Frequently Asked Questions

How does Metrics provide support for it's software?

If you are a customer and have registered as a user you can access our Knowledge Base through your Customer Portal. Information on how to set-up instruments can be found under the HELP tab of the software.

If your issue is not addressed in the Knowledge Base it is most efficient to assist you if you submit a support ticket through your Customer Portal. Please provide the following information:

1. Your software License Number (also known as Customer ID (CID) / Registration number). The sequence will be IA######A, IH#####A or MK#####A, etc. (# represents a number).

2. Version of software and last HotFix applied. If you are using a currently supported version be sure you have applied the latest HotFix (HF##) available at our website accessed through your customer portal. The issue you may be experiencing may have been addressed in the latest Hotfix. The latest Hotfix contains all previous Hotfix resolutions.

3. List of equipment you are using to test your devices.

4. The ICS project file or VBScript algorithms being executed.

5. Screen shots of the error code (Alt->Prt Scr) to capture the error window. Images sent from a camera are often illegible.

Why do I need to download a HotFix?

A HotFix may comprise customer requests for enhanced functionality, bug fixes or both. New version releases and the latest HotFix contain all previous HotFixes. We recommend that you make an archive copy on CD-ROM of the HotFixes you apply.

How do I find my License Number (also known as Customer ID (CID) / Registration number)?

The license number should be printed on a tag attached to your USB or LPT security key. Or you can start the software and do the following:

1. Start Metrics software For ICV go to TOOLS -> SYSTEM CONFIGURATION click on the ABOUT Information tab. For all other products (ICS, Win4145 or Win4156) go to the HELP->ABOUT tab.

2. The license (registration) number should be displayed in a dialog box. The sequence will be IA######A, IH#####A or MK#####A, etc. (# represents a number)

What if my security key is not being read?

If the dialog box does not show a license number (CID) it is possible that your PC will no longer support the USB security key due to driver compatibility issues. In the latest version of Metrics products we support a software license key which is generated for the PC by activating the license on that computer. For this node-locked software license security key be sure you have activated the license and that the provided license.v2c file is located in the C:\Metrics directory.

For an older PC, try a different USB port to see if the key is recognized.

Make sure that the User Account in your Windows OS had administrator privileges to install and run the software.

If you recently installed a HotFix was it the version that corresponds with your version of software? Installing an incorrect version will impede the software and hardware key from communicating.

If you see this Error message: “the security plug cannot be detected or is malfunctioning” check the Device Manager to verify there are no Windows resource conflicts. You will need to check for the device under Universal Serial Bus controllers. It will be listed as Rainbow USB SuperPro or SafeNet USB SuperPro/UltraPro based on the version of your license. If there is a conflict it’s probably with one of the built-in COM devices (i.e. the trackpad, point stick or modem, or some other serial device) you may need to disable the other device temporarily to see if you can get Windows to recognize and install the Sentinel Pro driver. If the error message please submit a support ticket through your customer portal for additional instructions and assistance.

After installing a Windows Update, I get Unable to start external nSpace server?

If you are upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10 you may experience this message due to the Windows updater making modifications to the Windows Registry. Make sure you have already upgraded you Metrics product to version 4.2 which provides compatibility for Windows 10 security.

In order to correct this error on startup you will need to manually register the nSpace server component using the Command Prompt executed with elevated privileges as Administrator. Please perform the following steps:

1. At the Windows search field on the taskbar type “cmd”.

2. You should see the Command Prompt App in the list of results.

3. Right click and select “Run as Administrator”.

4. In the command console window type the following:

cd C:\Metrics\nspace

nsh.exe /Register

5. Try running Metrics ICV and then start ICS or launch Metrics ICS from the desktop icon.

If this doesn’t fix the problem try again but restart Windows 10 before attempting to start ICV or ICS.

Why isn’t the trial software installing?

The software is provided as a self-extracting .EXE archive. You cannot launch the installer directly from the website downloads link. Please make sure to download and save this file to you local computer’s hard disk by selecting “Save As” in the download dialog box and specify a convenient location (i.e. the Windows Desktop). Once the file is saved to your local disk then click on the application icon to execute the .EXE and launch the installer. Once the installer starts, confirm the installation by selecting the “install” button. Note: You should have received an e-mail from Customer Service which should contain a temporary trial codeword(s) that you will be required to enter in the software in order to start your evaluation period. You should consult the Getting Started Guide provided in the software for setting up and using the software.

Can I use the software on multiple computers?

You can install and activate the software on a single PC. The node-locked licensing methodology requires Customers to generate a unique fingerprint for the PC that the software will be used on. If you need a development license then you will need to will purchase a separate license for this task. In our experience it is somewhat difficult to develop algorithms and test plans with any level of sophistication without having the ability to test and debug with live instruments.

If you would like to read the manuals offline copy this directory C:\Metrics\Help to your laptop and then you can access those manuals without running the complete software application.

What file export formats are supported?

Metrics software supports direct copy via the Windows clipboard to any Windows application that supports this format. In addition there is an export to tab delimited ASCII formatted log file option.

How many Points per Vector are allowed by Metrics ICS data window?

The number of points per vector is limited by the firmware of the instrument. For instance the maximum points per vector for the HP4145A is 500 points and the HP4145B is 1024 points. The driver in ICS only allows for this many points in a VAR1 sweep source. Other instruments may be able to return as many as 10001 points which will be displayed in the ICS data window with the vertical scrolling enabled.

Does Metrics software support OLE Automation?

Our current products support DDE which allows the user to use VBA for Excel to execute a measurement using Metrics software and automatically transfer the data to the Excel spreadsheet by using user written macros. This requires some knowledge of macro programming using Visual Basic but we can provide a sample macro to our customers to get you started.

Does Metrics ICV support NBTI-on-the-fly?

There is a NBTI on-the-fly algorithm that is available in our IDE license product. We have looked at the NBTI-on-the-fly method in the past but found it has limited usefulness on many of the instruments that we support due the timing resolution achievable over the GPIB bus. It is only effective using fast instruments such as the Agilent E5270 or HP4142B. For most other instruments there is too much latency to avoid relaxation effects on many devices.

Do you still sell and support pcAccess software?

The data format on the HP4145A/B is stored in an old LIF format which is not compatible with PC floppy disc format under DOS so it is difficult to extract the data automatically from the HP4145B disc. We use to provide such a product but we could no longer support the program due to changes in the latest PC hardware and BIOS. There is still software available for download from Agilent called LIF Utilities that will allow you to copy LIF formatted disks but you will need an older PC with Win 95/98. Here is the link: http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent/editorial.jspx?cc=SG&lc=eng&ckey=1000002597:epsg:faq&nid=-536902437.536881997&id=1000002597:epsg:faq

Our Win4145 provides a solution for using a PC with current Windows Operating Systems to control the HP4145 A/B and acquire the data via the GPIB interface on the instrument. It requires a PC with GPIB PCI card or USB-GPIB cable adapter.