NEOPORT™ DEVICE MONITORING & CONFIGURATION UTILITY
© 2001-2005 - Neodym Technologies Inc
BASIC OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Version 1.0.2.1 - May 2005

Contents
1 - INTRODUCTION
1.1 - Description
1.2 - Supported Neodym Devices
1.3 - Scope
1.4 - System Requirements
1.5 - Important Notice About Device Settings
2.0 - CONNECTION, POWERING AND START-UP
2.1 - General
2.2 - Order of Enumeration
2.3 - Connection Results Log File
3.0 - BASIC OPERATION
3.1 - Overview
3.2 - Program Launch
3.3 - Menu System
- File menu
- Sensor Menu
- NeoPorts Menu
- View Menu
- Options Menu
- Actions Menu
- Window Menu
- Help Menu
3.4 - Charts
4.0 - TECHNICAL SUPPORT
4.1 - Updates and Upgrades
4.2 - More Information
5.0 - ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

1.0 - INTRODUCTION
1.1 - Description

NeoPort™ is a Windows application that can be used to remotely monitor, configure and calibrate compatible Neodym devices via a PC serial or USB port.
The program is able to report device readings digitally in real-time as well as to display the readings graphically on a chart. Data logging to disk file and Web monitoring are not implemented in the current version of the program.

1.2 - Supported Neodym Devices
- KnowzNet™
1.3 - Scope

This document describes PC-assisted access of supported devices via NeoPort™. For information on direct device access, please see the related device user instruction manual and/or device datasheet.
For information and activities related to device firmware reprogramming, please refer to the NeoBoost™ utility.
For PowerKnowz™, MicroKnowz™, MiniKnowz™ and Panterra connectivity, please refer to the PK-Port™ utility.

1.4 - System Requirements
- Serial port access: Windows 95/98/ME/XP/NT/2000
- USB port access: Windows 95/98/ME (USB 1.0)
- 800 x 600 (minimum) color desktop
- Mouse (or compatible point-and-click device)
1.5 - Important Notice About Device Settings

Depending on how the NeoPort™ program is used, YOUR DEVICE SETTINGS AND CALIBRATION DATA MAY BE DESTROYED. Setting inappropriate parameters MAY COMPROMISE TARGET DEVICE SAFETY. Please access the advanced functions with proper understanding and care. If in doubt, please contact Neodym.

2.0 - CONNECTION, POWERING AND START-UP
2.1 - General

The system supports hot swapping of targets. The order of connection and power-up is not overly important, but for consistent results, please observe the following procedure:

- Make sure that power is not applied to the target device.
- Connect the PC serial or USB cable between the PC and the target device.
- Apply power to the target device.
- Run the NeoPort™ application program.
Please note: Depending on target device type, the NeoPort™ program may interrupt any warm-up cycle in progress. Devices with latch-mode output signals should be allowed to complete their warm-up cycle prior to establishing NeoPort™ communications.
2.2 - Order of Enumeration

At start-up, NeoPort™ hunts for compatible target devices first on USB, and then on serial (COM) ports 1 to 8.

2.3 - Connection Results Log File

The outcome of target device identification and enumeration is reported in "INITLOG.TXT" - whether the operations were successful or not. Please refer to this log file to diagnose any connection problems.

3.0 - BASIC OPERATION
3.1 - Overview

The main functions of NeoPort™ are:
- Graphic device reading display
- Charting of device readings
- Viewing and changing device settings
- Viewing and modifying sensor calibration data

3.2 - Program Launch

NeoPort™ starts up with an identification panel citing the program's revision level. Please note the program version when seeking technical assistance or software upgrades.
After identification, the program attempts to identify and establish connections with any and all attached and compatible devices. Each accessible device is enumerated to determine the number of attached sensors and their type. Errors are reported if the program is missing NeoPort™ sensor drivers for any identified sensors. Missing sensor drivers may be downloaded from the Support section of Neodym's web site.
After enumeration the main program window is displayed along with all sensors attached to all enumerated devices. The sensor display windows of no interest may be closed, however please note that certain operations (such as clearing sensor peaks and displaying related charts) may only be performed on viewed sensors. Once initialization is complete, the program enters steady-state operation and permits the execution of additional functions via the menu system.

3.3 - Menu System

Program functions are accessible via the menu bar at the top of the main program window. The functions are summarized as follows:

File Menu
- Reports launches the report generation control dialog. This may be used to create summary reports of the current status of sensors and/or their types and settings. The reports may be saved in text or HTML format and can be viewed using the built-in browser, or an external application program.
- Exit is the preferred method to shut down the program so that all retainable program settings (such as window sizes and positions) will be remembered.
Sensor Menu
The sensor menu is only valid if at least one sensor is being viewed, and a specific sensor has been selected. A selected sensor must be given focus by clicking the sensor window of interest.
- Clear Peaks resets the supported peak levels of the selected sensor.
- Toggle display mode switches between graphical and digital read-out.
- Toggle display size manipulates the sensor window size.
- Display chart turns on the chart window for the selected sensor.

NeoPorts Menu
This menu lists all compatible devices that were enumerated and permits access to the device-specific parameters associated with that target.
Clicking on a listed target brings up a specialized dialog that permits advanced access to device functions such as sensor configuration, calibration, etc. These device functions are not documented here and users requiring more information on device-specific parameters are invited to contact Neodym for technical assistance.

View Menu
This menu may be used to enable the viewing of all sensors, their associated chart windows, or to launch the built-in browser.
Options Menu
This menu is currently unimplemented.

Actions Menu
- Clear all Peaks permits the resetting of all supported peak levels for all enumerated sensors.
- Simulate sensors is a special emulation mode, not available in standard program versions, that permits evaluation of the program with software-simulated sensors.

Window Menu
This menu allows the selection and positional management of all open program windows.

Help Menu
This menu displays these basic operating instructions. For a hardcopy of this document, please print "NeoPort_Help.htm".
More advanced help functions are not implemented at the time of writing.

3.4 - Charts

Charts for selected sensors may be displayed via the Sensor menu. The View menu may be used to launch the chart windows for all sensors at once.
Charts may store and show up to 21,600 data points. This permits up to 30 hours of sampling at the fastest acquisition rate of 5 seconds. At the slowest sampling rate of one hour, data covering up to 900 days may be captured.
Drag the chart scroll bar to examine past chart data points that have scrolled off the active viewing area.
Re-size the chart window to alter the resolution of the X and Y graticules.
To modify chart settings such as sampling rate and sampling mode (peaks/averages), click the Settings button in the chart window. This launches a chart control dialog box that may also be used to restart the chart and to reposition the chart viewing area to the position where data points are currently being captured.

4.0 - TECHNICAL SUPPORT
4.1 - Updates and Upgrades

Please check the Support section of Neodym's web site for more recent documents, program versions, sensor drivers, etc.

4.2 - More Information

If this document does not answer all your questions then please contact Neodym. The contact information is as follows:
- Web: http://www.neosafe.com (also http://www.neodymtechnologies.com)
- Email: engineering@neodymsystems.com
- Toll-free: 1-877-723-5400 (North America)
- Telephone: +1-604-939-5544
- Fax: +1-604-939-4153

5.0 - ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
- Document version: 1.0.2.1
- Date: May 7, 2005
- Author: Juraj Krajci
- Email: jk@direct.ca