SMARTCART Directions for Science Center 184

July 2006

Common Sense Reminders

  • Do NOT adjust any item labeled "DO NOT TOUCH"
  • When possible, insure the technology works before class time.
  • When in doubt, ask.
  • After following the instructions, if you still have questions or problems operating the system, please contact the IIT Helpdesk (helpdesk@stolaf.edu or x3830).

Table of Contents

  1. Turning on the SmartCart
  2. Using the Sony Remote
  3. How To Use Each Component
    1. ELMO Document Camera
    2. Gateway PC
    3. DVD Player
    4. VCR
    5. SmartBoard
    6. Using a Laptop
  4. Shutting Down the SmartCart
  5. Troubleshooting Tips

1. Turning on the SmartCart

  1. Get a key from one of the department AAA in the office.
  2. Unlock and open the front panel of the SmartCart.
  3. Unlock the projector panel on top of SmartCart, push the button in, and adjust the panel so the image projected is on the projector screen.
  4. Turn on the power to the cart by pushing the POWER switch on top of cart (unless your department decided to leave the cart on all day).
  5. Push the green button on the Sony remote and hold it down about two seconds to turn on the video projector. The projector takes about 20 seconds to warm up and become bright.

2. Using the Sony Remote

Key functions:
Green button- turns projector on and off
Input- Selects which component is displayed on screen
            Input A- Nothing
            Input B- Mac, PC, Document Camera, & Laptop
            Video- VCR, Laser Disc Player
            S Video- Nothing
Laser- Laser pointer
Muting- Pic.- turns picture off, leaves sound on
D Zoom- zooms in on any point in document
            Push + once to bring up the zoom feature
            Use rubber joystick to move to the point in display that you want to zoom in on
            Push + to focus more closely and Push – to move further away

3.1 Operating the Lamens Document Camera

The Lamens document camera functions like an overhead projector without requiring transparencies. The document camera can display pages from books or any objects that you put on the flatbed.

  1. Turn on the Document Camera by pressing the button with the power symbol on the front of the device. Press and hold until the button lights up.
  2. To adjust the brightness turn the black knob on the front of the document camera's base.
  3. To focus adjustment is around the lens, on the head of the document camera.
  4. Zooming in with the camera is done by raising and lowering the camera head in relation to the viewing image.
  5. To turn the camera off press the power button on the front of the camera again. The button light will go off.

3.2 Operating the Gateway PC

  1. First, locate the input switch inside the cart on the upper right. The switch box has the labels PC, Mac, Doc Cam, and Laptop. Press the button labeled PC. Then, push the Power button on the PC.
  2. Push the Input button on the Sony remote until the projector displays the PC desktop (Input B).
  3. Pull out the keyboard and mouse tray on the right side of the SmartCart. Now you can begin using the PC.
  4. When you are done using the PC, shut it down from the Start menu as you would normally shut down a computer.

3.3 Playing a DVD movie

The PC computer is equipped with a DVD player.

  1. Turn on the PC using the directions above.
  2. Open the CD/DVD tray by pushing the button on the PC CD/DVD Player. Insert the DVD into the tray and push it shut.
  3. The computer should automatically open a viewer screen for the DVD movie and display a control panel to operate the DVD player.
  4. Once you have started the movie or no longer need the controller, use the mouse to pull down the Select menu and choose the option “Hide controller.” If at any point during the movie, you want to bring back the controller, pull down the Select menu and choose “Show controller.”
  5. When you are done using the DVD player, eject the DVD and shut the computer down.

3.4 Operating the VCR (Panasonic, AIWA, or SONY)

  1. Push the Input button on the Sony remote until the screen shows the heading “Video.”
  2. If the VCR is not already on, push Power on the VCR and play the video. There is not a remote for the VCR, so you will have to operate it from the controls on the VCR itself.
  3. When you are done, eject the tape. It is not necessary to turn off the VCR before shutting down the SmartCart.

3.5 Using the SmartBoard

The SmartBoard acts as an interactive computer screen while the PC is in use.

  1. Orient the board by double-clicking the SmartBoard Driver icon on the desktop. Select the “Orient Board” option. You can choose either the Quick setup or Standard, depending on how accurately you want to select things on the SmartBoard.
  2. Lightly tap the board to click, using your fingers just like you would use a mouse.
  3. The board reads your finger-clicking as a left mouse button, however you can right click on objects on the board by pushing the “R click” button located on the right side of the pen trays.
  4. Use the pens in the color-coded trays to draw when the PC is selected.
  5. To type directly on the SmartBoard push the keyboard button on the right of the pen trays.

3.6 Using a Laptop

  1. First, connect the monitor cable to the video out port on the laptop and the network and audio cables to the network card and audio out on the laptop.
  2. Locate the input switch inside the cart located below the PC. The switch box has the labels PC, Mac, Doc Cam, and Laptop. Press the button labeled Laptop. Then, push the Power button on the laptop.
  3. Push the Input button on the Sony remote until the projector displays the laptop desktop (Input B).
  4. When you are done using the laptop, shut it down and disconnect the monitor, network, and audio cables.

4. Shutting down the SmartCart

  1. Make sure that both computers and Document Camera have been manually shut down.
  2. Use the Sony remote to turn off the video projector—push the green power button.
  3. Let the projector’s fans run for several minutes until they automatically shut off, then turn off the master power to the SmartCart using the switch on top of the cart. (If your department decided to leave the SmartCart power on all day, then it is not necessary to turn off the master power switch, so you do not have to wait for the fans to cool down before leaving the cart.)
    **If the power to the SmartCart is turned off before the projector is done cooling itself with its fan, it increases the wear on the projector and might cause it to overheat and break down.
  4. Close the projector panel and lock it
  5. Close the front panel on the SmartCart and lock it.
  6. Return the key to the AAA.

5. Troubleshooting Tips

I. Problems with starting up the SmartCart and the Video Projector

Problem 1: You don’t see ANY power on the SmartCart.

  • Make sure that the main power cord is firmly plugged into both the bottom side of the SmartCart and the wall.

Problem 2: No image is being displayed on the screen or SmartBoard.

  • Make sure you see light coming from the projector and hear the fan on.
  • Adjust the projector panel.

Problem 3: The projector won’t turn on.

  • Try pointing the remote at different angles on the projector panel mirror and the projector itself. Remote sensors are on the front of the projector.
  • Make sure the batteries in the Sony remote are working properly. Test the Laser pointer to see if the batteries still work. Aim the remote at a surface and push the laser button. If you don’t see a little red laser beam, then the remote needs new batteries. Call the HelpDesk, Extension 3830, and someone will replace the batteries as soon as possible.

II. Problems with PC and Mac
Problem 1: Internet doesn’t work; can’t connect to Firefox or network drives.

  • Check the Ethernet cable—it should be plugged into the bottom side panel on SmartCart and the jack in the wall with a green dot next to it.

Problem 2: You’ve turned on the computer, can see the correct screen, but the keyboard and mouse aren’t working.

  • Check that the input switch inside the cart is on the proper setting—the green light is on for either the PC or the Mac
  • Restart the computer and make sure the switch is on the correct computer before you reboot it.

Problem 3: You’ve turned on computer but the “desktop” is not being displayed on screen/board.

  • Use the Sony remote to flip slowly through the Input options slowly. Sometimes the image takes a couple seconds to register, other times it flips through the choices automatically.

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