I hope it looks better than this one, yech
We eschewed cute graphics in favor of an austere, functional GUI. I wanted
it to be extremely easy for non-PC literate installers to understand. I
also wanted the screen layout to emulate Windows Explorer. The "tree" on
the left allows instant access to every screen. The app allows unlimited
panels within a group and multiple groups can be assigned to a client.
The scalable, modular programming can be adapted to every panel they make,
past, present or future, without changing a single line of code. The idea
was to write the last downloader EST will ever need. All a future panel
needs is a new schema. The schema can be written by an engineer or XML
coder in a day or two. Previously, each new line required an entirely new
app or at the very least a major rewrite of the previous version.
The key to this technique is to make the app itself extremely generic. All
of the "rules" and even the EEPROM maps are written into the XML schema.
Instead of spending $25,000 on a new version or $50,000 on a whole new
application program for every panel series, they spend a couple of thousand
dollars on a new schema. The same app can actually be used to download
Napco, Ademco, ITI or any other panel series. All I need is the EEPROM map
and the data rules and in a couple of weeks I have an entirely new
downloader.
Try that with Compass. :^)
--
Regards,
Robert L Bass
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Bass Home Electronics
2291 Pine View Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34231
877-722-8900 Sales & Tech Support
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
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