csmstr - Omega Engineering

USING BALLOON HELP
CRIMSON USER MANUAL - MODULAR CONTROLLER
USING BALLOON HELP
Crimson provides a useful feature called Balloon Help...
This feature allows you to see help information for each icon in the main menu, or for each
field in a dialog box or window. It is controlled via the icon at the right-hand edge of the
toolbar, and can be configured to three modes, namely “Do Not Display”, in which case
balloon help is disabled; “When Mouse Over”, in which case help is displayed when the
mouse pointer is held over a particular field for a certain period of time; or “When Selected”,
in which case help is always displayed for the currently selected field.
WORKING WITH DATABASES
Crimson stores all the information about a particular device’s configuration in what is called a
database file. These files have the extension of CD2, although Windows Explorer will hide
this extension if it is left in its default configuration. Crimson database files differ from those
used by previous Red Lion products, in that they are text files which are thus far easier to
recover in the case of accidental corruption. Databases are manipulated via the commands
found on the File menu. These commands are standard for all Windows applications, and
need no further explanation. The exception is Save Image, which will be covered later.
DOWNLOADING TO THE MASTER
Crimson database files are downloaded to the Master by means of the Link menu. The
download process typically takes only a few seconds, but can take somewhat longer on the
first download if Crimson has to update the firmware in the Master, or if the Master does not
contain an older version of the current database. After this first download, however, Crimson
uses a process known as incremental download to ensure that only changes to the database are
transferred. This means that changes can be made in seconds, thereby reducing your
development cycle time and simplifying the debugging process.
CONFIGURING THE LINK
The programming link between the PC and the Master is made using an RS-232 serial port, a
USB port or a TCP/IP connection. While TCP/IP connections are typically made via the
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