Version History

You find here (all) file's version history. The current version is at the end of the list.

General

All versions starting from V 0.5 have the following common changes:

• New communications module. See notes in term.exe.
• Removed need for DPMI (new compiler), faster and more compact code

Software DRO:setup

Current version: 0.5

V 0.1 (first public)

V 0.2

• Added support for 2 axes mills and lathes
• added hint for modem-cable (x-over)

V 0.5

• Added support for a quill on a mill. -> mill3q.cfg

Software DRO:ddisp

Current version: 0.5

V 0.1c (first public)

• break in while within if-statement did not work
• "empty" function calls (eg input without assignment) did not work
• added C++ style comments
• on some PCs the first user-selection of a macro crashed

V 0.1d

• getnext didn't work with more than one parameter

V 0.2

• added include-syntax ("INCLUDE:<filename>") to cfg-file(s). Can be nested.
• added display("addPostDispHandler", "<handlerMacroName>")
• added display("removePostDispHandler", "<handlerMacroName>")
• added display("addPreDispHandler", "<handlerMacroName>")
• added display("removePreDispHandler", "<handlerMacroName>")
• added display("ShowTool", "<toolsName>")
• special tool-macros added. Tool-macros start with a "#" in their name. They act exactly like normal macros. Only difference is, that they are sorted into a different list. This tool-list can be reached by typing a "#".
• added persread(<identifier>, "<Name>") and perswrite(<identifier>). Note that the "<Name>" has to obey the rules for identifiers. No blanks etc.!
• added persfile(<filename>). This way you can have different persistent files in the same directory. persfile can only be used once in a cfg file and must be used before the first persread/perswrite. If persfile is not called, the default "persist.tbl" is used.
• parser now detects unclosed strings (missing the second '"'). The error you got from that was quite confusing. Note that strings can't spawn lines.
• parser sometimes ignored unknown variables resulting in unexpected results
• axes names now can have up to two characters without shifting the following numbers into the status lines. Secondary axes names still can have "any" length.
• primary axis names got two additional special characters /1 /2. they are small a "1" and a small "2", usage is for Z1 and Z2 (on a lathe).
• A forth axis can now be displayed. It looks like a secondary axis (small letters). That forth axis has a secondary axis too. (lathe.cfg is a good example for that)
• some scales (only one digital caliper so far) resist in starting up in mm (maybe they write it into some non-volatile memory). This version fixes that problem and does its own scaling back to mm (that might be converted to inch). This double conversion (if necessary) doesn't loose accuracy.
• the input routine (for numbers) got more sofisticated
• overflows (too big numbers) no longer scramble the screen (but displays "OVL")
• English and German compiles

V 0.5

• Numbers can now be for example ".5", before they had to have a leading 0 ("0.5") to be interpreted propperly.
• Added fopen and fprintf for tracing values to a file (example usage: digitizer)
• Faster execution, now 33MHz with a 386 (or maybe even slower) are enough (background read/write to interface)
• Trying to open an nonexisting *.inc or *.cfg file no longer seems to hang the program.
• Changed the reading-indicator (reading form the interface) from a 'r'&'R' to a "spinning wheel" ('-', '/', '|', '\')
• Reading errors from the interface are now displayed as "TimeOut". When restarting ddisp, this may result in a "TimeOut" on a single axis for about 1 second.
• Pressing <Return> (without having opened the macro list) no longer selects the first macro, but now does nothing.
• Better checking on persistent-file operations.
• A '.' in place of a ',' in the var-declaration no longer leads to strange errors-warnings.

V 0.5a

• persistent file could not be created. Only relevant on new installations, existing ones have no problem with that (that's why that error slipped through)

Macros

The macros for mills got a new version-numbering (since switching to RCS). The current version can be seen at the beginning of the .CFG-file (millxy.cfg, mill3.cfg, mill3q.cfg). Current version is 1.2. The .INC files can have different version numbers, but all files from the same ZIP belong together. In every file, you can see the changes made at its beginning.

Mill:

V1.1

• Version since switching to RCS

V1.2

• PS (PointSequence)-macro added

Lathe:

All "official" macros (lathe3.cfg, lathexz1.cfg, l_tools.inc) do have the version 0.2. The version number can be found at the beginning of the file..

Quick-test program (QuickTst.exe)

Current version. V 0.5

V 0.1

• first public version

V 0.5

• new compiler. See general

Terminal Program

Current version.

V 0.1

• first public version

V 0.5

• Now shows the UART (the chip in your PC doing the serial communication).
• If you do have a 16450, you might get problems on slow (maybe below 100MHz) PCs if EMM is installed and DOS is in high memory.
  Symptom is frequent TimeOuts. Solution: Remove the EMM in your config.sys.

Firmware for DRO:int4

Current version: 0.2d
Versions starting at V 0.2a are functionally identical. No need for update.

V 0.1

• non-public

V 0.2

• first public version

V 0.2a

• fixed a timing problem

V 0.2b

• extended debugging features

V 0.2c

• message about received bits (debugging)

V 0.2d

• Strings changed (yadro.de)