Overview

    MintLoader uses the Active-X control MintControls5224.OCX, which is included in build 5224 and later of the Mint-MT WorkBench V5. This can be obtained from www.supportme.net which is Baldor's end-user support web page. I used build 5225 for testing, which is available Here.

    I have used the BX, BX-II, MintDrive, MintDrive-II, FlexDrive, and FlexDrive+ on jobs for customers. But, I don't have access to them at my office. So, at present, I have only tested MintLoad on the NextMove-PCI. Therefore, I could use some feedback as to if there are any problems. Please send comments Here.

    Please keep Beidelman Software in mind if you have the need for custom software development. We write Mint software, Windows software, Linux software, and PLC software. Please visit my Online Resume for more details.

    Click on the MintLoad icon, or run it from the start menu. Next, you pick the controller tab for the desired mint platform, provide the desired communication parameters, and the desired firmware and program paths. Instead of typing in the path as a character string, you can click on the browse button, and select the file with a browser. After all the information is entered, you can click on the Download button. At this point, any program currently running on the controller is stopped, the new program is downloaded, and the new program is started. If you want to save all the information you entered into this form for later used, you can click Save, and file it away for later use. The standard extension for this parameter file is MLC, for Mint Load Configuration. At some later time, you can click the Open button, and recall the file, then repeat the download. If you checked the Automatic Download check box when you saved the configuration, then there is no need to click the Download button, as the open process will do this automatically.

Example 1 : Running MintLoad Directly at Startup

    Non-interactive use relies on passing strings to the program on the command line. In the simplest form, you can pass just a single argument, which is the pathname of the MLC file previously saved. If automatic download is checked, then as soon as the non-interactive icon is clicked on, the program is downloaded to the Mint controller and run. If automatic exit is also checked, then the MintLoad program will be automatically closed, after this auto download.

    In windows, there are several ways to pass the file name argument on the command line. You can create a shortcut with the arguments immediatly following the executable file name. for example:

Example 2 : Associating the MLC Extension with Mint Load

    You can set up Windows to automatically run the process when you click on the MLC file.

From this point on, whenever you click on a MLC file, mintload will always be run, passing the MLC file to it.

    You can place a shortuct to the MLC file in the Startup group to do the download at login. You can also give the MLC file on a start->run or a command prompt.

MLC Parameters

    The MLC configuration file is created by the save button, taking all the parameters which were in effect at the time of the save. MintLoad is capible of maintaining this file on it's own. However, it should be mentioned that this file is an ascii file, which may also be edited with a text editor (such as notepad). Each line in the file is of the form parameter=value. The same parameter names may also be specified on the command line. In the configuration file, you should not quote parameter values which contain spaces (the end of line is the end of the parameter). When the parameter is given on the command line, parameter=values phrases which contain spaces must be enclosed in quotes (as "parameter=value with spaces"). The comand line parser distinguishes MLC file names from parameter=value settings by the equals sign in the parameter=value pair. The command line is processed left to right. Therefore, a parameter may be overidden from the MLC file by specifying the override parameter=value pair to the right of the file.

    A flag's value is either 0 or 1. Set it to 1, to make it true, and cause the action mentioned in the table to be taken. Set it to 0, to make it false. In this case, the action mentioned in the table will not be taken.

    The AutoExit flag is ignored when no command line arguments are given. This is so that it is still possible to run the program interactively to edit the configuraton file. It is also ignored if the download fails for some reason.

    If the program to be downloaed is a MNT source file, it is automaticly compiled into a binary MEX file. The MEX file is then what is actualy downloaded. When a MEX file is specified, no compile is done. If the program file is blank, no program will be downloaded.

    If the firmware file name is blank, then no firmware is downloded. This should be the typical case on controllers which store the firmware in flash or battery backed static RAM. The PCI controller stores the program in RAM, so it must always be downloaded after power up.

    Communications ports are specified by their port number. 1 is for com1, 2 is for com2, and so on.

References