SP Controls PX2-NRC-1142 - Manual (Page 15)

VI. Scheduling Events and Security
The NRC can initiate events based on date, day of the week, and time of day. First, though, you’ll
need to do some more network configuration. Earlier, the basic network configuration involved just
enough to get the NRC and your computer onto the same network. To take advantage of the NRC’s
scheduling features — as well as some others like email alerts — you’ll need to contact your network
administrator to get some more information. Once you’ve done that, click on the Network tab.
Simple Network Time Protocol Server
All scheduling events rely on the NRC having access to a Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP)
server (RFC958). If your NRC has access to the Internet,you could try finding a public SNTP server.
(One that we recommend is pool.ntp.org). If your NRC is only on a local intranet, you’ll have to have
your network administrator point you to a time server that the NRC can access. Also, be sure to fill out
the GMT offset (e.g., the United States Pacific Time Zone is GMT -8).
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Server
If you want your NRC to be able to send email notifications, it will need to have access to an Simple
Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server. You’ll need to get the server’s name or IP address from your
network administrator.
Note: The NRC does not support authentication.
Scheduling Events
Scheduling is mostly self-explanatory (though
you’ll get some explanation here anyway).
Click the Scheduling tab to get started. Simi-
lar to how an event triggers an action list, a
schedule item triggers an event list. The
event list is created and edited in the Edit
Schedule Item window.
In the example to the right, this schedule
event (i.e. “11 pm Mon-Fri”) triggers “Event
List 1”, which is an event list that contains
one event: the Power OFF automation event.
It is scheduled such that every Monday
through Friday, the Power OFF automation
event action list is triggered at 11pm. The action list that populates that event (back on the Customiza-
tion page) is set into motion at that time.
Syslog Server
A syslog server is a place for the NRC to log various types of status messages. If the NRC has ac-
cess to a server that is capable of keeping system logs, this can be useful from time to time (though
it’s far from crucial). Debug logs a large variety of system events, while Errors simply logs NRC errors
(the other two settings are in between).
System Events and Event Chaining
Inside the “Edit Action” window, in the
pull-down menu labeled “Send Action
To”, there is a list of all of the active
ports on your SP Bus. At the very end
of that list there’s one that’s not a port
called Send System Event.
The pull-down menu labeled “Com-
mand to Send” now lists NRC system
events instead of commands. You
may configure button presses to initi-
ate changes to the NRC such as
Reset Statistics, Send Emergency
Email, Panel Lock/Unlock (activating the security lockout), and more.
Perhaps the two most widely used System Events are Aux Audio and Custom Lists, which deserve
special explanation.
Aux Audio
Aux Audio mode allows the user control volume levels and audio switching through the NRC and
Modular Panel without turning the projector or monitor on. Aux Audio mode activates the Source Se-
lection and Volume commands without sending the commands or relay actions configured to the
Power buttons. Exiting Aux Audio mode returns the NRC system to its normal off state.
A button on the Modular Panel may be configured to turn Aux Audio on, off, or to toggle between Aux
Audio on/off.
Event Chaining (Custom Lists)
System Event commands can be used to trigger action lists that are programmed to other buttons, or
may trigger up to nine Custom Lists. This is useful in rooms where you want several buttons on the
Modular Panel to trigger the same series of events. For example, you may have four Source Selec-
tion buttons which all must switch the projector to the same VGA port and initiate a similar complex
series of relay closure events to control a switcher. You can program all of the codes to a Custom Ac-
tion list by editing the Custom Action List buttons in the lower-right of the screen below the “virtual
PixiePro” in configuration step 6. Then program all of the Source Selection buttons which use those
codes to send the Custom List you have created. This can save a lot of time configuring redundant
action lists.
In a similar way you may also configure a button to “press” or activate any other button on the Modu-
lar Panel, and it will have the same effect as pressing that button. For example, if you configure a but-
ton with a System Event command EV_AUX_1, then pressing that button will trigger all of the actions
programmed to the Aux 1 button in addition to any other commands you’ve added to the list.
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