Setting up Push Button

Remotes

Several Screens can be Remoted with Push Buttons

Cart Deck #1 and #2 in the Cart Deck Production screen, the OnairReady 10 Deck live-assist screen, the NotePad (for playing cuts from within typed scripts), the ReelReady Editor, and the new Pop up Quick Player.

Cart Deck #1 and #2 can be Remote Controlled from ANY Other Screen

Cart Deck #1 and #2 can be remoted EVEN when you aren't looking at that screen. For example,

load a cart in deck #1, go to the NotePad, and you start the recording from the NotePad so you can record what you are reading.

Enhanced Capabilities with 2 Audio Cards

For news wraps:

If you have two audio cards, you could use a push button to play bits from within the typed script, and use a push button to start the cart deck recording on the other audio card to do a complete newswrap, simultaneously playing and recording.

For Playing Overlapping Beds for Live-Assist

Or if you have 2 audio cards, you could start a stacked list of carts in your 10 deck screen. Not only can you start the playback with a push button, but you could load a rotation of beds in the pop up quick player, and with a push button, every time you hit the button, the quick player would overlap a bed or any other cut on top of whatever else you are playing at the same time.

Basic Push Button Possibilities

Setting up push buttons allow you to PAUSE, PLAY, STOP, and RECORD carts from the, Cart Deck #1, and/or Cart Deck #2, and ReelReady, and can also be used for PLAY, PAUSE, and STOP for the NotePad and Pop up Quick Player. so you don't have to use the keyboard once your carts are loaded (on-screen) and ready to go.

More examples

You can load a blank cart into Cart Deck #1, then go to the NotePad and press a push button, and you will be recording onto the cart in Cart Deck #1 - even though you are on the NotePad screen. Great for recording while reading copy.

Or you could be trying to dub something into CartReady. Having a push button on your board to start recording into the on-screen CartDeck makes it easier to coordinate with having to start another device to do the dub.

You could be on the other side of the studio or a few feet away from your keyboard. When it is time to execute a command, just push a button. As long as you set the cart(s) up in advance, You don't have to got to the PC, you don't have to get to the right screen - you just have to push ONE button.

Determining if you Have Enough COM (RS-232 serial) Ports

You will need ONE available com port (serial port) for EACH screen you want to control with push buttons.

There are 6 possible screens. Most computers only have 2 COM ports. It is possible to add 2 to 4 COM ports inexpensively. 2 Port cards (COM3/COM4) cost $69, and simple 4 Port COM cards cost $99 and add COM3,4,5,6, although most people will not need to set up push-buttons for more than one or two screens. It is assumed you already have COM1 and COM2.

If you want to have more than 4 ports total, and you automate, or capture wire services a more

expensive intelligent serial board may be required that can cost between $200 and $600.

If you Only Have 1 Serial Port Available

We'd recommend using the push button for:

- The NotePad if you read a lot of copy and want to play

cuts right within typed scripts (embedded carts)

- The 10 deck live-assist screen if you do a lot of

live-assist where you like to stack several cuts to

play back to back, and you want to start it with a single

button press.

- A cart deck screen, if you want to start a recording

no matter where you are in the program. (assuming you

loaded a blank cart previously on that screen)

- The quick player, if you have two audio cards and want an

easy way to fire overlapping beds regardless of what else

you are playing.

- The ReelReady screen if you plan to do a lot of long form

editing and digital wrapping.

Note: when you assign a COM port to a particular screen, you are not forced to setup a push button for PLAY, STOP, REC and PAUSE, only set up buttons for the functions you want to remote for that screen. i.e in the NotePad, only PLAY and STOP are really required.

If you have more serial ports available, or want to purchase more, than you can map several of the screens to buttons.

Technical note: These functions do not use IRQs, so you CAN install multiple COM ports that are assigned to the same IRQ without causing problems in DOS.

You need to furnish the push buttons that will be used. The push-buttons just have to make a closure between 2 wires.

Many stations have built in buttons in their radio consoles and mixers that do this. Other stations can inexpensively have their engineers rig button boxes for the job.

Some companies make professional ready to wire push button boxes in both standalone and rack

mounted units. For example Broadcast Tools makes a rack and a box of switches for under $200.

You will need up to 4 push buttons for each screen/COM port will be controlling -- Assuming you want a PLAY/START/RECORD/PAUSE. If you only need buttons for some of these functions, only wire the buttons you need. Each button connects to 2 pins on the COM port.

For example, if you only want a remote for PLAY, then you only need to wire one push button to the COM port you assign to the screen you want to control. If you want PLAY and STOP, two buttons etc. etc.

Configuring Your Software to use Push Buttons

CartReady needs to be configured in order for push buttons to be used.

1) From the CartReady Production Decks, press F10.

2) Press C or highlight Configuration Changes and press enter.

3) Highlight Global Channels, and press enter.

4) Highlight the screen you want to assign a COM port, and then press enter.

5) Highlight the COM port address you want. Channel 1 is COM1, Channel 2 is COM2, etc. Hit enter on the port you want. Any screen you are not assigning a COM port to should be left alone

IMPORTANT: Be careful NOT to assign a COM port already in use for something else. For example if you use NewsReady and have wire services connected into the computer, don't pick a COM port already used to capture the services, drive and alarm, or any other devices.

6) Repeat steps 4&5 for each area you will be using push buttons. Do not assign the same COM port to more than ONE screen, or it will not work correctly.

7) When you are through assigning the channels, you must press F4 to save the changes.

How to Wire the Push Buttons

The com ports on your PC have lines (also called pins) for communicating with external devices.

Two of the lines are outputs (TD & RTS) which CartReady drives with +10 volts. The other 4 lines are inputs (CTS, RI, DSR, & CD) which, for all intensive purposes have 0 volts. The only way that the voltage of an input line can be changed from 0 volts to +10 volts, is to have something energize the line with +10 volts.

That is exactly what happens when the push button is pressed. The push button brings the input line (0 volts) in contact with the output line (+10 volts) which raises the voltage on the input line to +10 volts.

CartReady is constantly driving the 2 output lines to +10, and monitoring the 4 input lines. All that CartReady is doing is watching these 4 input lines to see if any of them go to +10 volts. And as we now know, the only way that an input line gets to be +10 volts, is by bringing the input line in contact with the output line. And the way that these two lines (the input and the output) come in contact is by the push button getting pressed.

When CartReady sees that one of the input lines is +10 volts, rather than 0 volts, it executes the

command (Pause, Play, Stop, or Record) which is associated with the Input line that went to +10 volts

How to make the connections:

1) Use a DB25 or DB9 female connector that will plug into your COM port depending on what size the port is. Solder/crimp wires to the pins on the connector mentioned below that connect to the appropriate push buttons. Note: Solder/crimp the connector when it is NOT connected to the computer. You should shut off the computer when you connect the finished connector to it.

2) Pinouts:

IF THE COM PORT ON THE PC IS A 9 PIN:

- The push-button for PAUSE will use pins: 3(TD) & 8 (CTS).

- The push-button for PLAY will use pins: 3(TD) & 9 (RI).

- The push-button for STOP will use pins: 7(RTS) & 6 (DSR).

- The push-button for RECORD will use pins: 7(RTS) & 1 (CD).

IF THE COM PORT ON THE PC IS A 25 PIN:

- The push-button for PAUSE will use pins: 2(TD) & 5 (CTS).

- The push-button for PLAY will use pins: 2(TD) & 22 (RI).

- The push-button for STOP will use pins: 4(RTS) & 6 (DSR).