CAS Interface Studio 3.3
After first installation of the CAS Studio software on my Windows XP Professional system, the software could not be started from the Start menu. I checked and found that the installation software creates 2 shortcuts in DOS style (8+3 digit file names with ~ in them) instead of the actual file names. Just check the screenshots below.
I haven't got a clue why there are 2 shortcuts created, named CAS Interface 2 and CAS Interface Studio which both point to the exact same .EXE file, but it would be great if at least 1 of them would actually work. Anyway, you need to edit the shortcuts yourself so that they will work properly.
After having edited the shortcuts and starting CAS Studio, the next unpleasant surprise showed up. The software would not come up with a serial number. After about 5 min. I was convinced that the CAS Interface was not recognized by the software. So I wanted to quit the software and start it again, but alas that did not work either. The software did not respond at all anymore and when I tried to end it via the Taskmanager, the software responded with an error message, but could not be stopped (see screenshot below).
I have to warn you that you could encounter this problem regularly. At least I did/do. But I found a helpfull trick. If you have clicked away the above error message (I allways click Don't Send) just start the CAS Studio software again and most of the time it will start properly in the same program window. But that doesn't always work, in which case you are stuck with 2 non-responding program windows. If that happens, I reset my PC.
Another very annoying behaviour of the software is that you cannot return to the main menu from any sub-menu. If you click the exit cross in the sub-menu, the whole program is closed and you have to start again. So if you accidentally clicked the wrong icon in the main menu, you can only quit the software and restart. Now that wouldn't be half as bad if it wouldn't be just that sequence of operations which causes the software not to recognize the CAS Interface, after which the software freezes completely and the above mentioned situation occurs.
The forum button in the main menu of CAS Studio doesn't work. If you want to go to the duolabs website from the CAS Studio software, you will have to use either the www.duolabs.com button in the upper left corner, or the help button in the bottom left corner.
You should avoid disconnecting the USB connection between programmer and PC as much as possible, because it seems to damage the USB driver. I have to remove and then reïnstall the drivers almost every time that I remove the USB cable from the CAS Interface and then plug it in again.
Although the CAS Interface can help fix CAM's that are not functioning anymore, you should not expect the CAS Interface to be able to fix every possible problem. If the CAS Interface isn't able to make contact with the CAM, it might indicate a damaged component in the CAM. So don't put the blame on the CAS Interface on such occasions.
And last but not least, a special warning is in place here too: try to avoid inserting an opened or damaged CAM into the programmer, because it is known to damage the programmer on occasions. And if you absolutely need to insert an opened or damaged CAM, be very very carefull.