Curtis Instruments AC F4-A User Manual

APPENDIX D
Curtis AC F4-A Motor Controller – August 2020 Return to TOC
pg. 196
Menu Editor
e Menu Editor app is for modifying, grouping, or adding new parameters to the parameter or
monitor menus. is is the app OEM engineers will use to control (customize) what parameters and
monitor variables are available/changeable to other CIT users, by use of access levels. e CIT license
or 1313 HHP model determines what access levels are available to a user.
Package and Flash
e Package and Flash app creates the application packages from the CIT project conguration.
Application packages include the VCL program, parameter settings, and any menu changes saved
as a project menu. Package and Flash is also the soware downloader tool to ash application and
device prole (.cdev le) soware into the controller over the CANbus (the F-series controllers do
not have a serial communication port).
Note: Use VCL Studio to write and compile VCL. en use Package and Flash to “package” the
application and ash it into a controller. Once this is completed, a 1313 HHP can use the generated
“packaged” .c13 le to ash the complete-application package into other/multiple controllers. See
“extracting the .c13 le” and the 1313 HHP rmware update procedures to perform this process.
TACT
e TACT app is a more powerful CANbus version of the Curtis serial-based TACT, allowing an
oscilloscope-style signal trace of a controller’s real-time operations. Signals are device prole variables
including parameters, monitor variables and faults. TACT has the ability to acquire and display up
to 16 signal traces. Note: Signals displayed in TACT include the Controller-to-CIT processing time
for the variable. is includes the VCL program loop timing, Primary and Supervisor processing
time, and the update rate of the CIT-to-Controller communications. Delays in signals (e.g., driver
outputs) observed in TACT include these timing factors. Oscilloscope traces will produce slightly
dierent results. More complex VCL programs and slower CIT baud rates may widen the dierences.
Projects
Projects in CIT are like having a le cabinet of information containing all the Programmer menus,
parameter values, VCL les, TACT traces, and the list of electronic devices that are part of the
controller’s application. Projects may consist of multiple CAN compatible controllers, gauges,
expansion or contactor modules, and displays. A project must either be created in or imported
into Launchpad to start working with the Curtis Integrated Toolkit™ program, even for a single
controller application.
Device Prole
Controllers need more than just the OS (operating system) soware to work with CIT. ey
need a Device Prole. Device proles contain the information CIT needs to understand how to
communicate and work with a specic device. Every compatible controller, gauge or module will
have a device prole. Device proles include data such as the controller or instrument model,
factory menus, parameter defaults, the device rmware, and the operating system (OS) soware.
Furthermore, the device prole (a .cdev le) contains the information each of the application
tools use to interact with that device. For CIT to work, obtain the proper device prole (.cdev le)
for each of the devices contained within the application project. e device prole, similar to the
OS in the E/SE controllers using the WinVCL program, is required to create a project. Contact the
Curtis distributor or the regional Curtis sales oce to obtain the device prole (as a .cdev le)
that is applicable to the controller’s project/ application.
e Curtis Integrated Toolkit
TM
apps all startup in Launchpad from either the individual device (icon)
level and/or at the project’s system level (icon). Apps that start (launch) from a highlighted device
icon work with the selected device. Some apps, like VCL Studio, operate in this manner because the

Curtis Instruments AC F4-A Specifications

General

Brand	Curtis Instruments
Model	AC F4-A
Category	Controller
Language	English