4.3. Testing Cascade Connect operation
Testing the link between the Windows computer and the data server can be done using the simple test described here. The test involves creating a Cascade Connect configuration file (.ini file) and copying one of the Cascade Connect shortcut icons in Windows so that we can use this to start the Cascade Connect program.
The test also uses a program on the data server called demowrite to send a stream of sample data to the Windows computer. We do not need to configure a client program in Windows in order to establish that data is arriving from the data server. The Cascade Connect runtime window will display statistics and new data values as they arrive from the data server. This is sufficient to verify that the link between the Windows computer and data server has been established. In the chapters on Excel and InTouch we describe how you can send data from the Windows computer to the data server.
4.3.1. Preliminaries
4.3.1.1. Creating a desktop folder
It is very convenient to have a Cascade Connect folder on your desktop. If the Cascade Connect installation did not put one there, follow the procedure outlined here. If you have a Cascade Connect folder, move ahead to Creating a configuration file.
Highlight the Cascade Connect group in the Windows Start menu. (Click the Start button, then move your mouse over Programs list, and then over the Cascade Connect entry to highlight it).
Press the right mouse button and drag the Cascade Connect group to the desktop background.
Release the right mouse button and select Copy Here from the pop-up menu. The Cascade Connect folder should now appear on your desktop.
4.3.1.2. Creating a configuration file
Now you will need to define a configuration file that Cascade Connect will use when it starts up. To do that, follow these steps:
Open the Cascade Connect folder on your Windows desktop.
Open the Cascade Connect Setup window by clicking on the
icon.All entry fields should be blank. If they contain information, clear all of the fields or close down the setup window and restart it.
Select Debug Mode:
Click inside the Server IP Addresses entry field (the lower field) and type in the name of the server computer and then click the Add button as shown here:
Then enter the name cascade into the TCP service field:
Enter demo in the Connect Server name field:
Save the file as
c:\shortened_path_to_executable\testlink.ini
where shortened_path_to_executable is the path notation used by DOS (8 characters per file or folder name) of the path where Cascade Connect is installed on your machine. For example, the default installation path is c:\progra~1\cogent\cascad~1\.
4.3.1.3. Configuring an icon in Windows
To initiate the Cascade Connect program we must define a shortcut link in Windows. To do this, follow these instructions:
Copy the
icon that is displayed in the Cascade Connect folder.Rename the icon to something like Link Test.
Right click on the icon and display the properties.
Ensure that the Target field reads:
"C:\path_to_executable\cascade.exe" -i Testlink.ini
where path_to_executable is the complete form of the directory path to where Cascade Connect is installed on your machine. For example, the default installation path is "C:\Program Files\Cogent\Cascade Connect". If the entry is not correct, edit it.
Ensure that the Start in field reads:
"C:\path_to_executable"
where path_to_executable is the same as above. If the entry is not correct, edit it.
Save the new icon properties.
4.3.2. Running the test
The test is run by following these steps:
At the Windows computer, double click on the Link Test icon you created (above).
At this point, if you get a message: Cascade requires a TCP/IP host name, check the TCP/IP Host Name entry in the Cogent Glossary, FAQ and Troubleshooting Guide before continuing.
The Cascade Connect runtime window should appear, as shown here:
The Connection Status field at the bottom of the window should read:
TCP Link to your.dataserver.computer established
Now Cascade Connect and the Connect Server are running with no Windows application client. Cascade Connect has entered a 3 second cycle in which it looks for a default Windows client (the InTouch view.exe program). While waiting for a client, Cascade Connect exchanges a regular heartbeat message with the Connect Server. This mechanism allows Cascade Connect to detect a break in the network link. Cascade Connect will also receive any data messages sent from the data server and display summary information in the Cascade Connect runtime window.
For more information on the Cascade Connect runtime window, see The Cascade Connect runtime window.
At the data server, type the following command on the command line:
demowrite 10000
In the Cascade Connect runtime window you should see the Mess. from Server total count increase by 10,000 and you should (briefly) see the following message in the Last Incoming Message field:
This field displays the contents of every message that arrives from the data server. The message states that the last incoming message was the value 10,000 for the double floating point number named input1.
Since the link is fully bi-directional, the fact that you received these messages in Cascade Connect proves that it is correctly configured and is passing information between the data server and Windows.
For more information on demowrite, see demowrite in Cascade Connect Utilities.