NewTek TriCaster Advanced Edition Automation and Integration Guide User Manual
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P a g e
F
IND THE
COM
P
ORT
The next step involves determining which COM port has been assigned to the new connection by the
operating system. This information is required to configure DataLink.
Right-click the My Computer icon on the Windows
®
Desktop, and select Manage from the menu (to open
the Computer Management panel).
Open the Device Manager, and click the + sign next to Ports (COM and LPT) in the right-hand pane to
disclose available communication ports.
Locate the entry for your scoreboard controller – take note which COM port number is assigned to it
(such as COM 1 or COM2).
Note: Y
ou should see your new connection listed. If it doesn’t appear at first, try removing and re-inserting the
USB cable connector
– or you can use the “Scan for hardware changes” item in the Device Manager’s Action
menu. (If it appears, but shows a ! icon next to its entry, this may indicate a problem with either the USB
connection or your driver installation
– try re-installing the driver, following the directions supplied with it.)
Close the Device Manager.
Again, the port number you noted above is required to enable DataLink to recognize the external device.
Important Note: In some environments, Windows may arbitrarily reassign the external device to a different
COM port following a reboot. If this happens, you could simply update the COM port entry in the affected
configuration profile. However, you may prefer instead to lock the connected device to a specific COM port,
using the Windows Device Manager.
To do this, please locate the current port entry for your scoreboard controller. Right-click the entry name, and
select Properties in the drop-down menu. Next, click the Port Settings tab at the top of the Properties panel,
and click the button labeled “Advanced”. Use the Com Port Number drop-down menu to choose an unused
port number, and click the OK button. OK the Properties panel too, then close the Device Manager. The Port
Number you assigned should now be retained on subsequent reboots.