Global Options

Each time you start PTW, the program references global options for instructions on automation and technical standards. Global settings always apply to the active Project, so you should check these global options each time you begin a new Project.

2.3.1. Setting Startup Options

Startup options control PTW’s level of automation during startup. These settings are not critical to operation, and you can set them according to preference.

Opening the Most Recent Project Automatically

By default, PTW opens the most recently saved Project. You can leave the default the way it is, or instruct PTW to open no Project on startup.

To change the Project recall setting 1. Click the Project>Options command. 2. In the Option Groups box, select Startup. 3. Do one of the following:

• If you want to open the most recently saved Project on startup, select the Open Most Recent Project option button.

• If you do not want to a Project on startup, select the Do Not Open a Project option button.

Enabling the Pentium™ Warning

By default, PTW enables a warning that notifies you if it finds a faulty Pentium processor in your computer. You can disable this warning at any time.

Early Intel® Pentium processors (manufactured through the beginning of 1995) contain an error in the floating-point division section of the chip that causes them to miscalculate certain mathematical computations. At startup, PTW sends a small computation known to cause such an error to your computer’s processor. If the processor returns the wrong answer, PTW alerts you that your computer has one of the faulty chips.

It is difficult to determine the impact of a faulty Pentium processor on your Project results. In many calculations, there may be no error. In cases where errors occur, some may be

negligible, while others may be magnified through the multiplication of arrays. Intel has since corrected the problem and if you get this error you should replace the faulty processor with a new one.

2.3.2. Setting Application Options

Application options control the display standard (ANSI or IEC), the base system

frequency, and the units or distance measurement (English or Metric) for data entry in the active Project. These settings are very important for proper operation of PTW. Typically, once you set them you won’t change them, but in some cases you may want to use alternative standards.

Setting the Display Standard

PTW stores default symbols and setting for ANSI and IEC engineering standards. PTW also has the flexibility to be modified to work with almost any local or national standard. Storing two sets of defaults makes it easier to switch between standards.

Setting the System Frequency

PTW allows you to specify 60 Hz, 50 Hz or any other custom frequency for the project. Impedance values referenced from the library are automatically adjusted for different operating frequencies.

Setting the Units of Measurement

When you select an engineering standard, you should also select a unit of measurement. Typically, ANSI projects use English units and IEC projects use metric units. However, PTW does allow you to change the units independently of the engineering standard. Because the units of measurement are tied closely to engineering standard, PTW issues a warning if the standard and units are “mismatched” (that is, ANSI and metric or IEC and English). Note, however that this warning is issued only to make sure that you have not selected the combination by accident. There is nothing technically wrong with the selection.

Setting Event Message Options

PTW informs you of various program events using written messages, color and sound. The events that PTW responds to are: “errors,” “warnings” and “success.” An error is defined as topology or Study error severe enough to prevent the program from continuing. For instance, failing to enter the length of a cable produces an error. Warnings are less severe problems that may or may not affect PTW’s proper operation in the future, and are flagged so that if they are unintentional, you can fix them. Success events happen after the successful completion of certain complicated tasks such as running Studies.

PTW uses sounds to indicate warnings, errors, and some completed operations. You can turn these beeps on and off as you choose.

Select or clear the check box in this group

To enable or disable sound for this event

Error Errors: Fatal errors that prevents PTW from continuing.

Warning Warnings: Less severe errors that may or may not impact PTW functioning.

Success Successful operations: Studies completed, and so on.

The PTW events correspond to standard Windows events, meaning that you can assign custom sounds to them using the Windows Control Panel. Using this technique, you can play chimes at the completion of Studies, sound a buzzer at an error, and so on. Note that the following procedure affects not only PTW sounds, but all of the corresponding Windows sounds, so the sounds you choose will be consistent across all Windows applications.

In addition to sounds, PTW also posts written messages in the status bar at the bottom left of the screen. You can change the colors in which the error and warning messages are displayed. These messages appear in the status bar at the bottom of the PTW screen. To set event message color options

1. Click the Project>Options command. 2. In the Option Groups box, select Application.

3. Under Error or Warning, do one or more of the following:

Choose this button To set this color

Background The background of the status bar message. Foreground The foreground of the status bar message

(that is, the text of the message). 4. In the Colors dialog box, choose the desired color.

5. Click the OK button to return to the Options Dialog Box. 6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for other colors you want to set. 7. Click the OK button.