2-May-05 iTunes Remote © FlexiPanel Ltd Patents apply and/or pending www.FlexiPanel.com
FlexiPanel
FlexiPanel Client
TM
3.0 for Pocket PC
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 Pocket PC is the
FlexiPanel Client software for displaying User
Interfaces on Windows PCs
Requirements
FlexiPanel Client 3.0 for Pocket PC requires a PC
running Windows ME (with service pack 2),
Windows 2000 or Windows XP. It will also require
an inbuilt Bluetooth radio or a 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 Pocket PC and will be
accessible from the Start menu.
Installation
To install FlexiPanel software on a Pocket PC
device using ActiveSync:
1. Put the Pocket PC in its ActiveSync cradle.
2. Download FlexiPanelPPC22Install.exe from
www.FlexiPanel.com and run it. Follow the
instructions to install FlexiPanel on the Pocket
PC.
3. If you wish FlexiPanel to appear in the Start
menu, select Menus in the Pocket PC’s
Settings and follow the instructions.
Alternatively, to install FlexiPanel on a Pocket PC
directly, download FlexiPanelPPC30.exe from
www. FlexiPanel.com and copy it to
\Windows\Programs on the Pocket PC.
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 on the Pocket
PC 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. (On iPAQs, the most common value
is 8.)
It is not necessary to specify the incoming port
number and it is recommended that this option
remain unchecked.
Making Connections
On startup, the FlexiPanel Client screen will
contain 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.
Because of the variety of ways Bluetooth is
implemented on different Pocket PCs, the process
of establishing a connection varies from Pocket PC
to Pocket PC. However, in our experience, this is
a straightforward process. Refer to the web page
www.flexipanel.com/comports 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 toolbar or the Navigation menu to
move between pages.
When you have finished communicating with the
product, press Close on the toolbar, 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
product’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 server 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 in a simple,
readable manner.
Pings – A ping is a message sent to the server to
check that it is still in range. If the computer 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 Windows as the Bluetooth outgoing port.
See Setting up the COM port on the previous page.