This document outlines the procedure and policy that should be followed
when editing the Galil motion control (GMC) firmware for the 90prime
instrument.  It is possible for the firmware to be corrupted as the result
of a communication interruptions and therefore it is imperative that this
policy be followed at all times.

Updated:
GGW - 040426


1.  When uploading or downloading code to the GMC be sure that no 
other software is communicating with the motion controller.  If something
is communicating with the controller either kill it or DO NOT make
permanent changes.

2.  Do not burn a program (BP) into eprom when other software is 
communicating with the device.  This could cause the firmware 
to become corrupted during the burn.

3.  The current firmware should always be backed up at:

	http://compton.as.arizona.edu/90prime/docs/90prime_current.dmc

Older versions should be saved with the naming convention:

	90prime_yymmdd.dmc

where yy is the year, mm is the month, and dd is the day 

	e.g. 90prime_040426.dmc

4. Prior to burning any firmware, upload it and compare it with the
previous version to ensure that only the desired changes are present.
This can be done with the "diff" program for Linux or the "examdiff"
program for Windows.

5. Always alert Jeff Rill and Grant Williams of any changes.