Unit Conversion

Unit Conversion

  1. george
    Toolkit 1.3 has a new feature that can help you when you need to replace a unit on the Network with the new one of a type that has similar functionality without losing any programming. For example, you may need to replace 4-key Saturn with DLT unit and make DLT unit have the same groups and functions as on the replaced Saturn unit without manually changing any parameters on GUI.

    ConvertUnits_MismatchingUnits.PNG

    Once you’ve got new unit on the network at the same address as the old database unit, scan network and select the old unit in database. Toolkit highlights with red the corresponding unit on the network. Now if you double-click the database unit, you will get this warning:

    ConvertUnits_OpenUnitWarning.PNG

    If you click “Yes” on this dialog, Unit Conversion will take place and KEYB4 Saturn unit in database will become KEYBL5 DLT unit, as on the network but with programming copied from the old Saturn database unit. Standard DLT unit GUI will be opened next and from this point you can work with this unit as with any other. If you save changes to physical unit or transfer programming from database to network, you will thus complete Unit Conversion with new physical unit having the same values in all parameters (or at least in matching parameters) as the old unit.

    If some parameters of an old unit do not exist in a new unit, they will be omitted when converting. If a new unit has parameters, which do not exist in an old unit, they will get the default values. If for example you are converting KEYM8 to KEYM4, keys 1-4 will be converted, but programming for unsupported by KEYM4 keys 5-8 will be lost. If you are converting KEYM4 unit to KEYM8 unit, programming for keys 1-4 will be converted, but keys 5-8 will get the default <Unused> groups and functions.

    This is how Unit Conversion works for a single unit. If you know you have more than one unit to be converted or you are not sure what units are ready to be converted, you can use “Convert Units” toolbar button:

    ConvertUnits_ToolbarButton.PNG

    It will open this dialog:

    ConvertUnits_Dialog.PNG

    On this dialog you can select units you want to be converted and then press “Convert Units” button to complete the operation. If conversion was successful, you will see “Unit Conversion completed” in the last column.

    Only units that are ready to be converted, will be listed on this dialog. Convertible Unit means database unit at the same address as the network unit but of a different though usually similar type. Toolkit 1.3.0 supports conversion of the following groups of unit types (unit types within each group can be converted from one to another).

    1. KEY1, KEY2, KEY4
    2. KEYM2, KEYM4, KEYM6, KEYM8, KEYB2, KEYB4, KEYB6, KEYA1, KEYA3, KEYA6, KEYA8, KEYAV2, KEYAV4
    3. SENPIRSS, SENPIROA, SENPIRIA, SENPIRIB
    4. DIMDN4, DIMDN8
    5. RELDN4, RELDN8, RELDN12
    6. PC_DAL2, PC_DAL2B
    7. KEYML5, KEYBL5, KEYDL4

    Also on top of that all KEYMx, KEYBx, KEYAx and KEYCx units can be converted to DLT units (KEYML5, KEYBL5, KEYDL4).

    The support for Unit Conversion is still quite basic. Expect this functionality to improve in the near future and to support more unit types. Don’t forget to backup your projects before using this feature, at least until you're comfortable with how it works.