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DDDDD SSSSS D D aaa t aaa S ccc ooo ppp eee TM D D a ttttt a SS c o o p p e e D D aaaa t aaaa SS c o o p p eeee D D a a t a a S c o o p p e DDDDD aaa tt aaa SSSSS ccc ooo pppp eee p p p p User's Reference August, 1991 Protocol Analyzer and Line Scope - - - - Paladin Software, Incorporated Introduction ________________________________________________________________ _______ ____|__ | (tm) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER The Shareware Concept --------------------- DataScope is distributed on a Shareware basis. You may use DataScope without charge for the purposes of evaluating it's usefulness and suitability to task. If you find DataScope worthwhile, then you should order a registered version of the program. Registered copies of the program do not display registration reminders and come with a detailed 130 page user's manual, monitor cables and two serial connectors. An order form is already prepared in ORDERFRM.DOC - simply print this file, supply the necessary information and mail it in to us with your payment. An invoice will be shipped automatically with your order. DataScope will soon have a protocol analysis language as well as additional capabilities and enhancements, and as a registered user you will be entitled to low cost upgrades to the newest versions as soon as they are released. Most importantly however, by registering your copy of DataScope (or any Shareware product), you'll ensure the survival of the convenient and risk free distribution method that originally brought you DataScope. If you have paid a small fee to a Users' Group, "Software Library" or "SIG" to receive this copy, you have NOT acquired the registered rights or continued right to use DataScope. This fee was for the convenience of obtaining the DataScope diskette, and cannot be applied toward the purchase of a registered copy. You may freely copy DataScope for distribution under the Shareware concept, without charge. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software. You may not rent or lease the software to other persons. You may not charge any fee for the DataScope program or documentation without our express written approval. Similarly, you may not distribute DataScope or it's documentation in connection with any commercial venture, product, publication or service without our express written approval. ii Introduction ________________________________________________________________ Support Policy and Limited Warranty ----------------------------------- When you purchase a registered version, you receive three months of unlimited telephone support. Support hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM PST. DataScope also comes with a 90 day money back guarantee: Paladin Software warrants that the program will perform substan- tially in accordance with the documentation for ninety days. If for any reason you are unsatisfied, you may return all materials for an immediate refund of the full purchase price. No Other Warranties ------------------- Paladin Software, Inc. disclaims all other warranties, either expressed or implied with respect to the software and documentation, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Liability Limitations --------------------- Under no circumstances shall Paladin Software, Inc. be liable for any damages whatsoever, including special, incidental, consequential, indirect or other similar damages arising out of the use or inability to use this product, even if Paladin Software, Inc. has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Copyright and Trademark Notices ------------------------------- Copyright 1990-1991, Paladin Software, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Information in the documentation is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a commitment on the part of Paladin Software, Inc. DataScope and Modulink are trademarks of Paladin Software, Inc. AutoMate is a trademark of ComTek Corp. BreakOut-II is a trademark of Advanced Firmware Engineering. Serialtest is a trademark of Advanced Computer Consulting, Incorporated. IBM, PC, XT, AT, and PS/2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- Using This Manual.............................................vi Introducing DataScope.........................................vi Typographical Conventions...................................viii CHAPTER ONE - INSTALLATION AND STARTUP What You Need................................................1-1 Installation.................................................1-1 Floppy Disk Systems..................................1-1 Hard Disk Systems....................................1-2 Starting DataScope...........................................1-2 CHAPTER TWO - CONFIGURATION Startup Options..............................................2-1 Interrupt Switch.....................................2-1 Configurations Switch................................2-2 Platform Setup...............................................2-2 The DOS Search Path..................................2-2 The Environment Variable PALS........................2-4 Your AUTOEXEC.BAT Contents...........................2-4 Your CONFIG.SYS Contents.............................2-5 Serial Port Cabling..........................................2-5 Modulink Cables......................................2-5 RS-232 Cable Tap (Monitor Modes).............2-6 AutoMate RJ-45 Cable Tap (Monitor Modes).....2-6 Interactive Cables...................................2-7 Shareware Cables.....................................2-8 CHAPTER THREE - SETUP BASICS DataScope Hot Keys...........................................3-1 Hot Key Execution....................................3-1 Hot Key Mnemonics....................................3-3 Setup Screen Hot Keys........................3-3 Modal Hot Keys...............................3-3 Function Hot Keys............................3-4 DataScope Menus..............................................3-4 Exiting DataScope....................................3-5 Quit Menu Selection..........................3-5 Control-C Hot Key Option.....................3-6 iv Table of Contents ________________________________________________________________ Setup Screen Field Editing...................................3-6 Field Selection......................................3-7 Field Entry Methods..................................3-7 Predefined Lists.............................3-8 Alphanumeric Strings.........................3-8 Numeric Strings..............................3-8 Hybrid Strings...............................3-8 Port Specific Fields.................................3-9 Basic Setup List.............................................3-9 Device Assignments..................................3-11 CHAPTER FOUR - ADVANCED TOPICS Help.........................................................4-1 Live Displays................................................4-1 Capture Display..............................................4-1 History Display..............................................4-2 History Function Keys................................4-2 History Cursor Functions.....................4-2 History Special Functions....................4-3 History Menu Selections..............................4-4 GoTo.........................................4-4 Byte Scan....................................4-4 String Match.................................4-5 Port Setup...................................................4-6 Vector Setup.................................................4-6 Archive Setup................................................4-7 Capture Setup................................................4-7 Data Archive.................................................4-8 Data Capture.................................................4-8 Translation String Editing...................................4-9 Individual Attribute Changes.........................4-9 Translation String Changes..........................4-10 Global Attribute Changes............................4-10 v Introduction ________________________________________________________________ Using This Manual ----------------- We have organized the manual to encourage immediate execution of the software. Three introductory chapters provide increasing levels of detail that allow you to read a minimum amount of information before putting your newly acquired understanding to work. These chapters have been written in plain language that anyone can understand - no special expertise is required to understand or install DataScope. The final chapter is organized topically. The heading names identify the covered topic. Each topic is independent of the other topics - they can be read separately, and in any order. Typically, people using communication analysis tools fall into two categories: Those interested in debugging serial connections to devices (such as modems, printers, plotters, and other computers), and those interested in debugging or analyzing serial protocols. Many advanced features of DataScope are specifically designed to address protocol debugging issues. Connection oriented users will want to concentrate more on the live displays and the RS-232 signal information. Introducing DataScope --------------------- You have purchased the finest software line analyzer on the market today. No other product can match the features, user interface, data collection efficiency, or display capabilities of DataScope. The salient features of this landmark product are listed below. DataScope Features ------------------ o STANDARD BAUD RATES UP TO 115,200 BITS PER SECOND. Predefined, convenient standard baud rates are supported to speed selection for the typical communication rates used by most computers and peripherals. o USER DEFINABLE BAUD RATES. For situations that require unusual baud rates, a user definable baud rate field is provided to allow all possible baud rates (selected rates must be proper divisions of the crystal frequency) with automatic nearest true rate adjustment. vi Introduction ________________________________________________________________ o FULL CAPTURE MODE TRIGGER POSITIONING CONTROL. Capturing specific items of interest is easy with the powerful alphanumeric string detection and occurrence counting capabilities. In conjunction with the archive control techniques, full trigger position control can be achieved. o HISTORIC ARCHIVE STORAGE UP TO EIGHT MEGABYTES. You never have to worry about lost data with the eight megabyte storage capacity of the archive files. o DUAL HISTORY CURSORS WITH MICROSECOND TIMING RESOLUTION. Character arrival timing resolution is actually better than one microsecond! Two cursors are available with independent motion control to allow timing comparisons across any number of bytes. o FULL ARCHIVE STORAGE PARAMETER CONTROL. Archive file storage length, storage increment size, filename, path, and drive letter are all user alterable. Archive files can be created, selected and altered at will. o MULTIPLE LIVE, INTERACTIVE AND HISTORIC DATA VIEWS. Many live display options are available to satisfy different usage requirements, varying the source arrangements by line, character and screen position. An historic data view allows analysis of any archived data. o FULL SCREEN MAIN STATUS DISPLAY. You don't need to enter a setup screen to determine what system settings you last chose. The main status screen displays all major parameters organized by related function. o USER CONFIGURATION FILE SETS. No need to memorize DataScope setup parameters to analyze any particular device or conversation. Once properly configured, simply save the current configuration to a kernel file. Kernels can be recalled or modified at any time. o UNLIMITED ALTERABLE CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTE TRANSLATION SETS. Display characters in Hex, Decimal or Octal using ASCII or numeric data sets independently for each source! Every character string of each data set is alterable - you can change attributes, color or display string contents at any time. Data sets are saved with the configuration kernels so you can have different sets for different analysis purposes. o ON-LINE CONTEXT SENSITIVE HELP. One key combination summons context sensitive help for the screen or field you are viewing. The help file is longer than the application file! vii Introduction ________________________________________________________________ Full-featured archived data display ----------------------------------- o DUAL TIMESTAMPED CURSORS. Each independent and movable cursor is separately timestamped to allow accurate protocol analysis, benchmarking and debugging. The delta difference between the two cursor times is displayed as well. o TRUE BAUD RATE CALCULATION OF COM1, COM2 OR BOTH SOURCES. Line usage can easily be determined at the touch of a function key. o ARCHIVE STORAGE OF OVER TEN DAYS OF RELATED DATA. Relative timestamps are maintained accurately for over ten days (256 hours). Powerful, fast option and setup field editing --------------------------------------------- o THIRTEEN FIELD EDITING FUNCTION KEYS. Text field editing is fully supported for fast and simple setup of the DataScope options and parameters. o HOT KEY ACCESS TO ALL SETUP SCREENS FROM ALL PROGRAM MODES. Fifteen mnemonically organized Hot keys provide instant setup from any and all program modes. o AUTOMATIC CONTEXT SENSITIVE FIELD HELP FOR DATA ENTRY. Every field automatically gives you related entry information when you start editing the field. There is no need to memorize what commands or data any particular field requires. Typographical Conventions ------------------------- Field Name - Capitalization is used to identify setup screen field names. "Selection" - Quotes appear when the contents of a Field Name are specified. Hot-key - Hyphenations identify hot key combinations. mmmm md pals mmmm - Double spaces delimit commands that must be typed exactly as they appear in the text. viii CHAPTER ONE - INSTALLATION AND STARTUP -------------------------------------- Chapter one focuses totally upon DataScope installation and startup, without any extraneous information. You should read this chapter, even if you read nothing else. We encourage you to run the program immediately - when you are ready for more information, move on to the next chapter. WHAT YOU NEED ------------- o Computer: IBM PC, XT, AT, or PS/2 computer or any 100% IBM compatible clone. o Operating System: MS-DOS version 2.1 or above. o Memory: At least 192K of available ram is required. o Display: Monochrome, CGA, EGA, and VGA displays are all supported. o Disk Drive: One floppy disk drive or one floppy disk drive and any hard disk drive. o Serial Ports: One or two serial ports (two serial ports are recommended, but not required). o Cables: One DataScope cable set (supplied with a registered version of the software). You can make a simplified test cable by following the diagram in the CABLE.DOC file. INSTALLATION ------------ DataScope can run on floppy and hard disk based systems. The absolute minimum knowledge of DOS command procedures is needed (for those that don't know about DOS, and don't wish to learn, the procedures are spelled out step-by-step). Floppy Disk Systems ------------------- o Copy the executable and support files to a disk in the floppy drive you wish to use for DataScope. All files without .DOC or .TXT extensions are necessary for the successful operation of DataScope. 1-1 Installation and Startup ________________________________________________________________ Hard Disk Systems ----------------- o Create a directory for the application files using the DOS command md . For example, to create the directory PALS off of the root directory, type md\pals and press Enter. You may choose any name for the directory, and it may be at any level in the directory tree structure. o Copy all application files to the hard disk drive directory you just created. Application files have extensions other than .DOC or .TXT to distinguish them from general information and documentation files. STARTING DATASCOPE ------------------ Before starting DataScope - even for just a first look - you should make a backup copy of the DataScope distribution file and (optionally) copy the files to your hard disk. Follow the procedures outlined in Installing DataScope for the type of system you have before starting DataScope as outlined below. o Change the current drive to the drive containing the DataScope application files (type the drive letter, colon and press Enter). For example, to make drive C the current drive type c: and press Enter. o Change the current directory to the directory containing the DataScope application files (skip this step if you are operating from a floppy disk based system - the application files are normally in the root directory on floppy disk based systems). Type cd followed by the full path specification of the directory chosen in the installation of the DataScope files. If you chose the example directory you would type cd\pals to select the proper directory. o Type pals and press Enter to start DataScope. The DataScope welcome screen will appear with the logo, version number, revision date, and corporate address. o Press any key to exit the welcome screen and initiate the application, displaying the main status screen. 1-2 CHAPTER TWO - CONFIGURATION --------------------------- Chapters one through three are designed to be read in sequence - be sure to read chapter one before continuing. You should have already installed DataScope and created a backup of the distribution file. We encourage you to take a look at DataScope now. Execute menu commands. Look at setup screens and displays. Try to figure out how the user interface operates and what the fields in the status screen mean. Of course, all of these things are explained in the on-line help and in the manual, but it will surely help your understanding if you have at least seen the various aspects of the interface before it is explained. STARTUP OPTIONS --------------- Two file argument switches are provided to modify DataScope's startup actions. These special features should not be important unless you attempt to change the port base addresses or interrupt vectors from the default configuration settings - and then only if you err in a disastrous way. You can probably skip this information until seeking to become a "power user." Interrupt Switch ---------------- Execute ... To ... pals /i Start DataScope with serial interrupts disabled. This switch allows recovery from an incorrect and fatal specification of communication port base address or interrupt vector. Power-up with this switch to override the last vector installations and disable the serial interrupts. You must re-edit the incorrect specification that caused the system to crash or otherwise malfunction - only the interrupt vector installation is overridden by this switch. 2-1 Configuration ________________________________________________________________ Configuration Switch -------------------- Execute ... To ... pals /c filename Start DataScope with a specific configuration kernel. Use this switch to override DataScope's use of the most recent configuration kernel. The filename specified can follow the /c switch with or without a space or spaces, but must specify a real configuration file. If you do not include an extension, DataScope will append the default .CFG extension. This feature can save time when using multiple configurations and in automated startup procedures, or save your bacon if an ex- ternal program or event trashes your usual configuration file. PLATFORM SETUP -------------- DataScope is intended to function as a high performance serial analysis tool. Equally important, however, is a facile user interface. To increase user friendliness, DataScope can take advantage of two unique capabilities available in MS-DOS - the search path and environment variables. To optimize performance of your applications, it is advisable to have certain parameters set to certain values in your power-up files. Both AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS parameters will be discussed. The DOS Search Path ------------------- Most users are familiar with the terse DOS message "Bad command or file name" that appears whenever one tries to execute a file not in the DOS search path. The remedy for this, other than always changing to the directory that contains the file before executing it, is relatively simple. All directories in common use can be included in the DOS search path. The PATH variable is set in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and can be modified to contain the directory you have created to hold the DataScope executive file. Thus, executing pals will initiate DataScope regardless of the current directory. 2-2 Configuration ________________________________________________________________ To continue our example (for those unfamiliar with what a path string should look like), you could set your path as shown here: set path=c:\;c:\dos;c:\pals Use of the c: drive specifier is neither required nor necessary, unless you utilize multiple logical or physical drives. Take heed of one caveat before you implement this capability and blithely execute pals from each and every directory in existence. DataScope expects to find at least one - and as many as three - ancillary files in the current directory (the number depends upon the existence of archive and/or configuration path specifications) unless the environment variable PALS is set (read the next section to learn about PALS). DataScope will happily run without two of these files (PALS.HLP and the current, user specified archive file) but REQUIRES the presence of a user specified configuration file or the PALS.CFG default. This is a relatively complex subject and is only covered in detail in the bound manual that comes with registered copies of DataScope. Of course, nothing disastrous will happen if you execute pals in a directory that does not contain the proper ancillary files. If the configuration file cannot be found within a six stage search sequence, DataScope automatically returns to the DOS prompt, refusing to run. If either of the other two files are missing, appropriate error messages are issued before operation continues. A missing help file disables on-line help. A missing archive file can be located and mapped in directly using the Archive Setup screen. Therefore, in order to effectively utilize the DOS search path option, you must either set PALS to identify the directory containing the ancillary files, or have copies of them in the current directory before executing pals . Experienced software users will recognize the latter technique as a means of maintaining different operating conditions for specific analysis purposes. Most users, however, will find the former method to be powerful and convenient when used in conjunction with configuration kernels. 2-3 Configuration ________________________________________________________________ The Environment Variable PALS ----------------------------- One stage of file search sequences (explained in detail in the bound manual) is controlled by the environment variable PALS. When DataScope is not specifically directed to find a file in a particular directory, it will default to the directory specified in PALS before attempting to find the file in the current directory. You can set PALS if you wish to normally direct the file path default to a specific directory other than the current directory. Executing pals in any directory will always use the ancillary files in the PALS specified directory unless an override pathspec is in effect (much more information is available on overrides in the bound manual). Three types of ancillary files are affected by this variable, although each is affected somewhat differently: The configuration kernel file, the archive data file and the PALS.HLP help file. The configuration file and archive data file are both user specified and have topical chapters devoted to detailed explanations in the registered version's manual. The help file is not user specified (nor is it alterable at the present time). DataScope will always attempt to find PALS.HLP in the directory specified by PALS and, failing that, in the current directory. The same holds true for the kernel and archive files, unless a successful override supersedes the PALS default. PALS is set in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the same manner as PATH (it can also be set from the DOS prompt at any time). Using our example directory, you would include this string in AUTOEXEC.BAT: set pals=c:\pals . Beware of the use of spaces after the equal sign - DOS includes spaces in a variable's specification and, if you are not careful, it is possible to create two different variables with contents differing only by a space. This becomes important if you later wish to remove the PALS default while temporarily working in another directory. Removal is accomplished by typing set pals= followed immediately by a carriage return (the Enter key). DataScope will honor both formats, so you may choose the most comfortable syntax, but be consistent. Your AUTOEXEC.BAT Contents -------------------------- As discussed above, you will want to include a PATH and possibly a PALS specification in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Both inclusions are elective, but recommended to increase the power of DataScope and decrease the potential for confusion. 2-4 Configuration ________________________________________________________________ Your CONFIG.SYS Contents ------------------------ DataScope will access up to five files at one time during normal operation. Provisions must be made in DOS to accommodate this need by setting the number of files allowed open at once to some number greater than five. Today's software generally demands even more than this for database operations and other disk intensive applications, so it is unlikely that you have not already increased this limit. It is worth checking, however, and to avoid problems with other applications we recommend the more usual twenty files. Therefore, edit your current CONFIG.SYS file to contain files=20 . Also of concern as a performance issue is the number of disk buffers DOS allocates in memory. The IBM default values for XT and AT class machines are two and three, respectively. Everyone knows that this is ridiculous; more useful values are ten and twenty, respectively, unless you are using disk caching software. Therefore, edit your current CONFIG.SYS file to contain buffers=10 if you are using an XT, and buffers=20 if you are using an AT. If you have disk caching software installed, follow the software developer's guidelines as to the correct number of buffers. SERIAL PORT CABLING ------------------- DataScope is sold with a Modulink cable set but is also capable of using cables from BreakOut-II(tm) and Serialtest(tm). More information on the compatibility modes is available in the bound manual delivered with registered copies of DataScope. Modulink Cables --------------- There are two types of Modulink cables, which can be distinguished as the RS-232 connector and the AutoMate RJ-45 connector versions. The electrical difference between these cables is discussed at length in the bound manual. Both cables are identical in that they are used for all monitoring modes. Monitoring is a passive activity and means that only the receive data and signal input lines of the serial ports are active. In fact, the data transmit line is not even connected, so interactive transmission is not possible using either Modulink cable tap. 2-5 Configuration ________________________________________________________________ RS-232 Cable Tap (Monitor Modes) -------------------------------- Most likely, you will purchase DataScope with the RS-232 cable tap. This tap has two DB-25 connectors moulded together with two eight-wire telephone type cables exiting from the side of the moulded hood. The ends of the eight-wire cables are terminated with RJ-45 male plug ends, which look like large, but familiar, RJ-11 telephone jacks. Each jack carries data and signals for a specific side (source) of an RS-232 conversation. The source labels are located near the RJ-45 male plug ends for easy identification. These two male plugs snap securely into the two RJ-45 connector shells supplied with the cable. The shells are source independent; it makes no difference which shell is used on what serial port in your computer. Each eight wire cable determines the proper source electrically. In addition, DataScope utilizes automatic source detection and labelling, so there is no need to worry about which serial port carries what source unless you have a preference or specific requirement. The RS-232 DB-25 connectors should easily splice the cable you are using in your test system. The cable can be spliced into the test system at any point in the RS-232 cable; the orientation of the male/female connectors is completely irrelevant. If you are interested in monitoring only one device, the tap cable can sit on the free end of an RS-232 cable, or plug directly into the serial port of the device under test. AutoMate RJ-45 Cable Tap (Monitor Modes) ---------------------------------------- The RJ-45 cable tap is compatible with the extremely clever eight-wire interlink standard called AutoMate which was developed by ComTek Corporation. Paladin Software, Inc. is an authorized distributor of AutoMate products; we can supply you with literature or fill orders for this useful product that will revolutionize (and simplify) the way we connect serial devices. The AutoMate Modulink cable tap operates almost identically to its RS-232 cousin except for the lack of Ring Indicator support. Physically, the receptacle cube contains two female RJ-45 sockets which act as a normal eight-wire splice. Like the RS-232 tap, the cube has two eight-wire telephone type cables issuing from its side. The eight-wire cable ends are terminated with RJ- 45 male plug ends, which look like large, but familiar, RJ-11 telephone jacks. Each jack carries data and signals for a specific side (source) of an RS-232 conversation. The source labels are located near the RJ-45 male plug ends for easy identification. 2-6 Configuration ________________________________________________________________ These two male plugs snap securely into the two RJ-45 connector shells supplied with the cable. The shells are source independent; it makes no difference which shell is used on what serial port in your computer. Each eight-wire cable determines the proper source electrically. In addition, DataScope utilizes automatic source detection and labelling, so there is no need to worry about which serial port carries what source unless you have a preference or specific requirement. Unlike the RS-232 cable tap, the cube must be oriented to connect with the proper source. The female RJ-45 receptacle labeled DTE must be connected to the device acting as the DTE source in the conversation. Similarly, the DCE receptacle must connect to the DCE source. If there is no true (or known) distinction between sources (this is quite often the case - consider a PC, which is a DTE, connected to another PC, or a printer) then the cube orientation is irrelevant. Cube orientation only affects signal integrity, not data integrity or electrical compatibility. This situation is further examined in the Cable Type field descriptions in the bound manual. Interactive Cables ------------------ As mentioned earlier, the passive monitor cables are not usable for interactive transmissions since the transmit data line of the serial ports is not connected. To utilize interactive mode, you must connect a normal RS-232 or AutoMate cable between the serial port you wish to transmit from and the device under test. Interactive mode is available on both serial ports. You can interactively transmit from either port, albeit not simultaneously, but this will require the use of two separate cables, or some legwork to the back of your computer to change ports. 2-7 Configuration ________________________________________________________________ Shareware Cables ---------------- For the purposes of evaluation, it is unlikely that you will need a monitoring cable. All functions (except true dual-sided conversation monitoring) can be demonstrated using interactive cables, a second computer and a little ingenuity. If you feel that dual-sided conversation monitoring is vital, however, a diagram showing the data connections for a dual-port monitoring RS-232 cable is contained in the CABLE.DOC file. CABLE.DOC can be copied to your printer or examined with a text editor. Connections are shown both diagrammatically and in a pinout list. The shell to shell connections are for automatic source detection and can be omitted if this feature is not desired. Pinouts for both DB-25 (XT class) and DE-9 (AT class) shells are included. For greatest utility, the RS-232 cable that the shells tap into should have different gender connectors at each end. Connections for signal information are not shown in the CABLE.DOC diagram. Therefore, signal information will only be valid while using the interactive mode along with a standard RS-232 cable. 2-8 CHAPTER THREE - SETUP BASICS ---------------------------- Chapters one through three are designed to be read in sequence - be sure to read chapters one and two before continuing with this chapter. It is not necessary to implement every suggested enhancement in chapter two - just be aware of their impact on system performance. This chapter will focus on the minimum setup knowledge required to get DataScope doing some useful work. DATASCOPE HOT KEYS ------------------ The fastest means of program control relies upon predefined Hot keys that directly access setup screens and directly execute archive functions. There are eight setup screens organized around related functions. Figure 3-2 contains a list of menu items and their related Hot key combinations, if any. Figure 3-1 contains a pocket reference listing the Hot keys and their related activities. Keep a copy of this page next to your terminal or in your pocket as a quick reference. A similar list can be viewed by pressing the F10 function key whenever the main status screen is visible. Hot Key Execution ----------------- Using Hot keys is extremely simple - press and hold the Alt key while pressing the letter key indicated by the Hot key name. Release the keys in any order. Hot keys are active at all times (even during field editing), with one exception. The Interactive display requires that you specifically exit interactive mode using the End key before Hot keys are reactivated. Have no fear of Hot keys - DataScope will automatically back out of whatever mode, display or procedure is in progress until reaching the main status screen, before executing a Hot key function. Hot key activations unilaterally deactivate archiving when executed. There are no exceptions to this rule! Even the archive enabling functions (Alt-F or Freshen, Alt-E or Enable, and Alt-M or Match) will first terminate archiving (if in progress) before activating the commanded archive mode. 3-1 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ Setup Screen Function Keys -------------------------- 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 through F8 are undefined. F9 Toggle current communications port selection on status screen. F10 Display Quick Reference Guide when the main status screen is visible. Hot Key Summary --------------- Alt-C Capture Mode Triggering Setup screen. Fields: Port, Swing Buffers, Trigger Pattern, Chunk Size, Capturing, Occurrences, Capture Count. Alt-A Archive Setup screen. Fields: Filename, Path, Drive Letter, Extension Filter, Length, Chunk Size, Archiving, Auto Halt. Alt-P Port Parameters setup screen. Fields: Port, Baud Rate, User Baud, Parity, Stop Bits, Data Bits, RTS, DTR, OUT1, OUT2, Line Break. Alt-T Translation Editor screen. Fields: Port, Character, Attributes, Translation String, Mode, Number Base, Low, High. Alt-I Interactive File Setup screen. Fields: Filename, Path, Drive Letter, Extension Filter. Alt-K Kernel File Setup screen. Fields: Filename, Path, Drive Letter, Extension Filter. Alt-O Options Setup screen. Fields: Video Mode, Control-C Response, Slow Live Displays, Screen Saver Delay. Alt-V Interrupt Vector Configuration screen. Fields: Port, Base Address, IRQ Number, Installed, Cable Type, Event Mask, Time Stamping, Device Assignments. Alt-H Context sensitive Help. Ctrl-C Direct program Cancel (if enabled in the Options Setup screen). Alt-M Enable Match (capture) mode to trigger on the current Trigger Pattern string. Alt-F Activate archive mode with a Fresh archive file (previous contents are lost). Alt-E Enable archive mode using the current archive file (retain old contents). Alt-D Disable all forms of archiving regardless of the initiating method. Alt-S Reduce DataScope memory usage to a minimum and exit to a DOS Shell. Figure 3-1 DATASCOPE POCKET REFERENCE Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ Hot Key Mnemonics ----------------- Each Hot key name is mnemonically devised to aid memorization. Here is a list of the mnemonic roots for the eight setup screen Hot keys, five modal Hot keys, and two function Hot keys: Setup Screen Hot Keys --------------------- Alt-C stands for Capture and activates the Capture Mode Triggering Setup screen. Alt-A stands for Archive and activates the Archive Setup screen. Alt-P stands for Ports and activates the Port Parameters screen. Alt-T stands for Translations and activates the Translation Editor screen. Alt-I stands for Interactive and activates the Interactive File Setup screen. Alt-K stands for Kernels and activates the Kernel File Setup screen. Alt-O stands for Options and activates the Options Setup screen. Alt-V stands for Vectors and activates the Interrupt Vector Configuration screen. Modal Hot Keys -------------- Alt-M stands for Match and enables the capture mode pattern match triggering. Alt-F stands for Freshen and enables a fresh archive without pattern matching, destroying any previous data in the archive file. Alt-E stands for Enable and enables the archive append mode, placing new data in the current archive file after the current archive data. Alt-D stands for Disable and disables whatever mode of archiving or capturing is enabled, if any. Alt-S stands for Shell and immediately reduces DataScope's memory requirements to the minimum, and enters a DOS shell with a copy of the previous environment information. 3-3 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ Function Hot Keys ----------------- Alt-H stands for Help, and displays context sensitive help from any mode. Ctrl-C stands for the Control-C key combination and is technically a Hot key, although its program exit function is somewhat anomalous. DATASCOPE MENUS --------------- The DataScope menu line at the bottom of the screen provides simple, quick access to the setup screens and displays. Execution of a menu item can be accomplished in two ways: Press the first letter of any displayed menu item to instantly activate its function, or move the inverse cursor selection box (using the Left or Right arrow keys) to cover the desired menu item and press the Enter key. Three menu selections in the top menu level (this level is identified by the presence of the Quit selection on the right- hand side, and the absence of an Esc selection on the left-hand side) enter secondary menu levels containing more menu choices. The menu trees of these three selections are graphically depicted in Figure 3-2. When Hot key direct access is available for a particular secondary menu item, the Hot key combination follows the menu item name. Executing the Esc menu item in any menu level will retrace to the previous (parent) menu level. Only the History menu occupies a tertiary menu level, so unless you are in the History display, executing Esc will always return you to the top-level menu line. 3-4 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Menu Command Tree | | ----------------- | | | | Displays Archive Configure | | | | | | | +-History +-PathSpec +-Ports | | | | | Alt-A | Alt-P | | | +-GoTo +-Triggering +-Interrupts | | | +-Byte Scan | Alt-C | Alt-V | | | +-String match +-Match (capture) +-Translations | | | +-Cursor | Alt-M | Alt-T | | | +-Freshen +-Kernels | | +-Capture | Alt-F | Alt-K | | +-Single +-Disable +-Xmit files | | +-Dual | Alt-D | Alt-I | | +-Mixed +-Enable +-Options | | +-Alternating | Alt-E Alt-O | | +-Interactive +-Shell | | +-Port Alt-S | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ Figure 3-2 Exiting Datascope ----------------- There are two methods of terminating DataScope: Quit Menu Selection ------------------- The top menu level contains an item named Quit. Press Q to activate this selection and receive a verification prompt that asks if you are sure you wish to exit to DOS. "Yes" is the default answer to this question, and you can proceed to exit by pressing the Enter key to accept the default, or the Y key to directly indicate affirmative. If you activated the Quit function accidentally, press any key besides Enter or Y to indicate that you do not wish to exit to DOS. 3-5 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ Control-C Hot Key Option ------------------------ The Ctrl-C combination offers a direct means of terminating DataScope from any mode within the application (except the Interactive display). Just as with the Alt key combinations, press and hold the Ctrl key while pressing the C key. Release the keys in any order. To enable the direct exit method, enter the Options Setup screen via the Options menu item in the Configuration menu (a secondary menu), or press Alt-O while in any mode. Edit the Control-C Response field to contain "Quit" using the editing procedures explained below. SETUP SCREEN FIELD EDITING -------------------------- Probably the only text read less often than a manual is on-line help. But the keys to successful field editing are USING the Alt-H Hot key, and READING the field help bar located at the bottom of every setup screen. Alt-H provides context sensitive help that is cognizant of the active setup screen and the type of field you are attempting to edit. When in doubt about what to do, press Alt-H. If you are looking at a setup screen, and have not entered a field for editing when you press Alt-H, you will get help about the various fields and their contents. If you have actually entered a field for editing purposes (by pressing the letter key associated with the field), you will get help on the specific field type - what characters are expected and how to enter them. In addition, whenever you enter a field for editing, the setup screen field help bar changes to inform you about the field type, its entry methods, and legal input values. Field Selection --------------- Every setup screen uses an identical field selection technique. Related fields are grouped together, and every field has a corresponding letter. For example, the Port Parameters setup screen has fields lettered A through K. The letter associated with a field has no meaning with respect to the contents or function of the field - it merely identifies which letter key activates the editing function for that particular field. When you press a field's letter key (case is irrelevant), a flashing cursor should appear in the field or at the right-hand end, depending upon the type of field you have selected. 3-6 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ The presence of the flashing cursor indicates that field editing is in progress and, if the cursor is inside the inverse field box, the field location that is being edited. If the cursor appears outside of the inverse field box at the right hand edge, you have elected to edit a predefined list of choices. Lack of a cursor presence indicates that field selection has not occurred. All of these states are identified in each setup screen's field help bar, located in the bottom letter box. Press Esc or Enter to exit a field after completing your edits, or to simply leave a field without changing its contents. Field Entry Methods ------------------- There are several distinct field types which expect different input and have specific editing methods available. All field types have one thing in common - they all use some subset of the editing function key superset (summarized below) to enter data: 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 - Move the cursor one character to the right or revolve a list of field items upward, wrapping around at the top of the list. Left - Move the cursor one character to the left or revolve a list of field items downward, wrapping around at the bottom of the list. Up - Revolve the list of field items upward, wrapping around at the top of the list. While editing a hybrid string, move the cursor up into the numeric portion of the field. Down - Revolve the list of field items downward, wrapping around at the bottom of the list. While editing a hybrid string, move the cursor down into the character string portion of the field. Backspace - Back up one character, remove it and drag the remainder of the string, if any. Spacebar - Revolve a list of field items upward, wrapping around at the top of the list. Enter - Accept the current string and exit the field edit mode. An exit is not performed by this key when entering numeric values in the hybrid string entry method. Instead, the numerical character value from the numeric subfield is inserted at the current cursor position in the string subfield. Esc - Accept the current string and exit the field edit mode. 3-7 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ Predefined Lists ---------------- Many setup options are restricted to a predefined set of values. These sets are contained in revolving lists that step through all members of the set sequentially using the arrow keys or Spacebar. Up and Right revolve the lists in the upward direction like Spacebar, while Down and Left revolve lists downward. Enter and Esc both accept the currently displayed contents of the field and exit the field editing mode. Alphanumeric Strings -------------------- String editing utilizes the broadest subset of the editing function keys. All keys in the above list are operational except Up and Down (after all, strings are not revolving lists). Furthermore, the revolving activities of Spacebar, Left and Right are not enabled - Spacebar creates a space, and both arrow keys move the cursor within the field of alphanumeric characters. Numeric Values -------------- Fields that require numerical entries operate identically to alphanumeric strings, as far as editing is concerned. Of course, alpha characters are not accepted into the field, and value limits are occasionally imposed upon the edited result (Enter and Esc will beep and refuse to exit the editing mode if the entered value is not within the proper field limits). Whenever value limits are applicable they are displayed in the help bar during field editing. Hybrid Strings -------------- In order to satisfy the need to include control characters (such as the codes returned by the Enter key or the Backspace key) in alphanumeric strings, it is necessary to offer a numeric means of entering individual characters into field strings. The hybrid string entry method addresses this requirement by presenting two co-active fields; one is numeric and the other is alphanumeric. Each subfield can be selected using the Up and Down arrow keys. The location of the cursor indicates which subfield is active. 3-8 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ The numeric subfield is number base sensitive (number base is set in the Translation Editor screen), inserting its numeric value into the alphanumeric subfield whenever the Enter key is depressed. This deviates from the normal field Enter behavior of accepting the current field contents and exiting the field editing mode. Esc retains its normal field editing behavior of exiting the field editing mode, regardless of the active subfield. The alphanumeric subfield operates exactly like a normal alphanumeric string field with the single addition of the Up arrow key, which moves the cursor into the numeric subfield above the alphanumeric subfield, making the numeric subfield the active field. Port Specific Fields -------------------- The majority of fields are port-specific, which is to say that they contain a separate value or setting for each communications port. The Port field is always located in the upper left hand corner of setup screens. Its presence indicates that one or more subordinate fields are port-specific. Altering the setting of the Port field immediately causes any port-specific fields in the screen to display the correct value or setting for the current port. You can toggle back and forth while editing the Port field to see the differences between the various port- dependent field contents. Most setup problems involve a failure to check or setup both port values for a field. When only one port is in use, it is possible to alter the setting for the wrong port. Be sure to read the list of basic setup fields (presented in the next section and listed in Table 3-1), and check both port values for each field. Changing Port in one setup screen will select that port for the entire program. Conversely, changing the port for live display purposes (using the Port menu item or the F9 function key), will also select that port for setup purposes. BASIC SETUP LIST ---------------- Table 3-1 contains a list of the basic fields (and their setup screens) most likely to need inspection and/or alteration in order to tailor DataScope to your testing situation. Remember to edit the fields for both ports (or the correct port if you are only monitoring one port). The first two setup screens must have their fields correctly set for any monitoring to work. The last two setup screens must have their fields correctly set if you wish to perform data archiving and historic data display. 3-9 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ +---------+--------------------+---------------+---------------+ | HOT KEY | SETUP SCREEN | FIELDS | SCOPE | +---------+--------------------+---------------+---------------+ | Alt-P | Port Parameters | Baud Rate | Port-specific | | | | Parity | Port-specific | | | | Stop Bits | Port-specific | | | | Data Bits | Port-specific | +---------+--------------------+---------------+---------------+ | Alt-V | Interrupt Vector | Installed | Port-specific | | | Configuration | Event Mask | Port-specific | | | | Time Stamping | Systemic | +---------+--------------------+---------------+---------------+ | Alt-A | Archive Setup | Filename | Systemic | | | | Path | Systemic | | | | Drive Letter | Systemic | | | | Length | Systemic | +---------+--------------------+---------------+---------------+ | Alt-T | Translation Editor | Mode | Port-specific | | | | Number Base | Systemic | +---------+--------------------+---------------+---------------+ Table 3-1 The Port Parameters must be set to agree with the communication parameters under test. The Installed field must show "Yes" for each port that you wish to be active in the monitoring process. This field controls the installation of port interrupt vectors. Event Mask must contain "Data" or "Data+Signals" to allow an interrupt to recognize and collect data characters only, or data characters and signal changes, respectively. The third setting of this field (labelled "Signals") only allows an interrupt to detect signal changes on the port channel - data is ignored. Both Installed and Event Mask are port-specific - set them individually for both ports. When you wish to collect a conversation in an historic archive, you must set the Archive Setup fields to indicate the correct archive file. If the file already exists in the specified directory (specified by the Filename and Path fields), use F1 to select it without alteration. If the file does not exist or you wish to change its Length, use F2 to select and resize, or create and size the file. Once you have collected data into an archive file, you can view it using the History display. The Translation Editor fields Mode and Number Base effect the method of data display. Mode determines whether the characters display with "ASCII" or "Numeric" strings. Number Base selects "Octal," "Decimal" or "Hex" as the current display and input number base. Mode is port-specific, while Number Base is systemic. 3-10 Setup Basics ________________________________________________________________ Device Assignments ------------------ If you did not include the shell-to-shell connections when making the shareware cable, and the Device Assignments field in the Interrupt Vector Configuration screen is set to "Auto", DataScope will display ??? as source names (under the Device heading in the main status screen), instead of DTE and DCE (see Figure 3-4). Question marks will also appear in the source specific displays in place of the usual source names. This is not a malfunction, nor is it indicative of a fatal error condition - it merely means that DataScope has not been told which cable or port represents what device in the conversation. You can fix this situation by purchasing and/or installing the auto-sensing cables, or by directly specifying the device names with the Device Assignments field. Correct device assignment only has an impact upon signal integrity. 3-11 CHAPTER FOUR - ADVANCED TOPICS ------------------------------ Because of the thoroughness with which the bound manual covers advanced topics, we must distill over seven chapters of information into this one chapter. Otherwise, this file would be close to half a million bytes long! As a result, the following treatments are often cursory, and many topics from the manual are not covered at all. HELP ---- Alt-H will summon context sensitive help in all modes and under all conditions except within help itself. Help inquiries while a command menu is visible will explain the highlighted menu selection. Help inquiries within setup screens will help on the purpose and fields of the setup screen displayed. Help inquiries while editing setup screen fields will help on field editing procedures and the field's expected input. F10 will summon Quick Help only while the main status screen is visible or a live display is active (History is not considered a live display). LIVE DISPLAYS ------------- Several live display options are available to tailor the screen/data view to the type of conversation under investigation. In general, these displays vary the format of source relationships to increase the ease of source identification. The character sets are preset with different attributes for each source to further distinguish sources. CAPTURE DISPLAY --------------- The capture display can be used to monitor the amount of data in the swing buffers and archive file. This is a real-time display but can also be used when there are no incoming characters. Certain situations of archive overrun can be detected using this display. 4-1 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ HISTORY DISPLAY --------------- This display will show the contents of the current archive file (a file must be selected) with two active, timestamped cursors (if time stamping was enabled when the data was archived). Several analysis aids are available, such as GoTo, Byte Scan and String Match. Statistics are indicated in record numbers from the physical start of the archive file (even if wrap-around has occurred). History Function Keys --------------------- The function key operations described below are available only while the History display is visible. The single exception is the F9 port selection operation which is available at other times, as well. Function key operations are defined as single keystroke actions that are performed immediately. Menu selections and their activities are not included in this class of operations. History Cursor Functions ------------------------ Two cursors (a and b) are visible whenever the history display is entered. Each cursor is independently operated using the Left and Right arrow keys. The current cursor affected by the arrow key functions is indicated by the inverse video box over the cursor letters in the upper left-hand corner of the display. You can toggle the current cursor selection using the F9 function or the Cursor menu selection. The "a" cursor is initially in the upper left-hand corner of the data display window, while the "b" cursor is initially placed in the lower right-hand corner of the window. NOTE: The cursors are not directly related to a specific source or port. Both cursors will operate on data from either port. Left arrow keystrokes will move the current cursor one data character left, wrapping upwards at the beginning of a line. If the cursor is indicating the first character in the screen when Left is pressed, the entire display will be redrawn from one character back in the data archive. Right arrow keystrokes will move the current cursor one data character right, wrapping downwards at the end of a line. If the cursor is indicating the last character in the screen when Right is pressed, the entire display will be redrawn from the second display character. 4-2 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ Up arrow keystrokes move the cursor up approximately one line. Total accuracy is not possible given the varying character display string lengths, so DataScope will estimate one line's worth of characters. If the cursor is in the top line pair of characters when Up is pressed, the entire display will be redrawn from the previous line of archive data. Down arrow keystrokes move the current cursor down approximately one line. Again, total accuracy is not achieved, and the cursor may not move exactly one line at a time. If the cursor indicates the last display character when Down is pressed, the entire display is redrawn starting from the data on the display's second line pair. PgUp and PgDn redraw the display using data from the previous and next pages of archive data, respectively. The cursors are placed in their default positions: The "a" cursor is placed in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, and the "b" cursor is placed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Home and End move the currently selected cursor to the start and end of the display page, respectively. History Special Functions ------------------------- F1 and F2 cooperate to calculate the effective baud rate (which is a measure of line utilization) on the inclusive data between the two cursor positions (technically, only one end point is included in the calculation of the number of characters, e.g. selecting adjacent characters is indicative of one data character transmitted during the inter-character gap). F1 calculates the effective baud rate based upon the number of characters between the two cursors, the data rate and UART parameters (number of data bits, stop bits, parity bits) at the time of the archive storage, and the F2 selection. F2 selects either one or both of the data sources for inclusion in the calculation of the number of characters when determining the effective baud rate. F9 functions identically to the Cursor menu selection, toggling the current data cursor selection. The new selection is indicated by the inverse cursor box over the "a" or "b" cursor letters in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. 4-3 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ History Menu Selections ----------------------- More complex activities that require setup and initialization, such as search functions, are accessed from menu selections. Both port dependent and port independent searches are available. The menu items act identically to normal menu items, vis-a-vis first letter selection and use of the arrow and Enter keys. GoTo ---- Often it is necessary to reference a data byte location for future examination. The lower left-hand corner of the display contains "a" and "b" cursor record numbers in the status line box. As you move the cursors, these record numbers are automatically updated, which, in conjunction with the GoTo function, provide a simple means of returning to a particular byte location in the archive. Activating the GoTo function enters the character position entry field screen. Instructions in the status line box include the upper and lower limits of the current archive's record numbers. Numerical entry of the record number (position) is expected in decimal regardless of the current number base (record numbers are always tracked in decimal for simplicity). After entering a valid record number, press Enter to activate the GoTo function. The entry screen will be replaced by the original History display, and the data window will be rewritten with data starting from the requested position. Esc will exit the entry field and entry screen without activating the GoTo function (in case you change your mind after activating the GoTo setup screen). Byte Scan --------- The byte scan mechanism is port independent, which means that the current port selection does not influence the scan. Data from both ports is scanned for the correct value, and the first "hit" is used as the new History display starting point. The scan will wrap around the end of the archive file and continue until a character is found, or until one complete scan of the data has been performed. A scan in progress can be aborted at any time by pressing Esc. Activate the Byte scan menu entry to alter the character value sought by the scan mechanism. Entry is always in the current number base, and the character display string is echoed below the entry field to verify (in the case of special or unprintable ASCII codes) the desired value. 4-4 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ Press Enter after editing the string to activate the scan. The entry screen will be replaced by the original History display, and if the character is found, the data window will be re- written from the newly found data byte. Esc will terminate the field entry mode and close the entry screen without activating the data character scan function, allowing a penalty free exit. String Match ------------ String matching is a port-specific function, which means that the current port at the time you activate the String match function determines: a) The previous string search data (the search data for each port is memorized to allow repeated searching). In other words, the contents of the string match entry field. b) The port (source) data to search for the next occurrence of the search string. String matching searches the data from one specific source, even if data is present and interleaved from both ports. The search will wrap around the end of the archive file and continue until a match is found, or until one complete scan of the data has been performed. A search in progress can be aborted by pressing Esc. When a match is found, the display is re- written from the first byte in the matching string. The current cursor is forced to the "a" cursor to prevent inadvertent motion of the "b" cursor from scrolling the display. Activate the String match menu entry to input the search string. Entry is accomplished with the divided hybrid entry method to allow a string of any binary values. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select the entry method, and edit the string to contain the desired values. The upper hybrid subfield will allow numeric entry in the current number base. Press Enter while in this subfield to place the numeric field equivalent into the string at the current string subfield cursor position (denoted by the display arrow). Press Enter while in the string subfield, to accept the current string and initiate the search function. Esc will terminate either hybrid entry mode and close the String match entry screen without activating the string search function. 4-5 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ PORT SETUP ---------- Remember to keep OUT2 "Asserted" to enable interrupts on IBM compatible adapters. A summary of the port settings appears in the main status screen and the Port Parameters setup screen. Baud rates can be set in two ways. Standard rates are set in the Baud Rate field. One of the standard selections is User, which activates the User Baud field. Input the non-standard rate you desire and it will automatically be forced to the NEAREST actual baud rate supported by the hardware. VECTOR SETUP ------------ DataScope comes pre-configured to utilize the normal Com1 and Com2 interrupt vectors and base addresses. The Interrupt Vector Configuration setup screen allows alteration of the defaults as well as other interrupt related options. Be extremely careful when altering the Base Address or IRQ Number fields - incorrect setup could cause a system crash! NOTE: If you inadvertently crash the system, reboot and execute pals with an interrupt disable switch (-I, -i, /I, and /i will all work). This will prevent interrupt installation to allow correction of the Base Address and/or IRQ Number fields. Cable Type selection will depend upon the type of monitoring you do and your personal preference for cabling options. For interactive connections (regardless of the cable system used) select Interactive. If you are using a cable you manufactured following the CABLE.DOC diagram, use the Modulink selection. Choose the Event Mask based upon the information that interests you. This selection must be made for each port. "Data+Signals" is a safe bet for most applications, but you can reduce overhead for high-throughput conditions by selecting "Data" (the interrupt routines are replaced at the vector level to avoid testing overhead and maximize efficiency). "Signals" will accept signal changes (cable dependent) from the respective port but ignore data. Time stamps can be enabled or disabled. Preventing time stamping has two effects - reduced overhead (once again, interrupts are replaced at the vector level to eliminate testing overhead) and increased storage capacity of the archive files (by a factor of two). We recommend using time stamps whenever possible, however, as they are extremely useful. 4-6 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ Device Assignments can be forced or read from the smart cables (Modulink and Serialtest). BreakOut-II requires Com1=DCE and Com2=DTE. ARCHIVE SETUP ------------- Archive files can be created, selected, reused, re-sized and viewed from disk. The important distinction to keep in mind is the difference between F1 and F2. Function F1 will select a previously created and/or used file as the current file. The file's original length will be used regardless of the Length field contents. F2 will re-size the selected file to the value contained in the Length field. Both functions create files (if you wish) that cannot be found as specified using the Length field to determine the new file's length. Read the Technical Information section in the third page of the Archive Setup help screens for information on setting the Chunk and Length fields. CAPTURE SETUP ------------- In order to capture specific data, complete the following necessary steps before initiating the data capture mode. I. Insure that there is a current archive file. The filespec is displayed in the main status screen and the Archive Setup screen. II. Enter a Trigger Pattern in the Capture Mode Triggering Setup screen for the source port of interest. Verify that the length is correct after entering the string text. III. Set Occurrences for the number of Trigger Patterns you wish to detect before entering the Capture Count countdown. IV. Set Capture Count to the number of chunks to archive after receipt of the final occurrence of the Trigger Pattern. V. Set the Chunk Size to the size desired (keeping in mind the archive Length, Capture Count value, and the situation's data rates and throughput). VI. Increase the number of Swing Buffers to the maximum supported by your available memory. 4-7 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ FUNCTION CONTROL ---------------- DATA ARCHIVE ------------ Once an archive file is specified, the archiving process is quite simple. There are several ways to initiate archiving and many archiving options. To initiate an archive: I. Press Alt-F to freshen the archive (overwriting old data). II. Press Alt-E to enable the archive (appending new data to the contents of the archive file). III. Select Freshen or Enable from the Configuration menu line (functionally equivalent to the Hot keys Alt-F and Alt-E, respectively). IV. Edit the Archiving field in the Archive Setup screen to Enabled and exit the Archive Setup screen. One special feature deserves mention. Archive enable is designed to allow taking a snapshot of the contents of the swing buffers without constantly running the archive in the background. All data in the buffers will be saved to the archive if the archive is completely empty. Newly created archives are empty as are archives that have been freshened and disabled without receiving characters during the two operations. DATA CAPTURE ------------ Data capture can be started up in three ways, all of which are analogous to the archive start up methods: I. Press Alt-M to initiate the match (capture) mode. II. Select Match (capture) from the Configuration menu line, which is functionally equivalent to the Hot key Alt-M. III. Edit the Capturing field in the Capture Mode Triggering Setup screen to Enabled and exit the Capture Mode Triggering Setup screen. Capture mode always clears the old data from a used archive file. The port that is current at the time capturing is enabled determines which port's Trigger Pattern is used as the trigger definition. 4-8 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ TRANSLATION STRING EDITING -------------------------- Editing procedures are discussed separately, but functions can be combined. For example, attribute and string editing can occur in the same session, but will be discussed individually for maximum clarity. While following the step by step procedures for each type of alteration, keep in mind that the changes instituted will apply only to the character set currently selected. Each of the twelve character sets are identified by the contents of the Port/Number Base/Mode fields. Individual Attribute Changes ---------------------------- It is a very simple matter to replace an attribute for any given character in a particular set. Follow this entire procedure for each character attribute you wish to modify: o Edit the Character field to contain the Octal, Decimal or Hexadecimal (depending upon the current Number Base) numeric value of the character whose attribute you wish to change. All three digits in the field are considered to make up the requested value - the position of the cursor at the time editing is concluded is irrelevant. o Exit the Character editing mode to update the Attributes field. o Edit the Attributes field to contain the numeric value of the desired attribute. As with the Character field entry, the final cursor position is not relevant to the entered value. DataScope will assume all three digits are part of the number. o Exit the editing mode for the Attributes field. o Press the F1 function key to update the attribute of the selected character and its translation string. 4-9 Advanced Topics ________________________________________________________________ Translation String Changes -------------------------- Follow this entire procedure for each character translation string you wish to modify: o Edit the Character field to contain the Octal, Decimal or Hexadecimal (depending upon the current Number Base) numeric value of the character whose translation string you wish to alter. All three digits in the field are considered to make up the requested value - the cursor position at the time editing is concluded is irrelevant. o Exit the Character editing mode to update the Translation String field. o Edit the Translation String field to contain the alphanumeric values desired in the new translation string. As with the Character field entry, the final cursor position is not relevant to the entered value. DataScope will assume all alphanumeric characters are part of the string, so do not leave extraneous characters after the cursor - make sure the cursor is followed by blanks (spaces). Following spaces are not included in the string, but leading spaces are incorporated as part of the string. o Exit the editing mode for the Translation String field. o Press the F1 function key to update the translation string of the selected character. Global Attribute Changes ------------------------ o Edit the Low and High fields to define the inclusive range of characters whose attributes you wish to set. As with most numeric fields, the final cursor position does not matter - all numbers in the field are assumed to be part of the final value. o Edit the Attributes field to contain the desired attribute value. Again, the cursor does not determine how many characters are in the field. o Press the F2 function key to alter the attributes of all characters from Low, up to and including, High. 4-10 Appendix A ---------- Paladin Software, Inc. is a member of the Association of Shareware Proffesionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to: ASP Ombudsman 545 Grover Road Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to: ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536 Appendix B ---------- Two types of files are present in the shareware product version: Files that are necessary for DataScope operation, and shareware documentation files. Both groups are listed below for reference. All files in both groups should be present on the disk or in the compressed file, depending upon how you received DataScope. Operational Files ----------------- PALS.EXE DataScope executable file. PALS.CFG Default configuration kernel file. EBCDIC.CFG Alternate EBCDIC character translations. COLORS.CFG Demonstration character attribute colors. PALS.HLP On-line, context sensitive help file. SEQUENCE.BIN Demonstration archive file. SEQUENCE.DAT Demonstration interactive transmission file. Documentation Files ------------------- MANUAL.TXT Shareware manual text file. CABLE.DOC Shareware cable description file. ORDERFRM.DOC Registered version order form. README.TXT This file contains the most recent DataScope product information.