General installation
- How do I install Raisonance tools ?
- Do I need to register ?
- How do I register my tools ?
- Do I really need the serial number?
- Do I really need an activation code?
- How can I tell if I registered successfully ?
- Which tools are available on my Ride7 version?
- Registration works fine, but tools are still in demo mode
- My hardware key is not recognised
- Message "Unable to get an activation code for this serial number"
- Reading registry error
- HEX converter or BIN converter appear to be limited to 8Kb (or 4Kb)
- Are there Operating System restrictions?
- I already use Ride7, how can I install another Raisonance toolchain?
- Running Ride7 on different PCs
- Are there any problems specific to 64-bit Windows?
Q: How do I install Raisonance tools ?
A: Raisonance tools usually come on a self-executing CD-rom: just insert the CD-rom in the reader and the installation procedure will start automatically. If this does not happen you need to execute the file install.exe in the root directory of the CD-rom.
In case of problems look in the readme.txt file in the root directory of the CD-rom to check if there are specific instructions.
Q: Do I need to register during installation or immediately after ? What if I don't register at all ?
A: Demo tools (code-size limited) do not need any registration. If you are using the tools in demo mode you do not need to register.
If you buy the tools, you must register to enable the extra functionality you have bought.
Registering during installation or afterwards is the same.
If you have a hardware key (dongle) you don't need to register: inserting and removing the key in the parallel port of your PC will enable and disable the tools.
Q: How do I register my tools ?
A: If you have a dongle, or if you want to use the tools in demo mode, you don't need to register.
If you have a Software Key (or Serialization), you have two ways to register: you can use either way during or after installation. We will assume here that you register after installing.
- Completely automatic way: this works only if your PC is connected to the internet.
- Start Ride7 and open the Help | Registration menu.
- Fill in the required information if you haven't already done so, then click on "Register".
- Click on "Register from the Web".
- Semi-automatic way (or manual way) : this is the only way to register if your PC (the PC where you are installing Ride7) is not connected to the internet.
- Start Ride7 and open the Help | Registration menu.
- Fill in the required information if you haven't already done so, then click on "Register".
- Click on "Modify Activation Code".
- A window appears with a Serialization Code and an Activation Code.
- Copy the Serialization Code somewhere (taking care of upper and lower case, and not to mix up zeros and O).
- Go to another PC, connect to www.raisonance.com and choose Support | Get Activation Code from the menu on the left.
- Fill in all the required information then click on "Get your Activation Code":
- A window will appear with an Activation Code.
Note that to register successfully you need to get a file called ActUs00.dll placed in the Ride\Bin directory.
If you do not have it, you can obtain a link to it below the resulting Activation code from the web.
Q: What is the Serial Number used for?
A: The Serial Number is written on the back of your CD-ROM inlay. It is used by Raisonance to identify the customer and the product he/she bought. Consequently we know the customers from around the world who possess a Serial Number have also purchased a Kit. This Serial Number has to be sent with the Serialization Code, which depends on your PC, to get the Activation Code that will allow the tools run.
Q: Is it mandatory to get the Activation Code to install the software on a PC?
A: No, it is not. When you first install the software you will have access to it as if it were an evaluation version. Later you may enter the Activation Code to unlock the capability you have purchased. You do this via the 'Help | Modify activation code' menu in Ride7.
Q: I am not sure I have registered succesfully. How can I tell ?
A: If, for some reason, you are not sure the registration process (either manual or automatic) was completed successfully, proceed as follows:
- Start Ride7
- Open the Help | About menu
- Select the toolchain you are trying to register (example: 8051) and click on "Toolchain Details"
A list of tools with the corresponding version is shown: if the word 'evaluation' appears anywhere in the list than your registration was not successfull and you need to try again.
Q: Which tools are available in the copy of Ride7 I downloaded?
A: Look at the 'Help | About' window. The tools for different microcontrollers are listed together with their version numbers. If "Evaluation Version" appears against any tool it is running only in the Evaluation Version, otherwise it is running in the complete version. If you purchased a complete version and have only the Evaluation Version running, get your Activation Code from Raisonance (see FAQ: 'RIDE\INST: How to get the Activation Code.').
Q: The registration seems to work fine, but the tools are still in demo mode. What can I do ?
A: Check in the RIDE/bin directory (or wherever you installed Ride7) if a file called actus00.dll exists: if the file does not exist or if its size is zero your problem comes from here.
To restore this file you need to reinstall.
Sometimes actus00.dll is corrupted by a failed attempt to register automatically: if you suspect this is the reason of your problem (strange messages or suspiciously long connection times during the previous automatic registration) try to register manually (link...) after reinstalling.
Q: I'm using a dongle but the tools remain in demo mode regardless of whether the dongle is inserted or not in the parallel or USB port. What can I do ?
A: The most likely problem is that you forgot to check the "I have an Hardware Key" box (or "Hardware Key" box for Build Number from BN 7.34) during install.
The solution is to re-install, making sure that the "I have an Hardware Key" box is checked.
If it is still not working, you may have a problem because the driver for the USB dongle is not installed. Contact us at support@raisonance.com.
Q: When trying to to register automatically I get the message "Unable to get an activation code for this serial number". What does this mean ?
A: This message means that you have used up all the Activation Codes that were available for your Serial Number. By default, 2 Activation Codes are available for a given Serial Number: one for normal use and the second as a backup in case of problems.
If you have used both Activation Codes, just email Raisonance (support@raisonance.com) explaining what happened and why you need extra Activation Codes: once more Activation Codes are enabled for your Serial Number you can retry to register.
Q: While attempting to run Ride7, I got the message 'Reading the registry error...'. What can I do?
A: This error message occurs because Ride7 could not read its registry keys from Windows' registry. They could have been removed by mistake or not installed correctly due to an error during the installation of Ride7. Try a new installation to work around this problem.
Q: HEX converter or BIN converter appear to be limited to 8Kb (or 4Kb). Why?
A: This is just a display error that happens on certain releases in particular circumstances. The HEX converter and the BIN converter have no limitation whatsoever and you can simply ignore this message.
Q: Which OS can I install Raisonance tools onto?
A: Raisonance tools can be installed on Windows Vista and XP. For software created before November 2009 software there are 2 other FAQs that may be relevant:
- For 64-bit OSs see also this question related to installation directory restrictions.
- For Windows7 see also this question related to Rlink drivers.
Q: I already use Ride7 and I want to install another Raisonance toolchain. What have I to do?
A: You have already installed a Raisonance toolchain and you want to install a toolchain for another microcontroller family:
- Either you do not need the current toolchain anymore, in which case you can install whatever Build Number is available. When a dialog box asks you if you want to keep the settings from the previous version, click NO.
- Or you still need the current toolchain, in this case
- install the same build number as the current version and click YES when a dialog box ask if you want to keep settings from the previous version. To know the current Build Number, use the Help|About menu and look at Build Number.
- If you have a serial number available for the current toolchain it may be not valid for the new toolchain. If you enter the Serial Number for the new toolchain it will disable the current toolchain. Contact Raisonance (support@raisonance.com) to get a new Serial Number replacing the two serial numbers respectively valid for the current and the new toolchains.
Q: If we have one licence but we want to use the software (at different times) on different PCs, what can we do?
A: By default, the 'serialization' is made by a software key referred to as the Activation Code. However, when the order is placed you can choose to purchase a hardware key (and have as many hardware keys as licences purchased). With the hardware key, you can run the development tools on whichever PC you like. To change from one PC to another, simply move the hardware key from the old PC to the new PC.
Q: Are there any problems specific to 64-bit Windows?
A: There are no specific problems with executing Ride7 and RFlasher7 on 64-bit Windows.
There are script issues during installation, but these are fixed in software packages released after November 2009.
However, for all 64-bit OSs (Vista and Windows7) you must not install the Tools in the default directory, or any directory containing parentheses in the path name. The default installation directory is:
- On 64-bit OSs, X:\Program Files (x86)\Raisonance\Ride
- On 32-bit OSs, X:\Program Files\Raisonance\Ride
In future versions of the Ride7 kit (after November 2009), the default installation directory for 64-bits OSs will be X:\Raisonance\Ride
