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1 creating and editing powerup.ini – Campbell Scientific CR1000 Measurement and Control System User Manual

Page 344

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Section 8. Operation

344 

 

 

Power-up functions include

• Sending programs to the CR1000.
• Optionally setting run attributes of CR1000 program files.
• Sending an OS to the CR1000.
• Formatting memory drives.
• Deleting data files associated with the previously running program.

Note Back in the old days of volatile RAM, life was frustrating, but simple. Lost
power meant lost programs, variables, and data – a clean slate. The advent of non-
volatile memory has saved a lot of frustration in the field, but it requires thought
in some applications. For instance, if the CR1000 loses power, do you want it to
power back up with the same program, or another one? with variables intact or
erased? with data intact or erased?

The powerup.ini file enables the power-up function. The powerup.ini file resides
on an external drive. It contains a list of one or more command lines. At power-
up, the CR1000 searches for a powerup.ini file on a drive and executes the
command line(s) prior to compiling a program. Powerup.ini performs three
operations:

1. Copies the specified program file to a specified memory drive.

2. Optionally sets a file run attribute (run now, run on power up, or run always)

for the program file.

3. Optionally deletes data files stored from the overwritten (just previous)

program.

4. Formats a specified drive.

A powerup.ini file takes precedence during power-up. Although it sets file
attributes for the programs it uploads, its presence on a drive does not allow those
file attributes to control the power-up process. To avoid confusion, either remove
the external drive on which the powerup.ini file resides or delete the file after the
powerup.ini operation is complete.

8.3.4.3.1 Creating and Editing Powerup.ini

A powerup.ini file is created with a text editor on a PC, then saved as
"powerup.ini" on a memory drive of the CR1000. The file is saved to the memory
drive, along with the operating system or user program file, using the datalogger
support software File Control Send

(p. 454)

command.

Note Some text editors (such as MicroSoft

®

WordPad

®

) will attach header

information to the powerup.ini file causing it to abort. Check the text of a
powerup.ini file in the CR1000 with the external keyboard / display to see what
the CR1000 actually sees.

Comments can be added to the file by preceding them with a single-quote
character ('). All text after the comment mark on the same line is ignored.