4. D2ASI operator Interface

The equipment is installed at the user site, ideally where the screen and (optional) printer can be accessed by a responsible person. There are three forms of user intervention available to the system. Apart from shutting the system down, either the diagnostics can be varied or error conditions must be solved.

4.1 Display organisation

The display is organised into the five zones of the ASL Standard User Interface for character-based systems. Starting from the top, these are:-

4.1.1 Title

This contains the version number of the system. If any queries or problems need to be reported to Ken Baldry at Art & Science, please quote the version number and also the data displayed on the screen, noting the colour it is displayed in. The principle cause of problems is running obsolete versions of the system.

4.1.2 Information area

This is used to display information about the progress of the monitoring, which can be varied with the function keys (see below). When reporting problems, this area should be described.

4.1.3 Status Line

This is row 23 on the screen and is normally coloured red. Any conditions or errors requiring user action are reported here. If the errors are fatal, then a request to 'Hit any key to exit' will also be shown.

4.1.4 Command Line

This is row 24 and is used only for comfort dots or scrolled input display in D2ASI .

4.1.5 Help Line

This is row 25 and shows little. Help is best obtained by typing the <F1 key or reading this guide.

4.2 Colour in the Information Area

The various messages shown in this area, either unsolicited or requested by Function Keys (see below) are coloured according to their significance.

Magenta messages are comments generated by the system.

Red on Cyan messages concern the opening and closing of files and ports.

Cyan messages are input from the Dealing 2000 port.

Yellow messages are output to the Dealing 2000.

Black on Cyan messages are input from users.

Black on Green messages show the phasing of start-up and shutdown.

On the Command line, input from the Dealing 2000 can be shown, a character at a time in Red on White.

4.3 Error conditions

There are two error conditions that require immediate action by the user. The first will usually be followed by the second. In both cases, D2ASI will beep until someone attends to the error, which they wil do before the beeping drives them mad.

Error messages are described in detail in section 5 below.

4.3.1 Bad D2ASI connexion

The dealing system has become unavailable. Press <F6 to stop the D2ASI from beeping.

4.3.2 Beeping

If an error has occured, the system beeps once every time 50 passes have been made through its event loop. The event loop services events such as D2ASI communications, user communications, timeouts, comfort dots (see 4.4.2 below) and keystrokes. D2ASI is an event driven system, which is how it multi-tasks a number of different functions under DOS.

4.4 Diagnostics

The other function keys shut the system down (see 4.3 below) or change the diagnostics as follows:-

4.4.1 <F1 Help key

A description of the other keys is displayed in the Information area of the display.

4.4.2 <F2 Comfort dots

If it is suspected that the system has 'hung up' or otherwise failed during the monitoring phase, this key should be struck. If comfort dots scroll along the command line, then all is well. This key is a toggle.

4.4.3 <F3 Display input

This key will cause the input from the Dealing 2000 and users to be displayed in the Information area as well as the updates to the intermediate files. This key is a toggle.

There is no reason to turn screen (<F3>) diagnostics off.

Note that non-warranty call-outs of Art & Science staff will be surcharged at 25% if diagnostics were turned off or not noted down at the time of any problem.

4.4.4 <F4 Show Dealing input ticker

As data comes in from the Dealing 2000 , it is displayed a character at a time on the Command Line in red on white.

4.4.5 <ALT-L Initiate or cancel debugging log file

This can be done at any time but gobbles up disc space. Only for use in debugging or analysis of strange events.

4.4.6 <F6 Suppress beeping

When an error has been detected and printed, the system beeps continuously until <F6 is used to stop it.

4.4.7 <F8 Show which options are set

It is very easy to forget which function key options have been set if any one line is not functioning properly. Using <F8 shows the current set of options in the Information Area, rather as <F1 shows the choice of options.

4.4.8 <ALT-F5 Back the audittrails off onto floppy disc

This backs the transaction files (audit trails) off onto a floppy disc and needs to be done frequently enough to avoid the hard disc becoming filled with audit trails. Note that audit trails previous to the current day's are backed off, except when the current day is after 31/12/1998 and there are remaining files dates for 1998. These will need to be removed manually. However, files from 1/1/2000 onward wil be backed off as usual.

4.5 Shut down

There are two ways for an operator to shut the system down, using key-strokes.

4.5.1 The <ALT-X key

This is the immediate shutdown key. Any open files are closed but the system does not log off from the Dealing 2000 or users. The screen is not cleared, so the last few diagnostics will be visible. <ALT-X is the panic button.

4.5.2 The <F10 key

This closes the system in an orderly manner. All files will be closed and the D2ASI will log off from users, logg off from the ASI and delete all the instruments from the Dealing 2000. Finally, a message requesting that another key (any key) be struck to close the system confirms that all functions have been shut down. The screen is then cleared and DOS re-entered.

4.6 Summary of keystrokes

4.6.1 <F1 Help key

A description of the other keys is displayed in the Information area .

4.6.2 <F2 Comfort dots

Generates comfort dots along the command line. This key is a toggle.

4.6.3 <F3 Display input

Causes the input from users and Dealing 2000 to be displayed .

4.6.4 <F4 Show Dealing 2000 input

As data comes in from the Dealing 2000 , it is displayed a character at a time on the Command Line in red on white.

4.6.5 <ALT-L Initiate or cancel debugging log file

Diagnosis aid.

4.6.6 The <F6 key

Used to stop audible error warnings, after the error has been investigated.

4.6.7 The <F7 key

Diagnostic for programmer use only. It is dangerous to touch this key.

4.6.8 <F8 Show which options are set

Shows the current set of options in the Information Area, rather as <F1 shows the choice of options.

4.6.10 The <ALT-X key

Causes an immediate shutdown.

4.6.11 The <F10 key

This closes the D2ASI system in an orderly manner.

4.6.12 The <ALT-F5 key

This backs the transaction files (audit trails) off onto a floppy disc.