TourTraXX 16 Independent Mono MP3 Players with GPS User’s Guide
Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this manual, and the reliability of the Alcorn McBride TourTraXX hardware and software. Errors can sometimes go undetected, however. If you find one, please bring it to our attention so that we can correct it for others. Alcorn McBride welcomes comments and suggestions on the content and layout of its documentation. Applications described herein are for illustrative purposes only. Alcorn McBride Inc.
Page ii May 15, 2012 • Alcorn McBride TourTraXX User’s Manual • Rev 1.
Table of Contents Welcome! _______________________________________________________________________________ 1 Features ________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Technical Support ________________________________________________________________________ 2 Getting Started ___________________________________________________________________________ 3 In the Box_____________________________________________________________________________ 3 Playing a Test Sound _____________
Playlist Builder _______________________________________________________________________30 Scheduler Control______________________________________________________________________31 Schedule File Format __________________________________________________________________31 Schedule Builder _____________________________________________________________________37 GPS Control __________________________________________________________________________40 Overview ______________________________________________________
Welcome! Thank you for purchasing The Alcorn McBride TourTraXX™. The TourTraXX replaces CD and solid state audio players in permanent or mobile audio playback installations, providing hours of high-quality and maintenance-free digital audio. The TourTraXX lets you play sixteen independent mono tracks from a single, economical unit. It’s perfect for museums, tour vehicles, trams, and background music or effects. Each track can be individually triggered by a number of methods.
Technical Support You can obtain technical support or other information about specifying, installing, configuring, updating and programming your Alcorn McBride TourTraXX from several sources: Page 2 For… Contact… When?… Firmware Updates http://www.alcorn.com/support Any Time Knowledge Base http://www.alcorn.com/kb Any Time E-mail Support support@alcorn.com Any Time Telephone Support (407) 296-5800 M-F 9am-5pm (EST) May 15, 2012 • Alcorn McBride TourTraXX User’s Manual • Rev 1.
Getting Started Throughout this manual you will find detailed discussions on all the features of this product. However, you’re probably anxious to see your TourTraXX play some audio right away.
Playing a Test Sound Every TourTraXX comes with a Compact Flash card preloaded with test sounds already installed in the unit’s compact flash slot. To play test sounds, follow these step-by-step directions. • Using the included Audio Output Cable Harness, connect channel 1 of the TourTraXX to a set of powered speakers or to the input of an amplifier.
Front Panel Controls and Indicators The TourTraXX includes controls to accommodate a wide variety of installations. The front panel incorporates a 2x16 LCD display and Menu Knob, a blue power indicator, media status/error indicator, a GPS status indicator, and a Compact Flash slot covered by a security panel. All front panel controls can be locked using a PIN number for systems requiring tamper-free operation.
GPS Status LED The LED located directly above the File Access LED is used to indicate GPS status. It will be red when any data is being received from the connected GPS receiver, and will turn green when a lock is established and the incoming GPS data is valid. USB TourTraXX includes a female type-B USB connector on its front panel. This port can be used to control TourTraXX, using its standard command set, as a USB serial device.
LCD and Menu Knob The Menu Knob is used to navigate through an LCD menu in which you can configure your TourTraXX. Details of each of these parameters are explained in the sections that follow. Main Menu Audio Master Volume (0-100) Sample Rate (Auto, First Det, 44.
Rear Panel Controls and Connectors The rear panel includes Molex type connectors for 16 mono channels of unbalanced audio outputs, Molex control inputs, Molex microphone and auxiliary inputs, DB-9 serial RS-232 control connector, 6-pin mini-DIN GPS connector, and RJ45 network jack. RS232 Connector Microphone Input Page 8 Audio Output Power / Discrete Inputs May 15, 2012 Auxiliary Line Input GPS • Alcorn McBride TourTraXX User’s Manual Ethernet Jack • Rev 1.
Audio Output Connector A 24 pin Molex type connector supplies analog line-level unbalanced audio suitable for connection to a multi-channel amplifier or powered loudspeakers. Audio Output Pinout May 15, 2012 Pin Function Pin Function 1 Ch. 16 13 Ch. 15 2 Ground 14 Ground 3 Ch. 14 15 Ch. 13 4 Ch. 12 16 Ch. 11 5 Ground 17 Ground 6 Ch. 10 18 Ch. 9 7 Ch. 8 19 Ch. 7 8 Ground 20 Ground 9 Ch. 6 21 Ch. 5 10 Ch. 4 22 Ch. 3 11 Ground 23 Ground 12 Ch. 2 24 Ch.
Power and Discrete Control Input Connector Configure the inputs as Voltage Input when triggering over long distances (greater than 10-20 feet). Inputs configured as Voltage Input trigger on 12-24vdc. A 20-pin Molex type connector provides eight discrete control inputs and the power input for the unit. The control inputs can be configured for either voltage input or contact closure using dipswitch #2 on the side of the chassis. See Configuration Dipswitches section of this manual for details.
RS-232C Serial Connector A serial cable is provided with each TourTraXX. This input is a standard DB-9 male RS-232C connector, intended to be connected to a PC or control system using a straight-through (not nullmodem) 9-pin cable. The pinout appears below. Please refer to the Serial Protocol section for a list of control commands. Serial Connector Pinout Pin Function 2 TXD (data from TourTraXX) 3 RXD (data to TourTraXX) 5 Ground GPS In The 6-pin mini-DIN connector is used for GPS connection.
Aux Line Input This 4-pin Molex type connector provides a stereo auxiliary line input to TourTraXX. A line-level audio source connected to this connector can be routed to any channels or group of channels using an Ethernet or Serial command. See the “Line Input” section of this manual for additional details. Aux Input Connector Pinout Pin Function 1 Ground 2 Line-in Right 3 Ground 4 Line-in Left Ethernet RJ-45 UDP control uses port 2638.
Configuration DIP Switches Four small DIP switches on the side of the unit are used to configure various hardware related settings. NOTE: For units that are being installed in equipment racks, it’s a good idea to configure the DIP switches before installing the rack mount kit.
Factory Defaults (DIP 4) Activating this switch while the TourTraXX is booted will return the unit to its default (factory) state. These defaults are listed below. Factory Defaults Parameter Default Value IP Address 192.168.0.254 Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0 Gateway 192.168.0.1 Nameserver (DNS) 127.0.0.1 NTP Server pool.ntp.
The Compact Flash Card Recommended Compact Flash Cards Included with your TourTraXX is a pre-formatted Compact Flash card. The formatting is a standard Microsoft FAT32 format, and any other card you use should be formatted as FAT32 using a PC. Alcorn McBride recommends SanDisk® brand of Compact Flash. For the latest list of compatible and recommended Compact Flash please visit: http://www.alcorn.com/library/appnotes/HowMuchFlash/index.
File Naming It is sometimes easiest to use the “numbered” style of file naming for MP3 files if you want to use the discrete inputs. Details about Playlists and Schedules are contained in separate chapters of this manual. A specific file naming convention is used so that the TourTraXX can identify the file type, as well as associate the supported file types with a number.
Playback Interruptible versus Uninterruptible Operation In a play command, you can specify uninterruptible playback, meaning that repeated play requests will not cause the sound to start over from the beginning while playing. An example of where this might be used is in a museum kiosk, where a guest trips a break-beam sensor to start an audio presentation. The audio will continue playing through, even though the guest might continually trip the sensor while listening to the presentation.
Transferring Files via FTP In addition to transferring the files to the TourTraXX’s compact flash card directly with your PC, TourTraXX has a built-in FTP server allowing for quick file transfers over Ethernet. The nameserver setting is used to resolve hostnames into IP addresses. If you will not be using domain names (for NTP server addresses, etc.) you need not change this value from the default. Page 18 Before using FTP, be sure that the network settings on your TourTraXX are configured correctly.
Additional Features Microphone Paging Using the rear microphone input of TourTraXX, you can page to any channel, channel pair, or channel group. The channel/group of channels that TourTraXX will route the microphone to is called the paging zone. The paging zone can be changed with an Ethernet or serial control command, or a command triggered by a rear input. Paging can be triggered by any input, including the push-to-talk input on the TourTraXX’s 4-pin Molex mic input.
Spot Logging TourTraXX includes spot logging capability which records the time and date when a file is played. This log data is saved to the Compact Flash as a comma-separated values file, viewable in any spreadsheet program or text editor. The file will be named “log.csv”. The maximum file size of the log file is 2MB. Once your log file reaches this size limit, it will be renamed “log_old.csv” and a new “log.csv” file will be started. Once the new “log.
Control Methods For your convenience, Alcorn McBride distributes an application called AMI Terminal, which allows you to control the TourTraXX via RS-232 or Ethernet with the click of a button. This free application can be obtained at http://www.alcorn.com/support/software.html. Serial Control The TourTraXX can be controlled using the male DB-9 RS-232 connector on the rear panel.
Discrete Input Control The TourTraXX has a total of 8 discrete inputs on the rear of the unit which can be set to accept Voltage Input (12-24VDC) or Contact Closure. Voltage Input or Contact Closure is selected by configuration dipswitch #2 on the side of the TourTraXX chassis. See the Configuration Dipswitch section of this manual for configuration details. When configured for contact closure, an input is triggered when a connection is made between the positive and negative terminals of that input.
TraXX Configuration Software TraXX Config can be downloaded from http://www.alcorn.com/s upport/software.html TraXX Config allows you to easily group inputs together, assign them to specific playback or operational commands, and configure them for activeon or active-off operation. Manage Input Groups By default, the 8 discrete inputs on the TourTraXX act individually and are constrained to a total of 8 separate operations – one for each input.
In the TraXX Config program select Input Groups to open this window: Select one of the Groups and click Edit Selected Group to assign inputs to that group. For this example we have assigned Inputs 1-4 to Group #1. Click OK to save the assignments. Page 24 May 15, 2012 • Alcorn McBride TourTraXX User’s Manual • Rev 1.
Manage Channel Groups You can have a total of 13 Channel Groups in the TourTraXX. Channel Groups allow you to control multiple audio channels using a single input or Serial/Ethernet command. In the TraXX Config program select Channel Groups to open this window: Select a Group and click Edit Selected Group to assign channels to that group. For this example we have assigned channels 9-16 to Group #1. Click OK to save the assignments. May 15, 2012 • Alcorn McBride TourTraXX User’s Manual • Rev 1.
Add/Edit Event Now for the fun part! Click on Add to add a trigger event to one of the inputs, buttons, or input groups. The Add/Edit Event window will appear. Select One of the 8 Rear Inputs (note: any inputs previously assigned to Input Groups will not appear in the list) OR Select One of the Input Groups (if any are assigned) OR Select “Device Powered On” to make event happen on bootup. The best way to make the TourTraXX to play a file on startup is to select the Device Powered On Trigger Type.
Playlist Control You can have a total of 17 simultaneouslyrunning playlists in the TourTraXX. One system playlist plus one per channel. Playlists provide a mechanism for the TourTraXX to automatically execute commands in a predefined sequence. Since Playlists can execute any of the commands listed in the Command Protocol section, they can perform a variety of functions.
Special Playlist Commands In addition to regular TourTraXX commands listed in the Command Protocol section, there are a few additional commands for the Playlist Control interface. These single-character commands further modify the behavior of the playlists to provide additional features that only apply to the Playlist Control interface of the TourTraXX. These characters and their functions are listed in the following table: Command Description W Wait.
Example Playlist Here’s an example playlist that will be discussed in detail below to explain the concept of how playlists work in the TourTraXX. 1C1PL ;You can comment your Playlist file using 6P2LP ;semicolons. All text after a semicolon is 3G2PL ;ignored until the end of the line where a ;carriage return is encountered. 5P1PL < The first command, which is “1C1PL”, causes the TourTraXX to play file #1 to channel #1.
Playlist Builder For convenience, Alcorn McBride provides a free Windows application for making playlists using a graphical interface. This program is called Playlist Builder, and it can be downloaded from the software section the Alcorn McBride website at http://www.alcorn.com/support/software.html Here is a step-by-step guide to get started making playlists with Playlist Builder. Page 30 1. Open the Playlist Builder application 2. Select “TourTraXX” in the list of supported devices and click OK. 3.
Scheduler Control For an easy way to make a schedule, use Schedule Builder available at http://www.alcorn.com/s upport/software.html If you plan on using the Scheduler, you should verify that the TourTraXX’s time, date, timezone, and daylight savings mode are set correctly. The TourTraXX has a built-in real-time clock, which can be used to trigger events based on time and/or date.
; Although not a field, this marks a comment Example 1 T:13:46 D:01/1/2015 E:COMMAND 1:"1C12PL" This is the simplest possible example because it contains the minimum number of fields needed to execute a scheduled event. Notice that the example occupies only one line of text, and that each field is separated by a space. In order, this is exactly what each field means.
Example 3 T:14:46 D:01/1/2015 R:30 P:minute A:1/3/2010 I:3:00 E:COMMAND 1:"1P2PL” We’ve now added: Repeat Number(R): 30 Repeat Period(P): minute Ending Time(I): 3am in the morning (3:00 military) Ending Date(A): January 3rd 2015 The Repeat Number acts as a multiplier of the Repeat Period. They should be read in conjunction like this: “Repeat this event every 30 minutes”. The Ending Time and Ending Date fields specify the time and date that the repeating will stop.
All three of these settings can be configured remotely using the Command Protocol of the TourTraXX. Example: T:13:30 T:Sunrise T:Sunset D: Start Date The Start Date is the month, day, and year your event becomes active. For most cases being active simple means gets executed. You specify it in a variety of ways. You can use periods, slashes, or dashes to separate the fields of the dates. Dates from the year 2000 to the year 2099 are supported. Leap years are handled automatically. Examples: D:01.01.
Realistically though, you would specify repeating in years, if it got that large. Whatever combination you choose between Repeat Number and Repeat Period should not multiply out to be greater than a century. Example: R:1 ;do it every period R:117 ;do it every 117 periods 2. With a Repeat Set field present: The Repeat Number and the Repeat Period become an index of the set. These three fields should be read in conjunction like this: “Repeat this event every in .” Ex.
R:year R:sunset I: Repeat Set Using the Repeat Set field changes the way Repeat Number and Repeat Period operate. Together they act as an index into the Repeat Set. Please read the Repeat Number section above, for a detailed explanation of the different behaviors they take on when the Repeat Set field is present. For example, in order to create a monthly schedule, you can specify the Repeat Set as month.
Schedule Builder To make creating schedules more convenient, Alcorn McBride provides a free Windows application for making schedules using a graphical interface. This program is called Schedule Builder, and it can be downloaded from the software section the Alcorn McBride website at http://www.alcorn.com/support/software.html Here is a step-by-step guide to get started making schedules with Schedule Builder. May 15, 2012 1. Open the Schedule Builder application 2.
Page 38 5. Select the time and date you wish to execute the command in the Start Date/Time section on the right side of this screen. 6. If you only want the command to be executed once, just click OK. However, if you want the command to be repeated (say every hour or every day) you can specify that in the repeat box on the right side of the screen. For the sake of this example, we are going to repeat this command every hour. May 15, 2012 • Alcorn McBride TourTraXX User’s Manual • Rev 1.
7. Click OK and the event will be added to the schedule. May 15, 2012 8. In this screen, you are free to Add/Edit/Delete Scheduled events as needed. 9. Once you are finished creating the schedule, all you need to do is save the schedule file as schedule.scl and copy it to the TourTraXX’s Compact Flash card. • Alcorn McBride TourTraXX User’s Manual • Rev 1.
GPS Control Overview Thanks to GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, the TourTraXX can automatically trigger sounds or playlists whenever it enters into a predetermined geographical area. With this feature you can easily design a “No Operator-Intervention Required” audio system on a tour bus or tram that automatically plays pre-recorded audio whenever it enters a specified area. The TourTraXX accepts a standard NMEA-0183 data stream at 4800 baud.
• Direct Support for GPS Input – GPS Builder automatically detects any NMEA 0183 GPS input source. What this means is that you can connect any GPS sensor to your Laptop, and get real-time geographical information within the GPS Builder application itself. This includes information such as Latitude, Longitude, Speed, Heading, etc. • Real-Time Capturing of GPS Points – When a GPS sensor is connected to your PC, GPS Builder can capture GPS points with the click of a button.
the small buttons to the right of each cell will provide further help with that cell’s contents. The following explains each column in detail. Command The Command column contains the command to be executed at a particular Longitude and Latitude (if specified). A pull-down menu of available commands is provided. Often, this command is a Play command because you normally want to play a particular audio file at a specified location.
Tolerance can be changed at any time in the playlist. For example, you might want to tighten tolerance for a trigger that occurs while the vehicle is moving slower (or stopped), and need to open it up for when the vehicle is traveling faster. When setting the tolerance, just keep in mind that GPS coordinates are only updated once per second. This update must happen at least once inside the zone for the GPS trigger to occur.
GPS Device Setup GPS Builder typically detects when a GPS receiver is connected to your PC. However, if this is not the case, click on the ‘GPS Setup’ button located at the top of the screen. This screen allows you to specify the COM port and baud rate of the GPS device. Connecting a GPS Sensor to a PC In order for GPS Builder to detect latitude and longitude, it must be receiving data from a NMEA-0183 compatible GPS receiver.
Creating a GPS Playlist Enter subsequent commands on the following rows until you’ve completed your “tour.” Each command can be any of the commands listed in the pull-down menu available in the Commands column. If you want this GPS Playlist to launch automatically when the TourTraXX powers up, name the file “PLY00000.GPS”. GPS sensors need a “line-of-sight” to the sky in order to receive strong satellite signals. For optimal reliability, operation indoors or in long underground tunnels is not recommended.
Configuring the TourTraXX for GPS Operation The TourTraXX is compatible with any serial GPS sensor which outputs a NMEA-0183 data stream at 4800 baud. The ‘GPS LED’ of the TourTraXX will stay green while an active GPS input is detected. Unless you are launching a GPS Playlist by other means (i.e. Playlist, Ethernet, etc.), make sure that your GPS playlist is named “PLY00000.GPS”. Now that you have created a GPS playlist file complete with the GPS coordinates, you’re ready to use it in the TourTraXX.
Command Protocol The Serial, Ethernet, Playlist, Scheduler, and GPS control interfaces use the Pioneer Alcorn McBride Enhanced protocol. This section discusses the most commonly used commands in detail. The protocol is ASCII-based. Upper or lower case characters can be used interchangeably. All commands and responses are terminated with the Carriage Return character. This character is represented by the hexadecimal value of 0x0D.
Command Bytes: PL or ""PL Parameters: is the ASCII file number between 0-99999 is the ASCII file name is either C followed by a channel number in ASCII, P followed by a channel pair number in ASCII, or G followed by a channel group number in ASCII is either U for uninterruptible playback or I for interruptible playback. This parameter is optional.
Command Bytes: PT or ""PT Parameters: is the ASCII file number between 0-99999 is the ASCII file name is either C followed by a channel number in ASCII, P followed by a channel pair number in ASCII, or G followed by a channel group number in ASCII is either U for uninterruptible playback or I for interruptible playback. This parameter is optional.
Play Directory - PD Description: This command causes the TourTraXX to play the files located in a specified directory by automatically generating a playlist with the contents of the directory and starting the playlist on the specified channel, channel pair, or channel group. Command Bytes: "
"PD Parameters: is the directory path. Leave blank with no quotes for root directory.Pause - PA Description: This command causes the TourTraXX to pause playback of the specified Channel, Channel Pair or Channel Group.
Aux Input to Channels Description: This command will route the audio being received on the TourTraXX’s auxiliary inputs to the specified channel, channel pair, or channel group. Command Bytes: CLPL Parameters: is either C followed by a channel number in ASCII, P followed by a channel pair number in ASCII, or G followed by a channel group number in ASCII Comments: Channel numbers range from 1 through 16, Channel Pairs from 1 through 8, and Channel Groups from 1 through 13.
Playlists Play System Playlist Description: This command causes the TourTraXX to start a playlist as the system playlist (not tied to any particular channel). Command Bytes: PL or “”PL Parameters: is the ASCII playlist number between 0-99999 is the ASCII playlist file name Message Response: R Comments: Playlists named ply00000.lst will automatically be started as the system playlist on startup. Examples: Start playlist 3 as the system playlist Start playlist “cmds.
Paging Commands Set Paging Zone Description: This command sets the channel, channel pair, or channel group that the microphone is routed to when the paging trigger is activated or a start paging command is received.
Start Paging Description: This command routes the microphone input to the specified paging zone. Paging will continue until a “Stop Paging” command is received. If using the paging trigger to initiate microphone paging, this command is not required. Command Bytes: BZN Minimum OS Version: TraXXOS 1.2.4 Message Response: R Examples: Begin paging to the selected paging zone.
Control Commands These commands control some of the operational modes of the TourTraXX. Other operational modes and unit configuration can be accomplished by using the LCD menu system on the front panel. LCD PIN Enable Description: This command is used to enable or disable the LCD PIN number lock. When enabled, a 4-Digit PIN number is required to access the front panel menu. Command Bytes: LKL Parameters: is 0 to disable PIN, 1 to enable PIN.
Version Request Description: This command is used to request the operating system version. Command Bytes: ?V Message Response: TourTraXX x.x.x Where x.x.x is the current version of the installed firmware. Example: Get current version. ?V Note: The firmware version can also be obtained from the LCD menu. Soft Reset Description: This command issues a software reset to the unit. Command Bytes: XX Message Response: R Example: Reset Unit.
Mute/UnMute/Volume Control Description: This command causes the TourTraXX to mute, unmute, or set the volume level of the specified Channel, Channel Pair, or Channel Group.
Send String Description: This command sends an ASCII string from TourTraXX to the specified destination. Command Bytes: ""SS Parameters: is the string to be sent is the destination, one of: S – Serial U – UDP(over Ethernet) B – USB Serial is only required for UDP, and is the destination info in the form of: :: where,
Status Request Description: This command requests the status of the specified channel, channel pair, or channel group. Command Bytes: ?P Parameters: is either C followed by a channel number in ASCII, P followed by a channel pair number in ASCII, or G followed by a channel group number in ASCII Comments: If a channel group or channel pair status is requested, a status for each individual channel will be returned, separated by line breaks.
Completion Acknowledge Mode Description: This command is used to select the Completion Acknowledge mode. When the TourTraXX finishes playing a file, it can send a Completion Acknowledge response or trigger a command. There are 2 different completion acknowledge modes possible. This Completion Acknowledge Mode remains as long as the TourTraXX is powered. Note: The unit defaults to no completion acknowledge whenever the unit first powers up.
How To Update Firmware Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to update the TourTraXX’s firmware. Do not update the firmware unless there is a specific need to do so. Standard Firmware Update 1. Download the latest firmware for the TourTraXX product from http://www.alcorn.com/support/firmware.html 2. Copy the new firmware file to your Compact Flash card. The file must be named “OS.NEW” if updating only one unit or “FACTORY.NEW” if updating multiple units using the same CF card.
Troubleshooting Guide Q: Triggering using the discrete inputs, the unit does not execute the assigned command. A: Verify that the Voltage/Contact Closure DIP switch is properly configured. Q: I’ve copied several files from my PC onto a Compact Flash, but they do not play. A: The Compact Flash may have been pre-formatted in a way that is incompatible with the TourTraXX operating system. Be sure you have saved your files, then format the card as Microsoft FAT32. Q: Audio playback is too fast or too slow.
Specifications Audio Playback Time: Controls: Connectors: Front Panel: Power: Physical: Compliance: Page 64 Tracks: 16 Mono or 8 Stereo Format: MPEG-1 Part 3 (or simply, MP3) defined in ISO/IEC-11172-3 Maximum Bitrate: 192kbps for 8 simultaneous stereo, 128kbps for 16 simultaneous mono Sample Rate: 44.1Khz or 48Khz DAC Resolution: 16 Bits Frequency Response: 10 to 20 Khz +/-0.1 dB (dependent on MP3 encoding) Line Output Level: Unbalanced, 1.
Index AMI Terminal, 21 Bitrates, 15 Channel Encoding, 15 Command Protocol, 47 Communication LED, 6 Compact Flash, 5, 15 Completion Acknowledge Mode, 61 Configuration DIP Switches, 13 Control Commands, 56 Control Methods, 21 Defaults, 14 DIP Switch Ground Lift, 13 Discrete Input Control, 22 Ethernet Control, 21 File Access LED, 5 file naming, 16 Firmware, 62 front panel, 5 FTP, 14, 18 Gateway, 13, 14, 18 GPS, 40, 41, 46 Control, 40 Direction, 42 GPS Playlist, 40, 46 Latitude, 42 Longitude, 42 Overlapping Rou
