Xpress application with no Exit button makes it impossible to make hardware setting changes.
Sometimes the button is hidden in the application which requires a certain user level before the button appears and is usable. If you don't have any log in buttons and are not able to contact the machine builder then you will need a copy of the Off Line development software.
If you do not have the Xpress Manager software, scroll to the bottom of this topic for an alternative method of breaking the application startup to access the shell.
The development software can be purchased through your Parker distributor, If the version is newer than what is used on the XPR/XPR2/XTA that is OK since older apps can be loaded WITHOUT updating to the current version and changes can be made and saved in the applications original version.
To get access to the Xpress Shell with the least impact and highest degree of safety, you will need the following.
Xpress Off-Line development
PC with Windows XP/Win7/Win10
USB Compact Flash Card Reader that works with your PC and can see the Compact Flash (CF) card from the XPR/XPR2 when inserted or the SD card from the XTA.
If you open Xpress after the Card is inserted and showing up as a Removable media drive letter, it will show up in the "Remote Machines" Window. If you have Xpress open when the card is inserted, let the PC find it and assign the drive letter then Hit the "Refresh" button or Right Click in the white space of the "Remote Machines" window and do a refresh. The drive letter will show up and you can just click on it to get it highlighted and then the arrow that points to the "Local Projects" window and it will upload the application from the CF card to your PC.
Open the application by double clicking on it in the "Local Projects" screen so it opens the one on your PC.
On the first screen under "User Admin" you will make a change in "Security Options" to change the "Local Startup User" to Admin. Applications with Admin as the local startup user will ALWAYS stop at the Xpress Shell when booting which is where you need to be to make hardware level settings changes.
Make sure to take note of the user it is currently set to since we need that so we can change it back after the changes are made. Changing it back will be done right on the unit and will not require going through the development software again.
Click OK after changing the Local Startup User.
Get back to the main Xpress Shell screen.
Now with the changed application highlighted on the left in "Local Projects" and the Drive letter highlighted the "Remote Machines" hit the arrow goes from Local to Remote.
Put the card back in the XPR/XPR2/XTA and when it boots it will stop at the Shell.
After making the changes you needed, Go into the Security right on the hardware and set it back to the original user and after saving change, reboot and it will automatically go into run again.
Alternate method (intentionally breaking the application to prevent the unit from getting past the Shell)
If you DO NOT have Xpress Manager there is another less structured way to force the unit to boot to the Xpress Shell on the XPR/XPR2 and XT (The XTA uses an SD card behind the plate with 4 screws on the back of the XTA hardware)
WARNING: Deleting files or folders that are not specifically referenced below WILL cause the unit to no longer boot. If you are not comfortable manipulating files directly in Windows File Explorer, DO NOT attempt this work around for not having a way to get to the Shell programmed into the application. Deleting/moving/renaming the wrong files could result in having to use the Flashback to return it to factory state and Xpress Manager and a backup of the project to recover.
This requires you have a CF Card reader for the XPR/XPR2 or an SD Card reader if it is for the XTA HMI hardware.
Using Windows File Explorer, Browse the card and you should see something like this.
The Project Folder contains the application that the machine builder created in Xpress Manager.
RENAME the Project folder Project1 (Do not delete or change any other files or folders.
Return the CF/SD card to the HMI and power up the unit. When it does not find the Project Folder, it will create a new empty folder and stop at the Shell with an error that the project contains no screens.
Run the calibration or make the other changes needed.
Power off the unit and take the CF/SD card back to the PC with the card reader. You will now see both a Project (new one created by Xpress when not found) and the Project1 folder that we renamed earlier.
Delete the folder named PROJECT that was just created.
Rename the Project1 folder back to Project.
Put the CF/SD card back in the HMI and power up. It will now go back into run mode as it always has using the calibration or other changes.
Renaming and deleting folders carries a risk of making the card unbootable if the card is removed from the reader without making sure it is done writing.
Windows/Card Reader issues can also effect the card negatively and this should be attempted as a last resort if you do not have Xpress Manager.
edited dom 02/20/2019
edited dom 11/19/2020
