Avid INEWS ControlAir Installation And Operations Manual I News Control Air 1.0.5 & CA V1.0.5

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iNEWS ControlAir™
Installation & Operations Manual
Version 1.0.5

Copyright and Disclaimer
© 2001, Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. All Avid products are covered by U.S. and foreign
patents, issued and pending. Information in this publication supersedes that in all previo1usly published material. Specifications and price change privileges reserved.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and is protected
under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries.
U.S. GOVERNMENT USERS RESTRICTED RIGHTS: Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restriction as set forth in subparagraph (b)(2) of the Technical Data and Computer Software-Commercial items clause at DFARS 252.211-7015, or in subparagraph (c)(2) of the
Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19, as applicable.
Avid is a registered trademark of Avid Technology, Inc. Media Browse, ControlAir, iNEWS ControlAir
and iNEWS are trademarks of iNews, LLC. Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, MS, MS-DOS, Win 32, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows NT Server, and the Windows operating system logo
are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States of America and other countries. UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company, Ltd. All other trademarks and registered
trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
Avid
6400 Enterprise Lane
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Tel: +1-608-274-8686 Fax: +1-608-273-5876
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Tel: +44 1256 814300 Fax: +44 1256 814700
Avid
315 Alexandra Road
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Tel: +65 3789 534 Fax: +65 475 7666
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Berlin 13509 GERMANY
Tel: +49 30 5900993 0 Fax: +49 30 5900993 24

iNEWS ControlAir™ Installation & Operations Manual Version 1.0.5
Document # 0130-00874 Rev. C (bbl)
September 23, 2002
Printed in the United States of America

Contents
Preface
Who Should Use This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Symbols and Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Cross References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Keyboard Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
If You Need Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Related Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
If You Have Documentation Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
How To Order Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

Chapter 1

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Links to Other Newsroom Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
System Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
ControlAir Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
ControlAir Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
casvr.exe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
AMCPapp.exe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
camgr.exe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Device Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
ControlAir Workstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Monitor Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
ControlAir Work Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Monitor Mode - On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Monitor Mode - Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Monitor Mode - Unload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

Chapter 2

Preparing for Installation
Before You Begin the Installation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Site Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Environmental Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Hardware Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
ControlAir Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
ControlAir Workstation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Machine Control PC (MCS-PC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Additional Serial Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
COM Ports—Digi and Equinox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Installing the Digi Software Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
On Windows 2000-based PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
On Windows NT-based PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Installing the Equinox Software Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Chapter 3

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir
Overview of the Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Adding IP Addresses on ControlAir Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Adding IP Addresses on iNEWS Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Installing ControlAir Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Configuring ControlAir Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Setup ControlAir Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25

Chapter 4

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Configuring Monitor Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Configuration Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Configuration Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Reconfigure the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9
Assigning the Mailbox to the Rundown Queue . . . . . . . . 4-10

iii

Using the list Command to View Assigned Mailboxes . . . 4-11
Editing the /site/dict/mcs Dictionary File . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29
Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Creating Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35
Using the Monitor Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41

Chapter 5

Working with Devices
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Native Device Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
MCS-PC Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Adding Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
DMP Configuration Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
What Does a DMP File Do?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Character Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
For Native DMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
For MCS-PC DM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

Chapter 6

Control Air Operations
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
The ControlAir Server Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Printing ControlAir Server Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Setting Diagnostic Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Stopping and Starting the ControlAir Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Setting the Override Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
The AMCP Application Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Device Manager Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Device Status at the ControlAir Workstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13

Chapter 7

Troubleshooting
ControlAir Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Where to Look for Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Visual Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4

Other Problem-Solving Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
ControlAir Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Gathering Diagnostic Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Capturing Server Data Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5
Saving Rundown Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

Appendix A

Error Messages
Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2
Error Message Tokens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-29

Appendix B

System Reference Files
The autostart.ini File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2
The /etc/hosts File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3
Sample Configuration File on iNEWS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4
Sample SYSTEM.MAP Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5

Appendix C

Upgrading Information
Upgrading to iNEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2

Glossary
Index

Preface

This publication provides information on how to install and manage
the iNEWS ControlAir system.

Who Should Use This Guide
This manual is written for journalists, producers, directors, writers,
and various technical personnel responsible for using the iNEWS ControlAir system in a broadcast newsroom. Portions of the manual provide installation data for technicians. Other chapters provide
configuration and maintenance information for system administrators
who are managing the system.

It is strongly recommended that system administrators have prior experience
in or classroom knowledge of the Windows 2000 or NT® operating system.

About This Manual
This guide will lead you through even the most complex procedures
with task-oriented instructions, illustrated for a more realistic presentation of the actual icons and images you will encounter. The information provided here builds on basic user procedures, while adding a

complete explanation of all the tools and techniques required to create,
apply, and adjust various settings, including useful tips, shortcuts, and
custom options.
The Table of Contents that precedes this preface lists all topics
included in the book. They are presented with the following overall
structure:
•

The Introduction helps you get oriented with beginning concepts
and general work flow and provides valuable pointers to keep in
the back of your mind as you proceed.

•

The main body of the guide follows the natural flow of your work,
with clear and comprehensive step-by-step procedures.

•

At the back of the book is a comprehensive Glossary, providing
cross-industry terms and definitions.

•

Finally, a detailed Index helps you quickly locate specific topics.

This manual provides requirements and specifications for your system
in the following areas:
•

Environmental and electrical

•

Minimum hardware and software components

•

Installation procedures

•

System configuration and maintenance

Use this manual to prepare for and set up your system on the network,
after you have purchased ControlAir components according to
requirements and specifications. Before installing any equipment, the
site must already have a configured network.

Symbols and Conventions
The ControlAir documentation uses the following special symbols and
conventions:

vii

1. Numbered lists, when the order of the primary items is important.
a. Alphabetical lists, when the order of secondary items is
important or in the case of optional procedures.
•

Bulleted lists, when the order of primary items is unimportant.
-

Indented dashed lists, when the order of secondary items is
unimportant.

Look here in the margin
for tips and environment-specific information.

In the margin you will find tips that help you perform tasks more easily and efficiently. You will also find information specific to a particular operating environment.

A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations,
and strong suggestions.

A caution means that a specific action you take could harm your
computer or cause you to lose data.

Cross References
Cross references are provided throughout this manual to give readers
locations where additional—sometimes more detailed—information
on a certain topic can be found. In some cases, the chapter name and
number is provided. In most cases, a two-part page number is given
along with the name of a section header. The first number in the page
number is actually the chapter number.
For instance: See “ControlAir Work Flow” on page 1-9.
See “About This Manual” on page v for more
information on what
chapters are in which
sections of this manual.

In this example, information on work flows through a ControlAir system can be found on page 1-3 in Chapter 1 of this manual. Chapters
are numbered consecutively; page numbers restart at one in each
chapter. Section numerals are not provided in cross references. So, a
cross reference that shows page 9-57, for instance, indicates that the
information is in Chapter 9.

Symbols and Conventions

viii

Keyboard Conventions
•

CTRL-x means to press and hold down the Control key and then
press another key on the keyboard, represented here by x. This is
also used for other key-combinations such as ALT-x or Shift-x.

•

“Type” in a command procedure means to type the command on
the command line and then “press” the Enter key.

•

“Select” means to choose an operation on a drop-down or pop-up
menu.

•

“Click” means to click the left mouse button, usually in response
to a dialog box. “Right-click” means to click the right mouse button.

If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using ControlAir, you should:
1. Repeat the procedure, carefully following the instructions provided for the task in this guide.
2. Refer to the documentation included with your hardware to
review the maintenance procedures or the hardware-related
issues.
3. Check the Support section of Avid’s Web site at
http://www.avid.com/support/ for online technical publications
and additional telephone support phone numbers.
4. Maintenance Agreement contract customers can contact Avid
Broadcast Customer Support personnel at any of these 24-hour
global telephone numbers:
•

1 800 639 7364

in the Americas (All Broadcast products, except
Newsview)

•

44 1256 814222

in Europe, Africa, and Mid-East

•

61 2 8877 6880

in Asia/Pacific

Or online:
•

e-mail

•

http://www.avid.com/support/contact.html

support@inewsroom.com

For general information, call your local Avid reseller or in North
America call the Avid Broadcast Customer Relations desk at
1-800-869-7009.

Related Information
Contact your Avid Sales representative for documentation and information on other Avid® products, such as the iNEWS ™ newsroom computer system, Media Browse ™, EditStar™, LeaderPlus™, MOS
Gateway, and so forth.

If You Have Documentation Comments
The Avid Broadcast Technical Publications department continually
seeks to improve its documentation. We value your comments about
this manual or other Avid-supplied documentation.
Send your documentation comments by e-mail to:
techpubs@inewsroom.com
Include the title of the document, its part number, revision, and the
specific section that you are commenting on in all correspondence.

Related Information

How To Order Documentation
To order additional copies of this documentation from within the
United States, call the Avid Sales department at 1-608-274-8686. If you
are placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local
Avid Sales representative.

CHAPTER 1
Introduction to the iNEWS
ControlAir™ System
This chapter contains the following major sections:
•

Overview

•

System Architecture

•

ControlAir Work Flow

1-2

Overview
The iNEWS ControlAir system is a machine control system for on-air
operations, which can be integrated into the iNEWS newsroom computer system. It can also operate in a standalone environment if the
iNEWS connection is lost.
A ControlAir system normally consists of one or more servers, one or
more workstations, and several Device Managers (DMs).
Also, ControlAir:
•

Directly controls production devices

•

Receives information from the iNEWS Workstation as control
events are entered into production cues in scripts

•

Handles several shows simultaneously, while enabling shows to
be produced back-to-back, with only a few seconds between them

Windows-based workstations, with Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs),
allow production personnel to control events on the ControlAir
Server.

Links to Other Newsroom Products
The iNEWS ControlAir system also provides efficient links to other
Avid products for additional scripting and video capabilities, such as
Digital News Gathering (DNG), a disk-based production system,
which stores digital video, audio, and graphics data in a single central
library. That data is then accessible by workstations for recording, editing, and playback. Another feature is the iNEWS CG Title Entry, which
enables newsroom personnel to simulate character-generated graphics
on the iNEWS Workstation.
The iNEWS product set is constructed on a modular, open architecture, enabling its components to work efficiently not only with other
Avid products, but also with third-party hardware and software. The
iNEWS newsroom computer system operates on industry-standard

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System

1-3

technologies, including Windows®-based operating systems,
Intel®-based PCs, Intel and Silicon Graphics®-based servers, and TCP/
IP Internet networking protocols.
Avid publishes open Applications Programming Interfaces (APIs) for
ControlAir that enables integration with third-party software and
hardware.

System Architecture
There are three groups of software in the iNEWS ControlAir system.
•

The ControlAir Server (which includes the casvr.exe and
AMCPapp.exe executable programs)

•

Device Managers (DMs)

•

ControlAir Workstation

Typically, ControlAir Server software and DMs are installed on the
ControlAir Server, while the ControlAir Workstation is installed on
computers in each of the control rooms where ControlAir will be operated. So, the ControlAir architecture consists of:
•

ControlAir Server
•

Avid Machine Control Protocol application (AMCPapp.exe)

•

ControlAir Server application (casvr.exe)

•

ControlAir Manager application (camgr.exe)

•

Device Managers

•

ControlAir Workstation(s)

•

The monitor server utility program - running on the iNEWS
Server.

System Architecture

1-4

ControlAir Components
There are several ControlAir components, including the ControlAir
Server program (casvr.exe),AMCP application ( AMCPapp.exe),
ControlAir Manager program (camgr.exe), device managers, and
ControlAir Workstation, which are explained in this section.

ControlAir Server
The ControlAir Server is a computer that will minimally run the
casvr.exe, AMCPapp.exe, and camgr.exe programs. Device
managers should also reside on the same server as the ControlAir
Server program (casvr.exe). You can run ControlAir Workstation
software on this computer, if desired, but it is not required. For more
information on hardware requirements for the ControlAir Server, see
“Hardware Requirements” on page 2-4.
casvr.exe
The executable program called casvr.exe is the central program that
runs on the ControlAir Server.
The ControlAir Server program:
•

Routes status and messages between AMCPapp.exe, device managers, and ControlAir Workstations

•

Creates and manages playlists and downloads them to their
respective devices

•

Tracks which components have playlists and devices reserved

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System

1-5

•

Directs control commands from ControlAir Workstation to the
appropriate device manager.

AMCPapp.exe
The executable program called AMCPapp.exe is the interface between
Avid’s iNEWS newsroom computer system and the ControlAir Server
running casvr.exe. It translates Avid Machine Control Protocol
(AMCP) data coming in from iNEWSor other newsroom computer
systemsinto data that the ControlAir system can manage.
camgr.exe
The executable program named camgr.exe is known as the
ControlAir Manager and it monitors ControlAir components, including device managers, on the ControlAir Server. If one stops running,
the ControlAir Manager will restart it automatically.

ControlAir Manager can also monitor third-party device managers.
For information on configuring this program, see “Setup ControlAir
Manager” on page 3-25.

If casvr.exe fails, components must be reconnected to the server.
If the ControlAir Manager program is set up, it will monitor device
managers and reconnect them to the ControlAir Server should they
stop running. If ControlAir Manager is not used, the DMs cannot
automatically reconnect and must be restarted manually. Any playlists loaded at the time must be reloaded if the ControlAir Server
program (casvr.exe) is stopped.

Device Managers
A Device Manager (DM) is the program that handles communication
between ControlAir and specific production devices. When the connection is made to casvr.exe, the DM will accept playlists from
iNEWS and commands from ControlAir Workstation. Device manag-

System Architecture

1-6

ers should be installed on the ControlAir Server—the same computer
running the casvr.exe program.
Each DM is designed to control a specific machine. For instance,
LouthDM.exe is a DM designed to control any video server that correctly supports the Louth video device control protocol (VDCP)—such
as Avid’s AirSPACE series of video servers.
There are existing DMs that allow the ControlAir operator to control
the following machine types used for broadcast production:
•

Character generators

•

Still stores

•

Video playback devices

ControlAir Workstation
From the ControlAir Workstation, the ControlAir operator can view
playlists that have been downloaded from iNEWS, get device and
event status, and control the broadcast production devices.
The ControlAir client software can run on the same computer as the
casvr.exe program, or on a separate computer.

Monitor Server
The monitor server is not an actual part of the ControlAir system software, but is a utility program on the iNEWS Server. For ControlAir, it
is used to scan stories in the rundown, searching for production cues
to build lists of machine control events (playlists) for the production
devices. It continues monitoring the rundown for changes to production cues and sends them to the ControlAir system until the show goes
off the air.
Figure 1-1 depicts how connections are made from iNEWS, through
the Avid Machine Control Protocol Application (AMCPapp.exe), to

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System

1-7

the ControlAir Server program (casvr.exe), then to the ControlAir
Workstation, device managers, and devices.
ControlAir
Workstation

ControlAir
Workstation

Still Store,
CG, Cart, &
other Video
Devices

ControlAir
Workstation

S
N

N
N

MCS-PC

Device
Manager

AMCP
Application

iNEWS
newsroom computer system

ControlAir
Server
Application
(casvr.exe)

Device
Manager

Still Store

C
Device
Manager

Character Generator

ControlAir
Workstation

Network

Figure 1-1

Device
Manager

Serial

Video

Communication between
programs in computer

Association of Components in ControlAir

Figure 1-2 shows network (TCP-IP) and serial connections between
equipment related to the ControlAir system.

System Architecture

1-8

iNEWS stations
Writers, etc. create scripts with
production cues. Producer
tracks progress of show, and
can make changes to
production cues even while
the show is on-air.

iNEWS Server:

iNEWS

Software

Workstations

monitor server; /site/config file;
MCSPC Legacy drivers

Database
Rundown & Event List queues
System Map & Resource queues

100Base-T Ethernet or Faster

MCS-PC

Leitch
ASC 300's

RS-422
or RS-232

ControlAir
Workstations

Any MCS Legacy
Playback device

ControlAir
Server

Equinox
16 Port
RS-422
(or RS-232)

Chyron

ControlAir Server
Connections

AirSPACE
(AirSPACE DM)

Figure 1-2

Typically, most ControlAir components
(casvr.exe, AMCPapp.exe, & DMs) will
run on the ControlAir Server.
Some DMs (Louth) will attach to their
production devices via Equinox or other
multi-port serial board (RS-422 and/or
RS-232). Other DMs, such as the Leitch
ASC 300 DM, and our DM for legacy
MCS-PC's, will connect via Ethernet.

Typical ControlAir Network Layout

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System

1-9

ControlAir Work Flow
After the news staff has entered machine control events in scripts, the
producer can download rundowns to ControlAir using the monitor
server in iNEWS.

For more information on creating monitor servers, see “Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers” on page 4-1.
From the ControlAir Workstation, production personnel, such as the
ControlAir operator, can access playlists for downloaded rundowns
and control associated production devices to cue, play, and stop the
production events requested.
When your newsroom staff builds a show, they insert special keywords into scripts, known as production cues. These items include a
word to identify the specific production machine or a machine type,
such as CG or SS, and some information to indicate what they want
that machine to display.
The following example shows a production cue that instructs the character generator to display two lines of text using a saved template
named LOC2:
*CG LOC2
Bob Willhouser
Washington DC

ControlAir Work Flow

1-10

Monitor Mode - On
When the monitor server is turned on—usually by the producer, from
the iNEWS Workstation’s Tools drop-down menu—it will read all
production cues in the rundown and build playlists, also known as
event lists, for each device.
After the monitor server is turned on, it continues to monitor the rundown, examining every saved story for deleted, new, or updated
events in the playlist.
The monitor server performs as much error checking as it can without
communicating with any broadcast equipment.
The iNEWS ControlAir system is not yet involved. Event lists can be
printed and distributed to the equipment operators, who can control
devices, such as the CG, using traditional methods.
Figure 1-3 depicts communication paths after the monitor server is
turned on from the iNEWS Workstation.

For more information about iNEWS utility programs known as monitor servers, see “Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers” on page 4-1.
Also, see “Monitor Server’s Error Checking Workflow” on page 4-34 and
“Using the Monitor Server” on page 4-41.

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System

1-11

iNEWS Monitor
Servers

Messages
(progress, errors, warnings)

ON
:
Buil Get s
y
dP
layli stem in
st, W fo,
rite Pars
Ev e e R
nt L und
ist q own
ueu ,
es

ge
s
es
sa
rM
us
,E
rro

iNEWS
Workstations

St
at

Cr e
ate
En Run
te r
d
Ev own
en
s
ts ,

Ev
e

nts

ON: Watch for added,
deleted, or Modified
Machine Control Events
LOAD: Send playlists and
updates to ControlAir

or
ie
St
ts ,
ay
lis
Pl
te
pd
a
ad
/U

iNEWS DB

en
t

wn
lo
Do

Monitor Commands
(ON, LOAD, UNLOAD, OFF)

Rundown & Event List queues
System Map & Resource queues

iNEWS Software

AMCPapp
Protocol converter

Monitor Server
MCSPC Legacy Drivers

Maintains link to each
loaded monitor server

to
S
EW rs
iN ive
m dr
ro
t f ad
ar l o
st wn
e
R do

MCSDM
MCSPC

Any MCS Legacy
Playback device

casvr.exe
Retains all loaded playlists,
playlist & event status,
status of attached DM and
ControlAir workstations.
Distributes Commands,
updated status, event
changes & messages.

ControlAir
Workstations

Chyron DM

Chyron
Leitch DM
Louth DM

10base-T

ASC 300's
RS-422

Video Servers

Figure 1-3

Communication Paths after Monitor Mode - On

ControlAir Work Flow

1-12

Monitor Mode - Load
As air time nears and the newsroom staff completes the rundown,
someone—usually the producer or equipment (ControlAir) operator—will instruct the monitor server to load the playlist into the
ControlAir system (via the AMCP application program). See “Using
the Monitor Server” on page 4-41 and Figure 4-7 on page 4-42 for more
information about the various modes of the monitor server.
As the rundown is downloaded to the ControlAir Server, the
casvr.exe program loads it to the ControlAir Workstation, and
loads individual playlists to the appropriate device manager (DM).
That DM establishes a connection to the device (if it has not already
done so) and begins its assigned task, such as inserting CG text, checking for availability of video clips, and so forth.
Each DM sends to the ControlAir Server program (casvr.exe) the
status of devices and individual playlists, such as whether video is
available, and so forth. The ControlAir Server then forwards the data
to the ControlAir Workstation and iNEWS monitor server. Error messages are returned to the iNEWS user who loaded the rundown and
the ControlAir operator. The monitor server also displays status for
video clips, such as whether the clip is available, into stories in the
rundown and event lists located in the iNEWS database.
The ControlAir operator can now take control of the playback devices
and take the show to air.
Figure 1-4 depicts communication paths after the monitor server is
instructed to load playlists, commands, status, and user messages
between ControlAir components; note the direction of flow for the
four different kinds of data.

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System

1-13

iNEWS Monitor
Servers

Monitor Commands
(ON, LOAD, UNLOAD, OFF)

er L

Eve
n

AMCPapp
Protocol converter

Messages
(progress, errors, warnings)

ON
:
Buil Get s
y
dP
lay stem
li st,
in
tS
Wr fo, Pa
tatu
ite
s (A
Eve rse R
nt L und
vail
o
able
ist
q u e wn ,
,C
ues
ued
, etc
.)

Messages (progress, errors, warnings)

iNEWS DB
Rundown & Event List queues
System Map & Resource queues

Event Status, Messages

Playlist, Event Updates

Maintains link to each
loaded monitor server

⇒

ylis
Pla

⇐

casvr.exe

⇐

ss
Me

⇒

⇐

lay
lis

St
at
us

s
md
ir C
rolA
⇐
ont
| C
ges
ssa
Me
s |

tu
Sta

Status | Messages

ir
lA

es
ag

⇒

MCSDM
(client)

MCS-PC

Any MCS Legacy
Playback device

⇐

Messages Progress, errors, warnings

⇒ Device & Event Status ⇒
⇒ Playlist, Event Updates ⇒

⇒

ControlAir
Workstations

⇐ Playback Commands (Channel, Play, Stop, etc.) ⇐

ts
yli s
Pla

⇐ Playlists | ControlAir Cmds ⇐

o
n tr
Co

ds
Cm

⇒P

⇒

s
atu
St

Retains all loaded playlists,
playlist & event status,
status of attached DM and
ControlAir workstations.
Distributes Commands,
updated status, event
changes & messages.

⇒

Cr e
ate
En Run
ter
d
Ev own
en
s
ts ,

Aft

iNEWS
Workstations

ON: Watch for added,
deleted, or Modified
Machine Control Events
LOAD: Send playlists and
updates to ControlAIr

ts
|

|C
on
tro
Me

lA
ir C
md
s

ss
ag
es

⇒

⇐

ChyronDM

⇒

Chyron
Leitch DM
10base-T

Louth DM

ASC 300's

RS-422

Video Servers

Figure 1-4

Communication Paths after Monitor Load

ControlAir Work Flow

1-14

Monitor Mode - Unload
After the show airs, someone—typically the producer or equipment
(ControlAir) operator—will instruct the monitor server to unload the
playlist from the ControlAir system. The unload mode allows the user
to disconnect from the ControlAir Server without turning off the monitor server.
See “Using the Monitor Server” on page 4-41 and Figure 4-7 on
page 4-42 for more information about the various modes of the monitor server.

Introduction to the iNEWS ControlAir™ System

CHAPTER 2
Preparing for Installation
This chapter contains the following major sections:
•

Before You Begin the Installation Procedure

•

Site Requirements

•

Power Requirements

Environmental Requirements

Hardware Requirements

Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card

2-2

Before You Begin the Installation Procedure
Setting up ControlAir involves doing tasks in the following places:

•

ControlAir Server

•

iNEWS Servers (at the console)

•

ControlAir Workstations

Device Manager configuration is done at the ControlAir Server. You should
consult the iNews Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual for
specific information on iNEWS Servers, the console, or various related system operations.
Before you begin installing the ControlAir software, do the following:
•

Read the iNEWS ControlAir Release Notes for the most up-to-date
product and installation information.

•

Familiarize yourself with the entire installation procedure
described in this manual.

•

Ensure the installation CD is available.

•

Ensure the site meets all requirements, provided in this chapter.

Site Requirements
The following sections describe customer-supplied components that
make up the iNEWS ControlAir system. Most are hardware components typically purchased from a third party vendor. However, some
items can be obtained through Avid. For more information, contact
your Avid Broadcast Sales representative.

n
Preparing for Installation

It is recommended you install a hand-held, wall-mounted Halon fire extinguisher, or alternative environmentally acceptable extinguisher, in the
vicinity of all computer equipment.

2-3

Power Requirements
Surge protection and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) are
essential for all system servers. If the computers lose power even for a
moment, the entire system will stop functioning properly.

Most systems are designed to work with single-phase (three-wire)
power cord with a grounded neutral conductor. To reduce the risk of
electric shock, always plug the cord into a grounded power outlet.
For best performance, keep all system power connections on the same
power feed distribution panel. Do not connect fans, lamps, coffee pots,
or other equipment to the same outlet that is powering the iNEWS
ControlAir equipment.
Ensure the UPS has surge protection and a high enough rating to handle all systems connected to it. The rating plate on each system will
help calculate the required rating for the UPS. Figure 2-1 shows how to
connect multiple systems to a UPS using a power strip.
Grounded AC wall outlet
UPS

Power strip

Figure 2-1

UPS Connections

Site Requirements

2-4

Environmental Requirements
The air conditioning must maintain the operating temperature shown
in Table 2-1. The Avid iNEWS newsroom computer system produces
an estimated heat load of 15,000 BTUs per hour. Table 2-1 shows the
environmental specifications for a standard iNEWS environment.

Avid reserves the right to stop the installation and shut off the
iNEWS equipment if the temperature exceeds 75°F (24°C). Installation will be completed after the air conditioning has been corrected.

Table 2-1

Environmental Specifications

Condition

Range

Operating temperature

50°F to 75°F (10°C to 24°C)

Storage temperature

–4°F to 140°F (–20°C to 60°C)

Relative humidity

20% to 80%

Altitude

0 to 6000 ft (0 to 1829 m)

Hardware Requirements
To install and run ControlAir, use the following tables as a guide for
basic equipment needs. Because development is on-going, requirements are subject to change without notice. For specifications pertaining to ControlAir, visit Avid’s Web site at:
www.avid.com/products/controlair/specs.shtml
Review the latest minimum hardware requirements for all
iNEWS-related product lines on the Web at:
www.avid.com/products/.

Preparing for Installation

2-5

For a list of qualified PCs, contact Avid Broadcast Customer Support
at: +1-800-869-7009 in the USA
+44-1256-814222 in Europe
+61 2 8877 6888 in Asia/Pacific

ControlAir Server
Table 2-2 describes the base hardware required to install and operate a
ControlAir Server and associated device managers.

Ensure the time is set correctly on all machines (including date and
AM/PM). In general, this makes it easier to interpret messages from
the system. However, some equipment may cause critical errors if
the time is set differently between systems. For instance, Grass Valley Group’s Profile currently will not correctly report the completion
of video clip transfers, so the clips will remain "unavailable" for
playback on ControlAir.

Table 2-2

ControlAir Server Requirements

Device

Minimum Requirement

CPU

450-MHz Pentium® II

Memory

256 MB of RAM

Keyboard

104 keyboard

Mouse

Windows-compatible mouse

Hard drive

4-GB drive (NTFS format recommended)

Floppy drive

3.5-inch diskette drive; reads and writes to
1.44-MB diskettes

CD-ROM drive

4X CD-ROM drive

Site Requirements

2-6

Table 2-2
Device

Minimum Requirement

Operating system

Windows 2000 with Service Pack 2 or Windows
NT Server 4.0 with Service Pack 6a (minimum)

Monitor

15-inch screen

Video card

SVGA-compatible video card with 2MB of
VRAM. Must support:

Network card

ControlAir Server Requirements

•

1024 x 768 resolution

•

256 colors

Windows-compatible 10/100 NIC

A site may also need a serial host adapter card installed on the ControlAir
Server. See “Ports” on page 2-7 and “Configuring & Installing the Host
Adapter Card” on page 2-10 for more information.

ControlAir Workstation
To install and run ControlAir Workstation, you will need the base
equipment detailed in Table 2-3.

Table 2-3

Preparing for Installation

ControlAir Workstation Requirements

Device

Minimum Requirement

CPU

450-MHz Pentium II

Memory

256 MB of RAM

Keyboard

104 keyboard

Mouse

Windows-compatible mouse

Hard Drive

4-GB drive

2-7

Table 2-3

ControlAir Workstation Requirements (Continued)

Device

Minimum Requirement

Floppy Drive

3.5-inch diskette drive; reads and writes to
1.44-MB diskettes

CD-ROM Drive

4X CD-ROM drive

Operating System

Windows 2000 with Service Pack 2 or
Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with Service Pack
6a (minimum)

Monitor

SVGA color monitor (17-inch recommended)

Video Card

SVGA-compatible video card with 2MB of
VRAM. Must support:

Network Card

•

1024 x 768 resolution

•

256 colors

Windows-compatible 10/100 NIC

Machine Control PC (MCS-PC)
If your site uses an MCS-PC, for more information, refer to the latest
minimum hardware requirements on the Web at:
www.avid.com/products/controlair

Ports
Additional Serial Ports
Most CG and SS devices use a serial port (either RS-232 or RS-422) to
communicate with the ControlAir device manager. Many video
devices require an RS-422-only serial port for each channel. The device
managers use any serial ports that can be addressed through Windows as a standard COM port, such as COM1, COM4, COM9, or
COM32.

Site Requirements

2-8

A less expensive alternative is the optional use of the built-in RS-232 COM1
and 2, and add a Sea-Level two-port RS-422 board for COM3 and 4. Refer to
the appropriate third-party manufacturer’s documentation for the host
adapter card.
COM Ports—Digi and Equinox

See “Configuring &
Installing the Host
Adapter Card” on
page 2-10 for more
information on installing a host adapter card.

For scalability, Avid recommends using the Digi AccelePort
8r-(PCI)EIA-422 serial host adapter card in the ControlAir Server, as
shown below.

To peripherals

Flat telco, cat-3, or cat-5
are all more than adequate.

The 8r-(PCI)EAI-422 host adapter cable assemblies should have eight
DB-25 (male) connectors to which a DB-25 (female) to RJ-45 adapter is
connected. From there, an 8-wire RJ-45 terminated straight cable goes
from the ControlAir Server to the video server, character generator, or
other peripheral device. A custom RJ-45 modular adapter connects to
the device of your choice.
Pinouts for this custom adapter will vary, depending on the device
you are attaching.

Preparing for Installation

2-9

Some sites may choose to use other cards, such as the Equinox™
SST-64 PCI serial host adapter card, with the PM16-RJ/422 port module, as shown below.

Serial Host Adapter Card

Port Module

The PM16-RJ/422 is an external box which connects to the SuperSerial™ Technology (SST) card and has 16 RS-422 ports using RJ-45 sockets. After the SST card is installed, up to 4 port modules can be
attached to each other, in series, for a total of 64 ports (128 ports with
the SST-128). There is no need to install additional boards or change
any software, drivers, or settings. Any combination of external port
modules RS-232 or RS-422 with either DB-25 or RJ-45 connectors will
work. So, a site could have an RS-232 port module for CGs and still
stores, and RS-422 for video devices, on the same SST-64 card. (As of
this publication, DB-9s for the SST do not exist).
Flat telco, cat-3, or cat-5
are all more than adequate.

An 8-wire RJ-45 terminated straight cable goes from the Equinox port
module on the ControlAir Server to the peripheral devices. A custom
RJ-45 modular adapter connects the cable to the device of your choice.
A pin-out diagram is located on the back of the Equinox RJ/422 port module.
Some manufacturers, including Digi International and Equinox, use "A" to
represent "+" and "B" for "-” while others, such as Sony, reverse "A" and
"B," respectively. Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation for more information.

Site Requirements

2-10

Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card
Before installing the host adapter card on the ControlAir Server, set
any configuration switches according to the manufacturer’s documentation. Digi and Equinox documentation provided with the cards have
more detailed installation instructions, configuration settings, and
cabling diagrams.
To install the host adapter card, do the following:
1. Unplug the PC.
2. Remove the computer’s cover.
3. Put on a wrist strap and attach the ground clip to the computer’s
chassis as shown in Figure 2-2.

Semiconductor devices are vulnerable to damage by electrostatic
discharge (ESD). Always use an ESD wrist strap or other grounding
device when opening the computer or removing any circuit boards
from its packing.

Figure 2-2

Preparing for Installation

ESD wrist strap

2-11

4. Remove the host adapter card from its static-proof bag. Hold the
card by its outer edges to avoid touching the components and connector on the card.

Figure 2-3

Host Adapter Card

5. Record the card’s serial number so the manufacturer can provide
better service, should the need arise.
6. Remove the expansion slot cover from within the computer.

Slot cover screw

ISA connectors
(larger)

Slot cover

PCI connectors
(smaller)

7. Locate a free expansion slot (ISA, EISA or PCI) of the proper type
for your card. Match the bottom of the host adapter card with the
structure of the expansion slot.

Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card

2-12

The correct slot is selected if all the gold pins will fit into the slot
and all spaces in the slot will be occupied.
Align the connector on the adapter card with the system board
connector.

Screw

Card

8. Press the adapter card firmly until the connector is seated. Do not
force the card. If you meet with a lot of resistance, pull it out,
inspect the connector, and try again.
9. Reinstall the screw used for the slot cover to secure the host
adapter.
10. Reconnect any cables that you disconnected.
11. Replace the computer cover.
12. Connect a host cable between the host adapter card and a 16-port
expansion module, such as the PMT6-RJ45/RS-422.

A 16-port expansion module is not required; some sites may use a 4 or 8-port
expansion module.
13. Turn on the computer.

Preparing for Installation

2-13

Installing the Digi Software Driver
On Windows 2000-based PC
The Access Resource CD that accompanies the Digi host adapter card,
if inserted and run on a PC with the Windows 2000 operating system,
will provide the following prompt:
The driver for the product (AccelePort 8r-PCI 422)
is included in the Microsoft Windows 2000
installation CD-ROM and is not included with the
Access Resource CD-ROM. However, documentation can
be browsed.
In that documentation, the following installation procedures are provided—and included for your information here:
Use this procedure to install Microsoft Windows 2000 device drivers
for Digi PCI adapters.
1. Ensure the adapter is installed according to instructions as provided earlier in this section or on the hardware installation card
for that adapter.

When you install multiple PCI adapters of the same type on a Windows system, it is sometimes difficult to determine which adapter you are configuring.
To avoid confusion, you may want to install and configure adapters one at a
time.
2. Turn on the computer and start Windows 2000.
3. Windows will auto-detect the adapter and search for the correct
device driver.
4. If Windows cannot find a driver for the adapter, you will be asked
for the location of the driver. If the driver is on a Digi-supplied
CD, check the CD-ROM box. If you have downloaded the driver,
enter the path to the folder into which you downloaded the driver.

Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card

2-14

5. Depending on your adapter type, you may be asked to complete
various configuration wizards or dialogs. These wizards and dialogs are fully documented in context-sensitive help screens.
6. When the installation is complete, the device is ready to use. There
is no need to restart Windows.
On Windows NT-based PC
The following instructions are for installing
on a PC with the Windows NT operating system. Procedures may
vary for other operating
systems.

To install the software driver, do the following:
1. Insert the Digi CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click the Start on the Windows taskbar.
3. Select Settings.
4. Select Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.
5. Double-click on the Network icon.
The Network dialog box opens.
6. Click the Adapters tab.
7. Click the Add button.
8. When the Select Network Adapter dialog box appears, click the
Have Disk button.
9. Type the following driver path, with d: indicating your CD-ROM
drive letter.
D:/drivers/windows/nt/acceleport/i386
10. When the Select OEM Option dialog box appears, select Digi
Acceleport 8r-(PCI)EAI-422 Adapter.
11. Click OK. The driver files are installed.
12. Make any configuration modifications as needed, if prompted.

Preparing for Installation

2-15

Installing the Equinox Software Driver
These sample instructions are for installing
on a PC with the Windows NT operating system. Procedures may
vary for other operating
systems.

To install the software driver, do the following:
1. Insert the Equinox CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. Click the Start on the Windows taskbar.
3. Select Settings.
4. Select Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.
5. Double-click on the Network icon.
The Network dialog box opens.
6. Click the Adapters tab.
7. Do one of the following, depending on whether an Equinox driver
exists and is displayed in the Network Adapters list.
a. Select it from the list and click Update. Go to step 10.
-ORb. If an Equinox driver does not exist in the list, choose Add and
continue to Step 8.
8. When the adapter list is displayed, click the Have Disk button.
9. The Insert Disk dialog box appears.

10. Type the following driver path, with d: indicating your CD-ROM
drive letter.
d:\drivers\ras\disk2

Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card

2-16

11. Do one of the following:
a. If you are Updating, click Continue and go to step 19.
-ORb. If you are adding the driver, click the OK button.
The Select OEM Option dialog box opens. Go to step 12.

12. Select Equinox SST.
13. Click the OK button.
The driver files are installed and a message box appears, telling
you the Equinox driver has been installed.
14. Click the OK button.
The Equinox SST Configuration dialog box appears.
15. Make any necessary changes to the COM port number or the
memory block for the ISA adapter cards.
16. Click the Next button.
17. If the path for the data scope trace files is acceptable, click Finish.
18. A notice indicating that /PC1LOCK was added to the boot.ini
file may appear. Click OK.
19. Click the Equinox Logger icon on the Windows taskbar (at the bottom of your screen).

Preparing for Installation

2-17

The Equinox Logger - Running window opens, displaying status
messages generated during the driver loading operations.

The following information is displayed:
•

Number of adapter cards (boards) found

•

Memory range(s) and I/O addresses used

•

Names of ports available

•

Any failure reasons

•

Driver version

20. Click Close in the Network dialog box to continue with the
installation procedure.
21. The system prompts you to reboot the system. Click Restart and
then click Yes.

Configuring & Installing the Host Adapter Card

2-18

Preparing for Installation

CHAPTER 3
Installing and Configuring
iNEWS ControlAir
This chapter contains the following major sections:
•

Overview of the Setup
-

Adding IP Addresses on ControlAir Server

Adding IP Addresses on iNEWS Servers

Installing ControlAir Software

Configuring ControlAir Software

3-2

Overview of the Setup
The following tasks must be performed on the ControlAir Server.
•

Add IP addresses for ControlAir and iNEWS Servers

•

Install the ControlAir software

•

Configure the ControlAir software

These tasks are described in this chapter.
Ideally, all ControlAir Servers, iNEWS Servers, and ControlAir Workstations would have each other’s IP addresses and computer names,
so IP addresses should be added on the ControlAir Server as well as
on iNEWS Servers. It is not necessary to include IP addresses for Avid
Broadcast workstations or other equipment. See “Adding IP
Addresses on iNEWS Servers” on page 3-3 for more information.

The monitor server communicates with the ControlAir software only if the
ControlAir Server’s IP address is added to all of the iNEWS Servers’
/etc/hosts files. Procedures for configuring monitor servers are located in
Chapter 4.

Adding IP Addresses on ControlAir Server
This section provides steps for adding IP addresses to the ControlAir
Server.
To add IP addresses to the ControlAir Server, do the following:
1. Use My Computer or the Windows Explorer to open the
\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc folder.
2. Double-click on the hosts file.
3. A dialog box may appear with a list of programs to use for opening the file. Scroll down the list and select Notepad. Ensure that
you uncheck the box to “Always use this program.”

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-3

4. Click OK. The hosts file opens in a Notepad window.
IP Addresses for LAN
connected devices
should also be listed.
See “Native Device
Managers” on page 5-4
for more information.

5. At the bottom of the file, add lines listing the IP addresses and
computer names for iNEWS Servers, ControlAir Servers,
ControlAir Workstations, and MCS-PC machines (if any). For
example:
192.198.1.1
192.198.1.2
192.198.1.11
192.198.1.12
192.198.1.21
192.198.1.22
192.198.1.31
192.198.1.32

NRCS-A
NRCS-B
CA1
CA2
CAWKSTN1
CAWKSTN2
MCSPC1
MCSPC2

nrcs-a nrcs-a.yourdomain.com
nrcs-b nrcs-b.yourdomain.com
ca1
ca2
cawkstn1
cawkstn2
mcspc1
mcspc2

6. Save the file and close the Notepad window.

When saving, ensure the newly edited file does not have a .txt
extension. The default options in Windows Explorer will not display
this crucial information. To change this setting, open Windows
Explorer and select Options from the View drop-down menu. In the
dialog box, check Show All Files and uncheck Hide file extension
for known file types, then click OK.
7. Repeat this procedure for each computer on which ControlAir
Server, device manager, or ControlAir Workstation software is
installed.

Adding IP Addresses on iNEWS Servers
For more information
about monitor servers,
see Chapter 4.

To enable monitor server to communicate with ControlAir, the IP
address of the ControlAir Server must be added to all iNEWS Servers’
/etc/hosts files.
The following procedures explain how to add the ControlAir IP
addresses to iNEWS Servers.

Overview of the Setup

3-4

n
c

ControlAir software can be installed on either the Mirror Net or the House
Net of the iNEWS hosts. If ControlAir components need access to other station networking services than just iNEWS Servers, then they should be
placed on the House network. In either case, static IP addresses and local
hosts files should be used for all ControlAir components.
Always back up the /etc/hosts file before editing.
At the console, perform the steps below:
1. Select all servers. Instructions for how to do this is provided in
Chapter 2 of the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual.
2. Type su to log in as superuser and type the superuser password.

These steps require the
use of ed, the UNIX line
editor. For more information, see Chapter 10
of the iNEWS Newsroom
Computer System Operations Manual.

3. Type ed /etc/hosts
This command launches the UNIX line editor, and positions the
cursor at the end of the /etc/hosts file, which contains a list of
IP addresses, computer names, and comments, such as:
125.1.0.1
125.1.0.2

NRCS-A
NRCS-B

nrcs-a nrcs-a.yourdomain.com
nrcs-b nrcs-b.yourdomain.com

A sample /etc/hosts file is provided in Appendix B.
4. Add addresses to the file by doing the following:
a. Type a and press Enter to append information to the file.
b. Enter IP addresses, computer names, and comments, such as:
192.198.1.11

CA1 ca1 #ControlAir Server1

c. Type a period (.) to stop appending information to the file.
d. (Optional) Type p to print the appended file and verify your
changes.
Do not use an uppercase
W.

e. Save the file by typing w.
f. Quit ed by typing q.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-5

The following example shows the UNIX line editing commands
used in step 4 along with explanations (appearing in parentheses
after the command):
(begins append mode)

a
192.198.1.11
192.198.1.12
192.198.1.21
192.198.1.22

CA1
CA2
CAWKSTN1
CAWKSTN2

ca1
ca2
cawkstn1
cawkstn2

#
#
#
#

ControlAir Server1
ControlAir Server2
Wkstn1(ControlRm1)
Wkstn2(ControlRm2)

(ends append mode)

(prints appended file)

(saves changes by writing the file to the disk)

362
q

(ed responds by displaying file size)
(quits the edit session)

Installing ControlAir Software
It is possible to install all ControlAir components on a single computer
or to install them separately. Typically, ControlAir Server software and
device managers (DMs) are installed together on ControlAir Servers
and the ControlAir client software is installed on ControlAir Workstations—computers in each control room where ControlAir will be used.
See “ControlAir Components” on page 1-4 for more information.

The procedure in this
manual provides steps
for a typical installation.

If you are planning to install either the AirSPACE or Grass Valley
Group Device Manager, there is other software that must be
installed prior to the ControlAir software. For the AirSPACE DM,
install Avid AirSPACE NT Applications. For the GVG DM, install
the Profile software for non-Profile PCs. If the GVG DM is to be
used with EditStar, you must also install the EditStar Server Interface for ControlAir. For more information, refer to the specific
Device Manager Guides available for these DMs, located in the
Docs folder on the ControlAir Install CD.
To install the ControlAir software, do the following:

Overview of the Setup

3-6

1. Insert the ControlAir Installation CD into the computer’s
CD-ROM drive.
2. Navigate to the CD drive. For instance, on a computer running the
Windows NT operating system, use Windows NT Explorer and
select the CD-ROM drive from the tree-style directory listing.
3. Double-click the Setup.exe file to launch the Setup program.

During installation, the Setup program will check for a valid operating system (OS). Exactly when this check is done varies, depending on selections you
make during the installation procedure. If a valid operating system is not
found, a message indicating an unsupported OS will appear.

Your only option will be to exit the Setup program.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-7

When the Setup program launches, the ControlAir Setup dialog
box opens.

4. Click Next.

A dialog box will appear with a notice stating the Setup program will change
the main directory name from old name(s), if any—such as iNEWS—to Avid.
If you have a device manager not provided by iNews, LLC or Avid Technology, Inc., you may need to reinstall it. When this dialog box appears, continue
the setup process by clicking Next.

Overview of the Setup

3-8

5. When the License Agreement dialog box appears, read the user
license agreement information.

If you accept the terms of the agreement, click Yes and go to step 6.
If not, click No and the Setup program will close.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-9

6. When the Customer Information dialog box appears, enter a user
name and company name in the appropriate fields.

Overview of the Setup

3-10

7. Click Next to continue. The Select Program Files Location dialog
box appears.

8. Do one of the following:
a. If the default Destination Folder is acceptable, click Next. Go
to step 9.
-ORb. If the default Destination Folder is not acceptable, click
Browse and choose another location, then click Next. Go to
step 9.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-11

9. The Setup Type dialog box appears.

Highlight each type—with a single click—to see a description of
that Setup type, provided in the Description section on the left
side of the dialog box.

When you click Next in the Setup Type dialog box, the Setup program will
verify whether the selected destination has enough space for the type chosen. If
it does, the Setup program continues. If not, a warning message will appear
and the Setup program will return to the Select Program Files Location dialog
box. See step 7 on page 3-10.
Do one of the following:

Step 9a is recommended for the
ControlAir Server.

a. Select Complete if installing all ControlAir components—
server, device manager, and client software—on a single computer. Go to step 11 on page 3-13.
-OR-

Overview of the Setup

3-12

b. Select Custom if you want to select individual components to
install, such as installing only ControlAir Server and device
manager software on a computer. The Select Components dialog box appears. Go to step 10.
-ORc. Select GVG Profile or Profile XP if installing software related
to the Grass Valley Group’s Profiles, high resolution video
servers. Go to step 13 on page 3-17.
-ORd. Select Workstation Only if installing the client software only
on a ControlAir Workstation. Go to step 13 on page 3-17.
10. When a Custom Setup is chosen (as in step 9b), the Select Components dialog box appears.

As each component is highlighted, a description is provided on
the right.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-13

Individual Device Manager subcomponents are explained in Device Manager
Guides for each device, which are provided on the ControlAir Install CD. For
more information, refer to the guide for your devices.
To install components for the ControlAir Server and device managers on a single computer, ensure that the following primary
components are checked:

•

ControlAir Manager

•

ControlAir Server– if selected, go to step12 on page 3-16.

•

Device Managers, and any of its secondary components, as
listed below:
-

Device Manager Program Files – select this option to install
program files for the Louth, MCS, and Chyron device managers.

Example DMP files – select this option to install sample
DMP files.

AirSPACE Device Manager – select this option to install
program files for the AirSPACE DM. Doing so will result in
additional dialog boxes appearing as part of the setup process. Go to step 11 on page 3-13.

Grass Valley Group Device Manager – select this option to
install program files for the GVG DM. Doing so will result
in additional dialog boxes appearing as part of the setup
process. Go to step 11 on page 3-13.

The other primary component available in the Select Components dialog box
is for ControlAir Workstations. Selecting all components in the list would be
the same as selecting a Complete setup as shown in step 9a on page 3-11.
11. This step only applies to Complete Setups or Custom Setups when
the Device Managers component is chosen.
If the Complete Setup type is not chosen or if the AirSPACE DM
and Grass Valley Group DM components are not chosen for a Custom Setup, you may skip this step and go to step 12.

Overview of the Setup

3-14

If the AirSPACE and GVG DM components are chosen, additional
dialog boxes will appear as part of the setup process—four of
which are described in this step:
•

For Complete Setups or for a Custom Setup in which the GVG DM
is selected, a dialog box will appear asking if the site also has EditStar.

Select the appropriate radio button and click Next.
•

For Complete Setups or for a Custom Setup in which the AirSPACE DM is selected, a dialog box will appear asking if software
pertaining to Avid’s LaunchPad or MissionControl is installed.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-15

a. Choose Yes if the requested software is already installed.
-ORb. Choose No and the Setup program will exit automatically.
•

For Complete Setups and or for Custom Setups in which the AirSPACE DM and/or GVG DM are selected, a dialog box similar to
following will appear:

It pertains to GPI Remote Panel support for either the AirSPACE
DM, the GVG DM, or both.
a. Click Yes, if the driver software is already installed.
-ORb. If not, click No. The Setup program will exit automatically.

Overview of the Setup

3-16

12. This step only applies to Complete Setups or Custom Setups when
the ControlAir Server component is chosen. The Create the ControlAir Workstation Reserve Override Password dialog box
appears.

To set a password, type an Override password in the text box. The
password is case-sensitive and can be a combination of letters and
numbers.

The Override password must be set during installation; it can be changed
through the ControlAir Server program. See “Setting the Override Password” on page 6-7 for more information. The purpose of the password is to
prevent a show from being reserved by a second ControlAir Workstation
while under the control of a first workstation. Setting this password ensures
that only authorized personnel may take control of the show from another
workstation, which is useful should a workstation computer fail after it was
used to reserve a rundown.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-17

13. Click Next. The Select Programs Menu Folder dialog box opens.

Program icons are used to launch software programs. For instance, a user
clicks the Start button, selects Programs from the menu, then chooses the program icon for the software the user wants to run. By default, most program
icons are placed in the Start menu under the Programs option. But , the Select
Programs Menu Folder dialog box (shown above) allows an installer to choose
an alternative location in the Start menu, during the setup process.
14. Do one of the following:
a. Click Next if the default Program Folder setting for the program icons is acceptible.
-ORb. Type another folder pathname in the Program Folder text box,
if the default setting is unacceptable, then click Next.

Overview of the Setup

3-18

Settings will vary
according to selections
made in previous steps.

15. Click Next. The Start Copying Files dialog box appears, displaying
the current settings for installation.

16. Do one of the following:
a. To review or change any setting, click the Back button.
-ORb. To continue the setup and start copying files, click Next. Go to
step 17.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-19

17. The Setup Status dialog box appears, displaying a progress bar
that indicates the percentage of installation completed.

When the progress bar reaches 100%, another dialog box appears;
which one depends on what type of installation you chose in step
9 on page 3-11:
•

If you chose a Complete or Custom installation that included
ControlAir Server software, go to step 18.

•

If you chose a Custom installation that did not include the
ControlAir Server software, a Workstation Only installation,
or GVG Profile or Profile XP installation, go to step 23 on
page 3-22.

Overview of the Setup

3-20

18. If you are installing ControlAir Server components, an Information dialog box will appear with instructions on how to set up Dr.
Watson notifications on the server.

19. Click OK.
20. The Dr. Watson for Windows NT dialog box appears.

Since most ControlAir Servers are left to run unobserved, visual
notification of Dr. Watson issues is not needed. Instead an audible
alert is provided. The default audio file is a WAV file called
Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-21

alert.wav. However, this setup dialog box allows the installer to
select an alternative audio file, so do each of the following:
a. Ensure the correct pathname to the WAV file is provided. The
default location is in the Program Files directory, as shown in
the above graphic.
b. Ensure that Visual Notification is unchecked and Sound Notification is checked.
c. Click OK.

The audible alert will only work if the ControlAir Server has a sound card and
speakers.
21. A Question dialog box will appear, confirming whether you want
the ControlAir Server to automatically logon after reboot? Do one
of the following:
a. Click No if you do not want to enable automatic logon. Go to
step 23 on page 3-22.
-ORb. Click Yes if you want the ControlAir Server to automatically
log on after rebooting. Go to step 22 on page 3-22.

If automatic log on is enabled, the password is stored in the server’s
registry, which means anyone with access to the computer has access
to the password. You can bypass the auto logon function after it is
enabled by holding down the Shift key during the boot or logoff
process.

Overview of the Setup

3-22

22. The Logon Information dialog box will appear.

Enter your User Name, Password, and Domain, then click Next.
23. The Setup program will determine whether any previous version
of the ControlAir(formerly known as BCS) software is installed.
a. If not, go to step 27 on page 3-25.
-ORb. If there is previous software installed, a dialog box will appear
as shown:

Click Yes, then go to step 24 on page 3-23.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-23

24. The Setup program will search for previous configuration files
and registry settings. If it finds them, the copying will proceed as
shown:

If it does not find them, then a prompt will appear allowing you to
provide the path to their location.

Fill in the path and click Next. The copying will then proceed.
25. After the configuration files and registry settings are copied, if a
previous version of ControlAir (formerly known as BCS) exists,

Overview of the Setup

3-24

the following notification is displayed: Click OK.

The Setup program will then inform you that it will launch the
previous version’s uninstall program. Click OK.
26. The InstallShield Wizard displays its Welcome screen.

a. Ensure that Remove is selected.
b. Click Next.
c. Respond to any prompts as needed.
d. When the uninstallation is complete, click OK.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-25

27. The InstallShield Wizard Complete dialog box will appear and
prompt you to restart the computer. Do one of the following:
a. Select Yes to restart the computer, remove the Install CD, and
click Finish.
-ORb. Select No to close the Setup program without restarting the
computer.

When installing the software, the computer must be restarted after setup is
complete. If the server and device manager software was installed, the
ControlAir Server and device manager programs will launch automatically
following the reboot. See “Overview” on page 6-2 for more information.

Configuring ControlAir Software
Because ControlAir can interface with a variety of devices, such as
character generators, still store machines, and video playback devices,
the specific steps for configuring the system will vary. However, the
major steps to configuring ControlAir are:
•

Setup the ControlAir Manager program by editing the
autostart.ini file.

•

Edit the Device Manager Profile (DMP) file for each device.

The first step is explained in this section. See “DMP Configuration
Files” on page 5-6 for more on editing DMP files.

Setup ControlAir Manager
The ControlAir Manager program monitors ControlAir components,
including device managers, on the ControlAir Server. If one stops running, the ControlAir Manager will restart it automatically.

ControlAir Manager can also monitor third-party device managers.

Overview of the Setup

3-26

To determine which programs to monitor, the ControlAir Manager
looks for the Start Sequence list in the autostart.ini file. A default
version of this file—shown in Appendix B—is installed with the
ControlAir Server software in the Avid/ControlAir directory. A
sample copy is also provided in the Examples folder, which is located
in the Avid/ControlAir directory too.

Do not use ControlAir Manager for video device managers, such as
DMAirPlay, that do not protect playing clips when it starts up. For
more information, refer to the Device Manager Guide for each specific device—located on the ControlAir Install CD.
The autostart.ini file contains two lists:
•

The Start Sequence list appears first in the file and contains a line
for each program monitored by the ControlAir Manager, in the
order in which they are to be started.

•

The Samples list appears second in the file and contains standard
sample lines for other devices commonly used.

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

3-27

The following is an example of the two lists as they appear in the
default version of the autostart.ini file:
[Start Sequence]
casvr.exe
AMCPapp.exe
MCSDM.exe

dmp\mcsdmss.dmp

MCSDM.exe

dmp\mcsdmcg.dmp

LouthDM.exe

dmp\Louth.dmp

[Samples]
;This section is ignored by the ControlAir Manager
ChyronDM.exe dmp\ChyronDM.dmp
LouthDM.exe

dmp\pdr1.dmp

MCSDM.exe

dmp\clipbox.dmp

LouthDM.exe

“c:\My Device Profiles\AirSPACE-2.dmp”

The Start Sequence list must begin with the name of the ControlAir
Server program, casvr.exe. Next comes the Avid Machine Control
Protocol Application filename, AMCPapp.exe. The remaining lines
contain two columns of information pertaining to various device managers—one device per line. The first column has the name of the
device manager program and the second provides the pathname for
the DMP configuration file. If no DMP file is specified, the device manager will start, but an Open File dialog box will appear, requesting the
user to specify a DMP file. See the Device Manager Guides on the ControlAir Install CD for more information on creating and editing DMP
files for each device.

If no DMP file is specified, the ControlAir Manager cannot automatically restart the DM.

It is highly recommended that a copy be made first as a backup before editing
the autostart.ini file.

Overview of the Setup

3-28

To edit the autostart.ini file, use the Windows Notepad program.

When saving the newly edited INI file, ensure that it does not have a
.txt extension. The default options in Windows Explorer will not
display this crucial information. To change this setting, open Windows Explorer and select Options from the View drop-down menu.
In the dialog box, check Show All Files and uncheck Hide file extension for known file types, then click OK.
To prevent ControlAir Manager from automatically restarting a device
program, the line for that device must be removed from the Start
Sequence list in the autostart.ini file. It can be deleted from the
list completely or moved to the Samples list.
In the following example, the default line for a character generator—MCSDM.exe—is and replaced with the standard Chyron device
manager line—ChyronDM.exe—originally provided in the Samples
list. Compare the list below with the standard default listings shown
on page 3-27 to spot the edit.
[Start Sequence]
casvr.exe
AMCPapp.exe
MCSDM.exe

dmp\mcsdmss.dmp

ChyronDM.exe dmp\ChyronDM.dmp
LouthDM.exe

dmp\Louth.dmp

[Samples]
;This section is ignored by the ControlAir Manager
MCSDM.exe

dmp\mcsdmcg.dmp

LouthDM.exe

dmp\pdr1.dmp

MCSDM.exe

dmp\clipbox.dmp

LouthDM.exe

“c:\My Device Profiles\AirSPACE-2.dmp”

Installing and Configuring iNEWS ControlAir

CHAPTER 4
Setting up the Monitor
Server on iNEWS Servers
After the iNEWS ControlAir software is installed, you must set up
monitor servers on iNEWS Servers to use ControlAir.
Do not confuse the monitor server in this chapter with server hardware or file servers, which are computers with the iNEWS database
and running the iNEWS Server software. If referenced in this chapter,
those computers are called iNEWS Servers, NRCS-A, NRCS-B, and so
forth. This chapter explains setup and use of the utility program
known as the monitor server. There are various types of these utility
programs, called servers, which perform a multitude of tasks. See the
“Servers” chapter of the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual for more information.
This chapter contains the following major sections:
•

Overview

•

Configuring Monitor Servers

•

Configuration Summary

Configuration Details

Using Monitor Server

4-2

Overview
A monitor server is a utility program—running on the iNEWS newsroom computer system—that checks a show’s event requests for
errors, creates composite and event lists, and sends playlists to
ControlAir.
A monitor server must be assigned device and mailbox numbers—typically, these numbers are the same, which makes the configuration easier to remember. A device number is chosen for monitor
server so iNEWS recognizes the server (utility program) as a valid
device. The device number must be entered in the system’s configuration file. The mailbox number must be assigned to both the show’s
monitor server and its rundown queue.

A mailbox is an activation mechanism for a server (utility) program, so if a
queue has a mailbox number matching a server program, then that server is
the one activated or “awakened” whenever something happens to the queue.
See Chapter 14 in the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual for more information on mailboxes and other server programs.
The mailbox enables iNEWS to notify the monitor server of changes
made to a rundown queue—the one sharing the same mailbox number—while that show is monitored. The monitor server then updates
composite and event lists, if necessary.
The monitor server is turned on when a user at an iNEWS Workstation
turns it on. When on, monitor server checks its assigned rundown for
production cues, and builds playlists.
It continues to monitor the rundown for changes and performs as
much error checking as it can—by comparing production cues with
styles located in the SYSTEM.RESOURCE queue—without communicating with any broadcast equipment, including ControlAir. See
“Monitor Mode - On” on page 1-10 and Figure 1-3 on page 1-11 for
more information. Also, to learn more about styles and how monitor
checks for errors, see “Styles” on page 4-33.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-3

The monitor server loads data to the ControlAir system when a user
instructs it to do so from an iNEWS Workstation. The communication
paths between monitor server and ControlAir, at this point, is
explained in more detail in “Monitor Mode - Load” on page 1-12. See
also Figure 1-4 on page 1-13 and “Using the Monitor Server” on
page 4-41.

It is recommended that producers turn the monitor server on early so it can
check the rundown queue throughout much of the show’s development.
Instructing the monitor server to load data should be done later, such as just
before taking the show to air.
Some sites use the monitor server alone—without any direct connection to devices or ControlAir—to check machine control events within
scripts for errors and produce playlists that personnel can print out or
refer to during broadcasts.

Configuring Monitor Servers
When configuring monitor servers, there are certain tasks that must be
performed on the iNEWS Servers at the console, and at an iNEWS
workstation. If your site already has the Machine Control System
(MCS), much of this work may already be done. These tasks must be
completed to download playlists and updates to the ControlAir system.
This chapter assumes:
•

Your site has a fully functioning network.

•

Your newsroom computer system servers are operational and running the iNEWS Server software.

•

All iNEWS Servers are connected to a console multiplexor, to
which Avid Broadcast Customer Support technicians have dial-in
access.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-4

•

The person performing the installation has attended an iNEWS,
AvidNews, or NetStation system administration course or has
equivalent experience. This includes having a working knowledge
of ed, the UNIX line editor and selecting servers at the console.

It is highly recommended that you have an iNEWS Newsroom Computer
System Operations Manual available while conducting procedures found in
this chapter. Selecting servers is explained in Chapter 2 of the operations
manual and the UNIX line editor is explained in Chapter 10.

Configuration Summary
The set-up procedure has the following steps: Each step is explained
further in “Configuration Details” on page 4-4.
1. Creating a Monitor Server for Each Show (page 4-5)
2. Creating Composite and Event List Queues (page 4-12)
3. Set Up Queue and Story Forms (page 4-15)
4. Assigning Forms to Queues (page 4-17)
5. Create an Entry in the SYSTEM.MAP Story (page 4-19)
6. Updating the iNEWS System Dictionaries (Optional) (page 4-28)
7. Some configurations require updating styles in the
SYSTEM.RESOURCE story. For more information on how to do
that, see “Styles” on page 4-33.

Configuration Details
The following steps do not include setting up external devices, such as
character generators and still stores, which play broadcast events.
Refer to the manufacturer’s documentation, provided with the device,
and to the Device Manager Guides, provided on the ControlAir Installation CD, for more configuration details.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-5

The configuration procedure comprises the following steps:

Step 1: Creating a Monitor Server for Each Show
This section assumes
rundown queues for the
shows being monitored
already exist. If not, create them before continuing. Refer to the
iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual for more information.
Valid standard mailbox
numbers are 1 through
4096. For more on mailboxes, see “Using Mailboxes” in Chapter 14 of
the iNEWS Newsroom
Computer System Operations Manual.

To create and configure a monitor server, do the following:
1. Check the configuration file (/site/config) and choose the next
available device number for the monitor server, from the range of
3-digit numbers reserved for use by your system’s server programs, such as 201 to 300.

2. Choose an available mailbox number. For simplicity, this can be
the same 3-digit device number. Do the following:
a. Use the list console command to ensure no other device is
using the mailbox number you have chosen.
For instance, to check mailbox 266, type:
list mailbox=266 c
Information similar to the following appears:
DEV DEVICE_TYPE COMPUTER CCU PRINTER SPEED OPTIONS DEVNAME

For other list command options for determining mailbox assignments of
queues and servers, see “Using the list Command to View Assigned Mailboxes” on page 4-11.
b. If you see the device configuration header (as shown in step
2a) with no information below it, then no device has that mailbox and you can use that number. However, if configuration
information for a device appears below the header, that device
has the same mailbox as the one you chose. Therefore, choose
another mailbox number and repeat step 2a.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-6

If the mailbox number is already being used, and you must choose another,
you may want to try another device number for the monitor server as well.
Typically, mailbox numbers match server program device numbers, although
this is not required. However, the mailbox number you select must be
assigned to the queue monitored by the server program. Multiple queues can
share the same mailbox number, but care must be take to avoid conflicts. See
“Assigning the Mailbox to the Rundown Queue” on page 4-10 for more
information.
3. Add the monitor server to the /site/config file on each iNEWS
Server—such as server A and server B in a dual server system—
by doing the following:

c
Changing the configuration file requires the
use of ed, the UNIX line
editor. See Chapter 10 of
the iNEWS Newsroom
Computer System Operations Manual for more
information.

Always back up the /site/config file before making any
changes. See “Changing the Configuration File” in Chapter 11 of the
iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual for more
information.
a. At the console, select all iNEWS Servers. Instructions for how
to do this is provided in Chapter 2 of the iNEWS Newsroom
Computer System Operations Manual.
b. Use the ed command to open and edit the configuration file,
by typing:
ed /site/config
1259
After you press Enter, the editor responds by displaying a
number, as shown, indicating the file size expressed as the
number of characters, including spaces and returns.
c. Add the monitor server’s device number to the servers line
in the host definition for the iNEWS Server that will run the
monitor server program. For instance:
servers 261 263 265 267
The device number 267 is added to the servers line in this
example.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-7

Do not confuse the configuration line, which
starts with server, and
the servers line mentioned in 3c (page 4-6),
which lists device numbers.

Divide your server programs evenly among your iNEWS Servers to distribute the load they put on your system. For instance, put odd numbered programs on server A and even numbered ones on server B. Additionally, ensure
that you also add the configuration line for the monitor server to alternate
host definitions for your iNEWS Servers. This ensures it can run on the surviving computer should one of your iNEWS Servers stop functioning. A sample configuration file is provided in Appendix B; it includes pointers
indicating where in the file information is added, as described in this procedure.
d. Add a configuration line for the monitor server in the host
definition belonging to the iNEWS Server that will run the
server program. This line begins with the word server and
contains the mailbox number assigned to the monitor server.
The format for server programs’ configuration lines are:
server
Parameter

Description

device #

The device number assigned to the server program. This 3-digit number must also be listed
in the servers line in a host definition.

type

The type of server program is monitor.

mailbox

The mailbox the server program uses. Valid
standard mailbox numbers are 1 through 4096.
This number typically matches the server program’s device number.

device name

Monitor servers do not use a device name;
enter a hyphen (-).

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-8

Comments appearing
after the semicolons (;)
are optional.

Do not use an uppercase
(W) in step 3e. See Chapter 10 in the iNEWS
Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual
for more information.

The following are sample configuration lines for various server
programs:
server

256

action

server

257

distribution 257

256

actphon ;action svr

server

258

parallel

258

devname2

server

259

keyword

259

key1 ;keyword server

server

260

seek

260

seek ;seek server

server

261

ftsseek

261

- ;fts searches

server

262

ftsindex

262

- ;fts indexing

server

263

- ;print server

server

264

monitor

264

- ;monitor server

server

265

monitor

265

- ;monitor server

server

266

monitor

266

- ;monitor server

server

267

monitor

267

- ;monitor server

devname1 ;dist server

e. When you finish making changes to the configuration file,
save your changes by typing:
w
f. When you press enter, a number will appear, such as 1279,
indicating the file size. You can then exit the UNIX line editor
by typing:
q
4. (Optional) Test your configuration changes. See “Testing the Site
Configuration File After Changing” in Chapter 11 of the iNEWS
Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual for more information.

After editing the configuration file (/site/config), it should be backed up
to tape. For more information about backing up site files, see the iNEWS
Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual.
Before the monitor server can be used, two more tasks must be completed:

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-9

•

Reconfiguring the system to incorporate the new device (monitor
server) into your system’s operation.

•

Adding the monitor server’s mailbox to the rundown queue it will
be monitoring.

These tasks are covered in the next two sections.

Reconfigure the System
You do not need to stop
anything to reconfigure
the system.

To reconfigure the system, do the following:
1. At the console, select the master computer (typically server A).
2. Type su to log in as superuser and type the superuser password.
3. Type:
NRCS-A# offline
4. Type:
NRCS-A# configure
5. When the prompt returns, bring the system online again by typing:
NRCS-A# online
A message similar to the following will appear:
A

Wed Oct

3 00:18:58 2001 msg System being configured

6. After you see the System being configured message, exit
from superuser mode. (CTRL-D)
Unlike other utility programs, it is not necessary to start a monitor
server when you add it to the configuration file. It starts when someone uses the monitor on or monitor load command for the rundown queue to which you have assigned the monitor server. See
“Using the Monitor Server” on page 4-41 for more information.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-10

Assigning the Mailbox to the Rundown Queue
Mailboxes are assigned
to queues in the same
way other database
traits are—using the
Queue Properties dialog box. See Chapter 5
in the iNEWS Newsroom
Computer System Operations Manual for more
information.

After you choose the monitor server’s mailbox number and verify that
it is not used by another device, you must also assign it to the show’s
rundown queue, being monitored by the monitor server.
For instance, the rundown queue in the following procedure is
SHOWS.6P.RUNDOWN, and the mailbox being assigned is number 267.
To assign a mailbox to the rundown queue, do the following:
1. Log in as a system administrator—that is, with a superuser
account—to an iNEWS workstation.
2. Navigate to the rundown queue, such as the queue named Rundown located in the SHOWS.6P directory.
3. Right-click on the queue and select Properties from the pop-up
menu. The Queue Properties dialog box will appear.

4. Click on the Maintain tab.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-11

5. Select the Standard radio button located in the Mailbox section.
6. Type in the mailbox number, such as 267.
7. Click OK to save changes.

Using the list Command to View Assigned Mailboxes
Variations of the list command can be used at the console to determine mailbox assignments for specific devices, queues, and so forth.
Since multiple queues can share the same mailbox, you can list all
queues and directories in the database that are using a certain mailbox,
such as 267. To do this, type:
list mailbox=267 d
To find out which monitor server mailboxes are assigned, type:
list c monitor
The system displays configuration information for your system’s monitor servers, similar to the following:
DEV DEVICE_TYPE COMPUTER CCU PRINTER SPEED OPTIONS DEVNAME
S264 monitor

N264

S265 monitor

N265

S266 monitor

N266

S267 monitor

N267

NRCS-A:

The mailbox number assigned to each monitor server appears in the
PRINTER column and begins with the letter, N.
To see if any servers are assigned a certain mailbox number, use the
following format: list mailbox= c

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-12

Two rundown queues can share the same mailbox, but they should
never be monitored simultaneously. If two rundowns share the same
mailbox number, ensure that both their monitor servers do not run
simultaneously; otherwise, results could be unpredictable.
To check whether mailbox 267 is assigned to a server program, type:
list mailbox=267 c

Step 2: Creating Composite and Event List Queues
The monitor server scans stories for production cues and builds lists of
machine control events, which can be referenced or used to transmit
data to production devices, such as character generators (CGs), video
servers, and still store machines. These lists, known as composite and
event lists, are optional, yet valuable, resources for a show’s director
and production device operators. An event list contains details for a
specific device, while a composite list contains status information for
all devices connected through ControlAir.
You may want to create only composite and/or event lists for certain
production devices. If you do not create list queues for some devices,
the monitor server will not create lists.
For these lists to exist, queues for them must be created—if they do not
already exist—and they must be “mapped” to the monitor server so it
knows where to put composite information and event lists.
The following procedure explains how to create queues. For more on
mapping them, see “Create an Entry in the SYSTEM.MAP Story” on
page 4-19.
To create and configure the composite and event list queues, do the
following:
1. At an iNEWS workstation, log in as a system administrator—or
user with authority to create queues in the iNEWS database.
2. Navigate to and select the directory (folder) created to hold the
queue you want to create.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-13

3. Do one of the following:
a. Click on the Tools drop-down menu, then select New Queue.
-ORb. Right-click on the folder in the Directory panel, and choose
New Queue from the pop-up menu.
A new queue appears under the folder you selected. The
New-Queue appears at the end of the list of existing queues.
The title, New-Queue, is highlighted, so you can rename it.

4. Type the name of the new queue, such as COMPOSITE or CG1.

The pathname of each device’s event list queue is a combination of the event
list directory and the device manager’s name. For instance, if you want an
event list for the 6PM show that has a character generator called CG1, you

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-14

may select to place the event list queue in the SHOWS.6P directory. The pathname would be SHOWS.6P.CG1. Using the same example, the pathname for
the composite list queue would be SHOWS.6P.COMPOSITE.
5. Press Enter to save the new queue name.
The newly created queue will inherit database traits of its parent
directory initially. You can open the new queue by double-clicking
on it. For more information about queues and their database traits,
see Chapter 5 in the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual.
6. To have monitor server display information in these lists properly,
each queue must be assigned the proper queue and story form.
Assigning these forms is covered in “Assigning Forms to Queues”
on page 4-17.
7. To ensure that you can use the queues effectively, remove the
inverted database trait and apply the refresh database trait to
them. This can be done by removing the check mark from the
Inverted checkbox and selecting the Refresh checkbox on the User
Interface tab of the Queue Properties dialog box at any iNEWS
workstation.
For more information about assigning database traits to queues,
see Chapter 5 of the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual.
8. Assign a write security group to your event and composite list
queues to ensure that only the monitor server makes changes to
the composite and event lists. It is recommended that you restrict
writing access of these queues to superusers.
For more information on how to assign write groups to queues,
see “Group Traits for the Database” in Chapter 6 of the iNEWS
Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual.
After the composite and event list queues are created, the monitor
server must be created—as described in step 1 on page 4-5—and
mapped to them. This will enable the monitor server to determine the
queue where the composite list should be placed and the directory

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-15

where the event list queues are located. The procedures for mapping
the monitor server to composite and event list queues are explained in
“Create an Entry in the SYSTEM.MAP Story” on page 4-19.

Step 3: Set Up Queue and Story Forms
All three queues—rundown, composite, and event list—use forms
with fields that may be filled in by monitor server programs.
Add fields to existing rundown queue and story forms in iNEWS, as
well as forms used by the composite and event list queues, using the
following guidelines:
•

Two form field types that are often used in forms for all three
queues—except for CG and Still Store event lists: VIDEO-ID and
EVENT-STATUS.

•

The following form field types are used in forms for composite
and event list queues: CG-ADDR, CG-TEMPLATE, CG-TEXT,
STILL-ID, STILL-PRESET, STYLE, and EFFECT.

All of these fields, associated with the ControlAir system, are
explained in more detail in Table 4-1.
Table 4-1

iNEWS Form Fields for ControlAir

Field Type

Description

CG-ADDR

This field holds the ID’s or recorded page addresses from the character generator on which a CG (or super) is written by the character generator interface.

CG-TEMPLATE

This field contains template information for the character generator, namely
the address on the character generator of the template or tab description message to be used for the requested super.

CG-TEXT

This field contains text of the CG (or super) from the machine control event
requested by a user in the script. It is written into specified template fields on
the character generator that is interfaced with the iNEWS newsroom computer system.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-16

Table 4-1

iNEWS Form Fields for ControlAir

Field Type

Description (Continued)

EFFECT

This field holds the effect name requested in association with a machine control event that will be applied to the character generator or still store machine
when it is taken to air. For instance: a wipe or a dissolve.

EVENT-STATUS

This field displays availability and play status of a machine control event, as
reported by the production device involved. For instance, a video event could
be reported as N/L (not loaded) or OFFLINE, CUED,PLAYING, or
STOPPED, among other things. In forms for rundown and event list queues,
only the status of a video event can be displayed. In Machine Control Terminal (MCT) and ControlAir Workstation forms, this field can also contain the
status of CG and still store events.

STYLE

This field contains the style name specified when a user requests a CG or Still
Store machine control event in the production cue. It is typically an alpha or
alphanumeric sequence that is a maximum of eight characters long. For
instance, iNEWS translates a CG style into an address on the character generator at which a template is stored. That template is then used to build the
requested CG. Styles are defined in stories in the SYSTEM.RESOURCE queue.
They define the details, such as CG template, number of fields, still preset or
playback effect, that define an event.

STATUS

This field is used in a rundown queue. It will display “OK” or “ERROR,”
depending on the status of production cues in the story. The iNEWS system’s
monitoring program sets this field to indicate whether there are any errors in
the production cues in stories of the rundown.

STILL-ID

In a composite or event list queue, this field displays the alphanumeric identifier for a still store graphic.

STILL-PRESET

This field contains the number or letter designation of a predefined still store
format. It is typically used in the form for the still store device event list, and
is recognized by the ControlAir Workstation.

VIDEO-ID

This field is used in the rundown queue to display the tape number or clip ID
for video. It is also found in forms for the composite and video event lists.
This field is primarily used in association with machine control and
ControlAir systems.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-17

See the “MCS/BCS Fields and Forms” section in Chapter 8 of the iNEWS
Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual for further information on
when and how these fields are used, as well as other fields that maybe used.
For instance, TAPE-TIME, RUNS-TIME, and MOS-DURATION.
For a field to be used in a queue form, it must also exist in a story form. Refer
to Chapter 8 in the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual
for details on creating or modifying forms and other form field types. More
form and field information pertaining to upgrading to iNEWS as it relates to
ControlAir is provided in Appendix C of this manual.

Step 4: Assigning Forms to Queues
After you create queues to hold the composite and event lists, you
must assign forms containing ControlAir fields to each queue. For
instance:

•

Assign a form designed to display composite list information to
SHOWS.6P.COMPOSITE

•

Assign a form designed to display the information in a character
generator’s event list to SHOWS.6P.CG1

Your system includes default forms—located in the SYSTEM.FORMS directory—for composite, still store, character generator, and video event list
queues. If upgrading to iNEWS from a previous product version, such as NetStation, you must update forms for composite and event list queues, including rundown forms.
To assign a form to a queue, do the following at an iNEWS workstation:
1. Navigate to the queue you want in the Directory panel.
2. Right-click on it. A pop-up menu will appear.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-18

3. Select Properties from the pop-up menu. The Directory/Queue
Properties dialog box will appear.

Access to the Directory/Queue Properties dialog box and its appearance vary,
depending on certain circumstances. See Chapter 5 of the iNEWS Newsroom
Computer System Operations Manual for more information.
4. Do either or both of the following:
a. Use the Queue drop-down list on the Forms tab to select the
form you want to apply to the directory as queue form database trait.
b. Use the Story drop-down list on the Forms tab to select the
form you want to apply to the directory as story form database trait.
You must assign a queue form and a story form. The queue form
determines the look of the queue. The story form determines the
look of each individual story.
For instance, to assign the standard composite list queue form to
the SHOWS.6P.COMPOSITE queue, select the appropriate form
from the Queue drop-down list in the Queue Properties dialog

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-19

box. To assign a story form to this composite list, select the appropriate form from the Story drop-down list in the Queue Properties
dialog box.

The forms will only appear in the drop-down lists if they exist in the database.
For information about how to create your own forms or modify existing
forms, and about database traits, see the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual.
5. If you made changes to an existing form, you must select the
Update existing stories to use story form. When this check box is
selected, iNEWS changes the story form assignment for previously
existing stories within the queue.
6. Click OK to save changes and apply the new queue/story form
settings.

Users should log off and sign back on to view the new queue/story form settings.

Step 5: Create an Entry in the SYSTEM.MAP Story
The map story is a standard iNEWS database story and is always the
first story in the SYSTEM.MAP queue. It can be opened and edited like
any other iNEWS database story; however, access to it is typically limited to system administrators who already have access to the System
directory.
When you create a show’s map story entry, you will usually specify
that monitor server create and maintain event and composite lists
when someone monitors the show.
After creating the show’s monitor server, add an entry for the show to
your system’s map story. This entry specifies to the show’s monitor
server the location of the show’s rundown queue, and composite and
event lists. Without this information, the monitor server will not create
lists. The map story entry also specifies the list of groups that can monitor a queue, and when the monitor server turns itself off.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-20

To add an entry for the show in the map story, do the following:
MOS Gateway is
another Avid product
that works with the
iNEWS newsroom computer system to control
production devices.

1. Open the SYSTEM.MAP story, which contains a separate entry for
each show that will be produced using ControlAir or MOS Gateway.
Figure 4-1 shows three sample entries, with four devices each, in a
SYSTEM.MAP story.

Each show’s map story entry must begin with a line called an entry header.
;RUNDOWN
EVENT DIR
COMP QUEUE
GROUP
;DEVICE
DEVNAME
UPDATE PLAYBACK FORM (MSG DIR)
;
SHOW.10P.RUNDOWN
SHOW.10P
SHOW.10P.COMPOSITE
ss
ss@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:300
cart
pdr@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
;
;
SHOW.6P.RUNDOWN
SHOW.6P
SHOW.6P.COMPOSITE
ss
ss@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:500
cart
pdr@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
;
;
SHOW.SPECIALS.RUNDOWN
SHOW.SPECIALS
SHOW.SPECIALS.COMPOSITE
ss
ss2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:300
cart
pdr2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
-

(OFF TIME)

130
499

2100
699

D130
499

The entry header must be followed by a device list.

Figure 4-1

Sample Map Story

2. Create an entry header.
As shown in Figure 4-2, the entry header specifies the following
information for each show:
•

The show’s rundown queue

•

The directory that holds the event list queue(s)

•

The composite list queue

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-21

n
The show’s
rundown queue

•

Group of users who can monitor the show

•

The time you want the monitor to turn itself off—when you
want the system to stop monitoring the show.

The time may be entered as a specific time, such as 130 (1:30 AM) or 2100
(9:00 PM). It may also be entered as a duration, such as D130; the monitor
server will turn itself off 1 hour and 30 minutes after it was turned on.

The directory that
holds the event list
queues

The time you want the
monitor to turn itself off
The composite list queue
Groups

;RUNDOWN
EVENT DIR
COMP QUEUE
GROUP
;DEVICE
DEVNAME
UPDATE PLAYBACK FORM (MSG DIR)
;
SHOW.10P.RUNDOWN
SHOW.10P
SHOW.10P.COMPOSITE
ss
ss@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:300
cart
pdr@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
;
;
SHOW.6P.RUNDOWN
SHOW.6P
SHOW.6P.COMPOSITE
ss
ss@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:500
cart
pdr@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
;
;
SHOW.SPECIALS.RUNDOWN
SHOW.SPECIALS
SHOW.SPECIALS.COMPOSITE
ss
ss2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:300
cart
pdr2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
-

Figure 4-2

(OFF TIME)

130
499

2100
699

D130
499

Sample Entry Header

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-22

You must specify the parameters in the entry header in the order indicated in Table 4-2.
Table 4-2
Entry Header Parameters
Parameter

Definition

Rundown Queue

The full pathname of the show’s rundown queue.

Event List Directory

(Optional) The directory in which event lists are
stored. The monitor server combines information
you put here with the device name. For instance, if
you specify SHOWS.6P here and you have a still
store machine called “ss1,” the monitor server
puts the still store’s event list in SHOWS.6P.SS1. It is
a good idea to use the same directory that holds the
show’s rundown. If you do not use this field, put a
dash here.

Composite List Queue

(Optional) The full pathname of the queue in
which the show’s composite list is stored. It is a
good idea to put the composite list in the same
directory as the show’s rundown queue. If you do
not use this feature, put a dash here.

Group of Users

(Optional) Put a security group in this field so that
only superusers and people assigned to that group
can monitor the show.
Put a dash here if you do not want to restrict who
can monitor the show.
Consider using different security groups for each
show in a series of back-to-back shows to prevent
one show’s producer from starting or stopping
another show’s monitor server.

Off Time

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

The time you want the show’s monitor server to
turn itself off. You can enter this time as either a
time of day or a duration. Enter the time of day in
24-hour format. For instance, type 1915 to have the
monitor server turn itself off at 7:15 PM. Enter a
duration by typing D before the value. For instance,
enter a duration of one hour and 30 minutes as
D130. (These values are not case-sensitive.)

4-23

3. List the devices used by the show; production devices for which
you want the show’s monitor server to process event requests.
The type of
production
device

The name of
the production
device

Whether the monitor
server updates the
device’s playlist

The ControlAir Workstation form for that show, or
the MCT form for that
device

The address range
you want to use (CGs
and still stores only)

;RUNDOWN
EVENT DIR
COMP QUEUE
GROUP
;DEVICE
DEVNAME
UPDATE PLAYBACK FORM (MSG DIR)
;
SHOW.10P.RUNDOWN
SHOW.10P
SHOW.10P.COMPOSITE
ss
ss@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:300
cart
pdr@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
;
;
SHOW.6P.RUNDOWN
SHOW.6P
SHOW.6P.COMPOSITE
ss
ss@casvr-1
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg@casvr-1
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:500
cart
pdr@casvr-1
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
;
;
SHOW.SPECIALS.RUNDOWN
SHOW.SPECIALS
SHOW.SPECIALS.COMPOSITE
ss
ss2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
cg
cg2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
C:NEWS:300
cart
pdr2@casvr-1,casvr-2
UPDATE bcs-bcw
3
mos
sony@mosgwy
UPDATE bcs-bcw
-

(OFF TIME)

130
499

2100
699

D130
499

Name of backup server

Figure 4-3

Sample Device List in a SYSTEM.MAP story

The monitor server can only process event requests for devices
specified in the device list; event requests for other devices generate errors. The parameters contained in the device list are
explained in Table 4-3 and Table 4-4.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-24

Table 4-3

Device List Parameters

Parameter

Definition

Device Type

Specify the type of production device in this
parameter.
In some cases, iNEWS users may create machine
control events that specify devices by type
rather than name. When the monitor server
encounters such an event, it sends it to the first
device of that type defined in the show’s
SYSTEM.MAP story entry. If you have a show
that uses two devices of the same type, decide
which device you want as the monitor server’s
default, and define it first in the show’s
SYSTEM.MAP story entry.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-25

Table 4-3

Device List Parameters (Continued)

Parameter

Definition

Device Name

Specify the name of the production device in this
parameter. If the device is connected to the system
through an MCS-PC or PC-PCU, only the device
name is needed in this parameter, such as CG1, SS,
VID-A.
The device name is assigned to the production device
in the iNEWS configuration file (/site/config). If
you are unsure of the device name, check its entry in
this configuration file.
For devices interfaced through a ControlAir Server
the format is:
@
In addition, a backup server may be specified. The
backup server can be loaded in place of the primary
server; however, both may not be loaded at the same
time.
For server pairs, the format is:
@,
Examples are provided in Figure 4-3.
Device names for ControlAir Server devices, must
match the device name specified in a DMP file for one
of the DMs configured on that ControlAir Server.

Update

Specify whether you want the monitor server to
update the device’s playlist when someone modifies
the rundown in this parameter. By default, these
updates are performed. Type noupdate in this
parameter if you do not want the monitor server to
perform these updates.

Playback Form

Specify the form used to display each device’s
machine control events. You can use standard forms
provided with your system, such as the bcs-bcw
form, or build your own. If you use a Machine Control Terminal (MCT), the standard forms are MCT-CG,
MCT-SS, and MCT-CART.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-26

The iNEWS newsroom computer system stores a Machine Control System
(MCS) dictionary file—named mcs—in the /site/dict directory. The
/site/dict/mcs file usually defines production device types as CG for
character generator, SS for still store machines, and CART for video devices,
such as video servers or cart machines. You must specify in the device list a
valid production device as defined in the dictionary file; otherwise, the monitor server ignores that line and any that follow it, so it cannot properly process event requests.
The last parameter of a device list line—Drive, Directory/User#, and
so forth—is defined in Table 4-4.

Table 4-4

CG and Still Store Specific Device List Parameters

Parameter

Definition

Parameters for Character Generators:
Drive

Select the disk drive you want the character generator
to use. If you leave this field empty, the CG uses its
default drive.

Directory/User#

Select the directory you want the character generator
to use.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-27

Table 4-4

CG and Still Store Specific Device List Parameters

Parameter

Definition

Address Range

Specify a range of addresses in this field. The monitor
server uses this range to store the forms it builds. To
specify a range of addresses, enter the starting
address, followed by a space and the ending address.
For instance, to reserve addresses 1 through 199, type
1 199 in this field.
The range of numbers must be large enough to hold
all character-generated graphics—also known as
supers—that monitor server is likely to build for the
show. Also, ensure you do not select a range that conflicts with the addresses the character generator uses
to store its permanent supers or templates.

the monitor server may skip an address to
n Because
keep them contiguous within a story, this range
should be larger than the largest number of possible
addresses used.
Parameters for Still Stores:
Drive

Select the disk drive you want the still store to use. If
you leave this field empty, the still store uses its
default drive.

Directory/User#

If your still store has user numbers, use this field to
specify the user number you want to use for that
show.

Stack

Specify the stack or playlist identifier you want the
still store to use in this field.

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-28

Table 4-4

CG and Still Store Specific Device List Parameters

Parameter

Definition

Parameters for Video Machines:
Channel Assignment

This parameter specifies whether the iNEWS system,
the ControlAir Workstation, the device manager, or
the video (cart) device assigns channels. Use these
codes:
0 to have channels assigned by device
1 to have channels assigned by iNEWS
2 to have channels assigned by device manager
3 to have channels assigned by ControlAir Workstation

4. Save the map story.
5. Test monitor the show to ensure map story entries are functioning
correctly.
The monitor server only examines the show’s map story entry when a
user turns it on, so any changes to the show’s map story entry will not
take effect until then. Changes made to the show’s map story entry
after the show is monitored do not take effect until the next time the
show is monitored.
For this reason, you should monitor the show after creating or modifying the show’s SYSTEM.MAP story entry to test the changes you make.
Monitoring the show allows the monitor server to check your work
and ensures smooth operation when you produce the show.

Step 6: Updating the iNEWS System Dictionaries (Optional)
Machine Control System (MCS) dictionary files in iNEWS can be modified to customize the text of any dictionary entry. These include the
names given to device types, the text of any error or warning messages
sent to the iNEWS Workstation, certain keywords, and the text of
status indicators from various devices. There are many reasons a site

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-29

may want to change a dictionary entry. For instance, an AirSPACE,
connected to iNEWS, shows a video play-back status of “OnAir,” but
the status field in the show rundown on iNEWS shows “Play” instead.
If the system administrator wants the two status indicators to match,
the MCS dictionary file in iNEWS must be modified. This will “translate” the iNEWS status wording so that it corresponds to what appears
on the actual device.

The monitor server uses the MCS dictionary to show status for all devices, so
ensure that words you choose apply to all devices. For instance, there is no
way for the play status to be “OnAir” for character generators and “Playing”
for video servers simultaneously.
Dictionary files are located in the /site/dict directory. This section
covers changes made only to the /site/dict/mcs file; if changes are
made to other dictionaries in the /site/dict directory, the procedure may require more steps. Refer to the iNEWS Newsroom Computer
System Operations Manual for more information about editing iNEWS
system dictionaries.

Editing the /site/dict/mcs Dictionary File
In the following procedure, as an example, the term “Play” is changed
to “OnAir” in the dictionary.
To edit the dictionary file, do the following:
1. Select all servers at the console, so changes you make are made to
each server’s copy of the file. See “Selecting One or More Servers”
in Chapter 2 of the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual for more information.
This procedure uses the
UNIX line editor. For
more information, see
Chapter 10 of the
iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual.

2. Open /site/dict/mcs for editing by typing:
ed /site/dict/mcs
3. Navigate to the line with the word you want changed, such as
“PLAY” by typing:
/PLAY

Configuring Monitor Servers

4-30

The console will respond with a display similar to the following:
A_CAPLAY

/PLAY

In the above example, PLAY appears twice in the line.

When navigating in the file, remember the UNIX line editor is case-sensitive.
So, typing either /Play or /play will not locate a line with “PLAY.”
4. Substitute the new word, such as “OnAir,” for the second occurrence of the existing word, PLAY, by typing:
s?/PLAY?/OnAir
The console will respond with a display similar to the following:
A_CAPLAY

n
Do not use an uppercase
(W) in step 5. See Chapter 10 in the iNEWS
Newsroom Computer System Operations Manual
for more information.

/OnAir

The question marks are necessary to prevent the editor from substituting
“OnAir” in place of the first occurrence of the word, “PLAY.” For instance,
typing s/PLAY/OnAir would result in the edited line appearing as
/A_CAOnAir
/PLAY.
5. When you finish making changes to the dictionary file, save your
changes by typing:
w
6. When you press enter, a number will appear, such as 1279, indicating the file size. You can then exit the UNIX line editor by typing:
q

See Appendix C in the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual for more information about Dictionary files.
If you change your existing MCS dictionary files, you must apply
those changes by running the makemctab command at the iNEWS
console; however, if any monitor servers are running at the time the
command is entered, the changes will not apply. All monitor servers
must be stopped prior to running the makemctab command.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-31

A system administrator who knows the device numbers for monitor
servers can choose to stop just those programs; however, it should be
done only when the monitor servers are not being used to monitor
on-air shows or during preparation prior to going on-air.
To update your iNEWS dictionaries, do the following:

The prompt endings
change from a colon
(:)—indicating a system
operator login—to a
pound sign (#)—indicating a superuser
login.

1. Select all servers.
2. At the console, type su to become a superuser and type the superuser password. The prompts will appear as follows:
NRCS-A: su
Password:
NRCS-A#
For security reasons, the console does not display the password
you type.
3. At the specified time, select one server and type the command
list s to check who is still logged in and which server programs are still running.
A message similar to the following appears:
S264

2Af4

T11

miller

T82

allen

T101
R801

stevens
stevens

A
A

The list s command displays the device controlling the session,
the user account used for the session, and the server servicing the
session. In the example, the first line starts with an S, indicating a
server (utility) program, such as a monitor server. The 3-digit
number after the S is the device number.
If you are unsure whether the device number is that of a monitor
server, check the iNEWS configuration file (/site/config) for
monitor servers and their assigned device numbers. You can do this
Configuring Monitor Servers

4-32

by using the list c command at the console, in the following format:
list c .

Server programs are only listed as a result of the list s command
if they are actually running, so they may be in use. Do not stop them
without first check with production staff to ensure you are not stopping a monitor server that is monitoring a show that is on-air.
4. After checking with production staff, type list s again to confirm whether all monitor servers are off.
5. Use the stop command followed by the device number(s) of
monitor servers. This further ensures they are stopped. For
instance, type:
stop 264
6. Type makemctab -i to translate dictionaries used by monitor
servers.

In versions prior to iNEWS 1.5, the command was makemctab -b. This
command is still valid in version 1.5, but makemctab -i is recommended.
7. Log off the iNEWS console.
Unlike other utility programs, monitor servers do not have to be
restarted from the iNEWS console. They are turned on and off from
the iNEWS Workstation.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-33

Styles
Whether the monitor server in iNEWS is used alone or with the
iNEWS ControlAir, it must have a defined set of styles with which to
compare machine control events to work properly.

Styles apply to machine control events for character generators (CGs) and
still store (SS) machines. Video machines do not use styles.
Styles are defined in stories located in the SYSTEM.RESOURCE queue
of the iNEWS database. Each style represents elements necessary for
the device (CG or SS) to produce a particular playback event.

Each device must have its own list of styles. If there are two production
devices of the same type, such as two CGs, users may assume that a style that
works on one device also works on the other. Consider creating a new story for
each device, defining the same styles for both devices to avoid confusion.
Because SYSTEM.RESOURCE stories for several devices can be lengthy,
users can find information they need more efficiently if there is one story per
device. See “Creating Styles” on page 4-35 for more information.
Styles make it easier to create event requests because they simplify the
information users must put into the request. Styles are also important
for providing information required for the monitor server to check
production cues for errors. Any errors are then reported to iNEWS
users through instant messages or by changing the color of the production cue when displayed in the Story panel at an iNEWS Workstation. The information contained in styles will also be forwarded to the
ControlAir system.

Styles

4-34

The following diagram shows where styles appear in the workflow.
Machine control events are anchored
to scripts at locations indicated by
production cue markers, shown below:
1. An iNEWS User
writes a script with
machine control
events and saves it
to a show's rundown
queue.

3. When the monitor
server finds errors during
the comparison, it reports
them to iNEWS users
through the Rundown
Queue, among other ways.

Styles

Rundown
Queue

2. If the monitor server is on and
checking its Rundown Queue, it
notices the newly saved script
and immediately compares the
data in machine control events
with styles provided in the
SYSTEM.RESOURCE queue.

Figure 4-4

SYSTEM.RESOURCE
Queue

Monitor Server

Monitor Server’s Error Checking Workflow

If you use effects in your character generator and still store styles, you
should develop a strategy for using them. How you use effects
depends on whether or not you use the ControlAir system:
•

If you have a ControlAir Workstation and want to include an
effect in a style, you must first define the style effect in the DMP
file for the device manager that controls the production device.

•

If you do not have a ControlAir Workstation, the effects you
include in your styles serve as instructions to your production
device operators. Develop a standard set of effect names that your
production device operators can easily understand.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-35

To help users remember the styles and their names when they assign
event requests, you should publish a list of styles as shown in
Figure 4-5.
Publish the list both in printed format and in a read-only queue to
allow users to reference the list from an iNEWS Workstation.

Figure 4-5

Example Style List

Creating Styles
Styles are stored in stories, which are saved to the SYSTEM.RESOURCE
queue. These stories are created and edited like any other story in the
iNEWS newsroom computer system. However, if the queue has a
write security group assigned to it, you must belong to that group or
be logged on as a superuser to edit stories in the SYSTEM.RESOURCE
queue.

If your SYSTEM.RESOURCE queue does not have a write security
group, one should be assigned. Because its stories define styles that
people will use to request playback events, assigning a write security group helps ensure that only authorized personnel can edit
these stories. Instructions for doing this is in the iNEWS Newsroom
Computer System Operations Manual.

Styles

4-36

To create a style, do the following:
1. At an iNEWS Workstation, navigate to the SYSTEM.RESOURCE
queue.
2. Do one of the following:
a. Open an existing story to edit.
-ORb. Click the File drop-down menu and select New Story. The
new story is created, and will appear with blank Story Form
and Story Text panels.
Story
Form
Panel

Story
Text
Panel

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-37

Lines beginning with a
semicolon (;) are comments and ignored by
the system. Comments
may also be added to
the end of lines.

3. The story should begin with a commented header and parameter
line similar to the following:

;Resource File
;Dev Style Template

Effect

# of Fields ;Comments

4. Do one of the following:
a. If editing styles in an existing story, move to the appropriate
line(s) in the story.
-ORb. If creating a new story, type the header as shown in step 3.
5. Enter a style entry line for the device, ensuring all parameters are
addressed, as explained in Table 4-5. The information you provide
will vary slightly between styles for character generators and still
store machines.
Table 4-5

Style Parameters for CGs and Still Store Machines

Parameter

Definition

Device

The device name of the character generator or still
store machine to which the style applies. This
name must match one of the device names
assigned to a rundown in the SYSTEM.MAP story.
For instance, CG, CG1, CG2, SS, and SS1.

Style

The name of the style. Specify a name, eight characters or less, containing at least one alpha character. For instance, 1LINE , 2-LINE , and LLBOX are
valid style names, but 412 is not.

Styles

4-38

Table 4-5

Style Parameters for CGs and Still Store Machines

Parameter

Definition

Template/Preset

This information differs depending on the device:
For CGs: Enter the character generator address
where the pre-recorded super or template that you want to use is located.

Many CGs allow alphanumeric addresses. Template
addresses for these machines can also be alpha-only
addresses, which are very useful to CG operators.
Pre-recorded super addresses must be numeric
only—at an address outside the address ranges listed
in the SYSTEM.MAP story. See Figure 4-3 on
page 4-23 for more information.
For Still Stores: Enter the preset you want to
include in the style. If the style does not
use a preset, type a dash ( - ) for this
parameter. If you specify an invalid preset, when the playlist is downloaded the
still store generates an error for event
requests that use this style.

Effect

The name of a special effect you want to include
in the style. If you do not want to include a special
effect, such as FADE or WIPE, type a dash for this
parameter.
If you have a ControlAir Workstation and want to
include an effect in a style, you must first define
the style effect in the DMP file for the device
manager that controls the production device.
If the operator plays the event requests from the
console, you can use any name up to eight characters long to represent the effect you want. However, ensure the operator is familiar with the
name. When an event request uses this style, the
monitor server puts the effect name you specify
here in the event list entry for that event request.
The operator uses the effect name to identify what
effect should be used when the event is played.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-39

Table 4-5

Style Parameters for CGs and Still Store Machines

Parameter

Definition

# of Fields

This information differs depending on the device:
For CGs: If the style uses a template, use this
parameter to specify the number of
fields (or lines) in that template. Typing
a number of fields here specifies to
ControlAir that the address refers to a
template. The number here also ensures
that this style cannot be used to add
more text than there are fields in the
template.
If the style uses a pre-recorded super
address, type a zero here to specify to
ControlAir that the Template parameter
refers to the CG address of that
pre-recorded super. When you type a
zero for this parameter, ControlAir
ensures that this style cannot be used to
add text to the CG.
For Still Stores: If the style uses a fixed still number, put that number here. Otherwise,
type a dash for this parameter.
If you use this field, no address can be
entered into the machine control event.
If you enter a dash for this parameter,
you must enter the still number with the
machine control event before the event
can be loaded onto the still store’s event
list, also known as a still store stack.

6. When finished editing the styles in the story, save it by clicking the
Save button or selecting Save from the File drop-down menu.
7. Test new or edited styles by monitoring a rundown. Changes to
SYSTEM.RESOURCE stories do not take effect until a show containing scripts with machine control events using the styles is
monitored. Also, if a monitor server is running when changes are
made, they will not take effect until it is restarted.

Styles

4-40

Some examples of styles for a character generator are shown in the
sample SYSTEM.RESOURCE story in Figure 4-6.
;Dev Style
Template
cg
bnews
62
cg
mm
75
cg
lottopb
9993
cg
world
50
cg
nation
50
cg
south
50
cg
recap
52
cg
nitetz
53
cg
tvex
67
cg
intv1
1
cg
intv
2
cg
loc
4
cg
locdate
5
cg
date
6
cg
file
7
cg
ctsy
8
cg
sktch
10
cg
locskylv 24
cg
repsky
18
cg
loclv
19
cg
intvlv
20
cg
live
21
cg
replv
22
cg
lvsky
23
cg
rep
27
;
;special for NoonDay
cg
locn
1002
cg
innd
1001
cg
lond
1008
;
;SPORTS
cg
nl
950
cg
al
951
cg
nfl
952
cg
cf
953
cg
nba
954
cg
cbb
955
cg
nhl
956
cg
prep
957
cg
scr
960
;
; Anchors/Reporters
cg
sa
104
cg
salv
105
cg
sasky
107

Effect
LOGO
WIPE
LOGO
-

Figure 4-6

# lines
0
1
12
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
2
1
2
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
0
1
0
1

Comment
;breaking news
;money matters
;lotto/powerball
;the world
;the nation
;the south
;recap
;11 tonight
;tv exclusive
;1 line interview
;2 line interview
;1 line locator
;locator with date
;date
;file tape
;courtesy
;sketches by
;live skycam locator
;reporter skycam
;live locator
;live interview 2 line
;live
;live generic reporter
;live skycam
;reporter not live

1
2
1

;1-line locator/noonday
;2 line interview noon
;live locator noon

10
10
10
10
10
10
10
16
4

;national league
;american league
;nfl
;college football
;nba
;college basketball
;nhl
;high school
;score lower third

0
0
0

; steve aveson
; steve aveson live
; steve aveson skycam

Sample Styles for CG in SYSTEM.RESOURCE Story

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-41

Here is an example of styles for a still store machine as shown in a
sample SYSTEM.RESOURCE story:
;picture box style
;Device

Style

Preset

Effect

Address

rtbox

ltbox

Using the Monitor Server
This section provides some basic user information, which can be used
to test when the monitor server is set up and working properly. Procedures include how to turn the monitor server on and off, as well as
how to instruct it to load or unload machine control event data.
To use the monitor server, log in to an iNEWS Workstation, and do the
following:
1. Open the appropriate rundown queue.
2. Click the Tools drop-down menu.
3. Select Monitor.

Using the Monitor Server

4-42

Quit Time indicates the
time that machine control is automatically
turned off. Quit Time is
based on the run time of
the queue.

The Monitor Queue dialog box appears. The Quit Time or automatic shut-off time appears at the bottom left corner of the dialog
box.

Figure 4-7

Monitor Queue Dialog Box

4. Select a monitor mode based on the following options:
•

- turns the monitor server on and creates an event
list for each device in the rundown queue.

•

Load

- instructs the monitor server to load event lists to
devices you select.

•

Unload - disconnects from the selected device or server without turning the monitor server off. (If all devices/
servers are unloaded, the monitor server returns to
the On mode.

•

Off

- turns the monitor server off, overriding the Quit
Time setting.

The Devices section of the Monitor Queue dialog box displays a
list of devices based on those defined for the queue in the
SYSTEM.MAP story.

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

4-43

The list could include:
-

Specific devices, such as those connected through an
MCS-PC or PC-PCU

Servers, such as the ControlAir Server and/or MOS Gateway Server

If you select Load, specify the device or server to load from the
Devices list, or select the All Devices checkbox to load all devices
associated with the rundown queue. To select up to three devices
from the list, without selecting all, press the CTRL key while you
click on each item. If you select a server, the data will be loaded to
all devices associated with that server.
If you select the MOS Gateway Server that is interfacing with a
device that has multiple channels, such as an OmniBus automation system, a second dialog box will appear, allowing you to
select the channel from a drop-down list.

Click OK to return to the previous dialog box.
5. Click OK.

For more information on using the monitor server, please refer to the
ControlAir Training Guide.

Using the Monitor Server

4-44

Setting up the Monitor Server on iNEWS Servers

CHAPTER 5
Working with Devices
This chapter contains the following major sections:
•

Overview
-

Native Device Managers

MCS-PC Device Manager

•

Adding Devices

•

DMP Configuration Files
-

What Does a DMP File Do?

Character Mapping

5-2

Overview
To get a show to air, you must control several devices simultaneously.
These devices include:
•

Character generators

•

Still store machines

•

Video playback devices (such as the Louth VDCP or cart
machines)

The ControlAir system enables you to control several types of devices
from one workstation, using device managers—also known as DMs.
Without ControlAir, each device has a separate standalone workstation through which it is controlled. Not all production devices use
computer interfaces; some older ones have special panels, custom keyboards, and so forth. Figure 5-1 depicts a one type of standalone
device configuration.

Figure 5-1

Working with Devices

Sample Standalone Device Configuration

5-3

When ControlAir software is installed, one option includes installing
default DMs and configuration files for various devices. This is usually done on the ControlAir Server. See “Installing ControlAir Software” on page 3-5 for more information.
Devices are connected to the ControlAir Server through DMs, which
control the devices and report their status in DM windows. See
“Device Manager Windows” on page 6-12 for more information.
DMs are executable program files that usually have DM in the name
and end with the extension .exe, such as LouthDM.exe.
The ControlAir system supports two types of DMs:

•

Native DMs, such as ChyronDM and Louth VDCP DM, written
specifically for ControlAir

•

MCS-PC DM, which makes ControlAir compatible with devices
that run on Avid’s iNEWS newsroom computer system. See
“MCS-PC Device Manager” on page 5-5 for more information.

Some Native DMs are supplied by Avid, while other Native DMs are provided by third-party suppliers, such as production device vendors.
Figure 5-2 illustrates a sample device setup in ControlAir.

Overview

5-4

Figure 5-2 Sample Device Setup in ControlAir

Native Device Managers
Some devices connect directly to the ControlAir Server through a
native device manager. These devices include:

Working with Devices

•

Louth VDCP-compatible devices

•

Chyron Intelligent Interface-compatible devices

5-5

Third-party DMs will
connect in a manner
most appropriate for
the device. See the
third-party manufacturer’s documentation
for more information.

•

Avid AirSPACE™

•

Grass Valley Group Profile™

With ControlAir, the current native DMs for Louth and Chyron-compatible devices are connected to devices over a serial interface, but a
Local Area Network (LAN) is used for connecting the AirSPACE and
GVG DMs to their respective devices: the Avid AirSPACE and GVG
Profile. For those using LAN connections, ControlAir Server must
have their IP addresses in its etc/host file. See “Adding IP
Addresses on ControlAir Server” on page 3-2 for more information.
Each native DM has a Device Manager Profile—also known as the
DMP file—in which configuration data for the device is specified.

MCS-PC Device Manager
Some devices connect to an MCS-PC first, which in turn connects to
the ControlAir Server through the MCS-PC device manager. These
devices include:
•

Character generators

•

Still Stores

•

Cart machines

With ControlAir, device managers are connected to MCS-PCs through
a network connection, and from MCS-PCs to devices over a serial
interface. The ControlAir Server must have IP addresses for MCS-PCs
in its etc/host file. See “Adding IP Addresses on ControlAir Server”
on page 3-2 for more information.
Unlike native DMs, configuration data for devices controlled by the
MCS-PC DM is specified in two locations:
•

An MCSDM.dmp file, located in the Avid/ControlAir/DMP
directory on the ControlAir Server. These files are typically named

Overview

5-6

for the device or for the ControlAir device name if there is more
than one of the same type.
•

The device’s MCS-PC driver profile—a file with the device’s number as its name and located on the iNEWS Servers in the
/site/mcs directory

For instance, the MCS-PC DM controlling a character generator called
CG1 with the device number of 407 would rely on configuration data
located in the CG1.dmp MCSDM profile and the /site/mcs/407
MCS-PC driver profile.

Adding Devices
While the ControlAir Install program sets up the standard DMs for
typical devices, different devices can be added at a later date.
To add a device, ensure the following items are done:

If the device is controlled by the MCS-PC
device manager, additional configuration
data may be required in
a driver profile. See the
specific device’s Device
Manager Guide for more
information.

•

The executable program for the device is installed in the
iNEWS/ControlAir directory. See “Installing ControlAir Software” on page 3-5 for more information.

•

The device’s DMP configuration file is edited and saved into the
Avid/ControlAir/DMP folder. See the Device Manager Guide for
the device, which is located in the Docs folder on the
ControlAir Install CD, for more information.

•

The device is added to the autostart.ini file, if necessary. See
“Setup ControlAir Manager” on page 3-25 for more information.

DMP Configuration Files
Each DM has a Device Manager Profile (DMP) file that enables you to
specify the device’s configuration. For each device and DM (except

Working with Devices

5-7

AirPlay devices), there must be a separate DMP file, which is a text file
with the extension .dmp. Multiple instances of any device and its DM
can be run on ControlAir by starting each with its own DMP file.

In the case of the MCS-PC DM, configuration data is in two locations; some
settings are defined in its DMP file, while others are configured in specific
MCS-PC driver profiles on the iNEWS Server in the /site/mcs directory.
See “MCS-PC Device Manager” on page 5-5 for more information.
Each DM will open its corresponding DMP file—as defined in the
autostart.ini file—at start-up. See “Setup ControlAir Manager”
on page 3-25 for more information.
By default, DMs are installed in the Avid/ControlAir directory.
Sample DMP configuration files are installed together in a folder
called Examples, which is put in the same Avid/ControlAir directory. DMP files can be edited using the Windows Notepad program.

It is highly recommended that a copy be made as a backup first before editing
any DMP file. Most text is not case-sensitive in DMP files. For the exceptions to this rule, see the Device Manager Guide for your specific device,
located in the Docs folder on the ControlAir Install CD.
The active DMP files, after edited, should be placed in the DMP folder,
which—by default—is also located in the same Avid/ControlAir
directory. A device manager will find its DMP file by searching relative to the directory it is in.
The device manager can be running while its DMP configuration file is
edited; however, the changes will not take effect until the DM is
restarted. To do this, do the following:
1. Leave the DM running while you edit and save its DMP file.
2. Stop the device manager by closing its DM window located on the
ControlAir Server.

DMP Configuration Files

5-8

When the DM stops, this triggers the ControlAir Manager, which
will automatically restart the DM with its new configuration settings as found in the DMP file.

One exception to this procedure is the AirPlay DM, which is not monitored
by the ControlAir Manager. For further editing instructions, see the Device
Manager Guide for your specific device, located on the ControlAir Install CD
in the Docs folder.

What Does a DMP File Do?
Device parameters that can be defined in DMP files include:

•

The ControlAir Server’s Host name

•

The Device’s name

•

Number of Channels

•

Dictionary (for error messages)

•

Serial port configuration (and/or network settings)

•

Character mapping

•

Playback effects

The ControlAir Server’s Host name and device manager name are required in
all DMP files. Also, all DMP files will have connection (serial or network)
configuration information. All CG-related DMP files will have character
mapping and most files for CGs and still stores will include effects.
Depending on the device, other parameters not listed here may be defined. See
the device’s specific Device Manager Guide for more information.
Just as production devices differ from each other, so do their profiles.
For instance, some still store machines can display graphics using special effects, such as fade or dissolve. Normally, if the still store operator
wants to use an effect, he or she would select that effect from the still
store machine’s console when the graphic is displayed. However,

Working with Devices

5-9

ControlAir can select the effect for you when the graphic is aired if it is
provided with the information to do so. This information is defined in
the still store machine’s DMP file. This same concept applies to character generators, which can also implement special effects, such as
crawls.

Character Mapping
Character generators can usually produce characters that do not
appear on standard keyboards . For instance, your character generator
can probably produce the character “¥” for yen, the Japanese currency
or “£” for pound, the British currency, but these characters do not
appear on standard keyboards. To enable users to select these characters from their workstations—that is, entering text in the CG machine
control event—they must be mapped to characters located on the keyboard.
For users to create machine control events with these kinds of characters in CG template fields, they must be mapped to characters that do
appear on the keyboard but are not likely to appear in actual character
generated graphics—also known as supers. An example of such a
character is the carrot symbol ( ^ ).
You can map a single character to a string of one or more characters in
a profile, but not vice versa. In fact, this is the only way that you can
pass eight-bit (or extended) characters through certain serial interfaces; the eight-bit characters would be mapped in the profile to the
escape codes that would generate them on the device.
Except in the case of the MCS-PC DM, character mapping is done in
the device’s DMP file. For MCS-PC DM, character mapping is done in
the MCS PC driver profile located in /site/mcs.

DMP Configuration Files

5-10

For Native DMs
This section provides a brief introduction of character mapping in
DMP files for natively-controlled character generators. For more
detailed information, see the device’s Device Manager Guide, located on
the ControlAir Install CD.
In each CG DMP configuration file, a section dealing with character
mapping is included. It is easily recognizable; locate the line that looks
like this:
[Mapping]
The syntax for character mapping in a DMP file is:
=
A single character on a keyboard can be mapped to another single
character or string of characters.
To correctly map characters for a device, refer to the manufacturer’s
documentation accompanying the device to determine the acceptable
codes. The standard Windows ASCII codes, such as 0163 for the British pound (£), may not be used to define a mapped character or string.

For MCS-PC DM
This section applies to mapping characters for character generators
controlled by the MCS-PC device manager.
In the following example, a character generator’s profile is edited to
map that CG’s code for the Yen (¥) to the asterisk character (*) on the
keyboard. The character generator, in this example, recognizes 234 as
the code for the Yen character and its device number is 407, so its profile is stored in /site/mcs/407.
1. List the profile by using the cat command:
NRCS-A: cat /site/mcs/407

Working with Devices

5-11

A message similar to the following appears:
;Configuration
setup com1 9600-8nh
setup id 2
setup mixpreset 0
;setup debug 81
;character mapping
;map

map

<209>

<78>

NRCS-A:

This part should be
done with all iNEWS
Servers selected. See the
iNEWS Newsroom Computer System Operations
Manual for more information on selecting
servers and how to use
the UNIX line editor.

2. To add a new line to the profile, use the UNIX line editor by typing the ed command.
NRCS-A: ed /site/mcs/407
editing /site/mcs/407
145

3. Since the character mapping information is at the end of this profile, type $ to move to the end of the file and append the new line
there.
$
map

<209>

<78>

4. Type a and press Enter. This will start appending information you
type to the file:
a
5. The format you must use to map a character the CG can produce
to one available on the keyboard is shown below:
map

Enter the and
parameter values either by typing the actual character—if, of
DMP Configuration Files

5-12

course, it is one that can be generated from the keyboard—or by
using the ASCII code for that character. If you use an ASCII value,
you must enclose it in angle brackets—<67> for instance. If you
type the character itself; however, do not enclose it in angle brackets. In the following example, the asterisk (*) key is mapped to the
code the character generator uses to represent yen symbol represented by the code 234, so the command line appears as follows:
map
Do not use an uppercase (W). For more information, on the UNIX
line editor, see Chapter
10 in the iNEWS Newsroom Computer System
Operations Manual.

<234>

6. Type a period to stop appending, the save and exit the UNIX line
editor by typing the write and quit commands, as shown:
.
w
167 chars
q
NRCS-A:
After editing the file, restart the device so the changes to the profile
can take effect.

Working with Devices

CHAPTER 6
Control Air Operations
This chapter contains the following major sections:
•

Overview

•

The ControlAir Server Program
-

Stopping and Starting the ControlAir Server

Setting the Override Password

•

The AMCP Application Program

•

Device Status at the ControlAir Workstation

6-2

Overview
After the ControlAir Server software is installed and when the computer is rebooted, several programs associated with the ControlAir
system are launched automatically. These programs include:
•

The ControlAir Manager program

•

The ControlAir Server program (casvr.exe)

•

The AMCP application (AMCPapp.exe)

•

Any device managers configured in the ControlAir Manager

The ControlAir Server program and AMCP application are explained
in this chapter. Information about the ControlAir Manager is available
in “Setup ControlAir Manager” on page 3-25. For more information
pertaining to device managers, see Chapter 5 and the appropriate
Device Manager Guides on the ControlAir Installation CD.
Windows for each of these programs will open on the desktop. They
may be minimized, but do not close a window since this will close the
actual program.
Shortcuts—indicated by icons like those shown at left—may also be
placed on the desktop for quick access to one or more of these programs.
For instance, there is typically a shortcut to the ControlAir Manager.
Double-clicking on the icon will manually launch the
ControlAir Manager program, which in turn launches other
ControlAir programs the manager monitors. Using the shortcut is not
necessary after the computer is rebooted, since the programs launch
automatically upon a reboot.

n
Control Air Operations

If the ControlAir Manager is configured and running, should a user close a
window associated with the system, such as the ControlAir Server program,
ControlAir Manager will automatically relaunch the program, which will
reopen the window.

6-3

Because the ControlAir Manager relaunches device managers, shortcuts for them are not usually needed.

The ControlAir Server Program
The ControlAir Server’s window—as shown in Figure 6-1 on
page 6-4—displays a list of diagnostics while the program is running.
As changes occur, information about errors, new clients or playlists, or
other status changes is displayed along with the date and time of the
change. The types of messages that appear in the list vary, depending
on what diagnostic filters are set. See “Setting Diagnostic Filters” on
page 6-4 for more information.

Printing ControlAir Server Diagnostics
To obtain a printout of the readings on the screen—that is, the list of
messages in the ControlAir Server window, do the following:
1. Click the File drop-down menu.
2. Select Print Screen. The Print dialog box will appear, from which
you can select a printer, number of copies, and so forth.
3. Click OK to print.

There are two other options in the File drop-down menu that pertain to printing. Choose the Print Setup option to alter printer settings. Choose the Print
Preview option to view on screen a sample of what will be sent to the printer.

The ControlAir Server Program

6-4

Figure 6-1

The ControlAir Server Window

Setting Diagnostic Filters
Diagnostic information is grouped into four separate categories:
•

Errors and Warnings

•

Status changes

•

Data information

•

Input/Output information

Any or all of this information could be displayed in the ControlAir
Server window, as determined by diagnostic filters. The data could

Control Air Operations

6-5

also be saved as text files, known as Log files, on the ControlAir
Server, if the Output to File check box is selected, as shown below in
the Select Diagnostic Information Groups dialog box.

Samples of Data and Input/Output information are shown in Figure 6-1.
To set diagnostic filters, do the following: from the ControlAir Server
window:
1. Restore the ControlAir Server window if it is not already.
2. Do one of the following:
a. Click the Diagnostic drop-down menu and select Choose Filter.
-ORb. Type ALT-DC.
The Select Diagnostic Information Group dialog box appears.

The ControlAir Server Program

6-6

3. Check each box, depending on whether you want that type of
information displayed in the ControlAir Server window.

The ControlAir Server stores diagnostic information, status changes, and all
error/warning messages. Checking those corresponding boxes only controls
whether such information is displayed on screen in the ControlAir Server
program window. Data and Input/Output information is only stored when
the appropriate check box is selected.
4. Check the Output to File box if you want the data saved to text
files—thus generating Log files—on the ControlAir Server.
5. Click OK to save settings.

Stopping and Starting the ControlAir Server
The ControlAir Manager program automatically launches the
ControlAir Server program when the computer boots up. However, a
system administrator can manually stop and restart the ControlAir
Server program without having to completely reboot the computer.
To stop and restart the ControlAir Server program, do the following:
1. Close the ControlAir Server window.
2. Close the AMCP Applications window.
The device managers will close their own windows automatically
after the ControlAir Server program stops.
The ControlAir Manager program will automatically relaunch the
ControlAir Server program, the AMCP application, and the device
managers.

Control Air Operations

An exception is the device manager for AirPlay, which must be manually
stopped and restarted. If the ControlAir Manager does not restart a program
or device, see Chapter 7 for more information on troubleshooting.

6-7

To stop the ControlAir Server program without restarting it, do the
following:
1. Close the ControlAir Manager window.
2. Close the ControlAir Server window.
3. Close the AMCP Applications window.
The device managers will close their own windows automatically
after the ControlAir Server program stops.
4. Verify that all device manager windows closed; if not, close them.

If the programs are not stopped in the proper sequence, the system could be
caught in a loop. This can happen if a device manager is left running after the
ControlAir Manager is stopped and restarted; the ControlAir Manager
attempts to restart the DM, which is already running, thus causing the ControlAir Manager to issue an error message stating that it cannot restart the
DM. Should this happened, see Chapter 7 for troubleshooting information.
5. Close the ControlAir Workstation program if it is running on the
same computer.
This procedure is useful for maintenance purposes, such as if you
should need to cut the power to the computer for some reason.
To restart the ControlAir Server, do one of the following:
a. Reboot the computer.
-ORb. Restart the ControlAir Manager program. It will automatically
launch the ControlAir Server program, the AMCP application,
and device managers (except the DM for AirPlay).

Setting the Override Password
The purpose of the Override password is to prevent a show from
being reserved by a second ControlAir Workstation while under the

The ControlAir Server Program

6-8

control of a first workstation. Setting this password ensures that only
authorized personnel may take control of the show from another
workstation, which is useful should a workstation computer fail after
it was used to reserve a rundown. The password must be set during
installation of the ControlAir Server software; however, from the ControlAir Server window, it may be changed at any time. The password
cannot be set from a ControlAir Workstation.
To change the password, do the following:
1. Maximize the ControlAir Server window if it is not already.
2. Do one of the following:
a. Click the Tools drop-down menu and select Options, then
Password.
-ORb. Type ALT-TOP.
The Change Override Password dialog box appears.

3. In the fields provided, do the following:
a. Type the old password.
b. Type the new password. The password is case-sensitive and
can be a combination of letters and numbers.
c. Confirm the new password, by typing it a second time.
4. Click OK to save the new settings. (Click Cancel only if you want
to exit without altering the existing password.)

Control Air Operations

6-9

The AMCP Application Program
The Avid Machine Control Protocol (AMCP) application is one of the
programs typically monitored by the ControlAir Manager, so if it is
stopped, the ControlAir Manager will automatically relaunch it. This
also happens after the ControlAir Server is rebooted.
The AMCP application is an executable program used primarily as a
translator between the iNEWS monitor server and the ControlAir
Server; without it running, there is no communication between
iNEWS and ControlAir. It is also used by software programmers and
third-party developers for obtaining diagnostic information so they
can build device managers that interface well with the ControlAir system. It is seldom used by system administrators on site, but it must be
running on the ControlAir Server. Closing the application’s window
will stop the program; minimize the window instead to regain access
to the desktop.
In the main window, smaller windows—known as views—will open
containing machine control data for each show when the monitor
server loads machine control event data from a rundown to the
ControlAir system. That is done when a user issues the monitor
load command in iNEWS, using the drop-down menu option provided in the rundown.
Each view disappears when the monitor unload or monitor off
command is issued, the last of which turns off that show’s monitor
server.

See Chapter 4, particularly the section called “Overview” on page 4-2, for
more information on monitor servers.
The AMCP application also provides a verbose mode feature that
records communication between monitor servers and ControlAir. This
is particularly helpful for troubleshooting. See “Saving Rundown
Data” on page 7-6 for more information.

The AMCP Application Program

6-10

Figure 6-2 shows the AMCP Application window, displaying three
cascaded workspaces for the Noon, 10 PM, and 11 PM shows:

Figure 6-2

The AMCPAPP Window

The display can be changed from cascade to tile so views do not overlap within the AMCP Application window, as shown in Figure 6-3.

Control Air Operations

6-11

To do this, click the Window drop-down menu, and select Tile.

Figure 6-3

The AMCPApp Window with Tiled Workspaces

Each view represents a connection between an iNEWS rundown and
the ControlAir Server. Users must not close the view within the
AMCP Application window; doing so closes that connection
between rundown and server. The proper method to close the connection is to use the monitor unload and monitor off
options at an iNEWS Workstation.
The main toolbar has a drop-down list—shown below—that provides
a historical list of the past several system messages, such as initialization and disconnect notices, with the most recent appearing on screen.

The AMCP Application Program

6-12

Device Manager Windows
Typically, device managers are installed on the ControlAir Server, so
when it boots, DM programs are launched and their windows opened
over the desktop. The look and information provided in each DM window varies, depending on the device; however, one example is shown
in Figure 6-4.

Figure 6-4

Device Manager Window for LouthDM

The specific details of each DM window are explained in each device’s
Device Manager Guide, provided on the ControlAir Install CD.

Control Air Operations

6-13

DM windows can be minimized to the Windows taskbar, without
jeopardizing control of devices. However, do not close a DM window
because doing so will terminate control of the device.

When ControlAir Manager is set up and running, it will monitor
DMs—with the exception of the AirPlay DM—and should a DM window be
closed, it will relaunch the DM program, reopening the DM window.
See Chapter 5, “Working with Devices,” for more information.

Device Status at the ControlAir Workstation
This section provides some basic information about the ControlAir
Workstation window, as it pertains to connectivity between devices
and the ControlAir Server. At the top of the window is a drop-down
list providing a history of messages about system status. Below the
drop-down list is a section called Playlist Devices and below that is the
Device bar, containing five black fields.
Message History List

Playlist Devices Section

Device Bar, with five devices shown

Figure 6-5

Partial View of the ControlAir Workstation Screen

Device Status at the ControlAir Workstation

6-14

Below the Device bar is a spreadsheet-style panel displaying information loaded from an iNEWS rundown. The top row of that spreadsheet
is identified by an icon—shown at left—and displays the name of the
rundown, whether it is reserved, and by which ControlAir Workstation.
When the ControlAir Workstation program is launched, and the window opens for the first time, devices will not necessarily appear automatically on the Device bar in the window. They will appear when the
ControlAir Workstation connects to the ControlAir Server if the DMs
have already been connected as well. Should another DM be started
after the ControlAir Workstation is launched and monitor server is
loaded, it will automatically appear on the Device bar.
Devices on the Device bar will remain displayed even after the rundown is unloaded, as long as the ControlAir Workstation remains connected to the ControlAir Server.
The DMs listed on the bar are not necessarily used by the current rundown queue; that is, the rundown may or may not have a playlist for
the device associated with the DM. Those actually used by the loaded
rundown are shown in the Playlist Devices section when the rundown
is reserved from the ControlAir Workstation. If a device appears,
whether on the Device bar or in the Playlist Devices section, both the
device name and its status will be shown.
There are five status possibilities that are color-coded for easy visual
recognition.
Table 6-1
Status of Devices

Control Air Operations

Status

Color

Explanation

On-Line

Green

Indicates the DM for the named device is running, connected to the ControlAir Server, and
communicating with the device. However,
control of the device has not yet been reserved
by a ControlAir Workstation.

6-15

Table 6-1

Status of Devices

Status

Color

Explanation

In-Use

Green

Indicates the DM for the named device is running, connected to the ControlAir Server, communicating with the device, and control of the
device is reserved by this ControlAir Workstation.

Busy

Green

Indicates the same things as In-Use, except
that control of the device is reserved by
another ControlAir Workstation.

Ready

Yellow

Indicates a DM for a certain device is running
on the ControlAir Server and ready to communicate with the device, but no communication
between DM and device has happened.

does not indicate an actual connection between the
n Ready
device and ControlAir Server. For more information, see
“Visual Indicators” on page 7-3.
Off-Line

Purple

Indicates ControlAir can communicate with
the DM for this device, but the device is not
available to be controlled by ControlAir; can
indicate problems with the serial connection.

Unknown

Red

Indicates a DM for this device is not running
or is no longer connected to the ControlAir
Server. It can also indicate a mismatched
device name; ensure that the device names in
the SYSTEM.MAP file and device manager’s
DMP file are correct.

See “Visual Indicators” on page 7-3 in Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting,” for more
information on how to handle these status issues.

Device Status at the ControlAir Workstation

6-16

Control Air Operations

CHAPTER 7
Troubleshooting
This chapter contains information to help you respond to various error
messages and recover from various types of system failures. This
chapter contains the following major sections:
•

ControlAir Components

•

Where to Look for Errors

•

Visual Indicators

•

Error Messages

Avid INEWS ControlAir Installation And Operations Manual I News Control Air 1.0.5 & CA V1.0.5

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