Alcorn Mcbride V-Com VC12X User manual

V-Com VC12X
User’s Guide
August 18, 2020
12-ZONE INTELLIGENT INTERCOM STATION

2
August 18, 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... 2
WELCOME!.................................................................................................................................... 4
PRODUCT FEATURES................................................................................................................. 5
TECHNICAL SUPPORT............................................................................................................... 5
GETTING STARTED - VC12X .................................................................................................... 6
HARDWARE INSTALLATION.......................................................................................................................................... 6
LINKING A NEW V-COM AND Q-SYS CORE TOGETHER........................................................................................... 6
AUDIO CONFIGURATION .............................................................................................................................................. 6
HARDWARE INFORMATION .................................................................................................... 7
HARDWARE OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................................ 7
ZONE STATUS LEDS...................................................................................................................................................... 8
CONFIGURATION OF DIP SWITCHES ........................................................................................................................... 8
CONNECTORS .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
NETWORK ARCHITECTURE................................................................................................... 15
Q-SYS CONFIGURATION AND PLUGINS ............................................................................ 17
INTERCOM MATRIX PROPERTIES ................................................................................................................................ 18
INTERCOM MATRIX OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 19
INTERCOM STATION PROPERTIES............................................................................................................................... 21
INTERCOM STATION USER INTERFACE...................................................................................................................... 22
LINKING STATION TO Q-SYS ....................................................................................................................................... 26
NETWORK AUDIO CONFIGURATION ................................................................................. 27
AES67 FLOW CONFIGURATION ................................................................................................................................ 27
AES67 AUDIO ROUTING ............................................................................................................................................ 28
FIRMWARE UPDATE................................................................................................................. 32
FIRMWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE............................................................................................................................... 32
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE / FAQ ...................................................................................... 33

3
August 18, 2020
LOCATING A V-COM ON A NETWORK............................................................................... 35
ACCESSORIES ............................................................................................................................ 36
RM-VC12...................................................................................................................................................................... 36
RM-VP4VC12 .............................................................................................................................................................. 36
HANDSET-VC............................................................................................................................................................ 37
SPECIFICATIONS......................................................................................................................... 2
CONTROL ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2
AUDIO ............................................................................................................................................................................. 2
PHYSICAL ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

4
August 18, 2020
WELCOME!
Thank you for purchasing The Alcorn McBride V-Com intercom station!
What makes V-Com truly special is its ability to provide facility-wide intercom using industry-standard Dante or
AES67 network audio and the Q-Sys™ ecosystem of DSP cores and software.
The V-Com VC12X is a twelve-button station that comes with a push-to-talk handset, handset hook, sonalert
ringer, receiver volume knob, and twelve IP65 rated buttons /w integrated indicators. The station is just the right
size for a standard 8” x 10” Hoffman enclosure, making it a fantastic off-the-shelf intercom solution that’s ready to
go right out of the box. Ring zone assignments, button and indicator behaviors, and intercom party lines are all
easily configured within in the Q-Sys Designer and Administrator software.
For easy and reliable installation, a single Ethernet (Cat5e or greater) cable carries audio, power, control and
monitor data between the V-Com station and the Q-Sys system. This allows you to incorporate as many as 256
V-Com stations using a single Q-Sys core by simply connecting them to Power Over Ethernet (PoE) network
switches. For stations that are far from the equipment room, V-Com even supports an SFP network transceiver
(not included) for reliable long-distance communications.
For applications where you wish to build your own custom intercom console, be sure to check out our V-Com
VC16K paging station kit. The V-Com VC16K supports up to 16 ring zone buttons and is designed to be mounted
inside a custom console. It includes all of the accessories needed to wire up your custom-installed buttons and
indicators.

5
August 18, 2020
PRODUCT FEATURES
The V-Com VC12X offers a wide range of features including:
• 12 Illuminated Ring Zone Buttons
• Dante & AES67 Network Audio
• Seamless Q-Sys Integration
• Audio, Control, and Power over Ethernet
• SFP Ethernet Support
• Magnetic Hangup Sensor
• Customizable Label Inserts
• User-Adjustable Receiver Volume
• Configurable LED Brightness
• Mounts in a Standard 8” x 10” Hoffman Enclosure
• Dust & Water Resistant
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Now that we’ve tantalized you with all of the wonderful things this product can do, I’ll bet you’re chomping at the
bit to flip all the switches and push all the buttons. Not so fast! Before we get to the fun stuff, we just want to
take a moment to remind you that we are here to help. Chances are that you’re building something really cool
and we want you to have access to the resources and support you need to be successful.
To start, you’ll find a wealth of information on our website. This includes Application Notes that give you detailed
documentation and examples for how this product is used in common types of themed entertainment projects.
You’ll also find the latest downloads for software, firmware, drawings, 3D models, cutsheets, and other helpful
resources on our Support page. The Knowledge Base is especially handy for common questions and helpful
troubleshooting tips. And last, but certainly not least, you always have our friendly and mildly entertaining staff
available by email or telephone.
Training
https://www.alcorn.com/training
Application Notes
https://www.alcorn.com/applications
Support Resources
https://www.alcorn.com/support
Knowledge Base (FAQ)
https://alcornmcbride.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
Email Support
[email protected]
Telephone Support
[phone] (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm EST)

6
August 18, 2020
GETTING STARTED - VC12X
Alright, time to roll up your sleeves and get to work! This section will guide you through basic concepts that will
help you get on your way with V-Com.
Each V-Com station communicates with a Q-Sys Core via network connection using a plugin. To install this plugin,
you need to download the file from our website (https://alcorn.com/products/vc12x/) and copy and paste the
component to your design.
*You must be running Q-Sys Firmware 7.0.0 or above and V-Com firmware 2.08 or above for the Plugin to
work. To learn how to do a firmware update please refer to the firmware update section of this manual.
There are three steps that need to be completed to ensure that V-Com and Q-Sys function together properly.
1. Hardware Installation
2. Linking to a Q-Sys Core
3. Audio Configuration
HARDWARE INSTALLATION
a. Make sure that all the dip switches are in the OFF Position
b. Power on V-Com by connecting Ethernet port to the Power Over Ethernet (PoE) switch and wait 20
seconds for V-Com unit to initialize. If no Power Over Ethernet (PoE) is available, refer to the VC12X
Hardware section to learn about using an external power supply.
c. Be sure to have your V-Com units on the same network as the Q-Sys Core
LINKING A NEW V-COM AND Q-SYS CORE TOGETHER
a. Single click the V-Com Plugin block for the station you would like to link and ensure your property
settings are configured. (Refer to Plugin Properties section of this manual).
b. Connect to the Q-Sys Core and then double click to open the plugin.
c. Press and hold buttons 1, 2 and 4 simultaneously on the V-Page hardware for 5 seconds.
d. On the Q-Sys plugin, on the top right corner click “Link”.
Once the station is linked to the Core the station will re-boot. At this time your plugin will be “Online” and
the LED will light up.
NOTE: Make sure that you have assigned a gateway in the Q-sys core and that your network
infrastructure allows for both broadcast and multicast traffic.
AUDIO CONFIGURATION
a. Launch the Audinate Dante Controller software.
b. Click on the “Device Info” tab and double click on the V-Com station.
c. Enable AES67 under the AES67 tab and reboot the interface.
d. Once the interface has been rebooted, it’s time to create an AES67 multicast flow. Click on “Add
Multicast Flow”.
e. Check the “AES67 Flow” box. Add your channel into the new flow. Click “Create”.
f. In Q-Sys Designer, double click your AES67 Receiver Module and pick the new Stream Name.

7
August 18, 2020
HARDWARE INFORMATION
HARDWARE OVERVIEW
PTT Handset
Handset Hook
Ring Zone Buttons
Button Labels
Handset Connector
Receiver Volume
Ringer
DC Power
Ethernet (RJ45)
Ethernet (SFP)

8
August 18, 2020
ZONE STATUS LEDS
LED State
Description
Blinking
Station Ringing
On
Ring Zone Available
Off
No Ring Zone Assigned
All Chasing (1, 2, 3, ...)
Link Active
All Blinking (Slow)
No Sync – No Q-Sys Core Detected
All Blinking (Rapid)
Firmware Update Mode
NOTE: These indicators can be overridden using the Breakaway feature of the V-Com plugin. This allows you to take
manual control of the LED status using IO pins in Q-Sys designer.
CONFIGURATION OF DIP SWITCHES
The configuration DIP switches are located on the side of the V-Com. Changing the states of these switches,
either during power-up or normal operation, can alter the behavior of the V-Com. The default position for all the
switches for normal operation is OFF (UP).
V-Com can power up in one of the following modes (based on switches configuration):
• Normal Mode
• Factory Test Mode
• Firmware Update Mode
During power up, the state of some switches (ON or OFF) may result in action. During runtime, toggling the DIP
switch (OFF => ON => OFF) may perform a specified action. See the descriptions below.

9
August 18, 2020
DIP SWITCH 1: LINK MODE
RUNTIME – LINK:
OFF => ON => OFF: Activate/deactivate Link. Toggle once to activate, toggle again to deactivate. Link will also
exit on successful completion or will auto-exit after 60 seconds (default).
Link can be used in conjunction with Q-Sys to assign station ID, static IP/Port and Q-Sys feedback information to
the V-Com. In a sense, this pairs the V-Com with a specific Q-Sys Core.
When the Link mode is active, LEDs will illuminate one at a time in a sequential chasing pattern.
DIP SWITCH 2: FIRMWARE UPDATE MODE / RESET FACTORY DEFAULTS
POWER UP – FIRMWARE UPDATE MODE:
ON: Enter Firmware Update mode. In this mode of operation, V-Com disregards all its settings and the rest of
the DIP switches and uses a default IP of 192.168.0.254. Web server serves up Firmware Update page. For a
detailed explanation on Updating V-Com firmware, see the Firmware Update section.
To exit Firmware Update Mode, return the switch to OFF position and perform a power cycle.
OFF: Default state of the switch for normal operation.
NOTE: It’s advised to use AMI Terminal to invoke the firmware update. The V-Com will enter the firmware
update mode on the last known IP instead of fixed 192.168.0.254
RUNTIME – LOAD FACTORY DEFAULTS (IN NORMAL OPERATION MODE ONLY):
OFF => ON => OFF: Perform factory defaults. All LEDs will light up solid RED for a few seconds, then V-Com
will perform reset to defaults. Any stored settings will be erased from non-volatile memory and restored to their
factory defaults. This affects Dante settings as well.
NOTE: Loading Factory Defaults will erase all V-Com settings!!

10
August 18, 2020
DIP SWITCH 3: FACTORY TEST MODE
POWER UP – FACTORY TEST MODE:
ON: Used for Factory Testing purposes only.
OFF: Default state of the switch for normal operation.
NOTE: Firmware Update DIP Switch 2 must be OFF!
NOTE: Factory Test Mode is mainly used for troubleshooting. It is NOT a requirement to program the V-Com as all the
parameters can be programmed while operating in the normal mode.
NOTE: While in Test Mode, V-Com will not fully operate as a paging station.
DIP SWITCH 4: SPARE (NOT IN USE)
This DIP Switch is currently not in use.
POWER UP/RUNTIME:
ON: Not in use.
OFF: Default state of the switch for normal operation.