Prior to this latest development, the standard Optocore control software had been purely workstation-based - meaning that Optocore network control was confined to the software installed on a single computer.
"In other words, if different personnel, with their own computers, wanted to initiate simultaneous changes for different devices in the network, this would not have been possible," sayss Optocore support engineer, Christian Pötsch. "However, the Server/Client version of the software provides much greater flexibility."
By installing 'Server & Client' on one computer - connected to the Optocore network by USB or RS232 - and 'Client' on every other nominated computer the Optocore network can be controlled by enabling the Ethernet transport once a LAN has been set up between the computers (using standard components).
Once configured, every individual computer can access the server, and users can make changes to the network simultaneously.
Tine Helme, Optocore director of sales & marketing said: "The major benefit of the server-client structure is the user right management. This creates so much versatility for multiple computer users on the network, enabling reconfiguration and status monitoring, with different access rights - all transported by the Optocore network via a standard Ethernet LAN between the client and server computers.
"At the same time there remains the option of operating in standard Workstation mode - all within the same package. It is what our customers have been requesting for some time."
(Jim Evans)