RMS Instruments
6877-1 Goreway Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L4V 1L9
Tel: (905) 677-5533
Fax: (905) 677-5030
Web: www.rmsinst.com
E-mail: rms@rmsist.com

The PC33 program allows a user to control a GR33 series1 graphic recorder from an IBM-PC* or compatible. The Program, Interface Libraries and Source Code are available in three versions:

• PC300-1 is the basic package consisting of the PC33 Program and Interface Libraries.
• PC300-2 contains in addition to the PC33-1, the Source Code for the Interface Libraries.
• PC300-3 comprises the Interface Libraries and the Source Code for the Libraries.

PC33 PROGRAM:

The menu driven PC33 program allows the user to perform remotely from a computer in Real-Time, all of the recorder front panel functions and controls via the parallel interface. Alphanumeric messages can be easily formulated and transmitted for printing in the horizontal, vertical or inverted mode with single keystrokes.

Recorder configurations or set-ups can be downloaded automatically at turn-on or selectively, thereby having the recorder immediately ready for a specific test or application.

In the Edit mode, recorder configuration file(s) can be produced with or without a recorder. The configuration can be saved on disk and/or downloaded to the recorder as required. Commands to store configurations that have been downloaded into the recorder’s nonvolatile memory are provided.

The program includes menus for controlling the Analog Input Module, Transient Digitizer and ARINC optional modules if they are installed. Commands are provided for the serial transfer of the Transient data in an ASCII or binary format to the computer for storage and analysis.

Similarly, the program has a Monitor mode where data from the Trace Memory of the recorder can be transmitted via the serial output port of the recorder to be viewed as text or graphically. At the same time, this data can be logged to disk for later analysis.

The user has the ability to define a channel’s sensitivity and set points in Engineering Units. A Utilities menu allows the setting of output port parameters, diagnostics as well as recorder test features.

The package also includes an MS-DOS* device driver that interfaces the operating system to the recorder making it appear as a peripheral device. The recorder can perform any function normally handled by a conventional printer, such as printing files, use of the “print screen” function, and the copying of files to the recorder, etc.

INTERFACE LIBRARY:

The PC33 Interface Library is a collection of functions that provide a C Language programmer with all the basic tools to quickly and easily create custom programs to control a recorder. The library of subroutines was developed for MS-DOS* systems and is compatible with the popular Microsoft C (version 5.1). This allows the user to readily link the subroutines with their own program, which is extremely useful when the host computer is also a data acquisition system. The library will allow traces to be produced on the chart from digital data directly.

Example programs of how to use the library are included with the package.

SOURCE CODE:

The Interface Library was developed for use on MS-DOS* systems, however, the source code for the routines is available and it may be ported to other systems. Custom modifications to the routines can then be done.