Selecting User Program Preferences

The User Preferences window provides default programming options that you can use to customize your Instrument Control program.

Select on the tool bar or Tools/User Preferences from the instrument menu to access these functions.

To display the desired page of the User Preferences, click on the tab for the desired page.

Choose the topic below for more detailed information:

• Setting the General Program Preferences

• Setting the Data Preferences

• Setting the Procedure Preferences

• Setting the Sequence Preferences

• Setting the Run Status Bar Preferences

Setting the General Program Preferences

Select on the tool bar or Tools/User Preferences from the instrument control menu to access these functions. Click on the General page.

Use this page to turn on or off a confirmation message that is displayed each time one of the actions shown is performed. The page is also used to enter background window text.

• Enter the desired window Background text. This text is displayed on the right corner of the instrument window.

• Select the check box next to the desired confirmation message option found in the table below.

• Uncheck any confirmation message option that you do not want displayed.

• Select OK to save the settings.

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Setting the Data Preferences

Select on the tool bar or Tools/User Preferences from the instrument control menu to access these functions. Click on the Data page.

Use this page to customize program settings related to data files. This default path is used when the program first opens, then the last directory that you select during program operation is used.

1. Use the Browse button to locate a default directory that you want to use to save your data files. The default path is \\{computer name}\TA\DATA\{instrument}. UNC filenames are used.

2. Select a radio button to increment the filename or increment the extension.

   Use the Increment Extension radio button to specify an increment data file extension preference. The data filename extension is automatically incremented when Append Run is used or when an existing filename is entered, to limit the chance of a duplicate filename or extension. The characters of the selected choice are changed numerically or alphabetically depending on character type.

   Example: data.001, data.002, data.003, etc.

   You can also specify a numeric or alphabetic default extension in the Extension field. If an extension is not specified for a data filename, the default extension will be used.

   Use the Increment Filename radio button to specify an increment data file preference. The data filename is automatically incremented when Append Run is used or when an existing filename is entered, to limit the chance of a duplicate filename or extension. The characters of the selected choice are changed numerically or alphabetically depending on character type.

   Example: data1.dat, data2.dat, data3.dat, etc.

   You can also specify a numeric or alphabetic default extension in the Extension field. If an extension is not specified for a data filename, the default extension will be used.

3. Enter a default extension that will be used, if you do not specify an extension when saving data files.

4. Use the Browse button to locate a default directory that you want to use to archive your data files when the Archive Enable box is checked on the Summary Page.

5. Use the Browse button to locate a default directory that you want to use for your macro files, which will be used for Autoanalysis and Universal Analysis. The default directory is C:\TA\Macros

6. Select OK to save settings.

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Setting Procedure Preferences

Select on the tool bar or Tools/User Preferences from the instrument control menu to access these functions. Click on the Procedure page.

Use this page to choose default settings for the procedure and method file path and extensions. To use this page follow these steps:

1. Use the Browse button to locate a default directory that you want to use to save your procedures. The default path is \\{computer name}\TA\QProcedures\{instrument}. UNC filenames are used.

2. Enter the extension that you want to apply to your procedure files (up to three characters may be used). The default extension is .prc.

3. Use the Browse button to locate a default directory that you want to use to locate any previously saved methods. The default path is \\{computer name}\TAQMethods\{instrument}. UNC filenames are used.

4. Enter the extension that you want to apply to your method files (up to three characters may be used). The default extension is .mth.

5. Click the OK button when finished.

NOTE:  Thermal Advantage Q Series™ procedure and method files are not compatible with previous versions of Thermal Advantage software.

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Setting Sequence Preferences

Select on the tool bar or Tools/User Preferences from the instrument control menu to access these functions. Click on the Sequence page.

Use this page to specify default sequence file path and extension, as well as to select the run mode.

1. Use the Browse button to locate a default directory that you want to use to save your sequence files. If the directory that you enter does not exist, you will be prompted to create a new directory. The default sequence path is \\{computer name}\TA\QSequence\{instrument}. UNC filenames are used.

2. Enter the extension that you want to apply to your sequence files. The default extension is .seq.

3. Click the OK button when finished.

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Setting the Instrument Run Status Bar Preferences

The Instrument Run Status Bar contains 3 views, Last Error, Data File Acceptor (DFA) Status and Current Run Status. The information displayed can be selected using the User Preferences functions.

Select on the tool bar or Tools/User Preferences from the instrument control menu to access these functions. Click on the Status page.

Use the Status page to customize the instrument Status Bar display. The parameters selected will be displayed on the Status Bar on the main instrument control window. The instrument run status bar is the text that appears under the tool bar (or under instrument menu, if the tool bar is not displayed). See "Overview of the Main Window" for a figure showing the location for the instrument run status bar.

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1. Select the check box next to each desired Status Item.

2. Uncheck any Status Item that you do not want displayed.

3. Select the Color to be used for the instrument run status bar background from the drop-down menu.

4. Select OK to save the settings.

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