Frequently Asked Questions
The following are answers to some
common questions and problems that users have reported.
What do you do with my
registration information?
TechOnLine is a business, and we understand that our
success is dependent on many users visiting our site on a regular
basis, without the fear of loss of privacy. TechOnLine exists to
service the information, demonstration, training, and support needs
of design engineers. TechOnLine is supported by the companies who
use its services to display details about their products to the
large number of design engineers who visit TechOnLine's site daily.
In order for you to access the information on TechOnLine, you are
required to register. There are three reasons for that
registration:
- Usage statistics. TechOnLine
monitors how many of the target audience visit its site. The term
"hits", which is often used to track usage, is a very inflated
indication of the number of unique visitors to the site. Instead,
we are able to accurately measure statistics of usage (job title,
geographic, company, etc.) on a regular basis. We are only
interested in general statistics.
- Significant events. None of us have
the time we would like to cruise the web and remain up to date on
the entire industry. Therefore, TechOnLine generates emails if
there is a significant event in your area of expertise. This is not
"spam." These emails are intended to be a "heads up" to you
regarding information TechOnLine feels will be of interest. If at
any time you wish to be removed from this email list, please go to
the Email Preferences page to
be removed immediately.
- Top DSP and Embedded Companies.
Just like having your card scanned at a trade show, or sending a
bingo card from a periodical, the TechOnLine system records your
visit to the site. As a courtesy to our member companies, we supply
the statistics and demographic information regarding the use of
their site.
Every time I try to submit my
registration, I get an error message.
The
problem that you are having may be related to security settings if
you are using Internet Explorer.
Additional Set Up for Internet
Explorer 4.0:
If you are using Internet Explorer, you will need to change your
security permissions to allow certain features. Select the
"Internet Options" entry from the "View" menu. Select the
"Security" tab and choose the "Low" setting.
I don't know what my User ID is.
During
the registration process, we request your email address. This email
address is used as your User ID. User ID's are case sensitive,
which means that capital letters used during registration must be
used again to log in.
Please complete registration if you
have not already done so. Then try to log in to the site using your
email address as your User ID. If you still experience problems,
please let us know.
I am a student (or non-professional). Not all of the
registration information applies to me. Can I still
register?
TechOnLine is free, and open to everyone, although the
site was created with the "practicing engineer" in mind.
If, during registration, you cannot enter specific information
because it does not apply to you, please enter something similar.
For example, if you are a student, you may enter your home number
in the field that requires a work phone number.
VirtuaLab FAQs
How does VirtuaLab work?
A VirtuaLab is made up of a computer at TechOnline that has development tools and a connected evaluation board that you can access over the internet from your local computer. When you run a VirtuaLab you start a Java applet that connects to a Tarantella Server, which in turn connects to the VirtuaLab. The VirtuaLab runs Windows Terminal Server, which provides you with a virtual Windows desktop.
The entire interface to a VirtuaLab is done within your web browser. No special application program has to be installed on your computer in order to use the system.
Is VirtuaLab just another simulator?
No. When you work with a hardware VirtuaLab you are connected to a system that has an actual embedded development board attached to a controlling computer. When you run your code on it you are running on the genuine hardware. It is no different from having the actual evaluation board on your desk connected to a computer of your own except that you can't touch it. Because of this we provide a special piece of software called a Target Control that lets you remotely operate physical things such as power switches, reset switches, etc.
What is Tarantella?
Tarantella is a system to efficiently and privately connect computers to remote displays. See www.tarantella.com for more information.
What protocol and ports does this use?
The Java applet connects to the Tarantella Server using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) on TCP port 443. The protocol, besides being encrypted, is proprietary to Tarantella.
I have JavaScript execution turned off. Is this a problem?
Yes. The system uses JavaScript in numerous places in order to provide you with a rich set of features intended to make your use of the VirtuaLab as pleasant and convenient as possible. You should be sure to configure your browser to enable the execution of JavaScript.
Do I have full access to the remote computer?
Generally the remote computer has a C drive and a H drive. The C drive is read-only but you have a separate H drive where you can write files to. Your H drive will be the same across different VirtuaLabs. In some VirtuaLabs you also have access to your local computer's C drive, usually as drive M.
What are the requirements for the local computer?
The local computer can be any computer that runs Java 1.2 or later. In particular, this has been tested on:
- Windows 95/98/2K/XP running IE 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0
- Windows 95/98/2K/XP running Netscape 4.7, 6.0, Mozilla 1.0, 1.2, 1.4
- Linux with Mozilla 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and Java Plugin
- Macintosh System X
I'm still not sure, is there some sort of test I can use?
Yes. On the left side of the pages in the VirtuaLab space is a button labeled Connectivity Test. Click on it to run a series of tests that will check to see that you have the proper level of cookie security enabled and that you have a valid Java run-time environment. It will also check to be sure that your web browser's proxy rules are recognized. If you know that your browser is using a proxy but the tests says that it is using a DIRECT connection then you will need to manually specify a proxy in your preferences.
What is the My Preferences button for?
We have found that some complex proxy rules confuse Tarantella and it tries to establish a direct connection between itself and your computer. Needless to say this won't work correctly. So use the preferences page to specify the hostname and port number of the proxy server that Tarantella should use for the connection. Note that only tarantella will use this proxy value.
The preferences page has a screen size entry but I can't change it!
We plan to make available the option of different screen resolutions in the near future. For now only a single resolution is available.
Why does my browser window have no navigation buttons?
We did this in order to maximize the screen real estate available to you for the VirtuaLab desktop itself. When using a VirtuaLab the desktop is used extensively and the browser buttons rarely.
I live in Germany, won't my reservation times be wrong?
No. Our reservation system lets you specify your local timezone and it then remembers it until you change it. You can specify the timezone when you Reserve a Lab Later.
If make a reservation for next week can I be reminded about it?
Yes. Once you've made a reservation you can then add it to your Outlook (or other iCal compatible calendar system) calendar. Just click on the link or button that provides a downloadable calendar entry. On some systems this will automatically be imported into your calendar program. On others you may have to save it to a file and then import it. The reservation times will be imported using your local timezone.
I made a reservation. Then the boss scheduled a meeting at the same time. Can I cancel my reservation?
Yes. The My Reservations page, the one that shows your current and future reservations, provides a button that allows you to cancel any reservation that you no longer need.
My co-worker wants to try the lab that I have reserved. How can they do this?
It is possible to shorten a reservation that you made so that it ends now. That will make it available to your co-worker so that they can reserve time on it. The My Reservations page changes the button for cancelling a reservation to one that releases the remaining reservation time once your VirtuaLab reservation has begun.
The labs are great, but how do I find technical details for them?
When you start a lab a floating library window is created with a collection of links to reference materials specific to that VirtuaLab. These include vendor's specifications, tutorials, and so forth. We recommend that you try the tutorial when you connect to a lab for the first time. They are intended to guide you through the basics and get you familiar with the tools available to you as well as the target hardware or software itself.
If you have a question or problem that is not addressed here, please
email us at support@techonline.com
