Working Offline

Working offline refers to using RMCWin without being connected to an RMC. There are two communication states that can be used to work offline: Closed and Offline. In both states, RMCWin is not connected to an RMC. However, in the Closed state, RMCWin is not using the communication path at all, whereas in the Offline state, RMCWin is polling the communication path for an RMC to become available.

RMCWin will switch automatically between Offline and Online as an RMC becomes available or is removed from the communication path. However, RMCWin can be manually placed in the Closed state.

To work offline, you can do either of the following:

• Leave the communication path open, but ensure that RMCWin cannot connect to the RMC. The simplest way to ensure this is to physically disconnect the RMC from the PC by removing the serial or Ethernet (CAT5) cable.

• Close the communication path. This is described below under Opening and Closing a Communication Path.

Opening and Closing a Communication Path

There are three ways to open and close a communication path. Each is described below:

To use the Communication tab in the Options dialog box:

1. Start RMCWin.

2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Communication tab.
   You can also double-click the Communication pane of the main window's status bar, or right-click this pane and then click Communication Options from the shortcut menu.

3. Click to select or clear the Closed (Work Offline) check box.

4. Click OK.

To use the Communication pane shortcut menu:

1. Start RMCWin.

2. On the main window's status bar, right-click the Communication pane.
   A shortcut menu will appear with the options described below.

3. On the shortcut menu, click Close to close the communication path, or Open to re-open the path.

To use a command-line option:

1. Start RMCWin with the -P command-line option (e.g. rmcwin -P). See Command- Line Options for details.
   RMCWin will start with the communication path closed. Otherwise, RMCWin always starts in the Offline state, and therefore scans the communication path for an RMC.

Simulating a RMC

When RMCWin connects to an RMC, it reads the physical hardware configuration and uses that configuration. However, if you are working offline, you will need a way to set up a hardware configuration to work with. The Simulate command offers that capability.

To simulate a RMC:

1. On the Tools menu, click Module Configuration.

2. Click Simulate. This command is only available when working offline.

3. You now have two options for selecting the RMC hardware configuration:

• If you know the part number of the RMC you want to simulate, then type the part number in the RMC Part Number text box. If the entry is valid, the image will change to reflect the module being simulated. The text will be red if the part number is invalid.

• You can also use the Hardware Options image and the Pressure/Force Control Firmware check box to create the RMC you want to simulate. There are three ways to edit the image:

• Right-click on a slot in the image, and select a module to display in that slot from the shortcut menu.

• Select a slot and use the UP and DOWN ARROW KEYS to switch between available options. You can select a slot by clicking on it, or using the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW KEYS to switch between slots.

• Select a slot and press the shortcut key for the type of module you want to display in that slot. To find out what shortcut keys are available, display the shortcut menu for the slot and look at the underlined letter for each option. Press DELETE to remove a module from a slot.

Notice that the order of the slots is automatically updated to match how the configuration is shipped from Delta.

4. Click OK.

Copyright (c) 1997-2015 by Delta Computer Systems, Inc.