Using Control 4 Player to test device RS-232 compatibility Options

[Mark Porco]

The Control 4 Player can be used in two "States". Server State allows the Player to take instruction from the Control 4 Director while Independant State allows the Player to control the display device from the Players own list of commands. The Player in the Independant State can then be used as a diagnostic tool to establish a primary connection with the device that it is intended to communicate with.

In this post you will learn:

• How to change the running state of your Control Player
• Set the independant options
• Import commands from the Omnivex website
• Send commands to the display device

To set the state:

1. Click Edit > State. The Service State dialog box appears.
   
2. Select a running state:
   
   • Independent, the Control Player runs as an independent application.
     Commands are sent directly from the Player to a single device.
   • Server, the Control player runs as a client to the Control Director.
     Commands are sent from the Control Director to Control Players on
     the network and from there, to multiple devices.
3. Click OK.

Setting the independent options
Click: Edit > Options > Independent tab

To set the independent options:

1. In the Port section, set the port configuration for your device. This varies
   from device to device. Even different models from the same
   manufacturer can have completely different configurations.
2. In the Baud section, select the baud rate for your device. The baud rate in
   the example above is 9600.
3. In the Data section, select the number of data bits for your device. The
   number of data bits in the example above is 8.
4. In the Stop section, select the number of stop bits for your device. The
   number of stop bits in the example above is 1.
5. In the Parity section, select the parity for the device. The parity in the
   example above is Even. The parity is usually represented by the first
   letter, rather than the entire word.
6. Click OK.

You have successfully set the independent options.

Downloading a set of commands for a device
When you install Control Player, by default it does not install with any
command files. You can download command files for your device to your PC
from the Omnivex web site.

To download commands for a device:

1. Click Help > Download Device Commands. A browser window opens
   showing www.omnivex.com/products/devices.asp
2. From the Supported Devices list, select your device type. The File
   Download dialog box appears.
3. Save the CSV file to the Omnivex Control software directory
   (C:\Program Files\Omnivex\Control).
4. Close the web window.

You have successfully downloaded a set of commands for your device. Next,
import them into Control Player

To import commands:

1. Click File > Import. The Import Commands and COM Settings dialog
   appears.
   
2. Select your device type
3. Click Next.
4. Select your device's manufacturer and model type.
5. Click Finish. New items appear in the items list.

You have successfully imported a set of commands into Control Player.

Sending commands to your device
Click
Use the Commands Page to send a single command or a one-time only
command to a device. If you want to send a set of commands or send the
same command on a regular basis, use a Mode or a Schedule.

To send a single command to a device:

1. In the Commands list, select the command you want to sent to your
   device.
2. Click Apply The outbound data arrow appears on the status bar

You have successfully sent a single command to your device.
Monitor the device to make sure it has performed the desired action.

Troubleshooting

More information coming soon