YP Slider Crank simulates the motion of a piston activated by a slider crank mechanism. The crank is in uniform rotational motion (constant angular velocity), causing the piston to move with a variable acceleration. Relative lengths of the crank arm and the connecting rod may be changed easily. During the simulation, it is possible to display the following vectors: acceleration, velocity and position, and the following graphs: acceleration, velocity and position versus time.
Required Hardware and Software: YP Slider Crank runs on any Macintosh computer with MAC OS 7.0 or later. It needs about 250 Kb on your hard disk and 500 Kb of RAM. The software runs on older models with 68000 processors (Mac Plus, Mac Classic), but simulations are slower.
Program operation:
When you launch YP Slider Crank, the animation window is displayed on the screen: the animated simulation of the mechanism will appear in this window. Select item "Start Animation" in the "Animation" menu to start the animation. Use the "Dimensions of Mechanism" item in the "Animation" menu to change the length of the crank or the length of the connecting rod. Choose an item from the "Vectors" menu to display the corresponding vector during the animation. Choose an item from the "Graphs" menu to display the corresponding graph during the animation.
╩
Using YP Slider Crank:
Note: To help you explore all menus of the program, you may use balloon help (with the "?" menu, in the top right corner of the screen).
Menus:
"Apple" Menu:
╩
Use this menu to
- open an item from the Apple Menu Folder,
- read information about YP Slider Crank,
- consult online help, or
- unlock your copy of the program.
Ñ "About YP Slider Crank..." item: When you select this item from the Apple menu, a dialog box showing information about the version number and copyright is displayed, as well as whether your copy of the software has been registered or not.
╩
"Unlock" button: This button is visible only if your copy of the software has not yet been personalized. After receiving your personal unlocking code, click on this button to open another dialog box so that you may enter (or paste) your name and your unlocking code in the appropriate zones.
╩
"Help & Info" Button: This button gives you access to online help. Information included in the help window is the same as that you are now reading.
"File" Menu:
╩
Use the "File Menu" to
- save content of the active window as a PICT file,
- close the active window,
- print the active window,
- quit the application YP Slider Crank.
"Save as PICT..." item:
When you select this item from the "File" menu, content of the active window (mechanism picture or graph) are saved as a PICT file, which can be open by any draw of paint program.
"Close Window" item:
When you select this item from the "File" menu, the program closes the active window.
"Page Setup..." item:
Use this item when you want to use a different paper size, or orientation.
"Print" item:
Use this item to print the content of the active window.
"Quit" item:
Use this item from the file menu to quit the program "YP Slider Crank".
"Edit" Menu:
╩
The "Cut", "Paste" and Delete" items are available only when a dialog box in which you may enter text is active.
The "Copy" item is also available when the animation window (or a graph window) is active, so you can easily copy a frame (picture) in the clipboard.
"Animation" Menu:
╩
Use this menu
- to change dimensions of the mechanism
- to start or stop the animation of the mechanism,
- to play the animation frame by frame,
- to control the speed of the animation,
- to reverse the direction of rotation.
"Dimensions of Mechanism" item:
When you select this item from the "Animation" menu, the program displays a dialog in which you can type the length of the connecting rod and the length of the crank arm. Then you must click on the "Apply these dimensions" button" so the changes become effective.
You may enter numerical values in decimal or scientific notation (for instance: 2.4 e-3 or 0.0024). The exact separators to use (point or comma) depend on the settings in the "Numbers" control panel of your computer.
╩
"Vectors" Menu:
╩
Use this menu to display a graphical representation of the acceleration, velocity and position vectors. You must then use the "Start Animation" item from the "Animation" menu to see the vectors.
"Graphs" Menu:
╩
Use this menu to display one or several of the following graphs during animation:
Ñ acceleration versus time
Ñ velocity versus time
Ñ displacement versus time
╩
You must then use the "Start Animation" item from the "Animation" menu to see the progression of the graphs during the animation. By using the appropriate items of the "File" and "Edit" menus, it is possible to print, copy or save these graphs (as PICT files).
"Help" Menu:
╩
YP Slider Crank supports Balloon Help. Use this menu to show or hide help balloons, and to display online help. The information included in the help window is basically the same you are now reading.
Ordering information:
YP Slider Crank is shareware. The unregistered version of YP Slider Crank may be freely distributed to allow anybody to try it before registering. You are permitted to upload it to a BBS, distribute it on a CD-ROM, or give a copy to a friend.
If you want to use YP Slider Crank on a regular basis, you must pay for a user license. You will then receive an unlocking code that will permit you to personalize your copy of the program.
The unregistered version have the following limitations:
Ñ the mention "This copy is for evaluation only." is permanently displayed in the main window.
Ñ one item from the "Vectors" menu and one item from the "Graphs" menu are not available (the unavailable animation is chosen randomly at startup).
Your unlocked version will have the following advantages:
Ñ the mention "This copy is for evaluation only." will never be displayed again in the main window.
Ñ all items of the "Vectors" and "Graphs" menus will be available.
Ñ in addition, you will be able to unlock all future updates of YP Slider Crank with the same unlocking code.
Methods of Payment:
Kagi, an american company, handles my payment processing. It is possible to pay by credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express), by check or postal money order (in american dollars), with cash, or by "First Virtual".
When you are ready to pay, open the Register program that accompanies YP Slider Crank. Enter your name, your email address, and the number of single user licenses you desire for each program you wish to purchase (or Site licenses). Save or Copy or Print the data from the Register program and send the data and payment to Kagi.
Payments with Credit Card or First Virtual: you can email or fax the data generated by Register to Kagi. Their email address is sales@kagi.com and their fax number is +1 510 652-6589.
If your want to pay with your credit card, you can also register directly on the web, at one of the following urls:
http://order.kagi.com/?7A&S (secure)
http://order.kagi.com/?7A (non-secure)
Payments with Cash or US Dollars Check: You should print the data using the Register application and send it to the address shown on the form, which is:
Kagi
1442-A Walnut Street #392-7A
Berkeley, California 94709-1405
USA
You can pay with a wide variety of cash from different countries but at present if you pay via check, it must be a check drawn in US Dollars.
Invoice: Kagi can not send an invoice to your institution. If the purchasing department of your institution requires an invoice to pay the software, you must generate the invoice yourself with the Register program (print three copies of the form). You might want to highlight the line that mentions that they must include a copy of the form with their payment.
Payments received via email are processed within 3 to 4 days. Payments sent via fax or mail take up to 10 days after reception by Kagi. If you include your email address, you will receive an email acknowledgement.
Since we must send you the unlocking code that will permit you to unlock your copy of YP Slider Crank, it is important that you enter your email address or your postal address (and please, do not forget to specify which country you live in). Your postal address will be used only if you do not give your email address. If you want your unlocking code sent to you by postal mail, do not enter your email address.
Detailed Prices:
Single User License: A $15.00 US registration fee will license one copy of YP Slider Crank for use on any one computer at any one time. For example, one copy may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer to another as long as there is no possibility of it being used simultaneously on more than one machine.
Lab Packs:
2 to 4 single user licenses: $12.00 US per user.
5 to 14 single user licenses: $10.00 US per user.
15 single user licenses or more: $ 9.00 US per user.
Site License: A license covering all locations for your organization within a 160 kilometer radius of your site (100 miles), is available at the price of $200.00 US.
Technical Support:
If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail me at pelletier@kagi.com (or ch865@freenet.carleton.ca).
Other Physics Software From Yves Pelletier:
Ray Optics:
YP Image constructs ray diagrams explaining
image formation by mirrors and thin lenses.
YP Reflection simulates the reflection of a
laser ray on plane mirrors.
Classical Mechanics:
YP Projectiles is a projectile motion simulator.
YP Circular is a uniform circular motion and
simple harmonic motion simulator.
Mechanisms:
YP Slider Crank simulates the motion of a piston
activated by a slider crank mechanism.
YP Planetary Gear is a planetary gear train simulator.
To download the latest versions: http://www.kagi.com/pelletier
⌐ 1997-1998 Yves Pelletier
All rights reserved.
YP Slider Crank is provided ╥as-is╙. Yves Pelletier hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Yves Pelletier will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if Yves Pelletier or an agent of his has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Yves Pelletier be liable for any damages, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software.
