AMT Datasouth Codewriter 4500 Series - Manual (Page 92)

Advanced Features
82
PAL Application Bootstrap Bypass
Hold down the
CANCEL
button while turning on power. Do not release until the
printer displays the Interface Status Online message.
The printer supports the downloading of standalone or other user PAL
applications into a reserved portion of the internal flash ROM. Given the
proper identifier at the start of such an application, the PAL interpreter will
automatically start executing any such application once the firmware has
completed initialization.
This presents a problem when recording certain types of PAL applications
into the printer. Many types of PAL applications are designed to assume
control of the printer’s RS-232 interface at power-on in order to accept non-
PAL commands and/or data from the host system. With a PAL application in
control of the RS-232 interface, the host system is unable to communicate
directly with the PAL interpreter. As a result, the operator cannot send the
PAL commands necessary to erase and/or replace the PAL application
program contained in the flash ROM.
The PAL application bootstrap bypass feature allows the operator to stop the
PAL interpreter from automatically executing any PAL application contained
in the flash ROM. Thereby instructing the interpreter to enter normal PAL
interpretation mode and allowing the operator to send the necessary
commands to erase and/or replace any PAL application program contained in
the flash.
To clear ROM memory area send the following command to the printer after
performing the above “Bootstrap”:
(A:) () _deviceformat
Turn the printer off and then on. It should come up in the On-Line mode. You
are now ready to load the new application.
Release Identification Message Pause
Press and release the
ONLINE
PAUSE button while the firmware is displaying any release
identification message (“RelID”). The firmware will pause and leave the
message on the display until the
ENTER
PRINT button is pressed.
As explained above, this feature provides the operator with sufficient time to
record the release identifiers in order to report them to technical service
personnel.