Front Panel Tab

 The Front Panel tab is a graphical representation of a product's control panel. It gives users the ability to:

  1. configure the operations of the front panel buttons.

  2. configure the captions and functions of the control buttons that are displayed in the GlobalViewer® interface.

Functions of the Front Panel tab vary depending on what product is selected in the IP Link Tree window and include:

Set a Button Caption

To set a button caption:

  1. Select a control button.

  2. Enter the top caption text in Line 1 (if desired).

  3. Enter the bottom caption text in Line 2 (if desired).

In the example at right Line 1: Power, and Line 2: On  are displayed in line 1 (top) and line 2 (bottom) of the selected button.

A caption can be set for each button in the Front Panel display.

Set a Button Tool Tip

A Tool Tip is a descriptive line of text that is displayed in the GlobalViewer interface when the cursor is positioned over a button.

To set a Tool Tip:

  1. Select a control button.

  2. Enter the desired text in the Tool Tip field.

Set a Button Repeat Rate

The Repeat Rate is how quickly a button will repeat its function if the button is held down.

Example: If you have configured a button as an increment volume button, and given it a Repeat Rate of 1.00 sec,  as long as you keep this button pressed (the front panel button or  the GlobalViewer button)  the "increment volume" command will be sent every 1.00 second.

To set a Repeat Rate:

  1. Select a control button.

  2. Select a rate from the Repeat Rate drop-down list.

Set Button Operations

The Button Operations tabs include:

The functions of each tab are described in the paragraphs below.

Note: Functions in the Button Operations (1) window will be selected and moved to the Press (2) window or Release (3) window to be assigned to a button. If a function is moved to the Press window the function will occur when the selected button is pressed (either on the physical front control panel of the device, or in the GlobalViewer interface). If a function is moved to the Release window, the function will occur as the button is released.

Because the DISPLAY power buttons are pressed down together to enter PIN mode, it is good practice to assign functionality to them on their release, (as opposed to the press) so that when you enter PIN mode, if you inadvertently press one button slightly before the other you won't initiate its assigned function instead of entering PIN mode.

Note: A red triangle in the top, left corner of a button indicates that it has been assigned a button operation.

Note: Changes to the GC file do not show up in the GlobalViewer interface until the GC file has been "built"  and "uploaded" to the network devices.

See Build Changed Configuration  for more information.

Driver

To assign a driver function  to a device button:  

  1. Select a button (see below).

  2. Click the Button Operations > Driver tab.

  3. Select a device and expand it's folder (example: Eiki LC-XG100).

  4. Expand the desired operation folder (example: Power).

  5. Select the desired function (example: On)

  6. Drag the selected function (On) to the Press window or the Release window.

     - or -

  1. Use one of the Green Right Arrows to move the selected function (On) to the Press window or the Release window.

     - or -

  1. Drag the selected function (On) and drop it over the selected button (1).

Relay

The Button Operations > Relay tab gives users the ability to add relay-driven functions to a selected button.

Example: If you want to power on a projector and lower a projector screen, all with one press/release of the Display Power On button, you could:

  • Connect the projector screen motor to a relay output of the MLC 226 device.

  • Configure the Display On button to power on a projector.

  • Use the Button Operations > Relay tab to add a second function to the Display On button, that would drive a relay output to lower the projector screen.

To add a button function using the Relay tab:

  1. Select a button.

  2. Click the Button Operations > Relay tab.

  3. Expand the Relay function (click the + sign).

  4. Drag the desired relay function (On, Off, Toggle, Pulse) to either the Press window or Release window.

- or -

  1. Select the desired relay function and click one of the two green arrows to move the selected relay function to either the Press window or Release window.

In the example below, we have added a Relay On function and a Relay Off function separated by a 10-second time delay (Wait 10 seconds), which gives the projector screen 10 seconds to reach the lowered position.

Time Delay

When you add multiple functions to a front panel button, you may want to insert a time delay between the functions.  The Time Delay tab provides the capability to add a delay of from 1 second to 180 seconds to the Press or Release action of a button.

To add a time delay:

  1. Select a front panel button.

  2. Click the Button Operations > Time Delay tab.

  3. Expand the Time Delay function (click the + sign).

  4. Enter the desired number of seconds (1 - 180) in the Wait field.

  5. Drag the Wait icon to either the Press or Release window.

Note: In the example below, a 10-second delay has been placed between Relay On and Relay Off functions, which allows the relay to be on for 10 seconds before turning off.

User Defined

The Button Operations > User Defined tab allows users to add button functionality that is not pre-defined by entering ASCII strings or Extron Simple Instruction Set (SIS) commands in the Command field and moving those commands to the Press window or the Release window. The User Defined tab is only functional with serial ports.

For a listing of ASCII codes, click  View > View ASCII Chart.

To add a User Defined command:

  1. Select a front panel button.

  2. Click the Button Operations > User Defined tab.

  3. Expand a serial port.

  4. Click User Defined Command.

  5. Entered your desired ASCII command string in the Command window.

  6. Drag the User Defined Command to the Press window or the Release window.

- or -

  1. Use the Green Right Arrows to move the User Defined Command  to the Press window or the Release window.

Light Control

The Light Control tab allows users to assign an indicator  color to both the Press and Release actions of selected buttons.

Indicator Color options are:

  • OFF

  • Green

  • Red

  • Amber

Indicator Blink options are:

  • No Blink

  • Slow Blink

  • Fast Blink

To assign an indicator color to a button:

  1. Select a button.

  2. Click the Button Operations > Light Control tab.

  3. Expand a No Blink, Slow Blink, or Fast Blink folder (click the + sign).

  4. Drag the desired color icon (OFF, Green, Red, Amber) to either the Press (4) or Release (5) window.

Note: In the screen below, a solid Green indicator is assigned to the button when pressed.  A solid Amber indicator is assigned to the button when released.  These indicators will show up on the actual device button and in the GlobalViewer graphical representation of the button.

Set Button Modes

The Button Modes options allow the user to apply four different modes of operation for the Room buttons on the System 5 IP front panel.

Button modes of operation are:

Button modes of operation are described below.

Single Switch

In Single Switch mode, the pushbutton switch will perform the same primary function each time it is pressed.

Single Switch mode is the factory default state of the Room buttons and is indicated by a gray-colored switch.

Single Switch mode is the opposite of Toggle mode described below.

Toggle

In Toggle mode you can assign two different actions to subsequent depressions of the same pushbutton switch.

If we apply the Toggle mode to a pushbutton switch, the initial press of the switch causes one action,  and the next press of the switch causes a second action to occur.

To create a Toggle mode button:

  1. Select a button.

  2. Expand the desired device driver (click the + sign).

  3. Expand the desired operation folder (click the + sign).

  4. Select toggle state #1.

  5. Drag the desired Button Operation (Video Mute On) to either the Press or Release window.

  6. Select toggle state #2.

  7. Drag the 2nd desired Button Operation  (Video Mute Off) to either the Press  or  Release  window.

Toggle mode is indicated by red (top) and gold (bottom) coloring of the switch.

Toggle mode is the opposite of Single Switch mode described above.

Input

A Button Mode of Input means that when this button is activated, the audio or video input signal associated with this button will be sent to the display device.

To assign Input mode to a switch:

  1. Select a switch.

  2. Select Button Modes: Input.

Group (X)

When multiple buttons are assigned to a Group:

  • Only one button can be activated at a time

  • When a button is activated, it de-activates any other currently active button

  • The button label color changes to match other buttons of the same group

  • Group 1 = blue labels

  • Group 2 = red labels

  • Group 3 = purple labels

  • Group 4 = green labels

To create a Button Group:

  1. Select a Room button.

  2. Select a Group (#) in the Button Modes drop-down list.

The selected button turns the color of the selected group (blue in the example below).

  1. Select a second Room button.

  2. Again select the desired Group (#) in the Button Modes drop-down list.

The 2nd button turns the color of the selected group indicating that these two buttons now belong to the same group.

To return a "grouped" button to a its original single switch state:

  1. Select the desired button.

  2. Select Single Switch from the Button Modes drop-down list.

The button returns to its single switch state, and its original grey color.

Enable MPS 112

The Enable MPS 112 check box enables users to add the MPS 112 Media Presentation Switcher control panel to a System 5 IP control panel,  and configure all of the MPS 112 buttons along with the System 5 IP buttons.

The Extron MPS 112 Media Presentation Switcher merges four independent switchers in a single enclosure:

  • a four input, one output VGA with stereo audio switcher;

  • a four input, one output S-video with stereo audio switcher;

  • a four input, one output composite video with stereo audio switcher;

  • and a 12 input, one output program audio switcher.

To Enable MPS 112:

  1. Click the Enable MPS 112 check box.

The MPS 112 front panel buttons are displayed (2) just below the System 5 IP front panel buttons.

Clear, Reset, or Auto Fill

The Clear button is used to clear all of the front panel button caption text.

The Reset button is used to set all of the front panel button captions to their factory default text.

The Autofill button is not active on the Front Panel tab. It is active on the Address tab when a Control Module is selected in the IP Link Tree window.  

See Clear, Reset, and Autofill  for more information.