CORIO Control Panel quick Reference Guide
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Control Panel Version 1.10 (c) May 2001 Vine Micros Ltd.

Introduction
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CORIOCP.EXE provides a quick and simple way of controlling a CORIO unit via an RS232 port.  It also allows cloning of units, and saving of all settings to a file.

COM Port & RS232 connections
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You'll need a spare COM port on the back of your PC to link up to your CORIO unit's RS232 connection.  COM ports are typically connectors with either 9 or 25 pins (not holes) within them.  Some CORIO units use 9-pin connectors, so a simple null-modem cable can be used to link it to your PC.  Other CORIO units use a 5-pin mini-DIN connector, so a special cable will be required.  You'll also need to know the port number of the COM port: if there are two connectors (one with 9 and one with 25 pins), the 9 pin one is often COM port 1, and the other is COM port 2; otherwise, COM port 1 is usually nearer the top or left of the PC (viewed from the rear).

Running the program
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After installation, having connected the CORIO unit to your PC with a suitable RS232 cable, run the CORIO Control Panel program.  The first thing you need to do is enter the correct COM Port value (a number, minimum value 1).  Then select the type of CORIO unit you have attached.  The program will then go away and extract all appropriate data values from the CORIO unit - which may beep a few times (this is normal).

If you get errors: check the COM Port selected, your cabling, and the CORIO type.  Also check that the CORIO unit is enabled for RS232 (and not Mouse mode on some units).

Changing the settings
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Once the data has been extracted from the unit, select the item you want to alter from the list on the right, and use the + and - buttons to change it.  Some features also have option buttons, so you can simply select the option you want (eg. Off or On).  Some features are not listed (eg. AutoSet, Store Settings) but are available elsewhere on the Panel (either as buttons, or menu items).  Buttons are provided for some settings (eg. Screen Size) where graphic arrow images make life easier.

Saving settings
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Select "Save to c:\corio.cfg" from the File menu to save all settings to a text file.  The settings are refreshed from the CORIO unit as the file is being saved, to ensure they are up to date.

Restoring from a file
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Select "Open from c:\corio.cfg" from the File menu to restore settings.  First the program checks the connected unit's current settings, and then corrects them when they don't match the file's values.

NVR menu
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This allows you to store any changes made to settings - or they'll be lost the next time power is switched off on the CORIO unit.  VGA Store is only necessary if you altered any of the 'Manual Set' values.  Store Settings is the normal way to change a setting such as Underscan/Overscan, etc.

Clone menu
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This provides a simple way of copying ("cloning") all the settings of one unit to another.  First "Read" all the settings from an attached unit, then plug in a new unit (of the same type), and "Write" the data back.  You could do the same thing by simply Saving to the c:\corio.cfg file, and then Openning it again - but the Clone menu doesn't change the c:\corio.cfg file.  Note that you cannot clone a unit if it is in 'RS232 Mouse' mode, since no RS232 communication would be possible with it.

Reset menu
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Provides a simple way of Resetting the unit back to its power-on state.  This is equivalent to pressing RESET on the infra-red remote control supplied with most units.


Please note
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1. Since the Screen Size values are all independently stored for PAL/NTSC and Underscan/Overscan settings, the unit has to switch between different video standards and Overscan Off/On settings in order to read or write these values.  This is why you'll hear beeps when the list of settings is refreshed - since the unit is being switched between different modes.  The unit is always left in its original state when any operations are completed.

2. You can freely edit the c:\corio.cfg file, since it's just text.  But don't alter the 'menu' values like "Overscan      " - just alter the number at the end.

3. You can't alter Baud Rate or other RS232 settings, since that would disable communications with the Panel.  The baud rate used is the default of 9600,N,8,1.  If your CORIO unit is set to any other Baud Rate, you will not be able to use this Control Panel.

4. The Panel does not use hardware handshaking - it relies on the CORIO unit's '>' symbol that's returned when a command has been executed to know when to send the next command.

5. When you change a value, the new value is sent to the CORIO unit and immediately read back again - thus ensuring that the data you see on-screen is correct.

6. To reset a CORIO unit to its Factory settings, hold down both + and - whilst powering up the unit.  For the CORIOscan Pro, use the Eng. Reset option from the Engineering menu.  For internal cards, hold down the micro-switch beside the RS232 connector whilst powering-up the computer.


Revisions since version 1.00
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1. Fixed bug where deleting COM port number would cause software crash.


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