Quick start: Connect your HCS to COM1, press F9 to connect and F11 to view the status. To setup advanced settings, press F10 to access the configuration dialog. For many features to work, you need to assign names to HCS resources (Inputs, Outputs, ADCs, Variables, etc).
You may assign names to all HCS resources (I/O, ADC, variables, timers, etc...). Names are assigned in the configuration windows.
The HCS status window displays the status of all HCS resources including networked ADCs, DACs and variables.
Moving the mouse on top of displays in the HCS status window displays tooltip Windows.  It includes the I/O number and name of the HCS resource.
Right clicking on the HCS status window displays popup menus to change the state of resources.
Left clicking on variables displayed in the HCS status window refreshes the value.
F12 pops up the log data spreadsheet and chart dialog.
You may use #ID and #VALUE in expressions specified in the log data spreadsheet and chart dialog. When evaluating an expression, they are replaced by the current log ID and value respectively.
WinHcs can interact with an ODBC database to store log data. Log data maybe be stored automatically at connect time and on regular interval.
You must install the ODBC Data Source before using the database. You may use the empty database included in the WinHcs installation files as a starting point.
At compile time, names assignment to HCS resources may be added as CONFIG statements to your XPRESS code. Spaces are replaced with underscores (_).
F7 compiles your XPRESS program and Control-F7 compiles it and downloads it to the HCS.
F8 shows and hides the output window. Macro procedures or compilation output is inserted into this output window.
XPRESS and Macro documents are edited and stored as RTF files. Therefore you may add fancy text edits and insert OLE objects.
Embedded OLE automation objects in your XPRESS or Macro documents may be accessed from macros.
Macros are written in the VBScript language, therefore enabling advance automation of your HCS or document embedded objects.
F5 opens the dialog to launch a macro of your current active macro document.
Your XPRESS code may launch WinHcs Macros. They may perform advanced tasks such as editing an excel spreadsheet or chart, or send an email message, for example.
WinHcs Macros are launched from XPRESS code by sending a console message. Your message must start with # and followed by the macro procedure to call including its arguments. XPRESS text formatting options such as %P0, %A, %B, etc may be used to format the arguments of your macro procedure.
All macros that XPRESS may launch must be stored in one Macro document (*.hcm files). You must select this file in the WinHcs configuration dialog in the XPRESS & Macro tab. WinHcs will load the file automatically as required.
WinHcs includes a TCP server. Any other application (CGI scripts, applets, VB) may connect via TCP and query the status and assigned name of HCS resources.
The WinHcs TCP server requests and replies are formatted as printable text. Start experimenting with a telnet session!
