Installation instructions

Note that this text assumes you are using a windows OS. Most of the instructions are the same for MAC (use a terminal window) and Linux.

1. Check if your system already has the JRE

Some PC vendors pre-install the JRE (Java Runtime Environment), some applications will do it for you, so you need to check whats there.

Method:

Start / Run... / Open: cmd

to get a 'C:\' window (windows command line aka 'dos box' prompt)

Enter: java -version

If you get the response:

'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

then you don't have any version of the JRE, so proceed to step 2.

If you have JRE, you will get something like:

java version "1.7.0_79"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_79-b15)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.79-b02, mixed mode)

Tcc (version 1.8 onwards) requires at least java version 1.7, so if you have a lower java level, it's best to upgrade as per step 2.

If you have java version 1.7 or above, skip step 2.

2. Install a recent version of the JRE.

Method:

Visit the Java 'consumer site' at  http://java.com

Press: 'Free Java Download' button. This autosenses your machine type (Windows, Solaris, Linux, Mac OS X).

Follow the instructions.

Once installed correctly, check at the command line by entering:

java -version

expect to see something like the message shown above.

3. Obtain a Tcc executable and perform a basic test.

Method:

Check the Yahoo Group [mergtcc] Files area for a recent version of Tcc and download it, making sure that you save it as 'tcc.jar' (sometimes the download wants to call it tcc.zip!)

It's suggested that you place tcc.jar in a short named folder, eg create c:\Tcc\

You are advised to initially test Tcc with a very simple TCL file.

Create eg. 7-line q1.tcl via Notepad in eg c:\Tcc thus:

QtuCabs:
    Q="emptycnf":Q1:Q2:Q3:Q4
Variables:
    initialised
Actions:
WHEN initialised=0
  DO initialised=1

then, in Windows command line window:

 cd c:\Tcc
 java -jar tcc.jar q1

Tcc will locate q1.tcl in the current directory/folder and it should launch a separate, persistent, Tcc GUI window.

Check that you don't have any of the error symptoms discussed in section 4.

Tcc menu Configure -> Network will need to be done before attempting to communicate with a QTU over a Serial port. A different test TCL file could be used for a RPC environment.

If the Serial port is accessed eg via a USB-to-Serial converter, you may need to install additional device driver software into Windows.

You also need to download jna.jar (Java Native Access library) to allow the serial port interfaces to work. The main serial port access routines are included in Tcc.jar as is the H2 database.

After a Tcc startup it uses PJC to 'enumerate' all the Serial ports that the underlying Windows OS knows about. Restart Tcc if you 'hot add' an extra serial port.

4. Troubleshooting.

The places to look for errors/warnings are:

The windows command line from whence Tcc was invoked,
The Tcc GUI 'log' sub-window (menu View -> Log, but likely will open automatically if there's any important message),
The current directory stderr.txt/stdout.txt files.

A separate document explains the location and usage of various files that will be created during Tcc execution. Note particularly the important concept of a 'project sub-directory/folder' - A sub-folder named c:\Tcc\q1 will be created for the above example.

Last updated 26 Nov 2016