Measurement Computing DataShuttle - Manual (Page 81)

DataShuttle and DynaRes 11-13-01 ACAO Analog Output & Control Board Technical Notes 9-3
Editing Calibration Files
Depending on your usage of the ACAO, your work might require a more common involvement with
calibration: modifying values in the calibration file on disk.
This can be essential to accommodate occasional changes in your data acquisition setup.
It’s necessary to edit calibration numbers (using ACAOCAL.EXE, the software utility we distribute with the
ACAO, on the QuickLog PC disk) whenever you
• Reconstruct CALOUT.DAT if this disk file, which holds factory calibration numbers, is lost
(the software tries to read these files upon startup); or
• Change the quantity of boards in your installation; that is, when you add data acquisition boards to,
or remove them from your computer system.
CALOUT.DAT
The CALOUT.DAT file maintains analog output channel calibration figures for all ACAO boards in the
installation.
CALOUT.DAT is a simple text file containing lines of numbers, or values.
(Another calibration file, CALIB.DAT, contains the analog input channel numbers for all Analog
Connection boards in the installation, and their thermocouple terminal panels. For more information
on CALIB.DAT, see the owner’s manual for any of the Analog Connection boards).
(Regarding DataShuttle: If your installation also includes any of these products, remember that they handle
calibration values differently from the ACAO or Analog Connection boards. Their calibration figures reside
on-board, in Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory – EEPROM – chips, rather than
in disk files. As a result, their calibration numbers do not appear in either CALOUT.DAT or CALIB.DAT).
Editcal Utility
EDITCAL.EXE (or EDITCAL, for short) is the utility program that simplifies the modification of values
in CALOUT.DAT.
(Instructions for using the program are on page 9 – 5 in this manual; but please continue to read this
discussion, which describes the format of the calibration file, before starting. Also note that it is possible,
although more difficult, to modify numbers in the disk calibration files with a text editor. We recommend
using EDITCAL.)
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If a calibration file’s numbers are inaccurate or missing, this means the calibration
of the cards is going to be in error. When you edit these files, take care to enter the
numbers accurately.
Reconstructing Calibration Files
Reconstructing CALOUT.DAT – EDITCAL provides the capacity to reconstruct the calibration file for
ACAO boards if the file happens to be lost entirely.
(If you still have the original distribution disk you can, of course, restore the original factory calibration
numbers from disk).
As the CAL NO label on every ACAO board shows that individual board’s values, it is a straightforward
task to enter the figures into new calibration disk files through the use of EDITCAL. (The CAL NO label
can be found on the back of the ACAO board; the calibration values are listed right after the serial number.)