Axium KPC-2.8 User Manual

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Axium Keypad Manager

OVERVIEW

The Axium Keypad Manager is a Windows program that easily and quickly configures AX-KPC

2.8 touch panels and AX-KPB keypads. Touch Panels are configured using a powerful page

designer with predefined and user galleries of images and sounds. A public database of

predefined commands as well as a user database is available for storing learnt commands.

Command databases are presented using a tree view to group commands to models and

models to makes. This provides an efficient method for finding the required commands for

programming the keys of AX-KPB keypads and the virtual keys displayed by the touch panels.

Infra-Red commands using the HEX format may be pasted directly either to keys or the

database tree.

Keypads and touch panels are connected via USB to a PC for programming or downloading of

their configurations. Such configurations can be saved and later reused for programming

more keypads and touch panels.

MAIN WINDOW

Image 1 - The main window

Table of Contents

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Summary of Contents for Axium KPC-2.8

Page 1 Axium Keypad Manager OVERVIEW The Axium Keypad Manager is a Windows program that easily and quickly configures AX-KPC 2.8 touch panels and AX-KPB keypads. Touch Panels are configured using a powerful page designer with predefined and user galleries of images and sounds. A public database of predefined commands as well as a user database is available for storing learnt commands.
Page 2: File Menu
The main window provides most of the functionality of Axium Keypad Manager. It contains a menu and toolbar, a library browser consisting of objects useful for programming a touch panel or keypad device and a device dependent designer is displayed on the right. FILE MENU The commands in the file menu are for managing configuration and database files.
Page 3: Export Database
User databases should usually be stored in the “Axium Keypad Manager” folder in “My Documents”, which is where the predefined “User” database is located. The public database is stored in the common application data folder, which on Windows XP is typically C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data. Export database: Exports all open IR-command databases as HEX commands to a CSV file.
Page 4: Edit Menu
EDIT MENU Image 3 - The Edit menu Undo: Undoes the last change. The Axium Keypad Manager boasts with a powerful undo feature capable of undoing up to 50 individual changes of any type. Redo: Redoes a change that was just undone by the “Undo” function. Cut: Available only when a make, model or command in the user database is selected or when an object in one of the designers is selected.
Page 5 applicable. Rename mode can also be initiated using the F2 key or by clicking on the selected node (as in the Windows Explorer). Edit: Opens a dockable window for editing or viewing the selected command in a command database. In the case of an infra-red command, details of the command’s Modulation frequency, sequential ON / OFF periods and format can be viewed.
Page 6 Edit: Opens the command edit window with the “Hex Code” tab selected. The hex code may be copied to and from the clipboard and other applications. Copy: Available when a command is selected. Copies a Hex code representation of the command to the clipboard. Paste: Available when a new undefined command has been created in the user database.
Page 7: Tools Menu
TOOLS MENU Image 6 - The Tools menu Download from keypad: Downloads the configuration from a connected AX-KPB keypad or AX-KPC 2.8 touch panel to the Axium keypad manager. This can be useful for: Downloading infra-red commands that have been learnt on a KPB or KPC. ...
Page 8 Find Keypads: Searches for all connected keypads & touch panels and displays the keypads serial number, zone allocation, and connection path: Direct (KPB or KPC on USB port)  Network connected (via amplifier stack,  KPB only) Network connected keypads must be registered with the amplifier by pushing the keypad SET key twice.
Page 9 In order to load a backup configuration, it should first be moved out of the autosave folder as this folder is only temporary and will be deleted when AKM is closed again. Once the file has been moved, it can be opened using File – Open.
Page 10 AX-KPB PROGRAMMING When designing or viewing a configuration for an AX- KPB, the area on the right of the main window represents the keypad. Below the keypad is an area showing the details of the selected key. The six source select keys at the top of the keypad select the six banks, selection is indicated by the blue LED.
Page 11 Loading a key with an Alternating macro: Alternating macro commands alternate with pushes. Simply drag and drop two commands to the same key, and select Alternate in the Macro Type button Example shows a typical alternating macro, where ON + S1 command is sent on the first push, while on the second push the Off command is sent.
Page 12: Available Memory
If Amp/Preamp is selected then the bank6 key is sacrificed and used to toggle the Keypad Volume and Standby functions between the Amplifier and Preamplifier. The six Source Select Key commands may be assigned to any of the eight 451/452AV source inputs.
Page 13 Exporting Learnt commands in Hex format Commands in the database tree may be copied in the Hex format to the clipboard for pasting into other applications. Simply right click on the command, select Hex code and copy. Naming Source select keys To aid installation the Source select keys may be named.
Page 14 AX-KPC 2.8 PROGRAMMING When designing or viewing a configuration for a AX-KPC 2.8 touch panel, the area on the right of the main window is split into two sections: the resources list and an editor, which depends on the type of object selected. The resources list provides access to important objects.
Page 15 Page Designer The Page Designer displays a representation of the page with some extra graphical elements to assist editing. Depending on the orientation selected in the settings, the page will be displayed either in portrait or landscape format. Below this the properties of the selected item are shown.
Page 16 (under “Images”). Images with the correct orientation should be used to avoid cropping the right or bottom edges of the background. It is possible to place simple images on top of the background image. This means that pages can be built using common image components without having to resort to duplicating similar backgrounds with only minor differences.
Page 17 brightness setting is displayed in percent on the display and can range from 0% up to the panel brightness setting. Panel dim time +/- are for changing the duration in seconds before the panel brightness changes to the dimmed setting. Microphone enables the microphone while the button is pressed.
Page 18 routing the IR to a specific IR-port (if an AX-R4 is used). See Devices more information. RS-232 commands will be transmitted once. Unlike IR-commands, RS-232 commands must be used in combination with a device (see Devices). If the object is a page, it will be loaded and displayed. Pages can be dragged from the resource list into buttons or their action fields.
Page 19 individual overlay images will increase memory usage but overlays are typically much smaller in area than the actual button images and use considerably less memory. The Show Images button opens the dockable “Button Image Components” window which shows the images composing a button. Simple images can be dragged or copied from an image gallery into one of the image components in the window or directly to the button in the page designer.
Page 20 Jump to displays a list of pages which can be used for assigning a page to the  button. The predefined options “Home page” and “Previous page” use button classes for performing the navigation. Modifying button appearance The buttons in the image galleries generally do not have any label or icon. Adding a label or icon to a button is as important as adding a function to the button and this is best done using button overlays.
Page 21 position is within the region rather than simply checking if it is within the button's left/right and top/bottom boundaries. The clipping regions are polygons but there are some limitations on their shape: The polygons have a maximum of 10 vertices. ●...
Page 22 Volume bars can be oriented either horizontally or vertically. It is essentially a track  in which an optional slider can move about for displaying an analogue representation of the volume. The track is filled with a coloured bar either from the left or from the bottom indicating the volume level along with the position of the slider.
Page 23 Applets for the following types of equipment are currently provided: Integra DVD Player  Integra Tuner  Integra Receivers (zones 1 - 3)  iPort (docking station for iPods)  Vantage  Applets are created on a page by right clicking the page, selecting the “Add new applet” sub-...
Page 24 Each type of applet should only be used once on a page, otherwise the applet  corresponding to any button classes will be ambiguous. (However multiple Integra Receivers for different zones is not a problem as each zone is a different type of applet.)
Page 25 Alignment functions The alignment functions are found in the page designer’s toolbar and in its context menu and are enabled when two or more elements in a page are selected. Selecting multiple page elements is done by clicking them while holding down the shift key. The behaviour of some of the commands depends on the last element that was selected.
Page 26 Assistants To make setting up a configuration quicker and easier, three assistants are provided: New Touch Panel Configuration Assistant This assistant is displayed whenever a new touch panel configuration is created and it provides a means to quickly select the orientation and theme. The theme will be used for setting the background on all pages and will be the default theme selection used in the other assistants.
Page 27 Macro Designer The macro designer is displayed when a macro is selected in the resources list. It is used for designing two types of macro: Sequential macros: these macros execute a  sequence of commands. Control flow instructions are available for conditionally executing parts of the macro depending on the state of flags.
Page 28: Control Flow
Control Flow Control flow is used mainly for tracking the state of equipment and executing commands depending on the anticipated state. Essentially control flow controls the behaviour of a macro based on flags that have previously been set or cleared, either by the same macro or by other macros.
Page 29: Image Properties
Image Properties The image properties editor is accessible from the Button Image Components window or from the Properties option in the Current Images context menu. The toolbar provides functions for loading an image from disk, saving an image to disk and for creating or editing text based images (see Text Based Images).
Page 30 Image Galleries and Themes Image Galleries are the primary source for all images and image based elements used for designing pages. The list of images is split into the following categories: Images lists simple images such as backgrounds. Such images can be dropped onto ...
Page 31: Background Images
User defined image galleries are stored under “My Documents” in the “Axium Keypad Manager” folder. Predefined image galleries are stored in the common application data folder, which on Windows XP is typically C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data. Current Images This gallery is a kind of scratchpad and shows all image components used in the current configuration.
Page 32 Image Duplication Care should be taken not to import the same image file more than once into Axium Keypad Manager. Doing so can cause an unnecessarily high memory usage on the touch panel as multiple image objects with an identical appearance may be uploaded. However, once an image is imported, it can be copied to other image galleries and used in other configurations without causing this effect.
Page 33 Simulator The simulator is a useful tool for quickly checking a configuration before uploading to a touch panel. Verifying the inter-page navigation is important and this is made especially easy when using this feature. The following features are simulated: Page navigation. ...
Page 34: Usb Driver Setup
USB DRIVER SETUP Windows XP If the software has been installed using the Axium Software suite then the PC will detect and install the correct USB driver for the AX-KPB keypad. Should the PC encounter a setup problem follow the driver installation procedure: When first connecting a USB port to a powered AX-KPB keypad or AX-KPC 2.8 touch panel, Windows XP finds new hardware and the “New Hardware Wizard”...
Page 35 Select “Install the software automatically (Recommended)” then push “Next>”. The wizard searches and finds the AX-KPB driver, select it and push “Next>”. The USB driver is installed for the attached USB port. Push “Finish” to exit. The procedure described above is the same for the AX-KPC 2.8 touch panel.
Page 36: Windows Vista
Windows Vista When first connecting a USB port to a powered AX-KPB keypad or AX-KPC 2.8 touch panel, Windows Vista finds new hardware and a “New Hardware” window is displayed: Select “Locate and install driver software”. The drivers should be located automatically. If not, the drivers are usually located in C:\Windows\Inf.
Page 37 The exact message displayed will depend on system configuration and the number of times the device has already been connected to different USB ports.
Page 38: Minimum System Requirements
Minimum System Requirements Windows XP or later  1 available USB 1.1 port  256 MB RAM  1024x768 pixel resolution monitor  16 bit colour quality  PDF reader recommended ...

This manual is also suitable for:

Keypad manager 3.0