Page 1 Order toll-free in the U.S.: Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500) Customer FREE technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax 724-746-0746 Support Mailing address: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 Information Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: info@blackbox.com...
Page 2 Table 1. Building an iCOMPEL part number, example ICPS-2U-PU-N-H. iCOMPEL (1st 2 Chassis type Wi-Fi (after 3rd characters) Series (3rd and 4th characters) (after 1st dash)* Role (after 2nd dash) dash)** Video option*** PS, SS, KS, KP, or OS 2U or VE or no value PU, SU, KU, or IU N, W, or no value A, D, or H...
Page 3 iCOMPEL Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada Radio Frequency Interference Statements This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy, and if not installed and usedproperly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio communication. It has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
Page 4 NOM Statement Instrucciones de Seguridad (Normas Oficiales Mexicanas Electrical Safety Statement) 1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado. 2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para referencia futura. 3.
Page 5 Trademarks Used in this Manual Black Box and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc. Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property of the trademark owners. All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems - without the written permission of the publisher.
Page 7: Table Of Contents
Images and Photos ........................44 3.2.5 Audio ........................45 3.2.6 Presentations ........................45 3.2.7 HTML Web Pages ........................46 3.2.8 Adobe Flash ........................47 3.2.9 Folder Play ........................47 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 8 Ad Hoc from Center ........................... 86 Making Ad Hoc Changes ........................... 86 Managing Ad Hoc Items ........................... 86 Creating Ad Hoc User Accounts ........................... 88 Ad Hoc Pages ........................... 88 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 9 Security – Advanced LDAP Settings ........................128 9.2.8 Player Local Information ........................132 9.2.9 Reporting & Remote Setup ........................132 9.2.10 Feature Keys ........................134 Player Setup ........................... 134 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 10 Technical Reference 11.1 Energy Saving ........................... 150 11.2 Optimizing Playback Performance ........................... 151 11.3 RS-232 Technical Reference ........................... 151 11.4 Backup Contents ........................... 152 ..............................154 Glossary Index 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 11 Part Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage...
Page 12: Welcome To Black Box Digital Signage
To understand how you use the iCOMPEL to manage display of content, it is important to understand how certain key features relate to each other. The following diagram illustrates the critical relationships between Schedules, Layouts, Zones, and Playlists: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 13 (for example, to run a scrolling text message at the same time as a related promotional video or image. That examination of the key features gives a flavor of how you put together your signage display on a single iCOMPEL. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 14: Logging On
If you need assistance at any time, click Help on the menu bar to access page-specific help or to navigate to any other help page. You can now begin to become familiar with the iCOMPEL user interface. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 15: Using The Web Interface
Layout Thumbnail This shows you what the iCOMPEL is currently playing. If you click on the thumbnail, the iCOMPEL opens the page showing a full-size screen snap shot. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 16 Status summary – The color of the icon indicate the current status (in the above case, the network status is good). Here are status bars that respectively indicate attention needed and problem detected: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 17 To speed your access to important pages and information, the right-hand side of the menu bar includes a selection of icons. Click the icon to access the following: – The Home page. – The Manage Schedules page. – The Manage Layouts page. – The Setup icons page. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 18 Some commands are common across different iCOMPEL pages. The user interface provides command buttons for these. To execute the command, click the button. The label on the button describes the command, such as 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 19 Part Creating Digital Signage...
Page 20: Creating Digital Signage
1. On the menu bar, click Schedules. 2. Click Manage Schedules. There are these action buttons for each schedule: Delete the schedule (does not delete the associated layouts). – 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 21: Creating A Schedule
2. Select the test to apply from the second drop-down list. button or delete values 3. Enter the value to test for in the final field (add further values by clicking the by clicking the button). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 22: Schedule Entries
Schedule made up of three Schedule Entries Looking at the respective settings on the Add Schedule Entry tab reveals how you would go about specifying each of those schedule entries. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 23 Details of second Schedule Entry The third schedule entry causes the iCOMPEL to change to the Active layout for 10 minutes every hour: Details of third Schedule Entry 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 24: Overriding The Schedule
3. Enter a name for the override. Use a descriptive name (for example, 'Emergency Instructions'). 4. Select what you want the iCOMPEL to do with audio and the screen. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 25: Using Layouts
Click the layout name (or the thumbnail) to open the graphical layout editor or to access the layout's properties. Click a zone in the layout diagram to open the zone's playlist. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 26: Adding A New Layout
Layout Properties – Displays the Ad Hoc Page and Soundtrack options for you to enable or disable. Interaction – Displays the interactivity options for you to configure. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 27: Layout Properties
You can have a zone display a single item or a sequence of items. You define the items that a zone displays in a playlist. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 28: The Layout Editor
The editor displays each zone in a color indicating the media player enabled for the zone: Red – Movie player (zone B) Light green – HTML player (zone E). Light blue – Image player (zone D). Yellow – Text player (zone C). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 29: Editing A Zone
– Click to toggle the Zone Properties dialog off and on. The iCOMPEL displays the toolbar for the currently selected zone. – Click to select the Save options. buttons provide the detailed editing features. Click the button to open a list like this: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 30: Editing A Zone's Properties
(such as in its playlist). to play that media type. Media – Check the relevant box or boxes to enable the zone 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 31: Using Playlists
Playlist – Lists the items in the playlist (displays their type, media details, and play duration). Files & Folders – Lists the folders containing media items you can add to the playlist (also use to navigate between 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 32: Adding Media Item Files To A Playlist
The special items you need to set up in advance are: Video (including TV stations). Newsfeeds. Tables. The special items you do not need to set up in advance are: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 33: Adding Folders To A Playlist
Preview an item in your web browser. This is useful if you want to see one particular item but cannot easily view the screen. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 34 Note: The screen will go black for a moment while the iCOMPEL takes the snap shot then reverts to the current layout. The iCOMPEL displays the snap shot in a new browser window (or browser tab). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 35 Part Understanding Media Types...
Page 36: Understanding Media Types
You can display text you directly enter on the iCOMPEL. (You can also display text files: see Text Files for more details.) Zone player type to enable: Text. Playlist tab containing the item: Special. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 37: Newsfeeds
Specify how long the iCOMPEL will continue to display existing items if there is no connection to the newsfeed to obtain new ones. Authentication Select the required authentication style: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 38: Clocks
The iCOMPEL displays the Tables tab with your table added to the list. Click the button next to a table to take these actions: Delete the table. You cannot delete a table that is in use. Check the right-hand column to see the items using the table. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 39 If you set the User Interface Policy to Detailed, the iCOMPEL also offers these options: Override with Integer between – The ad hoc user can only enter values between the lower limit and upper limit you specify (both inclusive). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 40: Outputs
Use the Media > Files & Folders option to manage media content files on the iCOMPEL disk. Note: You cannot create or edit files on the iCOMPEL. Create or edit files elsewhere and upload the result to the iCOMPEL. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 41: Uploading Content Files
Using Drag and Drop – If supported by your browser. Note: Always add your content files to the Media folder or to sub-folders of the Media folder. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 42 Note: If the FTP page does not refresh, press the F5 key or click Refresh to update it. When you have connected Windows Explorer to your iCOMPEL with FTP, you can also: Rename and delete files on the iCOMPEL. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 43: Video
Zone player type to enable: Movie. Note: For best performance, only enable one movie zone per layout on less powerful iCOMPEL models. Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 44: Text Files
Note: Large images may take several seconds to appear and may slow down the performance of the iCOMPEL. Always resize an image to match the size of the zone before uploading it. Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 45: Audio
If saved as video – Movie. If saved as Adobe Flash – HTML. If saved as image slide show – Image. Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders. Additional notes: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 46: Html Web
You can display local HTML files on the iCOMPEL. (You can also display whole or part pages from a remote web site: see External Web Pages for details.) Zone player type to enable: HTML. Playlist tab containing the item: Files & Folders. Additional notes: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 47: Adobe Flash
Coupled with the order of play, you can also configure these properties: How many of the files to play. The number of files to jump before playing the next file. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 48: Media From External Sources
You can play output from external digital radio stations with the iCOMPEL. You add audio to a whole layout and not to an individual zone. Layout property to enable: Soundtrack. Playlist tab containing the item: Specials. Additional notes: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 49: Live Video
Additional notes: Supported Format Notes MPEG-2 Transport Your set up needs to include: Stream in UDP An Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) network infrastructure to support multicast streaming. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 50: External Web
Determine whether a page auto-refreshes by searching for the tag in its HTML code: <meta http-equiv=refresh> 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 51: Media Item Properties
The following table lists the generic properties you will find on the Media and Style tabs for each of the zone media players: Movie HTML Image Text Soundtrack Duration Deinterlace Mode Letterbox Color Subtitles Volume 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 52 Some playlist items have properties additional to the generic properties. For details of those item-specific properties, see the information for each item: Newsfeed Properties Clock Properties Folder Play Properties Ad Hoc Properties 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 53: Movie Properties
Note: This is only available if you set the User Interface Policy to Detailed or Expert on the UI Options page. 3.4.2 HTML Properties The following properties apply to zones enabled as a HTML player: Duration Select the duration you require: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 54: Image Properties
Show the image for – The iCOMPEL shows the image for the period you specify. Fade Out You can set the image to fade out with one of these options: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 55: Text Properties
Background Color If you want the background in a different color than the default, click the Pick Color button to select an alternative. Horizontal Select the text horizontal position (only enabled for stationary and vertically- scrolling text). Alignment 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 56: Soundtrack Properties
Indicates who can make changes to the set up on this page (click the Save Changes and change Item Type button to alter this). Ad Hoc Entry Enter a reference label for the iCOMPEL to use in the playlist Media column. Label 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 57 Text moving from top to bottom at speed – Scrolls top-to-bottom at the speed you specify. For best results, set the scrolling speed in multiples of 60 (for example, 60 or 120). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 58: Clock Properties
Show Clock for – The iCOMPEL displays the clock for the period you specify Font Select the font family you want and the size and style to apply. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 59: Folder Play Properties
(shuffle play). Select items at random – Play files Item If you need to synchronize between zones, select the appropriate option for your synchronization strategy: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 60: Common Advanced Properties
Left edge offset – Amount to move the zone relative to the screen's left edge Width – Width for the zone. Height – Height for the zone. This property is not applicable to soundtrack items. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 61 Disable media auditing – Disables data collection even if it is enabled in the zone's properties. Enable media auditing – Enables data collection even if it is not enabled in the zone's properties. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 62: Ad Hoc Properties
Subtitles – Whether or not to display subtitles (if available). Tables: o Table – Name link to the Ad Hoc tab of the Media > Tables page for configuring the table. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 63: Playlist Commands
To add an Advance To command to a playlist, follow these steps: 1. Click the Specials tab. 2. From the Advance To Rendezvous Point drop-down list, select the relevant rendezvous point name. 3. Click the button. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 64: Change Layout Command
'Holidays', the iCOMPEL creates the following color items for it: Text foreground – Holidays: Text Text background – Holidays: Background Letterbox – Holidays: Letterbox You can modify the properties for these color items as needed. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 65: Fonts
TrueType (TTF or TTC) and OpenType (OTF) format font files. If your iCOMPEL is a publisher, you must also install that additional font on every subscriber iCOMPEL. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 66 7. To preview a font, click the button. This interrupts the current layout display and shows a test message on the screen. You can change the test message using the Font Options tab. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 67 Part Enhancing Your displays...
Page 68: Enhancing Your Displays
To have the iCOMPEL perform automatic captioning, you have to use files with corresponding file names. For example, to display captioning for a video file called Marketing_Highlights_01.mpg, you would need to create a file called Marketing_Highlights_01.txt containing the text captions. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 69: Displaying Video-On-Demand Using A Sub-Playlist
Advance To command at the end of the sequence in the same playlist. This means that the iCOMPEL displays the items in the sequence in a continuous loop until another Advance To command breaks out of the loop. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 71: Using Interactivity
You will find it easier to review layout interaction behavior because the iCOMPEL displays all layout components at once. To configure touch actions for a playlist, you must either: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 72 4. If no zone has an active RS-232 input action, the iCOMPEL performs the RS-232 action defined for the layout. The iCOMPEL processes a remote keypad button event as follows: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 73: Designing Interactive Layouts
Trade-Offs Between Display Change Methods: You can change the display in response to an interaction either by changing the size and show/hide properties of a zone or 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 74: General Purpose Input/Output
Touch screen calibration – On the menu bar, click Setup and select Player > Interactivity. Click the Touch tab and click the button. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 75: Click On Touch
To display only part of a movie item, modify the values for its Movie Size property (see Movie Properties for details). To display only part of an HTML item, modify the values for its Web Page Size property (see HTML Properties details). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 76: Mitigating Plasma Screen Burn
If you select Image, then browse the file system for an image. If you want a splash screen effect, set the Layout 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 77 Enhancing Your displays Activation option to Activate new Layout after and select the delay from the drop-down list. 3. Click the button. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 79 Part Ad Hoc Content...
Page 80: Ad Hoc Content
Center. This allows the ad hoc user to update those items on the publisher and in turn that updates each subscribing iCOMPEL. The ad hoc system is secure: no ad hoc user can make changes unless you specify the customizable item and give the 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 81: Enhanced Ad Hoc Access Control
1. On the playlist's page, click the Specials tab and enter the text you wish to be displayed. 2. Check the Content of this item can be customized using this Layout's Ad hoc Entry Page box. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 82 3. Check the Content of this item can be customized using this Layout's Ad hoc Entry Page box. button. 4. Click the 5. If you want to further configure the item's ad hoc options, click the button. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 83: Remote Keypad Control
To allow ad hoc users to control the display with the remote keypad, take these steps: 1. On the menu bar, click Layouts and select the one the remote keypad will control. 2. Click the Interaction tab. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 84: Additional Ad Hoc
Schedule allows the ad hoc user to set the time when a layout should appear on the display. For example, if a lunch hour layout has been scheduled, but times vary at different locations, local ad hoc users can set their times accordingly. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 85 4. Select the layout from the drop-down list. 5. Click the button. 6. On the menu bar, click Media and Manage Ad hoc items. 7. Click the Add Item tab. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 86: Ad Hoc From Center
Media and Manage Ad hoc Items. To create an ad hoc item, click the Add Item tab. Select the item type from the drop-down list and enter a unique name for 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 88: Creating Ad Hoc User Accounts
To view or modify an ad hoc page, follow these steps: 1. On the menu bar, click Media and select Design Pages > Manage Ad hoc Pages. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 89: Editing Ad Hoc
Page Name – Unique identifier for the ad hoc page. The iCOMPEL displays it on the Data Entry page. User Guidance Message – Optional. Enter a message for the iCOMPEL to display on the Data Entry page to help users when entering values. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 90: Ad Hoc Folder Play
3. Select the folder from the Media Folder drop-down list. 4. Click the button. Go to the Media > Files & Folders page to create the folders and to browse the file system. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 91: Changing Ad Hoc Content
3. Select the new newsfeed from the drop-down list. 4. Click the button. Media Folders Manage media items (typically, still images held in a folder) showing on the screen: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 92: Ad Hoc Theming
Provide a translation of pages in a language not already supported on the iCOMPEL. The ad hoc theme applies to ad hoc users on the iCOMPEL or on an iCOMPEL subscribing through a channel. You cannot 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 93 Ad hoc Edit Pages Media Folder The iCOMPEL displays the default text on the left. Enter your new text in the field on the right. When complete, click the button. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 95 Part Sharing Content Using Layout Packages...
Page 96: Sharing Content Using Layout Packages
2. On the menu bar, click Layouts and Layout Packages. 3. Click the Create tab. 4. Enter a suitable name and optionally a description for the new layout package. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 97: Uploading And Installing A Layout Package
The iCOMPEL installs all non-conflicting items. Copy and Replace – The iCOMPEL will replace existing items with items from the layout package. This is equivalent to the iCOMPEL overwriting the local items. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 98: Layout Package Information
Other additional settings (such as color items and special fonts). Media item files in the package. This information may help you resolve any conflicts between items in the package and those already on your iCOMPEL. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 99 Part Channels and Signage Networks...
Page 100: Channels And Signage Networks
You will need to provide the users on the subscriber iCOMPEL players with the appropriate ad hoc permissions. See Hoc Content for more details. Publish more than one channel from your publisher. See Multichannel Publishing for more details. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 101: Channel Roles
HTTP, HTTPS (typically, less than five) that will not slow the (recommended), or FTP. publisher down. This method requires no extra hardware. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 102: Publishing
In automatic mode, you set your publisher iCOMPEL to always publish the currently active channel at a specified time of day. In manual mode, you manually issue a command to publish the channel. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 103: Configuring The Publisher
Limit to – Do not allow more zones that the value you specify. For example, if publishing to less powerful iCOMPEL models, choose a value to ensure you will not overload them. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 104: Publishing A Channel
In all cases, the publisher iCOMPEL displays the following banner if you have changed the channel contents but have not published it yet: Clicking the Published link takes you to the Publish tab so that you can publish the new content, as above. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 105: Multichannel Publishing
Specify how often the subscriber polls for new channel content. Set this often enough to pick up changes but Interval not so often as to overwhelm the network or channel content server with requests. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 106: Updating Subscription
After you configure the iCOMPEL as a subscriber to a channel, it continues to automatically poll the channel for updates without any further intervention. You can also manually command a subscriber iCOMPEL to poll for updates by following these steps: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 107: Channel Ad Hoc
When configuring those subscribers, you might want to set their polling interval to a shorter period so that ad hoc from center updates arrive more quickly. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 109 Part VIII Player and System Status...
Page 110: Player And System Status
Illustrates disk and CPU temperatures from the previous 24 hours on separate graphs. Green lines indicate the safe temperature range and red where the temperature is too high. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 111: Conditional Play Status
The Conditional Play status page summarizes the playlists or schedules with the Conditional Play property set. The page displays details of the items that you have configured to play conditionally along with the result. If you have not 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 112: Tv & Radio Status
2. Select the frames-per-second refresh rate for the display. 3. Click the button. By default, the display runs for 60 seconds but you can stop it at any time by clicking the button. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 113 Player and System Status Note: Viewing the live-screen display may impact the quality of the actual screen's output. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 115 Part Setup...
Page 116: Setup
Select the time format you prefer: Locale Specific means the format matches the country and language you set on the Setup > Player > International page. Time Separator A colon is the default. Enter another character to use as an alternative. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 117: System Setup
Use the Setup > System options to configure and check the operational features of your iCOMPEL. Select the menu item for the option you require: Users – Adding and managing user accounts. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 118: Users
Layout Manager – Access to the Manage Layouts, Schedules, Ad hoc Entry, Newsfeeds, Tables, Colors, and Files & Folders pages. Publish Channel – Allows the user to publish to a channel. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 119: Date And Time
If the difference is greater, reboot the iCOMPEL to synchronize times again. Status: Not displayed if you have chosen Local System Clock. Shows the latest characteristics of the NTP servers you have 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 120: Network
DNS Search Path – Enter the path needed to reach the Domain Name Server (DNS). DNS Nameserver – Enter the IP addresses of up to three DNS nameservers. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 121 – Click to connect to this network. The iCOMPEL will attempt to make the connection (if you have enabled wireless). This breaks any existing wireless connection. If you restart the iCOMPEL, it may not reconnect to the same network. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 122: Tv & Radio
– Testing the Composite and S-Video capture inputs. Streaming TV & Radio – Specifying and checking multicast addresses. TV System – Specifying and checking the TV system for your locale. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 123 To add a station, follow these steps: 1. Select a channel from the drop-down list. 2. Enter a name to identify in the field next to the list. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 124: Http Proxy
Set up the HTTP proxy by completing the information on the Add HTTP Proxy tab. Specify that the iCOMPEL must use a HTTP proxy when you setup individual Internet resources (for example, a newsfeed). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 125: Security - General Settings
Access is by the master password. You can configure each of those to match the specific security needs of your network or to conform to corporate policy on port numbering. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 126 SSH Ports – Default: 22. Modify or add if you want your iCOMPEL to accept FTP connections through a Settings different port. Movie Player Service State – Default: Disabled. Check this box to enable the unicast listener service. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 127 1. Enter the name of the target iCOMPEL user in the Test Username field. 2. Click the button. The test results are displayed in two parts: A table showing the status of each step. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 128: Security - Advanced Ldap Settings
When you have completed your configuration, click on the LDAP Tests tab to test it before rebooting the iCOMPEL (see LDAP Tests for details). 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 129 Recommendation: Use a very strong password for the fallback user password. Bind: Select Allow Anonymous Bind to use anonymous binding to the LDAP server. Otherwise select Bind using DN and 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 131 Groups,DC=yourdomain,DC=uk)) Posix Scheme Directory – (&(objectClass=posixGroup)(memberUid=%s)(cn=monitor)) Ad Hoc Users: Click the button to add an ad hoc user and to set the filters for them as required. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 132: Player Local Information
Click the tab for the option you require: Reporting Settings – Enabling and configuring reports. Status – Checking reporting states and events. Remote Setup Settings – Enabling and configuring remote setup. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 133 Check the boxes for the categories of setup you want the iCOMPEL to report or donate and for which it will accept updates. Note: You cannot select the Channel category when the iCOMPEL is a publisher. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 134: Feature Keys
Use the Screen options to set the screen resolution and orientation and to test its performance. Click the tab for the options you require: Settings – Changing the screen settings. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 135 Portrait - Right edge at top – Corresponds to 270 degrees of rotation. Landscape - Bottom edge at top – Corresponds to 180 degrees of rotation. Fallback Timings Select and complete the fallback timings appropriate to your screen: 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 136: Players
Restrict disk based flash from reading local data and accessing cross-domain urls – Default and safest option. Select if flash content does not require cross-domain access to data or to read local files. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 137: Outputs
For each item, you can take these actions: Click the button to delete an item. Click the button to review or modify an item's properties. Click the button to enable any modifications. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 138 The Last Response section details the response received the last time the iCOMPEL executed this item. Click the Execute RS-232 String button to have the iCOMPEL execute the RS-232 item immediately and display any response string. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 139: Interactivity
Remote Keypad – Programming the actions associated with the buttons on the remote control. Note: Some features may depend on installed feature keys. Touch: The Status field indicates the current state of the touch system: No touch screen is connected. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 140 In addition, there are two informational properties: Current Level – Indicates the current state of the input (positive or negative voltage). Used By – Indicates the zones and layouts that use the input. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 141: International Settings
Click the new folder's link to specify it as the backup location. 5. Click the button. It can take several minutes for the iCOMPEL to create the backup. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 142: Software Update
Use the Software Update options to check the latest update status and to configure whether the iCOMPEL performs updates automatically or not. Please contact Black Box Technical Support at +1 (724) 746-5500 or info@blackbox.com for more information on available updates.
Page 143 1. Click the button and navigate to the update file location. 2. Select the file and click the button 3. Click the button. 4. Follow the on-screen instructions. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 145 Part Troubleshooting...
Page 146: Troubleshooting
Your iCOMPEL requires little maintenance. From time to time, Black Box Network Services may release software updates for your iCOMPEL. To make sure you keep your iCOMPEL up to date, you can set it to receive and install those updates automatically (see Software Update more details).
Page 147 PC and use it to access the iCOMPEL. You should be able to connect to the iCOMPEL using In Internet Explorer, in the address bar type ftp:// followed by the IP 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 148 (:), the password, the at symbol (@), and then the IP address of ftp//remote:9999@192.168.1.2 the iCOMPEL. For example, . You media should see a list of folders including 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 149 Part Technical Reference...
Page 150: Technical Reference
2. Program the timer switch to turn power on and off at the desired times. 3. Plug the screen and iCOMPEL power cables into the timer switch. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 151: Optimizing Playback Performance
A threshold level of about +1.5 V. An input impedance of about 5000 ohms connected to GND (defaults to a -ve voltage state with nothing attached). An acceptable input range of +/-15 V. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 152: Backup Contents
/data/data/config/audio_settings.xml /data/data/channel/ /data/data/config/http_proxy_settings.xml /data/data/config/ad_hoc/ /data/data/config/local_information.xml /data/data/control/ /data/data/config/player_settings.xml /data/data/fonts/ /data/data/config/remote_setup_settings.xml /data/data/media/ /data/data/config/schedule_log_rotate.xml /data/data/package/data/config/channel/ /data/data/config/screen_settings.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/layout_permissions/ /data/data/config/software_update_settings.xml /data/data/config/streaming_video_settings.xml /data/data/config/tv_settings.xml /etc/onelan/common/user_passwords.xml /etc/onelan/common/users.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/date-and-time-settings.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/dsm_reporting_password.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/dsm_reporting_settings.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/ldap_passwords.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/ldap_passwords_pending.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/ldap_settings.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/ldap_settings_pending.xml /etc/onelan/ntb/security_settings.xml 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 153 Part Glossary...
Page 154: Glossary
Abstract display of a layout showing only the distribution and size of its zones. The color of each zone indicates the media it is enabled to play. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 155 Player A component of the Black Box Digital Signage Platform. Player is the generic term for the appliance that runs the screen. Specifically, the player is the Black Box iCOMPEL.
Page 156 The level of features exhibited in the menu bar and in other options (can be productive, detailed, or expert). Zone A single display area in a layout. 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 157: Index
- C - event captioning external web pages Change Layout command 64, 74 - F - channel content server fallback user channels 12, 100, 101, 102, 105 feature keys 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 158 IP TV network tests item properties networks 100, 101, 102, 105 newsfeeds - L - layout 12, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33 layout editor 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 159 59, 63, 68 reference synchronize playlists remote setup system 118, 119, 122 rendezvous point 63, 69 system setup 116, 117 reporting system status resolution restore RGB color values 724-746-5500 | blackbox.com Copyright © 2010-2013 Black Box Network Services. All Rights Reserved.
Page 161 About Black Box Black Box provides an extensive range of networking and infrastructure products. You’ll find everything from cabinets and racks and power and surge protection products to media converters and Ethernet switches all supported by free, live 24/7 Tech support available in 30 seconds or less.

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Icompel vesa series Icompel ops series

Black Box iCOMPEL 2U Series User Manual

1 Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage

2 Creating Digital Signage

3 Understanding Media Types

4 Enhancing Your Displays

5 Ad Hoc Content

6 Sharing Content Using Layout Packages

7 Channels and Signage Networks

8 Player and System Status

9 Setup

10 Troubleshooting

11 Technical Reference

12 Glossary

Index

Quick Links

Summary of Contents for Black Box iCOMPEL 2U Series

This manual is also suitable for:

Table of Contents