iCOMPEL V8.1.1 Set up vibrant, real-time digital displays easily and affordably. All-in-one, plug-and-display unit works right out of the box. V8.1.
iCOMPEL Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada Radio Frequency Interference Statements This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy, and if not installed and usedproperly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause inter-ference to radio communication.
NOM Statement Instrucciones de Seguridad (Normas Oficiales Mexicanas Electrical Safety Statement) 1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado. 2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para referencia futura. 3. Todas las advertencias en el aparato eléctrico y en sus instrucciones de operación deben ser respetadas. 4. Todas las instrucciones de operación y uso deben ser seguidas. 5.
Trademarks Used in this Manual Black Box and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc. Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property of the trademark owners. All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems - without the written permission of the publisher.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Glossary Table of Contents 1. Welcome to......................................................................................................................................................10 iCOMPEL Digital Signage 1.1 1.2 1.3 2. Terms you need................................................................................................................................... to know 10 Logging on .............................................................
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 3.2.7 3.2.8 Understanding Media Types HTML pages and ................................................................................................................... Adobe Flash 50 Folder Play ................................................................................................................... 50 - Folder Play.......................................................................................................................................
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 6. Ad hoc content Making Ad hoc changes ................................................................................................................................... Manage Ad hoc ................................................................................................................................... Items Creating Ad hoc ........................................................................................
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Setup - Netw ork Interface ....................................................................................................................................................................... Order 123 - Netw ork Tests ....................................................................................................................................................................... 123 9.3.4 TV & Radio ..................................................
Part I Welcome to iCOMPEL Digital Signage
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 1. Welcome to iCOMPEL Digital Signage Welcome to iCOMPEL user's guide. There is plenty of information here to help you get started using your iCOMPEL You can browse through the Table of Contents or the PDF bookmarks, use the Index at the end of the guide, or use the Adobe Reader search facility to find any term.
Welcome to iCOMPEL Digital Signage Playlist A Playlist is a sequence of Media items that you have chosen for display in a Zone. Each Zone has its own Playlist, which runs continuously, and is independent of all the other Playlists. If you wish, you can synchronize the display between two Playlists, so that for example, a scrolling text message starts to play at the same time as a related promotional video. More about Playlists...
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 1.3 Using the web interface You control the iCOMPEL using a number of pages in your web browser. These pages are known collectively as the iCOMPEL web interface. You can access the web interface through your web browser by typing in the web address for the iCOMPEL (your system administrator can provide this address for you). Pages in the web interface behave like ordinary web pages.
Welcome to iCOMPEL Digital Signage Layout Thum bnail view Layout icons view Layout icon views show you the arrangement of Zones in a Layout. Each Zone is represented by a different rectangular icon, and the colors of the icons indicate the Media players enabled for each Zone. Clicking on an icon displays the Playlist for that Zone. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.
Part II Creating Digital Signage
Creating Digital Signage 2. Creating Digital Signage This section describes how to create your digital signs. If you are new to the iCOMPEL product see Terms you need to know 10 before you begin. The details in this section apply equally to creating signs for a stand-alone iCOMPEL, and to creating signs for a channel publisher 98 .
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 2.1.1 Creating a Schedule You need to create at least one Schedule to display content on your iCOMPEL. You can create additional Schedules if you wish to. To add a Schedule, follow these steps: 1. From the menu bar, select Schedules, then Manage Schedules. 2. To add a new Schedule click the Add Schedule tab. 3. Type in a name for the Schedule. 4. Enter the date and time for the Schedule to start. This setting is not shown for the first B you create. 5.
Creating Digital Signage Example Schedule In this example, the screen is turned on to show the Showroom Layout from 08:45 until 18:00 on Mondays to Fridays, with the Active Layout (which may be a news broadcast) being shown every hour for 10 minutes. At all other times the screen is turned off. This is achieved with a Schedule made up of three Schedule Entries.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Details of second Schedule Entry In the third Schedule Entry, the screen is on and a different Layout is shown every hour for 10 minutes. Details of third Schedule Entry Schedule Entry Settings You can define the following settings for a Schedule Entry: Period Defines the time window during which the specified Actions 19 are to be applied. The time window starts at From time and ends at the Until time, and is applied on the specified days of the week.
Creating Digital Signage Repeat Use this option to restrict the Schedule Entry to a repeating time window within the overall Period. The minimum Repeat For duration is 30 seconds. Repeat Every must be at least 30 seconds more than the Repeat For setting. To set up a repeating Schedule of, for example, three Layouts lasting 10 minutes each, you would give the Layouts start times 10 minutes apart, repeat intervals of 30 minutes, and durations of 10 minutes each.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) select Schedules, then Manage Schedules, and click Edit for the Schedule you want to work with. or select Schedules, then the name of the Schedule you want to work with. 2. Click Edit for the Schedule Entry you wish to change. 3. Enter or change the start and end times for the Schedule Entry, and select or clear the check-boxes for the days of the week. 4. Select the Layout name from the drop-down list, and select any other Schedule Entry Actions... 19 5.
Creating Digital Signage By default, the iCOMPEL names the Zones for each Layout on the screen in the order in which they were created in alphabetical order (Zone A, B, C and so on). You can change the relative display positions of the 23 Zones 23 in a Layout. Each Zone can display Media items for the Zone. 35 of different types, according to the media player or players that have been enabled The iCOMPEL Screen Background 76 is visible in any part of the Layout that is not covered by a Zone.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 2.2.3 Editing a Layout The Layout page lets you create a Layout, add Zones to a Layout and change the arrangement of Zones, and lets you edit the content and behavior of individual Zones. More on Editing Zones... 26 The Layout page has three tabs: Zones 26 and Zone Properties 27 .
Creating Digital Signage enable this Layout's Ad hoc Page enable plasma screen mitigation add a Soundtrack 23 75 for the Layout to the Layout 5. Click the Interaction tab to set touch screen interaction properties 70 . 6. Click Save all changes to make your changes permanent. See also Editing a Zone's properties 2.2.4.1 Adding a soundtrack to a Layout To add a Soundtrack to a Layout's properties, follow these steps 1. From the menu bar, select Layouts, then Manage Layouts. 2.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 2.3.1 The Layout editor You can create and manage the Zones in a Layout directly using the graphical Layout editor. From the menu bar, select Layouts, then click the Layout you want to edit. Then select the Zones tab The Zones tab on the Layouts page is a graphical editor that you can use to adjust the position and size of each Zone in the Zones Tab directly, using your mouse.
Creating Digital Signage When you select a Zone to edit it, it appears in the foreground, all its drag handles are visible, and it can be easily manipulated. Zones in this editor are displayed with a slight transparency e.g. to aid in aligning with background images. The opacity of a Zone on this page is no indication of how it will appear on screen when being played. Saving your layout Your changes to the layout are not saved until you press the save button.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 2.3.2 Editing a Zone To edit a Zone's properties, select it, then press the Zone Properties button. You can either simply click on a Zone to select it or use the Select Zone dropdown to select a Zone. Select Zone Select Zone list Clicking on the Select Zone button will show a list of zones in the current layout. The currently selected zone is highlighted. The Edit button will select a zone and close the select zone panel.
Creating Digital Signage 2.3.3 Editing a Zone's properties A Zone's properties consist of: The Zone name The media types it plays Zone size and position Other assorted properties When you've selected a Zone within the layout editor, pressing the Zone Properties button will show a popup dialog that will allow you to set the properties of the selected Zone: The Zone properties Dialog box You can move the dialog around the screen by dragging it by its title bar.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Size & Position Tab Position The position values are expressed in Pixels or in Percentages, and all measurements are taken from the top edge or the left edge of the screen. Remember that if you use Pixels for positioning, the Zone may appear in a different position on two screens with different resolutions. Size Size values are given in Pixels or Percentages. If you enter a value with its units, such as 225px, the unit type is adjusted automatically.
Creating Digital Signage Image If the Zone is set to show images, then the first image item in the playlist can be shown in the Zone instead of the standard colored area. This is useful e.g. to preview background images and align other Zones to them. This option will not be available if this zone does not play images or has no images. Design Visibility This check box defines whether the Zone is shown in the Layout Icon views Zones.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) The Playlist page The Playlist page is divided into a number of tabs: Playlist - lists the media items that make up the Playlist. Files & Folders - for navigating between folders, moving files between folders, and adding files to the Playlist. Upload Files - for copying files to the iCOMPEL, and creating new folders. Specials - for adding Special items to the Playlist, that include all items other than files and folders.
Creating Digital Signage Defaults You can use this tab to define the default media item properties for each Media type this Zone or Soundtrack supports. The default properties are used when the media item is first added to a Playlist, and you can change them as needed for each item. See Edit Playlist item properties 57 for more information. NOTE: Changing the default properties does not affect media items already added to a Playlist. 2.4.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 2.4.3 Adding folders to a playlist If you add a Folder to a Playlist, the iCOMPEL treats the Folder as an item in the Playlist. You can define the way the items inside the Folder are displayed, see Folder Play 50 for more details. Before you can add a Folder to a Playlist, make sure that it contains the media items you want to use. See Using Files and Folders 43 to learn about uploading and managing media item files.
Creating Digital Signage Previewing in the web browser To select the web browser as the preview medium, follow these steps: 1. Select Setup from the menu bar, and then UI Options 2. Under Audition method select Web preview 3. Click Save Changes 4. Select Layouts from the menu bar, and then Manage Layouts. 5. Click the Preview button for the Layout you want to view. The Screen goes black for a moment while the screen snapshot is taken, and then reverts to the current Layout.
Part III Understanding Media Types
Understanding Media Types 3. Understanding Media Types You can use various types of digital content with your iCOMPEL. Media players Content is often referred to as Media.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Text characteristics Text can be added to a Playlist and shown in a Zone on the Screen. The text can be either scrolling or stationary, and can scroll either horizontally or vertically. Stationary text can be shown for a fixed period of time, or shown indefinitely. If text is scrolling, you must set the speed at which it moves across the screen. You cannot set a fixed time limit for scrolling text.
Understanding Media Types Adding a Newsfeed To subscribe to a Newsfeed, follow these steps 1. Use a web browser on your PC to find the feed you want to subscribe to. 2. Click the link to the feed, or click the RSS button . 3. Copy the web address for the Newsfeed from the Address bar in the browser. 4. On the iCOMPEL, select Media, then Newsfeeds from the menu bar to open the Newsfeeds page, and select the Add Newsfeed tab. 5.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Proxy If you are connecting to the Newsfeed through a proxy server, enter the details here. Note: Before you can access a Newsfeed through a proxy, you must first create a Proxy entry (using the HTTP Proxy page) and then set each Newsfeed to use the Proxy. Newsfeed Playlist properties When you add a Newsfeed to a Playlist, you can adjust the following properties for each Newsfeed: Fields Select which Newsfeed fields to display.
Understanding Media Types Day of week format Select the way the day of the week is shown. Date, Month, Time, Hour Format Select the way the Date, Month, Time and Hour are shown. The term Locale Appropriate means that the iCOMPEL uses the date or time formats used in the language and country you selected on the International 142 settings page. Time Zone Select the appropriate time Zone for the clock display.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Ad hoc Tables To create an Ad hoc Table, first create a Table, then use the Ad hoc Items page and add a new Ad hoc Table Item that references this Table. NOTE: If you copy an Ad hoc Table, the copied table is not an Ad hoc table. Adding a table To add a Table, follow these steps: 1. Select Media, then Tables from the menu bar, then select the Add Table tab. 2. Enter a logical name for the Table. 3. Enter the number of rows and columns for the Table.
Understanding Media Types Table Styles This page allows the user to view and modify the Table formatting. This includes the border width and color, column width, and the font and color for each cell. Border Width Controls the width, in pixels, of the border surrounding each cell. Setting this value to zero will disable the border. The maximum value is 100 pixels. Border Color Specifies the color of the border.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) For more information see the RS-232 Outputs 137 section. Creating an RS-232 output item To create an RS-232 output item, follow these steps: 1. From the menu bar select Setup, then Player Setup, then RS-232 Outputs. 2. Select the Add Item tab. 3.
Understanding Media Types 3.2.1 File Manager You can use Files and Folders on your iCOMPEL to manage the storage of certain types of Media items 35 . You can display individual Media item files by adding them to the Playlist 29 for a Zone 23 . You can also play all the files in a Folder by adding the Folder to a Playlist 32 When you use Ad hoc items you need to designate an Ad hoc media folder 87 . for Ad hoc users to access.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 3.2.1.2 Uploading content files There are different methods available for adding content files to the iCOMPEL: using the File Manager page using the Files and Folders pages of a Playlist using FTP 44 (file transfer protocol) Uploading files using the File Manager The Upload Files tab allows you to: Upload new media files to the current folder. Create new sub-folders of the current folder.
Understanding Media Types 6. Create a suitable folder structure by adding new folders under the media folder. It is often useful to create a separate folder for each Layout, and a sub-folder for each Zone, for example media/Layout_reception/Zone_A and media/ Layout_reception/Zone_B and so on. 7. Drag-and-drop or copy-and-paste your folders and files between the two copies of Windows Explorer from your PC to the Media sub-folders on the iCOMPEL. 8. You may also rename and delete files on the iCOMPEL.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Preferred format The same video clip in the different formats has different file sizes and places different processing loads on the iCOMPEL when played. The iCOMPEL has a smaller processor than most Microsoft Windows PCs, so it is more important to use a format that is easier to decode than one that has smaller file sizes. MPEG-2 is the preferred format as it requires less decoding by the processor.
Understanding Media Types Notes Large images may take several seconds to appear and may slow down the performance of the iCOMPEL. You should always resize an image to match the size of the Zone before uploading it to the iCOMPEL. Animated GIFs Animated GIFs are not supported as image files on the iCOMPEL. If you want to use an animated GIF, you must first embed it into an HTML page. Adding Images to a Playlist Before you can add an image file to a Playlist, you must upload it to the iCOMPEL.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 3.2.5 Audio Player type Audio Soundtrack Supported formats Notes MP3 RECOMMENDED. Good performance. WAV Similar quality to MP3. WMA Windows format but works on iCOMPEL. Audio files are added to the Playlist for the Layout's soundtrack, and not to the Playlist for a Zone. Adding Audio to a Layout Before you can add an audio file to a Layout you must upload it to the iCOMPEL. See Uploading content files details of how to do this.
Understanding Media Types 3.2.6 Presentations Player type Presentation Supported formats Notes PPT Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation, from Office 2003 or 2007 only ODP Open Office Impress presentation Recommendation You can run a presentation directly on your iCOMPEL but this may consume large amounts of processing resources, resulting in low image quality and overall poor performance.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Convert to a Video There are various third-party commercial products that can convert a Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentation to a video. There is a built-in Convert to Video feature in Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Apple Mac computers.
Understanding Media Types Viewing items from a Folder in your web browser When you create a Folder of items, you may wish to view individual items to test them. To view a single media item in your web browser, follow theses steps: 1. Select Media from the menu bar and then select Files and Folders. 2. Navigate through the folders and files to the content item you want to see. 3. Click the item to display it in your web browser. Some items such as videos may take a considerable time to download and display.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 5. Create a Playlist as follows: Add the Music folder to the Playlist, limit 1. Add the Advert folder to the Playlist with memory, limit 2. Add the Corporate logo image as an individual file, duration 10 seconds. Item Synchronization The Item Synchronization 67 option allows one Zone (the Master) to control the media items shown in one or more other Zones (Slave Zones). For further details see Automatic captioning 67 .
Understanding Media Types Adding TV to a Playlist To add TV broadcast to a Playlist follow the steps for adding Special items to a Playlist 31 . After you add the TV broadcast, it appears on the Playlist. Use the Edit button to view and adjust the TV item properties as necessary, for example to display TV subtitles. TV properties Subtitles Select the check box to display subtitles if they are available.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Time validity 60 3.3.3 Live Video Player type Movie Supported Formats Notes S-Video Composite Video Including: cameras, DVD players, set-top boxes, etc. Requirements iCOMPEL with TV tuner card Before you can use Live video with your iCOMPEL, you must ensure that you are set up correctly. This includes: Either an S-Video or Composite video cable connected to the relevant socket on the iCOMPEL TV Tuner card.
Understanding Media Types 3.3.4 Multicast Video (IPTV) Technical notes Player type Movie Supported formats Notes MPEG-2 transport stream in UDP Network Multicast Stream Requirements Additional Multicast Stream-in feature key required (Part Number: ICOMP-IN). Before you can use Multicast Video with your iCOMPEL, you must ensure that you are set up correctly. This includes: An IGMP aware network infrastructure that has allows multicast streaming. A device to stream video onto the network.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 3.3.5 External Web Pages Player type HTML Supported formats Notes HTML The iCOMPEL uses WebKit for Linux. WebKit is used by Apple Safari and Google Chrome browsers. JavaScript in a Web page is supported Flash files in a Web page are supported ActiveX is not supported Note: HTML pages always have a white, non-transparent background.
Understanding Media Types If you wish to store a page in this way, you must select the Web page, complete option from the Save as command in your web browser, to make sure you store not only the web page but also all its associated files. Your web browser creates a folder that contains any images, script files, or data files used by the page. This folder has a name in the format [pagename]_files, where [pagename] is the name of the HTML page.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 3.4.1 Text properties These properties apply to directly entered text, Newsfeeds, Text files and Clocks: Text style You can specify the amount of time the text item should be shown for, or the speed and direction for scrolling text. The speed of the text is displayed in pixels per second. NOTE: For best results, set the speed in multiples of 60, for example 60, or 120. Font Select the typeface, size and style of the Font to use.
Understanding Media Types 3.4.2 Movie properties The following properties apply to Movie items: Subtitles If you select the Display subtitles checkbox, the iCOMPEL shows subtitles on top of the video, if they are available. Volume Enter the volume as a percentage of the maximum volume. Movie Size / TV Size You can use a Zone as a "window" that shows only part of a movie by Displaying part of a Movie or Web page 75 .
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Duration properties Opacity 60 60 Position and Size properties Time validity 60 60 3.4.4 Duration You can set the duration for the display of an item in a Playlist. The options are: display the item indefinitely display the item for a fixed period (in hours, minutes and seconds) 3.4.5 Position and Size You can override the position and size settings for a Zone by changing the position and size settings for a single media item.
Understanding Media Types Adding Time Validity to a Playlist item Click to set the properties for a Playlist item. Select one of the following options to set time validity for the item: Date Range The date range includes the two dates selected, to select a single day set both dates to the same day. Days Set the day(s) of the week on which the item is displayed. Time Period Set the times of day during which the item is displayed.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) The options are: Fixed to the value specified by the Layout Designer Customizable Ad hoc (with the option to create a new Ad hoc from the existing Item if so desired). Ad hoc Entry Label The Label used by the Layout's Ad hoc Page to refer to this item. Ad hoc Item Name Uniquely identifies an Ad hoc Item on the iCOMPEL.
Understanding Media Types 1. Select the Playlist where you want to add the Rendezvous Point. 2. Click the Specials tab. 3. Type in a name for the Rendezvous Point in the text box. You can enter any text for the name, except for a name beginning auto_. 4. Click Add. 5. In the Playlist, make sure the Rendezvous Point appears at the correct position (immediately before the item you want to be launched by the Advance To command). 6.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 3.6 Colors You can set the colors to be used for fonts, backgrounds, and other items on the iCOMPEL using this page. A Color item is defined by a unique name, a color value, and an opacity setting. Color values are expressed as either RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or Hex (Hexadecimal) values. When you change the color value or the opacity value for a Color item, all the visual elements that use the Color item are updated.
Understanding Media Types 2. Enter a distinctive logical name (for example, Corporate Blue) 3. Enter either the RGB values or the Hex value. 4. Click Add. Finding the RGB Values for a Color Here is an easy method for finding the RGB values for a color you want to use on your iCOMPEL. 1. On a Microsoft Windows PC, click Start, then Programs (or All Programs), then Accessories, and select Paint. 2. Open an image that includes the color you want to use. 3.
Part IV Enhancing your displays
Enhancing your displays 4. Enhancing your displays This section describes how to enhance your digital signs. This information applies equally to creating signs for a standalone iCOMPEL, and to creating signs for a channel publisher.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 8. Click the Save Changes button. Setting up the Text Zone for automatic captioning Before you begin this procedure, create a text file with a caption for each video file. The text file must have the same name as the video file. For example, for a video file named Marketing_Highlights_01.mpg you must create a text file named Marketing_Highlights_01.txt with the caption you want to display. To set up a Text Zone for automatic captioning, follow these steps: 1.
Enhancing your displays 1. Click on a Zone to edit its Playlist. 2. Click on the Specials tab. 3. Type the name of the loop into the Rendezvous Point text box (use as descriptive a name as possible). 4. Click the Add button to add the Rendezvous Point to the Playlist. 5. Add the items that must appear in the sub-playlist in the usual manner. If you want a sub-playlist to play just once then insert an image at the end with an indefinite duration. 6.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 4.2 Using Interactivity You can configure the iCOMPEL to respond to inputs from an external source.
Enhancing your displays they may be applied regardless of the screen location touched. It is easier to review Layout interaction behavior since all components are presented on the same web page. Interaction Processing The way the iCOMPEL processes an event depends upon the source of the event, and on which interaction items are currently active. The iCOMPEL processes interactions for Touch Screen events as follows: 1.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 4.2.1 Designing interactive layouts You can design Layouts that respond to user input in various ways. send an Advance To command change the current Layout 62 to play a specific item or start a Playlist 63 change the size and position of a Zone display hidden Zones send a signal to another device using the RS-232 port The following sections offer some general guidance on developing interactive Layouts.
Enhancing your displays Control Line Inputs The iCOMPEL RS-232 port has 4 input lines that may be used to take in binary events such as contact closure or signals from other devices. The available lines are: Clear To Send (CTS) Data Carrier Detect (DCD) Data Set Ready (DSR) Ring Indicator (RI) The lines do not affect the operation of the RS-232 Send and Receive strings. 4.2.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) If touch is enabled for a Zone that is displaying an HTML page, touch events are passed to the HTML player for handling. This can allow a user to navigate Web pages using links embedded in the displayed HTML page. 4.2.4.1 Layout From the menu bar, select Layouts, and the Layout you want to configure, then select the Interaction tab. On the Interaction tab, you can select the action in response to a touch screen event.
Enhancing your displays NOTE: This section is only shown when Click on Touch is selected. 4.3 Using the RS-232 interface port Most products in the iCOMPEL range have a single RS-232 port presented on a 9 way D type plug. Sending user defined RS-232 strings at specific events or at Playlist positions. The strings must be defined as their byte values expressed as separated hexadecimal nibble pairs. E.g. 3a 3b 3c 0d 0a.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Any Layout on the iCOMPEL can have plasma burn mitigation enabled. This will cause the Zones within the Layout to change location at regular intervals. The Zones can flip position horizontally, vertically or be set to "orbit" around the screen. If you choose to activate burn mitigation and all your Zones are included, you cannot exclude any Zones. Activating Plasma Burn Mitigation From the menu bar, select the Layout, and then select the Layout Properties tab.
Enhancing your displays 2. Select either Solid color or Image. If you select Solid Color, then select a color. More information on Colors... 64 If you select Image, then browse the file system for an image. More information on Files and Folders.. you want the image to behave like a splash screen, set a time delay. 43 .If 3. Click Save Changes and Activate Schedule and Layouts.
Part V Ad hoc content
Ad hoc content 5. Ad hoc content The Ad hoc mechanism allows an administrator to delegate responsibility for updating specified items in specified Zones. This is especially useful in situations where a number of iCOMPEL players are sharing content in a Channel 98 but require specific content on specific players.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 5.1 Creating Ad hoc items and pages You can create various types of items and use them as placeholders in Playlists. When the related Layouts are active, the content of these items can be updated by an Ad hoc user. Basic Ad hoc item types are Tables, Text items, Newsfeeds and TV and Radio Stations. Additional Ad hoc features 82 are also available. Creating Ad hoc text items To create an Ad hoc text item, follow these steps: 1.
Ad hoc content All Available TV or Radio Stations to allow Ad hoc user to select from any configured TV or Radio Station on the iCOMPEL Only Selected TV or Radio Stations with the selected TV or Radio Stations for the Ad hoc users to choose from. 4. In the Ad hoc Item property Default TV or Radio Station, select the default TV or Radio Station from the drop-down list. See more on Managing Ad hoc items... 84 Adding Ad hoc Items to a Playlist To add a text file to a Playlist, follow these steps: 1.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 5.2 Ad hoc Item types Additional Ad hoc features allow for increased customization of Layout content, which are especially useful in a Channel 98 . Using Additional Ad hoc features, an iCOMPEL that is subscribed to a Channel can show quite different content to any other subscriber.
Ad hoc content 11.Log in as an Ad hoc User, browse to the page you have created, select the advance to that you wish to test and click Save. If the Playlist is playing at the time, then play will jump to the start of the Playlist under the selected rendezvous point. 5.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 5.4 Making Ad hoc changes To make an Ad Hoc change, follow these steps: 1. Log into the iCOMPEL as an Ad hoc User. 2. Click the Ad hoc page you want to edit. 3. Make the changes to the Item (or Items) shown on the Page. 4. Click Save. If the Ad hoc Item is currently showing on the screen, then the change is noticed immediately. If not, then it is noticed when the item does appear. 5.
Ad hoc content default text must be compatible with the Ad hoc Input mode chosen. Customization Scope Ad hoc items that support the Ad hoc From Center 83 function display this option. There are two choices: Local - Ad hoc user changes only affect this iCOMPEL. Remote - changes made to this Ad hoc item on the publisher iCOMPEL are applied to each Subscriber iCOMPEL as well.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 5.7.1 Manage Ad hoc Pages To delete an Ad hoc Page, click the Delete button . Note: Layout Ad hoc Pages can not be deleted, only disabled via the Layout's Properties tab. To view or modify an Ad hoc Page, click the Edit button . To add a new Ad hoc Page, select the Add Page tab and supply a unique name. 5.7.2 Edit Ad hoc page Use this page to manage the properties and Ad hoc Items on the specified Ad hoc Page.
Ad hoc content User Guidance Message This message is shown on the Data Entry page, and will typically be used to assist the user when entering values. This item is optional. Users allowed to Enter Data List the users who have permission to view and make changes to the Data Entry page. NOTE: Users with Layout Manager User Access permission are able to view and modify all Ad hoc Data Entry pages. 5.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Delete the file. Rename Copy the file. the file. 5.10 Changing Ad hoc content As an Ad hoc user, you can only make changes to specific items of Ad hoc content that you have been given permission to change. These are presented to you on Ad hoc pages. To change Ad hoc content, follow these steps: 1. Log in to the iCOMPEL. 2. Select the Ad hoc page for the content you want to change. 3. Make the necessary changes to the Item or items shown on the Page.
Ad hoc content Change details Text To change text that may be showing on the Screen: 1. Click on Pages and then on the appropriate page name. 2. Locate the text item that you wish to edit by name (there may be more than one). 3. Enter new text into the appropriate text area or edit the existing text. Be careful to follow any instructions that may appear to the left of the text box. Once changes have been made, click Save'. 4.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) To log-out, simply close the browser. Screen Layout To change the entire screen Layout: Click on Pages and then on the appropriate page name. Use the mouse to drop down a list of possible Layouts. Select one and click Save'. To log-out, simply close the browser. Media Folder Click on Media Folder. The contents of a folder inside the iCOMPEL is shown in a listing on this page.
Ad hoc content If an event exists to switch the audio on or off and you need the iCOMPEL to be silent for a particular occasion then just reprogram the audio off event to start at the current time. Remember to reset the audio off event back to its original time once the occasion has passed. Similarly, you could switch the display back on for an after- hours occasion. To log-out, simply close the browser. 5.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Media Folder These messages are used to change the text in the file manager. 92 724-746-5500 | blackbox.
Part VI Sharing content using Layout Packages
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 6. Sharing content using Layout Packages A Layout Package is a single file which contains all the media and control files required to fully install one or more Layouts on another iCOMPEL. Layout Packages can be stored on DVDs, memory sticks or file servers and can also be sent by e-mail. This allows easy distribution of content.
Sharing content using Layout Packages Note that Layouts referenced by Change Layout commands from Layouts that are checked will also be included. 4. Click Create Layout package. The Status tab will then be shown. 5. Wait for the Layout Package creation process to complete. You can click the link to the Layout Package file name to download it to your computer. 6. Send copies of the Layout Package ZIP file to the people who require them. There is a 2GB size limit to Layout Packages ZIP files.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Copy and Replace. Replace conflicting local items with items from the Layout Package. This option will permanently overwrite local items. Copy but keep both items. During the Install process, items in the Layout Package are renamed to avoid conflicts with local items. A message is shown in the Status tab indicating the new item names or filenames. You may specify different conflict actions for media files and Layout and Special Items.
Part VII Channels and Signage Networks
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 7. Channels and Signage Networks Channels provide an easy way to display the same content at multiple locations by setting up a Digital Signage Network of iCOMPEL players. A collection of iCOMPEL players that all play the same content on their Screens is known as a Channel. Components of a Channel A Channel has three parts: A Publisher 101 iCOMPEL. The Channel Content Server 100 (CCS).
Channels and Signage Networks You may also wish to manage and publish more than one channel from your publisher. This is done with Multi-channel publishing 105 . Software version compatibility It is recommended that the Publishing iCOMPEL and each Subscribing iCOMPEL should run the same software version. However, a Subscribing iCOMPEL running Version 7 software can subscribe to Channels created on a Publishing iCOMPEL running Version 5.2.3 software.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 7.1 Channel Roles In a channel, we define roles that determine how the iCOMPEL behaves. There are three distinct roles: Role Explanation Stand-alone The iCOMPEL is not part of a Channel, and its content is used for this iCOMPEL only.
Channels and Signage Networks How Description When would you use this? On the publishing iCOMPEL Channel files are stored on the publishing Typically when you only have a small iCOMPEL itself and are available to subscribers via number of subscribers (less than 5), that HTTP, HTTPS or FTP. won't slow the publisher down. This method requires no extra hardware. Using a USB memory stick Channel files are published onto a USB memory stick (not included).
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) You create the Channel contents on the Publishing iCOMPEL, and you can create additional Channels that contain different Schedules. For more information see Multi-channel publishing 105 . To set up an iCOMPEL as a Publisher you must first change its role 100 . You must then configure the channel settings 102 for the publisher to be able to publish. 7.3.
Channels and Signage Networks Note: The channel must be active to allow automatic publishing. Channel Server This radio box lets you select how the channel is published. Option Description The iCOMPEL's /channel/N folder The channel is published to a folder within the publishing iCOMPEL. Subscribers can then access the content via FTP, HTTP or HTTPS. The USB Flash Memory's /channel folder The channel is published to the folder /channel on a USB storage device attached to the publishing iCOMPEL.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) If your Layouts include video files, you must increase this allowance by at least 2GB per hour of standard quality video. Higher quality video may require even more disk space. You can see the size on the Status page of the Publisher iCOMPEL after publishing. A Subscriber iCOMPEL requires at least twice the disk space to store the channel twice - once for channel subscribing purposes and another for displaying. 7.3.
Channels and Signage Networks Once the channel is ready for publishing, insert the USB drive into any of the USB ports on the iCOMPEL and publish as above. The channel will be copied to it and a status bar will show the progress of the channel copying. When it is complete, you can safely remove the device and take it to the subscribing iCOMPEL players.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Multi channel selection screen 7.4 Subscribing You can use an iCOMPEL as a Subscriber. This means that this iCOMPEL receives all its content (other than Ad hoc content 79 ) from Channel Content Server (CCS) or from a USB device 100 . To use an iCOMPEL as a Subscriber, you must first change its role 100 . Note: You can log in to a Subscriber iCOMPEL and make changes (other than Ad hoc changes) but these are removed the next time the Channel is re-published. 7.
Channels and Signage Networks Subscription Poll Interval This time period determines how often this subscriber iCOMPEL checks for new content on the channel content server . This process is called polling. Note: You'll want to set this value so the iCOMPEL polls often enough to pick up the changes to the channel but not so often that the network or Channel Content Server 100 becomes overwhelmed with requests.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Where Published Channel Subscription URL format The Channel is published on an iCOMPEL running Version 8, Version 7 or Version 6 software: The required URL is of the form: http:///data/channel/ Where is the host name or IP address of the iCOMPEL to subscribe to and is the channel number.
Channels and Signage Networks Proxy If required, select a proxy server for accessing the Internet. Error Retry Interval Set the time interval for retrying a Channel update if an update is incomplete or interrupted. File Transfer Allowed You can set the times during which file transfer is allowed. For example, if Channel updates typically involve large files that may slow down your network, you may choose to allow file transfers at times when other network activity is low. 7.4.
Part VIII Player and System Status
Player and System Status 8. Player and System Status The Status menu gives you access to information about the player and the system. Player status 111 System status 112 Conditional Play Status 112 TV & Radio Status 113 (If TV hardware is present) 8.1 Player status The Player Status page provides details about what the iCOMPEL is playing now, and what content has been played recently. These pages automatically refresh as new content is played.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 8.2 System status The System Status page provides information about the iCOMPEL environment. The following information is available on tabbed pages: Temperature over the last 24 hours Temperature over the last 30 days Configuration status Hardware configuration Disk Temperature for the last 24 hours This graph shows how the disk temperature has changed over the last 24 hours. Red blocks indicate that it has become too hot.
Player and System Status If there are items that depend on Player Location Information but those PLI names are missing in a given player, an action message is displayed along with a link to add the missing name. The rest of the page is split into two tabs, one each for Conditional Playlist items and Conditional Schedules.
Part IX Setup
Setup 9. Setup The Help menu gives you access to page specific help and this user guide. You can also set User options 115 to match your preferences. The Setup menu gives you access to settings for the iCOMPEL web interface, the iCOMPEL itself, and the system. System setup 117 Player setup 134 You should maintain regular backups of the media content files and settings that you use for your iCOMPEL. See Backing up your iCOMPEL 142 for more details. 9.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Audition Method Select one of the following options: For On Screen, the media is shown on the iCOMPEL screen. For Web Preview, the media is shown on a web page as a screen snapshot. The iCOMPEL creates a screen snapshot by following these steps: 1. Turning off the Screen off and muting the audio, so that the new media is not displayed to the public. 2. Running the Audition media command. 3. Waiting for the media to start playing. 4. Creating a screen snapshot.
Setup 9.3 System setup You can configure the settings for the following aspects of your iCOMPEL: Users 117 Date and Time 118 Network 119 TV & Radio 124 HTTP proxy 125 Security 126 Reporting 131 Licensing 9.3.1 Users The Users page allows you to add user accounts to the iCOMPEL and manage existing accounts. You cannot delete the account of the currently logged in user. Settings User Name The name used to login with, for example remote, or chef.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Ad hoc Access to data entry Ad hoc Pages 85 (not the Ad hoc content design pages) and permission to read, write and modify files in the Media Folder using the Ad hoc Media Folder 87 web page. If this permission is enabled, then the Media Folder setting should be set to a named directory, and not All Folders. FTP Read Only Ability to only read files in the Media Folder and all sub-folders via FTP.
Setup Note: The NTP server will only adjust the iCOMPEL date and time if the NTP reported time and the Local System Clock time are within a few minutes of each other. If the difference is more than a few minutes, reboot the iCOMPEL, and it will synchronize fully on boot. Click the Save Changes button to remember any changes. Note: You must reboot the iCOMPEL when any changes are made, otherwise you may observe problems with media playback.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Host name set by DHCP If your DHCP server supports this, then you can modify the DNS host name entry for this iCOMPEL. This enables users to address the iCOMPEL by its name, as well as by its IP address. IP address If you are using the Static mode, you must specify an IP address for the iCOMPEL in this entry. If you are using DHCP, this entry is ignored. The IP address must be unique on your network.
Setup Access Point Name If your 3G network requires you to provide an Access Point Name (APN), provide it here. 3G Status tab The 3G Status tab displays the model of the 3G modem. The IP address and any DNS search path will be shown if the 3G Modem is connected to the 3G network. 9.3.3.3 Wireless This tab is for managing how the iCOMPEL connects to wireless networks. The iCOMPEL will only connect to a wireless network if; 1. Wireless is enabled. 2. The wireless network settings have been defined. 3.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Visible Networks When the wireless network interface is enabled, a list of visible networks is presented with a radio button next to each of them. To connect to one of these, simply select the radio button next to the name. If a network password/key is required, enter it in the "Key" field. Since the network is visible, the key type is determined automatically. Press "Save" to save the new network details.
Setup Removing a wireless network The button next to each network name on the "Defined Networks" will delete that wireless network definition when clicked. You will be prompted for confirmation first. If the iCOMPEL is currently connected to that network, then the connection to it will be lost. Connecting to a specific wireless network The "Connect" button next to each network definition on the "Defined Networks" tab will force the iCOMPEL to attempt to connect to that network if wireless is enabled.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 9.3.4 TV & Radio These pages allow the user to configure the available TV and Radio stations. 9.3.4.1 Analog TV and Radio Analog TV This tab lists the available analog TV channels and allows you to select the channel frequency and edit the description field. Click the Save Changes button to preserve any changes to the Channel frequency or Description fields To remove a channel, delete the text in its description field, and press the Save Changes button.
Setup 9.3.4.3 Using multicast streaming TV It is not always physically possible for an iCOMPEL to receive a TV broadcast signal directly. An alternative is to deliver TV signals as a set of Multicast streams using the local network. Note: Using Multicast TV requires an additional feature unlock key. How Streaming Works A Streaming Transmit Servers converts analog or digital TV signals to Multicast IP packets.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Channel Subscription downloads channel content from a Publisher iCOMPEL Newsfeed when downloading Newsfeed articles. Once a HTTP Proxy has been created, you may enable usage of a proxy, as follows: For the HTML Player, enable proxy usage in the Player Setup page. For a Channel Subscription proxy, enable usage in the Channel Setup page. For a Newsfeed proxy, enable usage on an individual Newsfeed basis from the Newsfeed page.
Setup To allow all IP addresses between 192.168.0.0 and 192.168.255.255, type: 192.168.0.0/16 WARNING: If you do not enter your own IP address, then you are locked out of the iCOMPEL when the firewall takes effect after a reboot. The iCOMPEL will, however, warn you if your IP address is missing from the list. FTP Service settings FTP access to the iCOMPEL allows someone to download the content from the iCOMPEL or to upload content that might be inappropriate.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) It is desirable to change the SSH port to a different number to make it more difficult for an attack to succeed. It may also be desirable to have an alternate port available. The standard port for SSH access is 22. You can specify a maximum of two ports to accept SSH connections. WARNING: If you change the SSH port number, then you should make a note of it and keep it safe.
Setup You must enter the Primary LDAP server hostname and port and choose the Server Encryption'. The Server Encryption can be one of: None (LDAP) - no encryption - passwords are sent in the clear - standard LDAP port is 389. SSL (LDAPS) - all communications with the LDAP server are encrypted - standard LDAP port is 636. TLS (LDAP over TLS) - all communications with the LDAP server are encrypted - standard LDAP port is 389.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Posix Scheme Directory Note: Typically this is the "uid" attribute. Enter the LDAP filter that will match a user object in the directory into the User Filter field. Use "%s" where ever you wish the filter to contain the username of the user that is logging in. Active Directory Example: (objectclass=user).
Setup 9.3.6.3 LDAP tests The LDAP tests will test the current LDAP settings and give you feedback on any issues. Recommendation: Always test any change to the LDAP settings before rebooting the iCOMPEL. Running the tests To run a test enter the Test Username to use in the tests and click the Test LDAP settings button. Test results The test results are displayed in two parts: a table showing the status of each step and a detailed log.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Reporting Settings Reporting Selects if the iCOMPEL should send status information to a iDigitalManager. Reporting Options Indicates what information a iCOMPEL should send to a iDigitalManager. The following option is available: Include a Screen Thumbnail with each report. When checked, this option will send a screen thumbnail with the status. Checking this option will increase the bandwidth required for each status report.
Setup If the iCOMPEL is reporting over a VPN connection it can also donate its setup files to the iDigitalManager which will provide them as updates to every iCOMPEL that has been configured (on the iDigitalManager) to receive them. Categories Select the Categories for which the iCOMPEL will report, donate and accept updates for. Note: The Channel category is not available for Remote Setup when the iCOMPEL is configured as a Publisher 98 .
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) The content designer can design content for a Channel and yet make each iCOMPEL/s play specific content. For example, if a company has branches in different locations, the company can create a ' weather_location' in ISO format and use Digital Signage Widgets to display location specific weather. Conditional Play can be used to control the media and schedule for individual iCOMPELs with a single Channel.
Setup 9.4.2 Screen These pages are for setting and testing the Screen resolution and orientation and obtaining Screen information (if available). The Status page displays a summary of the Display Data Channel (DDC) information obtained from the screen, and the currently Active output (either VGA or S-Video). The Test page provides access to various test images. Note: Changing the orientation or resolution will require a restart of the iCOMPEL.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) VESA CVT Resolutions This option allows any reasonable screen resolution to be configured. Screens will often only report their maximum resolution as Built In but may support other resolutions. For example, a 1440x900 screen may support 1280x768 or a 1920x1080 screen may support 1360x768. Always use Normal Blanking for CRT screens. Try Reduced Blanking for Flat screen displays.
Setup Movie Player De-interlacing If you experience quality issues with video images, changing the de-interlacing settings may help. Try first with de-interlacing disabled, then with de-interlacing enabled. Use the setting that gives the best quality image. When de-interlacing is enabled, additional processing power is used. If the video display becomes jerky and the CPU load, as shown on the support page, is high, then try turning de-interlacing off.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) The Last Response section details the response received the last time this Item was executed. Press the Execute RS-232 String button to execute the RS-232 Item immediately and display any response String. RS-232 Item Name A name which uniquely identifies this RS-232 Item. Send RS-232 String Action and RS-232 String Check Send RS-232 String Action to send the specified RS-232 String.
Setup Configuration Bits per Second Select the Baud rate in bit per second from the drop down list. The iCOMPEL currently supports rates between 110 and 460800. Data Bits The number of data bits to use. Select from either 7 or 8. Stop Bits The number of stop bits to use. Select from either 1 or 2. Parity The number of stop bits to use. Select from Odd or Even. Use Local Override If enabled, then this will use the specified Local Override settings rather then the default Channel settings.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 3. Carefully press in the center of each of the 3 crosshairs as they appear in turn. 4. Press on the colored region which then appears in the center of the screen. 5. Return to the browser. 6. Adjust the Drag Threshold (see below) as appropriate. It is possible to cancel the calibration process by clicking Cancel Touch Calibration on the Calibrating Touch Screen web page.
Setup Volume Up & Down The Volume Up & Down buttons adjust the Master Volume level 134 up and down in 10% divisions. (0%, 10%, 20%,... 80%, 90% & 100%) A message should appear in the top right of the screen to indicate the new volume. Station Up & Down The Station Up & Down buttons apply to any actively playing Ad hoc TV & Radio Stations 80 .
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) A "second with no signal" is a full second in which there is no decodable signal available. These generally indicate that the aerial has been unplugged. The last no signal error time is the time of the last reported second with no signal. A transport stream discontinuity is a sign of poor signal; it indicates that there have been parts of the stream lost in transmission.
Setup 2. From the menu bar, select Setup, then Maintenance and Troubleshooting, then Backup & Restore. 3. Click the Create Backup tab 4. Follow the links to the folder in which you wish to create the backup file (creating folders as needed). 5. Click the Create Backup button. 6. Wait for the Backup to finish being created. 7. Remove the USB storage device. To restore a Backup file: 1. Insert the USB storage device which contains the Backup file that you wish to restore. 2.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 1. From the menu bar, select Layouts, then Layout Packages and upload the ZIP file from your PC. 2. Click the Install button to unpack the ZIP file. 3. Wait for the process to complete. 9.6 Software update Updates are supplied as 'OPF' files. An update will contain new software that will, once installed, bring the iCOMPEL up to a new version of software. Please contact your supplier for availability of iCOMPEL updates.
Setup Update Server URL Enter the URL of the update server. This is the address of the web site that contains update information. Check Interval Set a check interval in hours and minutes. Checking is the process of logging on to Update Server, determining whether a new update is available or not and initiating the copying of the new update if required by the Update Mode. The Check Interval is the frequency of, or time between, successive checks.
Part X Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting 10. Troubleshooting Your iCOMPEL requires little maintenance. The internal software for your iCOMPEL is updated from time to time by Black Box Network Services. To make sure your iCOMPEL receives all the necessary updates see Software updates 144 . The following topics can help you resolve certain problems that may occur with your iCOMPEL. Software update 144 Reboot system 145 Support information 147 Support snapshot 148 Support logs 148 10.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) iCOMPEL Details Process tree This displays a diagram of all the processes running on the iCOMPEL and any sub-processes. Technical support personnel may ask you to produce this diagram and look for particular process names. Top processes This shows a list of all processes running on this iCOMPEL in order of the amount of processing power that they are using.
Troubleshooting Reboot the iCOMPEL and the PC. During iCOMPEL boot sequence look for an OK message (in green) for the eth0 parameter. If you see a [Fail] message (in red) for the eth0 parameter this usually means that the iCOMPEL has found nothing to connect with at the other end of the cable. During iCOMPEL boot sequence look for the IP address on the screen. A No Cable message means that the cable is missing or faulty or that there is another device on the network with the same IP address.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) You should be able to connect to the iCOMPEL using In Internet Explorer, type ftp:// followed the IP address of the FTP. iCOMPEL into the address bar and press Enter. When prompted enter the same username and password. In Firefox, type ftp:// followed by the username, a colon (:), the password, the at symbol (@) and then the IP address of the iCOMPEL. e.g. ftp// remote:9999@192.168.1.2. You should see a list of folders including media.
Part XI Technical Reference
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 11. Technical Reference This section contains technical reference topics not covered elsewhere: Drag and drop file upload 152 Minimizing energy consumption 155 Processor limitations 155 RS-232 reference 156 11.1 Drag and drop file upload Drag and Drop allows you to simply drag files from your desktop or an open file explorer window and drop them straight onto a zone's Playlist 29 or a file manager 43 within the iCOMPEL.
Technical Reference You can also drop files into folder play items by dropping on top of them. If you try to upload media that is not supported in the playlist, then you will receive an error message telling you so. Once the media is uploaded, a new item will appear in the playlist. You can edit it right away. Files & Folders The other place to drop files is in the files and folders tab within the iCOMPEL. This includes: The main "File Manager" page found under the "Media" menu.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Supported Browsers Dragging and dropping is a new feature that requires features that are new to more modern browsers.
Technical Reference 11.2 Saving energy Digital Signage players are designed to run 24/7. To reduce the energy consumption, you may wish to shut part of or the entire system down during certain times of the day. There are three possible approaches: Make the iCOMPEL put the Screen into stand-by mode (iCOMPEL continues to run). Make the iCOMPEL switch the Screen off via an RS-232 cable (iCOMPEL continues to run). Use a timer switch to shut down both the iCOMPEL and the Screen.
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) Animations (typically in Flash or HTML with embedded JavaScript) have no upper limit to their processing requirements and can overwhelm the iCOMPEL players processing resources. If this occurs, the Animation will typically run slow but other Zones will continue as normal. 11.
Part XII Glossary
iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.1) 12.
Index Glossary Index -Aaccounts 117 action 70 ad hoc 10, 79, 80, 82, 83, 85, 87, 91, 158 ad hoc content 79, 80, 82, 83, 85, 87 ad hoc folder 79, 82, 87 ad hoc from center 79, 83, 158 ad hoc item 79, 85 ad hoc media folder 79, 87 ad hoc page 79, 80, 85 ad hoc theme 91 ad hoc theming 91 ad hoc user 79, 85 adding files to playlists 31 adding folders to playlists 32, 50 adding special items to playlists 31 advance to 62, 68 advanced features 67 Analog Radio 124 Analog TV 124 analog TV setup 124 audio 23, 48,
Index iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.
Index Glossary NTP 118 roles 98, 100, 105 rotating zones in a layout 75 RS-232 41, 75, 137, 139, 156 RS-232 content 41 RS-232 inputs 139 RS-232 interface 75 RS-232 outputs 137 RS-232 technical reference 156 RSS 36 -Oopacity 60, 64 OpenType 65 optimizing playback options 115 OTF 65 outputs 72 override 15, 20 155 -S- -P- saving energy 155 schedule 10, 15, 16, 20, 158 schedule entry 16 screen 135 screen background 76 screen burn 75 screen resolution 135 screen snapshot 111 security 126, 128, 131 setup
Index iCOMPEL Digital Signage - User Guide (V8.1.
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