2-May-05 iTunes Remote © FlexiPanel Ltd Patents apply and/or pending www.FlexiPanel.com
FlexiPanel
FlexiPanel Client
TM
3.0 for Windows
Generic User Interface provider for Fl exiPanel User Interface Servers.
Summary
A variety of FlexiPanel Ltd and third party products
known as FlexiPanel Servers use FlexiPanel Client
software to display the User Interfaces they need
on remote devices. They communicate using
Bluetooth radio.
FlexiPanel Client 3.0 for Windows is the FlexiPanel
Client software for displaying User Interfaces on
Windows PCs
Requirements
FlexiPanel Client 3.0 for Windows requires a PC.
It will also require an inbuilt Bluetooth radio or a
USB Bluetooth adapter.
Bluetooth device drivers differ from one another;
you will need to be reasonably familiar with your
Bluetooth device driver. This is usually called the
Bluetooth Manager on the PC and will be
accessible from the icons on the right in the Start
toolbar, or in the Start menu.
Installation
FlexiPanel Client 3.0 for Windows is a standalone
application that requires no complex installation
program. Simply download it from
www.FlexiPanel.com and save it to your desktop.
Then click on it when you wish to run it.
Setting up the COM Port
The first time FlexiPanel Client is run, the Com
Ports dialog box will appear. It will be necessary
to find out which COM port is used as the
Bluetooth outgoing port. This is the port used to
connect to Bluetooth serial port services on other
devices. This information is available in the
product documentation and possibly in the help
library.
The Widcomm device driver supplied with most
USB Bluetooth adapters refers to this port as the
Client Applications Serial Port, which you can find
in the Bluetooth Manager or My Bluetooth Places
under the Bluetooth > Device Configuration menu
item.
Making Connections
On startup, the FlexiPanel Client screen will
contain a toolbar with a Connect button and a
Close button. Pressing Connect will attempt to
establish a connection with a FlexiPanel server.
Pressing Close will terminate the program.
However, Bluetooth is implemented on different
Windows PCs in a variety of ways and the process
of establishing a connection varies from device to
device.
• In some cases, the Bluetooth manager will
prompt you for the device to connect to
when the Connect button is pre s sed;
• Otherwise use the computer’s Bluetooth
manager to establish a serial connection
before pressing the Connect button.
Refer to www.flexipanel.com/com ports if you need
further assistance.
Interacting with User Interfaces
When you connect to a computer or appliance, its
controls are displayed on the computer screen.
The exact nature of these controls will be specified
by the server and you should refer to the specific
product documentation.
The server might request any of the following
controls:
Button: Click on the button to send a button press
signal to the server.
Data-Time: A date or time value, or both, which
may or may not be modifiable.
Files: Clicking on the button will upload files onto
the computer. The server may request that the
files are treated as a web page and displayed in
Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Latch: A button that stays on when pressed. Press
it again to turn it off. The control may appear as a
button, in which case the text will be in bold when
it is pressed, or as a check box, in which case it
will appear checked when it is on.
2-May-05 iTunes Remote © FlexiPanel Ltd Patents apply and/or pending www.FlexiPanel.com
Image: A GIF image. The server can request an
imge that is ‘clickable’ and generates a message
similar to a button-press message when the image
is clicked on.
List: A list box or drop-down list box from which
you may select one item.
Message: A pop-up message box with a text
message and possible a selection of responses.
Matrix: A two-dimensional table of numbers that
may be displayed as a chart or in a table. You
need to press the button in order to see the chart
or table. If the matrix is displayed as a chart, press
the ‘#’ button to see the data as a table. In either
case, press the OK button at the top right to go
back to the main screen. Selecting Save ‘,’ or
Save ‘;’ will allow you to save the data to as a
comma/semicolon separated value file for analysis
in other programs such as Microsoft Excel.
Number: A number which may or may not be
modifiable by you. If it is modifiable, it may require
an OK button to be pressed to set the new value,
or ‘+’ and ‘-’ buttons may be provided to shift the
value up and down. Maximum and minimum limits
may be set by the server.
Password: A password control requires you to
enter a password, usually before giving you
access to certain other controls. Enter the
password text and press OK. Some passwords
are fixed and cannot be changed. For these
passwords, a open password control displays a
‘Log Out…’ button, which you press in order to
close it. Other passwords are modifiable. For
these passwords, a open password control
displays a ‘Password…’ button, which you press in
order to change the to change the password or
close it.
Section: A section control ‘drills down’ to reveal a
new set of controls when it is pressed. While the
section control is in its drilled-down state, the text
appears in bold. Press it again to return to the
drilled-up state.
Text: Some text which may or not be modifiable.
URL: (Referred to as a Blob in some other
documentation.) Clicking on the button will launch
internet explorer and search for a web page
specified by the server. If the computer is not
connected to the internet, you will, of course, not
be able to download the page.
Navigations Buttons and Menu
Some user interfaces extend over several pages
and you may need to use the Next and Previous
items in the Navigation menu to move between
pages. Next and Previous buttons may also be
provided.
When you have finished communicating with the
product, press Close, or select Close from the
Navigation menu, to disconnect from it. Pressing
Close again will quit the application.
Settings Menu
The Settings menu allows you to customize the
user interface. These menu items may be
disabled by the server.
Layout Controls – Allows you override the server’s
choice of how the controls are laid out. Select the
control you want to change and press Modify.
Then you may set the size, location and
appearance of the control. The control settings will
be remembered for the next time you connect to
the product.
Load Recommended Layout – Asks the product to
recommend how the controls are laid out. This is
done automatically the first time you connect to the
product. It is only necessary to select this if you
have made modifications to the control layout and
you wish to return to the server’s recommended
setting.
If the layout of the controls looks odd, try selecting
Load Recommended Layout since layout
information can be lost if two FlexiPanel Servers
have the same name. To reload the layout
automatically each time you connect, check the
Always Reload Layout on Connect menu item.
Default Layout – Lays out the controls is a
readable manner.
Pings – A ping is a message sent to the server to
check that it is still in range. If the Pocket PC has
not received a reply by the time it is due to send
another ping message, it assumes the server is
out of range. Usually you would select pings.
However, if the server is responding slowly for any
reason, you may wish to turn this option off to
avoid undesired disconne ction.
Com Ports – Allows you to specify which COM port
is used by Pocket PC as the Bluetooth outgoing
port. See Setting up the COM port on the previous
page.