Measurement Computing DBK70 - Manual (Page 35)

PidPRO & PidPRO+ 919092 5-5
Database Concepts
A Parameter Identifier (PID) database is a collection of PID records. Each record contains a collection of
parametric fields describing a request message, a reply from the network module, and data handling rules.
PidPRO allows you to load a PID database then assign any PID from the database to a selected DBK70
channel.
PidPRO provides a host of database management services that allow you to easily organize your PIDs,
create and edit PIDs, and save any number of databases. Note that PidPRO databases are saved in
Microsoft Access format.
Three Parameter Identifier Databases
PidPRO is delivered with several databases of public domain PIDs, also called legislated PIDs. PidPRO
allows you to load, edit, and save these databases, or create completely new databases of custom PIDs.
Once your database is built, configuring a DBK70 is as simple as associating a PID record from your
database to a DBK70 channel.
A note to users who are upgrading from DBK70Config to PidPRO or to PidPRO + :
DBK70Config, the software application that preceded PidPRO and was originally included with DBK70
units, also makes use of Microsoft Access PID databases. DBK70Config can only use one database file,
DBK70.MDB.
PidPRO and PidPRO+ can load, manipulate, and save the database file DBK70.MDB, so PIDs that were
modified and/or created using DBK70Config can also be used within both PidPRO applications.
If you had been using DBK70Config but are upgrading to either version of PidPRO, you should use the
PID databases that are delivered with PidPRO. The databases are always being updated and those
delivered with PidPRO are the latest. If you have developed custom databases and/or PID records using
DBK70Config, you can load DBK70.MDB into PidPRO and make use of your custom PIDs.
To make use of such custom PIDs you should:
1. make a copy of the DBK70.MDB file
2. rename the copy
3. move the copy into PidPRO’s databases subdirectory.
When in PidPRO, if you load an old database [that was shipped with, or modified using DBK70Config]
and you encounter an error while manipulating a PID record, contact the factory to have the file upgraded.
Note that very early versions of the DBK70Config database files have indexing limitations that can easily
be corrected at the factory.