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Installation
Before I cover the software, I would like to
briefly go over installation, all of which is pretty straightforward and
trouble-free.
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In just a few simple steps, you can install the
software which basically consists of one executable application.
After you got the software successfully
installed, the next step is to connect the fan to your PC for programming...
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Yes, this will be quite awkward for many as you
wouldn't expect to connect a fan to your PC via USB in the first place.
Anyways, this process is simple via the included adapter and cable. Both
are small and quite fragile so handled them with care. The main unit,
appropriately labeled as the "USB write box", is made by Everflow and is
what will store and "write" the data to the fan itself. One end of the transfer cable should
already come plugged in for you upon unboxing. However, if it isn't,
the cable has two 4-pin leads, one of which is angled. This is the one
you would plug into the fan itself. Now, they make it very clear that
the fan should not be plugged in for programming while in operation.
While I can confirm it does not damage the fan itself, it is obvious that
you want to stick to all the warnings.
After you plug in the fan, it will immediately
be recognized as a standard USB device in Device Manager and the fan itself
should have two blue LED's active. These do not only serve as data
transfer status, but also the same two blue LED's that give it that great
border-style effect when in operation. More on that later though.
Also, I would like to briefly add that the write box itself also has an LED.
It is also blue and I will say it is one of the brightest blue LED's I have
seen to date. Yes, this includes some of the brightest LED's I've used
from projects from sites like SuperBrightLEDs.com. Anyways, stare at
it directly and you'll probably agree with me!
Software
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For the product that it is, the level of
customization is actually impressive. The software itself is nothing
to brag about but it is easy to use and loaded with options.
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The first thing you'll notice is the number of
fields available. There are a whopping 32 of them, each of which
support up to 16 characters. However, note that the total character
limit is 128. The
software will also allow you to choose the speed and pattern of each.
Pattern simply means the effect of choice and you actually have 5 options to
choose from. They include...Fix, Flashing, Left to Right, Down to Up
and even and option to rotate through all. The speed is only available
on the "Left to Right" and "Down to Up" effects and you have three speed choices
here to choose from. The software has a convenient input keypad
with some unique symbols as well. Heck, there is even a "preview" area
where you can choose to either preview a particular message or all messages
you have created to transfer over for display. This will give you an
idea of how it will display with the effect of choice.
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The software also has a save feature so any
custom messages you create can be saved and transferred to the fan at any
time. Files are saved as simple text files and you can open any saved
files at any time and transfer them over.
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