Cyanogen Imaging ® MaxIm DL is available via internet download. USB memory sticks are also included with many Diffraction Limited hardware products.
Important: if you plan to use MaxIm DL for equipment control, you need to install the necessary drivers. Drivers are usually provided by the manufacturer of the equipment. Many components use ASCOM interfaces, which require the installation of the ASCOM Platform, available at http://ascom-standards.org. Also many drivers are available directly at the ASCOM site.
Internet Installation
If you requested a demo version, you will receive an email with a license and a link to download the installer.
If you purchased a license on our webstore, you will receive two emails. You will first be sent a receipt. This will be followed by an email with your personalized license and a link to download the installer. Important: please save the license email, and print a copy of it for your records. You will need your license if you ever have to reinstall your software.
In either case, download the file onto your hard drive; usually you would put the file in a temporary folder or your desktop. You may wish to keep the file in order to reinstall the software in the future, if you have a problem with your computer. Double-click the installer and follow the instructions.
Memory Stick Installation
If you purchased MaxIm DL with a memory stick, insert it into your computer. If the Launcher does not automatically start then open Windows Explorer, browse to the stick, and double-click the file Launcher.exe.
The Launcher has several buttons:
Click the Install MaxIm DL button. InstallShield will start and take you through the process of installing MaxIm DL. The default settings will install the full software package and all options. You may be asked to reboot the PC if certain files in use by Windows need to be updated.
If the version you purchased includes support for devices using ASCOM interfaces, click the ASCOM button to access the ASCOM web site http://ascom-standard-org to download the ASCOM Platform and any other drivers necessary for your equipment.
If you purchased MaxIm DL Pro Suite, click the Install MaxPoint button and follow the instructions.
The memory stick also contains a copy of the Guide Star Catalog, which is useful for performing astrometric analysis and telescope pointing updates using the included PinPoint LE astrometric engine. It is also used by the built-in mini-planetarium. We recommend copying the GSC to your hard drive for best performance; you need to copy the GSC and TABLES folders.
Registering Your License
Once you have installed the software, run it by double-clicking the MaxIm DL icon. At this point you will be prompted to enter your license.
If you are upgrading your license, use the Help menu Enter License command.
Licenses are issued via email. If you do not receive your license email, check your spam filter. For assistance with licensing issues please visit our support forum.
If you purchased the software license directly from us, then you will receive your license via email. The expiry date on the license indicates when your free upgrades expire.
If you purchased your software through a dealer, then you will receive a "temporary license" via email. You will enter this first, then register your software online within 30 days to get your permanent license, which is personalized for you.
If you requested a demo, you will have received your demo license via email.
The expiry date serves two purposes. If you are a demo user, this is the date when the demo will stop functioning. If you purchased a license, this indicates the date when your free upgrades expire. Even after that date you can still download upgrades; however, you may not be entitled to the very latest version. Our web site will automatically give you the latest version that will work with your license. It will also offer you the option to purchase an upgrade subscription.
The license cannot be typed in manually because it is too long. There are two very easy ways to enter your license:
Open your license email. Select all of the text in the email (hit CTRL-A), then copy it to the clipboard (hit CTRL-C). At this point your license will magically appear filled in for you. Click OK to start using MaxIm DL.
You can also save the contents of the email out into a text file (.txt). This can be useful if you need to transport the license to a different computer. You can load the text file into MaxIm DL by clicking the Load File... button. Browse to the file and select it, then click OK to start using MaxIm DL.
Note that there is no difference in the installer between the various software levels. Your license determines what features are available. If you wish to add additional capabilities, you can purchase an upgrade through our website at https://www.diffractionlimited.com
If you have trouble loading your license, please refer to the next section, Installation Troubleshooting.
Updates and Upgrades
To check for new software updates, click the Help menu Check For Updates command. This will launch your web browser and take you to a web page which will automatically check for any available software updates. If your software is not up-to-date, you will be offered a file to download; simply download the file and double-click it.
Registered users are entitled to a year of free upgrades. After upgrade expiry you can still request updates through the Check For Updates command; however, you will only be given the most recent version that your license will run. You will also be offered the option of purchasing an upgrade subscription. If you do order a subscription through our web site, then you will be emailed a new license. Enter it through the Help menu Enter License command, and you will then be able to download and install the latest version.
You can also purchase upgrades to higher levels with more capabilities. Please visit our web site at https://www.diffractionlimited.com for details.