M1000 Express Version 1.0.0d6 /*************************************************************************** This file contains important information regarding the current state of this utility. Please read this before installing and using either the M1000 Express Editor or the M1000 Express Engine. ***************************************************************************/ /******** CONTENTS ********/ 1.) Requirements for running M1000 Express Software Application 2.) Installation Instructions /********************************************************** Requirements for running M1000 Express Software Application. ***********************************************************/ In order to run M1000 Express there are a few things that must be in place and a few notes to take into account. These items include software and hardware and are as follows: M1000 EXPRESS SOFTWARE 1.) M1000 Express requires a Pentium class computer with a processor speed of 200 MHz or better. 64Meg of RAM or more is reccomended. This application should be run at a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or better (although it will also run under 800x600). 2.) Upon installation of this software, The configuration is defaulted to work with an M1000 Display in the following way. a.) A single M1000 display with an address of 1. b.) Use of Com Port 1 at 19200 bps. c.) The unit must be wired for two-way communication with the PC. M1000 FIRMWARE 1.) You must have a special version of the M1000 Display firmware (Version 2.0.0d2) to connect M1000 displays to M1000 Express. Contact Vorne for a firmware upgrade. M1000 HARDWARE 1.) If your M1000 display has a serial number prior to 220585, then your display only has enough memory for 8 message buffers. You MUST set DIP switches 1,2, and 3 to the ON position. This will configure the display for a baud rate of 19,200 as well as configure the display for use with M1000 Express. If you do not make this change, you will notice unreliable results after a certain period of time when sending message lists. NOTE: Message buffers are a temporary storage area for incoming messages from M1000 Express. The more buffers available to the display, the more messages it can hold and the smoother it will play the messages (especially if you are running multiple displays from the M1000 Express Engine). If you would like to upgrade an M1000 unit so that it can access 16 buffers, please contact Vorne to send in your unit for an upgrade. 2.) The DIP switch settings of the M1000 display have been changed with the latest version of the firmware. Specifically, DIP switch 8 is now used to toggle the communication mode of the display, and must be in the UP position for M1000 Express. Also, when DIP switch 8 is in the UP position, DIP switches 5,6, and 7 are no longer used to indicate the start-up font size. Instead they are used to set a Group address (optional) for the display. 3.) Communication with the display through use of the M1000 Express Engine is a two-way process. That is, the Engine sends information to the display and then expects a response indicating that the communication was successful. This means you MUST have the M1000 display wired for 2 way communication. There should be 3 wires running between the display and your computer (Transmit, Receive, and Ground). See the M1000 Express Engine Help File for specific information on this topic (in the Tutorial). Also, this communication works best at a baud rate of 19,200. /**************************************************************************** Installation Instructions ****************************************************************************/ NOTE: If you have previously installed M1000 Express for Windows at any time on this machine, the cleanest way to upgrade to the latest version is to uninstall the old version prior to running this install. To do this, from the start menu, choose the control panel option. In there, choose 'Add/Remove Software'. From there, find M1000 Express in the list of installed software. Click on it and then click on the 'Add/Remove' button. When asked if you are sure you want to remove M1000 Express and all it's associated files, choose 'Yes'. However, if you have made modifications to the 'ALL' message list, or have created many graphics, messages, and message lists of your own, then you probably want to save them. In this case, it is best simply to run the latest version install and choose 'Repair' when it prompts you for the type of install you want to run. This option will install all of the program files without overwriting the files you have created/modified. NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU INSTALL TO THE SAME DIRECTORY THAT YOU DID ORIGINALLY. 1.) Installing M1000 Express for Windows. Whether you are installing M1000 Express for Windows from 3-1/2" diskettes or from a downloaded file from our website, the procedure is basically the same. If you did download it over the internet, then you must first 'unzip' the file you receive. This file will be named 'm1000expressinstall.exe'. All you need to do to 'unzip' it is to double click on the file. It will automatically expand into several files, one of which will be named 'Setup.exe'. If you are installing from diskettes, then the diskette labeled 'Disk 1' will contain the 'Setup.exe' file. Simply insert it into the disk drive and you are ready to go. From this point, installation is the same for either method. A.) You need to run the setup.exe program in order to start the installation. This can be done many ways, but the two most common are mentioned here: - Open the Windows Explorer, search for the location of the folder containing the setup.exe file in the window pane on the left, then double click on the setup.exe file in the window pane on the right. - OR - - From the Start Menu, choose 'Run..'. Then, click the 'Browse' button. From here you can search for the folder containing the setup.exe program. When you select the proper folder, you should see all the files currently in that folder. Choose the setup.exe file, then click on the 'OK' button. Click on 'OK' again and the installation will begin automatically. B.) Now you simply follow the instructions from screen to screen. You will be prompted for some information including the following: What folder to install the M1000 Express for Windows program files into, what folder group to place the M1000 Express icons in on the start menu. There is no need to change these items from their defaults. They are just there for your convenience. 2.) Files installed with M1000 Express for Windows that must not be modified, moved, or deleted. The following files are placed directly in or under the directory chosen for install: M1000Express.exe The M1000 Express Editor executable file. M1000Engine.exe The M1000 Express Engine executable file. M1000Express.hlp The M1000 Express Editor help file. M1000Engine.hlp The M1000 Express Engine help file. M1000Express.cnt The M1000 Express Editor help contents file. M1000Engine.cnt The M1000 Express Engine help contents file. M1000Express.GID Another file needed for M1000 Express Editor help. M1000Engine.GID Another file needed for M1000 Express Engine help. M1000Engine.ini The configuration file for the M1000 Express Engine. All.vml The ALL message list used by M1000 Express Editor. Fonts.bin The font table used by both the Editor and Engine. Graphics.ico The icon used for Vorne graphic files. Message.ico The icon used for Vorne message files. Sequence.ico The icon used for Vorne sequence files. Readme.txt This readme file. NOTE: There are actually many other files installed by this application. There are many graphic files and example demos that while important would not break the application if removed. M1000 Express also makes use of the System Registry to hold state information. These areas in the registry, if you find them, should not be modified without consultation from Vorne Technical Support.