Allowing Elecnet Card to be used by Non-Administrator Users

PWI000048

Context

This document applies to :

    All CMMDriver/PowerINSPECT installations for a CMM using an Elecnet card.

Gripe no 169

Summary

The standard installation for the Elecnet card driver software for use with the CMMDriver/PowerINSPECT is only valid for users logged onto Windows NT with administrator privilege. Other non-administrator users will be presented with an error message when they attempt to connect to the CMM. This can be resolved by changing some registry key security settings.

Description

The symptoms of this problem are that a Windows NT user with administrator privilege can successfully connect to a CMM with an Elecnet card using a CMMDriver client application (PowerINSPECT, PowerINSPECT DRO, CMMDriver Protocol Test Program). When a non-administrator user attempts to connect to the CMM they are presented with the following message:

CptFPGA Error #120   Driver ComptFPGA: Clé Parameters absente

Problem cause

A bug in the Elecnet driver software means that the Windows NT account being used to access the card must have full permissions over the registry keys it uses to acquire its parameters. Windows NT administrator privilege users inherently have these permissions, so if only administrator users will be using the CMMDriver client applications then the problem will not be experienced. However, if non-administrator users will be using CMMDriver client applications then the registry key security settings must be reduced.

Solution

Change the Elecnet driver registry key security permissions by carrying out the following steps:

  1. Log on to the PC as a user with administrator privileges.
  2. Run the 32-bit version of the Windows Registry Editor by typing "regedt32.exe" at the command line. Note that extreme care should be taken while using this application. It is possible to damage elements of a Windows system by changing the contents of the Windows Registry!
  3. In the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine" window navigate down the key tree to the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\ComptFPGA" key.
  4. With the key selected, pick "Permissions..." from the "Security" menu, giving the Registry Key Permissions dialog as below:

  1. Select "Everyone" from the name list in the dialog and change the type of access to "Full Control".
  2. Ensure that the "Replace Permissions on Existing Subkeys" checkbox is checked.
  3. Press OK on the dialog.
  4. Press "Yes" on the prompt message box.