User`s manual

Alcorn McBride Digital Video Machine DVM-7400 User’s Manual Rev 1.5

Scheduler Control

If you plan on using

the Scheduler, you

should verify that the

DVM’s time and date

are set correctly.

The Digital Video Machine has a built-in real-time clock, which can be used to trigger

events based on time and/or date. For example, the DVM could play a video at

3:00PM on January 15th 2009.

The DVM accomplishes this type of task using a feature called the Scheduler. Using

a user-defined schedule file, the Scheduler can execute any event listed in the

Command Protocol section of this manual. These scheduled events are accurate

down to the minute, and can be programmed to execute only once, or repeat

periodically (ie. repeat every Monday, or every January 1

, etc.).

The Digital Video Machine obtains any schedule information from a file on the Compact

Flash card named schedule.scl. This file is created using either a text editor (ie.

Notepad) or a free Alcorn McBride application called Schedule Builder. The

remainder of this section contains information on how to make this schedule file using

either method.

Schedule File Format

The schedule.scl file itself is nothing more than a formatted ASCII text file. In this

file, each line contains a DVM command as well as data fields that specify when that

command should be executed. This section covers these fields and how they are

used to schedule command execution.

Field Summary

Here is a list of the fields that can be used within a scheduled event. Below this table,

there are several examples that show how these fields can be used to change the

behavior of a scheduled event.

Delimiter Field

Starting time (hh:mm) (military time – leading zeros for hours

required)

Starting date (mm/dd/yy or mm/dd/yyyy . You can use periods,

slashes, or dashes to separate dates)

Ending time (hh:mm) (military time)

Ending date (mm/dd/yy or mm/dd/yyyy . You can use periods,

slashes, or dashes to separate dates)

Event – This field always contains the COMMAND event

Parameter 1 – This always contains the DVM command wrapped

in quotes.

Repeat Number: repeat after this number of periods has expired

Repeat Period: Time to wait between executions, used with

Repeat Number and Set when necessary

Repeat Set: special case usage described below

;

Although not a field, this marks a comment