How to re-enable LookoutDirect comm link

[mymble]

If a DirectSoft comm link is not available when LookoutDirect starts, it is disabled. Is there a way (inside or outside Lookout) of re-enabling comm links automatically? Secret settings, active-X controls, third-party programs, scripts?

Thanks

[Khalid]

I am assuming by "re-enabling comm links" you mean letting Lookout know somehow that the comm-link is now available.

It looks like the only times the comm-link status is checked are when the object is created and when the process (wich such a DL object) is started (unlike other driver objects which provide a "retry attempts" feature.). So, one workaround to let Lookout know of a late-established comm-link after the Process has started, is to reload the process programmatically. This can be done using the Loader object. Online Help has details on this Loader object. Not a very clean solution but it should work.

To minimize the disruption of your application when you programmatically reload your process, you may want to separate the DL object t
o a process and the rest of the stuff in another process, which can remain running.

Finally, if I misunderstood your question, please write back. If you were asking about how to restart the comm-link, you can maybe write a batch file to launch the CSMain.exe from the DirectSoft32\Bin folder, and run this from within Lookout using the Run object.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Khalid

[mymble]

Indeed I am asking how to re-start the comm-link. Your last comment about running CSMain.exe is probably relevant. The situation is where Lookout is used as a machine controller in an environment where the system is powered by a generator and the PC may start before the PLC. It sounds like I can look for the comm link failure and (periodically) run CSMain.exe.

Thanks again

Craig Williams