Step-by-Step guide to setting up controllers on CALGrafix
- The CALgrafix software is no-longer maintained or updated and is provided free of charge, as a courtesy to our customers. It no-longer requires the purchase of a licence for individual or business customers.
- It has been tested and found to work with both 32 and 64 bit versions Window 10, with the exception that the help system will not function. This is because Microsoft has withdrawn support for the original Windows Help format with this version of the operating system.
- This step-by-step guide shows the initials phase of CALgrafix configuration. It shows how to add the instruments and begin data transfer. This is a test only guide, see the attachment for the graphical version with screen shots.
1. Ensure that all instruments are correctly connected to your network. RS232 only supports a single instrument per com port, RS485 can support up to 128.
2. From the Windows start menu, select CALGrafix (do not select CALServer).
3. Open the CALGrafix software. If you see the Load last application box, Click on No.
4. Click on File in the menu bar and select New from the drop-down list.
5. Select New Application from the New options box.
6. Click on File in the menu bar and select New from the drop-down list.
7. Select New Instrument from the New options box
8. Click Browse in the Select Devices box
9. In the Browse Server Devices box, enter the correct Communications Port for the RS232/RS485 port you are connecting to on your PC. This might be a USB to RS232/RS485 or RS232 to RS485 convertor, depending on your system and the available ports on your PC.
10. Also in the Browse Server Devices box, enter the correct Baud Rate for your network. This is a setting in Level C of your CAL controllers. All instruments on the network must have the same setting as you enter here. The default setting is 9600.
11. Again in the Browse Server Devices box, enter the Max Scanning Address. This must be at least equal to the highest address set on your networked controllers. It is normal to address each device incrementally starting from 1, then 2, 3, 4 etc, but verify that this is the case. If you are unsure, you can set a higher number in this box, but it will slow down the instrument search. NOTE: No two instruments can have the same address on your network.
12. Tick on Start new list, then click Browse .
13. The software will search your network for CAL controllers up to the address set earlier in the Max Scanning Address box . It will list each instrument found, stating the device number (starting from 001), the COM port number and the instrument type (e.g. CAL 9500P or CAL 3300 etc). Click OK.
14. A series of instrument “mimics” will appear, one for each device (with its details at the top of each mimic’s window . Each mimic should show live data from the instruments (e.g. temperatures and for dual display units like the CAL9400/9500 the setpoint value.
15. Click on File in the menu bar and select Save As from the drop-down list.
16. In the Save As box, navigate to a suitable location on your PC or computer network, then enter an appropriate file name. The extension. apl will be added to the name when you save. Click Save.
17. The software will save the settings for all instruments into this file.
This process should only need to be carried out once (as long as you don’t change any of the hardware) because it saves the instrument data in the application file (*.apl).
18. When opening in future, you can click Yes in the Load last application box if the last the last application used is the one you want. If not, click on File in the menu bar and select Open from the drop-down list.
19. In the Open file box, navigate to the location where you stored your application and select the file. Click Open.
20. Click OK when you see the Logic will be STOPPED message.
21. The software will open the application and show the instrument mimics. Any units that are power-down (not communicating) will appear but with blank displays. They will show data once they are power-up.
Troubleshooting.
• Check that all of your controllers have RS485 module fitted and that Level C appears in their menus. For a single controller, this could be an RS232 module instead.
• Check you have the latest version of CALGrafix (Ver 3.1.00) by clicking on Help in the menu bar and selecting About in the drop-down list. .
• If not, check that you have the comms wiring the right way round, It is best just to connect one controller to start with, then add the rest once this one is working. Try swapping the wires on terminals 9 & 10 on this first controller to see if this solves the problem. If so add more to the network, one at a time connecting the communications the same way.
• Have you given each CAL unit a different address? Remember, no two instruments can have the same address on your network.
• Are you entering the correct Communications Port number when you search?
• Are you entering the correct Baud Rate speed when you search (the same as set on the CAL controllers)?
• Are you setting the Max Scanning Address high enough to pick up the addresses?
