Gefen EXT-DSC Hardware Manual
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Gefen EXT-DSC Hardware Manual

Digital signage creator
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  • Page 1 ® Digital Signage Creator Digital Signage Creator Hardware Manual www.gefen.com...
  • Page 2 Notice Gefen, LLC reserves the right to make changes in the hard ware, packaging, and any accompanying doc u men ta tion without prior written notice. Digital Signage Creator is a trademark of Gefen, LLC © 2011 Gefen, LLC. All rights reserved All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    CONTENTS CONTENTS Introduction Operation Notes Features Panel Layout Panel Descriptions Connecting And Operating The Digital Signage Creator How to Connect the Digital Signage Creator Accessing the Digital Signage Creator HTTP Server Using the Digital Signage Creator Web Interface DHCP Confi guration Static IP Confi...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    Digital Signage Creator brings hypermedia content to digital displays in several ways. How It Works The Gefen Digital Signage Creator simplifi es the publishing and maintenance of your digital signage project. Connected to digital displays through HDMI and VGA, Digital Signage Creator is capable of rendering combinations of media elements from a rich set of formats: audio, video, vector graphics, pictures and text.

  • Page 5: Operation Notes

    OPERATION NOTES READ THESE NOTES BEFORE INSTALLING OR OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR • This manual covers operation of the Digital Signage Creator hardware. Please see the Digital Signage Director manual for software operation. • The Digital Signage Creator uses DHCP by default. The unit is always reachable at http://gef-dsc-xxxxxxxxxxxx.local from Zeroconf enabled computers on the local network.

  • Page 6: Features

    FEATURES Features • Comprehensive software suite which includes content creation and management features • Built-in layout templates that quickly allows users to get a project started • Selectable output resolutions supporting 4:3 and 16:9, 16:10 computer and HDTV to 720p •...

  • Page 7: Panel Layout

    PANEL LAYOUT Front Panel Back Panel...

  • Page 8: Panel Descriptions

    PANEL DESCRIPTIONS Mini-Plug to RS-232 Serial Port This port is used to control functions and features using serial communications. Ethernet Port Connects the Digital Signage Creator to the network using Ethernet cabling. When connected, the Digital Signage Creator unit can be controlled using the built-in Web interface of the DSD (Digital Signage Director) software.

  • Page 9: Connecting And Operating The Digital Signage Creator

    The Status Indicator on the front of the unit will begin fl ashing bright green indicating that the Digital Signage Creator is powered. HDMI CABLE VGA CABLE ® ETHERNET CABLE Router USB Flash Drive* Gefen Digital Signage Creator Using HDMI *USB Device, used for additional storage, is optional EXT-DSC Using VGA...

  • Page 10: Accessing The Digital Signage Creator Http Server

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Accessing the Digital Signage Creator HTTP Server (PC) This procedure is required to access the Digital Signage Creator for the fi rst time, administer the HTTP server, or to publish content on a Digital Signage Creator unit.

  • Page 11: Using The Digital Signage Creator Web Interface

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Using the Digital Signage Creator Web Interface The Web Interface is divided into two sections: • Information • Administration Information > Status The Status function returns the status screen which is displayed once the Web interface is launched.
  • Page 12 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Information > Snapshot The Snapshot function creates a snapshot of the current content shown on the display and displays the image in the Snapshot window. Click the Refresh button to capture the current content displayed on the screen. The captured image is stored as a .PHP fi...
  • Page 13 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Information > Display Info Shows information about the display connected to the Digital Signage Creator. The Digital Signage Creator gets this information by reading the EDID of the attached display.
  • Page 14 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Information > Storage Provides information about the storage media used by the Digital Signage Cre- ator. A link to the Local Storage is also provided. Clicking on this link will display the directories and content on the Digital Signage Creator. Clicking on the Local Storage Access link (Server Address) will display a Web page similar to the following:...
  • Page 15 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR The fi le list can be sorted by clicking on Name, Last Modifi ed, Size, or Description. Information > Logs Allows viewing of all Resource, JavaScript, Information, and Warning logs which have been generated by the Digital Signage Creator.
  • Page 16 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Display Settings > Basic Allows the resolution, orientation, and other display options to be changed. The Digital Signage Creator contains seven predefi ned video modes for computer monitors and HD displays. Select the output resolution to activate.
  • Page 17 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR A preview of the current display settings are shown on the Display Settings page. Click the Apply button to save the changes and reboot the Digital Signage Cre- ator. Display Settings > TV Screen Sets the output resolution for the HDMI output: 480p or 720p Display Settings >...
  • Page 18 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Display Settings > Force Aspect Ratio To Check this box to force the aspect ratio on the output. Select 4:3 (pan-and-scan) or 16:9 or 16:10 (widescreen). Display Settings > Screen Orientation Use the pull-down list box to select: Horizontal, Rotate 90 Right, Rotate 90 Left, Rotate 180, Flip Vertical, or Flip Horizontal.
  • Page 19 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Display Settings > Power Mode for VGA Output Controls the voltage level of pin 9 on the VGA connector. Setting Description Automatic Turns off VGA monitor when disconnected Always On VGA monitor is always on when connected Always Off Turns off the VGA monitor Display Power Save >...
  • Page 20 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Display Settings > Advanced Allows advanced control of resolution and other display options. After changing the Display Settings, click the Check button to test the video settings. Advanced > Display Settings > Resolution Select the output resolution from the pull-down list box.
  • Page 21 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Available resolutions: Resolution 640 x 480 720 x 480 720 x 576 800 x 500 800 x 600 1024 x 640 1024 x 768 1280 x 720 1280 x 800 1920 x 1080 Advanced >...
  • Page 22 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Advanced > Display Settings > Restrict Video Mode To Restricts the video mode. Video Mode HDMI VESA VESA, GTF HDMI, GTF HDMI, VESA Advanced > Display Settings > Power Mode for VGA Output Sets the power mode when connecting to a VGA monitor.
  • Page 23 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Advanced > Display Settings > Overscan Percentage Adjusts the amount of overscan on the display. Overscan Percentage Advanced > Display Settings > Force Vertical Refresh Forces the vertical refresh rate. Refresh Rate 24 Hz 25 Hz 30 Hz 50 Hz...
  • Page 24 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Advanced > Display Settings > Screen Orientation Sets the Screen Orientation. Screen Orientation Horizontal Rotate 90 Right Rotate 90 Left Rotate 180 Flip Vertical Flip Horizontal Advanced > Display Settings > Enable Audio Output Check this box to enables the audio output on the 3.5mm stereo mini-jack (see page 4).
  • Page 25 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Advanced > Interactivity Settings > Maximum Rendering Latency Allows the rendering latency to be changed. Rendering Latency 250 ms 500 ms 1000 ms (1 sec) 1500 ms (1.5 sec) The rendering latency can be reduced to 60 ms when events are received by checking the check box.
  • Page 26 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Advanced > Splash Screen Confi guration Allows each of the default Splash Screens to be changed. Use the Browse... buttons to select a different splash screen. The splash screens can all be the same or can all be different images.
  • Page 27 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Network Settings > Basic > Identifi cation Displays the Digital Signage Creator Device Name and Multi-screen ID. By default, these two identifi cation numbers are the serial number of the Digital Signage Creator.

  • Page 28: Dhcp Confi Guration

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Network Interface Ethernet 3G Modem The Digital Signage Creator can connect to a network using an Ethernet cable or using a 3G Modem. By default, the Digital Signage Creator will use DHCP to acquire the network information.

  • Page 29: Static Ip Confi Guration

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Static IP Confi guration Make sure that the Digital Signage Creator HTTP server can be accessed over Ethernet before continuing with the following instructions. Collect information on the network confi guration. The following information should be available about the network: •...
  • Page 30 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Selecting 3G Modem for the network interface will list a new set of options: After the network information has been modifi ed, click the Apply button to apply changes to the current settings.
  • Page 31 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Network Settings > Advanced > Network API Enables the API server. Enter the port number of the server and click the Apply button. Administration > Network Settings > Advanced > Proxy Settings Changes the proxy server settings.
  • Page 32 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Network Settings > Advanced > SNMP Settings Allows changes of the SNMP settings. Click the Apply button to apply the changes.

  • Page 33: Confi Guring A Usb Drive With The Digital Signage Creator

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Media Sources > Basic > Media Sources Allows confi guration of media sources. Both the Primary Source and the Fallback Source can use Local Storage (e.g. USB drive, etc) or Network Storage. It is recommended to set up a Fallback Source when using the Digital Signage Creator to prevent any possible interruption when accessing the content on the primary source.
  • Page 34 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Plug the USB storage device to the Digital Signage Creator Press the Format Now button. All content of the USB storage device will be erased. When the formatting is complete, unplug the USB storage device from the Digital Signage Creator Plug the USB storage device to the Digital Signage Creator.

  • Page 35: Confi Guring Network Credentials For Remote Servers

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Media Sources > Advanced > Network Credentials Used to add usernames and passwords for network access. The Add Server Row button can be used to add another to this page. Confi guring Network Credentials For Remote Servers For each remote server protected by a password, enter the following information: •...
  • Page 36 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Security > Administrative Server Used to change the password. Click the Apply button to save the changes. Administration > Security > Content Server Confi gures the Content Server password. Click the Apply button to save the changes.

  • Page 37: Administering User Rights

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Security > Monitoring Confi gures the Monitoring password. Click the Apply button to save the changes. Administering User Rights The Digital Signage Creator offers three levels of security: • Administrative Server: Controls the access to all pages of the HTTP administration server.
  • Page 38 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Press the Apply button to save the changes. The Apply button must be pressed for each password that is changed. Passwords can only be changed individually. To confi gure a password for a remote server, go to Administration >...
  • Page 39 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Date / Time > Change Time Allows manual setting of the time or confi guration of NTP Servers to provide the time information. Click the Manual Time Settings checkbox to manually set the time.
  • Page 40 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Date / Time > NTP Statistics Provides information about NTP server traffi c. ffi Press the Refresh button to update the NTP server information.
  • Page 41 fi le in the Protocols drop-down box. Choose either pre-loaded fi les designed by Gefen (identifi ed by the prefi x [sys] before the name of the protocol), or fi les that have been uploaded using the Upload function (see page 40).
  • Page 42 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Once a protocol fi le is selected, the serial port should be confi gured for the attached device. Checking the Control monitor power check box will force the Digital Signage Creator to send the PowerOn and PowerOff commands at specifi ed times (in 24 hours format) regardless of the content uploaded on the device.
  • Page 43 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Pull Mode > Content Pull Scheduling Pull Mode is the method in which the Digital Signage Creator pulls content from the server based on a specifi c time schedule. This permits automatic updating of the content during specifi...
  • Page 44 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Pull Mode can be used bidirectionally to: • Automatically publish fi les to the Digital Signage Creator. Each time the Digital Signage Creator has been scheduled to update the content of its local storage, it will connect to the specifi ed server, check for changes, and download all modifi...
  • Page 45 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Firmware Update > Current Versions Displays the current version of Digital Signage Creator fi rmware and updater. Administration > Firmware Update > Update Server Allows the fi rmware update server to be changed. Click Apply to save the changes.
  • Page 46 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Firmware Update > Automatic Update The Digital Signage Creator will automatically check for updates using the address listed in the Update Server box (see page 39). The pull-down list box can be use to select the hourly Update Time from 0:00 (Midnight) to 23:00 (11:00 PM).
  • Page 47 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Firmware Update > Updater Info Displays the last update log. The latest update log is also available under the Logs menu (see page 15). Administration > Maintenance > Basic > System Restart Click the Restart Now button to reboot the Digital Signage Creator unit.
  • Page 48 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Administration > Maintenance > Basic > Restore Default Content Click the Restore Default Content button to restore the default Digital Signage Creator content. Administration > Maintenance > Basic > Reporting Click the Get Report button to generate a Digital Signage Creator status report. The status report is helpful to technical support when troubleshooting the Digital Signage Creator.
  • Page 49 Administration > Maintenance > Advanced > Extended Reporting Generates an extended report which is useful to the Gefen technical support team when troubleshooting the Digital Signage Creator. Administration > Maintenance > Advanced > Clear Data Clears the selected data.
  • Page 50 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Finding the Digital Signage Creator on the Network (Mac OS X) Make sure that the Digital Signage Creator is powered and connected to the Mac using an Ethernet cable. Open the Terminal program, located under Applications > Utilities. In the terminal window, type the following command: ping -c 3 224.0.0.1 Press the Return key.
  • Page 51 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Type the command: arp -a Press the Return key. A list of known network names, IP addresses, and MAC addresses will be dis- played in the terminal window. The network name is listed in the fi rst column. The IP address is listed in the second column and the MAC address is listed in the third column: Network Name IP Address...

  • Page 52: Connecting To The Digital Signage Creator (Mac Os X

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Connecting To The Digital Signage Creator (Mac OS X) From the Go menu, click Connect to Server... Type the IP address or network name of the Digital Signage Creator in the Server Address text box, followed by the port number. Example: http://192.168.1.10:81 Click the Connect button.

  • Page 53: Using The Digital Signage Creator Http Server

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Using The Digital Signage Creator HTTP Server When accessing the HTTP server for the fi rst time, read the previous sections fi rst. Make sure that a PC is connected to the Digital Signage Creator unit using an Ethernet cable.
  • Page 54 CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Using A Network Server With the Digital Signage Creator The Digital Signage Creator can use an HTTP server as the source for multimedia content. The Digital Signage Creator will frequently check for new or modifi...

  • Page 55: Content Access Modes

    CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Content Access Modes When connected to the network, Digital Signage Creator can be used to access content to be displayed in three different modes: • Push mode: Files are pushed to the Digital Signage Creator using a WebDAV server.

  • Page 56: Confi Guring The Rs-232 Serial Interface

    THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR Confi guring the RS-232 Serial Interface The Gefen Digital Signage Creator can control external appliances using its serial port (RS-232) interface. This type of interface is supported in particular by most professional monitors to allow switch on/off operations or image confi gurations.

  • Page 57: Specifi Cations

    SPECIFICATIONS Digital Display Compatibility Aspect Ratio 16:9, 16:10, 4:3 (horizontal & vertical) Maximum resolution 1280x720 (16:9), 1024x640 (16:10), 1024x768 (4:3) Video output 720p (HD-Ready), 576p, 480p, VGA; 50 or 60 fps HDMI (incl. digital audio), DVI via adapter. VGA (DB15 Video connectors HD connector).
  • Page 58 SPECIFICATIONS Interactivity events Touch screen, keyboard and mouse via USB 2.0 port, user defi ned serial port Time synchronized Millisecond accuracy, for unconstrained video wall confi gurations Network Connectivity Ethernet 10/100 Mbit/s (RJ-45), IEEE 802.3u, 802.3x Protocols IPv4, DHCP or fi xed address Remote confi...

  • Page 59: Warranty

    Gefen warrants the equipment it manufactures to be free from defects in material and workmanship. If equipment fails because of such defects and Gefen is notifi ed within two (2) years from the date of shipment, Gefen will, at its option, repair or replace the equipment, provided that the equipment has not been subjected to mechanical, electrical, or other abuse or modifi...
  • Page 61 Rev X7 20600 Nordhoff St., Chatsworth CA 91311 1-800-545-6900 818-772-9100 fax: 818-772-9120 www.gefen.com support@gefen.com This product uses UL listed power supplies.

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