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About KAM Industries
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There is something magical about running trains on a circle of track and seeing
the train run. I just wanted the trains to do more. My first train set was
Lionel HO. I liked the action cars, and the visual interaction with the layout.
I still have my original Lionel HO set, but have been lucky to add to the set
over the years, and have just about every action car that was produced in the
pre-General Mills acquisition of Lionel. I have always wanted to computerize my
model railroad
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Figure 1: Train Tools Model
Railroad Client-Server Architecture since the late 90's
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My vision was to add computer control to my model railroad and have a wireless
throttle to control my layout. At the same time, I wanted to have a pre
programmed train running on the layout. I wanted to use a computer running as a
collision avoidance system to control the automated trains. This allows me to
run my train, while the computer runs 3 or 4 other trains on the layout.
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Visions are what drive us to get up in the morning and to do things that no one
else has achieved (or even thought possible). Vision drives us to innovate
where others copy those that innovate. My vision has driven me over the years
to learn new skills, implement new ideas, build products and be open and
exchange information with users as peers. I founded KAM with this principle,
and designed “The Conductor" to exchange information between our users, with
the purpose of creating Software products for the Digital RailRoadtm.
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See the latest videos on Yahoo. Click link below!
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KAM Industries History
KAM Industries was founded in 1991. KAM Industries is an independently owned
consulting company that develops software and tools for our customers. During
our off time between IT projects I develop model railroad software with my
associates and friends. We introduced the world's first client
server model train software in 1997.
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From 1991 - today, my goal and vision has remains the same -
provide you, my fellow hobbyist, with excellent software to run your digital
railroad, and programming tools for Microsoft's Visual Studio products.
But my number 1 goal is to make sure that we all have software that is fun to
use. After all, that is why we do what we do - to have fun!
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2008
Our February product release will ship our first DVD. We are including the
Microsoft Visual Express 2008 tool kit with our product packages. Along wit
this package we have released an updated Train Server that is designed to work
with our Computer Dispatcher Web product. We are excited about this release.
KAM' software is open, uses the latest Microsoft Development tools and is
extensible with Microsoft Visual Studio Express.
At the beginning of the year, we introduce a new web conferencing product
Computer Dispatcher Web. This is a full function VoIP (Voice over IP)
product with multiuser video conferencing USB camera support. This conference
product will allow model railroaders to share operation based dispatching and
run model train layouts using KAM software or any third party application.
We have been testing this hosted software subscription service since June 2007,
and are now offering this product for $59 per year (less than $5 per month!).
The conferencing product will allow up to 15 model railroad users around the
world to simultaneously share dispatcher operations on the control of a model
railroad.
We are excited with the opportunity that this product offers and look forward to
moving model railroad operation's software to the next level as we
had since we introduced our Model Railroad software products in
1997.
2007
DCC established a way in which all manufacturers can use the same components on
the model railroad. Myself and Ken Rice (another member of the working group)
working with the NMRA committee developed the NMRA serial command station
interface. This interface led to the common command station protocol that soon
become the de-facto ASCII standard interface for computers and command
stations
NCE (Power House pro)and
EasyDCC use
a version of the interface protocols in their command stations today, but are
in the process of moving to a binary protocol.
I am planning a new release of Computer Dispatcher PRO in 2008 that will
address compatibility problems with Windows XP and Microsoft Vista-32/Vista-64.
One of the problems that we need to solve with Vista, is
Microsoft's SQL Server database integration
and the new security model. Versions of vista will ship with SQL Express. We
rolled out SQL server express support in our software products in Late October
2006. The SQL database design was built from our 1997 internal database
table structure in Train server.
We had additional products planned for 2007, but our Signal Commander software
and Consist Commander slipped in to 2008.
2006
As 2006 rolls on by, we have made some big changes in our product distribution.
In the retail space, I added three new retailers. They are in the UK, US and
South Africa. I also added ZTC Controls (www.ztccontrols.co.uk) as
an OEM. KAM will supply ZTC Controls with “Footplate Commander” and a
Black 5 splash screen. Years ago, I had the opportunity to drive a Black 5! ZTC
controls is supplying their command station with a demo version of our Train
Tools software. Train Tools is such a high performance software package that
they were able to tune the ZTC command station for maximum data throughput.
We added a new OEM in December 2006. ZTC (www.ztccontrols.co.uk)
is now shipping Classic Panel with ZTC's computer interface. ZTC liked KAM's
approach to signaling and accessory control. Our customers like the ease of use
and simplicity of using our 1940 dispatcher panel. Classic Panel version 1.0
was announced in late 1999, and demonstrated back in June 2000 at the NMRA
trade show. Since June, we are on our third generation of Classic Panel
software. Classic Panel runs on any Microsoft .net platform as well as
Microsoft new Vista operating system.
I am looking at more software enhancements for my products. We have added
“Software for the Digital Railroad” – this is a new program that will
ship with all KAM software products and manage the software installation for
the user. This program will assist users in making sure their systems can
install the correct software from KAM. During the installation, we will detect
the correct version of software to be installed, either Vista-32 or Vista-64
and install the vista gadgets for monitoring the model railroad thought KAM
interface manager.
2005
Our focus in 2005, was to migrate all of the client software to a new set of
developer tools that remote software supporting the RailDriver computer based
throttle and full scale simulators running model railroads. Rail driver
interface is unique as it allows the interface to be local to the user’s
system, or remote across the internet using Train Server XML protocol. KAM’s
Train Server architecture supports the demands and performance of a
user-to-hardware interface that is unique in the industry. In july
2005, we
released Loco CE 2.0.
Our focus in 2005 was to complete the migrate all of the client software to a
new set of developer tools that are
XML and .Net based.
Along with the 2.0 software, we released our new Train Server SDK kits, with a
Visual Studio Express 2005 tutorial. This new tools allow users greater
flexibility in developing model railroad applications using Microsoft tools
like Visual Basic .net Express.
In July 2005 we introduced
Decoder Commander® software. Decoder Commander is an advanced
programmer designed to read manufacturer’s specifications from our SQL Decoder
Database,
DCC Commander. Decoder
commander is the result of two development efforts stretching back into the
early 90's. These include KAM's Universal programmers designed for train server
in late 90's, and Bouwens Engineering Train Wizard Programmer (which begun its
life on a MAC), and started its migration to the PC in the late 90’s.
As part of the development effort in 2005, we Introduced Train Server release
3.0, and addressed the problem areas identified with the developer interface
and the tools sets required to build model railroad applications. With the
number of new applications that we have running on Train Server, the quality of
our server product has improved. We have the capability to stress Train Server
in different ways to ensure the optimum performance for the user operating
their model railroad.
2004
Classic Panel
(December 5,
2004 press release) was rewritten from the ground up to support the
.NET runtime to improve performance and to allow portability to the handheld
devices. Classic Panel version 3 was released in the Winter of 2004. (Classic
Panel version 1 and version 2 were Java based and only beta
released). Classic Panel 3, a .Net design from the bottom up, incorporates a
GUI editor, APB and ABS signals, 2 color aspects, and full interlock support.
Classic Panel is the next generation 1940 dispatcher panel designed for the
modeler. Classic Panel integrates new signal technology, distributed network
support, location information and portability to the Windows CE PDA devices.
Early 2004, KAM introduce RailDriver
Commander® remote software supporting the RailDriver computer based
throttle and full scale simulators running model railroads. Rail driver
interface is unique where the interface can be local to the user system, or
remote across the internet using Train Server XML protocol. KAM’s Train Server
architecture supports the demands and performance of a user-to-hardware
interface that is unique in the industry.
2003
Train Server software reached another milestone in 2003. KAM
introduced the support for the first full duplex wireless hand held
throttle using Microsoft Windows CE devices, called
Loco CE®. Loco CE was
first announced in October 2001, alpha in 2002,
and integrates commercial computer Windows CE - PDA products into the
model railroad environment using off the shelf computer equipment. Loco CE is
the OEM software product included in Lenz Set LI (www.lenz.com)
in the United States.
We published the distributed
XML communications protocol designed from our 1997 published
client server Programmign Interface. (API). The XML protocol
stream allows distributed model railroad clients to operate over a remote
network using TCP/IP and the XML data/command protocol. The Xml interface
is an extension of the original API that we published in 1997.
In our 1997 release of Train Server, we designed the API in
such a way as to reduce the data traffic and information exchange between the
client and a remote server. The Train Server architecture clearly extends
the boundary on what can be done to support the end user and developers. There
are many third party developers that have use the same concepts in their
software to solve the problems that we discovered in the early years in
distributed model railroad computing, after all we were the first in the
world to provide client server model railroad control.
many said it could not be done, but we accomplished this in July
1997.
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2002
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The JMRI Java first Windows version
was Sept 2002. JMRI was 4+
years after KAM released Classic Panel and KAM's other
client server software products.
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KAM's software programs are categorized into three different types of
applications: these are Manual control, Layout automation and Dispatcher
operation. Each of these classes of applications are different, and require
different types of capabilities to operate and control the model railroad.
KAM's philosophy is to foster the development of simple applications that solve
the modeler’s problem, instead of a do-everything solution, designed by
committee, complex to operate, and built with non-Microsoft programming tools.
2001
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2001 was a year of changes and new directions. We begin our focus on
supporting wireless applications on model PDA devices. We expected these to
become quite common in the future. Our goal was to improve the trainserver
platform to allow us to build applications at a faster pace. In 2001, we laid
the ground work for next versions of the client server libraries called the
remote client .net libraries.
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JMRI java
software release notes show the JMRI software
did not exist until April 2001. JMRI first download
was June 2001. JMRI did not support Microsoft Windows.
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Our first first product to use this would be Loco Ce.
We demostrated a 1997 version of this software at the Model Railroad
Convention in 2001 , and later announced this as the Loco Ce
product (
Oct 2001) . On our CTC panel software, we had Classic
Panel software in the market and we were collecting user feedabck.
Our goal was to createa simple to use interface for controlling Model
railroads. Based on our users feedabck, we haveClassic
Panel software that we see today.
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2000
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KAM Industries expanded to Europe with inclusion of
Computer Dispatcher Lite as part of the KAM’s software product line.
Computer Dispatcher Lite was designed for the automation conscious model
railroad customer, and is a port of Bouwens Engineering’s Train Wizard
application. Computer Dispatcher Lite was later renamed to Layout Commander®
software to reduce the confusion with Computer Dispatcher Pro. Computer
Dispatcher Pro is a professional dispatching program, while layout commander is
a Layout Automation program. The difference between these applications is that
Layout Commander has locomotive control. Computer Dispatcher Pro is a
dispatching program.
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1999
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Classic Panel® software
(version 1.0 was announced in 1999 and beta in July 2000) was designed to
fill in the missing software component for manual operation. The software was
originally designed using the Sun Java language, and was designed from a 1940’s
Great Western Dispatcher’s panel. This software product was available as a beta
on our CDROMs and was distributed widely but was never production released.
After Microsoft stopped supporting the Java language in all of its products,
the Java version of Classic Panel was canceled.
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1998
KAM Industries was incorporated in 1998 as KAMIND Associates, Inc. KAMIND has
introduced the Train Server architecture with the Microsoft Client Server
networked COM/DCOM protocol. KAM added COM/DCOM support to the Commercial
Dispatcher control application from Train Track for model
railroads. Train Track designed
a version of software called Track Driver Professional 32. Commercial
Railroad software have no concept of Train and Device control as we think of
them in model railroads. Model railroads are a new concepts and the techniques
to control them are new. KAM has blazed this trail before many others.
KAM extended the Train Track software to support model trains and the NMRA
DCC protocols using Train Server API. These extensions were the first time
Train Track's software was integrated into Microsoft client - server COM/DCOM
architecture.
1997
At the NMRA Convention and national Train show, I introduced, demonstrated
adn sold client-server software product. KAM's product used
the proposed
NMRA API and was sold for end users and developers (and
competitors) to use. The programming API was the first multi-user, multi-
programmed interface that allows developers to create software applications
that are not tied to a manufacturer’s command station hardware. The API was a
clear innovation and addressed many issues that modelers had about operating
systems interoperability. The proposed NMRA API could easily be ported to
different processor architectures. The NMRA API is still included in KAM’s
software products today, but we recommend developers use our .NET Manage
library interface optimized for
Microsoft Visual Express tools.
Train Server was established as the programming standard overnight. Later KAM
established another first, by releasing the first model railroad CDROM. KAM
software CDROM included the necessary software to install KAM’s applications as
well as the video tutorials on how to use the products. Train Server uses
advanced technology concepts to support client server applications. One of
these concepts is decoder Templates/Models. These have been in
Train Server since its introduction and is documented in the NMRA proposed
API specification.
KAMs first software CDROM was placed in
Model Railroading,
as well as National Train Show
convention bags for the next couple of years to allow users to try it.
KAM's goal was to foster new development ideas to grow the hobby. KAM has
always felt that to grow the hobby, a standard needs to be developed – hence
the proposed NMRA API and our new .NET Managed interface.
Since the Train Server's Client-Server introduction, KAM has shipped over
100,000 CD-ROMs to end users and developers. Train Server is such an innovative
and unique programming environment and ships with the latest Microsoft
developers tools.
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1996 - 1991
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KAM's first software product was Engine
Commander for the Marklin command
stations. I still have a copy of Engine Commander 1.0 that I produced back in
1991 for windows. It is amazing how KAM software has evolved since then.
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All developers are faced with common tasks that are repeated over and over
again. KAM’s software is designed to address this duplication of effort. To
facilitate this, in 1993, I joined the NMRA working group and contributed to
the establishment of the DCC (Digital Command
Control) standard for the embedded control protocol for the locomotive.
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