In this iTools release, simulated devices are distinguished from real devices by the use of a different color for the panel LEDs (white rather than yellow), and by the prefixing of the panel’s device type label with the letters “SIM”.
Opening Views onto Additional Clone Files
Views of additional clone files may be opened in any of the following ways:
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By selecting the “Open Clone File” command from the iTools menu or toolbar. This will display a standard File Open dialog for file selection.
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By opening a clone file directly from the Windows Explorer or Shell, e.g. by double-clicking the file.
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By dragging a file out of the Explorer and dropping it onto the iTools window.
Using the Application
There are two different types of view which show the set of available devices: Device Panel Views (also known as device faceplates, towards the top of the iTools main window) and the Device Browser (to the left of the main window). Both of these views may be shown or hidden as required - see the View menu.
The functionality of iTools may be accessed by various means:
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The main iTools menu bar.
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The iTools toolbar.
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Context-sensitive pop-up menus accessed by clicking with the right mouse button.
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Double-clicking a device faceplate (or a device listed in the browser) will show the parameter lists for that device, and double-clicking a parameter in a list will allow the value of that parameter to be modified.
All iTools features may be accessed from the keyboard as well as the mouse. It is a continuing aim of the development that all functionality should be accessible from both a pointing device (mouse, touch screen, etc.) and the keyboard.
Command line options
The command-line options supported by this release of iTools are outlined below.
Command-line options are not case-sensitive.
/AddAll
Causes faceplates for all devices known to the iTools Server to be displayed on startup. Devices identified later, e.g. by the Server scanning the network, will not be added. See also /Scan.
/NoPurge
Devices which had been known to the Modbus Server but which are no longer present are normally purged when iTools starts up. Using the /NoPurge option will prevent this.
/NoSplash
Prevents the iTools splash screen being displayed on startup.
/NoWarn
Suppresses the warning messages which iTools normally generates when loading a device of an unsupported type and/or version.
RegServer
Updates the Windows Registry with all settings required by iTools. This is performed automatically by the iTools Setup program.
/Scan
Enables a Background Scan for new devices. As additional devices are detected by the iTools Server during execution, corresponding faceplate views are displayed in the iTools main window. This functionality can also be enabled or disabled from the iTools main menu.
See also /AddAll.
/Server: servername or /Server
Specifies the location of the computer running the iTools Server application. Using this option will cause iTools (client) to try connecting to the remote server machine using DCOM, instead of using the server on the local computer.
If servername is not specified on the command line, a dialog box prompts for the name of the remote server.
Please note that the iTools Server must be installed and registered on the local (client) computer, even when connecting to a remote server using DCOM.
Important: please note that this option is provided as a convenience to the user, but is not
officially supported by Eurotherm.
/UnregServer
Removes from the Windows Registry all settings added by iTools.