SIC^2: Simulation and Integration of Control for Canals

Installing the USB dongle

David Dorchies — 2013-08-22T14:44:39Z

If your license of SIC uses a USB dongle, you must install on your computer drivers and services to access these dongles. This installation is performed by the program setup_ithea.exe.

At first use, SIC automatically offers to install the service dongle Ithea, since it detects it is not already installed on the computer. To manually install the service USB dongle, you have to launch the program setup_ithea.exe. This program is present in the exe subdirectory of your installation of SIC.

Caution! The dongle driver installation must be performed before connecting the USB dongle to the computer! Otherwise, Microsoft Windows installs a default driver that prevents proper installation of Ithea driver. One will, in this case, manually remove the driver in the system settings of the computer.

During installation, three types of facilities are proposed:

The type of installation is not fixed and can be changed without having to redo the installation (see advanced settings of the USB dongle).

Utilisation monoposte (Single use)

Use it if you want to connect the USB key directly on your computer. In this case, click once on the next, and the installation is complete. If you run SIC under a Wine session in a Linux computer this local connection will not work properly. You have to use the license server option described here after.

Serveur de licences (License server)

If you want to connect the USB key directly to the computer and you want that other computers on the same network can use this key. To install a license server, select the option and click Next, the installation is complete. A USB key is configured with a given number of tokens, specified in your contract. You can also access this server using a remote connection, for example through VPN.

Client réseau (Network client)

Use it if you use a key attached to another computer on the network. If you run SIC under a Wine session in a Linux computer the remote license server will also be available. To do this, select the option and then click Next. A configuration window appears:

Emplacement du serveur prédéfini (Predefined location server) - Recommended Option

If you choose this option, you must enter in “Nom ou Adresse IP du serveur”, the name or IP address of the license server.

Mode Automatique (Automatic mode) - Not recommended

This mode allows you to search directly the computer station configured license server on the network. However, depending on the type of network access keys can be slowed or even not work.

Further information

Once SIC is installed, additional information is available on this key, the drivers and their settings, in the file Actikey.pdf and Ithea-os_en.pdf under SIC/DOC. In particular, the setting of the Windows firewall is discussed, in order to solve possible problems of blocking the port 1331 used by this key. You have indeed to allow this port in incoming connections.

Advanced settings of the USB dongle

David Dorchies — 2013-08-22T13:58:05Z

Ithea provides a utility to change the configuration of the USB dongle service. It is available on C:\Program Files\ithea\instsvc.exe and must be run as administrator.

Setting the key server

To use the computer as a network server, you must check "Actif" in the box "Serveur" at the top right of the window.

The default listening port of the server is 1331. This field is to change if you have another application that may be using the same port.

The proper functioning of the server can be checked using the command netstat -an. The 1331 port is LISTENING should appear in the active connections:

Connexions actives
 Proto Adresse locale Adresse distante État
 TCP 0.0.0.0:1331 0.0.0.0:0 LISTENING

If this line does not appear, check that the port is open for incoming connections in the firewall settings of the computer.

Setting the network client

If the dongle is on a server, it is necessary to specify the IP address of the server. In the "Client" part, you must check "Actif" in the box "Mode Registry" and then enter the IP address and port of the server key in the window accessible from the button "Edition":

If the dongle server is likely to change, it is possible to enter multiple addresses.

Installing parallel dongle

David Dorchies — 2009-10-22T15:33:52Z

This notice applies to you only if your license includes the SIC dongle that plugs into the parallel port of the computer. To use a USB dongle refer to the relevant documentation.

If SIC is installed on a computer run under Windows NT, 2000 or XP, you have to install the driver provided at the FAQ web page of the CANARI web server. You can download there a "Drivers.exe" file. By running the Drivers.exe file you will be able to copy the drivers files that you need depending on your computer (operating system). You can copy them in any permanent or temporary subdirectory:

This operation is just copying the drivers files, but not installing the drivers.

You must then install the drivers by running the install.exe file that you copied. The wizard for this lattest operation is in French only but you just have to decide to install (or des-install) and activate (or desactivate) the corresponding drivers.

If you want to use the dongle from a remote computer (on the local network) you must install a dongle server, also provided in the Drivers.exe file used above. In this case you can have one or several accesses to the dongle at the same time, depending on the configuration set by Cemagref in the dongle. By default, the dongles provided by Cemagref are configured to be only local dongles, but on special agreements such as for teaching for example we can configure remote dongles with several simultaneous connections.

Installation procedure

David Dorchies — 2009-10-22T15:33:45Z

All necessary files to install and start the SIC software are contained on a CD ROM, a USB key or can be downloaded on the CARANI web server (protected by a login and password). SIC software is installed from an exe file. To install the SIC model on the hard disk you must run this exe file.

- run this exe file (named sic???.exe where ??? contains the name and number of the version: example siccemagref410.exe)

- follow the instructions and answer the questions of this installation utility (in French or English).
- the Setup wizard creates a " SIC " program group and the necessary icons.

With Windows Vista and above, you must ensure that the user will have write permissions in the SIC installation folder. Software configuration is defined in ini files located in the “exe” subfolder of the installation. These files will need to be modified by the program.

Whatever language you choose for the installation procedure, the SIC software libraries will be installed and therefore available in French, English and Spanish. To shift from one language to another one you must go into the "Options" menu.

To install the USB protection key, depending on the type of key:

Installing USB protection key

Installing parallel protection key

Hardware specifications

David Dorchies — 2009-10-22T15:33:44Z

The SIC software is designed to run on an IBM PC-AT or on a compatible microcomputer IBM PC or PS/2.

The SIC 2.1 version only existed under the MS/DOS operating system.

The SIC 3.1 version was supplied both for DOS and Windows, in order to assure the progressive transition of all users toward Windows.

From version SIC 3.5 only the Windows version was supplied. This version was a 16 bits version and could thus run under Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95 or 98 (and Windows NT).

The present SIC version, is a full 32 bits version only able to be run under Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP and latter versions of Windows.

The 32 bits version is faster and more reliable, especially on computers equipped with a Pentium 2 microprocessor (and later version). In addition, this version allows multi-tasking, thus making possible to execute simultaneously Ediflu and Fluvia, for instance. It can also perform several SIC programs at the same time. However this kind of use is not advised and we cannot guarantee the way in which Windows manages the protection of files if used at the same time by different applications.

The Windows SIC versions can model larger systems than the old DOS versions could. Furthermore, the Windows version has a new topology and geometry editor (Edital program).

SIC requires a mathematical co-processor (automatically installed on the recent Pentium processors) and an EGA or VGA screen. RAM must be at least 128 MB (Mega-Bytes). About 80 MB is required on the hard disk for the three units of the software. A nice minimum configuration would be a Pentium IV, with 64 MB of RAM and a 1 Giga hard disk.

The software also has some graphical output possibilities since it generates DXF AutoCad, Wmf and Bmp files.

The topographic unit of the Software (Unit I) is protected by a dongle (electronic key) that must be connected to the parallel output port of the computer. If a printer (or any other peripheral) is also connected to this port, it must be switched on and the key must be placed directly on the computer output. The dongle can also be used through the network if it has been configured this way by Cemagref. Check the FAQ pages on the CANARI web server (http://www.canari.free.fr) for the procedure. The connections must be made when the computer and peripherals are switched off. In case of deterioration of this key, you must contact Cemagref to buy a new one (returning the old key). In case of lost, Cemagref does not assure any replacement.

In case your computer does not recognise the dongle, specially under Windows NT, 2000 or XP, please install the driver provided at the FAQ web page of the CANARI web server. The installation procedure is explained in the Installation Procedure page.