FIRST TEN
ANGSTROMS
Software
Self-Installed Upgrades
Existing customers may download and install these upgrades without charge, but no free telephone support is provided for them. If you have problems, you can consult the FAQ of this site or email FTA at
Free telephone support is provided for new instruments for a limited time as described in the documentation with the installation.
If telephone support has expired for your instrument, you may purchase a support contract and receive telephone support for a year. Current cost for US customers is $495.
Current FTA Customers
There are two software versions, an older one for Windows 95/98/ME and a newer one for Windows NT/2000/XP. The current version of the older 95/98/ME software is 1.98. The current version of the newer NT/2000/XP software is 2.0. Both types have service paks that contain the latest updates. 1.98 type service paks are identified by a letter, such as "E", and 2.0 service paks are identified by a build number, such as "134".
You should upgrade within the same family, 1.9x or 2.0, that is currently on your machine. Changing from 1.9x to 2.0 requires some planning, as described in the documents linked below. The principal issue is that 1.9x is likely running on an older machine which may not have the power to run 2.0.
The older software, 1.9x, is built on "Windows 95" technology. The newer software, 2.0, is built on "NT" technology. What is confusing is that Windows 98 Second Edition and ME were transitional operating systems and included elements of NT technology on a Windows 95 base.
1.9x will run on Windows 95, 98, 98 Second Edition, and ME. It will not run on NT, 2000, or XP.
2.0 will run on Windows 98 Second Edition, ME, NT, 2000, and XP. It will not run on Windows 95 or plain 98.
Download Issues
2.0 Users Note: Installing this software is more difficult than it was for 1.9x. This is simply the nature of NT/2000/XP software, particularly software that uses frame grabbers. You must read and follow the directions! We have written a small book, HowToInstall.rtf, on the procedure for all the various combinations of operating systems and hardware that FTA users have.
You must use Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs to uninstall any previous version before installing the new Fta32 Video.
Fortunately, if you simply want a demo program, the procedure is easy. The difficulty comes with registering frame grabber hardware. Finally, please be aware that if you do something wrong, it is essentially impossible for someone to tell you over the telephone how to fix it. This means that your distributor can not help you much without a service call. But..., if you follow the directions the process goes well and only takes a few minutes.
1.9x Users Update
Updates are incorporated in a new CDROM or download:
The current Build for 1.98 is "E". Download to a temporary folder and extract the included files. Then run the created Setup.exe. See further details below for 2.0 users.
Customers running the older software and wishing to upgrade to 2.0 may need a hardware upgrade also. This depends on the computer you are using. You should discuss your needs with FTA.
2.0 Users Update
The software is now split into two files or downloads for ease in handling. The Fta32_Video folder contains the actual application program and is what you want to update. The Fta32_Help folder contains demo movies and Help text files. You need the Help folder contents installed at least once, but these files are not changed as regularly as the Video folder contents.
We suggest you create two temporary folders, say c:\temp\fta32_video and c:\temp\fta32_help and download the respective Setup's into each. That way you can keep track of which is which.
Download the current 2.1 version, Build 378: Jan 2015
You must use Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs to uninstall any previous version before installing the new Fta32 Video.
\Fta32_Video\FtaSetup.378.msi
\Fta32_Help\Setup2.zip
For normal update purposes, you need only the Fta32_Video file. The Fta32_Help file is rarely updated. As new updates are released, the Build Number will change.
When you click on the Fta32_Help file that you have downloaded, it will ask where you want to extract its files. The preferred target is the application folder, say c:\program files\fta32.
If you downloaded Help Setup, the extraction process places these files directly in the application folder and that is all you need to do.
If you downloaded Video Setup, it is an
msi script that is ready to install the program on the machine. Remember to first uninstall Fta32 Video using Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs before running the new Setup. You do not need to uninstall any FTA video capture devices (frame grabbers) when you install a newer version of the Fta32 application software. Uninstall Help files by Delete from Explorer.
If you want to upgrade and need a new CDROM, send us an email. Your request must include the following information:
Primary contact person
Company name and address
Instrument Serial Number
Telephone and fax numbers
You continue to use your existing FTA license, even if it is from 1.9x software, with 2.0.
The extractor will place a new version of ReleaseNotes.rtf in your folder. This file lists the changes and fixes in each Build.
Older Versions of 2.0
Selected previous versions of Fta32_Video are archived and can be downloaded. Currently available are
Fta32 2.0 CDROM Download
The complete CDROM is divided into several downloads, available here, plus two files that are available directly from the Internet: the Adobe pdf reader and Microsoft's DirectX dll for those using USB/DirectShow cameras. However, you only need a few of these for any particular installation, depending on your hardware. Therefore, you should download HowToInstall.rtf so you can determine what you actually need. A Quick Start version is also available.
Most of these files are zip files so you will need an extractor (see above). The complete CDROM structure is
\Documents\ApplicationNotes\Setup3A.zip
\Documents\PDFDocs\Setup3B.zip
\Documents\ServiceBulletins\Setup3C.zip
\Documents\TechnicalPapers\Setup3D.zip
\LeutronVision 98ME_Driver\Setup5.zip
\LeutronVision NT2000XP_Driver\Setup6.zip
Allied Vision / Prosilica GigE Driver, <-- NOT FOUND
Point Grey USB Driver
\Artray USB2 Demo\Setup.exe [demo for ArtCAM USB2 cameras]
\Logitech\qc1051enu.exe [demo for Logitech USB 1.1 cameras]
\FTC_USB_Serial_Driver\Setup_USB_Serial.zip
\FT_USB_Serial_Legacy\Setup_USB_Serial.zip
You can make labels for any CDROM you burn locally using SoftwareCd.doc as a template.
SECS Interface
You must have a special SECS license to run this remote control interface. Download all of the following. Unzup the two zip files. Copy everything except the dotnetfx.exe file to the Fta32 application directory. The dotnetfx.exe file, when executed, installs the Dot Net Framework. See the html file for instructions.
Prospective FTA Customers
FTA Video Drop Shape Analysis software is available for demo purposes. You will get the real FTA software - not a simple promotional presentation. You will not have live video but the software includes demo 'movies' to give you a good feel for the capabilities of the instrument and software. Just send us an email or a fax and we will immediately send it free of charge. Your request must include the following information:
Primary contact person
Company name and address
Nature of your business
Telephone and fax numbers
Alternatively, you can download the application software as described above and obtain a demo license number by communicating with FTA.