SidekickPC 2.x represents a generation leap with respect to any previous SidekickPC version. The new software provides many new and exciting features, improvements to existing functions, and fixes to known bugs. Most new features come from feedback of existing subscribers. Electrolux is committed to the continuous maintenance of the Sidekicks system, in order to improve the support to field service engineers and contractors.

Remember that an administrative account is required for a new installation.

The full setup provides an automated procedure that allows you installing SidekickPC and its software pre-requisites in an unattended way.  Please refer to the related documentation for more details.

 

The description of the software auto update procedure from SidekickPC 2.01 to SidekickPC 2.02 is available here:http://sidekick.electrolux.com/SidekickPortal/UsersReservedArea/DownloadDetails.aspx?ContentID=ApplicationNote5

 

1. Bug fix: Exit command from pull- File menu, did not quit the application.
2. Bug fix for the save setting value operation when that setting was not present in the configuration file.
3. Improved the management of the latest “Spare Part Code” and “Operator’s Name” that appear in Configuration form when the “Print Extended Information” option is set.
4. Improved the management of the “Test and Alarms” form for off line operations.
5. Bug fix: in troubleshooting step dialog box: the “Back” link was not displayed correctly in languages that require UTF-8 encoding (Czech and Russian).
6. Bug fix: in troubleshooting step dialog box: the instruction image sometimes disappeared after an unconfirmed application quit request.
7. In the Software Auto Update function, the resume download operation now consists in canceling the pending download and starting it again. This change has been necessary because of limitations in the resume function provided by the Updater Application Block from Microsoft.
8. In the Software Auto Update function, now the update occurs only when the version of the software in the local PC is really older than the published update.
9. In the Software Auto Update function, now mandatory updates cannot be canceled any more. The notification dialog box only shows the OK button. The Cancel button is not present any more.
10. Tab sequence fixed in Update and Start forms.
11. Bug fix in local database update: the upload log step occurred even when there was an error during the download phase.
12. Bug fix in local database update: under certain cases, information about the overall result of the operation was not correctly stored in the log file.
13. File exchange mechanism with the web service has been improved.
14. Bug fix in automatic setup procedure. Under certain cases a system restart occurred just after the setup of the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2.
15. Manual auto update procedure improved: increased timeout for database commands.

 

SidekickPC v 2.0 (05-11-2009)

Most important new features

1. New Spare Board Information form that you can use in the following ways:

• if you want to get the list of board codes that you can use to create a spare board for a certain appliance model, you can start the search by PNC/ELC. There is a dialog that lets you enter the PNC/ELC code in a simplified way by means of auto-completion;
• if you want to know whether a certain electronic board is compatible with another board, you can start the search by board code. There is a dialog that lets you enter the board code in a simplified way by means of auto-completion.

In any case this form shows the complete replacement history for the spare board associated to the specified PNC/ELC or to the code that you enter.

Displayed board codes are now the official spare part code as reported by the TDS system (including the check digit). SidekickPC 1.x showed instead a “technical code” without check digit. The technical code was sometimes different from the spare part code.

2. The Spare Board Information form also shows the picture of the boards from the TDS system. 
3. The Spare Board Information form that lets you see the list of PNCs (with model, brand, and production date) that you can use with the listed boards. This function is similar to the “Where Used” function in the TDS web interface. However, the advantage with respect to the TDS web interface is that the list of PNCs is updated depending on TDS information, rather than reflecting only the situation at production time.
4. Pictures of spare boards are downloaded from the Electrolux TDS system and stored in the local database. In the previous version of SidekickPC, instead, the picture of the boards were taken from the local file system. For this reason, only a very small subset of board codes was associated to a picture.
5. Pictures of Appliance Connection Kit items are downloaded from the Electrolux TDS system and stored in the local database. In the previous version of SidekickPC, instead, the picture of the appliance interface module were taken from the local file system.
6. You can get information about an appliance by inserting the PNC/ELC of the appliance, without the need to physically connect to the appliance (reading instructions, test lists, alarm lists, troubleshooting procedures, etc.). This function is implemented with the new Appliance Information function.
7. SidekickPC 2.0 now implements a self-update function by means of an internet connection to the web server. With this new function you will not need any more to manually downloading updates from the web portal and executing them in the local PC. Every time you start an update of the local database, the software also checks for available updates of the application. If a software update is available, a dialog box appears and lets you start the software update. Software updates may be either optional or mandatory. If a software update is optional, you can start the database update without performing the software update. When a software update is mandatory, you must perform the software update prior executing the database update.
8. Improved the display in information during diagnostic operations.
9. The display of instructions and pictures for the execution of troubleshooting procedures has been improved.
10. Localization into Russian language
11. The software is now able to handle test procedures much more complex than in SidekickPC 1.x. Some of the new features for test support include: calculated variables, access to symbolic information in firmware, support of inverse ratio parameters, display of string information stored inside the electronic board, firmware routine execution, possibility to dynamically show/hide tests and parameters, and support of new events.
12. Procedures with an interactive user interface are now possible. Interactive procedures run in an asynchronous way and they are able to notify the result of the test to the SidekickPC test executive.
13. A new Water Hardness Adjustment procedure is now available for Dish Care appliance diagnostics. This procedure provides an interactive user interface.
14. Existing programming algorithms have been improved. Support of new programming algorithms for the DIVA 2 electronic platforms from Dish Care product line.
15. Board configuration and update support for Food Preservation product line. The following electronic platforms are supported: ERF2001, ERF2010, and ERF2500.
16. Compatibility with Windows 7.
17. Compatibility with 64-bit editions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
18. Support of SQL Server 2008: if you have already installed an instance of SQL Server 2008, the automatic setup program uses the existing instance rather than installing a new SQL Server 2005 instance.