1. Why can’t I make changes in the Schedule Editor?
There are two reasons for someone’s inability to make changes: either the person is not properly logged into the Schedule Editor, or there was an .ACC file present in the working directory when the Editor started.
Check the Security menu; If "Log On" is in dark type, then select it and type in the proper password for the Schedule Editor.
If "Log Off" is dark, and you still can’t make changes, including moving transmissions, then delete the file "SCHED.ACC" from the working directory, typically C:\SOSS. You must restart the Schedule Editor after deleting SCHED.ACC.
".ACC" files are generated by the editors; they are
normal to see while the one of the editors are running. If the
SOSS computer crashes, or is turned off while one of the editors
is running, then the .ACC files are not properly erased, and will
cause problems.
2. Why can’t I make changes in the Setup Editor?
There are two reasons for someone’s inability to make changes: either the person is not properly logged into the Setup Editor, or there’s an .ACC file present in the working directory when the Editor started.
Check the Security menu; If "Log On" is in dark type, then select it and type in the proper password for the Setup Editor.
If "Log On" and "Log Off" are grey, then
delete the file "SETUP.ACC" from the working directory,
typically C:\SOSS. You must restart the Setup application after
deleting SETUP.ACC.
Hardware problems with the original DataExpert computers and Eye-Q monitors are covered under the warrany from DataExpert. Call DataExpert at 408.737.8880, and arrange for delivery of a new monitor. The station will have to tell the person at DataExpert the serial number from the back of the computer; that’s the site number that DataExpert uses for tracking.
In some cases, the station will also need a new video card to replace the original Chips and Technologies card. DATAEXPERT should send along a new Cirrus Logic card and OS/2 driver disk.
Please notify PRSS Technical Support if you get a new monitor
or video card from DataExpert.
4. My SOSS computer is getting slower and slower. Why?
It’s probably the result of a known bug in at least two versions of the DACS software. DACS software from early 1996 to the software included in ARA Release 2.0 did not purge DACS messages except under a very specific set of circumstances. It’s not unusual for a station to have over twenty thousand files in the C:\DACS directory on their SOSS computer.
The immediate task is to delete the majority of stored DACS
messages. The fastest way to do that is to delete them a month at
a time. DACS messages are stored by their message number, which
follows the format:
YYMMDDXX.XXZ, where:
YY is the year (96 = 1996, for example)
MM is the month (12 = December, for example)
DD is the day the message was created (09 = the ninth, for example)
XX.XX day the message was created (00.36 is the thirty-sixth message of the is the sequential message number for the day, for example)
Z indicates whether the file is a (h)eader for a DACS message, (m)essage text, or binary (a)ttachment.
Due to the way that OS/2 handles its file system, it’s faster in the long run to delete hundreds of messages, rather than thousands, at a time. Typing the command:
del 9612*
will delete all the messages that were created in December of 1996.
Open an OS/2 window. At the command prompt, type:
cd dacs
Then delete DACS messages, a month at a time, until you’re done. A decent "maximum number" of messages seems to be about three thousand.
Open the C:\DACS directory every few weeks and delete DACS files as necessary.
The permanent solution is to load onto your SOSS computer ARA
Release 2.0, which has a fix for this specific problem.
5. I see "DOS Open Error 110" when I try to read some DACS messages.
This is indicative of two problems. The first is that data between the DSC demodulator and the SOSS computer is being corrupted by noise induced in the DSC data cable, or there’s a problem with the ARTIC port that’s receiving DSC data. The second is that an out-of-date version of DACS software is running on the SOSS computer.
To fix the first problem, move the DSC data cable to another ARTIC port, then change the port assignment in Setup, under Edit:General Parameters. Restart the SOSS computer. You might have to rebuild the DSC Data cable using computer networking-style twisted-pair cable. When you do, make sure that the clock (pins 1 and 8 at the ARTIC end of the cable) and data (pins 3 and 4 at the ARTIC end of the cable are running on pairs that are twisted together.
To fix the second problem, get a copy of the latest version of
the ARA software and load it onto your SOSS computer. Starting
with ARA Release 1.3, the DACS software recovers as much DACS
text as it can, and displays the full message with "missing
packet" lines for the actual corrupted packets.
6. My System Schedule is showing fewer and fewer days in the future, and I’m using ARA Release 1.4a.
The ARA software is set to save too many days of schedule and log. System usage is well beyond the "practical" limits set when the software was specified in 1993. The System Schedule, in ARA software before Release 2.0, is a fixed length file, holding two thousand transmissions. When that file fills up, no new schedule can be added, even though its transmitted to the stations every two hours.
To fix the problem, open the Setup application, and set the "Schedule/Log Purge Time" parameter to 2 days. The System Schedule purges just after midnight (ET) every day; the next morning you should see a full eight day schedule.
ARA Release 2.0 permanently fixes this problem. The
relationship between "Schedule/Log purge time" and the
System Schedule has been broken; the System Schedule purges
automatically every 24 hours. The System Schedule has also been
changed so that it holds up to twenty thousand
transmission lines.
One thing to do is to move the ESN Key to another ARTIC port; and change its port assignment in the Setup application, under Edit:General Parameters.
In some cases, the ESN Key has malfunctioned, but these cases
are rare.
8. The audio from my demodulators is "spitting" or "muting" at random times.
There are several possible causes, but two are most common:
The first is that one of your downconverters, the LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) or the demodulator itself, is malfunctioning. Contact the Satellite Facilities Repair Depot at 202.414.2650 for further troubleshooting assistance.
The second is that your antenna (satellite dish) may be
mispointed or damaged. You can get a copy of the
"Antenna" white paper that Jim McEachern wrote from
PRSS Technical Support. You can also check another version of the
paper in the January/February 1997 copy of BE Radio
magazine, page 32.
9. What do I do if we’ve lost the password for the Schedule Editor and/or the Setup Editor?
If you accidentally "logged out" of either application, try logging on and typing "enter" when the appplication asks for a password.
If you’re forgotten or lost the password to the Schedule Editor, try to open the Setup application. The password is displayed in the Edit:Passwords menu item.
Passwords for the ARA applications are stored in the file
GLOBAL.DAT. To remove forgotten passwords, you must delete that
file from the C:\SOSS directory. Unfortunately, deleting that
file will also delete all the general parameters for your SOSS
computer. After deleting the file, open the Setup application and
reset all the parameters in Edit:General Parameters. After you
make changes in Setup, it’s best to do an orderly shudown
and restart the SOSS computer.
10. I’m getting inconsistent performance from my Serial Control Bus.
A Serial Control Bus (SCB)’s performance is dependent on proper setup and proper connections.
Make certain that only the resources that are connected to the Serial Control Bus are configured in Setup. Delete any resources from Edit:Schedule Resources that are not currently used on your SCB.
If a particular device is not working properly, swap SCB cables between it an a "known good" device. Sorting out bad cables or connectors is a fiddly business and could take a considerable amount of time. If the device itself is malfunctioning, contact the Satellite Facilities Repair Depot at 202.414.2650 to make arrangements for a replacement.
There’s some tips for SCB troubleshooting in the 2.0
version of the SOSS User’s Guide, delivered to stations in
late February, 1997.
11. One (or more) of my demodulators say "Not Authorized".
Look at the display on the demodulator. If, in addition to "Not Authorized", it also says, "Unusable", or "Acquiring", then the demodulator is mis-tuned or set to an incorrect frequency. Tune the demodulator to a known PRSS channel, including properly setting the IFBS for that unit. If the display still says, "unusable" after five minutes, then there’s a problem with the signal reaching the unit. Swap cables with a "known good" demodulator or check your downconverters or LNA.
For further troubleshooting of RF problems, contact the Satellite Facilities Repair Depot at 202.414.2650.
If this is a newly-installed demodulator, then it needs to
have authorization data sent to it. Tune the demodulator to
A68.8. After it locks onto the carrier, call PRSS Technical
Support at 800.971.7677 or 202.414.2677 to get the demodulator
authorized.
12. My SOSS computer has suddenly gotten slower.
Check the front of the computer. You should see two lights: a green one and an amber one. If you don’t see the amber one, then the computer is operating at half speed. Shut down and restart the computer, pressing the "Mode" button on the front of the computer before restarting. You should see the amber "Turbo" light come on. The computer should then run at normal speed.
NB: DataExpert computers running out of "Turbo" mode
will show a host of mysterious problems, including flaky starts
when trying to "Load ARTIC Tasks".
13. DACS Send doesn’t work. Why?
DACS Send requires software on the SOSS "Head End"
computers at the STC to work. As of this writing, that software
is still under development and testing at the STC. Anticipated
turnup of the new head end is scheduled for Summer, 1997.
-sb /Feb 97