I've been in connector hell for weeks. That means not having the right board or the right driver or the right computer or the right version of windows, the right bits, the right registry entries, the right COM ports and a million other things just don't fit or load or argh, it's been frustrating. 

That's not all completely cleared up, but we got through enough to Get A Connection! With the main X-Ray and motors control unit!

Status report:

All motors work. At least three limit switches on them too (homing procedure FTW), and the software shows their functional state as well as the "manual motor on" switch, and the interlock. 

The interlock, I believe, is what has prevented it from running x-rays with the manual controls! As all good interlocks usually end up, it seems to think that the door is open when it isn't. And it's preventing me from turning on those x-rays. It would be really nice if it also displayed something like that to the screen, but what are you going to get for $250 thousand in 2004. 

I am unable to start the shutter motor, though in at least one case it tried to do "something". What's weird is that I was connected to the camera port, not the shutter port when this happened.  

There's a weird field modification document, to bring the camera from "LVDS" to "Camera Link". I am relatively sure that my version is camera link, which means it should be usable on any Camera Link card, and I have one from that era. However, I don't actually have the right custom connector, which why would you use those, argh! (update --- I have information on that and more will be explained in the next project log)

I'll be away (have been away but never hit send) for work again this week (are you sensing a pattern?), but I think there's a solid chance that over the next long weekend we could even have x-rays coming out... assuming the tube works. Then we can start the conditioning processes to help the tube wake up and be safe for higher voltages. It's also a high priority to take the case off, have a look inside, clean it out and grease things (I don't enjoy running the motors too much in this state).