AstraLink

USER GUIDE

ISHIDA CO., LTD

Copyright © 2000 Ishida Co. Ltd., Japan
Copyright © 2000 Interface Translation Ltd., New Zealand

No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
without permission in writing from Ishida Co. Ltd.

Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Contents
1. Introduction.....................................................................................................................1
How to Use This Manual................................................................................................1
2. Getting Started.................................................................................................................2
Before You Start...........................................................................................................2
Starting AstraLink for the First Time................................................................................2
Troubleshooting ....................................................................................................5
Starting AstraLink (second and subsequent times) ...............................................................7
Finding a PLU......................................................................................................8
If you know the PLU number............................................................................8
If you know some or all of the PLU name...........................................................8
If you do not know the PLU number or name ......................................................8
Adding a New PLU................................................................................................9
Editing and Deleting PLUs......................................................................................9
To edit the selected PLU..................................................................................9
To delete the selected PLU ............................................................................. 10
Changing PLU Prices........................................................................................... 10
Using the Price Change Dialog........................................................................ 10
Using the PLU Edit Dialog ................................................................................... 11
Entering the PLU description.......................................................................... 12
Entering the PLU settings .............................................................................. 12
Changing the PLU number............................................................................. 12
Saving your changes...................................................................................... 12
Changing the displayed PLU .......................................................................... 13
Adding a new PLU ....................................................................................... 13
Closing the PLU Edit window ........................................................................ 13
Extra Messages.................................................................................................... 13
Nutrition (USA Only)........................................................................................... 15
Keyboard............................................................................................................ 17
1. Upper Keys.............................................................................................. 18
2. Lower Keys.............................................................................................. 18
3. Keysheet.................................................................................................. 18
Using the keyboard window............................................................................ 18
Scale Communications ......................................................................................... 19
PLU List and Extra Message List Reports................................................................ 20
Other Features ............................................................................................................ 22
3. Communicating with the Scale ......................................................................................... 23
3.1 Receiving Data From the Scale................................................................................. 23
3.2 Sending Data to the Scale........................................................................................ 25
4. The Astra Database ......................................................................................................... 27
Selecting the Database .......................................................................................... 27
5. Editing PLUs ................................................................................................................ 28
5.1 Using the PLU Search Window................................................................................ 28
Finding a PLU.................................................................................................... 28
If you know the PLU number.......................................................................... 28
If you know some or all of the PLU name......................................................... 28
If you do not know the PLU number or name .................................................... 29
Adding a New PLU.............................................................................................. 29
Editing or Deleting a PLU..................................................................................... 29
Deleting a Range of PLUs..................................................................................... 30
Cutting and Pasting PLUs..................................................................................... 30
Quick Price Changes ............................................................................................ 31
5.2 Using the PLU Edit Dialog ..................................................................................... 32
6. Extra Messages .............................................................................................................. 35
Creating and Editing Extra Messages....................................................................... 35
Assigning an Extra Message to a PLU ..................................................................... 37
Deleting an Extra Message..................................................................................... 37
7. Nutrition (USA only)...................................................................................................... 38
 Creating and Editing Nutrition Information .............................................................. 38
Assigning Nutrition Information to a PLU ............................................................... 38
Deleting Nutrition Records .................................................................................... 39
8. Keyboard ...................................................................................................................... 40
8.1 Defining the Upper and Lower Key Meanings ............................................................. 40
8.2 Printing Keysheet Templates.................................................................................... 43
9. Store Name and Address.................................................................................................. 45
10. PLU and Extra Message List Reports ............................................................................... 46
1. Introduction
AstraLink is a software utility that provides all the features you need to setup and maintain
the data on your Ishida Astra scale.
AstraLink includes the following features.
• Visual interface for creating and editing scales data.
PLUs
Extra messages
Keyboard presets
Store name and address
• Scales data can be sent to and read from the scales via the serial port on your PC.
• Quick price change feature
• Search function for quickly locating the desired PLU
• Print scale keyboard templates
• PLU list report

How to Use This Manual

If you are a new user wishing to familiarize ð See Chapter 2 Getting Started
yourself with the software.

If you wish to learn how to use a specific ð Lookup the feature in the Contents and
feature. find the relevant chapter.

If you require information about the ð Refer to On-Line Help (click Index in the
operation of a particular menu or other Help menu.)
command.

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2. Getting Started
This section gives a quick tutorial on how to use AstraLink and introduces the main concepts
you will need to edit and manage scales data.

Before You Start

When you run AstraLink for the first time, the software steps you through a series of
operations to setup your copy of AstraLink. This includes reading the initial scale data from
the Astra itself.
Accordingly, you must have the Astra and data cable available before you can run AstraLink.

Starting AstraLink for the First Time

Installing AstraLink adds an "AstraLink" icon to the <Programs> sub-menu of your Windows
<Start> menu.
To run AstraLink from Windows, click on <Start> → <Programs> → <AstraLink> →
<AstraLink>.
When you run AstraLink for the first time, the AstraLink Setup Wizard appears as shown
below to step you through the process of setting up your copy of AstraLink.

Click the Next button to move to the next step in the setup process.
NOTE: If you do not have a scale available, it is possible to bypass the AstraLink Setup
Wizard by unzipping the file BYPASS.ZIP included in the installation before running
AstraLink. This will open a sample database instead.
However, it is important that you read the data from your scale before creating your
database. See Chapter 3 Communicating with the Scale for details.

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If you have not already connected the Astra to your PC using the cable provided, now is the
time to do so.
Plug one end of the cable into the 9-pin socket on the left side of the Astra, and plug the
other end into an unused serial port socket on your PC. If the PC port is labeled, make a
note of the port number.
Next, turn on the Astra and allow it to start.
Leave the Astra in this state, go back to your PC, and click the Next button to move to the
next step.

In this step, you specify which serial port you used to connect the Astra to the PC.

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If you are unsure, leave the default setting. If communications does not work you can return
to this step and try another serial port.
Click the button indicating the correct serial port, then click the Next button to move to the
next step.

The AstraLink software is now ready to receive the initial data from the scale.
Click the Next button to start the transfer. This opens the dialog shown below.

Follow the instructions in the dialog to start the data transfer. The scale operation is
described in detail below. The "Troubleshooting" section below describes what to do if you
have problems.

1 Remove any keysheet from the Astra keyboard to expose the programming
keyboard.
2 Enter 9000 using the numeric keys on the right, then press the MODE key. The
scale display shows "registration" indicating registration mode.
3 Next, press the down arrow key a number of times until "communication" appears.

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4 Press the ENTER key once to display "Upload", again to display "All Data", then a
third time to start sending data.
If the data transfer is successful, the scale will display briefly "Uploading", then
"Upload OK", then "All Data".
If communications fails, see "Troubleshooting" below.
5 Go back to the PC. If the data transfer is successful, a message will be displayed
on the screen to indicate this. Click the OK button. Next, a dialog opens for you to
specify the file name for the scale database. You can specify any valid file name
(your store name, for example).

Troubleshooting
The following are possible causes if you cannot communicate with the scale.
• Check that the cable is securely plugged in at both ends.
• Incorrect serial port. Unfortunately, not all PC manufacturers bother to label the serial
port connectors on the back of the PC. You may need to experiment by setting
different serial ports in AstraLink until you find the one you used to plug in the cable
to the Astra.
In this case, click the Back button to return to the serial port selection window and
set a different serial port. Keep trying until it works or you run out of ports to try.
• Serial port in use by other application. If AstraLink displays the following message,
the serial port may be being used by another program.
"Cannot open comms link. Close any other programs that may be using the
same COM port."
You may also get this message if you select a serial port that is not available on your
PC.
Either close the other program, or try using a different serial port.
• If the above steps do not resolve the problem, you may need to contact your
support agent for either the Astra or your PC.

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The following window appears if the data is successfully received from the scale.

Click the Finish button to end the AstraLink Setup Wizard.

Next AstraLink opens the dialog shown below for you to enter your store name and address.

This is the store name and address used by the scale to print at the bottom of labels.
Enter your store details then click OK.
This completes the initial setup for your store. We recommended that you now take a few
minutes to work through the tutorial below for a quick introduction to using AstraLink.

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Starting AstraLink (second and subsequent times)
When you start AstraLink, the program automatically loads the database that was open when
you last exited.
The figure below shows the initial screen (called the PLU Search window).

Click here to list all PLUs. Click here to enter a search Tab bar. Click here to
Use the ↑, ↓, PgUp and PgDn string. The list only displays change the displayed
keys to scroll the PLU list PLUs that match the search window.
i
Add a new PLU

PLU list. Double Open PLU Edit Delete currently Open PLU price
click on a PLU to window to edit selected PLU change dialog
edit. currently selected
PLU

The initial screen opens with the cursor in the PLU No. field of the PLU Search window. The
PLU Search window provides a number of methods for you to find the PLU you are looking
for and to edit or delete the selected PLU. You can also add new PLUs from this window.

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Finding a PLU

If you know the PLU number

Enter the PLU number in the PLU No. field. The specified PLU appears selected in the PLU
list.

If you know some or all of the PLU name

The PLU name is the first line of the PLU description that appears on the label. Enter the
initial characters of the PLU name in the Search field. The PLU list displays only those PLUs
with names that start with the entered text. For example, entering ÒBEEFÓ displays all PLU
names starting with the word ÒbeefÓ. (The search is not case-sensitive: entering ÒbeefÓ is the
same as entering ÒBEEFÓ.)

You can also use the wildcard characters (Ô*Õ and Ô?Õ) to specify a more detailed search
condition. For example, entering Ò*BEEFÓ displays all PLU names containing the word ÒbeefÓ.
NOTE: The search re-executes automatically each time you type a character. The response
may be a bit slow on older computers. In this case, allow a few seconds for the list to
update.

If you do not know the PLU number or name

When the cursor is in the Search field, the PLU list only displays those PLUs that match the
search condition. Move the cursor back to the PLU No. field (e.g. click on the field) to clear
the search results and display all PLUs in the PLU list.
Next, use the scroll bar, the up and down arrow keys, or the PageUp and PageDown keys to
scroll the PLU list until you find the PLU you are looking for.
See Chapter 6 Creating and Editing PLUs for a full explanation of the PLU Search window.

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Adding a New PLU
Click the Add button in the PLU Search window. This opens a dialog for you to enter then
PLU number. The number defaults to the next unused PLU number. If you wish to use a
different number, enter an unused number, then press Return or click OK to open the PLU
Edit dialog.

If you entered the number of an existing PLU, the data for that PLU is displayed. Otherwise,
a new PLU is created and the initial values of the fields in the lower half of the dialog are set
to their default values.
The cursor is initially positioned in the PLU description field. Enter the PLU description. Next,
use the mouse or TAB key to move the cursor to the price field and enter the PLU price.
Similarly, enter any other values you wish to change
Finally, click the OK button. This saves the PLU in the database and returns you to the PLU
Search window. Use the procedure described in Finding a PLU above to check that the PLU
has been added.

Editing and Deleting PLUs

When you have found the new PLU, click on the PLU name in the list to select it. The
selected PLU appears highlighted.

To edit the selected PLU

Click the Edit button. A PLU Edit dialog opens displaying the data for that PLU.
The operation of the PLU Edit dialog is described in more detail below. For now, click the
Cancel button at the top right of the window. This returns you to the PLU Search window.

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To delete the selected PLU
Click the Delete button. A dialog opens asking whether or not to delete the PLU. Click No if
you donÕt want to delete the PLU. If you click Yes, the PLU is deleted from the database.
You can also delete a range of PLUs by selecting Delete Range from the Edit menu. For
example, you can use this function to delete the sample PLUs loaded from the Astra at initial
setup.

Changing PLU Prices

Click the Price Changes button in the PLU Search window to open a dialog for changing
PLU prices (or select Price Changes in the Scales menu).
The purpose of this feature is to allow you to rapidly change the prices of a number of PLUs
without having to edit each PLU in the PLU Edit dialog.

Using the Price Change Dialog

Enter the new price and press Enter. This saves the specified price in the database. A PLU
Search dialog opens (defaulted to the next sequential PLU number) for you to specify the
next PLU number.
The Next and Prev buttons jump to the next or previous PLU respectively. The Select button
opens a PLU Search dialog for you to select another PLU.

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Using the PLU Edit Dialog
The following are some quick tips to get you started using the PLU Edit dialog. See Chapter
5 Editing PLUs for a full explanation.
The appearance of the PLU Edit window depends on how your system is configured. The
figure below shows an example.

PLU description Enter a new value to

Close without Save PLU and close
save to a different PLU
saving dialog.
Font settings for Display next or Add a new
description text previous PLU PLU

Click button to display list of PLU settings. Use TAB key or mouse to select a
options field, then enter value or select from list.
Clicking the Browse button for the Message No.
opens a dialog for you to select from a list of the
available messages.

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Entering the PLU description
The large field in the middle of the PLU Edit dialog contains the PLU description. Click on the
field to set the input focus and use the mouse or arrow keys to move the cursor. Use the
operations described below to enter or modify the description text.

Operation Explanation
Insert text Position the cursor at the desired location and enter text from the
keyboard. The font and label width determine how many characters are
displayed per line. Press the INS key to switch between insert and
overwrite mode.

Select text Drag with the mouse or hold down the shift key and use the left or right
arrow key to move the cursor over the desired text. The selected text
appears highlighted.

Change line A different font can be set for each line. Position the cursor in the line
font and select the desired font from the Font field. You can also press Ctrl+F
to step through the available fonts.

Change label Set the Label Width field to the actual label width to be used for this
width PLU. This updates the description field to only display as many
characters as will fit on the label.
(The Label Width field is used for display only and has no effect on the
scales.)

Cut, Copy or Use the Edit menu or the standard Windows keystrokes to cut, copy or
Paste paste description text.

Entering the PLU settings

The lower half of the window displays the various PLU settings. Which fields are displayed
depends on how your system is configured.
Use the mouse or TAB key to move to a field, then enter or select the desired value. An error
message appears if you try to move to another field when the value of this field is outside the
allowed range.
NOTE: You can only enter digits. None of the PLU fields accept letters or punctuation
symbols.

Changing the PLU number

The PLU number field is at the top left of the Edit dialog. You can change the value to save
the displayed data with a different PLU number. In this case, a warning message appears if a
PLU with the specified number already exists. Saving the PLU data to a new PLU number
does not delete the old PLU number and leaves the data for the old PLU unchanged.

Saving your changes

Click the OK button. This saves the PLU in the database.

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Changing the displayed PLU
Click the Next>> or <<Prev buttons to display the data for the next or previous PLU number.
(A warning message appears if you have not saved your changes to the current PLU.)

Adding a new PLU

To add a new PLU, click the New PLU button. This opens a PLU Search dialog to specify the
number of the new PLU. Enter the new PLU number then press Return. This resets all fields
in the Edit dialog to their default values. The new PLU is not saved until you click the OK
button.

Closing the PLU Edit window

Click the OK to save your changes and close the PLU Edit dialog, or Cancel button to close
the dialog without saving.

Extra Messages
Extra messages are a way of defining additional text, such as ingredient lists, to appear on
labels. You use the extra message function to create and edit the extra messages, then use
the PLU Edit dialog (described above) to assign extra messages to PLUs.
To display the extra message screen, click the extra messages tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar). The figure below shows an example.

Click the Add button to create a new message, or click on an existing message to select,
then click the Edit button to edit the message (or simply double-click on a message). In either
case, a dialog opens to edit the message text, as shown below.

13
Enter the message text in the same way as you entered the PLU description text in the PLU
Edit dialog.
After you have entered the message text, enter a name, then click OK to save the message.
The name is used to identify the message inside AstraLink (when assigning the message to a
PLU, for example) and is not sent to the scale.

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Nutrition (USA Only)
This feature is only available on USA-version scales.
The nutrition feature defines the information to be printed in the nutrition panel on PLU labels
To display the nutrition screen, click the nutrition tab at the top of the AstraLink window
(below the menu bar). The figure below shows an example.

Click the Add button to create a new nutrition record, or click on an existing record to select,
then click the Edit button to edit the nutrition information (or simply double-click on a record).
In either case, a dialog opens to edit the nutrition information, as shown below.

15
Enter the nutrition information in the dialog, then click OK to save the message.
The nutrition Name is used to identify the nutrition record inside AstraLink (when assigning
the nutrition information to a PLU, for example) and is not sent to the scale.
To copy nutrition data to a different nutrition number, enter the new number in the Nutrition
No. field. A warning message appears if nutrition data is already assigned to the new
number.

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Keyboard
The keys on the Astra keyboard can be assigned to particular PLUs, tare weights, and
various other functions. The scale keyboard has a shift key, so you can define two meanings
for each key. These are called the upper (standard) and lower (shift key pressed) keys
respectively.
To display the keyboard screen, click the keyboard tab at the top of the AstraLink window
(below the menu bar). The figure below shows an example.

The keyboard screen can be used to edit three different types of data. Use the Display
buttons on the bottom left of the window to switch between the three options.

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1. Upper Keys
This displays the meaning assigned to each upper key. Meanings can only be assigned to
the keys on the left side of the keyboard. The righthand side keys appear gray.
To edit the settings for a key, click on the key to highlight it then click the Edit button on the
left of the window (or simply double click on the key). This displays the dialog shown below.

The upper key meaning is set at the top left of the dialog. The Key Type selects the key
meaning and Data specifies the value associated with the key. (In this case, the key is
assigned to PLU number 10.) The functions of the other parts of the dialog are explained
below.
Set the Key Type and Data, then click OK to exit.

2. Lower Keys
This displays the meaning assigned to each lower key. The "lower key" means the key
meaning when the key is pressed on the scale at the same time as the Shift key.
To display the lower preset key meanings, click on the Lower button on the bottom left of the
window.
The operation for setting lower key meanings is the same as for the upper keys.

3. Keysheet
In addition to defining the preset key meanings, you can also use AstraLink to print the
keysheet template.
To display the keysheet template, click on the Keysheet button on the bottom left of the
window.
To edit the settings for a key, click on the key to highlight it then click the Edit button on the
left of the window (or simply double click on the key). This displays the dialog shown above.
The keysheet printing settings are on the right side of the dialog.
Use the dialog to set the text, font, color and other settings for the key, then click OK to exit.
The operation is described in detail in Chapter 7 Keyboard.

Using the keyboard window

The explanation above briefly describes the three types of key data you can set using this
window. After you have finished setting the keys, click the Save button at the top left of the
window to save your changes in the database.
To print the keysheet, click the Print button at the top left of the window. A Print Preview

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command is also available in the File menu.
For a full explanation of how to use the keyboard function, see Chapter 8 Keyboard.

Scale Communications
After you have set the PLUs and other scale data, use the scale communications function to
send the data to the scale.
To display the scale communications screen, click the Comms tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar). The figure below shows an example.

The procedure for sending data to the scales is as follows:

1. Click the Send All Data button in the scale communications screen. This displays
the following dialog asking whether to append the data being sent to the existing
scale data or whether to overwrite the existing scale data. Select the desired
option, then click OK.

19
NOTE: The operation of the Astra scale may vary somewhat from that described below,
depending on which Astra model you are using. If in doubt, consult the Astra
Operation Manual.

2. Next, the following dialog appears with instructions on how to setup the scale to
receive data.
Check that the cable connecting the PC to the scale is plugged in correctly.
Also, remove any keysheet from the Astra keyboard to expose the programming
keyboard.
Turn on the Astra and set to REGISTRATION mode (on the Astra keyboard, enter
9000, then press the MODE key).

3. Press the down arrow on the Astra keyboard until "Communication" appears, then
press ENTER, followed by the down arrow. The scale should display "receive
data".
4. Press ENTER again. The scale displays "receiving" indicating that it is now ready
to receive data.
5. Go back to the PC and click the OK button in the above dialog to start sending.
The PC starts sending data to the scale.
If the data transfer is successful, the scale will display briefly "data received OK",
then "PLU".
If communications are not successful, see the "Troubleshooting" section in
Starting AstraLink for the First Time above.

See Chapter 3 Communicating with the Scale for full details on how to transfer data to and
from the scale.

PLU List and Extra Message List Reports

AstraLink can print reports listing all registered PLUs and all registered extra messages.
To display the report screen, click the Report tab at the top of the AstraLink window (below
the menu bar). The figure below shows an example for the PLU report.

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The tool bar at the top left has commands for specifying the range of PLUs to display (the
Select buttons), paging through the report (<Prev Page and Next Page> buttons), and
printing or exporting. Exporting outputs the report data to a text file in a format suitable for
reading into software packages such as Microsoft Excel.
You can also select whether to display the entire description for each PLU or the first line
only.

The operation for the Extra Message Report is the same.

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Other Features
The above sections have given you a quick introduction to the main AstraLink operations.
The following lists additional features of AstraLink and where to look in the manual for an
explanation.

Feature Description Manual Chapter

Store Name and Set the store name and address ð See Chapter 9 Store Name and
Address to print on labels Address

Change Selects which database to edit ð See Chapter 4 The PLU

Database Database

22
3. Communicating with the Scale
AstraLink communicates with the scale using one of the PC's serial ports.
To display the scale communications screen, click the Comms tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar). The figure below shows an example.

3.1 Receiving Data From the Scale

The procedure is as follows.
1. Click the Receive from Scale button. This displays the dialog show below.

NOTE: The operation of the Astra scale may vary somewhat from that described below,
deepening on which Astra model you are using. If in doubt, consult the Astra
Operation Manual.

2. AstraLink is now ready to receive data from the scale. However, to start the
transfer you need to perform the following operations on the scale.
Remove any keysheet from the Astra keyboard to expose the programming
keyboard.
3. On the Astra, enter 9000 using the numeric keys on the right, then press the
MODE key. The scale display shows "registration" indicating registration mode.

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4. Next, press the down arrow key a number of times until "communication" appears.
5. Press the ENTER key once to display "Send Data", again to display "All Data",
then a third time to start sending data.
Alternatively, when "All Data" is displayed, press the down arrow to select the type
of data to send, then press ENTER to start sending data.
If the data transfer is successful, the scale will display briefly "Sending", then
"Data Sent OK", then "All Data".
If communications fails, see "Troubleshooting" in Chapter 2 Getting Started.
6. Go back to the PC. If the data transfer is successful, the following dialog appears
asking you what to do with the received data.

The right side of the dialog contains a summary of the received data.
Note: In addition to the data you can edit in AstraLink (PLUs, etc.), the scale also sends
label format and configuration data. If you save the received data in a database, this
information is also saved. This means that the AstraLink database provides a full
backup for the scale.
However, care is required as, if you make any changes to the scale configuration at
the scale itself, these will be overwritten the next time you send data to the scale.
The left side of the dialog provides you with a series of options for what to do with the
received data.
Do not load received data
This simply discards the data without saving.
Load into new database
This creates a new database. You will be prompted to specify the file name.
Load into current database (default)
In this case, you need to specify what to do if the same PLU or message number, etc. is
present in both the current database and the received scale data. The default is to update
the database with the data from the scale.
Note: Some data is used in AstraLink only and is not sent to the scales. Accordingly, when
you receive data back from the scale, the received data does not include this internal
information. AstraLink fills in this missing information by setting default values. In other
words, if you send data to the scale then read it back, this information will be lost.
This includes label width information and the "Name" for extra messages.

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3.2 Sending Data to the Scale
As you can see in the scale communications window, you can either send all data or a
selected type of data only.
The procedure is as follows.
1. Click the button corresponding to the type of data you wish to send. This displays
a dialog asking whether to append the data being sent to the existing scale data
or whether to overwrite the existing scale data. Select the desired option, then
click OK.

2. Next, the following dialog appears with instructions on how to setup the scale to
receive data.
Check that the cable connecting the PC to the scale is plugged in correctly.
Also, remove any keysheet from the Astra keyboard to expose the programming
keyboard.
Turn on the Astra and set to REGISTRATION mode (on the Astra keyboard, enter
9000, then press the MODE key).

3. Press the down arrow on the Astra keyboard until "communication" appears, then
press ENTER, followed by the down arrow. The scale should display "Receive
Data".
4. Press ENTER again. The scale displays "Receiving" indicating that it is now ready
to receive data.

25
5. Go back to the PC and click the OK button in the above dialog to start sending. A
message appears when sending completes.
If communications fails, see "Troubleshooting" in Chapter 2 Getting Started.

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4. The Astra Database
AstraLink stores the scale data in a database. Whenever you change the scale data,
whether by receiving data from the scale or using the AstraLink screens, AstraLink updates
this database with the new data.

Selecting the Database

When you start AstraLink, the program automatically loads the database that was open when
you last exited.
As most stores will keep all data in a single database, no further action is required and you
can start editing scale data immediately.
However, in special cases such as when using the Astra for different purposes, you may use
AstraLink to edit multiple databases. If you need to change the database, click Change
Database in the File menu to open a dialog for selecting the new database file. Selecting a
database file closes the current database and opens the new database. You can only have
one database open at a time.

Automatic Database Backup

AstraLink can automatically create a backup of the current database each time the program
starts. The backup database file is created in the BACKUP sub-directory of the directory
containing the database file. The date of the backup is appended to the file name. AstraLink
maintains three or four backups ranging approximately one month.
To restore a backed up database file, use Change Database in the File menu to open the
database file, then use Save As to save under a new name.
The automatic backup function can be set on or off from the Options dialog. Select Options
from the Setup menu.

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5. Editing PLUs
This section describes how to manage PLU data.

5.1 Using the PLU Search Window

The PLU search window opens automatically when you start AstraLink. Use the PLU Search
window for the following operations.
• Finding a PLU
• Adding a new PLU
• Editing or deleting a PLU
• Deleting a range of PLUs
• Cutting and pasting PLUs
• Quick price changes

Finding a PLU

If you know the PLU number

Enter the PLU number in the PLU No. field. The specified PLU appears selected in the PLU
list.

If you know some or all of the PLU name

The PLU name is the first line of the PLU description that appears on the label. Enter the
initial characters of the PLU name in the Search field. The PLU list displays only those PLUs
with names that start with the entered text. For example, entering ÒBEEFÓ displays all PLU
names starting with the word ÒbeefÓ. (The search is not case-sensitive: entering ÒbeefÓ is the
same as entering ÒBEEFÓ.)
You can also use the wildcard characters (Ô*Õ and Ô?Õ) to specify a more detailed search
condition. For example, entering Ò*BEEFÓ displays all PLU names containing the word ÒbeefÓ.

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NOTE: The search re-executes automatically each time you type a character. The response
may be a bit slow on older computers. In this case, allow a few seconds for the list to
update.

If you do not know the PLU number or name

When the cursor is in the Search field, the PLU list only displays those PLUs that match the
search condition. Click the PLU No. field to clear the search results and display all PLUs in
the PLU list.
Next, use the scroll bar, the up and down arrow keys, or the PageUp and PageDown keys to
scroll the PLU list until you find the PLU you are looking for.

Adding a New PLU

1. Click the Add button or select Add from the PLU menu. This opens a PLU
Selection dialog for you to specify the PLU number. The next free PLU number
appears as the default. Enter the PLU number then click OK.
Next, the PLU Edit dialog opens displaying the data for the new PLU.
The fields in the lower half of the window are set to their default values.
The specified PLU number is set in the PLU number field, but you can change the
number if desired. (A warning message appears if you try to save the PLU with the
same number as an existing PLU.)
The operation of the PLU Edit window is described in 5.2 Using the PLU Edit
Dialog.
2. Enter the PLU description and other data, then click the OK button. This saves the
PLU in the database.
3. Click the Close button to close the window and return to the PLU Search window.
Use the procedure described in Finding a PLU above to check that the PLU has
been added.

Editing or Deleting a PLU

1. Use the procedure described in Finding a PLU above to find the PLU to edit or
delete. Click on the PLU in the list to select.
2. To edit the PLU: click the Edit button, select Edit PLU from the PLU menu, or
double-click on the PLU in the list.
This opens a PLU Edit window displaying the data for the selected PLU.
The operation of the PLU Edit window is described in 5.2 Using the PLU Edit
Dialog.
3. To delete the PLU: click the Delete button.
A dialog opens asking you to confirm whether to delete the PLU. Take care as
there is no means of undeleting a deleted PLU.
Click Yes to delete the PLU from the database.

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Deleting a Range of PLUs
1. Select Delete Range from the PLU menu. This opens a dialog for you to specify
the range of PLUs to delete.

2. Enter the start and end PLU numbers or use the Select buttons to open a PLU
selection dialog. The PLU selection dialog operates in the same way as the PLU
Search window (see Finding a PLU above).
3. Click OK to delete the PLUs from the database.

Cutting and Pasting PLUs

You can use the Edit menu or the standard Windows keystrokes to cut, copy and paste PLUs
in the PLU list field of the PLU Search window.
When pasting a PLU, a dialog appears asking how to paste the PLU into the database
(overwrite existing PLU or assign a new PLU number).

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Quick Price Changes
This feature is provided to allow you to update prices quickly without editing the entire PLU.
1. To change prices, click the Price Changes button or select Price Changes from
the Scales menu.
This opens the price change dialog shown below.

2. Enter the new price and press Enter. This saves the specified price and opens a
PLU search dialog for you to select the next PLU number.
This feature is useful if you have a list of PLU price changes to make that are not
in sequential order.
The intention is to allow you to change a large number of prices with the minimum
number of keystrokes.
3. If necessary, use the mouse to click the <<Prev, Next>>, or Select button to find
the desired PLU number.
Clicking the Select button opens a PLU selection dialog. The PLU selection dialog
operates in the same way as the PLU Search window (see Finding a PLU above).
4. When finished, click the OK button (to save the currently displayed price change)
or Cancel button (to close the dialog without saving).

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5.2 Using the PLU Edit Dialog
This section describes how to use the PLU Edit dialog.
The contents of the PLU Edit window depends on how your system is configured. See 5.1 for
an example.

The main elements of the PLU Edit window are as follows:

Control Element Explanation
PLU description Located in the upper half of the dialog. The PLU description field
field and associated consists of the controls for setting the font and label width, and an
controls edit area (with a scroll bar) for editing the description text.
How to use this field is explained below (see Editing the PLU
description).
PLU data fields Located in the lower half of the dialog. These fields are used to set
the various parameters, such as the price, that determine how the
PLU is printed on the scales.
Use the mouse or TAB key to move the cursor to the desired field
and enter a value or select an option from the list. A message
appears if you enter a value outside the allowed range.
OK button Located at the top left of the dialog. Click to save any changes you
have made and close the dialog.
Cancel button Located at the top left of the dialog. Click to close the dialog without
saving.
Control Element Explanation

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<<Prev and Next>> Located at the top of the dialog. Click to display the next or previous
buttons PLU number. A warning message appears if the current PLU has any
unsaved changes.
New PLU button Click to create a new PLU. A PLU search dialog opens for you to
specify the new PLU number.
PLU No. field Located on the left of the dialog. Enter a new PLU number if you
wish to save the displayed data as a new PLU. A warning message
appears when you save the PLU if a PLU with that number already
exists. Saving the PLU data to a new PLU number does not delete
the old PLU number and leaves the data for the old PLU
unchanged.
Extra Message and Located next to the extra message and/or nutrition field.
Nutrition This opens a dialog displaying a list of the available extra messages
"Browse" buttons or nutrition information. Select from the list and click OK to set. You
can also use the Edit button in the selection dialog to edit the
selected extra message or nutrition data.

Editing the PLU description

The PLU description field consists of controls for setting the font and label width, and an edit
area (with a scroll bar) for editing the description text.
Click on the edit area to select the field and use the mouse or arrow keys to move the cursor
within the field. The following operations are available in the PLU description field.

Operation Explanation
Insert text Position the cursor at the desired location and enter text from the
keyboard. The font and label width determine how many characters are
displayed per line. Press the INS key to switch between insert and
overwrite mode.

Select text Drag with the mouse or hold down the shift key and use the arrow keys
to move the cursor over the desired text. The selected text appears
highlighted.

Change line A different font can be set for each line. Position the cursor in the line
font and select the desired font from the Font field.
Alternatively, press Ctrl+F to step through the available fonts.

Change label Set the Label Width field to the actual label width to be used for this
width PLU. This updates the description field to only display as many
characters as will fit on the label.
NOTE: This setting is only used within AstraLink. It has no effect on the
actual label width on the scale.

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Operation Explanation
Cut, Copy or Use the standard Windows keystrokes (listed below) to cut, copy or paste
Paste description text.
Keystroke Operation
Ctrl+X or Shift+Del Cut
Ctrl+C or Ctrl+INS Copy
Ctrl+V or Shift+INS Paste

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6. Extra Messages
This chapter describes how to create and edit extra messages.
Extra messages are a way of defining additional text, such as ingredient lists, to appear on
labels. You use the extra message function to create and edit the extra messages, then use
the PLU Edit dialog (described above) to assign extra messages to PLUs.

Creating and Editing Extra Messages

1. To display the extra message screen, click the extra messages tab at the top of
the AstraLink window (below the menu bar). The figure below shows an example.

2. Click the Add button to create a new message, or click on an existing message to
select, then click the Edit button to edit the message (or simply double-click on a
message).
A dialog opens to edit the message.

35
3. Enter the message name. The name entered here appears in the extra message
screen (step 2 above).
4. Enter the message text. The operation of the message text field is described
below.
5. Optionally, you can change the message number in the Msg No. field to save the
displayed message with a different number. A warning message appears when
you click the OK button if a message with that number already exists.
6. When you have finished, click OK to save the message.
This returns you to the extra message screen.

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Editing the message text
The message text field consists of controls for setting the font and label width, and an edit
area (with a scroll bar) for editing the message text.
Click on the edit area to select the field and use the mouse or arrow keys to move the cursor
within the field. The following operations are available in the PLU description field.

Operation Explanation
Insert text Position the cursor at the desired location and enter text from the
keyboard. The font and label width determine how many characters are
displayed per line. Press the INS key to switch between insert and
overwrite mode.

Select text Drag with the mouse or hold down the shift key and use the left or right
arrow key to move the cursor over the desired text. The selected text
appears highlighted.

Change line A different font can be set for each line. Position the cursor in the line
font and select the desired font from the Font field.
Alternatively, press Ctrl+F to step through the available fonts.

Change label Set the Label Width field to the actual label width to be used. This
width updates the message field to only display as many characters as will fit
on the label.
NOTE: This setting is only used within AstraLink. It has no effect on the
actual label width on the scales.

Cut, Copy or Use the standard Windows keystrokes (listed below) to cut, copy or paste
Paste message text.
Keystroke Operation
Ctrl+X or Shift+Del Cut
Ctrl+C or Ctrl+INS Copy
Ctrl+V or Shift+INS Paste

Assigning an Extra Message to a PLU

The Message No. field in the PLU Edit dialog assigns the extra message for that PLU. Use
the Browse button on the right of the field to display a dialog listing the available extra
messages.
Set Message No. to zero to not assign any extra message to the PLU.

Deleting an Extra Message

1. To display the extra message screen, click the extra messages tab at the top of
the AstraLink window (below the menu bar).
2. Click on a message to select it then click the Delete button. A warning message
appears asking you to confirm deletion.
3. Alternatively, you can select Delete Range from the Edit menu to delete a range
of messages. This opens a dialog for you to select the range of messages to
delete.

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7. Nutrition (USA only)
This feature is only available on USA-version scales.
The nutrition feature defines the information to be printed in the nutrition panel on PLU labels

Creating and Editing Nutrition Information

1. To display the nutrition screen, click the nutrition tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar).
2. Click the Add button to create a new nutrition record, or click on an existing
nutrition record to select, then click the Edit button to edit the nutrition information
(or simply double-click on a nutrition record).
The dialog shown below opens to edit the nutrition information.

3. Enter the nutrition information name. The name entered here appears in the
nutrition screen (step 2 above).
4. Enter the nutrition information in each field of the dialog.
5. Optionally, you can change the nutrition number in the Nutrition No. field to save
the displayed nutrition record with a different number. A warning message appears
when you click the OK button if a nutrition record with that number already exists.
6. When you have finished, click OK to save the nutrition information.
This returns you to the nutrition screen.

Assigning Nutrition Information to a PLU

The Nutrition field in the PLU Edit dialog assigns the nutrition information for that PLU. Use
the Browse button on the right of the field to display a dialog listing the available nutrition
information.
Set the Nutrition field to zero to not assign any nutrition information to the PLU.

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Deleting Nutrition Records
1. To display the nutrition screen, click the nutrition tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar).
2. Click on a nutrition record to select it then click the Delete button. A warning
message appears asking you to confirm deletion.
3. Alternatively, you can select Delete Range from the Edit menu to delete a range
of nutrition records. This opens a dialog for you to select the range of nutrition
records to delete.

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8. Keyboard
Keyboard presets allow you to define the meaning of keys on the scale keyboard. The Astra
keyboard has a shift key, so you can define two meanings for each key. Meanings that can
be assigned to keys include PLU numbers, extra messages, and tare weights.
The keyboard screen can be used to edit three different types of data. Use the Display
buttons on the bottom left of the window to switch between the three options.

8.1 Defining the Upper and Lower Key Meanings

The scale keyboard has a shift key, so you can define two meanings for each key. These are
called the upper (standard) and lower (shift key pressed) keys respectively.
However, meanings can only be assigned to the keys on the left side of the keyboard. The
righthand side keys appear gray as in the example below.
1. To display the keyboard screen, click the keyboard tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar).
2. In the Display buttons on the bottom left of the screen, select Upper.
The figure below shows an example.

3. Edit the key definitions as described below. Click the Upper and Lower buttons in
the Display area at the bottom left of the window to switch the display between
the upper and lower keys.
4. When you have finished, click the Save button to save your changes.

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Editing the keyboard presets
The following operations are available:
Operation Explanation
Edit key Double-click on a key, or click on a key to select then click the Edit Key
button.
This opens the dialog shown below for specifying the key meaning.
The upper key meaning is set at the top left of the dialog and the lower
key meaning at the bottom left. The Key Type selects the key meaning
and Data specifies the value associated with the key. (In this case, the
key is assigned to PLU number 10.)
For some key types, you can use the Select button to open a dialog
listing the available values.
Setting data is not applicable for some key types. In this case, the Data
field becomes disabled.
The functions of the other parts of the dialog are explained later.
Set the Key Type and Data, then click OK to exit.

Set Default This sets the default settings for keysheet template printing. The default
settings are used for keys for which no keysheet template print settings
have been entered (or which have been deleted by Delete Key.)
This can be used to set a standard background color and default font,
for example.
Delete key Click on a key then click the Delete button to delete the definition for that
key.

Display These three buttons switch between displaying the upper keys, lower
keys, and keysheet template (described below).
Operation Explanation

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Zoom Sets the display magnification. You can set a custom zoom ratio by
selecting Zoom → Custom from the Keyboard menu.

Save Saves your changes to the database.

Clear Changes Selecting Clear Changes from the Keyboard menu resets the keyboard
data to the state when last saved.

Cut, Copy and You can cut, copy and paste key definitions using the standard Windows
Paste keystrokes (listed below) or using the Edit menu.
Keystroke Operation
Ctrl+X or Shift+Del Cut
Ctrl+C or Ctrl+INS Copy
Ctrl+V or Shift+INS Paste

Drag & Drop Click on a key to select, then hold down the left mouse button to drag
the key definition to another key location.
If you hold down the Ctrl key when you release the mouse button this
copies the key definition instead of just moving it.

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8.2 Printing Keysheet Templates
In addition to defining the preset key meanings, you can also use AstraLink to print the
keysheet template.
The procedure is as follows.
1. To display the keyboard screen, click the keyboard tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar).
2. In the Display buttons on the bottom left of the screen, select Keysheet.
The figure below shows an example.

3. Set the print format for each key as described below.

The operation of the window is the same as for setting the upper and lower keys
(described above).
4. When you have finished, click the Save button to save your changes.
5. To print the keysheet, click the print button or select Print from the File menu.
Note: Some Windows printer drivers do not print rotated text correctly (the keysheet text
must be rotated if printing in portrait mode).
If the keysheet does not print correctly on your printer, select Options in the Setup
menu and change the "Bypass bug in printer driver" setting. Alternatively, use Print
Setup in the File menu to set the printer to landscape mode.

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Editing the keysheet print settings
Double-click on a key, or click on a key to select then click the Edit Key button. This opens
the dialog shown below for specifying the key print format.

The keysheet template print settings are on the right side of the dialog.
The following operations are available:
Operation Explanation
Key text Enter the text to print in the key. If you wish to print text for both the
(upper and upper and lower key meanings, set the Split key text button ON.
lower)
The entered text appears in the Preview box on the bottom right.
Justification Select whether you wish the text to be left-justified, centered, or right-
justified.
Font and Click on the Font and Color buttons to set the text font and background
Color colors respectively.
Draw split This draws a horizontal line through the middle of the key to separate the
line? upper and lower key meanings.
Double key Setting this button ON defines a double size key, such as the PRINT and
PLU keys on the right side of the Astra keyboard.
This links the selected key to the key on the right or to the key below.
Copy → The Copy → buttons in the upper and lower Key Preset areas (left side
of the dialog) copy the key meaning (PLU name, etc.) to the key text
field.

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9. Store Name and Address
This defines the store name and address printed on PLU labels.
1. Click Store Name and Address in the Scales menu.
2. This opens a store name and address edit dialog. Enter the information for your
store then click the OK button to save your changes.

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10. PLU and Extra Message List Reports
The PLU and Extra Message list reports generate reports listing the registered PLUs and
extra messages respectively.
The PLU report lists the PLU number, PLU description, and a number of additional PLU fields
such as the price. Which additional PLU fields are printed is determined by the width of the
printer page. (The line length adjusts automatically based on the size of the printer paper.)
Accordingly, if you wish to include more fields in the report, it is recommended that you set
your printer to landscape mode.
To set landscape mode, select Print Setup in the File menu to open a printer setup dialog.
The extra message report lists the extra message text for each message.
The operation is the same for both report windows. The following explains for the case of the
PLU report.
1. If necessary, click Print Setup in the File menu to check the printer settings.
2. To display the report screen, click the Report tab at the top of the AstraLink
window (below the menu bar). The figure below shows an example.

3. Use the Select buttons to specify the range of PLUs to print.

4. Click the Print button to start printing or the Export button to output the report
data to a file.

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Report Window Operations
The following operations are available using the tool bar at the top of the PLU and Extra
Message report windows.

Operation Explanation
Specify range Use the Select buttons to specify the start and end PLU or message
of PLUs to numbers for the report.
print
View report Use the <<Prev Page and Next Page>> buttons to step through the
on-screen report pages on-screen.
If necessary, use the scroll bars to scroll sections of the report page into
view.
Preview Click Print Preview in the File menu.
printing

Start printing Click the Print button or click Print in the File menu.

Export to text Click the Export button to open a File Save As dialog to specify the file
file in which to save. Click OK to output the report contents to the text file.
Each line of the report is output with the fields separated by commas.
This is called comma-separated-value (CSV) format.
This format is suitable for reading into other software packages such as
Microsoft Excel.
Full desc/ Click these buttons to switch between displaying the full PLU
1st line only description text or the first line only.

47