User manual

NMEA Data Multiplexer - NDC-4-A & NDC-4-A -USB
Page 33© 2009 Active Research Limited
Comms → Comm Port 1-10:
Selects the PC communications port that the NDC
hardware is attached to (via the RS232 or USB cable).
ActiPatch will automatically match the NDC hardware’s
Baud rate if it has changed from the 38400 Baud default.
This auto-baud matching process could take up to 20
seconds to achieve. The result of this automatic feature is
that the user does not need to select the Baud rate.
Once a Comms port has been selected (or remembered
from a previous session), ActiPatch will immediately
attempt to connect to the attached NDC hardware -
no further user action is required until the successful
connection has been made.
Help → Help with reprogramming:
Displays a window with useful information about how to
perform the reprogramming operation if the user cannot
reference this more complete support document.
Help → About:
Displays the NDC ActiPatch’s software version number
and the Actisense contact information.
Buttons, LEDs and Displays
Connection Status text display:
Displays all handshaking and data transfer information
required for ash programming the NDC hardware
during the rmware update process. For most users this
information can be ignored, and will only be useful if there
are problems in reashing the attached NDC.
Serial ID (Unique identication number):
Displays the Serial ID of the NDC that is attached and
successfully connected to. Every Actisense product has its
own unique serial identication number.
Main ID (Current Version):
Displays the version of rmware currently resident in
the NDC hardware’s Flash memory. This information is
received from the NDC hardware when ActiPatch detects
the NDC hardware’s presence.
Patch ID (New Version):
Displays the version of rmware that ActiPatch can
upgrade the NDC hardware to. This number must normally
be greater than the Main ID (Current Version) for an
update to be required.
If the Patch ID (New Version) is older or equal to the
Current Version, then ActiPatch will display a warning
message that must be acknowledged before the reash
operation can begin.
Figure 24 – “Hardware already up to date” message
There is normally nothing to be gained, and perhaps
functionality and performance of the NDC to be lost,
if an older rmware version is used to reprogram the
NDC. However, for rare occasions when instructed by an
Actisense support engineer, this ‘stepping back’ of the
rmware can be achieved.