Advice on operation: Methods


In this section

This section describes the following method scenarios:

  • Cannot perform Quit or Logoff

  • Monitor signals do not appear in the Curves pane in System Control.

  • Error message "Couldn't create result file... Destination path could not be found"

  • The Method-System Connection dialog box keeps appearing.

  • The Method Editor window does not fit on the screen.

  • There are red instructions in a method.

  • After Windows logout and login you cannot get a system connection.

  • The Print screen command does not send a copy of the screen to the printer.


Cannot perform Quit or Logoff

Scenario

Solution

You are unable to perform Quit or Logoff from UNICORN for a connection.

You might be running a Scouting method or a MethodQueue. These functions require a control mode connection in order to start subsequent cycles correctly.

Action: Stop the Scouting method or MethodQueue before you quit or log off.


Monitor signals do not appear in the Curves pane in System Control

Scenario

Solution

Monitor signals do not appear in the Curves pane in System Control.

  • Choose System:Settings:Curves in System Control

  • Set the Store option to ON.

Signals for which Store is set to ON can be selected from the View:Properties:Curves dialog box in System Control.


Error message "Couldn't create result file... Destination path could not be found"

Scenario

Consequence

If you receive the error message Couldn't create result file... Destination path could not be found at the end of a method, the local computer was unable to access the folder specified in the result file path.

This may happen if the specified folder is on the network server and network communication has been lost. The result file is instead saved in the Failed folder on the local station.


The Method-System Connection dialog box keeps appearing

Scenario

Solution

If the Method-System Connection dialog box keeps appearing you have one or more methods that are not connected to a system.

Reason: Most likely you have imported one or more methods with the command File:Copy from External in the UNICORN Manager.

Connect the method(s) to the appropriate system.


The Method Editor window does not fit on the screen

Scenario

Solution

The Method Editor window does not fit the screen and has scroll bars.

Reason: The incorrect font size might be installed.

  • You need to install Small fonts instead of Large fonts. This requires that you have the Windows CD-ROM that was shipped with your Compaq computer.

  • Insert the CD-ROM and follow the directions on the screen.


There are red instructions in a method

Scenario

Solution

Red instructions (instructions with a red dot) in a method are syntax errors and may be due to the following:

  • The method was connected to the wrong system, that is the strategy of the system is incompatible with the method.

  • The Copy function was used instead of Copy from external when a method was imported from a disk.

  • The wrong system may have been selected in the Save As dialog box in the Method Editor.

  • You may also have templates not intended for your system, which might be the case for custom designed systems.

  • The systems strategy has been updated with a new strategy that differs in the instruction set.

There are several actions that you can take:

  • Check that the method has been connected to the correct system in either of these ways:

    in the System Method Connection dialog box when you use the Copy from external dialog box

    in the Save As dialog box in Method Editor.

  • If the system is custom designed, go to the Method Editor, select the red instruction and either delete it or replace it with a corresponding instruction (if available) from the Instruction box. Repeat this for all red instructions before saving the method.

The method instructions do not correspond to the components you have chosen for your system.

Check your system components under Administration:System Setup in the UNICORN Manager.


After Windows logout and login you cannot get a system connection

The scenario below applies to local systems only, not remote systems.

Scenario

Solution

You have logged out of Windows and then logged in again, but you cannot get a system connection in UNICORN.

Reason: If you shut down Windows with the command Start:Shutdown:Close all programs and log in as a different user, you will not be able to obtain a System Control connection in UNICORN the next time you or another user logs on. This is because this shutdown procedure automatically shuts down a number of processes, including those needed for system connection. The services are only started when the computer is booted up.

Restart the computer in order to obtain a system connection in UNICORN.


Print screen does not send a copy of the screen to the printer

Scenario

Solution

The Print screen command only makes a copy of the screen to the clipboard and not to the default printer.

If you want to print the view on the screen, press the <Print Screen> key and paste the image from the clipboard into an appropriate program, such as Microsoft Paint, and then print out the image.


2005-06-15