Article ID: Q600004

The information in this article applies to:

• Direct I/O, version 4.2, 4.3, 4.4

SUMMARY

The Echelon LON-BUILDER Software is a 16-bit DOS application that was only meant to run under DOS. Echelon does not support operation under any other operating system therefore it is up to us, the users, to figure out how to do this. This article explains how to configure a Start Icon, as well as Direct I/O, to allow LON-BUILDER Software to operate under Windows XP. This assumes you have one ISA slot in your machine.

The LON-BUILDER Interface Adapter is an ISA card that occupies 8 consecutive addresses. The default on-card jumper switches are set to address 310 Hex. The card does not use any interrupts. To setup Direct I/O to work with the default address, in Control Panel, set Direct I/O's Active Ports to include 310-317 Hex, and browse Security to Add LONDISP.EXE and MON_TSR.EXE to the Allowable Processes.

Now you simply need to create a Batch file, LB.BAT, to start the DOS program. Here are the steps assuming you have installed LON-BUILDER in C:\LB directory:

1. Use Notepad to create a file called LB.BAT in the C:\LB directory, if you do not already have such a batch file.
    
2. Put the following command strings in the batch file (cut & paste):
   @echo off
mon_tsr
londisp %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
if "%LONSUB%" == "" mon_tsr off
 
3. Close Notepad to save the file.
    
4. Click Start -> Settings -> Task Bar -> Start Menu -> Classic -> Customize
    
5. Click Add -> Browse to locate C:\LB\LB.BAT, click OK
    
6. Click Next -> "optional New Folder" -> Next
    
7. Type in useful name such as "LB-project name", click Finish
    
8. Click Advanced then navigate the Start Menu folder to find your "LB-project" item
    
9. Right click your "LB-project" item, then click Properties
    
10. Add the project path to the end of the Command "Target" and choose the "Start In" directory to be above the project path. For example (assuming your project drive is D):
    Command Target: C:\LB D:\jobs\customer\project
Start In: D:\jobs\customer
 
11. Click OK to close the Properties Dialog Box
     
12. Right click the "LB-project" item, the click Send To -> Desktop (create shortcut)
     
13. Close all dialog boxes.
     
14. Make sure your "project" folder has been already created as referred to in the Command Target line above.
     
15. Test by double clicking the Desktop Icon you created. If this is a new project, LON-BUILDER will create more directories under the project directory for you.

STATUS

This solution has been contributed by Garry Anderson (Baradine Products Ltd., Canada).