ProfitPoll Demo Documentation



INTRODUCTION

Welcome to ProfitWare's ProfitPoll. This software is the easiest to use and most flexible system available for interfacing many different brands of cash registers to a personal computer (PC)! This software is designed to ease the burden of polling cash registers by totally automating the process of exporting ASCII files from your registers to your PC, whether it be a single-site installation or multi-site. It can also automate the process of running AutoSequence reports.

Nightly unattended polling of each of your locations is now possible. Yesterday's results are exported from the cash registers and saved to a hard disk in one of two ways: either in a ready-to-use ASCII-file format for interfacing to your favorite back-office software and/or spreadsheet, or in a report-file format if you run AutoSequence reports. Resets can be performed automatically after all pertinent data has been saved on the PC, if you desire, eliminating the need for manual resets to be taken at the cash register.

This software supports multiple methods for interfacing to a PC. Each location can be cabled directly to the PC's communications (Com) port or through a Com port sharing device (code operated switch). A location can also be connected remotely via Hayes compatible asynchronous (dial-up) modems. (Note that if you are communicating to a Micros 2700, you can also connect through the Micros PC-ISN board.) You define how each location will communicate to your PC!

FEATURES

ProfitWare's ProfitPoll offers the following standard features:

Automatic Polling

The system will begin the polling process at a user-specified time (which can vary by location) and process each location in a user-specified sequence, all in an un-attended fashion. For totally un-attended polling (i.e. over a weekend or whenever no one is available to run the software), the system can be run from the DOS prompt or a .BAT file, either under it's own scheduling or incorporated into scheduling software. The polling process is usually performed at the end of the business day and performs the following tasks for each active location: In order to maintain flexibility, each of these tasks can be optionally "turned off" for a specific location and therefore not be performed.

Configuration

The definition of locations (time and method of polling, etc.), which files are to exported from the registers, the DOS file names/paths of those files and other system-level parameters are all under the complete control of the user. This built-in flexibility allows a user of ProfitWare's ProfitPoll to configure the software based on the ever-changing needs of business. Changes to your business can quickly be reflected in the system configuration (e.g. a new store is opened or you decide to interface to an additional software package).

Communications

The mysterious process of communicating a PC with a cash register has been de-mystified with this software package.

Direct-connect or dial-up? The choice is yours! You can even change your mind and your method of communication at any point in time. Got a "unique" modem? Your ability to tailor a modem's initialization string through this software package should eliminate compatibility problems. ProfitWare's communications expertise will guide you through a successful implementation.

GETTING STARTED

This document describes all the steps required to begin using ProfitWare's ProfitPoll. There are three (3) major activities associated with "getting started:" There are many pieces to the communications puzzle and they must all fit snugly.

PC PREPARATION

PC Hardware/Software Requirements

The minimum space requirement for your hard disk is approximately three and a half (3-1/2) megabytes of storage.

This software does NOT require the use of a mouse, however, certain functions (e.g. moving to the top/bottom of a list, choosing menu options, quickly moving around on a screen display, etc.) are much more efficient using a mouse.

This software package will automatically select a color scheme for a color monitor. In some instances, most noticeably on laptops, monochrome may look better or be easier to read. You can toggle back and forth between a color or a monochrome display.

ALMOST any printer should work with this software package. Generic formats and control characters have been used to insure compatibility with most brands of dot-matrix, ink-jet and laser printers.

PC Software Considerations

ProfitPoll can utilize either expanded memory (EMS) or extended memory (XMS). ProfitPoll is a DOS program, but it will run under Microsoft Windows 3.11 or Windows 95 (in a DOS session), depending on your memory configuration, although it will not be as fast or as reliable.

Relationship Between ProfitWare and Interface Utilities

ProfitWare's ProfitPoll software will NOT communicate with a cash register unless the proper Interface Utility(s) has been installed on your PC (designed to function with your particular brand of register). This Interface Utility(s) acts as the communications "engine" for ProfitPoll. All communications between the PC and a cash register are performed through the Interface Utility(s), while ProfitPoll handles all the scheduling aspects of polling either single-sites or multi-sites, automatically and unattended. Some would say that this is over-kill for a single-site installation, but the automated aspect of it is a major plus. And if you are connecting via modem, the fact that ProfitPoll can automatically dial the modem for you, saves you the trouble of shelling to DOS from inside a communications package (and writing a script). ProfitPoll does it all!

REGISTER PREPARATION

Preparing your cash register to communicate with a PC is largely a programming effort, and varies from one make and model of register to another. This document assumes that you, or a qualified technician, have the knowledge to program your cash register so that it is configured for PC communication with the proper Interface Utility.

COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK PREPARATION

ProfitPoll supports both methods of communicating with your PC, either direct connection or dial-up. Depending on the number of COM ports on your PC, you can even mix-and-match methods.

Dial-up vs. Direct Connection

1) DIAL-UP This method requires the purchase of Hayesr compatible asynchronous, dial-up modems. You will need one modem connected to the PC (originating modem) and one modem for each location you choose to communicate with via the "dial-up" method.

2) DIRECT CONNECTION This method requires that a cable be run between a COM port on the PC and the communications port on the cash register. (Note that if you are communicating to a Micros 2700, you can also connect through the Micros PC-ISN board.) Be sure to follow the "Cable Requirements" section in your Interface Utility manual for cable specifications and connector pin assignments.

Asynchronous, Dial-Up Modems

This software has been tested with modems from numerous manufacturers. We endorse no one particular modem vendor or model. All Hayes compatible modems tested to date have worked fine at both 2400 and 9600 bps on our PC. However, sometimes a modem that will work fine on one PC, refuses to work on another. There is apparently some kind of hardware incompatibility that we have yet to identify. Usually using a different PC or a different modem will solve the problem. We have found that for particularly stubborn PC hardware configurations, the Hayes Accura 2400 has always solved the problem. In addition, each remote modem must be initialized properly (basically placed in a "quiet" mode).

Code Operated Switches

Your PC is limited to the use of four (4) COM ports. Depending on the number of locations the PC must communicate with via the direct connection method, you may have to use a code operated switch (also referred to as code activated switch). Note: all references to code operated switches in this manual refer to Black Box Corporation products.

A code operated switch (COS) is a COM port sharing device. It is an asynchronous RS-232C switching device that has a master COM port and up to eight (8) subordinate COM ports that can transmit/receive data. A master COM port on the COS connects directly to one (1) COM port on the PC, allowing one PC COM port to access up to eight additional COM ports. You could conceivably connect a COS to all four PC COM ports and have access to 32 locations via direct connection.

SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

The following instructions apply to installation from floppies. If you have downloaded from the web, follow the directions given on the web page.

1. From the floppy drive's DOS prompt, type INSTALL.

2. An initial install screen will be displayed that is personalized with a unique serial number and your company name, which are permanently assigned/recorded to your copy of the software. For your convenience, you can at ANY time during the install process and start again from the beginning.

3. Follow directions on the screens that follow as to drives and sub-directories.

Once you have answered all questions on the various installation screens, the installation process automatically begins to copy files from the installation diskette to your hard drive.

Your CONFIG.SYS is also automatically updated if necessary. The FILES= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file needs to be FILES=50. If the number of files is already 50 or greater, this task is not performed. A message is displayed indicating either no changes were required to CONFIG.SYS or a message is displayed indicating the details of the change including what your old CONFIG.SYS was renamed to (CONFIG.BAK). Remember to re-boot your PC if the CONFIG.SYS has been modified.

4. You have now completed the installation of ProfitWare's ProfitPoll. Type PFTPOLL at the DOS prompt in the ProfitPoll directory to start the system.

PROFITPOLL CONFIGURATION

When the system first starts, the Configuration menu option will be selected. Execute the following steps to complete the initial Configuration:

1) Locations: Most of the Locations Setup Screen is self-explanatory. It is here that you will enter all information as to the location(s) being polled. After you click on the button, the field that becomes highlighted has no label, but it is where you enter the location name. Put an [X], by clicking with the mouse or pressing , on the days that you want to poll. The scheduled time is in "military time". If a time is not entered, the system will poll immediately upon starting the poll rather than wait for a specified time. Don't forget the "Active" check-box (by not checking the box, the location will be considered in-active and will not poll). I also recommend checking the "Test Com" box so that communications are checked every time prior to polling (if any location fails the communication test, polling is not done for any of the locations). The "Resets" are optional register resets (may not be available for all brands of cash register). Remember that while testing this software during store hours, be sure that you don't have the "Resets" box checked ... don't want to reset their registers in the middle of the day. Remember to fill in all the communications parameters, including indicating which type of register you are connecting to.

2) Polling Programs: Pressing enter on the "Micros 2700" will bring up another window asking you to find PC2700.EXE. Simply find the EXE in whichever directory you have installed it. Notice that the list box shows Micros 1700 and Micros 2700 AutoSeq as well. If you needed to run 2700 AutoSequence reports and/or were also connecting to a 1700, then you would need to find RM2700 and PC1700, too.

3) Applications: The screen comes up with a list of all the pre-configured applications that you may interface with. When you choose an application a check-mark will appear next to it. More than one application can be chosen. The system can be easily modified by you to work with other applications (see the next sections).

4) File Names/Paths: The screen will come up positioned in the list box showing applications and will show Micros 2700 as the Polling Program (assuming that you have already configured your locations with the 2700 and made them active). The browse window has a list of the register files being exported for this combination of application/polling program, with the default file names. By not specifying a directory path, the \PPDATA subdirectory is assumed. If you wanted to export the files to a different directory, all you need to do is prefix the file name with that DOS path. By arrowing through the application list box, you can see the files that each application uses. The main purpose of this screen is to change file names and/or paths if necessary. For AutoSequence reports, notice that the "DOS Path/Name" field contains the entry "AA S ID" rather than a filename. Replace "AA" with the AutoSequence number of the report, the "S" with the Step number and the "ID" with your ID.

If you need more extensive changes, choose the "Add/Change Files" button or the "Add Application" button .... a user can interface to any Application he/she needs simply by adding it's name and "attaching" the correct register files to that application (see the following).

5) Add/Change Files: This is where you can change the actual syntax of the export/reset commands that your Interface Utility uses (it's pre-configured with the correct syntax for 20 files from the Micros 2700 - these shouldn't need changing, but you may wish to add more files). Also you can specify which of these files are to be exported for a particular application. The screen(s) that are displayed when choosing this button are for the current application/polling program combination. If you are dealing with the syntax of export/reset commands, you must have the technical knowledge of these commands. This document does not describe them.

When you choose "Change Export Commands", the "Add/Change Files" screen will show two list boxes. The first is a list of the 20 files currently defined to be exported by the PC2700, and the other is a list of files to be used by that application. You have the choice of two buttons - "Change Export Commands" and "Change Files Used". When you click on the "Change Files Used" button, another screen is displayed allowing you to change which files are used by that application. If you click on the other button, "Change Export Commands", a screen will be displayed allowing you to change existing export command syntax or add commands to export additional 2700 files. This screen is almost identical to the screen for adding/changing reset commands.

6) Add Application: When you choose this option, you will be asked to name your new application and then the "Add/Change Files" screen described above will be displayed allowing you to specify which files you would like exported for this new application.

7) Initialize Modems: This is for initializing the remote modem, prior to connecting it to the register. Simply connect the modem to the PC, run this option which will configure that modem (basically puts it in auto-answer, quiet mode), and then hook that modem up to the register. The modem on the PC will be configured automatically by ProfitPoll and there is usually no additional parameters that you will have to enter. If there are problems, the "System Parameters" option contains a modem initialization string that you can append to ... depends on your modem (most won't need any adjusting).

8) COMxPORT.DAT: There is only one thing left to do - in the PC2700 directory (or PC1700), there is a file called PC2700.DAT which contains the info that PC2700 needs to communicate with the register ... specifically, the COM port, the baud rate, a system name, etc. ProfitPoll needs to use that PC2700.DAT file, but with a different name depending on which COM port you are connected through. From DOS, simply copy PC2700.DAT to COM1PORT.DAT or COM2PORT.DAT, etc. Keep this in the same directory as PC2700.

If you are communicating via a Micros PC-ISN board, you still need to do this, even though the PC2700.DAT file will not be referencing a COM port but the PC-ISN board. The COM port number you specify should be one that is not in use (a good choice is COM4). ProfitPoll needs to know the filename to use (COM4PORT.DAT), but it also attempts to initialize the COM port, hence the reason for specifying an unused one.

That's it ... you are ready to go. After getting everything configured, try "Test Communications" before you go any further.

DEMO PERIOD

This Demo is set up to be used for 30 days and then it will expire. The Demo period can be extended if you call ProfitWare for the appropriate code. It can also be converted to a full system which will include full documentation.


If you can think it up, we can make it happen!
Please send comments and questions to:
ProfitWare
info@profitware-online.com



Last updated on 12/19/97.

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