From: Jack Lebowitz <jack_lebowitz@micro.microbio.uab.edu>
  To  : RASMB Recipients <rasmb@bbri.harvard.edu>
  Date: 12 Sep 1995 16:32:05 -0500

New XL-A Windows/Origin 3.

We are using Bo Demeler's UltraScan software and recently found that the
latter will not work with the new Windows software. Consequently we had to
return to the old EPROMs and software to regain use of the UltraScan software.
Since many of you are using UltraScan I would advise against have the new
Windows software installed until the compatibility problem is resolved.
Beckman is now aware of this problem but I have no time projections regarding
a solution.   
  
  
From demeler@bioc02.uthscsa.edu Tue Sep 12 18:34:09 1995
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From: Borries Demeler <demeler@bioc02.uthscsa.edu>
Message-Id: <199509122304.SAA30892@bioc02.uthscsa.edu>
Subject: New XL-A Windows/Origin 3. (fwd)
To: rasmb@bbri.harvard.edu
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 18:04:08 -0500 (CDT)
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> From: "Jack Lebowitz" <jack_lebowitz@micro.microbio.uab.edu>
> Subject:  New XL-A Windows/Origin 3.
> 
> We are using Bo Demeler's UltraScan software and recently found that the
> latter will not work with the new Windows software. Consequently we had to
> return to the old EPROMs and software to regain use of the UltraScan software.
> Since many of you are using UltraScan I would advise against have the new
> Windows software installed until the compatibility problem is resolved.
> Beckman is now aware of this problem but I have no time projections regarding
> a solution.   
> 
There are actually several problems with the new XL-A software/firmware,
at least with the version I have seen in July:

1. Although scans can be displayed during acquisition, the latest scan will
always be deleted from the scan before the next one is put up on the screen.
This prevents you from comparing successive scans - very important for velocity
runs to determine if the speed is correct.

2. The software didn't seem to have a way to prevent a velocity scan from
starting up *before* the desired temperature was reached in the rotor.
For example, if you wanted to run a velocity run at 10C and the current 
rotor temp was 15C, the rotor would start spinning as soon as 50 microns
vacuum was reached, regardless of temperature, clearly unaceptable for 
velocity runs.

3. All the filenaming conventions have been changed in the new software,
which may be fine for the interference optical system, but doesn't serve
us absorption optical people well. I suggested to Paul Voelcker to
include the former filenaming convention as an option for those who run
the absorption optical system.

4. The fileformat has a slight change: The "0 0 0" EOF marker has been
deleted. This change doesn't affect UltraScan but may be a problem for
other software.

5. The windows based program has a bug with multitasking - when another 
application is active under Windows the XL-A software stalls and waits for
you to be finished. So, if you have the software set to acquire data as
fast as possible, the program may actually sit and wait for several
minutes (I forgot the actual time, but I think it was on the order of 
up to 20 minutes!) before it acquires the next scan - making you loose your
data!

6. The firmware required to run the windows based software is incompatible
with the DOS based data acquisition program for the XLA, preventing you
to go back to the older software! 

7. The incompatibility problems with UltraScan Jack Lebowitz is referring to
are soleley due to the change in the filenaming conventions. If you are 
willing to rename the files by hand to the old convention they should work 
fine, I can also supply a patch to those who prefer to run the windows 
software despite the bugs - please call me at (210) 567-6592 if you need it.

These are just the bugs I found on a first glance - there may be more, but 
after finding them I decided it wasn't worth continuing with the new version.

I mentioned all of those bugs to Paul Voelcker and Ed Hawkins from Beckman,
and was assured that they were going to be fixed. I haven't see the latest
release, but would be happy to beta test any later version here in San 
Antonio.


Best regards, -Borries Demeler