WyreStorm NetworkHD Routing

This driver switches video, audio and USB in a WyreStorm NetworkHD system. It talks to the NHD-CTL controller over the network (Telnet, port 23). One driver instance controls the whole system: up to 32 sources (encoders) and up to 32 displays (decoders). Tested with an NHD-CTL and NHD-500 endpoints.

Do not enter a Multiview decoder here. Multiview has its own driver.

1. What you need

- The IP address of the NHD-CTL controller.

- The alias of every encoder and decoder, exactly as it is written in NetworkHD Console. An alias looks like Stol-Sala1 or Sala2.

- A licence key for this processor (see part 9). Without a key the driver works for 2 hours after every start.

2. First setup (6 steps)

1. Open Driver Configuration for this driver.

2. Controller Connection: type the Controller IP Address. Leave Controller Port 23.

3. License: paste the License Key. If you do not have one yet, leave it empty and read part 9.

4. System Size: set Source Count and Display Count.

5. Sources and Displays: for every source and display type the Alias from NetworkHD Console, and a Name to show on the panel, for example "Table PC" or "Main Screen".

6. Download the system to the processor. Wait about 10 seconds. The variable Connected must be true.

The alias must be exactly the same as on the controller. If it is wrong, the driver writes a warning in Last Error and in the trace, for example: Display 3 alias 'Sala1Alt' is not on the controller.

3. Two ways to switch

Direct: put the function "<Display> - Set Source" on a button. One press routes that source to that display.

Select first, then tap displays: put "<Source> - Select" on the source buttons and "<Display> - Route Selected Source" on the display buttons. The user presses a source, then presses the displays that should show it. Pressing a display that already shows the selected source unroutes it.

Every display and every source has its own group of ready-made functions in the function list, for example "Main Screen - Set Source". You can also use the general functions under Routing and Source Selection and choose the display and the source yourself.

4. Feedback on buttons

Use the variable "<Display> - <Source>" for the reversed (highlighted) state of a button. It is true when that display shows that source.

Other useful variables: "<Display> - Source Name" (text), "<Display> - Routed", "<Display> - Shows Selected Source", "<Source> - Online", "<Source> - Signal Present", "<Source> - Streaming", Routed Display Count.

A button lights up at once when it is pressed. The controller needs 1 to 3 seconds to answer. If the controller reports something different, the button goes back and the Command Failed event runs. Feedback Hold (ms) under Advanced sets how long the driver waits. The default is 3000 ms.

Events run only after the controller confirms the change, so a macro never runs on a guess. Every display has the events Source Routed, Source Unrouted, USB Routed, USB Unrouted, Online, Offline, Video Lost and Video Found. There are also Routing Changed, USB Routing Changed, Source Selected, Controller Connected, Controller Disconnected and Command Failed.

5. Routing Mode (important)

Under Routing Options choose what a route command moves:

- All Media: video, audio, USB, IR and RS-232 move together.

- Audio + Video Only: only video and audio move. USB, IR and RS-232 stay where they are.

Use Audio + Video Only when a room keeps its USB camera and microphone on one PC while the picture changes.

6. USB

The functions under USB Routing move only the USB link. Use "<Display> - USB Set Source", "<Display> - USB Unroute" or "<Display> - USB Route Selected Source". The variables "<Display> - USB Source Name" and "<Display> - USB Routed" show the USB state.

Note: after any USB-only switch, the old command "matrix get" on the controller reports the decoder as empty. This is normal for NetworkHD. The driver reads the video table instead, so the panel stays correct.

7. Displays: status and alarms

For every display the driver publishes Online, Video Present, No Video Alarm, HDMI Output Active, Output Resolution, HDCP and Stream State. Online comes from the controller device list. The other values come from the status of the decoder, read about every 30 seconds, and from controller messages that arrive at once.

No Video Alarm is true only when a display is online, has a source, and has no picture. It is the value to put on a warning icon.

Short gaps are not reported. A loss of picture must last Video Loss Delay (default 3000 ms). After a display is routed to another source the stream needs a few seconds, so a loss inside Video Loss Grace After Route (default 10000 ms) is reported only if it lasts longer. Picture coming back is reported at once. Both settings are under Advanced; 0 in both reports every gap at once.

8. More functions

Presets: set Preset Count under Routing Options and give each preset a Name. "Save Preset" stores the routing of all displays; "Recall Preset" puts it back. Presets stay in the processor after a restart. The variables "<Preset> - Stored" and "<Preset> - Active" show the state.

CEC: standard commands for a display - Power On, Power Off, Power Toggle, HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3. CEC Raw Command sends your own bytes in hex.

RS-232: Send RS-232 to Display or to Source sends text or hex bytes out of the endpoint serial port. Set the port settings of each endpoint under RS-232 Ports (for example 9600-8n1).

Custom Commands: set Custom Command Count under Routing Options, then fill in Name, Type (CEC, RS-232 ASCII or RS-232 HEX), Data and Ending under Custom Commands. Every custom command appears as a ready-made button function for every display, for example "Main Screen - Input 4".

Maintenance: Reboot Controller, Reboot Display Decoder, Reboot Source Encoder, Reboot All Endpoints. Every reboot is written to the trace.

System: Refresh Status reads everything again. Send Raw Command sends any NetworkHD command. Use it only for service, never on a user panel. Multiview commands are refused.

9. Licence

The licence belongs to one processor. Steps:

1. Download the system with this driver.

2. Read the variable Processor MAC (or find the line "licence:" in the processor trace). It looks like 00609FABCDEF.

3. Send this MAC address to SystemAV and ask for a key for the driver "WyreStorm NetworkHD Routing": przemek@systemav.pl (www.systemav.pl). Write the MAC address, the driver name and the name of the project.

4. Paste the key into License Key and download the system again.

5. Check the variable Licensed. It must be true. License Status shows "Licensed".

Without a key the driver works for 2 hours after every start. License Status shows how many minutes are left. Then the driver closes the connection to the controller, License Status shows "Unlicensed - stopped", and the event License Trial Expired runs. A restart gives 2 more hours. If a key is wrong, Last Error explains why.

10. When something does not work

First look at the variables Connected, Last Error and License Status. Then switch on Enable Trace under Advanced, download the system, and read the processor trace. Every line starts with NHD-RT and a time, for example: NHD-RT 13:00:26.014 event CONNECTED.

- Connected is false: wrong IP address, or the controller is off, or the network is blocked.

- One display never works and the trace says "is not on the controller": the alias is wrong. Copy it again from NetworkHD Console.

- Nothing happens after a button press: check License Status first, then Last Error.

- A button goes back after 3 seconds: the controller is slow or it refused the command. Read Last Error. You can raise Feedback Hold (ms).

- Video Lost runs too often: raise Video Loss Delay (ms) and Video Loss Grace After Route (ms).

Trace Poll Traffic under Advanced adds every poll and every line of its answer to the trace. It is very long. Use it only when you need to see the protocol.

11. Support

SystemAV - przemek@systemav.pl, www.systemav.pl. For a licence key send the Processor MAC. For a problem send the processor trace with Enable Trace on, the driver version and the NHD-CTL firmware version.