disable auto-baud detection

Is there a way in the Vector software (version 1.27 - that's the latest, right?) to disable the auto-baud (auto-bit-rate) detection, and have it force a connection at a specified bit rate (e.g., 9600 bps)?  This would be very helpful.

I'm trying to use Vector under WINE on Linux (we don't want to have to bring along Windows machines simply to run this software), and it seems to work fine except that it can't connect to the instrument - it cycles through all the bit rates and then gives up.  However, the built-in terminal emulator works fine and I can communicate with the instrument manually there...  So I presume that there is some weird interaction between WINE the auto-baud detection code (probably due to a bug in WINE).  However, if I could just tell it to skip the bit rate detection and use the rate I set, it will probably work.  I found the list of secret command line options, but none seemed applicable except perhaps -eb, and that didn't seem to help.

Any assistance appreciated.  Thanks.

A new version of the Vector software will be released this week. It includes a command line option to disable the auto-baud feature (-da). I am not sure if this will solve the Wine connection problem though, because the software only enters the search mode when the first attempt to connect fails. Did you try increasing the timeout? (Option: -tm[s], where s is number of seconds, -tm1 is default, try -tm2).

Best regards,
Oistein

Thanks for the info.  I tried -tm2 (and -tm5 and -tm20), but it didn't help.  I'll try the -da option when the new version comes out.  When exactly will that be, and how should I obtain a copy?  If that doesn't work, I'll have to debug Wine.

Also, will the -da option tell it to keep trying (try extra hard, or whatever) to connect, or will it simply give up instead of doing the bit rate scan?

My strong recommendation (and fervent hope) is that this switch will tell the software that it should trust that the correct bit rate has been selected, and that it should go ahead and send the soft break sequence, etc. (and retry a few times if it doesn't work).  A command line option for the number of retries might be good, too.

As I noted in my original post, communication works in the built-in terminal emulator (I click the Send Break button, and get the expected identification response from the Vector unit).  So the software should be able to communicate...

Thanks!

The only difference between sending a break in the terminal window and hitting the connect toolbar button is that the connect button first sends the 'II' command to check if the system does respond at the default baud rate. If there is no response it sends the soft break. If that fails it enters the search mode.

How long time does it take to get the response from the Vector when you send a break from the terminal emulator? Do you see the terminating AckAck word (0x0606) at the end of the response?

VECTOR
NORTEK AS 2006
Version 0g20
Command mode
¶¶


The sw update should be on our support page on Monday June 29. There are no retries in this version. The -da option only disables the bit rate search.

Best regards,
Oistein

I click the Send Break button, and immediately receive a string of NAK chars (0x15), and then there is a pause of approximately 300 ms - 600 ms (I'm estimating), and then I get the response from the Vector, including the ACK ACK.  I logged it; here is a dump of the log using "od -Ax -t x1z":

Code Sample

000000 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 0a 0d 56 45  >..............VE< 000010 43 54 4f 52 0a 0d 4e 4f 52 54 45 4b 20 41 53 20  >CTOR..NORTEK AS < 000020 32 30 30 32 0a 0d 56 65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 31 2e  >2002..Version 1.< 000030 31 35 0a 0d 43 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 20 6d 6f 64 65  >15..Command mode< 000040 0a 0d 06 06                                      >....< 000044

When I manually send the II command in the terminal emulator, I get a response from the Vector then, too: the expected 02 00 06 06.

I'm not sure which button you mean by "connect toolbar button".  I've tried connecting by doing a Start Data Collection from the On-line menu, and by doing Deployment -> Planning -> Load from instrument.

When you say the sw update should appear on Monday, June 29, I assume you mean Monday, July 2?  I don't see it there now - just the 1.27 from 2004 that is what I'm using.

Best regards,
   Chris

Hi.  Could you please post an updated estimated release date for the new Vector software version?  Thanks.

Sorry --- my fault.  The software is now available in the support section of the WEB.

Please note that the latest firmware release is not yet there.  Once it has been uploaded (in a couple of days), it will be possible to use the Vector to measure the distance to the bottom at the beginning of each burst.

- Atle Lohrmann

Hi, firmware v. 1.20 for the Vector is now available on the WEB site.  Sorry it took so long.

- Atle Lohrmann