MS-DOS Troubleshooting Tips

General MS-DOS Issues Cardiocomp for MS-DOS Flexicomp for MS-DOS Physiogrip for MS-DOS Spirocomp for MS-DOS

General MS-DOS Issues

Weird Screen Image When Loading Program Your video hardware may be incompatible with PICEM.EXE, the program which displays the GIF "intro screen" images before loading the Intelitool software. Just delete the PICEM.EXE file from the ITOOL directory to solve the problem. Error #5 When Program Loads Your computer is probably not capable of CGA mode, or it is not set up to run in CGA mode at the moment. CGA (Color Graphics Adapter) capability is the minimum video hardware requirement for running our software. Computer Hangs After or During Printing First of all, make sure that printing works on your machine without our software. From the DOS command line, press "Shift-Print Scrn" to dump an image of the screen to the printer. If that works, then at least you know the printer is connected and configured properly. How much memory is available? There should be at least 512k. Is the computer on a network or have other drivers loaded? Try booting directly from the distribution floppy disk in order to eliminate the possibility of any software driver conflicts. Make sure that the diskette is not write-protected (i.e. the tab in the corner covers the hole), put the diskette in the A: drive, and restart the computer. Can't Calibrate Transducer (All But Cardiocomp) If you are having difficulty calibrating Physiogrip, Flexicomp, or Spirocomp and have one of the CH Products Game Card III Automatic game card adapters (which we recommend), try adjusting the sensitivity setting of the card. This is done in the Preferences section of the Intelitool program. Consult your User Manual for details. If you do not have a CH Products Game Card III Automatic you may need to install one. Disk Error When Saving Experiment Data to Disk Make sure the data disk is formatted and not write-protected. Computer Does Not Respond to Key Presses If the P key (print command) is pressed and your system does not have a printer attached but you said you had one in "Preferences", the computer may lock up. You must reboot (turn the computer off and on). Make sure you change the Preference setting to reflect the fact that there is no printer attached. If the P key (print command) is pressed and your system does have a printer, check to see if the printer is turned on and/or selected (online). If the transducer was not connected and data acquisition was selected, the computer may lock up. Connecting the transducer should eliminate the problem. If the transducer has become disconnected during data acquisition, the computer may lock up. Re-connecting the transducer should eliminate the problem. Transducer Drifts Out of Adjustment (All But Cardiocomp) Some game ports "drift" as they warm up. If you leave the computer on for 15-30 minutes before you use it, this should eliminate this problem. Data plots Look Noisy/Fuzzy (All But Cardiocomp) An ungrounded computer can cause the data to be jumpy. Plug the computer (and stimulator in the case of Physiogrip) into a grounded electrical outlet. Also, if the transducer has been stored and not used for a long period of time, the potentiometer (POT) inside can become slightly corroded and dirty - particularly in humid environments. Try turning the large pulley back and forth through its full range several times to "clean" the contact wiper. If you feel comfortable enough doing so, you can even disassemble the Spirocomp or Physiogrip transducer and spray some television tuner cleaner into the POT and then rotate it back and forth through its full range. To access the POT, simply remove the four screws from the metal back plate of the transducer box (the plate on which the connector is mounted). The potentiometer is the round thing with three terminals on it. Lastly, the power supply in your computer could be defective or just "unclean." Sometimes an excess amount of noise in the power supply will not affect the functioning of the "digital" aspects of the computer, but will affect any analog connection to the computer (i.e., the game port). This often will show up on the &endash;12V line from the power supply. The best way to fix this is to replace the power supply with a good (clean) one. You can also try positioning the game port card in a slot as far away from the power supply as possible. Picture Printed is Garbled For the MS-DOS versions of our products, printing is implemented using the graphics printer driver that comes as part of the MS-DOS operating system. If you are using something other than an Epson compatible dot matrix printer, you will have to load the driver that is appropriate for your particular printer. This involves editing the product-specific batch file (e.g. SPIRO.BAT for Spirocomp) which can be found in the ITOOL directory on the distribution diskette. Edit the file by typing a space and then the name of the printer driver (as it appears in the GRAPHICS.PRO file found in the DOS directory on the diskette) after the word "graphics". For example, if you have a Hewlet Packard printer, the line in the batch file should read "graphics HPDEFAULT" instead of just "graphics". You might even find a more specific driver for your HP printer in the GRAPHICS.PRO file. Save the batch file and then boot directly from the diskette to use the software. It would probably be best to make a copy of the diskette to modify and use in the classroom. If you need additional help or information, feel free to contact me. For printing to work correctly: The DOS directory must be in your AUTOEXEC.BAT path declaration. There must be either a file named GRAPHICS.EXE or GRAPHICS.COM in your DOS directory. Try launching the program by either 1) booting from the product floppy, 2) using the ITOOL.BAT file in the root directory and then selecting the product from the product menu, or 3) using the <PRODUCT>.BAT file in the ITOOL directory. The printer must be connected properly with the correct cable. Check any DIP switches in the printer. Refer to your printer manual. Using MS-DOS Software Under Windows 95 or Later Although the MS-DOS versions of our software will run and allow you to acquire data under Win95 or later, there are a couple of known problems which may arise, so it is not recommended. The problems you may encounter are as follows: Loading & Saving Data Files - No files will be listed on the screen when attempting to open or save data from the "Data File / Disk Commands" menu. Instead, the message "<< THERE ARE NO ITEMS TO LIST >>" appears on the screen where the files would normally be listed. Note that you can still open a data file; you just won't be able to select it from a list of available files. You must, instead, type in the full path and name of the file to be loaded or saved. Printing - Windows 95 does not support the method in which printing is implemented in our MS-DOS software. The simplest (and recommended) solution is to bypass Windows 95 altogether by booting directly from the product floppy diskette. This will boot the computer directly into DOS. You can then run the program and print as described above.

Cardiocomp for MS-DOS

Noisy Signal The Cardiocomp hardware is very sensitive due to the small voltages being measured. As a result, noise can be easily introduced into the signal from a number of sources. To ensure a clean signal, pay special attention to the following points. First, make sure that you do a good job "prepping" the subject and positioning the electrodes. Abrade the skin well with an alcohol pad, and use the appropriate amount of electrode gel in order to enhance conductivity. Try to position the electrodes over an area of the skin that has little or no hair and which overlies as little muscle as possible. Securing the ends of the electrode cables to the subject with tape (so as to prevent movement at the attachment of the cable to the electrode) can help as well. Try to get the subject to relax as much as possible, since electrical impulses generated by background muscle tension can appear as noise in the signal. Having the subject lie down is ideal, with a relaxed seated position being the next best choice. Make sure all of the electrodes and electrode jacks are firmly connected. Finally, electromagnetic noise from other electrical equipment in the room - especially 60 cycle interference from florescent lighting, electric motors and the like - can also introduce noise into the ECG signal. Computer Not Responding in Data Acquisition Mode Check that the Cardiocomp data acquisition board DIP switches are set correctly, and that the IO location specified in "Preferences" agrees with the DIP switch settings.

Flexicomp for MS-DOS

Software Doesn't Wait for Hammer Application (Continuous Trace) The problem is either in the transducer cable, the transducer, or the hammer itself. If the problem persists with the hammer disconnected from the transducer, then either the cable or the hammer connector on the transducer is shorted. Swap in a known good cable to determine where exactly the problem lies. If, with the hammer disconnected, the problem goes away (software states that it's waiting for hammer application and there's no continuous trace running across the screen), then the problem is a faulty hammer which needs to be repaired or replaced. Transducer Rotation Not Reflected on Graph Make sure the thumbscrew on the transducer is tight. You should re-calibrate after tightening it. Hammer Stimulus Application Not Detected This is most likely the result of a faulty hammer, but the problem could also be with the hammer connector on the transducer or the transducer cable. Try swapping the components to pinpoint the source of the problem. Can Not Calibrate Transducer If you seem to be stuck in a loop where you can't get past the transducer calibration, try the following: Make sure that after you set the calibration number to 0, you are tightening the thumb screw before pressing the space bar and opening the transducer to 150û.

Physiogrip for MS-DOS

Motor Point Pointers Obtaining a good set of data with Physiogrip can require patience and persistence in locating the subject's motor point. There is also a great deal of individual variation in the quality of the twitch response you will obtain from electrical stimulation. Following are some pointers which should increase your chances of acquiring good data. Try warming the muscles up a bit first by squeezing a ball or hand grip or just repeatedly making a tight fist and relaxing. Stretching the muscles by pulling the fingers toward the back of the forearm and massaging the forearm can also aid in the warm-up. Prep skin surface just as you would for an ECG - both the back of the hand where the negative electrode is attached as well as the volar surface of the forearm where you will be stimulating. Make sure you are using the lightest weight spring on the Physiogrip transducer and that the tension is backed off as much as possible by turning the wing nut in a counter-clockwise direction. Sometimes, replacing the spring with a lightweight rubberband will reduce the dampening even further. Often, just the act of rotating the forearm into position on the transducer can lead to a loss of the motor point under the probe. Therefore, instead of grasping the transducer like a pistol, keep the hand palm-up, and position it under the transducer so that the 3rd or 4th finger is pulling the trigger from underneath. Use books, rags, or other items to prop up the arm so that the hand (and finger) rests in the most favorable position under the trigger. Females frequently have a little more trouble than males. This is probably due to differences in subcutaneous conductivity. With females in particular, often the best results can be achieved by using the fourth finger rather than the third finger. Try using a stimulator probe other than the one supplied. Some people have achieved good results using a large electrode such as an ECG electrode. You may find that with the large electrode you will stimulate too many muscle fibers. Be carefull, however. With a large electrode it will be easier to slip up and apply a voltage to the left hand. If you are still having trouble, and you are sure that you have followed the directions carefully, try a different subject.

Spirocomp for MS-DOS

Tidal Cycles Not Detected During TV & ERV Measurements How the spirometer responds to different breaths can be adjusted by changing the tidal sensitivity setting in the software preferences. Consult the Spirocomp User Manual for details. Calibration Difficulty If you are using the Phipps & Bird 6 liter spirometer, make sure that there is a friction band (rubberband) inside the groove of the white pulley over which the chain rides. A dry rotted or missing rubberband will cause the chain to slide over the pulley without turning it, resulting in an inability to calibrate. If you are using the Phipps & Bird 6 liter spirometer, make sure that the white pulley has not separated from the black knob. They should turn together as one unit. If the white pulley is loose and sloppy and turns independently of the black knob, the bond between the pulley and knob has failed and the unit needs to be repaired. You can perform the repair yourself. All you need is a small allen (hex) wrench and some super glue or other strong adhesive. Use the hex wrench to loosen the small inset hex screw on the side of the black knob, and then remove the knob and pulley. Glue the two back together with the adhesive, making sure that the holes are centered, and then reassemble. Chain Jumps Off Pulley During Inflation If you are using the Phipps & Bird 6 liter spirometer and the chain tends to jump off the pulley during volume measurements, check that nothing has become lodged under the friction band in the groove of the pulley, thereby causing a high spot and a tendency for the chain to slip off the pulley. Remove the rubberband and then reseat it. Also, if the bell float is not remaining level throughout its travel, that could also contribute to the chain's tendency to jump off the pulley. See the next tech tip for help with that problem. Bell Float Tips to One Side (Does Not Remain Level) This may happen with some Phipps & Bird 6 liter spirometers. At its worst, it could cause the chain to jump off the pulley during volume measurements. Sight the vertical portion of the chain as it descends from the pulley to the bell float and make sure that it is perpendicular to the top of the bell from all angles. In particular, the chain should be absolutely vertical when viewed in line with the long axis of the float (i.e. parallel with the scale arm). If it is not, gently twist the support post on which the scale arm is mounted. This should improve alignment and will tend to straighten out a leaning bell float. Another thing to try is turning the bell float around so that it is oriented 180 degrees from the way it was originally. This is accomplished by removing the bell float from the tub, spinning it 180 degrees, and reinserting it. You might have to compress the sides of the bell float slightly in order to get it past the retaining pins which protrude from the inside top of the tub. If all else fails, you may have to resort to using one or more counterweights to level the bell float. Simply place coins, microscope slides, or any other handy lightweight small items on the high side of the float to even things out. Readings Seem Unrealistically High Check that the BTPS factor was not inadvertently set to some unreasonably high value. The BTPS factor can be changed in the Preferences section of the software and is accessed under the Edit menu. Readings Seem Unrealistically Low Make sure that the transducer is properly calibrated. Recalibrate it if in doubt. Check that the BTPS factor is not set to some unreasonably low value. The BTPS factor can be changed in the Preferences section of the software and is accessed under the Edit menu. The chain may be "slipping" over the transducer pulley because of a missing, poorly seated, or old (dry rotted) friction band. The friction band is a special size rubberband which sits in the groove of the large pulley. If the chain is slipping, then the pulley isn't turning as much as it should, thereby resulting in low readings. This problem is likely to be most noticeable during rapid movement of the bell float such as VC measurements. Try reseating or, if necessary, replacing the friction band. Data Seems Noisy or Jumpy An ungrounded computer can cause the data to be jumpy. If at all possible, plug the computer and McADDAM II interface into a grounded electrical outlet. Also, if the transducer has been stored and not used for a long period of time, the potentiometer (POT) inside can become slightly corroded and dirty - particularly in humid environments. Try turning the large pulley back and forth through its full range several times to "clean" the contact wiper. If you feel comfortable enough doing so, you can even disassemble the transducer and spray some television tuner cleaner into the POT and then rotate the knob back and forth. To access the POT, simply remove the four screws from the metal back plate of the transducer box (the plate on which the connector is mounted). Capacity of Spirometer Insufficient Unfortunately, there's not much you can do if individuals exceed the capacity of the 6 liter Phipps & Bird spirometer. You can try "overfilling" the tub slightly, but that's about it. If you own the Phipps & Bird 9 liter spirometer, this should not be an issue. Valves Leaking Air If there is air escaping from the valves, make sure you follow the disinfecting procedure outlined in the Spirocomp Lab Manual. Immersing the valve assembly in the alcohol solution and then rinsing between subjects not only disinfects, but the wetting of the valves helps the rubber diaphragm to seal better. If the rubber diaphragm is warped and doesn't seal properly even when wet, then replacing the valve(s) is the only option.