This short application note is designed to help users of WorkBench PC for Windows install and run their data acquisition system as quickly as possible.

PROBLEM 1: WorkBench will not install to your hard disk correctly. You get a runtime, or other error during initialization.

SOLUTION This indicates that you do not have the minimum hardware requirements for the installation of WorkBench. Your computer must be at least a 386, 33MHz machine with at least 4 Meg RAM, 4 Meg free hard disk space and a math co-processor. If you do not have these minimum requirements then you must upgrade your computer before installing the software.

PROBLEM 2: No board found, please install board, check board number switch and base address.

SOLUTION 1: This error message indicates that WBfW could not find any data acquisition hardware in your system. You are given an option of "Again" or "Cancel". Again will allow the user to access the Hardware Setup dialog box where board number, Base Address, IRQ level etc can be changed. Cancel will open WorkBench but without the installation of a driver;Analog and Digital inputs and outputs will not be available.

This error message is generated because either the board number or base address was incorrect or there was no board installed in the system. To correct this problem, do one of the following:

Make sure that you have a board installed in the system.
Make sure that the board number (green rotary dial with 0 to F) is not set to zero or two. If you have just one board then it should have it's board number set to 1. If you have two boards then one board should be set to one, and the other to two.
Make sure that your base address (white on red dip switches) is set correctly on the board. The default setting is 300 Hex. These dip switches change the middle digit of the address only, e.g. 310, 320, 330, etc. For addresses that you should not use, and for information on how to set these switches, see your hardware manual. Make sure that the Hardware Setup dialog box inside WorkBench is set to the same base address as you have set on the board.
If you are using a DATAshuttle: The DATAshuttle does not have a base address or board number that the user can set. The base address is replaced by the name of the parallel port to which it is connected, such as LPT1. The board number is automatically assigned by software, with the first board on LPT1 being board one, the second being board 2 and so on.

If, after the above suggestions have been followed, the WorkBench PC for Windows still does not install, proceed to Solution 2 below.

SOLUTION 2 Install the free Quicklog software that came with you hardware. After installation run the following:

Restart in DOS mode, or run a DOS Prompt, and at the C:\ prompt, type "GDRV" and hit RETURN
Type "HSOVL" and RETURN - only if using a Flash-12 or WorkMate, otherwise skip this step.
Type "FIND" and RETURN - Result is "Copyright..." etc. Should give board number, address and board information.
If the find program (GFIND) finds your installed hardware, then you do not have damaged hardware. Your problem is most likely an interrupt conflict in your computer system. Try installing WorkBench and your hardware in another computer to see if the data acquisition system will work in an alternate computer environment. If it does then there is a problem with your original computer system.

If the find program does not find your hardware then there is a problem with the data acquisition hardware itself. Make sure that your base address and board number are set correctly (GFIND does not use the IRQ so you need not alter or check it). If you still have problems, then call technical support.

PROBLEM 3: IRQ not responding, please check IRQ.

SOLUTION: This error message indicates that WorkBench can find a data acquisition board present in the system but cannot generate interrupts from the installed hardware. There is one selection, "OK", available. Selecting OK will put the user back to Windows without starting WorkBench.

To remedy this situation check to make sure that your hardware is modern enough to have interrupt capability. All DATAshuttle, Flash-12 and WorkMate hardware have interrupts. ACPC family boards (WB-FAI, AAI, ASC, DIO and AVO) may or may not have interrupts depending on their age. If your board has interrupt capability, then there will be 6 rows of two pins at the bottom of the board, just above the golden ISA slot fingers. A small black jumper goes across two of the available pins; this jumper is used to select the IRQ level on the board. The default setting (as shipped from Strawberry Tree) should be IRQ 7.

If this jumper is present, and at IRQ 7, then there is an IRQ conflict with another piece of hardware in your computer. You have two choices:

Remove the conflicting hardware or change it's IRQ level Change the IRQ level on your data acquisition hardware. To do the latter you need to change the setting both on the board itself (by moving the IRQ jumper) and in WorkBench (in Hardware Setup). WorkBench will only use IRQ 7 or IRQ 5. You may find that neither IRQ level works, in which case you will need to check your system for conflicting IRQ's and either remove or change them.

If you still get this error message, even after performing all of the above, try the board in question in an alternative computer. If the board works in an alternative computer then there may be an IRQ or timing conflict with you computers motherboard. If the board does not work in an alternative computer then the board may be damaged. Call technical support for assistance.

PROBLEM 4: Error message "No Valid Calibration..." at start of WorkBench.

SOLUTION: The boards that operate with WorkBench all have on-board EEPROMs that contain calibration numbers entered at the factory. These numbers are necessary for accurate measurements of analog inputs and thermocouple temperatures. If these numbers are corrupted or erased then WorkBench will give this error message at start-up. This can be corrected by taking the following steps:

Read the valid calibration numbers from the side of the installed board. There should be 5 digit numbers for ACAL, BCAL, and DCAL. If you have a thermocouple terminal panel then your board will have been calibrated for thermocouple use. In this case there will be a CCAL number on the terminal panel. After entering WorkBench, open the Hardware Setup dialog box, either from the Experiment menu or from the Function bar (found underneath the Menu bar). At the bottom right of this dialog box there is an Editcal button. Pressing this button will allow the user to enter ACAL, BCAL, DCAL, CCAL 1, and CCAL 2 (if you have two terminal panels for 16 inputs, you will have two CCAL numbers, one on each panel). Copy the numbers from step 1 above into the appropriate boxes and select OK. Enter 23000 as the default value for CCAL 1 if you do not have a thermocouple terminal panel, otherwise enter the value for CCAL 1 printed on your terminal panel; If you have a second thermocouple panel, enter the correct value for CCAL 2, otherwise it may be left blank. (NOTE: This value will result in incorrect thermocouple readings if WorkBench is used to take such measurements. For an accurate CCAL number extra calibration must be performed, either by the user or by OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC.) Your system should now operate correctly.