Release Notes 2021.2
Introduction[edit]
We are proud to deliver you Version 2021.2 of our RadiMation® EMC Test software. This 2021.2 version is the result of several major improvements that we have done.
This letter contains all the information that is needed before your system is upgraded. If you have any additional questions or remarks please let us know through your reseller, or contact radimation-support@raditeq.com.
Installation[edit]
Backup[edit]
When RadiMation® files are opened, changed and saved in a newer version of RadiMation®, it is possible that it will saved in a newer file format, which cannot be opened anymore in an older version of RadiMation®. To prevent that changed TSF, LLF, COR, SEQ or EUT files cannot be opened anymore in an older RadiMation® version, we strongly recommend to make a backup. Before you install the latest version of RadiMation®, please make sure to saveguard all your critical data.
Make a back up of (at least) the following files:
- Correction files
- TSF files
- Sequence files
- Limit Line files
- Device driver configuration files
Multi version installation[edit]
It is possible to install different RadiMation® versions on the same PC.
This functionality can be used to verify the correct functioning of the RadiMation® software before it is used for EMC testing. Simply put, the functioning of the new version can be checked by comparing it with the older version. This verification can for example be required by internal quality assurance standards. During this verification process, the installation of the older RadiMation® version can still be used for all EMC tests.
Be advised that:
- It is not possible to run two (or more) different versions at the same time without risking a software crash. Close other instances of RadiMation® before starting another version!
- Raditeq cannot be held accountable if information is lost because two different versions of RadiMation® are used at the same time.
- The user needs to have the rights as described in User rights and installation.
Installation[edit]
Installing software updates[edit]
Software updates can be distributed on CD or downloaded from the RadiMation® Download page.
To install the RadiMation® update from a CD, please execute the ‘SETUP.EXE’ startup program. The setup program will install the new RadiMation® version at the same location as the previous version, but in a separate installation folder. This will allow you to use the previously installed RadiMation® version, as well as the new one.
The setup program will detect that a previous version of RadiMation® has already been installed on your PC. A back up of this older version will automatically be copied to the backup directory. All the settings of the older version will also be used for the newly installed RadiMation®. If any problems should occur with the new software, the older version can be recovered.
Installing from a network directory[edit]
If the already installed RadiMation® version was installed from a network directory, the new setup file can be copied to the <Setup> sub-directory of the <NetworkDir>.
The new RadiMation® version can then be installed on each computer from this directory.
Updating device drivers[edit]
After the new RadiMation® version is installed, we strongly recommend that you install the latest device drivers as well. These device drivers can be installed by starting the ‘DRIVERS.EXE’ program that is located on the delivered CD.
The ‘DRIVERS.EXE’ program will detect the different RadiMation® versions installed on your PC. A dialog will start, asking you to select the RadiMation® version that needs updated device drivers. Select the latest version of RadiMation® that was just installed.
You have successfully obtained the latest released version of RadiMation® when both the software and device drivers have been updated.
Verification and Validation[edit]
Every new RadiMation® version is tested extensively before it is released. Raditeq validates these new versions on three ‘levels’. The fourth level of the validation is to be done by the end-user.
This quality management system follows the ISO/IEC 17025 standard (“General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories”).
1) Automatic knob pushing program[edit]
The ‘automatic knob pushing program’ simulates an end-user and is run on each RadiMation® version. The program performs all the actions that a user could do, such as entering information, executing tests, reviewing test results and generating reports.
Performing the first validation level is a responsibility of Raditeq.
2) Validation and usage in a test lab[edit]
Once the new RadiMation® version has passed the first validation level, it progresses to the second validation level performed by Raditeq.
During this validation the RadiMation® software is installed in a real test lab, to perform measurements on a 'known' EUT. These results are then compared to manual measurements to verify the quality of the software. The results are also compared with the measurement results of previous software versions.
Performing the second validation level is a responsibility of Raditeq.
3) Validation and usage in a test house[edit]
When the new RadiMation® version has passed the second validation level, it progresses to the third validation level performed by Kiwa Dare Services.
This validation level consists of two stages. In the first stage the software is used to perform measurements on a 'known' EUT. These results are then compared to manual measurements to verify the quality of the software. When the new software version has passed the first stage, it progresses to the second stage where it is installed and used by Kiwa Dare Services for at least two weeks. Any issues that are reported during this period, will be investigated and resolved. An updated version of RadiMation® is created if needed.
Performing the third validation level is a responsibility of Kiwa Dare Services.
When this validation is succesful, the RadiMation® version will be officially released, and will become available for all end-users.
4) Validation by end-users[edit]
Once the new RadiMation® version has passed the third validation level, it progresses to the fourth (and last) validation level, which should be performed by the end-users of RadiMation®.
When end-users receives a new RadiMation® version they should perform a validation of the software in their own test setup. The parts that should be validated by the end-user are:
- Correct control of the used measurement equipment
- Validation of the software according to internal quality standards
- Possible verification and comparison of measurements on a 'known' EUT
We strongly advise to only start to use RadiMation® after this validation is performed.
Performing the fourth validation level is a responsibility of the end-user.
Solved items[edit]
See below the list of all the issues that have been solved in RadiMation® version 2021.2 since version 2021.1
RadiMation version 2021.2.8[edit]
- #3971: Radiated emission multiband: click on "continuous measure" to disable function is taken twice quite often.
- #6698: Project: Improve Continuous measurement method.
- #11553: Underscore shortcut keys are not correctly assigned in field probe setup dialog
- #11604: Text that is shown in progress bar is dark grey, instead of black as in buttons.
- #11612: Binary block buffer retrieval over VISA Socket port is resulting in timeout
- #11687: WriteReadBinaryBlockBuffer causes timeout when TCPIP::x.x.x.x::port::SOCKET is used
- #11742: ErrorReport: "locked the gpib board".
- #11887: Measure time of 10ms is out of range.
- #12053: The device driver system is currently not usable
- #12072: ErrorReport: "Multiband Test one subrange not executed".
- #12082: Schwarzbeck CDN as injection device
- #12083: Include a check during startup to ensure that the Windows decimal separator is not "" (blank/nothing) or "0"
- #12084: Correction file with Frequency unit in kHz only shows half of the graph
- #12106: Send frequencies above 10 GHz to newer RadiSense 10 probes.
- #12108: Control channel selection of the radio dummy/fibre optic link of RFPA
- #12129: RepGen: Using a RunMacro keyword, results in the "" keyword not found event being presented
- #12133: Magnitude graph of S-parameter test shows an additional line going to 0
- #12134: Stop sequence: sequence is not correctly aborted when stop is pressed during a zero operation.
- #12135: Frequency scale is not full span.
- #12141: Resolution of R&S ESIB can be configured but only to 500 points
- #12142: Correction file: graph not displayed
- #12146: Rigol RSA5065A without EMI option can only measure a single trace
- #12160: Provide a configuration setting in the Narda EP600-series to configure the sleep mode time.
- #12173: Virtual Signal generator enables carrier on frequency change.
- #12174: Time-out Spurious emission measurement.
- #12181: Strange error on closing RadiPower driver.
- #12185: Rigol RSA5000 series, should allow to use 0 dB attenuation in combination with preamplifier
- #12186: Rigol RSA5065: When auto preamplifier is selected, it is reported as 0 dB, even though the preamplifier is on
- #12207: Reselect the limitline in the TSF file clears the max value customization of the graph.
- #12208: Driver: Tektronix RSA 306B.
- #12216: Error message that device driver system is not usable after a RadiSense error
- #12223: Driver: Prana IPDR250
- #12224: Driver: Prana CJDR250
RadiMation version 2021.2.7[edit]
- #4246: Possibility to insert note in "read only" protected TSF before mesurement starts
- #10935: CI manual mode. Make sure to set the settings of the signal generator when modulation is switched of and on so that this setting is imediatly applied
- #11373: DARE!! Development RadiSense IV: Device returned Error code : 4.
- #11739: Add option in R&S ESW driver to active low noise amplifier (for lower noise floor)
- #11846: Measured differences between RadiMation and PMM software when Testing CE/RE
- #12078: Absorbing clamp Maturo FCU: Function not implemented error
- #12087: Opening test data older than 2021.2.1 results in missing distance data
- #12088: ErrorReport: "RI with rot pos, 1 step, 120 degrees".
- #12091: Build RadiMation 2021.2.7
- #12144: Device driver configuration dialog cannot be shown, due to problem of loading GenericTabbedDialog
- #12147: How to disable the power delivery test, to prevent that generated frequencies are really in order
- #12165: Start Frequency is too low for the selected equipment
- #12211: Ability to use an automatic calkit for the R&S ZNB VNA calibration
- #12217: Agilent technologies U2004A driver problem: Insufficient location information
- #12219: Rohde & Schwarz NRP-Z91: Impossible to get description string for this Error! Probably an unknown RadiMation Error. Code: 805313470 (0x30001BBE)
- #12239: Driver: MTS Systemtechnik KRE-4000
- #12291: Question: Forward power amplifier protection file is not found
- #12293: Error message: There is no average probe selected
- #12295: Incorrect RBW of 1 MHz with QP detector in range 1GHz-6GHz
RadiMation version 2021.2.6[edit]
- #11795: Add ability to measure electrical fields of ~ +1000 V/m using a RadiSense
- #12040: Slow start of RadiMation Pulsed Immunity test
- #12064: ErrorReport: fault "System._ComObject"
RadiMation version 2021.2.5[edit]
- #11962: Distance unit text is missing in generated reports
- #11965: ErrorReport: "Antenna distance incorrect after upgrade to new version (2021-1-6 -> 2021-2-3)"
- #11988: ErrorReport: "Unable to see cable under test descripton"
- #12050: ErrorReport: "Cannot find positioner"
RadiMation version 2021.2.4[edit]
- #11806: RIGOL device driver is measuring too high AVG and QP detector values
- #11962: Distance unit text is missing in generated reports
- #11965: ErrorReport: "Antenna distance incorrect after upgrade to new version (2021-1-6 -> 2021-2-3)"
- #11988: ErrorReport: "Unable to see cable under test descripton"
RadiMation version 2021.2.3[edit]
- #9170: Some properties set in the polarGraph init function get reset when the graph is actually drawn
- #11892: Before/After actions Pauze window does not close it self, or by clicking the OK button.
RadiMation version 2021.2.2[edit]
- #11851: Minimum absorbing clamp distance is 1 mm. This should be changed to 0mm.
- #11854: Final measurement stops after first final measurement if distance graph is selected.
- #11855: If the default graph configuration is set to logarithmic, a strange x-axis is shown for distance graph
- #11856: If distance unit is set to cm, the frequency too high errors are generated in the distance graph
- #11857: The unit configuration of the distance is not used in the graph x-axis
- #11858: Limit line in the distance graph is shown as a curved line. This should be a straight line in the distance graph.
RadiMation version 2021.2.1[edit]
- #2273: Multiband Conducted emission absorbing clamp
- #5579: Stopping a sequence is almost impossible
Known Problems[edit]
R&S spectrum analysers/receivers communication problems[edit]
It has been detected that on very fast PC’s, the communication with modern Rohde & Schwarz spectrum analyser/receivers can be corrupted. These problems are related to the speed of the PC and the used GPIB bus. The R&S receivers that are related to this problem are: ESI/ESIB/ESPI/ESCI/FSE/ESU.
We strongly advise that you slow down the GPIB communication speed between the PC and R&S receivers. Follow these steps to do so:
- Open the configuration window of RadiMation®
- Select the Device Drivers tab
- Select Receivers/Spectrum Analysers
- Select the R&S receiver
- Press Edit to open the device driver configuration window
- Press the Advanced button
- The GPIB configuration dialog of the R&S device driver will be shown
- Activate the Show advanced Settings checkbox
- The GPIB Configuration dialog will show a Wait time box
- Specify 3000 us in the Wait time box
- Close all windows, and repeat these steps for each and every R&S receiver.
Configuring the R&S device drivers in this way will slow down the GPIB bus, by ensuring that at least 3 milliseconds delay are included between each GPIB call to the R&S devices
Previous RadiMation® version raises a run-time error[edit]
If the latest RadiMation® version and an older RadiMation® version are installed on the same PC, it can happen that the older RadiMation® version raises an error during the start of RadiMation.
This error is raised because a file that is shared by both versions is written in a newer file format that cannot be read anymore by older software. The solution for this problem is to remove the file: C:\Program Files\DARE Development\RadiMation\Confdvdr\CUSTOMIZ.DAT. The CUSTOMIZ.DAT file is used to remember customizations of the colour of the graphs, so removing the file will not influence the measurements. However the graph colours will probably be changed to the defaults as specified by RadiMation®.
Windows 8, Windows 7, XP, Vista and older are not supported[edit]
Due to the fact that Microsoft has ended their support for these versions we are also forced to stop the support of RadiMation® running on these operating systems. This means that we do not test if RadiMation® is working correctly on these operating systems. However it could be that RadiMation® is still working correctly. We strongly suggest upgrading your operating system to Windows 10 (21H2). Both the 32-bit and the 64-bit versions of the Microsoft Windows Operating system are supported.