Release Notes 5.4

Introduction

We are proud to deliver you Version 5.4 of our RadiMation EMC Test software. This 5.4 version is the result of several improvements we have done. RadiMation 5.4 contains an improvement in the multiband radiated emission, which is now capable to show polar and height plots of the emission measurements.

Installation

Backup

Before installations make sure you have backed up all critical information like:

• Correction files
• TSF files
• Sequence files
• Device driver configuration files

Multi version installation

From version 4.3.67 and higher it is possible to run different RadiMation versions on the same PC. This functionality can be used to verify the correct functioning of RadiMation, before all EMC tests are going to be performed with the new RadiMation 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.

There are some points that need to be enlightened:

• It is not possible to run 2 different versions at the same time. If you want to change versions, first close RadiMation before starting another version. When two different versions of RadiMation are running at the same time, this could result in crashing the software. D.A.R.E!! Development can not be held accountable if information is lost in such a situation.
• The user needs to have the rights as described in chapter Installing software updates

Installation

RadiMation can be installed by starting the ‘SETUP.EXE’ program that is located on the delivered CD. By using the default settings of the setup program it should be very easy to install RadiMation. The setup program will install the RadiMation software in a separate installation folder which allows you to also start any previous RadiMation versions.

After the RadiMation version is installed, we strongly advise that the latest device drivers will also be installed. These device drivers can be installed by start the ‘DRIVERS.EXE’ program that is located on the delivered CD. The ‘DRIVERS.EXE’ program will detect the different installed RadiMation versions, and it will present you with a dialog, in which you can select the RadiMation version of which the device drivers should be updated. In this dialog select the correct latest version of RadiMation that was just installed.

When both the ‘SETUP.EXE’ program and the ‘DRIVERS.EXE’ program are used to install the software, you have the latest released version of RadiMation.

Verification

Each newly build RadiMation version is tested extensively before it is released. We have validated this version on three levels of the four levels that should be done. The fourth level of the validation should be done by the end-user itself.

Automatic knob pushing program

This program simulates a normal end-user to RadiMation and it is run on each RadiMation version. During its simulation it is entering all kind of information in all windows; it is executing tests, reviewing the test results and generating reports. All actions that can be done by a real person are simulated by this program This validation is a responsibility of D.A.R.E!! Development.

Validation and usage in test house

After the first validation has passed, the RadiMation version is validated by D.A.R.E!! Consultancy. This validation includes real world measurements of a ‘known’ EUT, and verification of the measurement results, with manual measurements. If this validation is passed, the validated RadiMation version will be installed and used by D.A.R.E!! Consultancy. In this period any reported problem will be investigated and possible an updated version of RadiMation will be created This validation is a responsibility of D.A.R.E!! Development.

Validation at selected end-user(s)

After the validated version is used for more than 2 weeks at D.A.R.E!! Consultancy, the version is send to selected end-user(s) that will also test this version of RadiMation. After a certain amount of time, the validated version is shipped to all other end-users. This validation is a responsibility of D.A.R.E!! Development.

End-user validation

When an end-user receives a new RadiMation version, it should perform a validation of the software. Parts that should be validated by the end-user itself are:

• Correct control of the used equipment
• Validation of the software according to internal quality standards
• Possible verification and comparison of measurement of a ‘known’ EUT.

This validation is a responsibility of the RadiMation end-user itself.

Improved and new functionality

Polar and height plots

STILL TO BE DONE!!

Solved items

See below the list of all the issues that have been solved in RadiMation version 5.4 since version 5.1.0.

STILL TO BE DONE!!!

Known Problems

R&S spectrum analyzers/receivers communication problems

It has been detected that on very fast PC’s, the communication with modern Rohde & Schwarz spectrum analyzer/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 to slow down the GPIB communication speed between the PC and R&S receivers. This can be done by:

1. Open the configuration window of RadiMation
2. Select the Device Drivers tab
3. Select Receivers/Spectrum Analyzers
4. Select the R&S receiver
5. Press Edit to open the device driver configuration window
6. Press the Advanced button
7. Now the GPIB configuration dialog of the R&S device driver is shown.
8. Activate the Show advanced Settings checkbox
9. The GPIB Configuration dialog now shows a Wait time box
10. Specify 3000 us in the Wait time box.
11. 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

RadiMation version 5.1 raises a run-time error 13: Type Mismatch

If the latest RadiMation version and RadiMation 5.1 are installed on the same PC, it can happen that RadiMation version 5.1 is not able to start anymore. RadiMation version 5.1 will then generate a run-time error number 13: Type Mismatch. When the error message is confirmed the RadiMation program is then closed automatically.

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 version 5.1. 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 95, 98, ME, NT are not supported anymore

Because Microsoft has ended their support for Windows 95, 98, ME and NT, we are also forced to stop the support of RadiMation running on Microsoft Windows 95, 98, ME and NT. 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 2000 or Windows XP.