YSI Data Scout Advanced - Manual (Page 16)

gives the protocol, communication port setup parameters (in parentheses), and the full path name of a Site Net (.NET) file that defines
this collection of parameters. If the user has modified these parameters (and has not yet saved them) the path name is replaced by
(modified - unsaved). A MenuTips status bar at the bottom of the window shows the purpose of the last menu item selected whether
it was executed fully or not. It compensates for menus not having any ToolTips.
The middle of the window contains a spreadsheet-like table with labeled columns and numbered transducer rows. It is called the Site
Net Map and shows all the transducers connected to the current site’s network (in example above it is only a single transducer plugged
directly into the serial port of a PC). After the list of transducer(s), the table has one (or two) blank lines (i.e., a place to add another
transducer). All the defined transducer(s) need not exist (yet) on the physical network connected to the specified serial port. As a
minimum, the user must enter a valid unique address field (in Adrs. column) on each transducer row. The unique address may be any
ASCII digit (0-9) or any upper/lower-case letter (A-Z or a-z) with “*” reserved as the broadcast address. An optional 16-character
transducer name (in Name column) may be defined. A relative transducer number field (in Xdcr. column) appears automatically as a
sequential count of the defined transducers. It is used as a default shortcut name for that transducer (along with the optional longer
Name) on various other windows and reports.
The other fields (remaining columns) of the table can be obtained (later) by using the Query function which reads an ID string from
the transducer(s) and stores it in the last ID Response column. This highly encoded ID string is then broken into its logical
components, which then fills out most of the other columns.
A status bar appears just below the menu bar. It may show the status (black text) or error (red text) messages from time to time. Any
error messages are also accompanied by a “beep” or “bell” sound (if the PC has a sound card with speakers operating). The status bar
initially contains a Current Path (or Directory) text string, initially showing the hard disk path where Data Scout Advanced was
installed. This install path is also called the Main Base Path, since it contains several other subfolders (e.g., Ini, Dat, etc.) where Data
Scout Advanced keeps all its internal files.
The user may view these internal files by using the File | View Files (DSAdv) menu function (section 3.4.2) or by simply clicking the
status bar. Using the View function may change the Current Directory string displayed in the status bar from its initial Main Base Path
to other paths that the user may navigate. Other functions may restore the initial path. Also note that this function is not limited to
accessing just Data Scout Advanced related files, but has all the controls and separate context menu necessary to navigate anywhere on
the PC’s network or local drives.
3.3.1 THE SITE NET MAP CONTEXT MENU
The Site Net Map has certain functions of its own that are easily accessed via a “hidden” menu called the Site Net Map Context Menu.
Most of its functions will address selected transducer(s) on the map. To Add a new transducer row to the end of the map, right-click
anywhere in map’s light blue data area to obtain the Context Menu. To perform an Insert, Edit, Who Are You?, and Change Address
function for a particular row, first select (highlight) that transducer row then right click on the row. To perform the Delete or Query
function, first select (highlight) single or multiple transducer row(s) then right click on the row. When the context menu opens it is
assigned to operate on the specified (highlighted) transducer row(s) (figure 3.2).
Figure 3.2
YSI Incorporated Data Scout Advanced 12