Serial Scripts

The Serial Scripts tab will allow you to associate a command and control script with an incoming serial string.

1.The playback for which you want to define events has to be on air. Select it in the On Air drop-down menu (top right). Also select it in the Editing drop-down menu (top left).

2.Go to File > Advanced On-Air playback Settings.

3.Select the Serial Tab.

4.Set the COM port and associated parameters. To set the correct Baud Rate, Parity, Data Bits, and Stop Bits settings, see the documentation that came with your 3rd party equipment.

5.Press the 'Add' button to create a new trigger. There are three ways to define the trigger:

• When this string is received.
  If you select this option, enter the ASCII characters in the box that match the serial string from your 3rd party device. You can use any printable character, including numbers and letters (both upper and lower case--it is case sensitive) and punctuation. You cannot use 'return', backspace, tab, etc.

• When the contents of this file is received.
  This option lets you browse to a file that contains the serial string with which you wish to trigger. The file should be stored in the c:\digimation\control directory. The file is in binary format, and can contain both ASCII and control characters. If you need to specify non-printable 'control characters' in a file, you will need to create it with a Hexadecimal Editor.

• Learn.
  If you need to associate with a serial string that contains printable or non-printable characters, or, if you don't know what characters your 3rd party device will send, you can use the 'Learn' option. This is the simplest and most reliable way to create serial triggers. Note, you must have your 3rd party device correctly connected to the COM port you selected for Serial Triggers, and you must have the COM port protocol set correctly before proceeding.
  
  Enter a name for the data file that you want to 'learn' and press the 'Learn' button. The learn dialogue box will appear with your filename already listed. Press the 'Next' button.
  
  Press the 'Begin Capture' button. You will notice the 'Characters Read' box is 'Zero'. Send the serial string from the 3rd party device. The 'Characters Read' box displays the number of characters received. Once the numbers stop incrementing, click the 'Done' button. Note; If the box doesn't change from Zero, then your connection to your 3rd party device is not correct. Either the COM port selection, the COM protocol, or the type of serial cable is incorrect.

6.Press the 'browse' button and select an existing command and control script, or enter a name (no spaces or punctuation) for a 'new' script and press the edit button.

7.Follow the instructions in Create and Edit a Command and Control Script.