This distribution (version 8.x)
of Kmax replaces both KmaxNT and Kmax version 6.x and below. It will also run on most flavors of
Linux. This release has been
tested on the Windows XP, Macintosh Operating System 10.4.4, and RedHat
7.x
platforms.
If you have dowwnloaded the
compressed archive from the web, you will need first to unZIP the
distribution. On the Mac, the zip
file is usually uncompressed automatically as soon as it is downloaded. On Windows use a compression facility
like winzip. On Linux, use any appropriate
archive tool.
To install Kmax, just drag the
Kmax folder to the desired location on your computer.
For example, "C:\Program Files", on Windows or
"/Applications" on Mac OSX).
If you are installing over an older copy of Kmax, be careful not
to
overwrite files in the Kmax Folder that were added or edited since the
last
installation. After installation,
be sure to refer to the GettingStarted.tlsh toolsheet for additional
information on new features in this version of Kmax.
This version of Kmax requires a
Java runtime environment (JRE) in order to run.
If you are using Windows or Linux, make sure that you
have a version 1.5.x (or above) SDK installed (J2SE 5.0).
The full SDK is required (not just the VM).
To download and install the SDK, go to
"www.java.sun.com" and download the proper version for your
platform. Make sure to read the
installation instructions carefully. The JAVA SDK is already installed
on Mac
computers. Check Software Updates
on the Apple site to insure that you have the latest java version
installed. On windows and Linux,
it is important that the system path variables be properly configured
so that
the 'java' and the 'javac' commands are in the execution path.
The java VM installation can be
tested by executing 'java -version' from the command line.
If this command does not indicate that
the runtime environment is 1.5.0 or above, the VM is not properly
installed. Check that the SDK bin
directory in in
the execution path by executing 'javac' from the command line. If this command does not list the javac
command options, the SDK bin directory is not in the execution path.
Besides the main Kmax
application, the Kmax distribution package includes many natively
compiled code
modules that Kmax uses to talk to hardware devices.
This native code is platform specific and often depends on
libraries provided by the manufacturer of the hardware.
The availability of these modules
depends on the quality of support from the manufacturer of the hardware
device,
and thus not all devices are supported on all platforms.
Please contact the hardware
manufacturer or Sparrow Corporation (support@sparrowcorp.com) to
determine if
your specific hardware is supported.
If you have a SCSI device that
you plan to use with Kmax on Windows, you will need to use an ADAPTEC
compatible SCSI interface host adapter and install
ASPI drivers from Adaptec. To
download and install the ASPI drivers, go to
"http://www.adaptec.com/" and follow the links to download the ASPI
drivers for your platform. Make
sure that you read the installation instructions.
The current version of Kmax
does not support running Kmax by double-clicking a Kmax toolsheet
document, or
by dragging a toolsheet to the Kmax applicatoin. You
have to start Kmax and then open the toolsheet from the
Kmax 'Open' menu.
To run Kmax on the Mac, Just
double-click the Kmax application icon.
On windows, you may be able to
double-click the Kmax.jar file to start Kmax. Sometimes
this fails if the file mapping in your registry
has been changed from what was setup when the JRE was installed. To assist users with this problem, the
files, Kmax_Win.bat and Kmax_XP.lnk provide convenient double-clickable
mechanisms for starting Kmax.
'Kmax_Win.bat' starts a command shell and then starts Kmax from
the shell
command. 'Kmax_XP.lnk' uses a link
to execute a command without the shell.
Both files may have to be edited for a particular installation
location
of the Kmax application folder. If
your JRE was installed in a non-standard location, you may need to edit
the
files and put in the path to the location of the JRE on your system.
To run Kmax from the Linux
command line, cd into the Kmax directory (e.g. cd ~/Kmax) and execute
the
command 'java -jar Kmax8.jar'. A
shell script, Kmax8.sh, is included within the distribution directory
to execute
this command for you. You may need
to edit the file to insure that the file paths are correct for you
installation.
The Kmax application is enabled
with different features depending on the license issued by SPARROW. The demonstration (DEMO) license is the
default installation and requires no password. A
time-limited evaluation (EVAL) license will provide a
fully enabled version of Kmax for the specified evaluation period. A run-only (RUNO) license includes the
ability to run toolsheets and save and replay data, but the features
that
create and edit toolsheets are not included. The
full (FULL) Kmax license provides the complete set of
features, allowing the user to create, edit and run Kmax toolsheets. The FULL license also lets the user
save data with the toolsheet or as text in separate files.
With the FULL license, Kmax event files
may be saved and replayed to do off-line data sorting and
analysis. A publish (PUBL) license provides all the features of
the FULL license plus the ability to export Kmax toolsheets as runnable
JAR files. Runnable toolsheets are licensed under a free,
run-only (RUNO) license.
When the Kmax application is
started for the first time on a computer that does not have a current
Kmax
license, the Kmax Permissions dialog is displayed prompting the user
for a
password. If you just want to use
Kmax in the demonstration mode, hit the OK or Cancel button and a DEMO
license
will be established on your machine. If you intend to use Kmax is a
mode other
than DEMO, you should write down the machine ID that is displayed in
the dialog
window. You will need this number
in order to request a license password from SPARROW.
Send an email to SPARROW Tech Support at
<support@sparrowcorp.com> and request a password for the
appropriate
license. Please include the
Machine ID and your registration information ( name of
reg. user, currentlicence version and
serial number, institution, etc).
You may also call during normal operating hours with the
Machine ID and your e-mail address and a Password will be e-mailed to
you
shortly. When you receive a
password for your license from SPARROW, just select the 'About Kmax'
item from
the 'Help' menu and click the Permissions tab to return to the License
input
dialog.
If you are installing a Kmax upgrade and already
have a
valid license on your computer, you will not need to request another
Password
since the license will still be valid..
If you are moving the Kmax
application to another computer or to another user account, you will
need to
run Kmax for the first time,
record your new machine ID, and request a new password from
SPARROW as
described above.
The Kmax user/reference manual
is provided as a set of HTML files and may be read using any web
browser. Keep the Kmax Manual folder in
the same
folder as the Kmax application and bookmark the Kmax.html home page for
easy
access.
Make sure you register your
Kmax application to receive technical support, future product upgrades
and
information by filling out the enclosed registration card.
For assistance with Kmax or any SPARROW
product, contact SPARROW Technical Support via e-mail at
support@sparrowcorp.com.
Check the SPARROW web site
(www.sparrowcorp.com) frequently and make sure that you are using the
latest
version of the Kmax software and the associated drivers and external
components. You can download
upgrades whenever necessary.
Contact your local SPARROW distributor to get a temporary
password for
evaluation purposes. Before
installing an update, be sure to make a backup of the toolsheets and
data that
you have developed and want to retain.
You may want to share your Kmax
documents and drivers with other Kmax users. Visit
our website to submit your files for sharing with
others