicator is working in demand mode, you will have to send it the character sequence that triggers its return of scale weight data to your PC port and screen. In either mode, you must see the data from your scale indicator being received and displayed by your PC.

When you are successfully displaying this data, select “Print” from the “File” choice on the menu bar. Fax the screen print, which shows your data, and the settings that you used in HyperTerm to Shared Logic. Be sure to include which COM port you used, the baud rate, data bits, stop bits and parity settings, and whether your scale indicator is operating in continuous or demand mode. We will need this information to write and test a program that will work with your scale indicator.

3. Shared Logic must then customize the scale interface program that is used with the Material Purchasing module so that it contains the same settings as you successfully used with Hyperterm. This will be done on the development systems at Shared Logic.

4. Lastly, the Material Purchasing program must respond to the key depression that your PC operator will use to trigger entry of weights from the scale indicator. Shared Logic will provide this version of the program to you when your custom version of the scale interface is shipped, unless we have already done so.

Successfully completing these four (4) steps should result in a working, reliable interface between your equipment and Shared Logic’s applications software.