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Setup


Buildup of static electric charge on membrane switch keypads is a common occurrence. If a static discharge occurs through the Mistral it can cause erratic behavior and may result in damage to the pod or your computer. It is strongly recommended that you use the Mistral only at a static-safe workstation.

Connecting The Mistral

  1. Plug the power adapter into a wall outlet and connect the power plug to the Mistral.
  2. Plug one end of the flat ribbon cable into the Mistral pod and connect the other end to the Keypad Test Adapter.
  3. Switch the unit on.
  4. Connect the Mistral to the PC using the included USB cable. You should see the left LED on the pod turn green indicating the Mistral is ready to go. If the LED is orange, verify that the USB cable is connected to the PC USB port.

When you connect the Mistral to the PC for the first time, you may be asked to install the drivers. See Installing Mistral USB Drivers below to learn how.

Installing Mistral USB Drivers

The Mistral Keypad Test System communicates with the PC using the included USB cable. Drivers for the Mistral are installed when the Mistral software is installed.

Windows 7 and Vista
Windows® 7 and Vista should recognize the Mistral as soon as it is plugged in. You should see a window pop up at the bottom of the screen saying "Device driver software installed successfully". If the Mistral is not detected, see Troubleshooting below.

Windows XP and 2000
If you are using Windows XP or 2000, begin the installation by connecting the Mistral to an available USB port on the computer. The "Found New Hardware Wizard" window will open indicating Windows detected new hardware. Follow the steps shown below to finish the installation. If nothing happens when the Mistral is plugged or Windows is not able to locate the drivers see Troubleshooting below.

Windows XP Driver Installation

Install

When the Mistral is plugged in for the first time a window such as this will appear. Select No, not at this time and click Next.

Install

Choose Install the software automatically. Then click Next.

Install

This window will appear to indicate that the drivers are not tested by Microsoft. Click Continue Anyway to install the drivers.

Install

The installation was a success. Click Finish.


Updating Mistral USB Drivers

After you've updated the Mistral software, the program may tell you updated USB drivers are available. Because the Mistral software may require the updated drivers to operate reliably, you should install them when instructed to do so. Note that you may need to be logged in using an administrator account to update drivers.

To update the drivers you will need to open the Device Manager on your computer. Below are the typical procedures for doing this with various operating systems. If you have trouble locating the Device Manager on your computer, open the Windows help and search for "Device Manager".

Opening The Device Manager

Windows 7

  1. Click the Start button and select "Control Panel".
  2. Click "Hardware and Sound".
  3. Click "Device Manager".

Windows Vista

  1. Click the Start button and select "Control Panel".
  2. Click "System and Maintenance".
  3. Click "Device Manager".

Windows XP and 2000

  1. Click the Start button and select "Control Panel".
  2. Click "Performance and Maintenance".
  3. Click "System".
  4. Open the Device Manager by clicking on the button in the "Hardware" tab.

With the Device Manager open and the Mistral connected you should see the "Mistral Keypad Test System" icon under "Other devices" or "Universal Serial Bus controllers". Right click on the icon and select "Update Driver" or "Update Driver Software" from the pop-up menu. Follow the steps shown below to complete the update process.

Windows 7 and Vista Driver Updating

Install

Click Browse my computer for driver software.

Install

Click Browse and select the location of the drivers. They will be in the "Drivers" folder located in the folder where the program was installed. This is usually "C:\Program Files\Mistral\". After you select the Drivers folder, click Ok and then click Next.

Install

Click Install this driver software anyway.

Install

The installation was a success. Click Close.

Windows XP and 2000 Driver Updating

Install

When asked if Windows can connect to Windows Update select No, not at this time. and click Next.

Install

Select Install from a list or specific location and click Next.

Install

Choose Search for the best driver in these locations and select Include this location in search. Then click Browse.

Select the location of the drivers. They will be in the "Drivers" folder located in the folder where the program was installed. This is usually "C:\Program Files\Mistral\". After you select the Drivers folder, click Ok and then click Next.

Click Continue Anyway when untested driver warning appears.

Install

The installation was a success. Click Finish.

Mistral USB Driver Troubleshooting

In some cases the drivers may not install properly. If this occurs the Mistral will not be recognized when it is plugged in. You will need to remove the device using the Device Manager and then point Windows to the correct drivers.

  1. Connect the Mistral to the USB port.
  2. Open the Device Manager as described in Updating Mistral USB Drivers above.
  3. In the "System Properties" window select the "Device Manager" tab or open the Device Manager by clicking on the button in the "Hardware" tab, depending on the version of Windows you are using (see below).
  4. Right click "Mistral Keypad Test System" under "Other devices" or "Universal Serial Bus controllers" and select "Uninstall" from the pop-up menu.
  5. Disconnect the Mistral from the USB port. Wait a moment and then reconnect it.
  6. Follow the instruction in Updating Mistral USB Drivers above to re-install the drivers.

If you continue to have problems you will need to unplug the Mistral from your computer and uninstall the driver. Open "Add/Remove Programs" or "Programs and Features" ("Uninstall a program") in the Control Panels and uninstall the Mistral USB driver. Then plug the Mistral back in and follow the instructions in Updating Mistral USB Drivers.

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