2000/01/10 Caterpillar

Off-Highway Truck/Tractor:

785C (PIN: 1HW1-UP)

789C (PIN: 2BW1-UP)

793C (PIN: 4AR1-UP; 4GZ1-UP)

784B (PIN: 5RK1-UP)

785B (PIN: 6HK1-UP)

789B (PIN: 7EK1-UP)

793B (PIN: 1HL1-UP)

Wheel Tractor:

854G (PIN: 1JW1-UP)

Wheel Loader:

994D (PIN: 3TZ1-UP)

992G (PIN: 7HR1-UP)

994 (PIN: 9YF1-UP)

Excavator:

5130B (PIN: 4CS1-UP)

5130 (PIN: 5ZL1-UP)

5230 (PIN: 7LL1-UP)

5130 (PIN: 7TJ1-UP)

Reference: Service Magazine, 20 September 1999, Page 19, "VIMSpc99 Now Available"

This article provides a brief description of the enhancements and the fixes that have been made to the VIMSpc99 software. This version of VIMSpc99 replaces VIMSpc99 version 1.0.3 and version 1.0.5. Version 1.0.5 was a Beta release of the software and was distributed to test sites only. The features of this software are described in the readme file.

VIMSpc99 V1.1.5 software has improved the speed of database transfers and the speed in which files are archived.

V1.1.5 or later versions of VIMSpc99 software provide support for the new VIMS onboard hardware (V4.0) that is scheduled for production on some machines in early 2000. A future article will announce this hardware. Earlier versions of VIMSpc99 and all versions of VIMS-PC do not support this new hardware.

Note: VIMS-PC V2.X will no longer be updated. The VIMS software support hotline will continue to support VIMS-PC V2.X. However, training on VIMS-PC V2.X will no longer be offered. VIMS-PC V2.X does not support the new VIMS onboard hardware (V4.0).

Most of the information that is listed below is taken directly from the "Readme" file of VIMSpc99 V1.1.5. Refer to the "Readme" file on the VIMSpc99 CD-ROM or the on-line help in VIMSpc99 for further assistance in resolving setup and operational questions.

The VIMSpc99 V1.1.5 Readme File

Versions of software that are shipped with this release:

• VIMSpc99 version: 1.1.5

• Master Data version: 1.1.3

Installation Notes

Note: IF YOU ARE A PREVIOUS USER OF VIMSpc99, IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU COPY YOUR EXISTING "VIMS.MDB" FILE TO A SECURE LOCATION PRIOR TO BEGINNING THIS INSTALLATION PROCESS. THE "VIMS.MDB" FILE IS TYPICALLY FOUND IN THE "C:\PROGRAM FILES\VIMS\DATA" DIRECTORY. AFTER THE UPDATE PROCESS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE BACK UP FILE OF THE VIMS.MDB CAN BE DELETED.

On a system with no prior installation of VIMSpc99, this installation procedure will install the latest program and master data. On a system with an older version of VIMSpc99, this installation procedure will upgrade your program to the latest VIMSpc99 program (version 1.1.5) and will update your existing database to the latest master data (version 1.1.3). The database update process may take up to 1 hour depending on your computer's processor speed and memory. In addition, this installation will install the latest "ODBC drivers" onto your system. The "ODBC" installation may require extra reboots during the process. On Windows 95 systems, the installation may require one reboot during the process. Windows 98 and Windows NT systems may require two reboots during the process. Do not remove the installation CD during these reboots.

Windows NT installation note: You must log onto NT as Administrator or have Administrator rights to install VIMSpc99. However, during normal operation, only the "User rights" are required.

Operational Change

When viewing prognostics, previous versions of VIMSpc99 displayed a selection table of trends, histograms or cumulatives for the user to choose. This selection was based on a preprogrammed list of possible data for the selected model. VIMSpc99 now presents the user with a selection of data that is actually in the database for the selected machine serial number. When the user changes the time or SMH selection criteria, the selection window must be refreshed by clicking the lightening bolt symbol. Please refer to the Trend Report, Histogram Report or Cumulative Report section of the on-line help for a more thorough description.

Fixes in Version 1.1.5

1. Previously, when attempting to export a report, the message "Error #429", "ActiveX Component can't create object" would sometimes occur. This has been corrected.

2. Previously, an "overflow error" error message might have occurred when transferring trend data to another database. This has been corrected.

3. Previously, only a limited number of snapshot and datalogger parameters could be exported. This has been corrected so that all parameters can be exported.

4. Previously, some users encountered the following error message when starting VIMSpc99: "A system error has occurred: This key is already associated with an element of this collection". This has been corrected.

5. Previously, after Installing a Configuration file on a machine, the error message "Cannot display modal form" sometimes appeared before the "Operation completed successfully" message. This has been corrected.

6. Previously, while printing a report, pressing the "Close" button would generate a run-time error. This has been corrected.

7. Previously, a partial database transfer would not be deleted if the database transfer operation was unsuccessful because the disk ran out of space. This has been corrected.

8. Several previous "View/Change Configuration" problems have been corrected.

   1. Users could not run the "View/Change Configuration" option on computers running Windows NT without "Administrator" rights. Now the user only needs the "User" rights.

   2. Some valid shift definitions were interpreted as being invalid

   3. Some reports would not run in a regional setting that has a "," (comma) as the decimal point symbol for numbers. The report would appear and then quickly disappear.

   4. Some "Data Event" reports might drop portions of an event definition when sorted by Master Event or Parameter.

9. Previously, the average values for the Truck Payload detail report were incorrect in a regional setting that has a "," (comma) as the decimal point symbol for numbers. This has been corrected.

10. Previously, the average values at the end of the "Trend" tabular report were incorrect in a regional setting that has a "," (comma) as the decimal point symbol for numbers. This has been corrected.

11. Previously, if the user selected a regional setting that has a "," (comma) as the decimal point symbol for numbers as the default, and then changed this to a "." (period), the wheel loader bucket weight values would be shown incorrectly (the decimal symbol was in the wrong place). This has been corrected.

12. Previously, a run-time error would occur if the user pressed the "Cancel" button during a Copy Configuration operation. This has been corrected.

13. Previously, if the user was viewing a "report criteria dialog" and then selected a different machine using the menu option ("File/Select Machine(s)"), the report would not be refreshed to show the data for the new machine. This has been corrected.

14. Previously, the Service Meter Hour (SMH or SMU) values for all reports might have differed by one unit between the "preview" and "export" options. This has been corrected.

15. Previously, if the system was set to a regional setting where "Metric" is the default system, the real-time parameters screen would not convert between "English" and "Metric" units correctly. The values were always displayed in "English" units regardless of the "Metric" or "English" setting. This has been corrected.

Fixes in Version 1.0.5. (These fixes are also included in this release)

1. Previously, the "Low" and "High" values in the summary section of the header page in the Histogram Summary and Graphical Report were always in Metric units even if the system was set to English units. This has been corrected.

2. Previously, the percentage values in the summary section of the "Histogram Graphical Report" data pages were in error. This has been corrected.

3. Previously, the "Truck Payload Summary Report" would not apply the user defined selection criteria correctly. This has been corrected.

4. Previously, multiple "datalogger" or "snapshot" files might not have merged correctly into the database under certain conditions. This has been corrected.

Enhancements in Version 1.1.5

1. When viewing prognostics, previous versions of VIMSpc99 presented a selection table of trends, histograms or cumulatives for the user to choose. This selection was based on a preprogrammed list of possible data for the selected model. VIMSpc99 now presents the user with a selection of data that is actually in the database for the selected machine serial number. When the user changes the time or SMH selection criteria, the selection window must be refreshed by clicking the "lightening bolt" symbol. Please refer to the Trend Report, Histogram Report or Cumulative Report section of the on-line help for a more thorough description.
   Show/hide table

   Table 2

   Criteria For Serial Number Selection (This is important setup data for the machine that is used in the database so VIMS prognostics will function correctly)
   Model Description	Machine Description
   784B 785B 789B 793B 784C (1) 785C (1) 789C (1) 793C (1)	Standard truck that uses 9.5X VIMS onboard class of software.
   793C1RAC 793B1RAC	Limited field follow machines that are equipped with RAC
   793C0899 793B0899	Limited field follow machines that are using 9.6X beta class of software.

   Show/hide table

   ( 1 )

   These models are also used for the machines that are equipped with the VIMS version 4.0 hardware.

2. VIMSpc99 supports the new VIMS Version 4.0 onboard hardware. VIMSpc99 will automatically detect the system and perform the appropriate connection. The communication rate may be as high as 38400 baud with this hardware.

3. Trend archiving speed performance has been improved by 500% - 1000% depending upon on the configuration of your system. In general, a less powerful system will gain more.

4. The Target Detail values for the Truck Payload summary report are now displayed with only two decimal places.

5. The error log file ("MergeErrors.txt") is now refreshed before every merge or import operation. The content of the error log file has been reduced to show more pertinent information. Note that a separate historical error log file ("HistoricalErrors.log") is also kept on your hard drive under the "Program Files\VIMS\ErrorLog" folder.

6. VIMSpc99 will now determine the available hard drive space prior to compaction and only allow the process to proceed if the user has the minimum required free space. For some Windows 95 systems, it may not be possible to determine the available size of the hard drive. In this case the user will be notified of the required space and given the option to continue or abort.

7. An additional information message is provided in the status bar (bottom of the main window) when generating data for reporting, printing, or exporting.

8. VIMSpc99 will now display the name of the file being processed when importing VIMS-PC V2.X files. If there is a problem during the import process, the user will know which file could not be imported.

Known Problems Remaining

1. Some report generation and basic database operations, such as transfer and archive, may be slow. This can be made worse by larger volumes of data or slower computer hardware.

2. When you start VIMSpc99, a warning message may appear stating that there may be incompatibilities with "ODBC drivers". The message occurs because some versions of "ODBC drivers" are incompatible with VIMSpc99. The symptom of the problem is that you may not be able to connect to a machine or import ".pcs" files, or the "Select Machine" dialog lists no machines. A utility program has been provided to work around this issue. "VIMSpc99 ODBC Driver Management Utility" will install a set of drivers that is known to be compatible with "VIMSpc99". To use the utility, go to the "Caterpillar VIMS program" list in the start menu and run "VIMSpc99 ODBC Driver Management". To ensure that "VIMSpc99" runs correctly, press the "Install VIMSpc99 ODBC Drivers" button. To run other programs, you may need to run the utility and press the "Restore System ODBC Drivers" button.

3. When Merging Downloaded Files from a machine that has not been setup in the "VIMSpc99" database, an "error #1002" "The RDO database connection is not set, please try again" may sometimes occur. If this happens, you must exit and restart the application. To avoid this, always setup the machine in Setup Machine/Shift before attempting to Merge Download Files.

4. Page sizes are not accurately calculated with some printers and print drivers. If this happens, installation of an updated printer driver may help.

5. Occasionally, the Select Machines dialog box grid does not display all selected columns of machine information. If this occurs, contact product support.

6. Occasionally, the display locks up so that the buttons do not work when trying to generate a "Data Logger" or" Snapshot" graphical report. This happens after popping up the customization menu with the right mouse click, followed by repositioning the cursor with the mouse. If this occurs, double click on the graph. The "Customization" dialog appears. Press the "Cancel" button twice to restore button operation.

7. Do not use a single quote character ("'") for any text input field. For example, "Eric's Machine" will cause problems if entered into any text field, such as: Serial Number, Equipment Number, Site Name, Name, Address, Postal Code, Country, Phone Number, Fax Number and Customized Group Name.

VIMS Software Support

VIMS Software Support Hours:

Monday through Friday 7:30 "AM" to 5:30 "PM" Central Standard Time (CST) in the United States.

Note: If you call outside of these hours, leave a voicemail message and the support staff will respond to your request before the end of the next business day.

Telephone Number:

Internet Electronic Mail

The support staff can also be contacted via internet Electronic Mail.

Email Address:

Note: The Email address provided in the reference article was incorrect. Use the address that is listed above.

VIMS Web Site:

https://mining.cat.com/info_technology_products/commercial_products.html

Note: This is a secure VIMS web site that contains a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) Section and other VIMS documentation that is accessible only to authorized users. This means that a user name and password are required in order to access this sight. See the reference article for addition information. Review this site before calling the help line. This site will be updated daily, when required.