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System Requirements... 3 Installatin... 3 Java... 3 RxTx Serial Drivers... 3 Granting a user permissin t pen a COM Prt in Mac OS X... 3 USB t Serial Drivers... 4 Mac OS X 10.6 Snw Lepard... 4 Operatin... 5 Screen Layut... 5 Tlbar... 5 Device Inf.... 6 Status Bar... 6 Display Buttns... 7 Rtary Cntrls... 7 Next & Previus Buttns... 7 Menu Navigatin... 7 G T Anther Menu... 7 Single Parameter Adjustment... 7 Duble Or Triple Parameter Adjustment... 8 Infrmatin Display... 8 Advanced Functinality... 8 Multi-Device Mde... 8 The Messaging System... 8 Using the messaging system t set a prducts username... 8 Using the messaging system t name a prducts memries... 9 Using the messaging system t lck r hide menus frm the user... 9 Engineering Functins Using the Messaging System... 10 2 f 10
System Requirements This sftware requires Java Runtime Envirnment versin 1.5.0 (Java 5) r later. This is cmpatible with Windws and Mac OS X machines. See www.java.cm fr the latest versin f Java. USB prt. (USB t serial cable is supplied). Installatin The sftpanel applicatin requires n installatin itself. Hwever, it requires three platfrms t be in place already: Java Runtime Envirnment (Java 5 r later). RxTx serial driver fr Java (see belw). Driver fr USB t Serial cable. Java The latest versin f the Java Runtime Envirnment is available frm www.java.cm. Yu will need at least versin 1.5.0, als knwn as Java 5. RxTx Serial Drivers Since Sun has remved supprt fr serial drivers in Java, we use the pen surce RxTx serial drivers. This means that any client cmputer will require the files fr RxTx. We use versin 2.1-7-r2, which is freely available frm www.rxtx.rg, and shuld be prvided with the sftpanel applicatin, in a directry called RxTx. Inside the RxTx directry, yu will find 2 files; ne fr each supprted OS. Yu shuld cpy the file fr yur OS int the Installatin Lcatin shwn belw: OS File Installatin Lcatin Windws rxtxserial.dll C:\Windws Mac OS librxtxserial.jnilib /Library/Java/Extensins Users f Mac OS X may receive "PrtInUseExceptin" errrs reprted by the RxTx drivers when attempting t pen a COM Prt. If yu dn t have the Java Cnsle text available, yu will experience the applicatin hanging during start-up. In this case, yu shuld ensure that yur user accunt is granted permissin t use the COM Prt, as described belw. Granting a user permissin t pen a COM Prt in Mac OS X N.B. In Mac OS X 10.5 (Lepard) and abve, the sud cmmands belw will nly wrk if the administrative user accunt has a nn-empty passwrd. If yu d nt wish t have a permanent administrative passwrd yu will need t set ne temprarily and then remve it nce yu have cmpleted the steps utlined belw. Create a /var/lck directry that is wned by the user yu wish t run yur applicatin: Using the Terminal, type the fllwing: sud mkdir /var/lck sud chwn [username]:uucp /var/lck sud chmd ug+rw /var/lck ls -al /var/lck/ 3 f 10
ttal 0 drwxrwxr-x 3 [username] _uucp 102 14 Oct 10:05. drwxr-xr-x 26 rt wheel 884 14 Oct 10:05.. USB t Serial Drivers Drivers fr the USB cable are available fr Windws and Mac frm the manufacturer s website, at http://www.ftdichip.cm/drivers/vcp.htm. Once yu have successfully installed the USB t Serial cable, yu will need t cnfirm what prt name / number it is listed as. Yu can d this in Windws as fllws: 1. Access the System prperties, via: [Cntrl Panel > System] Or [My Cmputer > Right-Click > Prperties] 2. Select the Hardware tab. 3. Click the Device Manager buttn. 4. Expand the Prts nde: 5. Yu will see the name f the COM prt surrunded by parenthesise, listed as USB Serial Prt. The example abve shws COM9. Mac OS X 10.6 Snw Lepard It wuld appear that by default Snw Lepard sets the 64 bit versin f Java as the default runtime. This may cause the sftpanel applicatin t hang at the splash screen stage. If this happens yu can clse the app by hlding the cmd key and clicking n the java icn in the launch bar and selecting Quit. Yu will then need t change the Java runtime pririty fr applicatins by pening the Java Settings applet which can be fund in Applicatins/Utilities. Drag the Java SE 6 32-Bit t the tp in the Java Applicatins Windw f the General tab as shwn belw. sftpanel shuld nw wrk crrectly. 4 f 10
Operatin Screen Layut Tlbar Device Inf. Status Bar Display Buttns Rtary Cntrls Next & Previus Buttns Tlbar File Exit Optins COM Prt Tick the name f the COM Prt that yu want t use. The applicatin will enumerate this list f yur COM Prts when it starts up. 5 f 10
Tls Help Baud Rate This is the speed f the serial cmms. If yu are using the sftpanel with a nanbx (NB-9), yu will need t use 115200. If yu are using the sftpanel with an etherbx (FB-9E), yu will need t use the same baud rate that the chassis is set t. We recmmend using 115200, since that is the fastest available. Large Displays If yu find the Display Buttns t small, then yu can tick this ptin t increase the size at the expense f the reslutin. Multi-Device Mde If yu are using the sftpanel with a nanbx (NB-9), yu will nt need t set this ptin. This ptin shuld be set if yu are using the sftpanel with an etherbx (FB-9E) t cntrl mre than ne prduct, as yu wuld a standard panel (FP-9). Fr mre inf, see Multi-Device Mde. Refresh The sftpanel will request a menu refresh frm the active device. It will als refresh the data displayed in the Device Inf bx. Send Message The messaging system is used t send text messages frm the panel t a prduct. Fr mre inf, see The Messaging System. Un-acquire prduct Like a standard Eyeheight panel (e.g., FP-9), the sftpanel acquires cntrl f a prduct, and retains a lck t prevent ther panels frm cntrlling the same device. T release that lck, and allw ther panels t cntrl the device, use this tl. Search fr prducts Scans the Eyeheight system fr available prducts, and adds them t the Devices list. Fr mre inf, see Multi-Device Mde. Abut Shws versin number, release, and develpment infrmatin. Device Inf. Shws infrmatin abut the device that yu are cntrlling, t identify it and display status infrmatin. NID The Netwrk ID is an address n the Eyeheight I-Bus cmmunicatin netwrk. Hst Alias Smetimes knwn as the username, this is a user definable identificatin, saved t the prduct. Fr mre inf abut setting the Hst Alias, see The Messaging System. Sftware The versin f sftware that the device is running. By cnventin, this is cmmnly frmed frm [prduct name] + [release date] + [versin number]. S/N Serial Number f the device. This uniquely identifies the prduct. Status This cntrl will display accrding t the status f the device. The display clur is based n a traffic light system f green, amber, and red. Hver the muse ver the cntrl t see an infrmatin tltip. Status Bar Generic GUI cmpnent, fr cnveying infrmatin t the user. 6 f 10
In nrmal use, the status bar will display the Hst Alias f the device, but it is als used t display errr messages and status updates. Display Buttns The fur buttns, labelled A, B, C, and D act bth as separate menu displays, and as larger cmbined displays, depending n cntext. They als act as buttns; perfrming an actin when clicked. This actin will depend n what is displayed n the buttn at the time. Fr mre inf, see Menu Navigatin. Rtary Cntrls In nrmal use, the fur rtary cntrls crrespnd directly with the fur Display Buttns; each t the display abve it. When a rtary cntrl is nt enabled, its marker will be grey. When it is in use, the marker will be white, and it will respnd t the muse pinter, when hvered ver it: Nt enabled Enabled Muse hvered ver centre Muse hvered ver minus buttn Muse hvered ver plus buttn Click the plus buttn t rtate clckwise (increment). Click the minus buttn t rtate anti-clckwise (decrement). The centre buttn usually restres a menu t its default value. Next & Previus Buttns These are aids t navigating the devices flat menu systems. They flash while further menus are available. Menu Navigatin Menus are clur cded t shw hw t interact with them. See belw: G T Anther Menu Single Parameter Adjustment Duble Or Triple Parameter Adjustment Infrmatin Display G T Anther Menu A cmmn menu item, used fr navigating tree-structured menus. Single Parameter Adjustment A green menu is ne in which there is ne adjustable parameter. There are tw ways t adjust the parameter in a green menu: 7 f 10
Press the green Display Buttn. This will increment the value in that windw. This is mst frequently dne when the menu parameter is Textural fr example switching a parameter between ON and OFF. In this case a buttn press is mst natural. Use the Rtary Cntrls t adjust the parameter in the respective Display Buttn. The directin and speed f rtatin enable numeric values t be set easily. Duble Or Triple Parameter Adjustment A red menu is ne in which there are tw r three adjustable parameters. In this case it is necessary t first select the menu by pressing the red Display Buttn. When the red buttn is pressed it will turn green, and either tw r three f the Rtary Cntrls will flash, indicating that the respective Rtary Cntrl will perate a crrespnding parameter. Infrmatin Display A yellw menu is ne in which nly infrmatin is displayed. Advanced Functinality Multi-Device Mde This is available via the Optins menu. It is used t cntrl many devices thrugh ne sftpanel. This is nt used with the single-prduct nanbx system. In rder t use Multi-Device mde, yu will need t cnnect t a chassis cntaining many devices, such as the etherbx (FB-9E). Multi-Device Mde will add an additinal cntrl t the panel, which lists the available devices. Yu can ppulate the list using [Tls > Search fr prducts ], which will scan the cnnected system fr available devices. The Messaging System The messaging system is in place t send ASCII character messages t a prduct. Use [Tls > Send Message] t see the message screen as belw: The text bx will accept a message up t 32 characters in length. Click the Send buttn t send the message. The Status Bar will display a cnfirmatin r errr message t acknwledge success r failure. Click the Cancel buttn t return t the nrmal menu windw. Using the messaging system t set a prducts username The username is als referred t as a Hst Alias, and is shwn n the Device Inf panel. There is a special frmat f message that sends a new username t a prduct. 8 f 10
Setting up usernames such as "EDIT 3 dev" r "PRES-A" makes it easy fr the user f the panel t knw which device is which, particularly when several prducts in different areas are cntrlled by ne panel. The fllwing describes hw t set up a new user name fr a prduct: Ensure that the sftpanel has the prduct which requires its name changing, currently selected. Use [Tls > Send Message] t enter the messaging system. Type "U:" r "u:" fllwed by up t 12 characters which make up the new user name. Fr example u:lginsert 1. Click the Send buttn. If the Status Bar shws "Message Sent", the message has been successfully sent and the user name changed. Using the messaging system t name a prducts memries Nearly all f the Eyeheight prducts have at least 4 user memries assciated with them. Each f these memries can be named individually with a name f up t 12 characters. The fllwing describes hw t set up a new name fr a given memry: Ensure that the sftpanel has the prduct which requires its memry named, currently selected. Use [Tls > Send Message] t enter the messaging system. Type "Mn:" r "mn:", where n is the memry number, fllwed by up t 12 characters which make up the new memry name. Fr example, m3:--mcr-set-up will rename memry#3 as --MCR-SET-UP. Click the Send buttn. If the Status Bar shws "Message Sent", the message has been successfully sent and the user memry renamed. Using the messaging system t lck r hide menus frm the user Prvisin has been prvided t "Lck" r "Hide" menus frm the user. Lcking menus can prevent inadvertent missperatin f the prduct in sme circumstances. Hiding menus can be used t ease the use f a prduct where certain menus are nt applicable t the user. It is als pssible t, fr example, hide all the menus except fr the user memries (Which can be individually named by the user) and prgram the memries nly fr specific functins relevant t the user s effectively making a "Custm" system. The fllwing describes hw t lck r hide menus frm the user: Ensure that the sftpanel has the prduct which requires its name changing, currently selected. Use [Tls > Send Message] t enter the messaging system. Type "Lnn:" (t lck) r "Hnn:" (t hide), where nn is a 2 digit number representing a menu number. Fr example, L12: will lck menu#12. Click the Send buttn. If the Status Bar shws "Message Sent", the message has been successfully sent and menu number 12 will be lcked frm use. A small padlck symbl will appear in menu#12. T "unlck" r "un-hide" a menu using the abve general prcedure, type "Ann:". T apply a glbal lck t the entire device, type "L:" with n 2 digit number. A glbal lck can be undne by typing "A:" t access all the menus again. 9 f 10
Engineering Functins Using the Messaging System The fllwing cmmands are als available t the user. These are mstly fr engineering and system purpses.!?%: Engineers First Birthday f the device (Factry Reset)!mbx This Infrms the device that it is t be installed in an Eyeheight Mini-bx!nbx This Infrms the device that it is t be installed in an Eyeheight Flexi-Bx and will be cntrlled by a Flexi-Panel in a nrmal I-BUS netwrk. The abve cmmands shuld nly be used by qualified engineering staff. 10 f 10