Installation & Help

October 2020

Installation

System requirements are modest. You'll need the .NET 4.0 Runtime (typically already installed, though free from Microsoft in any event), and SQL Server Express, again free from Microsoft if not already installed. If these are not present your system will advise when attempting to run the program, and you can resolve after that. (See the section Getting Started for more specific detail on setting up SQL Server after installation of Circuit).

Circuit installs on 32 and 64 Bit Windows, any version which supports .NET 4.0, so that's Windows 7, 8 and 10.

Circuit is distributed in the form of a Windows Installer Setup.Exe program, and as an aside, only Windows is supported at this time.

The actual filename of the installer will reflect the version to be installed, for example...

Where 1_0_1_41 reflects the Major Version of 1 and the Minor Version of 41.

To install, simply run or double-click the installer file and follow the instructions, there are no special permissions required, no personal information will be requested, and you will be asked to accept an End User License Agreement during the process.

Whenever there is a new version of Circuit to be installed there is no need to un-install the previous version, just run the newer version installation, and thereby most of your settings will be retained.

*New* As of v54, Check For Updates is now an available feature. Choose Help > Check for Updates...

Note! You MUST have an Internet connection for this to work.

Example response...

Help Resources

Once installed, run the app to access in-built help resource links.

From the main menu bar select Help and there are a couple of options available...

Help Topics (online) will start your default browser and essentially bring you to this online help. This resource is the new version, and is continuously updated.

Help Topics (offline) will open a compiled helpfile (CHM type) located in the program files folder of the Circuit app. (If it doesn't display, you'll need to set "allow blocked content" in it's file permissions.)

Note! The Offline helpfile is a very original resource, it's pretty dated, but has some useful background on concepts.

Licensing Options

Circuit is distributed in the hope that it will be useful to your electrical schematics for control systems projects, whether hobby, domestic, commercial or industrial.

The licensing model is simple enough, if you contract me for freelance design work using Circuit, then after payment of your first invoice - a license is yours if you would like one, if you favour training only on Circuit, again, first payment gets you a license.

If you neither want to offer work nor enjoy the training, no problem, Circuit is available for outright license purchase on a per seat basis, and this will be a perpetual license for the Major Revision.

If you represent a school or college, or a body that is supporting learning, if you're unemployed or an improver with limited resources, then by all means get in touch and we'll work something out.

In any event, to convert the installation from an "expiration version" to a "perpetual version", choose Help > Create HID...

This will create a Hardware ID text file in the application folder...

Send that file, together with all your details to the developer, and in return for meeting any of the criteria mentioned above, a license file will be issued to you.

Place the license file in the application folder where XMLControlCircuit.exe runs from, and you're all set.

To see the license status choose Help > About...

That's all for installation and getting help for now.