Re: Loading PC data to AS/400

["Roger Vicker, CCP" <rvicker@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Johnnyboyl@aol.com wrote:
> 
> We are going to write some programs that will allow PCs to control and
> collect data from shop floor torque guns. We will want to upload this data
> from the PCs to the AS/400. Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can
> upload this data to the AS/400? (eg; what packages out there would do the
> job?) .
> 
> Also, my boss wondered if it was possible to have an AS/400 directly control
> these 24-36 torque guns (in real time). I believe that using PCs to control
> them, and then uploading the data to the AS/400 at a later time is the way to
> go. Any comments?
> 
> Thanks.

Do the torque guns run 7x24? If they do what are they going to do while
you:
backup the system, install the next version of software, regularly IPL
the system to allow cleanups.
If something breaks how fast and cheaply can you swap in a spare host or
repair the system?

For one of my customers (actually 6x24) the above points on a job and
time data collection system made a solid case for the PC route. It
stores the data on a hard drive and a history diskette as it comes in.
If it fails we can appropriate a user's PC to replace it in minutes. If
the AS/400 goes down it continues to buffer the data until the AS/400 is
up again. The only performance hit on the AS/400 is the brief batch
upload (no continuos polling of the terminals and handling the multitude
of possible errors). The PC has a menu option that starts CA/400
(actually DOS Ext memory), signs on, uploads the file, signs off,
reboots the PC (we had a problem where even though inactive PCS in
memory caused us to loose characters on the serial port to the
terminals) all automatically. I am trying to sell the customer my own
version of software for the data collections that would be able to
periodically shut down, format the raw data, and run the above steps
without a user.

Roger Vicker, CCP
-- 
*** Vicker Programming and Service *** Have bits will byte ***
Communication.. without it, everyone's a mushroom.

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