Starting TeachVAL II

The splash screen first appears when the software is started. During this process all interface components and modules are loaded and the software is readied to run on your system.
		 
The main screen is shown on the next page. Here you can see the main components of the user interface. The prominent feature is the ‘Editor’ pane that allows user programs to be written and edited with ease. The ‘Editor’ pane acts as any simple text editor, allowing you to freely type your program without restrictions on length and format. The ‘Edit’ menu contains three options related to editing text:

•	Cut	<CTRL> + X
•	Copy	<CTRL> + C
•	Paste	<CTRL> + V

These functions are invaluable to most programmers and can also be accessed by using the standard keyboard shortcuts as defined above.  
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File Menu

The ‘File’ menu allows the creation of new programs. By selecting ‘New’ you are presented with two (2) options, create a new project from an empty file or from a pre defined default template. The default template allows a consistent format to be followed and contains all the default code to make sure the project will compile and run immediately.

Opening and saving documents is as simple as selecting the appropriate option from the ‘File’ menu. Each option will show a dialog appropriate to the task and allow you to choose the file to open or the file to save to. The default file type to open or save to is ‘.java’. 
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Project Menu

The ‘Project’ menu allows you to compile and run the project when needed. It contains three options for the user:

•	Compile
•	Run
•	Compile then Run

The ‘Compile’ option will compile the code currently within the editor window. Any compilation errors will be shown in the ‘Output’ window at the bottom of the screen. These errors need to be corrected in order to obtain a project that can be run.

If compilation is successful the ‘Run’ option will become enabled and if it is subsequently selected then the compiled program will be executed. Be careful when executing programs, ensuring that the robot is plugged in and turned on. Also be sure the have the vicinity clear of all obstructions so as not to interfere with the robotic arm movement.

The ‘Compile then Run’ option is always available. Selecting it will compile the code within the window and, if there are no compilation errors, run the compiled program. This provides a one click option that you may prefer.
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Adding a New Point

Adding a new point to memory is as simple as clicking the ‘Add New Point’ button in the ‘Available Points’ box. The buttons in this panel will only be available if a proper communications port is open between the host computer and the robot. If you have not done this yet refer to the appropriate section for instructions.
Once the ‘Add New Point’ button is pressed the ‘Add New Point’ dialog will appear. There are two (2) different ways of adding points to memory.

•	Using the Keyboard
•	Using the TeachControl Pendant

The default option is to create a new point using the keyboard to enter the coordinates. The ‘OK’ button will be disabled until at least one character name is entered into the ‘Name’ box.
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Creating a Point Using the Keyboard

To create a point using self defined coordinates and the keyboard simply type the desired coordinates into the appropriate fields. The default value for all fields is 0. Be careful to only enter coordinates that the robotic arm can actually reach. Refer to Figure 6 for the arm limits. Once a name is entered into the ‘Name’ field the ‘OK’ button will be enabled and pressing it will add the new point to the ‘Available Points’ table. 
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Creating a Point Using the TeachControl

To create a point using the TeachControl pendant simply click the ‘Using TeachControl’ button at the top of the dialog. This will change the dialog to allow you to move the robotic arm using the TeachControl pendant to any point you wish. This allows you to create points for which the exact numeric values are unknown. The only input required in this mode is a name for the point. Once a name is entered into the ‘Name’ field the ‘OK’ button will be enabled and pressing it will add the new point to the ‘Available Points’ table. If you wish to go back to manual coordinate input click ‘Using Keyboard’ at the top of this dialog.
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Deleting or Editing Points
	
The ‘Available Points’ box shows what points are currently in memory and allows you to edit and delete any number of desired points. To select multiple points hold down the <CRTL> key while clicking rows within the table. Once the desired points are selected, click the ‘Delete Point(s)’ button. A confirmation dialog will appear and if ‘Yes’ is selected the deleted points will disappear from the table. 

The ‘Edit Point’ button will allow you to edit the current selected point’s coordinates using either the keyboard or TeachControl as described earlier. Clicking the ‘Edit Point’ button will show a dialog populated with the point’s coordinates. ‘Cancel’ will leave the coordinates unchanged while ‘OK’ will apply the new values.  

The ‘Available Points’ box contains a button named ‘Where am I?’. Clicking this button will display the current coordinates of the robot arm in the ‘Output’ window.
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Opening Ports

To allow communication between the host computer and the robot a serial communication port must be opened. The main menu has an option to allow the opening of these ports and clicking this option will open the ‘Open Port’ dialog. This dialog displays the available serial communication ports on your machine. 
	
The default port will be COM1 if it is available on your computer. If you are informed that there are no ports available then there may be a problem with the installation of the software or the hardware that it is running on. A reinstall and restart of the software may be necessary to correct this problem. 

Clicking on ‘OK’ will open the selected port and establish communication between the host computer and the robot. If the communication test is successful the four buttons in the ‘Available Points’ box will be set to enabled and you will be able to send commands to the robot.
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Exiting TeachVAL II

The ‘File’ Menu contains the option to exit the program. Selecting this option will close all open communication ports and close the main window. A confirmation dialog will appear, and choosing ‘No’ will cancel the exit operation. Before exiting be sure to save any work in your home directory as the working directory of the software will be purged of all temporary files on exit. 
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