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BACDoor®3 - User Guide

Introduction

BACDoor® 3, the successor of BACDoor® PC, is a graphical user interface designed to facilitate communication and configuration of ASI products. It currently supports TTL and CAN connections.

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to navigate the application, connect to devices, and utilize its features effectively.

Download & Access

Windows:

BACDoor® 3 Latest Version

Note

Once installed, with the required .NET from Microsoft, please contact Sales (or your sales representative) for application access.

Sign-in

Note

Users need an active account created by the ASI team.

Note

Internet connection required.

  1. Enter your email and password.
  2. Check the option to remember your email (optional).
  3. Click Sign In.

Forgot Password

Note

For password reset, please contact Sales (or your sales representative).

Updating the Application

  • When a new version is available, a notification screen appears upon opening the app.
  • The Release Notes link redirects to the ASI support webpage.

To Update:

  1. Click Update Now.
  2. The new version downloads automatically.
  3. The installation starts after the download is complete.
  4. Click Update in the installation wizard.

To Update later:

  1. Click Skip Update.
  2. The app returns to the sign-in screen.

Application Structure

  1. Menu/Navigation Panel
  2. Main (selected page from navigation panel)
  3. Log
  4. Faults and Warnings
  5. Connection
  6. Parameter Properties
  7. Parameter Description

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Product Family

  • Select a Product Family from the available options.

Note

The application currently supports only the BAC6 Controller family.

Warning

Changing the product family may modify the layout, loaded dictionary, menus, and available connection options.

Dashboard Page

  • Displays real-time device data (firmware, status, battery, inputs/outputs, etc.).
  • Clicking a parameter shows its properties and description.

Advanced Setup Page

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  • Allows value changes to all parameters from the loaded dictionary.
  • Allows layout changes by adding or removing parameters.
  • Structure:
    • Main Tabs (Red): Predefined sections for navigation.
    • Pages (Yellow): Contain specific parameters.
    • Search Bar (Blue): Allows parameter lookup and add parameters to the current Pages.
  • Parameter Groups:
    1. Write/Save Parameters: Can be saved to flash.
    2. Temp Parameters: Can be written but not saved.
    3. Display Only Parameters: Read-only values.
  • Changing Values:
    • Decimal Values: Enter value and press Enter.
    • Hex Values: Enter hex value and press Enter.
    • Enum Values: Select from dropdown.
    • Bits: Enter 0s and 1s and press Enter, or expand the parameter and use the switch buttons to toggle on/off.

Note

Parameter value color codes

  • Grey: Value written to controller (will be saved to file)

  • Yellow: Value written to controller (will be ignored during save to flash)

  • Red: Value not found in the file (Invalid)

  • Green: Value changed successfully (will be saved to flash)

Settings Page

  • CAN Baud Rate: Defines the CAN Baud Rate behaviour.
    • Manual: Enables user-defined CAN Baud Rate
    • Auto Detect: The app will try to find the correct CAN Baud Rate on connection.

Note

Connection process may be longer when Auto Detect is selected.

  • Dictionary Selection: Defines the dictionary selection behaviour.
    • Manual: Enables user-defined dictionary.
    • Auto: The app will automatically load the dictionary that matches the connected device's firmware version.

Note

  • Dictionary versions 6.023 and up are preloaded and officially supported by the application.
  • Pick file allows loading a custom dictionary.
  • If Auto is selected and a matching dictionary is not found, the application will prompt to select a dictionary on connection.

Warning

  • The custom dictionary file must follow the predefined formatting. Check the Dictionary File Rules and Requirements for more information.
  • Advanced Setup Layout: Manages the Advanced Setup Layout (Main tabs, pages, parameters).
    • Export: Saves the current layout to a file (.xml).
    • Load: Loads a custom layout file (.xml) into the application.
    • Restore Default: Restores the default Advanced Setup layout.

Note

  • The application will restart after loading or restoring the layout.

Warning

  • The custom layout file must follow the predefined formatting.

Save to Flash

  • Purpose: Saves current values to the connected device permanently.
  • Steps: Click Save to Flash, then confirm.

Load from File

  • Purpose: Loads parameter files (.xml) to the connected device.
  • Steps: Click Load from File, select file, and confirm.

Save to File

  • Purpose: Saves connected device parameters to a file (.xml).
  • Options:
    • All Parameters: Includes all values.
    • Flash Parameters Only: Saves only writable parameters.
  • Steps: Click Save to File, choose an option, and save.

Update Firmware

  • Purpose: Updates device firmware using an .ehx file.
  • Steps:
    • Device connected: Click Update Firmware, navigate to where the firmware file is stored, select the file, and proceed.
    • Device disconnected: Set the desired parameters on the Connection View, click Update Firmware, select the file, and proceed.

Documentation

  • Purpose: Opens ASI support webpage.

Analyze File

  • Purpose: Loads a parameter file (.xml) for offline/disconnected analysis.

  • Steps: Click Analyze File, select file, analyze/modify values as needed, save a new parameter file (optional).

  • Datalog

  • Purpose: Opens the Datalog page in a separate window. Check the Datalog Page section for more information.

  • Sign Out

  • Purpose: Logs the user out.

Log

Log

  • Shows a list of app events and user actions that can be used for review and troubleshooting.
  • Clear button: Clears the log list
  • Export button: Exports the log list to a TXT file

Faults and Warnings view

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  • Shows a list of the active faults and warnings from the connected device.
  • Reset button: Sends a ‘Reset faults and warnings’ command to the connected device.

Note

Some faults and warnings may be automatically resolved by the connected device, while others require user intervention followed by a Reset command.

Warning

The Reset command does not guarantee that the fault or warning will be resolved. If the issue is still active on the connected device, the same fault or warning may reappear.

Connection

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Connection Parameters

  • Type: Select connection type (TTL or CAN).
  • Port (TTL): Select appropriate COM port.
  • Address (CAN): Enter CAN address.
  • Baud Rate: Select appropriate Baud Rate.

Note

CAN Baud Rate can be Manual or Auto Detect. Check Settings section for more information

Connection Controls

  • Connect/Disconnect Button: Displays connection status and allows toggling.
  • Communication Errors Counter: Tracks timeouts and connection failures.

Note

If the connection is lost, the app attempts to restore it automatically. Click Disconnect to stop attempts at restoring connection.

Parameter Properties View

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  • Displays parameter properties when a parameter is selected from Dashboard or Advanced Setup.

Parameter Description View

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  • Displays parameter description (if available) when a parameter is selected from Dashboard or Advanced Setup.

Datalog Page

  • Logs parameter data into a CSV file.
  • Plots real-time data on a chart.
  • Creates a parameter file for TTL (optional for CAN).

Datalog Settings:

  • Session Title: User-defined file naming.
  • Working Folder: Shows the location set to save the files.
  • Log Rate (ms): User-defined data logging speed.

Note

Datalog speed may vary depending on the connected device and the connection type.

  • ASAP Checkbox: Logs the data at the maximum speed allowed by the connected device and the connection type.
  • Save Parameters File Checkbox: Enables saving a parameter file along with the datalog file.
  • Start/Stop Datalogging Button: Displays logging status and allows starting or stopping datalogging.
  • Search/Add Parameters: Allows parameter lookup and add parameters to the datalog list.
  • Parameters list: Shows the user-defined list of parameters for data collection.
    • Trash Can: Removes the parameter from the list.
    • Plot? Checkbox: Defines which parameters are visible on the chart.
  • Remove All: Removes all parameters from the list.

Dictionary File Rules and Requirements

General Requirements

  • The dictionary file must be an XML file.
  • The dictionary must contain a valid Version Number
  • The dictionary must contain Parameters child element.
  • The Parameters element should contain multiple ParameterDescription elements.

Required Elements in Each ParameterDescription

  • Required in all parameters
    • Name: Descriptive name of the parameter.
    • Address: Numeric value representing the parameter address.
    • AccessLevel: Numeric value indicating the access level required.
    • Scale: Numeric value representing the scaling factor.
    • Read: Boolean value indicating if the parameter is readable (true or false).
    • Write: Boolean value indicating if the parameter is writable (true or false).
    • Flash: Boolean value indicating if the parameter is stored in flash memory (true or false).
  • Required in Bit Vector parameters
    • BitField: Defines the Bit Field representation.
    • BitArray: Defines each individual Bit.
  • Required in Enum parameters
    • EnumArray: Defines each Enum

Optional Elements

  • Units: String representing the measurement unit.
  • Description: Textual description of the parameter.
  • Website: URL providing additional information.

Feature requests

If you have any requests, please send them to support@acceleratedsystems.com using the below template for our consideration.

**Summary**
Brief summary of the new feature

**Who will benefit?**
Will this fix a problem that only one user has, or will it benefit a lot of people

**Benefits**
What benefits does this bring?
  - reduced support issues
  - save error prone manual checks
  - automate labour intensive tasks

**Risks**
What risks might this introduce?

**Proposed solution**
How would you like to see this issue resolved?

**Examples**
Are there any examples of this which exist in other software?

Bug reporting

If you find any issues, please detail them as best you can using the template below. You cna also find an error log in the settings tab:

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Send an email to Support using the template below and with the error log attached.

**Summary**
Summarize the bug encountered concisely

**Quick Information**
Software Version:

**Reproduction Sequence**
List the steps required to produce the error. These should be as few as possible

**Expected Result**
What should have happened when you performed the actions

**Actual Result**
What should have happened when you performed the actions

**Relevant Logs and/or Screenshots**
Paste any relevant logs or screenshots which show the issue

Release notes

Planned features

A short list of planned fixes/features to be released incrementally. The list is not exhaustive.

  • Scope function
  • Improved Dashboard experience
  • Improved Advanced page experience
  • Ability to adjust the order of parameters in advanced view (already possible via layout file)

3.3.6.1

New:

  • Feature: Datalog Page
  • Added Communication Errors counter to the Connection view

Changes:

  • Connect/Disconnect button behaviour and colors
  • ASI-allowed CAN Baud Rate list

Fixes:

  • Connection timeouts and error handling
  • Improved auto baud rate detection

3.2.1.2 - Beta

New:

  • Feature: Analyze File

Changes:

  • Upgraded from .NET 8 to .NET 9

3.1.5.4 - Beta

New:

  • Feature: Drop-down menu for ENUM parameters
  • Feature: Load custom dictionary
  • Added Motor RPM parameter to Dashboard
  • Added Release Notes to Settings

Changes:

  • Moved CAN Auto Baud Rate to Settings
  • Padding Hex values to 4 digits. e.g. A10 shows 0A10

Fixes:

  • Save to file only showing values of zeros in commented parameter scaled values

3.1.4.2 - Beta

Initial release for testing.

  • Controllers running BAC6 firmware over TTL and CAN
  • Several hardcoded dictionaries with auto dictionary selection (Disable auto set via settings menu)
  • Dashboard
  • Advanced setup page (similar to old BACDoor®)
  • Save to flash, load from file, save to file and update firmware.
  • Auto-recommends updating BACDoor® software on reopening the app if a newer release is available.
  • Supports Firmware 6.023 and up.

Currently known issues:

  • Some instability of page views.
  • Working to reproduce. Work in progress.
  • Comments in .xml save to file should show the scaled value of the parameter, but only shows 0 for all. Does not affect parameter file usage as the comments are only for you.