2 Getting Started

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2.1 Requirements

Overview

The following sections describe the requirements to run the Cheetah GUI software. Be sure the device driver has been installed before plugging in the Cheetah adapter. Refer to the Cheetah datasheet for additional information regarding the driver and compatibility.

Windows

The Cheetah GUI software is compatible with Windows 2000 (SP4 or later), Windows XP (SP2 or later, 32-bit only), and Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit). The software will run on 64-bit systems as a 32-bit application. Legacy 16-bit Windows 95/98/ME operating systems are not supported.

Linux

The Cheetah GUI software has been designed for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and 5 with integrated USB support. Kernel 2.6 is required. The software will run on 64-bit systems as a 32-bit application, provided that 32-bit system libraries are available.

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2.2 Installing the Cheetah GUI Software

The Cheetah GUI software is a self-contained application. Installing the software is as easy as unpacking the archive containing the software package. To install the Cheetah GUI:

1. Download the latest version of the software from the Total Phase website.

2. Unzip the zip archive to your desired location.

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2.3 Launching the Cheetah GUI

Windows

1. Go to the folder where the software package was extracted.

2. Click on “Cheetah-GUI.exe”

Linux

1. Go to the installation directory where the software package was unzipped.

2. Run >./Cheetah-Gui

After launching the Cheetah GUI, you will see the screen in figure 1.

Figure 1: Initial Screen
After first launching the Cheetah GUI, the software needs to be connected to a Cheetah adapter.

To send and receive messages, the Cheetah GUI software must be connected to a Cheetah adapter. When a Cheetah adapter is connected to the software, it will be unavailable for use by another process until the adapter is disconnected from the process or the application is terminated.

Connect a Cheetah Adapter

Figure 2: Cheetah Adapter Connect Window
The Connect window displays a list of available Cheetah adapters and their version information.

The configuration window (figure 2) has a list of available Cheetah adapters and their version information.

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List of Available Cheetah Adapters

In the configure window, there is a list of all the available Cheetah adapters that are connected to the computer. If no Cheetah adapters appear in the list, then there are no available units connected to your computer.

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Refresh List

To see an updated list of Cheetah adapters attached to the computer, simply click on the “Refresh” button to rescan the USB bus.

Please note that Cheetah adapters that are in use by other applications are no longer available for use. These Cheetah adapters are listed as “IN USE” in the Connect window.

The list of Cheetah adapters provides the following information:

Port

The port that the Cheetah adapter occupies. The port number is a zero based number. For more information about USB port assignments, please consult section the relevant section of the Cheetah SPI Host Adapter datasheet.

Firmware Version (FW) & Hardware Version (HW)

For more information about version numbers, please consult the Cheetah SPI Host Adapter datasheet.

Serial Number

The serial number of the Cheetah adapter.

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Opening a Cheetah Adapter

Click “Open” to connect to the desired Cheetah adapter. You can also double-click on the selected entry in the list.

The port and serial number of the Cheetah adapter will appear in the status bar at the bottom of the window to indicate which Cheetah adapter is bound to this instance of the application.

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2.4 Disconnecting the Cheetah Adapter

The Cheetah adapter can be disconnected from the current application. To do so, click on the “Disconnect button” or go to the menu item: File | Disconnect.

When disconnected, the application will return to the starting screen.

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2.5 Exiting the Application

To exit the application, go to the menu item: File | Quit.