The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and is protected
under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries.
U.S. GOVERNMENT USERS RESTRICTED RIGHTS: Use, duplication, or disclosure by th e U.S. Government is subject to restriction as set forth in subparagraph (b)(2) of the Technical Data and Computer Software-Commercial items clause at DFARS 252.211-7015, or in subparagraph (c)(2) of the
Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19, as applicable.
Avid is a registered trademark of Avid Technology, Inc. Media Browse, ControlAir, iNEWS ControlAir
and iNEWS are trademarks of iNews, LLC. Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, MS, MS-DOS, Win 32, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows NT Server, and the Windows operating system logo
are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States of America and other countries. UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company, Ltd. All other trademarks and registered
trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
Avid
6400 Enterprise Lane
Madison, Wisconsin 53719 USA
Tel: +1-608-274-8686 Fax: +1-608-273-5876
This publication p rovides infor mat ion on how to ins tall an d manage
the iNEWS ControlAir system.
Who Should Use This Guide
This manual is written for journalists, producers, directors, writers,
and various technical p e rsonnel responsi b le for usin g the iNEWS ControlAir system in a broadcast newsroom. Portions of the manual provide installation data for technicians. Other chapters provide
configuration and maintenance information for system administrators
who are manag in g th e system .
n
It is strongly recommended that system administrators have prior experience
in or classroom know l ed ge of the Window s 20 00 or NT
About Th is Manu a l
This guide will lead you through even the most complex procedures
with task-oriented instructions, illustrated for a more realistic presentation of the actual ic ons an d imag es you w ill enco unt e r. The information provided here builds on basic user procedures, while adding a
®
operating system.
vi
complete explanation of al l the t ools and te chniques r equir ed to c reate ,
apply, and adjust vari ous sett ings , in clud in g usef ul ti ps, sho rtcuts , and
custom options.
The Table of Contents that precedes this preface lists all topics
included in the book. They are presented with the following overall
structure:
•The Introduction helps you get oriented with beginning concepts
and general work flow and provides valuable pointers to keep in
the back of your mind as you proceed.
•The main body of the guide follows the natural flow of your work,
with clear and comprehensive step-by-step procedures.
•At the back of the book is a comp rehensive Glossary, providing
cross- industry terms and definitions.
•Finally, a detailed Index helps you quickly locate specific topics.
This manual provides r equir ements and spec ification s for your system
in the following areas:
•Environmental and electrical
•Minimum hardw are and softw are comp on ent s
•Installation procedures
•Syst em config uration and maintenance
Use this manual to prepare for and set up your system on the network,
after y o u have purchased ControlAir components according to
requirements and specifications. Before installing any equipment, the
site must already have a configured network.
Symbols and Conventions
The ControlAir documentation uses the following special symbols and
conventions:
1. Numbered lists, when the order of the primary items is important.
a. Alphabetical lists, when the order of secondary items is
important or in the case of optional procedures.
•Bulleted lists, when the order of primary items is unimportant.
-Indented dashed lists, when the order of secondary items is
unimportant.
vii
Look here in the margin
for tips and environment-specific information.
n
c
Cross References
See “About This Manual” on page v for more
information on what
chapters are in which
sections of this manual.
In the margin you will find tips that help you perform tasks more easily and efficiently. You will also find information specific to a particular operating environment.
A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations,
and strong suggestions.
A caution means that a specific action you take could harm your
compute r o r ca us e you to lo se da ta.
Cross references are provided throughout this manual to give readers
locat i ons where a dd i ti o n a l —sometimes more de tailed—information
on a certain topic can be found. In some cases , the chapter name and
number is provided. In most cases, a two-part page number is given
along with the name of a section header. The first number in the page
number is actually the chapter number.
For instance: See “ControlAir Work Flow” on page 1-9.
In this example, information on work flows through a ControlAir system can be found on page 1-3 in Chapter 1 of this manual. Chapters
are numbered consecutively; page numbers restar t at one in each
chapter. Section numerals are not provided in cross references. So, a
cross reference that shows page 9-57, for instance, indicates that the
information is in Chapter 9.
Symbols and Conventions
viii
Keyboard Conventions
•CTRL-x means to press and hold down the Control key and then
press another key on the keyboard, represented here by x. This is
also used for other key-combinations such as ALT-x or Shift-x.
•“Type” in a command procedure means to type the command on
the command line and then “press” the Ent er key.
•“Select” means to choo se an operation on a d rop-down or pop-up
menu.
•“Click” means to click the left mouse button, usually in response
to a dia log box . “Right-click” means to click the right mouse button.
If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using ControlAir, you should:
1. Repeat the procedure, carefully following the instructions provided for the task in this guide.
2. Refer to the documentation included with your hardware to
review the maintenance procedures or the hardware-related
issues.
3. Check the Support section of Av id’s Web site at
http://www.avid.com/support/ for online technical publications
and additional telephone support phone numbers.
4. Maintenance Agreement contract customers can contact Avid
Broadcast Customer Support personnel at any of these 24-hour
global telephone numbers:
•1 800 639 7364in the Americas
Newsview)
•44 1256 814222in Europe, Africa, an d Mid-East
•61 2 8877 6880in Asia/Pacific
(All Broadcast products , except
Or online:
•e-mailsupport@inewsroom.com
•http://www.avid.com/support/contact.html
For general information, call your local Avid reseller or in North
America call the Avid Broadcast Custome r Relations desk at
1-800-869-7009.
Relat e d Informat i on
ix
Contact your Avid Sales representative for documentation and information on other Avid
puter system, Media Br owse
Gateway, and so forth.
®
produc ts , su c h as th e i NEWS™ newsr oom com-
™
, EditSta r™, LeaderPlus™, MOS
If You Have Documentation Comments
The Avid Broadcast Technical Publications department continually
seeks to improve its documentation. We value your comments about
this manual or other Avid-supplied document a tion.
Send your documenta tion com m ents by e-m ail to:
techpubs@inewsroom.com
Include the title of the document, its part number, revision, and the
specific section that you are commenting on in all correspondence.
Relate d In formation
x
How To Order Docume ntati on
To order additional copies of this documentation from within the
United States, call the Avid Sales department at 1-608-274-8686. If you
are placing an order fr om outside the United States, contact your local
Avid Sales repr esentative.
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to the iNEWS
™
ControlAir
This chapter contains the follow ing maj or sec tions:
•Overview
•System Architecture
•Control Air Work Flow
System
1-2
Overview
The iNEWS ControlAir system is a machine control system for on-air
operations, which can be integrated into the iNEWS newsroom computer system. It can also operate in a standalone environment if the
iNEWS connection is lost.
A Cont rolAir system normally co n s ists of one or more ser ve rs, one or
more workstatio ns , a n d se v e ra l D e vic e M an agers (DM s) .
Also, ControlAir:
•Directly co n t rols pro du c tion device s
•Receives informa tion from the iNE WS Workstation as control
events are entered into product ion cues in scripts
•Handles sev e ral shows simultaneously, while enabling shows to
be produced back-to-back, with only a few seconds between them
Windows-based workstations, with Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs),
allow production personnel to control events on the ControlAir
Server.
Links to Other Newsroom Products
The iNEWS ControlAir system also provides efficient links to other
Avid products for additional scripting and video capabilities, such as
Digital News Gathering (DNG), a disk-based prod uc tion system,
which stores digital vi deo, audio, and graphi cs data in a single central
library . That data is then accessible by workstations for recording, editing, and playback. Another feat ure is t he iNEWS CG Title Entry , whi ch
enables newsroom personnel t o simulate ch aracter -generated graphic s
on the iNEWS Workstation.
The iNEWS product set is constructed on a modular, open ar chitecture, enabling its components to work efficiently not only with other
Avid produ ct s, but also wi t h th ird-party h a rdw a re a n d so f tw a re . The
iNEWS newsroom computer sy stem operates on in dustry-standard
Introdu ction to the iN E WS Contro lA i r™ System
technologies, including Windows®-based operating systems,
®
-based PCs, Intel and Silicon Graphics®-based servers, and TCP/
Intel
IP Internet networking protocols.
Avid publishes open Applications Programming Interfaces (APIs) for
ControlAir that enable s integrat ion with third-pa rty sof tware and
hardware.
System Architecture
There are three groups of software in the iNEWS ControlAir system.
•The ControlAir Server (which includes the casvr.exe and
AMCPapp.exe executable programs)
•Device Managers (DMs)
•ControlAir Workstation
1-3
Typically, ControlAir Server software and DMs are installed on the
ControlAir Serve r, while the Co nt rolAir Workstation is installed on
computers in each of the control rooms where ControlAir will be operated. So, the ControlAir architecture consists of:
•Control A ir S e rv e r
•Av id Machine Cont rol Protocol applic ation (AMCPapp.exe)
•ControlAir Serve r appl icat ion (casvr.exe)
•ControlAir Manager applic a tion (camgr.exe)
•Device Managers
•ControlAir Workstation(s)
•The monitor server utility program - running on the iNEWS
Server.
System Archi tecture
1-4
n
ControlAir software can be installed on either th e Mirror Net or the House
Net of the iNEWS hosts. If ControlAir component s need access to other station networking servi ces tha n just iN EWS Serv er s, the n they should be
placed on the House network . In either case , static IP add resses and local
hosts files should be used for all ControlAir compo nent s.
ControlAir Components
There are several ControlAir components, including the ControlAir
Server program (casvr.exe),AMCP application ( AMCPapp.exe),
ControlAir Manager program (camgr.exe), device managers, and
ControlAir Workstation, which are explained in this section.
ControlAir Server
The ControlAir Server is a computer that will minimally run the
casvr.exe, AMCPapp.exe, and camgr.exe programs. Device
managers sh ou ld also re side on the same server as the ControlAir
Server program (casvr.exe). You can run ControlAir Workstation
software on this computer, if desired, but it is not required. For more
information on hardware requ i rements for the ControlAir Server, see
“Hardware Requirements” on page 2-4.
casvr.exe
The executable program called casvr.exe is the central program that
runs on the ControlAir Server.
The ControlAir Server program:
•Routes status and messages between AMCPapp.exe, device man-
agers, and ControlAir Workstations
•Creates and manages playlists and downloads th em to their
respective devices
•Tracks which components have playlists and devices reserved
Introdu ction to the iN E WS Contro lA i r™ System
1-5
•Direc t s control commands from Contro lA ir Workstation to the
appropriate device manager.
AMCPapp.exe
The executable program called AMCPapp.exe is the i n terface between
Avid’s iNEWS new sroom computer syst e m an d the ControlAir Server
running casvr.exe. It translates Avid Machine Control Protocol
(AMCP) data coming in from iNEWS
systems
camgr.exe
The executable program named camgr.exe is known as the
ControlAir Manager and it monitors ControlAir components, including device managers, on the ControlAir Server. If one stops running,
the ControlAir Manager will restart it automatically.
into data that the ControlAir system can manage.
or other newsroom comp uter
n
c
Device Managers
ControlAir Manager can also monitor third-party device managers.
For information on configuring this program, see “Setup ControlAir
Manager” on page 3-25.
If casvr.exe fails, components must be reconnected to the server.
If the ControlAir Manager program is set up, it will monitor device
managers and reconnect them to the ControlAir Server should they
stop running. If ControlAir Manager is not used, the DMs cannot
automatically reconnect and must be restarted manually. Any playlists loaded at the time must be reloaded if the ControlAir Server
program (casvr.exe) is stopped.
A Device Manager (DM) is the program that handles communication
between ControlAir and specific production devices. When the connection is made to casvr.exe, the DM will accept playlists from
iNEWS and commands from ControlAir Workstation. Device manag-
System Archi tecture
1-6
ers should be installed on the ControlAir Server—the same computer
runnin g the casvr.exe program.
Each DM is designed to cont rol a specific machin e . For insta nce,
LouthDM.exe is a DM designed to control any video server that correctly supp ort s th e Lou th vi deo d evi ce co nt rol pr o tocol (VD CP)—such
as Avid’s AirSPACE series of video servers.
There are existing DMs that allow the ControlAir operator to control
the following machine types used for broadcast production:
•Charact e r g en era t or s
•Still stores
•Vi deo playback devices
ControlAir Workstation
From the ControlAir Workstation, the ControlAir operator can vi ew
playlists that have been downloaded from iNEWS, get device and
event status, and control the broadcast pro duction devices.
The ControlAir client software can run on the same computer as the
casvr.exe program, or on a separate computer.
Monitor Server
The moni tor server is not an actual part of the ControlAir system software, but is a utility program on the iNEWS Server. For ControlAir, it
is used to scan stories in the rund own, searching for p roduction cues
to build lists of machine control events (playlists) for the production
devices. It continues monitoring the rundown for changes to production cues and sends them to the ControlAir system until the show goes
off the air.
Figure 1- 1 depicts how conne ctions are made from iNEWS, through
the Avid Machine Control Protocol Applic ation ( AMCPapp.exe), to
Introdu ction to the iN E WS Contro lA i r™ System
1-7
the ControlAir Server program (casvr.exe), th e n to the ControlAir
Workstation, device managers, and devices.
Still Store,
N
CG, Cart, &
other Video
Devices
S
ControlAir
Workstation
ControlAir
Workstation
ControlAir
Workstation
NNN
iNEWS
newsroom computer system
NetworkSerial
N
AMCP
Application
C
ControlAir
Server
Application
(casvr.exe)
C
ControlAir
Workstation
S
Device
Manager
C
C
Device
Manager
C
Device
Manager
C
Device
Manager
Communication between
CN
programs in computer
MCS-PC
S
Still Store
S
CharacterGenerator
S
or
N
Figure 1-1Association of Components in ControlAir
Video
Figure1-2 shows network (TCP-IP) and serial connecti ons between
equipment related to the ControlAir system.
System Archi tecture
1-8
iNEWS S erver:
Software
monitor server; /site/config file;
MCSPC Legacy drivers
Database
Rundown& Event List queues
System Map & Resourcequeues
ControlAir
Server
Leitch
ASC 300's
Equinox
16 Port
RS-422
(or RS-232)
iNEWS
Workstations
MCS-PC
AnyMCS Legacy
Playback device
Chyron
iNEWS stations
Writers, etc. create scripts with
production cues. Producer
tracks progress of show, and
can make changes to
production cues even while
the show is on-air.
100Base-T Ethernet or Faster
ControlAir
Workstations
RS-422
or RS-232
Figure 1-2Typical ControlAir Network Layout
Introdu ction to the iN E WS Contro lA i r™ System
AirSPACE
(AirSPACE DM)
ControlAir Server
Connections
Typically, most ControlAircomponents
(casvr.exe, AMCPapp.exe, & DMs) will
run on the ControlAir Server.
Some DMs (Louth) will attach to their
production devicesvia Equinox or other
multi-port serial board (RS-422 and/or
RS-232). Other DMs,such as the Leitch
ASC 300 DM, and our DM for legacy
MCS-PC's, will connect via Ethernet.
1-9
n
ControlAir software can be installed on either th e Mirror Net or the House
Net of the iNEWS hosts. If ControlAir component s need access to other station networking servi ces tha n just iN EWS Serv er s, the n they should be
placed on the House network . In either case , static IP add resses and local
hosts files should be used for all ControlAir compo nent s.
ControlAir Work Flow
After the news staff has entered machine contro l events in scripts, the
producer can download rundowns to ControlAir using the monitor
server in iNEWS.
n
For more information on creating monitor servers, see “Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers” on page 4-1.
From the ControlAir Workstation, production personnel, such as the
ControlAir operator, can access playlists for downloaded rundow ns
and control associate d producti on devices to cu e , play, and stop the
production events requested.
When your newsroom staff builds a show, they insert special keywords into scripts, known as production cues. These items include a
word to identify the specific production machine or a machine type,
such as CG or SS, and some information to indicate what they want
that ma c h in e to d isplay.
The following example shows a production cue that instructs the character generator to display two lines of text using a sav ed tem plate
named LOC2:
*CG LOC2
Bob Willhouser
Washington DC
ControlAir Work Flow
1-10
Monitor Mode - On
When the monitor server is turned on—usually by the producer, from
the iNEWS Workstation’s Tools drop-down menu—it will read all
production cues in the rundown and build playlists, also known as
event lists, for each device.
After th e mo nitor ser ve r is turned on, it co n ti n u e s to mo nitor the ru ndown, examining every saved story for deleted, new, or updated
events in the playlist.
The monitor server performs as much error checking as i t ca n without
communicating with any broadcast equipment.
The iNEWS ControlAir system is not yet involved. Event lists can be
printed and distributed to the equipment operators, who can control
devices, such as the CG, using trad it iona l meth od s.
Figure 1-3 depicts communication paths after the monitor server is
turned on from the iNEWS Workstation.
n
Introdu ction to the iN E WS Contro lA i r™ System
For more information about iNEWS utility programs known as monitor servers, see “Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers” on page 4-1.
Also, see “Monitor Server’s Error Checking Workflow” on page 4-34 and
“Usin g the Monitor Se rver” on page 4-41.
1-11
,
s
t
s
i
l
y
a
l
P
e
t
a
d
p
U
/
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
n
e
v
E
AMCPapp
Protocol converter
Maintains link to each
loadedmonitorserver
casvr.exe
Retainsall loaded playlists,
playlist & event status,
statusof attached DM and
ControlAir workstations.
DistributesCommands,
updatedstatus, event
changes & messages.
iNEWS Monitor
Servers
ON: Watchfor added,
deleted, or Modified
Machine Control Events
s
t
LOAD: Send playlists and
n
e
v
updatesto ControlAir
E
,
s
e
i
r
o
t
S
s
e
g
a
s
s
e
M
r
o
r
r
E
,
s
u
t
a
t
S
t
MCSDM
O
B
MCSPC
Monitor Commands
(ON, LOAD, UNLOAD, OFF)
(progress, errors, warnings)
N
:
G
e
t
u
s
i
y
l
d
s
P
t
e
l
m
a
y
i
l
n
i
s
t
,
W
r
i
t
e
r
f
t
r
a
t
s
w
e
o
R
d
Any MCS Legacy
Playback device
Messages
f
o
,
P
a
r
s
e
E
R
v
e
u
n
n
t
d
L
o
i
s
w
t
q
u
e
u
e
Rundown & Event List queues
System M ap & Resource queues
o
t
S
W
s
E
r
e
N
i
v
i
r
m
d
o
d
a
o
l
n
Workstations
n
,
s
iNEWS DB
iNEWS Software
Monitor Server
MCSPC Legacy Drivers
iNEWS
,
s
n
w
s
o
t
n
d
n
e
v
u
E
R
r
e
e
t
t
a
n
e
r
E
C
ControlAir
Workstations
Chyron DM
Chyron
LeitchDM
LouthDM
10base-T
ASC 300's
RS-422
Video Servers
Figure 1-3Communication Paths after Monitor Mode - On
ControlAir Work Flow
1-12
Monitor Mode - Load
As air time nears and the newsroom staff completes the rundown,
someone—usually the producer or equipment (ControlAir) operator—will instruct the monitor server to load the playlist into the
ControlAir system (via the AM CP ap plicat io n program). See “Using
the Monito r Serve r” on page 4-41 and Figure 4-7 on page 4-42 for more
information about the v a r i ous mode s of th e m onitor ser v e r.
As the rundown is downlo a ded to the Co nt rolAir Se rver, th e
casvr.exe program loads it to the ControlAir Workstation, and
loads individual playli sts to the appropriate device manager (DM).
That DM establi shes a connecti on to the device ( if it has not al ready
done so) a nd b e gins its as signed task , such as inserting CG text, checking for availability of video clips, and so forth.
Each DM sends to the ControlAir Server program (casvr.exe) the
status of devices and individual playlists, such as whether video is
available, and so forth. The ControlAir Server then forwards the data
to the ControlAir Workstation and iNEWS monitor server. Error messages are returned to the iNEWS user who loaded the rundown and
the ControlAir operator. The monitor server also displays status for
video clips, such as whether the clip is available, into stories in the
rundown and event lists located in the iNEWS database.
The ControlAir operator can now take control of the playback devices
and tak e the show to ai r.
Figure 1-4 depicts communication paths after the monitor server is
instructed to load playlists, commands, status, and user messages
between ControlAir components; note the direction of flow for the
four different kinds of data.
Introdu ction to the iN E WS Contro lA i r™ System
After th e show airs, someon e —typically the producer or equipment
(ControlAir) operator—will instruct the monitor server to unload the
playlist from the ControlAir system. The unload mode allows the user
to discon nect fr om the ControlAir Server without turning off the monitor server.
See “Using the Moni to r S e rve r ” on page 4-41 and Figure 4-7 on
page 4-42 for more information about the various modes of the monitor server.
Introdu ction to the iN E WS Contro lA i r™ System
CHAPTER 2
Preparing for Installation
This chapter contains the follow ing maj or sec tions:
•Before You Begin the Inst allation Procedure
•Site R e qu i re ments
-Power Requirements
-Environmental Re quirem ents
-Hardware Requir ements
•Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card
2-2
Before You Begin the Installation Procedure
Setting up ControlAir involves doing tasks in the following places:
•Control A ir S e rv e r
•iNEWS Servers (at the console)
•ControlAir Workstations
n
Device Manager configuratio n is done at the ControlAir Server. You should
consult the iNews Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual for
specific information on iN EWS Serv er s, the console, or various related sys tem operations.
Before you begin installing the ControlAir software, do the following:
•Read the iNEWS C on t r ol A ir Release Notes for the most up-to-date
product and installation information.
•Familiarize yourself with the entire installation procedure
described in thi s manual.
•Ensure the installation CD is available.
•Ensure the site meets all requirements, provided in this chapter .
Site Requirements
The follow ing sections describe cu stomer-supplied comp onents that
make up the iNEW S ControlA ir sy stem . Mo st are hardware compo nents typically purchased from a third party vendor. However, some
items can be obtained through Avid. For more information, contact
your Avid Broadcast Sales representative.
n
Preparing for Installation
It is recommended you install a hand-held, wall-mounted Halon fire extinguisher, or alternative environmentally acceptabl e extinguis her, in the
vicinity of all computer equipment.
Power Requirements
Surge protection and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) are
essential for all system servers. If the computers lose power even for a
moment, the entire system will stop functioning properly.
2-3
w
Most systems are designed to work with single-phase (three-wire)
power cord with a grounded neutral conductor. To reduce the risk of
electric shock, always plug the cord into a grounded power outlet.
For best performance, keep all system power connections on the same
power feed distribution panel. Do not connect fans, lamps, cof fee pots,
or other equipment to the same outlet that is powering the iNEWS
ControlAir equipment.
Ensure the UPS has surge protection and a high enough rating to handle all systems connected to it. The rating plate on each system will
help calculate the required rating for the UPS. Figure 2-1 shows how to
connect multiple systems to a UPS using a power strip.
UPS
Grounded AC walloutlet
Power strip
Figure 2-1UPS Co nnections
Site Requirements
2-4
Environmental Requirements
The air conditioning must maintain the operating temperature shown
in Table 2-1. The Avid iNEWS newsroom computer system produces
an estimated heat load of 15, 000 BT U s per hour. Table 2-1 shows the
environmental specifications for a standard iNEWS environment.
c
Avid reserves the right to stop the installation and shut off the
iNEWS equipment if the temperature exceeds 75°F (24°C). Installation will be completed after the air conditioning has been corrected.
T able 2-1Environmental Specifications
Condi tionRange
Operating temperature50°F to 75°F (10°C to 24°C)
Storage temperature–4°F to 140°F (–20°C to 60°C)
Relative humidity20% to 80%
Altitude0 to 6000 ft (0 to 1829 m)
Hardware Requirements
To install and run ControlAir, use the following tables as a guide for
basic equipment needs. Because development is on-going, req uirements are subject to change without notice. For specifications pertaining to ControlAir, visit Avid’s Web s i te at :
www.avid.com/products/controlair/specs.shtml
Preparing for Installation
Review the latest minimum hardware requirements for all
iNEWS-related product lines on the Web at:
www.avid.com/products/.
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