Z-SYSTEMS ROUTER
™
CONTROLLER
DOCUMENTATION V1.0
Printed in Canada
© 1993-1998 Sonic Science®
All rights reserved.
The use and copying of the product described in this manual is subject to a licence
agreement. Any other use is prohibited. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or translated into any
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Information provided in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not
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CHAPTER 1: BEFORE YOU BEGIN
8BEFORE YOU BEGIN
he Z-Systems Router Controller
contains the information you will
T
need to set up your router and
begin using it immediately. Although the
manual assumes that you have no
knowledge of how to use our software, it
does assume a working knowledge of the
Macintosh computer.
REGISTER YOUR COPY OF THE
Z-SYS ROUTER CONTROLLER
Before you begin, locate your Product
Registration Card. It will most likely be
inside the same envelope as your
installation disks. Fill out the requested
information and mail or fax the card now
before it has a chance to be misplaced or
forgotten.
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
The goal of this manual is to provide you
with a painless path to utilising the ZSystems Router Controller. The manual
combines complete information on the
software with descriptive ‘how-to’
sections.
Chapter 3: Using the Router
Controller
This chapter explains the general
operation of the Router Controller in a
single user configuration.
Chapter 4: The multi-user
version
This chapter shows you how to set up and
use the Z-Systems Router Controller
over a network.
COMMAND SHORT-CUTS USED IN THIS MANUAL
Menu commands
Menu commands are referred to by the
name of the command followed by the
name of the Menu. For example, ‘select
New from under the File menu’. What
this means is click with the mouse on the
menu item File and drag down until New
is hilighted. Release the mouse button.
Chapter 1: Before You Begin
This is the section you are reading now.
It contains general information about
getting started with the Z-Systems
Router Controller.
Chapter 2: Getting Started
The Getting Started section is concerned
with installing, setting up and configuring
the Z-Systems Router Controller.
Keyboard commands
Keyboard commands are issued by typing
a modifier key and then some letter. The
modifier key usually used is the command
key. The command key is the one with
the apple and four leaf clover-like shape.
If we want you to type ‘command f’ for
example, we will refer to it in the manual
as <cmd f>. Typing enter will be referred
to as <enter>, and typing the return key
will be written <ret>. The tab key will be
written as <tab>, the space bar will be
written <space> and the option key will be
written <opt>.
8 C HAPTER 1
COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
The Z-Systems Router Controller will
run on any color Macintosh with at least
eight meg of RAM. You can use system
6.x or higher. If you require more than
the two built-in serial ports on the Mac,
you can obtain a serial port expander.
The serial port expander will give you
four additional serial ports at a time.
THE Z-SYSTEMS ROUTER CONTROLLER SOFTWARE PACKAGE
THE Z-Systems Router Controller is
distributed on a single diskette. That
takes care of the preliminaries. The next
chapter contains everything you need to
know to install your software and get it
running quickly.
CHAPTER 2: GETTING STARTED
11G ETTING STARTED
his part of the manual describes
the process of installing the Z-
T
Systems Router Controller to your
hard drive.
INSTALLATION
Installing the router controller
software
The Z-Systems Router Controller
software is distrubuted on a single floppy
disk. If you have purchased the standalone version of the Router Controller
there will be a file called Router Controller on your floppy. If you have purchased
a multi-user version there will be a file
called Router Controller Server and a file
called Router Controller Client. Installation is simply accomplished by dragging
the appropriate application from the
floppy to your hard drive.
To install the stand-alone version:
1) Drag the file called Router Controller
1.1 from the floppy over to the desired
location on your hard drive.
To install the multi-user version:
1) Drag the file called Router Controller
1.1 (xx-User), (where xx represents the
number of users you have purchased) over
the the hard drive of the computer you
intend to use as the router’s server.
Configuring the software for
your router
Configuring the Router Controller
software for your router is done by
selecting Edit Router Parameters from
the Router menu and then setting the
appropriate parameters.
To configure the Router Controller
software for your router for the first
time:
1) Select New Patch from the file menu.
The New Patch window appears.
2) Select the model of router you have
from the Model pop-up.
3) Select the Port it is attached to from the
Port pop-up.
4) Click on OK. A patch panel will appear
(patches are discussed in the next chapter).
2) Drag the file called RouterController
1.1 (CLIENT) to the hard drive of each
computer you have designated as a
workstation.
12 C HAPTER 2
To change the configuration of the
Router Controller software for your
router (i.e. if a new patch has already
been created):
1) Select Edit Router Parameters from the
Router menu.
2) Select the port (i.e., printer, modem,
Ethernet etc.) from the port pop-up.
3) Click on OK.
Network configuration with a
dedicated Audio Server
AppleTalk back on despite the fact that
you diligently turned it off! We know
that sounds confusing, but unfortunately
it is reality.
If you are not using ethernet and are
using the printer port, Apple has a system
extension you must use to alleviate the
above problems. It is called Remote
Only, and we include a copy of it on the
Sonic Search CD. Install it by placing it
in the extensions folder in your system
folder, and then using the Apple Talk
control panel select it as your network
driver.
To recap the preceding information in
point form:
If you are not using a network with
your computers:
• Turn AppleTalk off.
• Don’t use the printer port for your CD
router if possible. In other words, use the
modem port.
If you are using LocalTalk:
To run the Router Controller as a
networked application you will need to
have a LocalTalk or EtherTalk network in
place. The set-up of a local area network
is beyond the scope of this manual.
Assuming that you have properly
configured your LAN, the set-up of the
Router Controller to run on this network
is fairly simple. Chapter 4 of this manual,
The Multi-User Version, will go into
detail on this subject.
At this time we would like to state the
following caveat concerning the Macintosh printer port and AppleTalk: if you
are not hooked up to a network, you
should turn AppleTalk off. If AppleTalk
is turned on, communication will be
disrupted between Sonic Search and the
router if you are using the Macintosh
printer port. This only applies if you are
using LocalTalk as opposed to EtherTalk.
Some software will spontaneously turn
• You must use the modem port for your
router .
If you are using EtherTalk:
• Consider yourself lucky, and use
whatever Macintosh serial port is
convenient.
CHAPTER 3: USING THE ROUTER
CONTROLLER
his chapter explains the operation
of the stand-alone version of the
T
Router Controller software. The
multi-user version is explained in the
following chapter.
THE BASIC IDEA
The Router Controller software gives you
a graphical overview of what is happening inside the router hardware. The first
thing you nave to do is to create a new
patch. This is done by selecting the new
patch command from the file menu.
When the patch window appears it will
look like a grid of squares with sources
(devices which create audio) down the
left side and destinations (devices which
receive the audio) running across the top.
You double click at the intersection of a
source and a destination and a grey
square appears. This grey square
represents a connection that you want to
send to the router. After you create all
sent successfully, a round bullet point
appears at each desired connection.
To create a new patch:
1) Select New Patch from the file menu.
The New Patch window appears.
15U SING THE ROUTER CONTROLLER
the connections you want, you then send
them to the router. If they have been
2) Select the model of router you have
from the Model pop-up.
3) Select the Port it is attached to from the
Port pop-up.
4) Click on OK.
16 C HAPTER 3
To Save a Patch and name it:
1) Select Save Patch as... from the File
menu. If the patch has not been previously
saved, you will be prompted to give it a
name. If the file has been previously saved
you will be again prompted to give it a name
2) Click on OK.
To Save a Patch:
1) Select Save Patch from the file menu.
The file will be immediatelly saved.
To Open an existing Patch:
1) Select Open Patch from the File menu.
2) Locate the desired Patch using the
standard Macintosh browser.
3) Click on OK.
To request a connection:
1) Locate the desired sound-source from
the column on the left side of the patch
window.
2) Locate the cell at the intersection of that
row and the column underneath the desired
sound destination along the top of the patch
window.
3) Double click in that cell or type <cmd
m>. Your desired connection is indicated by
a grey cell in the cell you double clicked on.
4) Repeat the above process until all the
connections you want to request have been
selected.
To send the requested connections to
the router:
To get connections from the router
with or without synchronization:
1) Select Get Connections from the Router
from the Router menu or Get Connections
and Synchronize. The black bullets will
change to reflect the internal state of
connections in the router. If you selected
the synchronize option, the grey boxes will
also change.
To Edit the name of a Source or
Destination:
1) Either double click on the name of the
source, or select it by clicking on it and
choose Edit Source Name or Edit
Destination name from the Router menu.
2) Enter the name in the hi-lited field.
3) Click on OK.
To Clear all Source or Destination
names:
1) Select Clear all Source Names or select
Clear all Destination names from the
Router menu. All the Source or Destination
names will be cleared.
To Clear a connection:
1) Select the connection you wish to clear.
2) Select Clear Connection from the
Router menu.or type <cmd ,>. The
connection is now set to null input.
To Clear all Connections:
1) Select Clear all connections form the
Router menu or type <cmd b>. All
connections are now set to null input.
1) Select Send to Router from the Router
menu. The grey boxes will now have bullet
characters superimposed on them.
CHAPTER 4: USING THE MULTI-
USER VERSION
19T HE MULTI-USER VERSION
Using the multi-user version of the ZSystems Router Controller is not
difficult. This chapter assumes that you
have installed your workstations and
server applications
OVERVIEW OF MULTI-USER CONTROL OF THE ROUTER
Multi-user control of the router provides
you with the convenience of being able to
access the patching functions of your
router from several rooms. Many clients
can be online and can view the connections happening at the server.
T erminology
There are two terms that are used
constantly when multi-user applications
are being discussed. The first term is
‘Server’ and the second is ‘Client’. A
server is a centrally located special
version of the Router Controller that is
installed on the computer that the routers
are connected to. The server receives
messages from the client applications and
deals with them appropriately. That is, it
makes the appropriate connections to the
router as requested by the client applications. You can set up an unlimited
number of Client workstations, but the
server has a user count that determines
the number of Clients that can effect
changes to the state of the router.
Limits
• Multiple servers are not sup-
ported, therefore clients can only talk to
one server.
• The number of clients able to
make changes to connections is limited
only by the user count of the server
application. Thus, if the server is a 5 user
version, then the first 5 clients logged in
can make connections. If one of those
clients logs off then a slot becomes
available for the next client in line to
make connections.
Multiple Zone Networks
If your network consists of multiple
zones, then you will need to install the
“Multiple Zones” enabler file. This
enabler file must be copied to the same
location where the Router Controller
application is located.
Owner Name
Each computer must have an Owner
Name. Use a name that will clearly
identify the server and workstations. This
name is displayed in status screens and
will help to diagnose any communication
problems.
To set an Owner␣ Name for a computer:
1) Select the sharing setup control panel.
2) Enter a name in the Network Identity
box.
3) Close the sharing setup control panel.
Sharing does not need to be enabled for
the workstations.
20 C HAPTER 4
The Network Monitor Window
When the sever or clients start up the
first thing you will see is the Network
Monitor Window. This window lists all
the clients currently running on your
network. The Network Monitor Window
is an invaluable tool for debugging your
network, i.e., seeing at a glance if all the
expected clients are attached.
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