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Sophisticated Circuits PowerKey Pro 200 User Manual

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PowerKey Pro
Model 200
User Manual
by Jamie Green
PowerKey Pro designed by Amar Singh
PowerKey Software by Richard Elmore
User Interface and Graphics by Jamie Green
Balloon Help by Beverlee Heiszler
Moral Support by Alora Dunlap
Copyright ©1995-97 Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. All rights reserved.
1: Introduction
Page 1
MANPKP2-1097

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Summary of Contents for Sophisticated Circuits PowerKey Pro 200

  • Page 1 PowerKey Pro designed by Amar Singh PowerKey Software by Richard Elmore User Interface and Graphics by Jamie Green Balloon Help by Beverlee Heiszler Moral Support by Alora Dunlap Copyright ©1995-97 Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. All rights reserved. 1: Introduction Page 1 MANPKP2-1097...

  • Page 2: Important Safety Instructions

    Company or to one of our authorized agents. Service can be obtained at Sophisticated Circuits, Inc., 19017 120th Ave NE, Suite 106, Bothell, WA 98011, 206-485-7979. FCC Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
  • Page 3 The PowerKey Pro manual, program, product design and design concepts are copyrighted, with all rights reserved to Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. Your rights are subject to the copyright laws of the United States of America. Under the copyright laws, this manual may not be copied, in whole or part, including translation to another language or format, without the express written consent of Sophisticated Circuits, Inc.

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Contents Introduction System Requirements What’s in the Box Using This Manual Installing PowerKey Pro Hardware Installation Preparing for Installation Connecting the Power Cords Connecting the ADB Cables Connecting the Phone Cables Turning On Your System Software Installation Hardware Configuration Using PowerKey Pro Starting Up the System Shutting Down the System Scheduled Events...
  • Page 5 Importing and Exporting Hardware Setup Preferences The Event Editor Event Triggers Time Triggers System Triggers Trigger Qualifiers Event Actions Appendices 1. Using “Classic” PowerKey Installing PowerKey 2. Using Multiple PowerKeys Installing Multiple PowerKey Pros Installing PowerKey Pro and “Classic” PowerKey Using PowerKey Software with Multiple PowerKeys 3.
  • Page 6 Page 6 1: Introduction...

  • Page 7: Introduction

    Chapter 1 Introduction ® Thank you for purchasing PowerKey Pro! PowerKey Pro Model 200 is a “smart” power strip that can ® control an entire Macintosh system. You can start up your computer and all (or just some) of your peripherals with one keystroke.

  • Page 8: System Requirements

    System Requirements PowerKey Pro Model 200 works with any desktop Macintosh ® or compatible except the original Mac and Mac Plus (because they do not have an ADB port). It works with any Apple keyboard, and most third-party keyboards. Its phone ring detection feature works with any standard analog phone line (see Appendix 4, Troubleshooting, for more information on phone lines).

  • Page 9: Using This Manual

    Using This Manual We recommend that you read this manual as follows: 1. Carefully follow the instructions in Chapter 2, Installing PowerKey Pro. 2. Skim the first part of Chapter 3, Using PowerKey Pro. If you want to use PowerKey Pro’s advanced Scheduling features: 3.
  • Page 10 Page 10 1: Introduction...

  • Page 11: Installing Powerkey Pro

    Chapter 2 Installing PowerKey Pro PowerKey Pro consists of two primary components, hardware and software. The hardware unit controls the outlets and keeps track of time when the computer is turned off. The software organizes the scheduled events and controls the outlets when the computer is turned on.

  • Page 12: Hardware Installation

    “SCI” port. This is not a “SCSI” port, which is used to connect hard disks to your Mac. It is a custom port used only by PowerKey Pro. “SCI” stands for “Sophisticated Circuits, Inc.” SCI Port Line Port Phone Port...

  • Page 13: Preparing For Installation

    Preparing for Installation Determine your computer’s switch type With your computer off, press the “Power On” key (usually found at the top or upper right corner of your keyboard). If your computer starts up it has Soft Power, otherwise it has Hard Power. This informa- tion will be important later when you are connecting your computer’s power cords to your PowerKey Pro.

  • Page 14: Connecting The Power Cords

    Connecting the Power Cords 1. Plug the power cord for PowerKey Pro into the wall outlet. Plug in your computer If you are also installing the Server Restart Option add-on software, see Appendix 3, Restarting Crashed Servers, before plugging in your computer.
  • Page 15 Example This example shows PowerKey Pro connected to a Power Mac 6100, a printer and a modem: The Power Mac 6100 has Hard Power, so it is plugged into Outlet 2. The modem and printer are also plugged into Outlet 2, so they will all turn on together.

  • Page 16: Connecting The Adb Cables

    Connecting the ADB Cables The diagram below shows an example setup: (1) SCI Cable. (2) Branching connector. The cable that comes with PowerKey Pro is not a standard ADB cable. One end of this cable is colored purple, and labelled with our company’s logo (as shown to the right).
  • Page 17 Connect the keyboard to the SCI Cable 3. Plug the keyboard cable into the branching connector on the SCI Cable (see note 2 in the diagram above). If you have other ADB devices, they should be connected in a “chain,” with one end of the chain joining to the branching connector.

  • Page 18: Connecting The Phone Cables

    Connecting the Phone Cables This section is optional. If you do not wish to use PowerKey Pro’s phone ring detection feature, you may skip this section. The diagram below shows an example setup: Connect PowerKey Pro to the phone line 1.

  • Page 19: Turning On Your System

    If you wish to connect multiple devices that don’t have “pass through” ports, you may use a phone line splitter (available at any phone or electronics store). Turning On Your System 1. Turn on the power switches on your computer (if it has Hard Power) and peripherals.

  • Page 20: Software Installation

    Software Installation Open the Installer 1. Insert the PowerKey Pro disk into your floppy drive. The disk’s window will appear. 2. Double-click the icon labelled “Install Power- Key.” The Installer window will open. Install the software 3. Make sure your startup disk is shown in the Destination Disk panel.

  • Page 21: Hardware Configuration

    See Chapter 4, Software Components, for a description of the items that are installed. Hardware Configuration Open the PowerKey Editor 1. Pull down your Apple menu, and select “PowerKey Editor”. The PowerKey Editor application will open, displaying the Schedule Window for your PowerKey Pro unit.
  • Page 22 A picture of your PowerKey Pro will appear in the dialog box, along with list of the unit’s outlets. The numbers on the outlets match the labels printed on the unit. See Appendix 2, Using Multiple PowerKey Pro Units, if you have more than one PowerKey Pro connected to your computer.

  • Page 23: Using Powerkey Pro

    Chapter 3 Using PowerKey Pro PowerKey Pro is ready to use as soon as you install both the hardware and software. It is pre-configured to act as an “intelligent power strip.” You can easily use it to start up and shut down your entire system.

  • Page 24: Starting Up The System

    Starting Up the System PowerKey Pro watches the “Power On” key on your computer’s keyboard when the computer is off. To start up your computer system, simply press this key. Your computer and all peripherals plugged into your PowerKey Pro will turn on, and your computer will start up normally.

  • Page 25: Scheduled Events

    Scheduled Events PowerKey Pro can do much more than simply start up and shut down your computer. It includes a sophisticated schedule of Events which can automate system startup and shutdown, and control your system in a variety of ways. An Event consists of two parts, the Trigger (when the Event will be executed) and the Actions (what the Event will do).

  • Page 26: The Powerkey Schedule

    The PowerKey Schedule PowerKey Schedules are created using the PowerKey Editor application. If you followed the standard installation instruc- tions, PowerKey Editor can be found in your Apple menu. Select it from this menu, and the following window will appear. You’ll notice that there are already two Events in the Schedule, entitled “User Start Up”...
  • Page 27 When the arrow in an Event is turned down, the Event’s Actions (what the Event will do) are shown. In this case, the only Action is to start up the system. Double-click on the Event named “User Start Up” (or select it and click the Edit...

  • Page 28: Creating An Event

    Creating an Event For our first example, let’s assume that you want to automati- cally turn on your computer before you arrive for work each weekday. To do this, we’ll create a new Event which turns on your computer at 8:55 each weekday morning. Create a new Event 1.
  • Page 29 Select the Trigger type The Trigger type is selected from the pop-up menu below the English descrip- tion of the Trigger. There are several types of Triggers; these are described in detail in the next chapter. 3. We want this Event to be executed every weekday morning, so select “Days of Week”...
  • Page 30 You’ll notice that the English description above the Trigger pop-up menu is updated as you make changes to the Trigger. This helps you make sure the Event will be executed when you intend, and helps you catch mistakes. Create a new Action 6.
  • Page 31 7. Make sure the pop-up menus for your important peripher- als are set to “On.” In many cases, you’ll want to turn all the outlets on. You can also set up delays in a Switch Outlets Action, to make some outlets turn on before others. This is useful if, for example, you have an older style hard disk that must spin up before the computer turns on.

  • Page 32: A Pair Of Hot Key Events

    A Pair of Hot Key Events One of the handy features of PowerKey Pro is the ability to control outlets from the keyboard. Our next example is a pair of Events that turn your outlets on or off when you press option-M and -option-P.
  • Page 33 4. Choose “Toggle” from the pop-up menu for the Monitor outlet. 5. Click OK to save the Action, and OK again to save the Event. Duplicate the Event The second Event will be very similar to the first one, so we can take advantage of the Mac’s cutting and pasting abilities.
  • Page 34 9. Click OK to save the Action, and OK again to save the Event. Both Events should now appear in the Schedule Window. Setting up Hot Key Events to toggle your outlets is a good idea before you experiment with your own Events. If you accidentally make an Event which turns off the monitor at the wrong time, you can easily turn it back on with these Events.

  • Page 35: A "Monitor Saver" Event

    A “Monitor Saver” Event Now we’re ready for something a little more powerful. This Event will automatically turn off your monitor when you haven’t used your computer for 20 minutes. When you want to start using it again, simply move the mouse and it will turn your monitor back on.
  • Page 36 3. Click the New Action... button, and select “Switch Outlets” from the list. The Switch Outlets Action Editor will appear. Select “Off” from the Monitor pop-up menu, and click OK. The Action will appear in the Action list. 4. Click the New Action... button again, and select “Wait” from the list.
  • Page 37 You’ll notice that there are several check boxes below the radio buttons. They match the check boxes you saw in the Trigger above. You can check these boxes to select which activity types you wish PowerKey Pro to watch. 6. Since this Action is used with a System Idle Trigger, just check the Same as Trigger box.

  • Page 38: A Phone Startup Event

    A Phone Startup Event Our final example is an event that will turn on your computer when the phone rings, but only after business hours. This will let you access your files from home at night, but won’t bother you while you’re at work. For this example, we’ll assume you will be using Apple Remote Access to communicate with your computer.
  • Page 39 Create the Qualifier If you share your phone line between your phone and modem, you may want to keep PowerKey Pro from answering the phone during business hours. 3. Click the Qualifiers... button. The Qualifier Editor will appear. We want to limit this Event to execute only after business hours, so check the Time Range box.
  • Page 40 6. Click OK to save the Action, and again to save the Event. Click the spin triangle to see the whole Event. Create the Shut Down Event 7. Click the New... button in the Schedule window, and name the new Event “Remote Access Shut Down”. Create the Trigger 8.
  • Page 41 Create the Qualifier 9. Click the Qualifiers... button. The Qualifier Editor will appear. Check the How Started box. Check the Phone Ring box, then click OK. Create the Action 10. Click the New Action... button, and select “Shut Down Computer” from the list. The Switch Outlets Action Editor will appear.
  • Page 42 Page 42 3: Using PowerKey...

  • Page 43: Reference

    Chapter 4 Reference This chapter contains detailed information about the PowerKey software. Software Components PowerKey Editor Schedule Windows PowerKey Editor Menus File Menu Edit Menu Schedule Menu Importing and Exporting Hardware Setup Preferences The Event Editor Event Triggers Time Triggers System Triggers Trigger Qualifiers Event Actions...

  • Page 44: Software Components

    Software Components When you install the PowerKey software, the following items will be placed on your hard disk: PowerKey Extension This extension is located in the Extensions folder in your System Folder. This is the heart of the PowerKey software. It runs in the background, keeping track of your Schedule and communicating with the PowerKey Pro hardware.

  • Page 45: Powerkey Editor

    PowerKey Editor The PowerKey Editor application allows you to configure your PowerKey Pro and create scheduled Events. Normally, this application can be found under the Apple menu, but it may be placed in any location you find convenient. Schedule Windows When you open the PowerKey Editor application, the current Schedule for each PowerKey connected to your computer is displayed in a separate window.
  • Page 46 Event buttons The buttons at the bottom of the Schedule window operate just like the “New Event,” “Edit Event” and “Delete Event” menu items in the Schedule menu. (You can also edit an Event by double-clicking on it.) See the Schedule Menu section later in this chapter for more information.

  • Page 47: Powerkey Editor Menus

    PowerKey Editor Menus File Menu Import Schedule..., Export Schedule... These commands allow you to save Events on your hard disk, and copy them back at a later date. See the Importing and Exporting section later in this chapter for more information. Page Setup...

  • Page 48: Schedule Menu

    Hardware Setup... This command displays the Hardware Setup dialog box. See the Hardware Setup section later in this chapter for more information. Preferences... This command displays the Preferences dialog box. See the Preferences section later in this chapter for more information. Schedule Menu 1 1 1 1 1 New Event...
  • Page 49 Execute Event This command immediately executes the selected Event in the Schedule window. The Trigger and Qualifiers are ignored, and all Actions are performed in sequence. This command is useful for testing Events to make sure they operate as desired. PowerKey units At the bottom of the Schedule menu is a list of all PowerKey units connected to your computer.

  • Page 50: Importing And Exporting

    Importing and Exporting The “Import Schedule...” and “Export Schedule...” commands in the File menu allow you to save Events to a disk file, and copy them back into the Schedule at a later date. It’s a good idea to export your Schedule once you have it set up the way you like it.
  • Page 51 Export Schedule... This command copies the Events in the frontmost Schedule window into a new disk file. A standard Save dialog box will appear, allowing you to name the Schedule file and place it on your disk. If the Selected Events Only box is checked, only the Events you select in the Schedule window will be copied to the file.

  • Page 52: Hardware Setup

    Hardware Setup When you select “Hardware Setup...” from the Edit menu, the Hardware Setup dialog box for the frontmost Schedule win- dow is displayed. Unit Name This field allows you to change the name of your PowerKey. This is the name that is used as the title bar of the unit’s Schedule window and in the Schedule menu.
  • Page 53 PowerKey Pro Model 200 has three sets of outlets. Outlet 1 is an individually switched outlet. Outlet 2 is actually a group of four outlets that are switched on and off together, so they are given one name. The Always On Outlet remains on at all times, so you cannot give it a name.

  • Page 54: Preferences

    Preferences When you select “Preferences...” from the Edit menu, the Preferences dialog box is displayed. Show startup icon If this option is checked, the PowerKey software will display an icon at the bottom of your computer when you start up, to let you know it’s loading.

  • Page 55: The Event Editor

    The Event Editor When you create a new Event or open an existing one, the Event Editor dialog box is displayed. Event Name The Event Name is simply a description you can give to an Event. It will appear on the top line of the Event’s entry in the Schedule window.
  • Page 56 A third category of Triggers is available with the Server Restart Option, an add-on software package that you can purchase directly from Sophisticated Circuits. See Appendix 3, Restarting Crashed Servers, for more information. For most Trigger types, some parameters will appear below the pop-up menu;...
  • Page 57 New Action... Click this button to create a new Action. A dialog box will appear asking you which type of Action you wish to create, followed by the Action Editor for the selected type of Action. See the Event Actions section later in this chapter for more information.

  • Page 58: Event Triggers

    Event Triggers There are two major categories of Triggers: Time Triggers and System Triggers. Time Triggers activate at specified times, and are primarily used for creating automatic or repeating Events. System Triggers activate when something happens on the computer or phone line. Time Triggers Once Only This Trigger activates at a specified date and time.
  • Page 59 To set the starting date and time for the Event, click on the numbers in the time and date boxes, and either type in the desired values or change them with the arrow buttons. You can also use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move through and change values.

  • Page 60: System Triggers

    To set the day of the month for the Event, type the desired number into the editing box, and select a day from the pop-up menu. You can choose between “Day” (which means “activate on the 4th of every month”) and the days of the week (which means “activate on the fourth Monday of every month”).
  • Page 61 When Phone Rings This Trigger activates whenever the phone rings, if a phone line is connected to PowerKey Pro. For example, you may use this Trigger to start up your computer to receive a fax or modem call. To select the number of phone rings for a Phone Ring Event, type the desired number of rings into the text box.
  • Page 62 When System is Idle This Trigger activates whenever the system is “idle” (i.e. you are not using it) for a selected period of time. For example, you may use this Trigger to turn your monitor off when you have not been using your system for 10 minutes. To select how long the system must be idle before a System Idle Trigger activates, type the desired number of minutes into the text box.
  • Page 63 At Shut Down This Trigger activates whenever you select “Shut Down” from the Finder’s Special menu, or when another application (such as Retrospect) tells the computer to shut down. It also activates on newer Macs when you shut down by pressing the “Power On”...

  • Page 64: Trigger Qualifiers

    Trigger Qualifiers Qualifiers give you more control over a Trigger, by restricting it to activate only under certain conditions. For example, you can add a Qualifier to a Phone Ring Trigger that will turn on your computer during the day, but not in the evening. A Trigger will only activate if all of its Qualifiers are true.
  • Page 65 You can use one, several or all Qualifiers in any combination. This enables you to set up complex Triggers; for example, you can create an Event which will turn on your computer when the phone rings (with a Phone Ring Trigger), but only during business hours (with a Time Range Qualifier set to 9 AM to 5 PM, and a Days of Week Qualifier set to Monday through Friday).
  • Page 66 If the “is/is not” pop-up menu is set to “is,” the Qualifier is true between the starting and ending dates. If it is set to “is not,” the Qualifier is true before the starting date, and after the ending date. To set the starting and ending dates, click on the numbers in the boxes, and either type in the desired values or change them with the arrow buttons.
  • Page 67 If the “more than/less than” pop-up menu is set to “more than,” the Qualifier is true when activity has not occurred for the chosen period. If it is set to “less than,” the Qualifier is true when activity has occurred in the chosen period. To select the period that is checked for activity, type the desired number of minutes into the text box.

  • Page 68: Event Actions

    Event Actions When an Event’s Trigger activates, the Event will execute its list of Actions, as shown in the scrolling list at the bottom part of the Event Editor. Each Action will be executed in the order it appears in the Action List for the Event. If you need to move an Action to execute earlier or later, select it in the list and drag it to the desired position.
  • Page 69 Switch Outlets This Action turns on or off one or more outlets on your Power- Key. Each switchable outlet appears in the Action Editor. The same Action can turn some outlets on and others off. If your computer is plugged into one of PowerKey Pro’s switched outlets, that outlet will not be settable in the Switch Outlets Action Editor.
  • Page 70 If your computer is plugged into one of PowerKey Pro’s switched outlets, that outlet will not be settable. You can, however, set a delay for the computer’s outlet, which will cause the computer to start up after the other outlet(s) come on. Shut Down Computer This Action is similar to the Switch Outlets Action, but also shuts down your computer.
  • Page 71 Restart This Action restarts your computer. If the computer is running, this Action operates exactly like the Finder’s “Restart” item in the Special menu. This Action can also restart a crashed computer with a phone call, in conjunction with a When Phone Rings Trigger. If the computer is plugged into one of PowerKey Pro’s switched outlets, this Action will turn off that outlet, wait ten seconds, then turn it back on.
  • Page 72 Execute a Script This Action executes any OSA-compliant script, such as an AppleScript or UserLand Frontier™ script. You can write scripts to perform just about any task you can imagine. When you create a Script Action, a standard Open File dialog box will appear.
  • Page 73 Execute a QuicKey™ This Action activates a QuicKey or Sequence created with CE Software’s QuicKeys™. This Action is only available if you have QuicKeys installed in your system. This gives you a simple means to automate many tasks when you don’t need a complex script.
  • Page 74 Wait This Action serves multiple duty. It can wait a specified number of seconds, or it can wait for the user to start or stop using the computer. You can use this Action to delay subse- quent Actions in an Event as desired. When you create a Wait Action, a dialog box appears.
  • Page 75 Open File This Action will open any file, as if you double-clicked on it in the Finder. You can use this Action to run applications (includ- ing AppleScripts saved as applications) or open documents. This is useful if you wish to start an automated procedure when you’re not at your computer.
  • Page 76 Mount SCSI Devices This Action looks at your SCSI bus and mounts all devices it can find. You can use this Action to mount hard disks that need time to “spin up” when they are turned on, and are not ready when the computer first starts up.

  • Page 77: Appendices

    Appendices 1. Using “Classic” PowerKey Installing PowerKey 2. Using Multiple PowerKeys Installing Multiple PowerKey Pros Installing PowerKey Pro and “Classic” PowerKey Using PowerKey Software with Multiple PowerKeys 3. Restarting Crashed Servers Server Restart Option Server Restart Option Features Using the Server Restart Option 4.

  • Page 78: Using "Classic" Powerkey

    Appendix 1 Using “Classic” PowerKey The PowerKey version 3 software is fully compatible with the original PowerKey. If you upgrade from version 1.x or 2.x, you will need to rebuild any scheduled Events you had before. Some of the features of the version 3 software will not be available, as they depend on features of the PowerKey Pro hardware: The “When Phone Rings”...
  • Page 79 Prepare for Installation 1. Disconnect your system, as described in Chapter 2, Prepar- ing for Installation. Plug in your system 2. If your computer has Soft Power as described in Chapter 2, Preparing for Installation, plug it into the wall outlet. If your computer has Hard Power, plug it into one of PowerKey’s outlets.

  • Page 80: Using Multiple Powerkeys

    Appendix 2 Using Multiple PowerKeys If you need more control over your system, you can use multiple PowerKey Pro units with a single computer. Installing Multiple PowerKey Pros PowerKey Pro units will be connected to your computer in a “chain.” The instructions below expand upon the steps de- scribed in Chapter 2.

  • Page 81: Installing Powerkey Pro And "Classic" Powerkey

    Installing PowerKey Pro and “Classic” PowerKey PowerKey Pro also works along with the original PowerKey. To install, follow these steps: 1. Install your PowerKey Pro as described in Chapter 2. If your computer has Hard Power, plug its power cord into your classic PowerKey.

  • Page 82: Using Powerkey Software With Multiple Powerkeys

    Using PowerKey Software with Multiple PowerKeys The PowerKey Editor application will open a Schedule win- dow for each PowerKey unit connected to your computer. To set the Hardware Configuration options for each unit, bring that unit’s Schedule window to the front before selecting “Hardware Setup...”...

  • Page 83: Restarting Crashed Servers

    Appendix 3 Restarting Crashed Servers No computer system is perfect, and crashes are an unfortunate fact of life. But when a computer is used unattended, serving files, web pages or in an interactive kiosk, a crash can be far more than simply annoying. It can mean long downtimes or late-night trips back to the office.

  • Page 84: Server Restart Option

    To install the Server Restart Option, you must first purchase an activation code from Sophisticated Circuits. See Appendix 6, How to Reach Us, for contact information. When you contact us, have your PowerKey Pro serial number (located on the bottom of the unit) and payment information handy.

  • Page 85: Server Restart Option Features

    4. Type your activator code into the dialog box. The Installer will then enable your PowerKey Pro with the Server Restart Option features. Once your PowerKey Pro unit has been enabled, it will remain so forever. You can connect it to another Mac, as long as it is running version 3.2 or later of the PowerKey software, and the Server Restart Option features will be available.
  • Page 86 Maximum Log File size This value limits the size of the PowerKey Log file, which is created by the Add to Log Action (see below). When an entry is added to the log file which would make it exceed this value, the topmost (oldest) items are removed.
  • Page 87 New Qualifiers System Running This Qualifier restricts the Trigger to activate only if the computer is (or is not) running normally. If the “is/is not” pop-up menu is set to “is,” the Qualifier is true when the computer is running normally. If it is set to “is not,”...

  • Page 88: Using The Server Restart Option

    New Action Add to Log This Action writes a line of text at the end of a log file. When you create an Add to Log Action, a dialog box will appear. You can type any message you wish into this box. When the Action is performed by an Event, this message, along with the current date and time, will be written at the end of the “PowerKey Log”...
  • Page 89 Dealing with Soft Crashes Sometimes an application will crash, leaving other applica- tions running. Since the PowerKey software is still running, the crash will not be detected. Apple’s “Macsbug” debugger can freeze the system enough so that these crashes will be detected by PowerKey Pro.
  • Page 90 To use this AppleScript, save it in the Script Editor as a “com- piled script.” Edit any Events that shut down or restart the computer, and place an Execute Script Action before the Shut Down Computer or Restart Actions. It may also be a good idea to place a Wait Action in the middle, to make sure that the script is finished before attempting to shut down or restart.

  • Page 91: Default Schedules

    6. Duplicate this file, and rename it either: “PowerKey Classic Default”, “PowerKey Pro 200 Default”, or “PowerKey Pro 600 Default” depending on the model of PowerKey you created the default Schedule with.

  • Page 92: Using A Default Schedule File

    Using a Default Schedule File To set up a “canned” system folder with the PowerKey soft- ware, follow these steps: 1. Place the PowerKey Extension in the Extensions folder of your system. 2. If you wish to allow editing of your Schedule, place the PowerKey Editor in the Apple Menu Items folder.

  • Page 93: Using Applescript

    Appendix 5 Using AppleScript AppleScript offers Mac users a powerful way to automate tasks and share information. PowerKey Pro extends the power of AppleScript in two important ways. You can schedule scripts with PowerKey Events, and you can even control PowerKey Pro itself with scripts.

  • Page 94: Controlling Powerkey Pro With Applescript

    Controlling PowerKey Pro with AppleScript In addition to running scripts from the PowerKey software, you can control PowerKey Pro directly from scripts. To control PowerKey, place a tell block in your script as follows: You can then place PowerKey scripting commands inside this block.
  • Page 95 Reading Current Outlet States To find out if an outlet is on or off, you can get the level property of a unit’s outlet. The result variable will contain 0 (if the outlet is off) or 100 (if the outlet is on). Suspending and Resuming Events You can suspend and resume Events by setting the enabled property of a unit’s event to true or false.
  • Page 96 This feature was designed for use by custom software such as databases or interactive presentations. The software can periodically “ping” the PowerKey software by setting the user timer. If the software crashes or fails, an Event can restart the computer. If you wish to use this feature, but are not running AppleScript, you can send a simple Apple Event to the PowerKey software.

  • Page 97: Troubleshooting

    Appendix 6 Troubleshooting This section answers the most common questions that can arise during installation. Because PowerKey Pro is so flexible, we can’t address all the possible issues in this space. However, we have a technical support database online. If you don’t find a solution here, you can find this database on our site on the World Wide Web, at <http://www.sophisticated.com/>.
  • Page 98 My computer clicks or pauses when I start up. I have to press the “Power On” key twice to start up. My computer’s clock stops when I shut it down. • Your Mac probably has Soft Power, and you’ve plugged it into a switched outlet on your PowerKey Pro.
  • Page 99 I get an error message when I try to open the PowerKey Editor on my Power Mac. • Make sure that the system file “ObjectSupportLib” is in the Extensions folder of your system, and hasn’t been disabled by a startup controller utility. My monitor and/or other peripherals turn off when I select “Re- start”.
  • Page 100 Apple’s Energy Saver control panel won’t automatically put my computer to sleep. • The Energy Saver control panel looks for system activity at a very low level. It interprets the PowerKey software’s normal communication with the hardware as activity, so it will never automatically put a computer to sleep.
  • Page 101 Appendix 7 How To Reach Us Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. 18618 129th Ave NE PO Box 727 Bothell, WA 98041-0727 Phone: Voice: 425-485-7979 Fax: 425-485-7172 Internet: Web: http://www.sophisticated.com/ FTP: ftp://ftp.sophisticated.com/ e-mail: sales@sophisticated.com, support@sophisticated.com Appendices Page 101...

  • Page 102: Index

    Index Actions 25, 68, 88 “Classic” PowerKey. See Power- Changing order 37, 56, 68 Creating 30, 68 Clock stops 98 Action types CompuServe 101 Add to Log 86, 88 Connection diagrams Execute QuicKey 72 ADB cables 16 Execute Script 71, 100 Power Cords 15 Externals 44, 76 “Classic”...
  • Page 103 File Menu 47 Okey Dokey 89 File Sharing 89 Outlets Force Restarts check box 85 “Always On” 12, 53 Frontier 71, 93 Naming 22, 52 Switched 12 Switching 69 Switching delays 69 Hard Power 13, 15 Hardware Installation 12 Hardware Setup dialog box 21, 52 Phone line 8 Phone ports 12...
  • Page 104 Server Restart Option 14, 20, 84 Installation 84 Qualifiers 25, 64, 87 Show startup icon check box 54 Qualifier Editor 39, 56, 64 Shutting down 24, 98 Qualifier types Warning before 54 Date Range 65 Sleep 100 Days of Week 66 Sleeper 100 How Started 41, 67, 87 Soft Power 13, 15, 84, 98...
  • Page 105 When System Is Idle 35, 62, 74, 100 Remote Access 40, 62 Serial port activity 62 When Timer Expires 86, 90, 95 Troubleshooting 97 Unit Name 22, 52 User Timer 86, 95 Warn before scheduled Shut Down check box 54 Warranty 107 World Wide Web 97 Appendices...
  • Page 106 1. License. The enclosed system software (the “Software”) and related documentation are licensed to you by Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. (“SCI”). You own the disk on which the Software is recorded but SCI retains title to the Software. This License allows you to use the Software on a single computer and make one copy of the Software in machine-readable form for backup purposes only.
  • Page 107 ONE (1) YEAR from the date of original retail purchase. During this period, if a defect should occur, Sophisticated Circuits will, at its option, repair or replace the unit at no charge to you, provided it is returned during the warranty period to Sophisticated Circuits or one of its authorized dealers.
  • Page 108 Page 108 Appendices...

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