RELEASE NOTES: BPIM Web Engine

Transcription

1 The following Kaelus software is designed for use with a Kaelus Bench-top PIM (BPIM) analyzer. The BPIM Web Engine provides a control interface to bench PIM devices, allowing clients such as Kaelus Virtual Front Panel (VFP) application to perform tests and measurements using Kaelus Bench PIM instrumentation. Release (June, 2013) Update to address security vulnerabilities in ActiveX components distributed with National Instruments LabVIEW runtime engine. Applies all security updates included in the NI Security Update Tool Q available from ni.com ( [SW_BPIM-351] Fixes fixed-frequency tuning rounding errors which affected E-series low-band analyzers at some frequencies. This bug caused carrier (and calculated IM) frequencies to sometimes be tuned slightly off of the requested frequency at a precision which was too small to affect synthesizer frequencies. However, the frequencies reported from the software were therefore not equivalent to those requested in some instances. [SW_BPIM-350] Repaired Single-IM sweep management and sweep count data returned on GetSamples API commands. Also reworked BPIM Web Engine to eliminate intermittent error condition on Web Engine application close operations. [IRTASK-1719] Release (May, 2013) Resolved instrument re-initialization bug which caused devices to encounter DAQmx error conditions on re-initialization. E series sweep calculation rounding errors corrected in this release. E series TR module driver installation files updated to include missing files from previous releases. Release (May, 2013) Maintenance release to coincide with updates to the Virtual Front Panel (VFP v11.4.3). Release (April, 2013) 1

2 BUG FIX: D series analyzers were discovered to produce noise-floor measurements following VFP connection to an E series analyzer. This was discovered to be a bug in release which affected only systems connected to both D and E series BPIM systems simultaneously. [SW_BPIM-346] Release (April, 2013) BUG FIX: 0700/E and 0850/E analyzers were failing to perform the F1UP sweep when set to a 400 khz step size. The software was failing to indicate that the first sweep leg had finished successfully, so it continuously restarted this sweep leg rather than attempting the next leg. [SW_BPIM-341] BUG FIX: Receiver leveling was experiencing alarm conditions based on a sweep timeout applied to receiver measurements. This timeout has been increased to allow as much as a 5 second delay for leveling to occur. The bug most often appeared during RF ON operations which required additional time for leveling to occur. [SW_BPIM-342] NEW FEATURE: Introduced official BPIM API Programmer s Manual as part of this release. Manual and example source code can be viewed in the %Program Files%\BPIM Suite\lib directory. [SW_BPIM-343] BUG FIX: Resolved a bug where E-series analyzer re-initialization, based on reinit commands or multi-band switching, was found to have resulted in receiver alarm conditions (error 5060 or 5030) following re-initialization in release [SW_BPIM-344] Release (February, 2013) NEW FEATURE: Firmware Updater Wizard provides built-in capability to update TR module firmware in the field. Customers now have the ability to perform firmware updates themselves without having to return their system to a Kaelus service representative for support. [SW_BPIM- 319] E-SERIES ENHANCEMENT: Multi-IM Measurement mode in prior releases performed slowly and occasionally produced inaccurate measurement results causing software to seize up and requiring a reboot. This release introduces a performance enhancement for E series analyzers measuring multiple IM products in fixed-frequency measurement modes. [SW_BPIM-338] BUG FIX: Full system calibration files for D-series analyzers were being misinterpreted for lowband PIM analyzers due to a naming convention modification in a previous release. This release introduces the functionality required to search both older and newer calibration file naming 2

3 conventions allowing customers to use either their traditional full-system calibration file or the newer modular calibration format. [SW_BPIM-330] BUG FIX: API Command Library sometimes produced a file search dialog when loaded into third party developer application environments. The library has been updated to include all required files including those from the vi.lib, and allow users to relink the library as appropriate when files are already present on their system. [SW_BPIM-306] DEVELOPER FEATURE: API Command Library for LabVIEW development environment is now included with the BPIM Software Suite installation. *** Service & Support Notes:*** This release of the BPIM Software Suite requires TR Module firmware revision or newer. Firmware is included in this release and can be installed to TR modules using the firmware updater wizard also included in this release. Software support modules included to support this and newer transceiver hardware platforms are the iqacore ( ), CLAPACK ( ), FirmwareUpdater( ), Platform ( ), RTFCore ( ), and SpectralAnalysisAlgorithms ( ). Also included in this release are TR Module configuration files v

4 Release (February, 2013) BUG FIX: Controlling both a D series and E series analyzer from the same PC (i.e. utilizing the VFP to switch between systems) caused the D series analyzer to display higher than usual Noise Floor figures following measurements performed on an E series analyzer in software release v This bug has been addressed in this release and no longer affects the D series noise floor regardless of whether an E series device has been used for measurements. [SW_BPIM-332] BUG FIX: API Legacy Control was experiencing faulty instrument timeouts which caused the test set definition to become null in memory. Resulting PIM measurements would default to 0 MHz, causing invalid IM measurements to return. [SW_BPIM-339] Release (September, 2012) BUG FIX: D Series analyzers model SI-2000, SI-2100, SI-2600, and SI-3500 were unable to properly tune frequencies due to a rounding error in version of the BPIM Software Suite. [SW_BPIM-329] Release (September, 2012) NEW FEATURE: BPIM System Configuration utility (found from BPIM Web Engine Advanced Options interface) can now be used to define BPIM systems so that multiple analyzers with common components may be used from the same PIM controller PC. [SW_BPIM-79] API Commands Enhanced: SetTrigger has been enhanced with a timeout feature, and SetModeSweepTx has been repaired to properly interpret sweep step size. [SW_BPIM-296, SW_BPIM-297] BUG FIX: E Series Sweep Leveling caused invalid 1172 error messages to be thrown indicating PIMSweepResult failure. [SW_BPIM-328] BUG FIX: Hardware initialization failures on first connection caused failures in client software (i.e. VFP Simulation dialog). [SW_BPIM-314] BUG FIX: Sweep Leveling for D series analyzers was not using correct algorithm, and therefore failed to lock attenuators during swept frequency measurements, sometimes resulting in fluctuating powers during sweeps. [SW_BPIM-317] BUG FIX: SI-1800 B (D series) failed to receive at MHz due to receiver tuning failure. [SW_BPIM-327] Release (July, 2012) 4

5 BUG FIX: D-series synthesizer tuning problems in 1800 band were found to be related to a rounding error in calculated frequencies. BUG FIX: Analyzers which included variance initials in their model name (i.e. 0700L, 2000E, etc.) were experiencing a failure to load calibration data due to naming convention. Algorithm has been corrected in this release. Release (June, 2012) New Instrument Support: This release introduces support of the SI-1921-FE-X cross-band front end module. BUG FIX: Hardware initialization failure caused VFP to enter simulation mode on first launch. This release introduces better error handling to provide more user feedback in the event of an error, and more robust initialization to support first-attempt connections to occur properly [SW_BPIM-305, SW_BPIM-314]. API BUG: LEGACY PIM analyzer control through the PIM API was failing to operate correctly (it is thought that this bug was introduced in version release, but not confirmed). Legacy control is now reinstated by issuing a connect command using a Legacy switch parameter (i.e. [SW_BPIM-301]. Release (May, 2012) BUG FIX: SW Module Calibration coefficients were not properly loaded into the system on initialization, causing the power output not to be adjusted based on loss through the switch network. This could create some problems with consistency on multi-band systems configured with SW modules. It is thought that this bug was introduced in the version software release in January 2012 [SW_BPIM-236]. Release (April, 2012) 5

6 BUG FIX: Addresses Multi-IM product display problems with E-series BPIM analyzers, where IM products appear in reversed order and mis-labeled (i.e. IM5 may appear as IM3 in situations where both products are measured simultaneously). BUG FIX: TR Module Receive path switch was experiencing "stuck" behaviors causing received signals to be sent to the wrong receive path. This release (v11.1.3) introduces new control mechanisms that ensure the switch is positioned properly both during and after initialization and configuration. Release (March, 2012) BUG FIX: High-Band IM Products were not properly measured in Swept Frequency measurement mode due to a calculation error. This issue has been resolved for all analyzers which receive high-band IM products. BUG FIX: HTTP Header Formatting Error - CRLF characters were not properly entered between header parameters, leading to failures and warnings in HTTP IO methods expecting the proper format of HTTP headers. This bug affects only users of the BPIM API, and has been resolved for this release. * Support Note: This release includes TR configuration files v1.1.3 which includes the following files for distribution: Common.xml, HighBand.xml, LowBand.xml, SI-0700-TR.xml, SI-0709-TR, SI TR.xml, SI-1819-TR.xml, and SI-2100-TR.xml. FE/PA/RF D-series modules require NI-DAQmx drivers present for operation (NI-DAQmx version 9.4 is available as of this software release). Release (March, 2012) BUG FIX: Multi-Band BPIM connections failed to switch properly in release due to a timeout error which occurred waiting for system initialization. BUG FIX: Intermittent sweep unresponsiveness was discovered switching between swept and fixed frequency measurement modes on an E-Series system. * Support Note: This release includes TR configuration files v1.1.2 which includes the following files for distribution: Common.xml, HighBand.xml, LowBand.xml, SI-0700-TR.xml, SI-0709-TR, SI TR.xml, SI-1819-TR.xml, and SI-2100-TR.xml. FE/PA/RF D-series modules require NI-DAQmx drivers present for operation (NI-DAQmx version 9.4 is available as of this software release). Release (February, 2012) 6

7 Resolves CRITICAL BUG ALERT (Tracking ID: SW_BPIM-282) from BPIM release. Known Issues BPIM analyzer becomes unresponsive after initial connection by VFP, Spartan, or other 3rd party software. To work around this failure, the BPIM Web Engine must be exited after disconnecting from an analyzer (before additional connections can be made). Release (January, 2012) ENHANCEMENT: E series measurement speed optimized in this release. Significant improvements to both swept and fixed frequency measurement speeds using E style BPIM analyzers. BUG FIX: Communications reliability improvements have been implemented to eliminate frequent occurrences of error 6600 (command mismatch) problems. This resolves the frequent communications failures encountered in BPIM Software Suite versions 10.x. BUG FIX: BPIM Web Engine memory leak error resolved. Previous BPIM Web Engine releases experienced trouble after several hours of operation, where unexplained growth in memory demands caused the program to be automatically closed by the Windows operating environment. COMPATIBILITY WARNING: This version of the BPIM Web Engine introduces modifications to the PIM API for use in optimized measurement speeds. The updates may introduce incompatibilities with some older BPIM applications which utilize the API as an interface. Existing third-party applications should be tested against this release to verify compatibility. Known Issues CRITICAL BUG ALERT (Tracking ID: SW_BPIM-282): RF Power may be left ON following a swept frequency measurement if RF is not manually turned off following the measurement. Operators are cautioned to monitor the RF present indicators on the BPIM instruments to ensure RF has been disabled prior to disconnecting a DUT. This bug does not occur when RF power is manually turned off following measurement, and is related only to Swept Frequency measurement mode. * Support Note: TR Module Interface Update - This release includes the updated iqa2.dll interface library version This release requires iqa firmware version or newer (Recommended Firmware v2.0.3). This release also includes TR configuration files v1.0.0 which includes the following files for distribution: Common.xml, HighBand.xml, LowBand.xml, SI-0700-TR.xml, SI- 7

8 0809-TR.xml, SI-1819-TR.xml, and SI-2100-TR.xml. FE/PA/RF D-series modules require NI-DAQmx drivers present for operation (NI-DAQmx version 9.4 is available as of this software release). Release (November, 2011) New Instrument Support: This release introduces support of SI-1450 and SI-1550 instruments Known Issues E series measurement speeds are significantly slower than D series equivalent analyzers. Memory-leak occurs after several hours of operation with an E-series analyzer, sometimes leading to BPIM Web Engine application crashing in memory (C++ Runtime Error). Frequent error 6600 communications failures cause instrument communications problems. Release (June, 2011) Spartan QMS Compatibility Confirmation: This version has been confirmed to be compatible with Spartan release version 5.4 [2248]. BUG FIX: SW Module switch control appeared to become disoriented in version 10.3.x of the PIM Web Engine. This bug has been resolved in version [2222]. BUG FIX: System Date/Time Format changes were corrupting the TR Module Calibration Date, making it appear that the system was out of calibration. This bug has been addressed in version [2234]. * Support Note: TR Module Interface Update - This release includes the updated iqa2.dll interface library version This release requires iqa firmware version or newer (Recommended Firmware v2.0.2). FE/PA/RF D-series modules require NI-DAQmx drivers present for operation (NI- DAQmx version 9.3 is available as of this software release). Known issues in this release BUG: There is no mechanism built into this, or any previous release to define PIM systems which utilize common model components (i.e. use the same style of RF module). This limits multi-band systems to operate only through switched configurations (SW modules) or multiple systems which do not share common components [1914]. 8

9 Release (February, 2011) COMPATIBILITY WARNING: This version introduces the Kaelus program directory. Program files are now stored by default in the "..\Program Files\Kaelus\bPIM Suite\" directory. Similarly, calibration and configuration files are now stored in the "..\ProgramData\Kaelus\PIM" directory. BUG FIX: Full-System calibration files can load correctly in this release. A bug was introduced in version which prevented full-system calibration files from loading properly, forcing users to use modular calibration files only [2203]. BUG FIX: A bug introduced in version of the PWE software created a failure in loading calibration files for certain model FE Modules. Effected Models: SI-700L, SI-700U, SI-900E, SI- 2000E. The bug has been resolved in this release [2212]. TR DEVICE FIRMWARE UPDATE: It is recommended that instruments being sent in for calibration or other repairs be updated to the latest transceiver module firmware (Release v2.0.2). This firmware addresses a problem of intermittent communication failures and device lockup behavior, and can be used with PIM software version or newer [2204]. BPIM API Developer Updates BUG FIX: Legacy PIM analyzer control has been restored to this release. Version introduced a bug in this communication protocol which prevented control of Legacy PIM analyzers through the API communication layer. The bug has been resolved in this release [2208]. BUG FIX: Developers using simulated PIM instruments have noted a failure to simulate which appeared in the version release software. The bug has been addressed in this release, and simulated instruments can be used once again [2210]. * Support Note: TR Module Interface Update - This release includes the updated iqa2.dll interface library version This release requires iqa firmware version or newer (Recommended Firmware v2.0.2). Release (January, 2011) 9

10 Bug Fix: DD800-FE calibration file failed to load on discovery of the device. Bug Fix: TR Module Receiver Band was not switching properly for high band receiver use. No valid receiver measurements could be made while switch was in the wrong receive position. Bug Fix: TR Module Swept frequency measurements would intermittently measure random frequency points at noise floor due to a rounding error in frequency calculation. The bug did not effect all frequency points, and occurred at random. Known Issues in this release BUG: Full System (D series) calibration files are incompatible with the current Win Vista/7 compatibility configuration format, resulting in a failure to automatically load full-system calibration files. Manual copy of calibration files to shared directory (c:\programdata\kaelus\pim\calibration files\) will allow operation to continue [2203]. Release (December, 2010) Operating System Compatibility Upgrade - PIM Web Engine is now compatible with new Windows Operating System platforms (Windows XP/Vista/7) with or without User Account Control functionality. New Hardware Support - This release introduces support for the SI-1819-TR transceiver BPIM-E series module [2174]. This Transceiver Module model is designed to interface with Kaelus SI-1800, and SI-1900 Front End modules. o COMPATIBILITY WARNING: This release supports iqa Transceiver Firmware v Support for v2.0.0a has been discontinued in this release. New Hardware Support - Added device drivers for new FE Modules: SI-850-FE (12), SI-2100-FE (13), SI-2100E-FE (14), and SI-DD800-FE (15) New Feature - Calibration File handling has been updated Previous versions of the PIM software required calibration files to be stored directly within the program directory. New versions of Windows operating system platform do not allow file write access to the program files directory, and instead require file access & modification to occur from a protected program data directory. The calibration files are now stored in the system's common data folder (XP = "..\documents and settings\username\appdata\summitek\pim\", Vista/7 = "c:\programdata\summitek\pim\"). 10

11 Known Issues in this release BUG: PIM Web Engine Memory Leak appears to be slowly increasing memory footprint during operation. At growth rate of approximately 100 kb/min, this leak causes the application to crash after several hours of operation [2191]. Release (November, 2010) Release Notes now reference Bug and Feature tracking codes where applicable. This new feature will better allow your support team the ability to trace feature origins and history using a unique feature identifier. New Hardware Support BPIM E series PIM analyzers are now supported. This release supports the SI-0809-TR transceiver module in this series. This Transceiver Module model is designed to interface with Kaelus SI-800, and SI-900 Front End modules. o COMPATIBILITY WARNING: This release supports iqa Transceiver Firmware v2.0.0a (built Sept. 30, 2010) ONLY. Bug Fix - E-Series Communications Fail Intermittently Requiring device reboot [2154] Streamlined E-series communications mechanisms to minimize serial communication crashes. This bug may still arise however as it has been identified as a bug in the TR Module's transceiver firmware. A new firmware release will be required to fully address this buggy behavior. New Hardware Support - SW Module Support for the new SI-0309-SW switch module [2158] The SI-0309-SW switch module is capable of switching 2 transmitter inputs and 1 receiver output between three shared devices. The module can be used to switch devices connected to either a Kaelus RF, PA, or TR module, providing versatility to connect any switched PIM configuration. Bug Fix - API XML Schema Response Validation Error [2076] PIM API Update: The Boolean datatype was being incorrectly case-formatted in xml response data sent to custom applications. Attempts to validate the response data failed due to case sensitivity of the schema. This bug has been resolved and all response data containing Boolean datatypes are now correctly case-formatted Release (September, 2010) 11

12 Bug Fix: API Commands linked to enumerated data types were not being updated correctly through integer commands. This bug prevented any application utilizing the PIM API to change the default settings for the following commands: setdutport, setimavg, setimmode, setpxx New API Command Introduced: A settimeout command has been introduced in this version of the API to allow developers to dynamically adjust the PIM driver timeout period (the time a PIM analyzer will remain initialized without application interaction before automatically closing itself from memory). Release (July, 2010) BPIM Web Engine Commercial Release The BPIM Web Engine succeeds the PIM Hardware Engine by providing a new and improved programmer interface platform known as the PIM Advanced Programmer Interface (PIM API). For additional information, see the PIM API Programmer s Manual. COMPATIBILITY WARNING: This version of the BPIM Web Engine is designed to interface with D series Bench PIM analyzers only. A and B series analyzers can be controlled using the PIM API by installing this release (or newer) in tandem with the Legacy PIM Hardware Engine (see programmers manual for additional information). Software Support Requirements LabVIEW Runtime Engine version ( is installed automatically by the BPIM Software Suite installation package. NI-DAQmx version 8.6 or newer ( must be installed separately before the BPIM software can be used, as these drivers are required to communicate to the BPIM analyzer interface boards. 12

13 RELEASE NOTES: PIM Hardware Engine Release (August, 2009) COMPATIBILITY WARNING: This version of the PIM Hardware Engine does not offer support for A and B version Kaelus Benchtop PIM Analyzers. Older analyzers must be controlled using software releases versioned or older. New Features in this release: o o o Option D feature support Analyzers configured with the option D feature can be commanded to switch the stimulus transmit port between ports 1 and 2. Please note that RF power will automatically be turned off when switching ports (this is done to prevent potential injury or damage to the equipment). Switch (SW) module support Kaelus Switch (SW) modules may be controlled using this version of the PIM hardware engine. Before a switch module may be utilized, a calibration file must be created and a switch path map defined. SW Path Map GUI Press the "Switches" button on the PIMHW front panel screen to display the path map GUI. Use this window to define each of the switch path connections prior to system operation. This path definition GUI tells the software which switch position should be set to operate with various connected PIM modules. Multi band PIM analyzers are now supported. On initialization, the first detected FE module will be initialized automatically. Please note that band selection must be supported in the end user software (i.e. the VFP), as the PIMHW offers no interface for switching measurement bands. Bugs Addressed in this release: o SI 0105 RF Synthesizer Driver Updated New FSC 018 Rev. C synthesizers require an updated driver to properly tune the requested carrier and local oscillator frequencies. This release includes an updated driver to properly support this synthesizer revision. In order to identify the new synthesizers, this module will be assigned ID bit #5. Release (August, 2009) Maintenance Release: Minor bug fixes may be included in this release, though they will not affect user interactions. Release (July, 2009) BUG FIX: Release introduced a bug in the calibration verification of RF Modules. This bug caused the noise floor verification step to fail by producing erratic results. The bug has been addressed in release , and has been recalled. Release (June, 2009) 13

14 RELEASE NOTES: PIM Hardware Engine BUG FIX: The calculation for High Band IM products was incorrectly producing Low Band figures. This calculation has been addressed, and High Band products are now being measured accurately. This bug effects ALL high band receive products such as the SI 700U or custom SI 400D Front End modules. Release (March, 2009) Enhancement: Increased accuracy in PA modular calibration interpretation. PA modules calibrated using segmented bandwidth technique can be accessed using PIM Hardware Engine version or newer. Bug Fix: D Series simulation now supported. New Hardware: New support for the SI 0727 RF module has been added to this release. This module is designed to tune its synthesizers between 700MHz and 2.7GHz. Updated Hardware: Support for the SI 0105 RF module with "Revision C" Synthesizers has been added. This version is required for all SI 400 systems shipped later than November, 2008 Release 7.6 (September, 2008) BUG FIX: A bug existed in the v Release which was related to the 0827D RF Module being recognized as an 0727D, and was paired with a bug which attempted to tune the synthesizers to an invalid frequency. This bug is repaired in version NEW HARDWARE SUPPORT: Custom Front End modules now supported. The PIM hardware engine can now detect calibrated third party custom front end modules. NOTE: These modules MUST be calibrated by a certified Kaelus representative, and can be used only with systems calibrated with modular calibration files (i.e. a calibration file must exist for each PIM module). Custom FE modules will only be detected in the absence of a standard Kaelus FE module. Release 7.4 (April, 2008) MAINTENANCE: This release requires LabVIEW Runtime Engine version 8.5. Download from NI.com. ENHANCEMENT: This version of the PIM hardware engine now supports the use of stand alone module calibration files. This feature allows the PIM hardware to communicate with a PIM analyzer using the individual module calibration format. NOTE: Individual module calibration can be used only if all modules in use have been calibrated individually NEW PRODUCT SUPPORT: Support for SPARTAN Automated Test and Data management PIM Testing has been added. See for more information NEW PRODUCT SUPPORT: Support for PIM Module Switch Devices added for future expansion. 14

15 RELEASE NOTES: PIM Hardware Engine BUG FIX: Previous releases of the PIM hardware engine interrupted the Windows shutdown/restart/logoff sequence when running in memory. The bug has been resolved in this release. Release (January, 2008) BUG FIX: PIM B series controllers were temporarily unable to initialize version 7.x PIM Hardware engines due to a bug in D series detection methodology. This bug has been corrected in PIMHW v ENHANCEMENT: SI 900E (D series ONLY) Carrier 1 Tx Band definition has been updated to support tuning to MHz (previous releases limited this to 930 MHz). PLEASE NOTE: ALL SI 900E D series analyzers MUST be re calibrated with metrology software newer than version to utilize the latest software enhancements. Release (July, 2007) MEASUREMENT SPEED IMPROVEMENT: With the upgraded design of the RF Module interface board, the software drivers were redesigned to improve measurement speeds. However, this change makes the newer software incompatible with RF Module Interface Board revisions earlier than Rev C. HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY WARNING: PIM Hardware Engine versions and newer ARE NOT compatible with RF Interface boards Rev B or earlier. Release (May, 2007) FEATURE: Compatible with D series analyzers built with new revision RF Modules (rev C or higher), supporting individual module USB connectivity (NOTE: repaired slow measurement speeds found in Beta release (not available to public)). Release (March, 2007) FEATURE: Increased measurement speed for PIM D Configuration analyzers. RETURNING FEATURE: Returned Averaging, and ALC commands to the Hardware command set. COMPATIBILITY: PIM Hardware Engine version supports communications with both B and D configuration PIM analyzers, however support hardware drivers will differ between PIM analyzer models (i.e. B configuration analyzers still require the presence of NI DAQ v7.1 or newer; D configurations require the presence of NIDAQmx v8.3 or newer). 15

16 RELEASE NOTES: PIM Hardware Engine Release 7.0 (December, 2006) Model D Hardware Support Added Release (October, 2006) BUG FIX Peak Hold values were persisting between measurements, displaying inaccurate data. The Peak Hold values are now reset when power is toggled. Release (August, 2006) Resolved invalid Opt H power leveling some Opt H analyzers were displaying invalid power measurements than those measured at the physical analyzer carriers. Power readings were inaccurate, as some read correctly while others varied from the actual measurement. This error appeared in PIM Distribution versions 6.0.x and is thought to effect only Option H style analyzers, however Kaelus recommends that all 6.0.x software is updated to v6.1 to avoid any incorrect measurements. Known Issues The PIM Hardware Engine (pimhw.exe) must be running on a PIM controller in order for client applications (PIM VFP, PIMRC) to connect Release (June, 2006) Hardware Support: Added support for new analyzer model SI 1950C. Hardware Support: Updated Hardware Engine to support future configuration "C" analyzer models. Hardware Support: Option H with Option F (Forward/Through measurement capabilities). Custom Front End Characterization: The hardware engine is now capable of characterizing a dual side custom front end unit. A single front end definition can now be characterized to support both high and low side IM measurements. Release (February, 2006) 16

17 RELEASE NOTES: PIM Hardware Engine Hardware Support: Added support for new PIM analyzer model SI 850C. Release (January, 2006) Feature: Added support for new PIM analyzer model SI Feature: EnableControlSwap property in pimhw.ini configuration file set this property to TRUE to enable the Hardware Engine to change controlling clients automatically upon client request (i.e. if the PIMHW is currently connected to an existing application (e.g. the VFP) and another client application requests control (e.g. PIM Remote Control, or another VFP machine), the hardware engine will automatically switch control to the new application). TO ENABLE THIS FEATURE: In the pimhw.ini file, enter the line EnableControlSwap=TRUE (NOTE: if the property is not listed in the pimhw.ini file, it will default to FALSE (or Disabled)). Version NOTE: Version number was changed to closer match the PIM Distribution version number (no alternate versions exist between v2.5 and v5.6) Release (May, 2005) Bug Fix: Fixed memory leak problems leading to memory overflow errors. Bug Fix: Improved hardware measurement speeds by reducing synchronization times. Bug Fix: Lowered maximum settling time when ALC is applied (to 4 settling attempts). Release (October, 2004) FEATURE Added support for high side IM measurements (SI 400C). High side IM is set automatically when characterizing a new front end for SI 400C test sets and the Rx frequencies are set higher than the Tx frequencies. FEATURE Added support to remove SI 400C front end definitions permanently. MAINTENANCE Upgraded to LabVIEW 7.1 development platform. Requires LVRT 7.1. Known Issues The PIM Hardware Engine (pimhw.exe) must be running on a PIM controller in order for client applications (PIM VFP, PIMRC) to connect. Client applications using older versions of the PIM Hardware Engine may have relied upon specific DCOM configuration in order to remotely launch and configure communication with the PIM Hardware Engine. These older applications will NOT work with this version of the PIM Hardware Engine which no longer utilizes DCOM technology. 17

18 RELEASE NOTES: PIM Hardware Engine Performing a system shutdown (or restart) on the computer running the PIM Hardware Engine will cause it to exit, however, the shutdown (or restart) will be aborted. Two work arounds exist: o o Exit the PIM Hardware Engine before performing a system shutdown, or Perform another system shutdown after the PIM Hardware Engine exits from the first initiated shutdown. Release (August, 2004) FEATURE Added link to release notes on PIM hardware engine dialog. BUG FIX Modified hardware processing loop to wait exclusively on triggered events. Version could allow multiple triggers prior to acknowledgement. Known Issues The PIM Hardware Engine (pimhw.exe) must be running on a PIM controller in order for client applications (PIM VFP, PIMRC) to connect. Client applications using older versions of the PIM Hardware Engine may have relied upon specific DCOM configuration in order to remotely launch and configure communication with the PIM Hardware Engine. These older applications will NOT work with this version of the PIM Hardware Engine which no longer utilizes DCOM technology. Performing a system shutdown (or restart) on the computer running the PIM Hardware Engine will cause it to exit, however, the shutdown (or restart) will be aborted. Two work arounds exist: o Exit the PIM Hardware Engine before performing a system shutdown, or o Perform another system shutdown after the PIM Hardware Engine exits from the first initiated shutdown. Release (July, 2004) Updated support for SI 400C model PIM analyzers with reverse power detection, reverse power alarm reset, and hardware power off detection. Known Issues The PIM Hardware Engine (pimhw.exe) must be running on a PIM controller in order for client applications (PIM VFP, PIMRC) to connect. Client applications using older versions of the PIM Hardware Engine may have relied upon specific DCOM configuration in order to remotely launch and configure communication with the PIM Hardware Engine. These older applications will NOT work with this version of the PIM Hardware Engine which no longer utilizes DCOM technology. 18

19 RELEASE NOTES: PIM Hardware Engine Performing a system shutdown (or restart) on the computer running the PIM Hardware Engine will cause it to exit, however, the shutdown (or restart) will be aborted. Two work arounds exist: o o Exit the PIM Hardware Engine before performing a system shutdown, or Perform another system shutdown after the PIM Hardware Engine exits from the first initiated shutdown. Release (March, 2004) Uses new calibration file format (see SI 90 Release Notes). Support for SI 400C model PIM analyzers. Support for Kaelus S.N.A.P. switches. Modified TCP/IP connection to support faster data transfers to/from client applications. Supports several new methods and properties exposed via the Kaelus PIM Remote Control ActiveX component (see PIM Remote Control Release Notes). Known Issues The PIM Hardware Engine (pimhw.exe) must be running on a PIM controller in order for client applications (PIM VFP, PIMRC) to connect. Client applications using older versions of the PIM Hardware Engine may have relied upon specific DCOM configuration in order to remotely launch and configure communication with the PIM Hardware Engine. These older applications will NOT work with this version of the PIM Hardware Engine which no longer utilizes DCOM technology. Performing a system shutdown (or restart) on the computer running the PIM Hardware Engine will cause it to exit, however, the shutdown (or restart) will be aborted. Two work arounds exist: o Exit the PIM Hardware Engine before performing a system shutdown, or o Perform another system shutdown after the PIM Hardware Engine exits from the first initiated shutdown. 19