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PALS.HLP
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1991-06-15
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Version 1.30
MENU SELECTION: Esc Screen 1 of 1
Press the escape key (labeled "Esc") to exit the current menu (regardless of
the current position of the inverse cursor box) and return to the initial
system selection menu:
Displays Archive Configure Protocol analysis Quit
Alternatively, place the inverse cursor box over the Esc selection (as it is
now) using the left/right arrow keys and press the Enter key.
ARCHIVE SETUP Screen 1 of 3
FUNCTION: Set archive Drive, Path, Filename, and file view Extension Filter.
Set archive length (in Kilobytes) and archive storage chunk size (in Bytes).
Enable or disable the background archiving process and auto halt mechanism.
FIELDS: Read the bottom letter box for field input help.
Drive Letter: Standard DOS drive letter A through Z. Upper and
lower case characters are acceptable.
Filename: Standard unique DOS filename, including extension, for the
archive file. Only valid filename characters are allowed. No path
characters are acceptable - include them in the Path field.
Path: Full DOS path specification. For example, a single "\" would
indicate a file in the root directory. Paths beginning without
a backslash are relative to the current directory. Lack of any path
specification is also relative to the current directory.
Extension Filter: Previously created archive files can be viewed using the
F3 function key. Enter the file extension of interest with or without
wildcards "?" and "*". No entry (a blank field) is equivalent to "*".
Length: Set the size of the archive file in Kilobytes. The range is from
32 to 8192 Kilobytes. The actual number of data bytes that the archive
will hold is one quarter of this number (records are four bytes long
containing one signal byte, one data byte, and two time stamp bytes) if
time stamping is enabled, or one half of this number if time stamping is
disabled.
ARCHIVE SETUP Screen 2 of 3
Chunk Size: Set the archive minimum trip value in bytes. The range is
2048 to 32768 bytes. The actual number of data bytes required to trip the
archive is one quarter or one half of this value depending upon whether
or not time stamping is enabled (Chunk sizes are in bytes, not records).
Archiving: Enable or disable background archiving upon exit from the
setup screen. Current archive data (if any) will be undisturbed.
Enable archiving outside of the Archive Setup screen by pressing Alt-E
to append to the current archive and Alt-F to begin a fresh archive.
Auto Halt: Enable or disable the mechanism that halts background
archiving whenever the current archive file becomes filled with data.
This mode stays in force until manually deactivated, or until the capture
mode is initiated.
ACTIVATION:
Esc: Normal exit of the setup screen effects change to the archive
enable/disable, the auto halt mechanism and the Chunk size.
F1: Press the F1 function key to change the file specification using
the Drive, Filename and Path only. The file length will not be altered.
Use F1 when changing to a previously captured file to prevent loss of
data due to an inadvertent size alteration.
ARCHIVE SETUP Screen 3 of 3
F2: Press the F2 function key to size a file specified by the Drive
Letter, Filename and Length fields. Selecting a previously created
archive file with a size other than the file's original size will destroy
any data contained in the file. (Use F1 to re-select old files). Use
F2 to create new files - if there is no such filespec, the program will
allow creation of the filespec with the currently specified length.
F3: View the archive files in the directory specified by Drive Letter and
Path. Use the Extension Filter to reduce the number of displayed files
by filtering with or without the "?" and "*" wildcards. Press Esc to
exit the file viewer without changing the Filename. Press Enter to
update the Filename from the highlighted selection in the file viewer.
Use the up/down arrow keys to move the inverse cursor box and scroll long
directory listings. Home and End move the inverse cursor box also.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Manipulate the Length and Chunk Size to optimize the
archiving process to your hardware platform and operating conditions.
Follow these simple rules: Increase the Chunk size for slow disks.
Increase the Chunk size and archive size for high data rates. Keep the
Chunk size less than half of the archive Length at all times. Also
increase the number of swing buffers (see the Capture Setup Screen, Alt-C,
for further information) for high average and/or burst data rates. The
importance of these factors is inversely proportional to the platform speed.
PORT SETUP Screen 1 of 2
FUNCTION: Set baud rate, parity, stop and data bits, and output signals for
each port.
FIELDS: All fields are related to the selected port.
Port: Establish all other values relative to this field. Valid ports
are COM1 and COM2.
Baud Rate: Select from a list of valid baud rates by pressing the space
bar or up/down arrow keys. Valid baud rates are User and 50 to 115,200.
User Baud: Select a non-standard baud rate. Input values will automatic-
ally be adjusted to actual hardware supported rates (integer timer preset
values for the baud rate generator). Valid baud rates: 1 to 38,400.
Parity: Select from none, odd, even, mark, and space parity.
Stop Bits: Select from one or two stop bits.
Data Bits: Select from five to eight data bits.
RTS: Set the value of the RTS output line. Asserted is a marking (low
voltage) state.
DTR: Set the value of the DTR output line. Asserted is a marking state.
OUT1: Determine the output of the first of two application dependent
output lines. This line is normally unused.
OUT2: Control the availability of input interrupts to the 8250 uart on
IBM compatible communication adapters. This line must be asserted to
allow character reception interrupts.
PORT SETUP Screen 2 of 2
FIELDS: continued ...
Line Break: Asserts a continuous spacing state on the line when the
selection reads asserted. Unasserted is the default, and normal,
operating selection. When a line break is asserted on a given port,
transmission is inhibited.
CAPTURE MODE SETUP Screen 1 of 2
FUNCTION: Set the capture mode trigger pattern and related constants.
FIELDS: All field contents become active upon exiting the setup screen.
Port: Select port specific field values for all other fields in the
screen. Triggering can only occur on one port at a time, but separate
port specific values are maintained at all times.
Capturing: Control the enable/disable status of the capture mode upon
exit of the Capture Mode Setup screen. Enable the capture mode outside of
this screen by pressing Alt-M.
Swing Buffers: Set the number of 65,536 byte ram buffers allocated for
interrupt driven character record reception. Increase this value when
operating with the largest Chunk Size and/or high average or burst
data rates.
Trigger Pattern: Enter up to thirty-two bytes of binary data into the
trigger pattern. Incoming characters are sequentially scanned against
this pattern until a match is detected.
Chunk Size: For convenience, the Chunk Size field is repeated in this
setup screen. Chunk Size will influence the selection of the capture
count. This field is active and can be altered as in the archive setup
screen. Changes made here will be reflected throughout the program.
Chunk Size is expressed in bytes, not records.
CAPTURE MODE SETUP Screen 2 of 2
FIELDS: continued ...
Occurrences: Allow multiple occurrences of the preset trigger to pass
without initiating capture cancellation. On the final occurrence of the
trigger string, the capture mechanism will count down the preset
Capture Count until it reaches zero, cancelling archiving.
Capture Count: Determine the number of archive chunks that will be saved
before automatic cancellation of archiving after detecting the final
occurrence of the Trigger Pattern match.
RELATED INFORMATION: Enable capture trigger matching outside of this screen
by pressing Alt-M (for match). Within the screen, use the Capturing field.
The true length of the Trigger Pattern is displayed on the screen
immediately following its field to verify the intended pattern length.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: The main status and capture displays indicate the
state of the capture mechanism. Disable capturing manually by simply
turning off the archiving mechanism via the archive menu Disable selection
or the Alt-D hot key. All data captured up to the moment will be
preserved, so there is no penalty for early manual termination due to
incorrect capture count or trigger pattern.
CHARACTER TRANSLATION EDITOR Screen 1 of 3
FUNCTION: Set any character's attributes and/or translation string for
display. Change the current character set, mode or number base.
NOTE: All fields are dependent upon Port and Number Base.
FIELDS: All numeric values are displayed in the currently selected base.
Port: Set the context of the character translation information (except
Number Base).
Translation String: Updated whenever the character value is edited, this
field (together with the F1 function) alters translation strings to any
set of one to six alphanumeric characters (excepting nulls).
Number Base: Set the system wide number conversion and character display
base. Certain values are excluded from the number base effect, such as
interrupt vectors, which are always entered and displayed in hexa-
decimal. The History GoTo field is always entered in decimal to conform
to Record and Character numbering. Changing the number base will alter
the dependent field contents to allow immediate reference.
Character: Edit this field to update the Translation String and Attributes
fields to display the current translation of the chosen Character.
CHARACTER TRANSLATION EDITOR Screen 2 of 3
FIELDS: continued ...
Attributes: Indicating the current attributes of the Translation String,
edit the field (in conjunction with the F1 function) to alter the
attributes of a Character representation. Edit with digits in the
currently selected base.
Mode: Select from one of two translation modes: Ascii - uses the normal
ascii character set below 128 decimal and numeric representations above
127 decimal. Numeric - uses strictly numeric representations regardless
of value. Translation strings in both modes are user alterable; it is
useful, however, to retain the character vs. numeric distinction.
Low: Set the global character range low value. Global attribute change
activations will include this character.
High: Set the global character range high value. Global attribute change
activations will include this character.
CHARACTER TRANSLATION EDITOR Screen 3 of 3
ACTIVATION:
F1: Press F1 to save the translation and attributes for the selected
Character value and the selected Port for the current Number Base and
Mode. Character sets are distinct for each Port, Mode and Number Base,
comprising twelve unique translation sets. Save all changes individu-
ally - they are not memorized automatically.
F2: Press F2 to globally acquire the current Attributes. Globally,
that is, within the current Port, Mode and Number Base for all Character
values encompassed by the inclusive range of Low through High.
The default translation set uses normal attributes for com1 and high-
intensity attributes for com2. Custom attribute selection and translation
is encouraged.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: There are two independent fields: Port and Number
Base. All other fields depend upon Port and Number Base. There are six
distinct character sets for each Port (an Ascii and Numeric set for each
of the three number bases: Octal, Decimal and Hexadecimal). These
character sets are fully independent of each other, so it is possible to
have different color schemes and/or character translations in each.
INTERRUPT VECTOR SETUP Screen 1 of 2
FUNCTION: Set base addresses and interrupt vectors for each port. Take
great care when altering these values. Incorrect address selection can
easily crash a system by I/O activity in pre-assigned locations. In-
correct vector selection can cause replacement of a vital system inter-
rupt service routine. Be sure to disable any interrupt used by other
devices - such as mice.
FIELDS: All field contents become active upon exiting the setup screen.
Port: Select the port context for all other fields.
Base Address: Com1 and Com2 have default base addresses of 3F8 and 2F8,
respectively. Some manufacturers make ports with alterable addressing.
Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for selecting a base address and
set this field (in Hex) to conform to the chosen address.
IRQ Number: Identifies the interrupt level for the port. Com1 and Com2
normally default to levels 4 and 3, respectively. Once again, when
installing a port, follow the manufacturer's instructions and set the
interrupt vector level to conform to the hardware.
Installed: Activate and deactivate port interrupts. Often there is
another device using a port interrupt (mice, for example). The use
of an interrupt can be prevented by selecting No for this field.
INTERRUPT VECTOR SETUP Screen 2 of 2
FIELDS: continued ...
Cable Type: Set the type of cable in use. DataScope operates with three
types of cables: Modulink (tm), BreakOut (tm) and Serialtest (tm). When
the BreakOut (tm) selection is active, COM1 and COM2 are defined as DCE
and DTE, respectively, regardless of the Device Assignments field choice.
Modulink (tm) and Serialtest (tm) allow port and device assignment.
Event Mask: Select the type of events that are of interest. You can opt-
imize system operation by eliminating signal or data interrupts if they
are of no interest or consequence. If signals are not enabled, some
signal changes will not be detected, depending upon device assignments.
Time Stamping: Eliminate time stamping (reducing interrupt overhead by
approximately thirty percent) to accommodate ultra-high throughput applic-
actions or to compensate for poor platform performance. For most situat-
ions, however, time stamping is desirable and quite useful.
Device Assignments: Select the desired device assignments in this field
or set the auto selection mode to allow the smart cables to dictate
assignments. A word of caution, however. Breakout (tm) cables do not
allow sensing and must be assigned as follows: COM1: DCE, COM2: DTE.
Modulink (tm) and Serialtest (tm) cables allow smart sensing. Sensing can
be overridden by this field to change the data labelling. This action
will invalidate signal information from the cables, but cause no damage.
INTERRUPT VECTOR SETUP ***Unused*** Screen 3 of 3
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Device assignment can cause an enormous amount of
confusion, particularly concerning the origination and meaning of RS-232
signals. Quite often, monitoring DTE/DTE communications, the nomenclature
becomes somewhat inadequate.
OPTIONS SETUP Screen 1 of 1
FUNCTION: Select various unrelated system options to adjust the program's
performance for different levels of compatibility and platform power.
FIELDS: All field contents become active upon exiting the setup screen.
Video Mode: Select from three video modes: Native, BIOS and Hybrid.
BIOS selection restricts screen display functions to those supported by
BIOS. Hybrid gains a performance increase by directly writing to the
video memory, and is for use on any 100% IBM compatible machine. Native
eliminates all BIOS functions (except keyboard input) to further increase
efficiency (also for use on 100% IBM compatible machines, only).
Slow Live Displays: Good line efficiency at high continuous data rates
hopelessly outdates live display information. Select the skip function to
allow real-time displays to skip ahead in the buffered data, providing
more current information. Skips will never prevent the display of the
final screenful of data even if the source or sources suddenly quit.
Control-C Response: Enable the functionality of Control-C as a quick
program termination. When enabled and Control-C is depressed, the program
immediately exits to DOS, regardless of the current state or function.
Screen Saver Delay: Set the screen saver delay time in minutes (from one
to nine). A value of zero disables the screen saver mechanism. Hot
keys, Control-C and Esc are active while the screen is blanked (they
recover the screen and perform their normal actions in one keystroke).
INTERACTIVE MODE SETUP Screen 1 of 2
FUNCTION: Determine the interactive mode filespec (Drive, Path and
Filename) for transmission by the Insert key.
FIELDS: All field contents become active upon exiting the setup screen.
Filename: Enter a standard unique DOS filename, including extension.
No wildcard or path divider characters are allowed.
Drive Letter: Standard DOS drive letter A through Z. Upper and
lower case characters are acceptable.
Path: Full DOS path specification. For example, a single "\" would
indicate a file in the root directory. Paths beginning without
a backslash are relative to the current directory. Lack of any path
specification is also relative to the current directory.
Extension Filter: The list of transmission files can be viewed using the
F3 function key. Enter the file extension of interest with or without
wildcards "?" and "*". No entry (a blank field) is equivalent to "*".
INTERACTIVE MODE SETUP Screen 2 of 2
ACTIVATION:
F3: Press F3 to view the selection of configuration kernels in the
directory specified by the Drive Letter and Path. Use the Extension
Filter to reduce the number of displayed files by filtering with
or without the "?" and "*" wildcards. Press Esc to exit the file viewer
without changing the Filename. Press Enter to update the Filename from
the highlighted selection in the file viewer. Use the up/down arrow keys
to move the inverse cursor box and scroll long directory listings. Home
and End move the inverse cursor box also.
RELATED INFORMATION: File transmission is simple and useful. The primary
concern is that only the intended characters get transmitted. The entire
contents of the file will be transmitted, so carefully exclude unwanted
line and file control characters when editing the transmission file.
KERNEL (CONFIGURATION) SETUP Screen 1 of 3
FUNCTION: Specify a pre-existing configuration set (kernel) or build a new
set using the current configuration.
FIELDS: Read the bottom letter box for field input help.
Filename: Enter a standard unique DOS filename, including extension.
No wildcard or path divider characters are allowed.
Drive Letter: Standard DOS drive letter A through Z. Upper and
lower case characters are acceptable.
Path: Full DOS path specification. For example, a single "\" would
indicate a file in the root directory. Paths beginning without
a backslash are relative to the current directory. Lack of any path
specification is also relative to the current directory.
Extension Filter: The list of configuration files can be viewed using the
F3 function key. Enter the file extension of interest with or without
wildcards "?" and "*". No entry (a blank field) is equivalent to "*".
KERNEL (CONFIGURATION) SETUP Screen 2 of 3
ACTIVATION:
F1: Press F1 to select the kernel specified by Drive Letter, Filename and
Path. If the file exists, it will become the current configuration. If
the file does not exist, you will be asked if you wish to create such a
file. If you answer yes, the new file will contain all of the current
configuration information.
F3: Press F3 to view configuration kernels in the directory specified by
the Drive Letter and Path, filtered by the Extension Filter. Use the
Extension Filter to reduce the number of displayed files by filtering with
or without the "?" and "*" wildcards. Press Esc to exit the file viewer
without changing the Filename. Press Enter to update the Filename from
the highlighted selection in the file viewer. Use the up/down arrow keys
to move the inverse cursor box and scroll long directory listings. Home
and End move the inverse cursor box also.
KERNEL (CONFIGURATION) SETUP Screen 3 of 3
RELATED INFORMATION:
DataScope remembers the last configuration used, and will attempt to power-
up with this configuration unless you specify a kernel switch with /c or /C.
Full path specification is allowed but not required. For example, pals /c
original.cfg will override the last kernel and utilize original.cfg from the
same directory containing pals.exe. /C \pals\other.cfg will override the
last kernel and utilize other.cfg from the pals directory regardless of the
current directory or the directory containing pals.exe.
The hierarchy of kernel specification is thus: Switches; Last; pals.cfg
in the specified environment variable directory, if any; pals.cfg in the
current directory.
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QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE Screen 1 of 2
Function Key Operations:
F1 - Setup Screen function activation (unique to each screen).
F2 - Setup Screen function activation (unique to each screen).
F3 - File viewer (Archive, Kernel and Interactive setup screens).
F4 - Undefined.
F5 - Undefined.
F6 - Undefined.
F7 - Undefined.
F8 - Undefined.
F9 - Toggles current communications port selection on status screen.
F10 - Displays Quick Reference Guide when main status screen is visible.
Hot Key Summary (upper and lower case characters are allowed):
Alt-O - Program options. Alt-P - Port setup.
Alt-A - Archive file options. Alt-C - Capture mode setup.
Alt-T - Character translations. Alt-V - Interrupt Vector setup.
Alt-I - Interactive mode setup. Alt-K - Kernel (configuration) setup.
Alt-F - Enable fresh archiving. Alt-D - Disable all archiving/capturing.
Alt-E - Enable archive appending. Alt-M - Match (capture) enable.
Alt-S - DOS shell.
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE Screen 2 of 2
Press the first letter of a menu selection (or use the left and right arrow
keys to position the inverse cursor box over the desired function and press
Enter) to activate. Press the Esc key (not the letter "E") for single key
activation of the Esc option.
PATH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE "PALS": Configuration kernels and help files are
not required to reside in the same directory as the executable file. The
environment variable PALS will override the default current directory search
path unless the files do not exist in the PALS specified directory. For more
information on environment variables and their impact on path searches
consult the user manual.
CONFIGURATION MEMORY: DataScope remembers the last configuration used, and
will attempt to power-up with this configuration unless you specify a kernel
switch with /c or /C. Full path specification is allowed but not required.
For example, pals /c original.cfg will override the last kernel and utilize
original.cfg from the current directory. /C \pals\other.cfg will override the
last kernel and utilize other.cfg from the pals directory regardless of the
current directory or the directory containing pals.exe.
The hierarchy of kernel specification is thus: Switches; Last; Environment
variable directory pals.cfg; Current directory pals.cfg.
MENU SELECTION: Displays Screen 1 of 1
Active this menu selection to enter the display sub-menu allowing selection
of seven different displays:
History: Display captured archive file data with two active cursors,
optional time stamp information, and character/string search functions.
Capture: Display swing buffer and archive file usage in real-time along
with archive and capture mode status.
Single: Invoke a live character display of the current port using data
from the ram swing buffers.
Dual: Invoke live character data displays for both ports in separate windows.
Mixed: Display live character data from both ports (intermixed on the same
lines) in order of reception into the swing buffers.
Alternating: Display live character data from both ports (on separate lines)
in order of reception.
Interactive: Transmit characters from the keyboard and files while
displaying character input for the current port on the normal (alternating)
lines. (Transmission characters, including keystrokes are displayed as
though originating from the line partner. If both interrupts are enabled,
non-interactive port data will still be displayed (interspersed with trans-
mission characters) in order of appearance.
MENU SELECTION: Archive Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the archive sub-menu allowing archive
setup and control. All functions in this sub-menu can be directly accessed
using Hot keys.
PathSpec: Enter the Archive setup screen. Hot key = Alt-A.
Triggering: Enter the Capture Mode Triggering setup screen to define
triggering patterns and modes. Hot key = Alt-C.
Match (capture): Enable the capture (match) mode where the trigger pattern is
matched against the incoming port data and controls the archiving process.
Hot key = Alt-M.
Freshen: Enable the normal archiving process in the background (no match)
using an empty archive file (old data not retained). Hot key = Alt-F.
Disable: Disable the archiving and/or capturing process regardless of the
means by which it was initiated. Hot key = Alt-D.
Enable: Start the archiving process in the background without clearing old
data from the archive file. New data is appended to the old data. (To
start a new archive file use Freshen.) Hot key = Alt-E.
Shell: Execute a DOS shell for manipulating files or any other DOS activity.
Return to DataScope is accomplished by executing EXIT at the DOS prompt.
Hot key = Alt-S.
MENU SELECTION: Configure Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the configuration sub-menu which allows
access to six setup screens that are also available directly through Hot
keys.
Ports: Enter the Port setup screen to allow user configuration of uart
parameters. Hot key = Alt-P.
Interrupts: Enter the Interrupt Vector setup screen which controls the port
base addresses and interrupt vector level and installation.
Hot key = Alt-V.
Translations: Enter the character Translation Editor to make changes to the
port specific string representations of all possible character values.
Hot key = Alt-T.
Kernels: Enter the Kernel File (configuration) setup screen to alter the
current configuration file in use or to build a new configuration kernel.
Hot key = Alt-K
Xmit files: Enter the Interactive File setup screen to modify the currently
selected transmission file for interactive output. Hot key = Alt-I.
Options: Enter the Options Setup screen where user configurable display,
and Control-C options are set. Hot key = Alt-O.
MENU SELECTION: Protocol Analysis Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the protocol analysis sub-menu.
*** This feature is not installed ***
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MENU SELECTION: Quit Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to prompt for verification of intent to exit
DataScope to DOS. A negative answer returns to DataScope. An affirmative
(pressing "y", "Y" or Enter) exits. If the Control-C option is active in
the Options Setup screen, pressing Control-C immediately performs the
equivalent of Quit without a verification prompt.
Esc
MENU SELECTION: History Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the History analysis of the current
archive data file. The current archive file path specification is displayed
in the main status screen.
PgUp: Display a previous page of data up to the current first data byte.
PgDn: Advance the display to the next page of data after the last byte.
Home: Move the currently selected cursor to the first displayed data byte.
End: Move the currently selected cursor to the last displayed data byte.
Up arrow: Move the currently selected cursor up one line.
Down arrow: Move the currently selected cursor down one line.
Right arrow: Move the currently selected cursor right one data byte.
Left arrow: Move the currently selected cursor left one data byte.
F1: Calculate the effective baud rate for the selected data.
F2: Specify com port restrictions for effective baud rate calculations.
F9: Toggle the current cursor context for cursor motion and data searches.
History sub-menu:
Esc: Exit the History display; return to the display sub-menu.
GoTo: Display captured data from a specific record number.
Byte scan: Find next occurrence of a specific character (source sensitive).
String match: Find the next occurrence of a string (source sensitive).
Both Byte scan and String match search from the current archive location.
Cursor: Alternate between the "a" and "b" time stamp cursors.
MENU SELECTION: Capture Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to engage the live capture display. If the
archive is active, the archive portion of the display will indicate the
content of the archive file and the position of most recent archived data.
If the archive is not active, the archive display will indicate the current
captured contents of the archive file. The swing buffers indicate data filled
sections with highlighted shading.
MENU SELECTION: Single Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to engage a live, full screen, single port
data monitor. The unselected port's data will be buffered but not displayed.
The port of choice is the currently selected port as indicated by the main
status display.
MENU SELECTION: Dual Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to engage two live, half screen, independent
data monitors.
MENU SELECTION: Mixed Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to engage a live, full screen, dual port
data monitor. Data from each port is displayed in-line, in order of
appearance, without respect to the source. Source will be identifiable by
virtue of the source attribute differences in the character display set.
MENU SELECTION: Alternating Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to engage a live, full screen, dual port
data monitor. Data from each port is displayed in order of appearance but
separated by source onto independent lines.
MENU SELECTION: Interactive Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to engage a live, full screen, dual port
interactive data monitor. Data from each port is displayed in order of
appearance, separated by source onto independent lines. In addition,
keyboard and file output is transmitted from the currently selected port.
The transmission data is displayed as though originating from the unselected
port to allow easy distinction of sources. Normally, the unselected port
will be inactive during interactive mode usage, but this is not required.
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MENU SELECTION: Port Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to simply toggle the currently selected port.
The current port is displayed in the top center of the main status screen.
Esc
MENU SELECTION: PathSpec Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Archive Setup screen and alter the
archive file path specification, length and other archive parameters.
Hot key = Alt-A.
MENU SELECTION: Triggering Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Capture Mode Setup screen and
alter capture mode triggering parameters. Hot key = Alt-C.
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MENU SELECTION: Match (capture) Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enable the capture mode where the trigger
pattern is matched against the incoming port data to control the archiving
process. Archiving will run in the background until the final trigger is
received and the capture count is depleted. Hot key = Alt-M.
MENU SELECTION: Freshen Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to start the normal archiving process running in
the background (no matching) with an empty archive file. Hot key = Alt-F.
This differs from the Enable entry which does not erase the contents of the
archive file before initiating the archiving process.
MENU SELECTION: Disable Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to disable the archiving process regardless of
the means by which it was initiated. Hot key = Alt-D.
MENU SELECTION: Enable Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to start the normal archiving process running in
the background (no matching) without clearing the current data in the archive
file. Any new data is appended to the old data as though the archive file
had never been closed. Hot key = Alt-E. This entry differs from the Freshen
selection which does clear the old data in the archive file before initiating
the archiving process.
NOTE: Enable archives the current contents of the swing buffers.
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MENU SELECTION: Shell Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to generate a DOS shell for manipulating files or
any other DOS activity. Return to DataScope by executing EXIT at the DOS
prompt. Hot key = Alt-S.
Esc
MENU SELECTION: Ports Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Port Setup screen to allow
configuration of uart parameters. Hot key = Alt-P.
MENU SELECTION: Interrupts Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Interrupt Vector Setup screen
which controls port base addresses and interrupt vector levels and
installation. Hot key = Alt-V.
MENU SELECTION: Translations Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Character Translation Editor
and make changes to the port specific string representations of all
possible character values. Hot key = Alt-T.
MENU SELECTION: Kernels Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Kernel (configuration) setup
screen to select from a list of pre-existing kernels or to build a new kernel
storage file. Hot key = Alt-K.
MENU SELECTION: Xmit files Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the transmission file setup screen for
the Interactive display mode. Specify the pathspec (Drive Letter, Path and
Filename) for transmission during Interactive mode operation via the Insert
key. Hot key = Alt-I.
MENU SELECTION: Options Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Options Setup to set display and
Control-C options. Hot key = Alt-O.
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HISTORY MENU SELECTION: Esc Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to exit the History display and return to the
Display sub-menu:
Esc History Capture Single Dual Mixed Alternating Interactive Port
HISTORY MENU SELECTION: GoTo Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu entry to enter an edit screen for generating the new first
display byte record number. Conclude entry with the Enter key to activate
re-display at the newly specified record. Conclude entry with Esc to prevent
a GoTo function and return to the original display.
Number entry is in decimal, and the maximum allowable record number is
displayed in the bottom line help box.
HISTORY MENU SELECTION: Byte scan Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter an edit screen for generating the new
character value (in the current base) of the next byte of interest in the
archive file. Conclude entry with the Enter key to initiate the character
scan and re-display at the next occurrence. Conclude entry with the Esc key
to prevent a Byte Scan and return to the original display. Scans are not port
dependent, so the current cursor selection is unimportant. For a port
dependent scan use a single letter/character in the String match function.
HISTORY MENU SELECTION: String match Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter an ascii string edit screen for the
port sensitive match string. The currently selected cursor determines the
source port. Conclude entry with the Enter key to initiate the string match
and re-display at the next occurrence. Conclude entry with the Esc key to
abort the function and return to the original display.
At the conclusion of a successful match, the head of the source string will
be displayed using the "a" cursor even if the "b" cursor is selected as the
match source. Matching searches will wrap around the archive until one
complete scan occurs without a match. Matching can be terminated at any
time by striking any key. Port independent matches must use the one byte
scan technique.
HISTORY MENU SELECTION: Cursor Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to alternate between the "a" and "b" cursors.
F9 keystrokes will also perform this identical function.
CURSOR TIME ACCURACY
The resolution of the cursor timing mechanism is +/- .84 microseconds. Due
to the buffering nature of uarts, however, this timing accuracy can be
misleading. The value of any given time stamp represents the moment at which
the character is pulled from the uart by interrupt service routines, NOT the
actual character arrival time. Consequently, it is impossible to indicate
that two characters (on separate serial lines) have arrived simultaneously -
there being a variable time skew due to interrupt service latency. The
magnitude of this time skew is indicative of the service routine execution
time and is highly influenced by processor speed. Generally, at lower baud
rates and reasonable processor speed, skew is insignificant with respect to
character length times. At higher baud rates (particularly 38,400 to 115,200)
the effects of character simultaneity must be considered while measuring full
duplex applications. For half-duplex and most (low duty cycle) full duplex
applications, time stamps are highly accurate relative measures of character
time distributions. For more information on recognizing when simultaneity is
an issue, consult the user manual.
HISTORY MENU SELECTION: Export Screen 1 of 1
Activate this menu selection to enter the Export Archive File parameter setup
screen.
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REVOLVING SELECTION Screen 1 of 1
You are editing a field containing a revolving list of predetermined values.
These are the only legal values - no others are allowed. There are seven
keys to operate the selection mechanism:
Up arrow: Revolves upward in the list of items, wrapping around at the
endpoint of the list.
Down arrow: Revolves downward in the list of items, wrapping around at
the endpoint of the list.
Right arrow: Functions in exactly the same manner as the Up arrow cursor
key.
Left arrow: Functions in exactly the same manner as the Down arrow cursor
key.
Spacebar: Revolves the list in the upward direction only (with wrap-around,
in exactly the same manner as Up and Left arrow cursor keys).
Enter: Terminates selection, accepting the current list entry.
Esc: Also terminates selection, accepting the current list entry.
ALPHANUMERIC ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
All alphanumeric values are allowed in this string except nulls. Characters
echo as single character graphical entities if not printable. Use the DOS
Alt keypad entry method for values whose keyboard equivalent is unknown
(hold the Alt key down while entering the numeric value on the keypad, and
then release the Alt key to see the character equivalent). Take advantage of
the nine editing keys which operate thusly:
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current string up to, but not including, the cursor.
Esc: Accept the current string up to, but not including, the cursor.
SINGLE DIGIT ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
PATHNAME ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Pathnames do not include a filename. Direct path specifications and spec-
ifications relative to the current directory are allowed. A direct pathname
will begin with a backslash to denote its origin in the root directory. A
trailing backslash is unnecessary but not prohibited.
Relative pathnames can include deeper directory names and backslashes, but
cannot begin with a backslash. Relative pathnames are relative to the current
directory unless the environment contains the string PALS=path, which over-
rides the current directory, resulting in the following hierarchy of path
specifications: Direct paths override all alternative specification methods;
Relative paths first attempt to find the environment variable PALS for a path
specification; Failing to find PALS causes relative paths to use the current
directory as a default.
The only characters that are acceptable in pathnames are listed at the bottom
of the entry screen.
TWO DIGIT ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Two digits are expected in this field. The current number base (set in the
Character Translation Editor) dictates the range of allowable digits.
Octal: 0 - 7.
Decimal: 0 - 9.
Hexadecimal: 0 - F.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
FILENAME ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
WARNING: Specification of a pre-existing file is not prevented. Be
sure of your choices - use the file view function to select or preview
filenames to be certain you do not overwrite a pre-existing file.
Filenames can be eight characters long with a three character extension. You
must specify an extension if one is desired (there is no default or forced
extension). You can use any name and extension that is not in conflict with
operating system restrictions.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current string.
Esc: Accept the current string.
BASE DEPENDENT NUMERIC ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Up to three or four digits are expected here. Leading zeroes are acceptable
but not necessary. The current number base (defined in the Character Trans-
lation Editor) will determine the valid entry digit range except in the case
of port base address entry (which is always in hexadecimal).
Octal: 0 - 7.
Decimal: 0 - 9.
Hexadecimal: 0 - F.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
DRIVE LETTER ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
A single letter (upper or lower case) is expected here. It will always be
necessary to backspace or press the Home key before input will be accepted.
Any valid DOS drive letter from A through Z will be accepted.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current string.
Esc: Accept the current string.
SINGLE DECIMAL DIGIT ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Enter a single decimal digit (regardless of the current number base) to set
the number of minutes before the screen saver blanks the screen. A value of
zero will disable the screen saver feature. Live displays (Capture, Single,
Dual, Mixed, Alternating, and Interactive) are not blanked by the screen
saver. All other displays, status and help screens are blanked when the
screen saver timer expires.
EXTENSION FILTER ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
One to three letters are expected here to designate the file Extension Filter
which will determine the filenames displayed in the file library/selection
utility. Wildcard characters ("*" and "?") are valid to allow a broad range
of file extensions. The normal "." preceding an extension is implied and
cannot be entered.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current string up to, but not including, the cursor.
Esc: Accept the current string up to, but not including, the cursor.
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HYBRID STRING ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Two methods of entry are available to specify a capture/search string,
corresponding to the two entry fields. Press the up or down arrow keys to
select a field. Cursor presence indicates current field selection.
Lower (string) field: Normal keystroke depressions and Alt/numeric combin-
ations enter all character values except nulls and carriage returns.
Upper (numeric) field: Numeric entries in the proper (indicated) base can
be edited into this field whenever the cursor is present. Pressing Enter
while in this field will add the current numerical field value to the
string at the current string cursor position (as long as the numerical
value is valid). Press Esc to exit this field (or the down arrow).
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the field.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the field.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character (or numeral) underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Remove the previous character and drag any remaining characters.
Enter: Accept the current string edit or inject the numeric field into the
string field at the cursor location (depending upon the selected field).
Esc: Accept the current string up to, but not including, the cursor.
EXPORT FILE SIZE LIMIT Screen 1 of 1
File size is expressed in Kilobytes. Enter a decimal number from 1 to 9999
to limit the file size. A zero value will inhibit file size limiting.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
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USER BAUD NUMERIC INPUT Screen 1 of 1
NOTE: Use the Baud Rate field for 56,700 and 115,200 baud.
Enter a baud rate from 1 to 38400. Do not be concerned about legal values -
DataScope will automatically adjust the input number to the nearest valid
baud rate after you press Enter or Esc.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
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OCTAL BYTE ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Enter an octal byte value from zero to 377.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
DECIMAL BYTE ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Enter a decimal byte value from zero to 255.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
HEXADECIMAL BYTE ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Enter a hexadecimal byte value from zero to FF (or 0FF).
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
HISTORY GoTo ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Seven digits are available for entering the destination record number
desired. The maximum entry value is displayed at the bottom of the entry
screen. Inclusive entries between zero and this maximum will be accepted.
Press the Enter key to accept the input value and commence the GoTo operation.
Press the Esc key to exit the GoTo function without taking action and with-
out imposing penalties.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
NON-ZERO, THREE DIGIT ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Leading zeroes are acceptable, but a non-zero entry is required. Digits are
in decimal only and generate a one byte value. The range, therefore, is one
to 255, inclusive.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
HISTORY Byte scan ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Enter a two or three digit (depending on the number base) byte value
to identify the scan value for the captured data search. Press Enter to
initiate the scan procedure. Press the Esc key to abort the scan without
penalty and return to the previous History display.
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
HISTORY Export ENTRY Screen 1 of 2
Set the pertinent fields to reflect the type of export desired. The export
filename will be determined by the Filename, Drive and Path fields of the
Archive Setup screen. Any extension in the Filename field will be stripped
and replaced by the chosen Format extension. If the file already exists, it
will be overwritten without comment.
FIELDS: Read the bottom letter box for field input help.
Timestamps: Choose the frequency of timestamp output.
From: Enter the starting record number of the information of interest.
To: Enter the ending record number. From zero to zero will output one
byte of information along with any relevant timestamp information.
Line Limit: Select the number of output characters per line. This value
determines only the data character width. If timestamps are active, lines
with timestamp information will be longer.
File Limit: A maximum file size will override the From To fields if
output exceeds this limit.
Format Style: Select the desired export file format and file extension.
CSV stands for Comma Separated Values indicating comma delimiting, TXT
stands for text format indicating tab delimiting, and ASC stands for
ASCII format indicating space delimiting.
HISTORY Export ENTRY Screen 2 of 2
ACTIVATION:
F1: Initiates the export process. Exporting can be terminated by press-
ing a key at any time. The export file will contain the information gener-
ated up to the time of the keystroke.
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SEVEN DIGIT RECORD NUMBER ENTRY Screen 1 of 1
Leading zeroes are acceptable. Only valid decimal record numbers are accepted
(see the prompt box for the record number limits).
Home: Place the cursor at the start of the string.
Tab: Clear (blank) the entire field and home the cursor.
End: Place the cursor at the end of the string.
Ins: Toggle the insert mode (an insert indicator will appear in the lower
right hand corner of the screen if the insert mode is active).
Del: Delete the character underneath the cursor.
Right arrow: Move the cursor one character to the right.
Left arrow: Move the cursor one character to the left.
Backspace: Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of
the string, if any.
Enter: Accept the current number string.
Esc: Accept the current number string.
HELP FILE END