You can download the complete, fully functional, latest version of the Mistral software below.
Without the Mistral pod it will run in simulation mode, giving you a chance to try our easy to use
interface.
- Modify scanning during switch testing to prevent reverse voltage from being applied to an LED if a Switched LED created by a switch closure was not defined in the file.
V4.3.0
Update to more recent version of Microsoft libraries. Requires Windows Vista SP2 or newer.
Test Mode
- Add support for Network Automation. This allows monitoring and control of Mistral testing over the network.
- Update graph.
- Add support for multiple LED items for a single LED. This allows testing the forward voltage and reverse current at different settings for the same LED.
- Save the detailed raw data log if there is a program error during testing. The raw data can be found in the "Temporary File Folder" specified in the Mistral Options "File Locations" tab.
- Fix problem that could cause the program to crash when lines or text are deleted from a Keypad File.
- Fix problems with items snapping to the grid when they are being placed or moved.
Test Mode
- Add option to allow operator to change the label to use during testing if the Edit Mode password is defined but was not entered at program launch. A checkbox has been added to the "Company" tab of the Options window.
- Add the option to ignore switches pressed in the wrong order when "Switches must be pressed in sequence" option is enabled for a Keypad. This setting is found on the "Testing" tab in the Edit Info for the Keypad File.
- Prevent selection of labels using the File menu while a job is running.
General
- Prevent the operator from moving files using the file explorer if editing is disabled using the global edit password on the "Company" tab in the Mistral Options window.
- Add ability to view a graph of up to 20 Switches and Permanent Connections during testing by selecting "Show Graph" from the "File" menu. The graph will show the values for the last 40 keypads tested and the allowable minimum and maximum for the first item tested, either permanent connection or switch.
- Fix bug that prevented the month and week in year from printing correctly on some labels.
- When running the program in simulation mode, improve function key detection and make simulated switch results a little random.
General
- If shared documents folder does not exist, make defualt location for Keypad Files user's "My Documents\Mistral Keypad Test System\Keypad Files".
- Add Automatic LED Visual Test that uses a camera to check the color, intensity and position of LEDs.
- Include average forward voltage in Job Summary for LED items.
- Fix various formating problems in the job logs.
- Prevent error that caused program to crash when entering test mode if a Mistral pod had never been connected to the computer. This was preventing simulation from working.
- Prevent adding, deleting or resizing items using the shortcut keys while testing.
General
- Include updates to pod firmware to fix a problem when testing three terminal light sensors. Update will be prompted to install the update when the program starts.
- Fix slow loading of Keypad Files with background graphics.
- Update warning message regarding passwords that is shown when older files are openned.
- Fix problem positioning text when opening some older Keypad Files.
Test Mode
- Add ability to disable the reverse leakage test for individual LEDs. There is now a checkbox in the item properties beside the Reverse Leakage Test Voltage to enable/disable the test. This is helpful for LEDs with Zener diodes for protection that tend to have high reverse leakage.
- Prevent error if too many test items for Job Snapshot.
- It is no longer necessary for an administrator to manually change folder permissions if the user running the program does not have the necessary privileges.
- Fix problem setting label orientation during printing.
- Fix problem that may prevent label files from being available for editing or use.
Test Mode
- If "Switches must be pressed in sequence" is enabled, indicate a wrong switch pressed by making it red. If this happens the operator must press that switch in the correct sequence for keypad to pass.
- Fix problem with keypads failing when using automation if the last switch tested is a group.
- Prevent max forward voltage for switched LEDs and switched diodes from being set to an invalid value when creating an item or after changing the defaults in the Edit Info window.
Test Mode
- Fix problem that caused "Error saving summary job log." message if the average resistance of a permanent connection was 10M Ohms or more.
- Lower the minimum value allowed for illumination current and test current when measuring forward voltage from 1mA to 0.1mA for LEDs, series LEDs, switched LEDs and switched diodes.
- Add the ability to correctly test bicolor two pin LEDs or two individual LEDs that are connected to the same to pins with reverse polarities. To test, create two LED items manually for each bicolor LED. Set the Anode, Cathode, color and forwad voltage specifications correctly for each direction (reverse leakage values do not apply).
General
- Update to the latest drivers approved for Windows 8.
- Add option to view a Job Snapshot at the bottom of the Keypad File window that shows the results for the last 100 keypads tested. To view the snapshot, select "Show Job Snapshot" from the "File" menu while in Production Test mode.
- Add a warning level that is indicated in the Job Snapshot to show when a resistance measurement is close to its minimum or maximum allowed value. The warning threshold is set in the Edit Info window's "Testing" tab.
General
- Add support for driver installation on 64-bit Windows systems.
- Add ability to only print a label if a keypad fails. Settings for when to print labels are found on the "Labeling" tab of the Mistral Options window.
- Add ability to include reason for failure on the label. To enable this feature select "Pass/Fail" and then "Fail Reason" under "Keypad Info" in the Label Layout window.
- Add "Open Special..." to the "File" menu. When opening a Keypad File this way, you have the option of having all the LEDs defined in the file converted to switches. This allows the testing of membrane circuits before the LEDs have been installed. Note the actual Keypad File is not changed. The default switch values set in the Edit Info window will be used when creating the switches.
Test Mode
- Revert to showing permanent connection's name if item goes bad during continuous permanent connection test. Was turning red but potentially showing previous good value.
- Make sure LED icon in item indicates the correct LED color at end of illumination testing.
- Prevent errors at end of test due to a Keypad File being read only.
- Fix display inconsistencies that could occur if a switch was shorted or closed during the scan for shorts and the "Switches must be pressed in sequence" option was enabled.
- Fix error that occurred if Keypad File had no switches and the "Switches must be pressed in sequence" option was enabled.
- Add ability to set the text that is printed on a label when a keypad passes or fails.
- Make buttons that control testing, learning, etc. larger if window size is greater than approximately 700 pixels.
Test Mode
- Add ability to do a continuous electrical test on permanent connections. This option can be enabled in the "Testing" tab of the Edit Info window.
- If "Illuminate each LED for confirmation by operator" is enabled in the "Testing" tab of the Edit Info window and it is set to cycle at the "Max" rate, LEDs will be cycled at a high enough rate to make them appear to all be on. Note that the more LEDs there are on a keypad, the dimmer they will appear. This feature requires pod firmware V4.2 or later, which is included with the software.
- Fix bug that caused resistances over 10M Ohms to be expressed in scientific notation in Job Logs.
- Fix bug that could prevent Summary Job Logs from being saved if the names for any of the items are less than four characters long.
- Add additional light sensor item configuration with three pins and a voltage output. To select new sensor type, select an existing sensor item or create a new one, click on the sensor button in the upper right corner of the properties window and choose "Three Terminal Voltage Output Sensor". This sensor is only supported with modified Mistral pods.
- Add switched diode, switched LED, light sensor and 7-segment LED display items. Switched diode and switched LED items allow testing of switches in series with diodes where the connection between the switch and diode is not available on a connector. Light sensors can be two pin photodiodes or phototransistors. Three pin sensors are only supported with modified Mistral pods.
- Add ability to group any combination of switch, switched diode and switched LED for keypad switches that connect more than two pins.
- Improve loading of fonts to reduce program startup time.
- Add support for pods with software V4.
- Add information about pod to About window.
Test Mode
- Add green and red banners to the pass and fail messages respectively to make failures more obvious to the operator.
- Improve logging of resistances, voltages and currents by including more significant digits. This allows the log to more accurately record the values used to make pass/fail decisions.
- Add ability to test switches in parallel with LEDs.
Edit Mode
- Preserve switch groups when setting the Test Sequence.
Learn Mode
- Add ability to learn switched diodes and switch groups. This change did increase the response time for switch presses while learning, particularly for 62 point systems. As always, hold the switch down until the pod beeps.
Pod Firmware
- New V4.1 pod firmware improves reliability and could prevent damage to pod from static discharge or power failures while testing. You will be prompted to install the upgrade when you run the program with a pod running older firmware.
- Add the ability to test switches that have an off resistance by assigning the same pin numbers to a permanent connection item and a switch item. The permanent connection defines the switch open resistance and the switch item defines the characteristics when the switch is pressed.
- Add the ability to quit the job if a file has a fail password, the part has failed and the password is not known.
- Fix bug that caused communication errors to be displayed if a new short was detected while scanning for switches.
- Improve reporting of any Keypad File problems that prevent it from being used for testing.
Edit Mode
- Reduce minimum font size from 6 to 4 for label fields.
General
- Add support for updated Mistrals with black cases.
- Improve calibration procedure.
- Improve ability to recover from USB communication failure.
- Fix bug that caused extra switches to be detected when one side of a switch was connected to a permanent connection.
Edit Mode
- Reduce default current used to measure LED forward voltage from 10mA to 1mA for new Keypad Files. This should reduce forward voltage errors due to LED circuit path resistance. Note that default current can still be changed in the Edit Info for the Keypad File and individual currents can be set when the LED item is selected.
Learn Mode
- Significantly improve the speed with which the Mistral recognizes key presses.