ReadMe114.txt 8-01-2009 This ReadMe file is updated for the latest MSA Software, version 114. It has significant improvements over version 113. There are some optional hardware changes for the MSA but they are not required for the new version 114 software. Due to the extraordinary changes for version 114, previous calibration files are completely changed. The MSA will require new Path and Frequency Calibrations.(Although, you can use prior calibration data to create the new calibration tables.) The Configuration Manager is also new. If you are using the MSA Software with Liberty Basic, follow the software installation procedures at A, B, and C. If you are using the MSA software as an Executable, that is, Liberty Basic is not installed, follow the software installation procedures at A, B, and D. A. Search for and delete old versions of port drivers: 1. The new download procedure in step B. will install the latest Ntport.dll and Zntport.sys into the proper locations. It is supposed to remove old versions, but it is not 100% reliable. 2. Perform a "search" of your computer and locate copies of "ntport.dll" and "zntport.sys". a. Either delete them or change their names so as not to confuse the MSA Software. b. If you have someone else's program that uses these two files, you should rename, rather than delete, the ntport and zntport in your system folders, just in case you need to revert to the prior one to use with your other program. B. From the Web Page, download the zipped folder, "Redist.zip" and place on your desktop. 1. Unzip the folder, "Redist.zip". It will create a folder, "Redist". 2. Open the folder, "Redist", and run "NTPortDrvSetup.exe" a. This will install a folder, "NTPort Library Driver" in your Program Files Directory. b. It will install Ntport.dll into the proper directory for your computer. This new file is "backward" compatable for other programs. c. It will install Zntport.sys into the proper directory for your computer. This new file is "backward" compatable for other programs. 3. You may now delete the folders and their contents, "Redist" and "Redist.zip" from your desktop. They are no longer needed. C. If you will operate the MSA by using Liberty Basic 4.03, perform the following Steps in the order they are presented: 1. If Liberty has not been installed, do so before proceeding. 2. Liberty has been installed. Its main folder is located at, C:\Program Files\Liberty BASIC v4.03 3. Use your Windows Explorer and open the folder C:\Program Files 4. If you are upgrading the MSA software from version 113 to 114, a. There will already be a folder named "MSA_Software" b. Change the name of the folder, "MSA_Info" to "113MSA_Info". This will conserve the Calibration files that were created with the version 113 MSA software. The new 114 will not use them, but you will be able to find the old values if needed. c. Change the name of the file, "spectrumanalyzer.bas" to "113spectrumanalyzer.bas" d. You may delete all other files within the folder, "MSA_Software" 5. If you have not previously installed version 113, a. Create a new folder within Program Files, name it, "MSA_Software" 6. Download the following MSA software files from the MSA web site and install them in the folder, C:\Program Files\MSA_Software: a. ReadMe114.txt b. spectrumanalyzer.bas (this is version 114) 7. You may create a shortcut for spectrumanalyzer.bas and place it on your desktop. The first time you open spectrumanalyzer.bas from the desktop Icon, a. Right click the short cut icon b. Open With/Choose Program c. Check the "Always use this program to open these files" d. Click the "Other" button e. Go through the search to find "liberty.exe". It should be at C:\Program Files\Liberty BASIC v4.03\liberty.exe f. Thereafter, a double click on the icon will automatically open it in Liberty Basic D. If you will operate the MSA without Liberty Basic, perform the following Steps in the order they are presented: 1. Use your Windows Explorer and open the folder C:\Program Files 2. If you are upgrading the MSA software from version 113 to 114, a. There will already be a folder named "MSA_Software" b. Open the folder, "MSA_Software". c. Change the name of the folder, "MSA_Info" to "113MSA_Info". This will conserve the Calibration files that were created with the version 113 MSA software. The new 114 will not use them, but you will be able to find the old values if needed. d. Change the name of the file, "spectrumanalyzer.tkn" to "113spectrumanalyzer.tkn". This will "archive" your previous version. e. Download the following MSA software files from the MSA web site and install them in the folder, C:\Program Files\MSA_Software: ReadMe114.txt spectrumanalyzer.tkn (this is version 114) 3. If you have not previously installed version 113, b. Create a new folder within Program Files, name it, "MSA_Software" c. Download the following MSA software files from the MSA web site and install them in the folder, C:\Program Files\MSA_Software: ReadMe114.txt, spectrumanalyzer.exe, spectrumanalyzer.tkn, vbas31w.sll, vgui31w.sll, voflr31w.sll, vthk31w.dll, vtk1631w.dll, vtk3231w.dll, vvm31w.dll, vvmt31w.dll 4. Create a short cut icon for quick access to run the MSA. Perform either step 5 or step 6. 5. You may create a shortcut for spectrumanalyzer.tkn and place it on your desktop. You can run the MSA Program by clicking this icon. The first time you try to run from this icon, a. Right click the icon b. Open With/Choose Program c. Check the "Always use this program to open these files" d. Click the "Other" button e. Go through the search to find "spectrumanalyzer.exe". It should be at C:\Program Files\MSA_Software\spectrumanalyzer.exe f. Thereafter, a double click on the icon will automatically run the MSA Program 6. You may create a shortcut for spectrumanalyzer.exe and place it on your desktop. A double click on the icon will automatically run the MSA Program. E. Run the MSA software, version 114, to Operate the MSA 1. Double click the short cut icon, a. spectrumanalyzer.exe b. or spectrumanalyzer.tkn c. or spectrumanalyzer.bas 2. On "first time" running, the Configuration Manager Window will open and allow the user to enter the correct parameters for an MSA. Upon completion of data entries, click the "Save Configuration" button. The Configuration Manager Window will close and the MSA will begin sweeping in the Spectrum Analyzer Mode. 3. The MSA program will automatically create and add a new folder within the MSA Software folder. It is named, "MSA_Info". It will, eventually, contain: a. A file named, "config.txt", the Configuration File containing the information for your MSA's topology. b. A folder named, "MSA_Cal", containing the Calibration Files: "MSA_CalPath1.txt", the Path 1 Calibration (and up to 3 more) "MSA_CalFreq.txt", the Frequency Calibration File c. A folder named, "MSA_Prefs", containing Preference Files: "Prefs.txt". This configures the MSA for each session. d. A folder named, "OperatingCal". 4. Once these files and folders have been created, use caution when deleting them or changing their names. The MSA Program will not be able to find them and will create new ones with default values. --End of ReadMe114 Notes for version 114--- --The Notes below were released with version 113--- NotesMSA.txt 4-4-2009 This NotesMSA file relates to the latest version of the MSA software. It is now version 113, which has significant improvements over version 112. There are no hardware changes required for the SLIM MSA or any previous MSA for the new software to work. New for Version 113: 1. The initial setup procedure has been changed. Previously, certain hardware configuration and calibration data had to be entered directly into the Liberty Basic source code. All of that calibration and configuration data is now contained in files separate from the software code. This means that you do not have to make any alterations to the source code. Initial configuration and calibration, to create the necessary files, is managed by the new software, as described below. 2. New Windows have been created to "Manage" the software and hardware configuration. They are accessed while running the MSA Software. 3. There have also been a number of changes to the Working Window and Graph Window for easier operation. 4. The version 113 software is released in two formats. 4.a. The source code is contained in spectrumanalyzer.bas. You can run this from within Liberty Basic, just as for the prior version. However, this requires Liberty Basic 4.03 or later (there is also a Liberty Basic 4.04, currently a beta release). You can download version 4.03 at http://www.libertybasic.com. 4.b. The executable version is a "Tokenized", or "preassembled" file, spectrumanalyzer.tkn. It is "Run" by the file, spectrumanalyzer.exe., a "runtime engine" of Liberty Basic. When you double-click the spectrumanalyzer.exe file, it opens and runs the file, spectrumanalyzer.tkn. The .exe file will run on any computer, even if you do not have a copy of Liberty Basic itself. 5. Detailed instructions on downloading and installing the software are contained in the file, Instructions.txt 6. Detailed instructions for MSA Operation and Calibration are maintained on the Web Page at: http://www.scottyspectrumanalyzer.com/operate.html 7. Once you have all the proper files installed, you are ready to run the software. Note that the configuration and calibration files are not released; they will be created when the software first runs. Follow this procedure: 8. The following notes are for those who are upgrading their older versions of MSA Software to the new version 113 software. These notes will describe how to transfer your old calibration values into the new software without having to Re-Calibrate your MSA. a. Double click (run) spectrumanalyzer.exe, or its shortcut. The MSA hardware does not need to be connected to your computer. b. The program will immediately open the Configuration Manager. This allows you to customize the configuration to fit your hardware and preferences. c. These values are the same values you have known as "Global Variables" in the main code. The initial values for the configuration variables are default values that are suitable for getting a standard SLIM build up and running. If you simply save the default values, your software will probably run. There are certain variables, such as Master Clock Frequency, that can be fine tuned later once you have performed some calibration procedures. d. If you have customized the global variables in a prior version of the MSA software, you can enter the appropriate values in the Configuration Manager. e. When you are done, click Save Configuration to save the configuration data as a file. You cannot quit the Configuration Manager without saving. When you Save, the Configuration Manager will quit and the main MSA software will take over, and begin sweeping in the Spectrum Analyzer Mode. f. At this point, Halt the sweep. Open the Calibration Manager Window by clicking the Setup menu item in the Graph Window. g. Click and highlight the appropriate Path in the "Available Files" menu. h. The Path Calibration Table will display the default values for a SLIM MSA. Under the Columns "ADC", "dbm", and Phase, replace the values with the values you have been using with your previous version of software. i. Click "Clean Up" and then click "Save File". The MSA software will close itself down. You must re-run the software by double clicking spectrumanalyzer.exe again. j. Halt the sweep. Open the Calibration Manager Window by clicking the Setup menu item in the Graph Window. k. If transferring data for another Path, click and highlight the appropriate Path in the "Available Files" menu. Repeat the procedure to enter the data for the next path. l. If transfering data for the Frequency Calibration Table, click and highlight the (Frequency) in the "Available Files" menu. m. The Frequency Calibration Table will display the default values for a SLIM MSA. Under the Columns "MHz", and "db", replace the values with the values you have been using with your previous version of software. n. Click "Clean Up" and then click "Save File". The MSA software will close itself down. You must re-run the software by double clicking spectrumanalyzer.exe again. o. The transfer process is complete.