Application Note
CTAN #374
The Application Note is specific to the CT software packages MentorSoft, UniSoft and SeSoft
Windows 7 64-bit and the Older CT Software
Scope – Windows 7 64-bit Professional 64-bit Enterprise and 64-bit Ultimate editions are becoming increasingly popular on the i386 platform as the operating system of choice for Professional and Technical users.
This trend has created some challenges for users of the Mentor II / Quantum III, the Unidrive Classic and / or the Commander SE. The configuration software utilities created by Control Techniques will not install / run natively on the Windows 7 64-bit platform.
This application note is about using “Windows XP Mode” on the eligible Windows 7 editions to allow installation and operation of MentorSoft version 2.2.4, Unisoft version 3.4.3 and SESoft version 1.5.0. Operation with both a legacy serial port as well as a USB serial device has been confirmed and is covered.
Background – The CT Softs were Win-16 VB4 applications created by Control
Techniques to assist in the configuration, verification and support of the products being sold at that time in a PC universe that included Windows 3.1 thru Windows ME.
These utilities depended on VBX technology to extend the capabilities of Visual Basic version 4, as did many useful custom windows applications of that period.
“Windows XP Mode” is best described as a fully-licensed copy of Windows XP
Professional 32-bit edition running inside of a virtual machine hosted on the Windows 7 64-bit environment.
This feature is only available to Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows 7 Ultimate users.
MentorSoft, Unisoft and SESoft are all undemanding business class programs suitable for installation in the Windows XP Mode environment.
Instructions
The Windows 7 Professional platform (including Enterprise and Ultimate) all require administrator privileges on the PC/Laptop to install and configure hardware drivers as well as software. Obtain assistance from your IT department if this is not available or obvious.
Step 1 – Install and configure XP Mode on the PC/Laptop running Windows 7 64-bit
Get (download) the needed files to install the feature at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx This will be two files and an a conditional update, here
Windows XP Mode - WindowsXPMode_en-us.exe
Windows Virtual PC - Windows6.1-KB958559-x64-RefreshPkg.msu Windows XP Mode Update - Windows6.1-KB977206-x64.msu This step is only required in not running Windows 7 SP1.
Refer to the links at the site if unsure if Service Sack 1 (SP1) is installed (or not).
Install XP Mode and Virtual PC and update XP Mode, if needed.
Start XP Mode
Check the available communication port availability:
Select “Tools…Settings…”
This is a screenshot of a Dell Optiplex 755 that does have a legacy RS-232 port available. To make the COM1 serial port available to MentorSoft (Unisoft and/or SESoft) left click on COM1 and edit the fields as shown:
If a legacy Rs-232 port is not available, a common solution is a USB to Serial Converter.
To use a USB to serial converter, the device must be initially attached and recognized in XP Mode, and then the driver installed in XP mode.
Select USB… and attach the device. Then open the Control Panel…System…
Hardware… and Device Manager. Expand Ports… and right click the device and Update Driver… and point it to the location of the driver disk, to install the driver in the XP virtual machine. Note the location of the COM port.
Recall that the “Softs” are VB4 Win16 applications. They are only usable with COM1 thru COM4 port assignments.
If the USB to Serial converter driver failed to assign the device to this range, right click on the Device and select “Advanced” and force the COM Port number to a value ranging from 1 through 4.
Step 2 - Get the install images for MentorSoft ver 2.2.4 and/or Unisoft ver 3.4.3 and/or SeSoft ver 1.5.0. These can be obtained via download from one of the CT Support sites. Copy the installation image (or images) to a handy folder on the USB Flash drive being used for this procedure. The following links are handy sources for the installation executables.
MentorSoft ver 2.2.4 Installation executable “msoft224.exe”
Unisoft ver 3.4.3 Installation executable “usoft343.exe”
SeSoft ver 1.5.0. Installation executable “sesoft150.exe”
USB… and Attach the USB Flash Drive within XP Mode, and browse to where the installation executable is located. This Application note will illustrate MentroSoft, but UniSoft and SESoft are similar.
Run the installation executable msoft224.exe and install MentorSoft version 2.2.4.
Follow the InstallShield wizard prompts, and accept the defaults. Close and restart the virtual machine via Action… Restart to finish the installation.
Open MentorSoft (UniSoft / SeSoft) via the XP Mode Start menu:
start.... Programs… Control Techniques… MENTORSOFT
Check the Comm Port via File… General Setup. Set the Comm Port to agree with the device set up earlier. This illustrates MentorSoft configured to work with a USB to Serial Converter and a Virtual Comm Port assignment of Com Port: Com4
Step 3 - Using MentorSoft (or UniSoft or SeSoft) once installed within the XP Mode virtual machine environment:
Simply start XP Mode and use the Start menu to launch MentorSoft (or UniSoft or SeSoft).
Be sure that the Mentor II / Unidrive / are linked to the Windows 7 PC via a suitable serial cable. The usual cable used with a PC and the Mentor II is the “CTD-PC-485- 010” (or equivalent). Then simply click the blue “OFFLINE” button below the Menu bar, or click ONLINE on the menu bar to go online.
This illustrates a functioning “online” connection to a Mentor II demo via a USB Serial converter running in XP Mode on a Dell Optiplex 755. This device configuration at Com4 was described earlier.
Questions? Ask the author:
Jim Jeffers e-mail : mailto:[email protected] (716)-774-1193 x123
