Flowcode 7 licencing explained

With Flowcode 7 just around the corner and a release imminent, I thought it would be a good idea to give you a run down on how licencing works with regards version 7.

The first thing to note is that this article relates to the way licencing works from a Matrix perspective, for customers looking to purchase Flowcode 7 through www.matrixtsl.com or direct from our sales team.

We also have a network of distributors set up for Flowcode 7. Purchasing through these companies is separate and each individual distributor can be unique in the way they distribute Flowcode 7 licences. Please contact your distributor direct if you wish to know more about how they work.

In the development of Flowcode 7, one of the main things we wanted to update was the way users are licensed with the software. For users of previous versions of Flowcode, you’ll remember a simple process whereby users were either able to purchase ‘chip-pack’ / ‘home’ or ‘professional’ licences from us. This led to a gulf in prices and usability of Flowcode between the different versions. Users had the choice to either go for a cut-down, basic licence at a relatively low price, or a more expensive professional licence which had every feature available.

For Flowcode 7, we have decided to make the process of purchasing a Flowcode licence more modular. This ensures that users get the licence they require and you can always come back to add more features to your licence at a later date, should you so wish.

Here’s more of an explanation…

1. First, you need to choose the type of user you will be.

Standard users

A ‘Standard’ user of Flowcode is someone who wishes to develop applications at home. A standard user licence does not give the user commercial rights; commercial rights can only be achieved by purchasing a professional Flowcode licence.

Professional users

A ‘Professional’ Flowcode user is someone who is using Flowcode code in commercial products or is working in a commercial environment. These type of users must select a professional licence.

Academic

If you are an academic single user or an institution interested in Flowcode either as a single user or multi-user ⟨also including professional multi-users⟩, we have discounts available to you. Please Contact us via our online sales form, or alternatively call us on +44 (0)1422 252380. If you are an academic user, you do not need to go through the following online process.

2. Select the devices you wish to add to your licence. Also known as ‘chip-packs’

You can add one, or any combination of the following PIC, AVR/Arduino and ARM based packs:

Failure to add any of these chip packs, would mean you are only able to program to the handful of chips available in the free version of Flowcode 7.

3. Select the ‘features’ you wish to add to your licence

At this point, you must select the features that you wish your licence to include. For professional users of previous versions, it is suggested that all features are selected. In most cases, features are the components accessible to users of that particular licence.

You can find a short description of the feature pack selected in the box to the right of your purchasing screen:

You can get more detailed information on all of the features in Flowcode 7 here.

4. Purchasing your licence

All you need to do to purchase your licence is click the ‘Buy Flowcode 7’ button where you will be sent to a confirmation page before moving through the Matrix checkout system.

By purchasing online, your activation key and Flowcode licence will be dispatched immediately upon receipt of payment from Matrix TSL. For companies who wish to receive a commercial invoice, you can pay the exact same amount for your licence by contacting the Matrix team today.

Upgrading Flowcode

If you’re already a Flowcode user and are the owner of a version 5 or version 6 licence, you can take advantage of a discount to upgrading your Flowcode licence to the latest version.

Version 5 users

You will need your licence key. Input this into the box at the bottom of the purchase page, click the ‘add key’ button and you will see your licence upgrade automatically select the upgrades you receive at a discounted retail price (-30%).

Version 6 users

As a version 6 users, all you need to do is log in to your Matrix account to find out the licence upgrade you receive for version 7. Remember, you can add and remove any additional chip packs or features when deciding what to purchase.

Want more version 7 users?

If you’re a version 7 users already, you can come back for more! If you want to add further chip packs or features to your Flowcode licence, just log in to your Matrix account and you will automatically see your current licence light up. You can then select the missing chip packs / features to add to your licence.

If you want any further support or help with licencing for Flowcode 7, please do not hesitate to contact us today.

10,996 total views, 1 views today