Software and Associated Materials Available from the Aton Experimental Economics Laboratory
Last Updated: 5th
October 2006
The AEE Lab is in the process of releasing a
number of experiments which can be run under an Open Source Licence.
Once we have completed writing instructions and supporting
documentation we will place a link where these materials can be
downloaded.
Current Experiments
Some of our current experiments can be downloaded and
used. Click Here.
Preparing a lab to run
an experimental session
Each experimental session is different, and a wide
variety of software is used by different experimenters. Most frequently
our experiments are either Java (programs or applets) or Visual Basic.
Sometimes we run server based experiments that require internet access
to a web-browser on each client machine.
However there are some common elements, and some
detailed suggestions on lab setup using our Renewable Energy Experiment
as an example - are available here.
For our experiments the general requirement for the
client computers is:
- Running Windows 2000 or Windows XP
- Java Run Time environment 1.5.0 (or later) installed.
(NB: Earlier versions - in particular Java 1.4.x - do NOT work).
- All machines on the same subnet. (That is - no
firewalls between the machines, and all closely connected).
- A spare length of network cable to put a notebook
computer with the experiment server on the network.
A good test is to check if the Lab Control Client
software (below) will run on the client machines. If this runs it means
that an appropriate version of Java is installed, and it is likely
everything else will work OK.
Remote Launcher Lab
Control Software
Full instructions on how to use this software can be
found here.
To obtain a copy of the Remote Launcher , please contact
The Lab Control Client can be downloaded HERE.
NOTE: If you use Internet Explorer it MAY automatically
convert the RemoteClient.jar file to RemoteClient.zip, and attempt to
unzip it. This doesn't work. Instead, download the file, change the
suffix back from .zip to .jar, and try double-clicking to run.
The lab control client is a small java program that is
installed on each client computer. When run, it looks at the local
subnet for a controller (which is running on the experimenters
machine), and then logs in and awaits instructions. It allows the
experimenter to control an entire room of machines by issuing commands
from their server.
When started the lab control client will indicate that
it has identified the network details of the client machine. If this
occurs, then the control client is working OK.
Quick test of your web
browser for Java
To successfully run the experiments,
the client
machines must have a web browser that is a enabled with the Sun JAVA
Run time environment.
We have implemented a test page here
(extracted from the Java Software Kit) where you can check if your
machine is configured to display applets.
(If you do not see a moving clock, then your browser is not
appropriately configured to display java applets.)\
Quick test of
Java Web Start
Please click HERE
to launch the sample Java Web Start program
Java Run Time Environment
The Java Run Time Environment (JRE) is provided free of
charge by Sun Microsystems.
Download the latest version from http://www.java.com/en/index.jsp
We have also put a copy for local download (which may
not be the latest version, but definitely works with our software) HERE. It is for
WinXP and W2k machines.
Webregister Software for Experimenters
The Webregister is a program for experimenters to manage
experimental subjects and data,
For more information, and to download the source code
for the implementation of the Webregister click here.
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