OBSOLETE!

The V_Helper software was originally designed (mid-80's!) to read the 5-1/4" floppy disk from the Varian Pascal based NMR spectrometers. It used an IBM-AT class PC with a 1.2M floppy disk to read these disks. Since the Varian format was logically different from IBM and physically a mix of two different IBM storage formats, it was necessary to provide a separate BIOS type drive for the floppy disk drive. With the advent of faster, more sophisticated PCs, and the development of Windows operating systems that time-shared CPU usage, the V_Helper floppy disk routines began to fail. The introduction of Unix based spectrometers and the retirement of the Pascal based systems further reduced the necessity of the V_HELPER suite of programs.

At this time, we no longer have the necessary resources to maintain or distribute the V_HELPER software. It should be considered obsolete and no longer available. (1995 was the last time any changes were made in the software package.) There is a zip file available, as is, without support, for those with a desperate need for this software. After reading the material below regarding the V_Helper capabilities and limitations, if you still want to try it, Right click on V_Helper 2.2b zip file and choose saveas to store the zip file. Caveat Emptor, your mileage may vary, etc.

V_HELPER 2.2

Floppy Disk Conversion programs and Utilities to aid data processing.
The 'Missing Link' between your Spectrometer and your PC.

V_HELPER is a suite of programs intended to permit you to use your '286, '386, or '486 based computer to access data from your Varian NMR spectrometers. It includes utilities to read and write 5 1/4 inch floppy disks in the spectrometer format, read and write LimNET format files, and to move that information to MS-DOS files. It is your Varian's Helper.

Once files have been converted to MS-DOS files, they can be processed and manipulated with normal DOS application programs. These processed files can then optionally be moved back to the Varian format files and from there back to the spectrometer.

  • APPLICATIONS

    • With V_HELPER installed on your PC, you can use your favorite text editor for writing or modifying pulse sequence code (Pascal), help screens, macros, and other text files for your spectrometer system. Use the included menu editor to modify your Gemini menus, too.

    You can convert NMR data files for use with PCNMR+, FELIX-PC 1.0, FELIX 2.0, FTNMR (on a VAX), LabCalc/SpectraCalc/GRAMS386, and NUTS. You can create comma delimited lineshape and line listing files for import into Sadtler's CSEARCH, spreadsheets, data bases, and other programs.

    ANY spectrometer file can be moved to your PC for processing with your own custom software.

  • HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

    • 80286/80386/80486 based computer with at least 128K available memory and a hard disk. At least some pentium-based machines also work.

    • 5 1/4 inch 1.2M floppy disk as either A: or B: drive, using standard AT compatible floppy disk controller (NEC 765A chip at I/O address 0x3F0-3F7).

    • EGA color display for DTEXT and DMENU programs, with ANSI driver installed.

  • THE PROGRAMS

    • DCT

      • DCT is a simple catalog program that will display two column directories of Varian formatted disks, similar to those presented on the spectrometer. This is useful for simply viewing disks and finding the files.

    • VAR2IBM and IBM2VAR

      • VAR2IBM and IBM2VAR are the two programs used for converting between Varian formatted files and MS-DOS formatted files. These programs will convert single fid NMR files (including parameters), text files, and binary (e.g. Menu) files to a DOS image. There is very little massaging done to the data at this point. Parameter names and text files have the MSB stripped off of characters so that normal DOS applications can read them however. NMR data files cannot be moved back to the spectrometer disk, and text files have the text conversion reversed when moving back to spectrometer disk. Lim2ibm will read LimNET* files the same way that var2ibm will read floppy disks, and var2ibm includes an option for writing LimNET* compatible files instead of DOS image files. This would permit data to be moved to a Sun based system, if desired.

    • VAR2FLX

      • VAR2FLX1 and VAR2FLX2 are new programs that will convert NMR fid files (single fid, multiple fid, or 2D) for use with FELIX from Hare Research. VAR2FLX2 converts to the new data format that is usable on any machine running FELIX 2.0 or later, so that you can convert NMR data sets on your PC, upload the resulting data file to your Iris or Sun workstation, and process the data directly with FELIX. Or process it directly on the PC using FELIX-PC. VAR2FLX1 converts files to the older file format for use with FELIX-PC version 1.0.

    • VAR2CDFF and LIM2CDFF

      • VAR2CDFF and LIM2CDFF convert floppy disk files and LimNet files to the Common Data File Format defined and used by Acorn NMR's NUTS processing program. Both 1D and 2D data sets can be converted by these programs, and data sets that span several floppy disks can also be read.

    • VDOS

      • VDOS is the last program that will access the Varian formatted floppy disk. This is a Varian DOS emulator that provides a variety of commands, using a command line format similar to that used on the spectrometer. Currently supported commands are:

      DCTCREATE COPY
      LCT INTDIR RENAME
      LCTR DELETE DTEXT
      LIST CLEAN DMENU
      DLIST SHRINK HELP
      LISTR FIXFCB ?
      DIR FORMAT EXIT
      DELFCB CPYFCB ALIAS

      The EXIT command exits from the emulator, the ? command gives a valid command list, and HELP displays 3 screens of help information on the various commands. The remaining commands are similar to their counterparts on the spectrometer. DMENU however does NOT have editing capability.

    The remaining programs process data after it has been converted to a DOS compatible file, and do not access data from the floppy disk.

    • DTEXT and DMENU

      • DTEXT and DMENU permit a system manager to display help and other text files formatted and in color and also to edit and display Gemini menus, also in color. This eliminates the need to spend extensive amounts of time on the spectrometer using UEDIT.

    • IBM2LYB, IBM2VAX, and IBM2FLX

      • IBM2LYB, IBM2VAX, and IBM2FLX are programs to convert single fid data sets into data files compatible with Wisconsin's PCNMR+ (Lybrics format), Dennis Hare's old FTNMR (VAX format), and Dennis Hare's new FELIX-PC programs, respectively. Galactic Industries has a driver to convert a single fid data set into a format compatible with their LabCalc series of data base programs.

    • IBM2LOT

      • IBM2LOT creates a comma delimited file of frequencies and intensities from a spectral display stored on the spectrometer with a supplied macro. This file can be imported by a variety of programs including LOTUS 123 and programs written in Basic.

    • IBM2LL

      • IBM2LL will create ASCII frequency and intensity files from saved line listings for import into Sadtler's C-13 database.

  • WHAT'S NEW?

    • The floppy disk interface has been reworked in order to function properly on faster '386 and '486 machines.

    • Required 5-1/4 inch 1.2M floppy may now be either A: or B: drive.

    • VDOS emulator has been enhanced with the addition of DELFCB, and CPYFCB commands and the addition of ALIAS, DIR, LCTR, QUIT and BYE as alias commands.

    • Addition of support for LimNET files, permitting data to be moved to Sun SPARC 2 systems without requiring an ethernet interface card in the spectrometer.

    • Copy line listing files from the spectrometer for import into a Sadtler Carbon-13 database.

    • The manual has been expanded to include a description of the various data file formats, making it easier for users to write their own programs to access converted data.

    • Added support for Acorn NMR's NUTS program (CDFF file format).

    If you have questions or need additional information, contact Steven K. Silber at the above address or at:

    Phone: 979-845-1745

    Fax: 979-845-4719

    InterNet: s-silber@tamu.edu