WINDOWS-BASED
WIRE CAPTURE CLIENT SOFTWARE
Converting DOS-based Capturing To 32-bit/PCI-based Capturing With WINCAP.EXE
Overview: - Please Read Carefully
This document provides information for WireReady NSI customers who are currently using the DOS-based wire capture system and wish to convert to the Windows wire capture system. WinCap is a 32-bit PCI compatible capture program that captures on all Windows operating systems, including ME/NT/2000 and later systems. WinCap captures to the original wire file ($capture.cap) and is cross-platform compatible with both WireReady32 and the original DOS-based system. Thus WINCAP can be used on LANs or stand-alones to capture for both DOS and WIN wireready clients.
If you are a new customer installing for the first time, this is not the right document for you, you should be using the document that explains installing WINCAP. You don’t have to migrate anything….
If on a stand-alone computer, a customer can continue to run the DOS-based program with WinCap capturing the wire stories. On mixed DOS and WIN environments with Novell or NT, WinCap can capture for both DOS and WIN clients on the LAN.
In some instances, the DOS based “capture” program will remain running along side WINCAP, in order to service the ALARM box and/or post urgent stories on the status lines of WireReady32 workstations. All hardware calls however are removed from the DOS program, and all hardware functions are taking care of by WINCAP. In this configuration the DOS client becomes nothing but a read-only text scanner.
There may be a short interruption of wire service during the conversion process.
If you will be converting an existing capture machine, plan to do the conversion during a time when there is not a high demand for the wire stories. If you are setting up WinCap on a new computer, you will not impact your capture station until you are ready to switch over. The wire services can be run to both the DOS capture and the new WinCap capture computers using a splitter.
While setting up and switching over to WinCap, most of the steps can be performed without shutting down the existing capture station. Wait until we tell you to shut down the dos capture until you attempt to move cables/switch to another computer etc etc.
Available Wire Services
(PLAN AHEAD !!!)
Wire services which are currently supported by WinCap are listed as available choices in the Setup32 program. Later versions of WinCap and Setup32 support more services, so be sure to check our web site, www.wireready.com, for the latest versions.
Note: Some wire services are captured by using wire services of a different name, so call WireReady Technical Support if you don't see your wire service listed. We will either tell you which choice to make, or we will provide you an upgrade within 72 hours.
If you have a wire service we don’t support with WINCAP
(or we never heard of) we can get you an upgraded WINCAP file with that
service’s format in a couple days.
IF for some reason WINCAP doesn’t support an older service that
the DOS program did, you’ll want to wait for us to give you an improved WINCAP
program BEFORE you do the switch over !!!
GETTING STARTED WITH WINCAP
To get the needed files to
run WinCap:
The following files are needed to
run WinCap for wire capture:
WE RECOMMEND YOU GET THE LATEST
VERSION AVAILABLE FROM OUR WEB SITE UNLESS WE HAVE PROVIDED YOU A CD OR DISK
VERY RECENTLY. WINCAP and
SETUP32 are updated regularly to support wire service changes which may affect
you.
WinCap.exe
Setup32.exe (if
you prefer a GUI based configuration tool for WINCAP)
The
latest versions can be downloaded from www.wireready.com.
Go to
our tech support page, and choose downloads.
You will see both of these as listed links.
These
files can also be copied from the Wire folder on any WireReady CD-ROM.
If the CD-ROM is not current (more than a few months old), it is
recommended that you get the
newest Release versions of these files from our web site.
WinCap.exe must be copied into
and run from the Wire folder installed on your existing WireReady system.
If
Wireready32 is run on a single stand-alone computer, the file should be copied
to C:\Wire. IN ANY CASE use the
same drive letter you run the program from.
(many stand-alones may still be setup to run WireReady from drive WJ
If
Wireready32 is run on a network, with a file server, copy the file to the Wire
folder on the network server. For
example, if the system is mapped to the W:\ drive, the files should be copied to
W:\Wire.
Setup32.exe must be copied to the
Wire\Install folder on the same drive/path as WinCap.exe.
i.e C:\WIRE\INSTALL\Setup32.exe or W:\WIRE\INSTALL\Setup32 etc.
To Install the ACTIVE-X
component on the wire capture computer:
In order for a computer running
WinCap to communicate with the serial ports, you must "register" the
file named COMMX.OCX.
COMMX.OCX
The
latest version can be downloaded from www.wireready.com.
The
file can also be copied from the Wire\Install\NR32\AT1616 directory on any
WireReady CD-ROM or on the wire capture computer.
Unless you are running 2000 or XP, the COMMX.OCX file on the CD or path
mentioned will work fine.
COMMX.OCX must be copied into the
C:\Windows\System or C:\WinNT\System directory on the wire capture computer.
To register COMMX.OCX:
Open a
DOS box or command prompt. I.e
start, programs MS DOS PROMPT or
Click
start, run, and type COMMAND and hit ENTER.
(on NT/2000/XP type CMD)
Change
to the C:\Windows\System directory (or C:\WinNT\System if that is where you
copied COMMX.OCX to).
Type
REGSVR32 COMMX.OCX.
Strike
Enter to register.
Type
"exit" and strike Enter to exit the DOS box.
REGSVR32
is a Windows supplied program that tells Windows to use this file for our
active-X based RS-232 communications.
You should restart your machine after installing COMMX.
(You don’t have to it now, but make sure you do before you attempt to
start the WINCAP program after completing all these installation steps.)
CHANGING FROM MANAGER TO WINCAP
Overview – Actual steps are spelled out below…
Before setting up the wire
service(s) for the WinCap program it is necessary to determine the settings that
direct the DOS Manager program to look for these services on the COM ports.
These settings should be written down, and then removed from the
DOS capture program’s configuration file when you bring it down, so the DOS
based Manager program will not conflict with the WinCap program in using the COM
ports. If you intend to run the old
DOS capture program “Manager” for
automatic printing, screen alerts, or alarm support, you don’t want it trying
to write to the wire file or capturing on the COM ports since it will defeat the
purpose of WINCAP, not to mention lock you up. The old Setup utility will be
used (also under WIRE\INSTALL) to get old settings and/or remove them.
If you are setting up WinCap on a new computer, recording
port settings is not important. However,
the wire service names, baud rates, and bit information (i.e. AP 9600,N,8,1)
will need to be recorded in order to configure WinCap. COM 1 and 2
on the original system are compatible with WINCAP if you intend to use the same
computer. But if you have an old
ISA based multi-port card (LCS8088 etc), with addresses like 2A0, 2A8 etc, these
are not compatible with WINCAP (i.e 32 bit windows calls) and cannot be used.
If you have more than two wire services, you’ll need a PCI based
expander card like RocketPort PCI cards which we recommend highly.
Once you determine what is connected to what, if the cables are not
already labeled with this information, now is a good time to do that.
You are free to move services to different ports, and if you are using a
different computer it’s completely up to you..
If you are setting up WinCap on the same computer already running the DOS-based capture, the COM ports will be identified by numbers in Windows, (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4), not the hex addresses and IRQ values (i.e. 3f8 and IRQ 5). In windows you no longer worry about the actual address or IRQ of the port. COM1 is 1, COM2, is 2, and if you add a multi-port card, it’s ports can be anything from 3 up or higher.
If you are installing a new PCI based multi-COM card like the RocketPort, you must install and set up that card prior to continuing with these instructions (see separate document on setting up the RocketPort card). If you are adding this card to an existing computer, you will be moving the wire service cables from their current COM ports to the new COM ports on this card.
DETERMINING
THE OLD WIRE SERVICE NAMES/BAUD RATES ETC:
IF
ON A LAN, this can be done at the CAPTURE station, OR any other computer – for
example if your capture OS is DOS and you don’t want to shut it down yet, you
can run the SETUP program from anywhere there is LAN access to that drive
letter. There is no reason to stop
your old capture station at this point.
To
run the DOS Setup utility:
1.
From the desktop double-click on the “My Computer” icon.
2.
Double-click the server drive containing the WireReady software.
3.
Double-click the Wire folder.
4.
Double-click the Install folder.
5.
Double-click the Setup.exe file.
(you
can also launch an MS DOS prompt, i.e START/RUN COMMAND (or CMD) and then change
to the WIRE\INSTALL directory, and type SETUP and hit ENTER.
If you are at a DOS workstation, you’d
just CD to the INSTALL directory, type SETUP and hit ENTER etc.
6.
The installation path should be the drive and path the WireReady system
is installed to. For stand-alone
systems, this would be C:\Wire. If
the system is running on a network or LAN,
this would be the path on the network file server or shared drive (i.e.
W:\Wire).
7.
Strike Enter.
To
record the settings for each wire service:
1. From the Setup
program's Main Menu arrow down to “Select
Service Type and Speed”, then strike Enter.
2.
Write down all of the information displayed in the Wire Services listing.
This information is:
§
Wire service
§
Port address
(these aren’t necessary if going to a new computer)
§
Port interrupt
(these aren’t necessary if going to a new computer)
 | However both should be written down just for record purposes
or if you ever need to bring your old capture machine back to original
spec… |
§
Baud rate
§
Parity
§
Data bits
§
Stop bits
§
Connection (almost always “DIRECT” )
If
you are running an old DOS based stand-alone single user system and had to exit
the program to do the above, you may go back into the program so it remains
capturing while you configure your new windows machine…
FAVOR !!! When you get a chance,
email or fax us what your new wire service configuration will be, i.e ports,
baud rates, wire service names etc from above.
We keep these on file should you or anyone else call us for help.
This info is a real time saver if you ever lose your settings or the
person calling is clueless….
Setting up the files/Configuring the system for capturing with WINCAP
Creating the WCAPTURE folder:
1) In order to use WINCAP, you need a folder under WIRE called WCAPTURE.
If you do not see one, please make this folder using MY COMPUTER, or from an MS DOS prompt, you may type MD W:\WIRE\WCAPTURE (if on a network using drive W) or MD C:\WIRE\WCAPTURE (if running on a single user stand-alone). (you may still use drive W if on a stand-alone. If you aren’t sure check the properties on the shortcut you use to start the WireReady program. That will tell you the drive/path you run WireReady from.
2) If you haven’t done so, put the latest version of SETUP32 from our web site in the WIRE\INSTALL folder. Put the latest version of WINCAP.EXE in your WIRE folder.
USING
THE SETUP32 UTILITY
Wireready32 Setup Utility allows for in-depth configuration of the 32-bit Wireready32 system. This utility has a number of functions including creating custom folders to organize data and adjusting global settings that affect all users of Wireready32. Use this utility to set up the wire services for the WinCap program. Remember to click the Save button before exiting the program.
To Run the
Setup32 Utility:
1. From the desktop double-click on the “My Computer” icon.
2. Double-click the server drive containing the WireReady software.
3. Double-click the Wire folder.
4. Double-click the Install folder.
5. Double-click the Setup32.exe file.
To Set up the
Wire Services:
1. Click on the WinCap Configuration tab.
2. Click on the WinCap Config Page 1 tab.
3. Under the Section labeled "Service 1" use the drop-down triangle to select the first wire service subscribed to.
4. Enter the COM port number for the port that receives that particular wire service.
5. Use the drop-down triangle to choose the baud rate for that wire service.
6. Use the drop-down triangle to choose the corresponding parity for that wire service.
N = None; O = Odd; E = Even; M = Mark; S = Space (M and S are rarely
used).
7. Use the drop-down triangle to choose the data bits for that wire service (5, 6, 7, or 8).
8. Use the drop-down triangle to choose the stop bits for that wire service (1 or 2).
9. Repeat this process for each additional wire service subscribed to.
Note:
If you are unsure of these settings contact your wire service or
WireReady.
Only fill in the services you intend to connect
10. The WinCap Config Page 2 tab provides for six additional wire services.
11. Mark the checkbox in the Logging section on Page 1 to enable a text file to be created that lists the time, date, and headline of each story as it is received. The log will also show when WinCap was started and each wire service was initialized. The log is saved to [server drive]:\wire\wcapture\log\filename.log. The filename is in the format MM-DD-YYYY.log. For example, 06-14-2001.LOG
We RECOMMEND you do not activate the LOG unless you have problems. It will accumulate disk space as a log is cut each day. (this can be over 50MB/year….)
12. Change the path to the capture file if necessary in the "Capture File Location" entry box. This should be WIRE\CAPTURE\$CAPTURE.CAP
If you run from drive W: then it would be W:\WIRE\CAPTURE\$CAPTURE.CAP
13. If you have an alarm connected, you may put the PORT number in this section.
a. Note: if using the DOS program to do this, it is currently programmed to trip the alarm DIRECTLY. If you want to migrate this feature over to WINCAP, you will have to reconfigure the auto-searches in the DOS program slightly when you finished. Each search in the DOS program that shows an A for alarm, must be changed so that instead of ARMing the alarm, (you unarm it in the DOS program) you set the search to be an “E” for email (F7). You will then instruct the DOS program to write the file to W:\WIRE\ALARM\ALARM.TXT And choose auto-extension.
b. WINCAP will monitor this directory and when it sees a file, it trips the alarm via the specified port and deletes the file it found in the ALARM subdirectory.
14. Click the Save button before exiting.
FINAL
INFORMATION
To Confirm the correct COM
ports are used:
Click the Start button, then
Settings, and Control Panel. Double-click
the System icon. Click on the
Device Manager tab at the top of the window.
The top icon listed is a Computer. Highlight
it, and click the Properties button. The
port to use for each wire service is the COM number listed here.
Confirm that these ports are the same as the ones you wrote down from the
old Setup utility.
The Switchover:
Setup a shortcut on the DESKTOP
for WINCAP, by right clicking on the wall paper (not an icon) and clicking
NEW/SHORTCUT. For the target, type
W:\WIRE\WINCAP.EXE and hit enter.
(use whatever drive reflects your installation path.)
You will want to copy this shortcut (CTRL-C) into the STARTUP folder in
your START/Programs menu so the program autostarts anytime windows is rebooted.
First, shut down the DOS program altogether.
Do not attempt to run both capture programs at the same time yet.
WINCAP will not run correctly if you do.
1.
Exit the Manager program by striking ESC to return to the World Menu, and
then striking F10 to exit to DOS.
To start WINCAP double click on
the ICON you created.
WINCAP should open a window
dialog, and after initializing several things, it will hopefully start to
capture. If a story is received,
it’s headline/date/time is posted to the on screen log. Running information and other statistics will be shown.
Should you need to exit WINCAP, the password is EXIT.
If the program goes
completely bonkers at startup and repeats phony headlines, exit immediately –
you forgot to install COMMX (see previous steps).
(If this happens it’s putting them in your wire browser, so exit
quickly…)
You can click on any port shown,
and a terminal window in the lower half will show you incoming data.
If it’s garbled or looks nasty, your baud rate or other settings are
wrong and will need to be re-adjusted in SETUP32, and wincap restarted.
(note some services like Metro send binary files which will look like
garbled junk – that’s okay, wait to see if legible stories soon follow…)
You can loop back test a COM port
from the WINCAP screen by disconnecting the wire service and using a loop back
tester. You may use a
WireReady loopback tester for COM1/COM2 (standard COM ports). But for a ROCKETPORT card, you must use the loopback tester
that comes with the ROCKETPORT card. (They
can be used for any port, but a WireReady loopback tester will not work with a
RocketPort) You should see the
alphabet flashing when the connector is attached and you check loopback for the
port selected.
If everything looks good, you are ready to proceed to castrate the DOS program’s hardware settings to prevent it from causing conflicts if you intend to run it for other functions, OR even if you intend to discontinue use, you don’t want someone accidentally starting it to cause a conflict.
To
stop Manager from conflicting with WinCap in reading the wire services:
Note:
Once the wire service settings have been removed, if the DOS capture
program is restarted, it will no longer be capturing wire copy.
1. From the Setup
program's Main Menu arrow down to “Select
Service Type and Speed”, then strike Enter.
2.
Highlight Service 1 and strike Enter.
3.
Highlight the wire service, i.e. AP, and strike Enter.
4.
Arrow down to NONE and strike Enter.
5.
Strike F4 to Exit With Changes.
6. Repeat this process for all other wire services on the list. Now all should read NONE.
7.
Strike F4 to Save Changes and Exit.
8.
Strike ESC to exit the Setup utility.
The [server
drive]:\wire\capture\$config.wr file contains the settings for the wire
services. It is only read when the
program starts. So, if the DOS wire capture program is already running when a
change is made to the wire services via the old Setup utility, the wire capture
computer will still receive stories. We
are having you do this now since we figured it was the best time to ensure
minimal disruption to the newsroom.
Deciding whether or not to run the Manager program in
addition to WinCap:
The Manager program may be run on the new WinCap computer or left on it’s own computer, or not run at all, it all depends. Even though the WinCap program has replaced this DOS program in capturing the wire services the manager program is still a useful program for certain things. The original DOS-based Manager may be run on the same computer (or a different one) as the WinCap capture program for several reasons which include:
If you automatically print and have the manager program setup to print items. (This is the only program currently able to do this function. (it’s not a very popular feature anymore so there’s been no need to port it into the windows system)
If you have an ID5000 Alarm box, and want to trip alarms, the existing Manager program is configured, and required to drive that box at the current time. (If necessary you move the alarm “port” over to WINCAP (using SETUP32) but the MANAGER program acts as a read-only screen only app that searches incoming stories, and notifies WINCAP of an urgent feed by writing the story to a preset folder. (As such it can run fine from any OS in this mode) You will need to edit the searches in the DOS Program. (See next step)
If you are on a LAN and have screen alerts showing in the users' screens in the Windows-based WireReady32 software, the manager program still drives that feature at this time.
Because Manager is no longer capturing via COM ports, it is
not doing any hardware calls (other than COM1), and thus is compatible with all
Windows operating systems.
EDITING DOS MANAGER PROGRAM AUTOSEARCHES TO CHANGE ALARM FUNCTION WITH WINCAP.
If
you intend to have WINCAP directly drive the ALARM via the COM port, you need to
change the searches in the dos based MANAGER program.
From
the wire-browser, hit F2 Search. Hit F2 to configure the searches.
Select
any search that shows an “PA” next to it for alarm.
With
that search selected, hit F6 AUTOPRINT.
Change
it to say NOT ARMED and hit F4 to SAVE.
Now
hit F7 EMAIL.
For a
DOS destination, put your install drive/path, and the ALARM folder plus the name
ALARM
For
example: W:\WIRE\ALARM\ALARM
**** YOU WILL NEED TO CREATE THE
ALARM SUBFOLDER UNDER WIRE USING MY COMPUTER OR FROM A DOS PROMPT TYPE MD
W:\WIRE\ALARM (or whatever drive letter your system is configured to use)
All the other settings can be
left alone except for WRITE OPTIONS
Change that to AUTO-EXTENSION
Hit F4 to save
Repeat for any searches you have
set to trip your alarm.
Final Notes:
Making sure WINCAP runs all
the time, even from a fresh boot.
It is important that the WinCap
program run at all times. If there
is a temporary power outage the WinCap program may need to be re-started.
Therefore, it is recommended that a shortcut to the WinCap program, as
well as the Manager program be added to the Startup menu.
Any program (or shortcut) located in the Startup Menu will start running
whenever the computer is started. If
the computer is re-booted the programs will automatically run.
To Add a Shortcut to the Startup
Menu:
1.
From the Desktop open the Wire folder from the server drive.
2.
Click and hold the WinCap.exe icon.
3.
Drag it onto the Start button (and continue to hold down the mouse
button).
4.
Drag it onto the Programs folder (and continue to hold down the mouse
button).
5.
Drag it onto the Startup folder (and continue to hold down the mouse
button).
6.
When the Startup folder displays what it contains, drag the WinCap.exe
file into this area (even if it says Empty).
7.
Release the mouse button.
8.
Repeat this process for the Manager.exe program.
9.
Any old shortcuts relating to NewsReady or the capture file should be
deleted from here. Right-click on
the old shortcut, and then choose Delete.
WE RECOMMEND A GOOD BATTERY BACKUP-UPS BE PUT ON YOUR CAPTURE STATION. ON LANS, A COMMON PROBLEM AFTER POWER LOSS IS INABILITY TO LOG BACK INTO YOUR SERVER WHICH WILL KEEP YOU FROM CAPTURING UNTIL SOMEONE NOTICES.