Alcorn Mcbride 8TraXX/E User manual

8 TraXX/E
Eight Independent Stereo MP3 Players
User’s Guide

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 1
Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this manual, and the reliability of
the Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E 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. assumes no responsibility or
liability for the use of these products, and makes no representation or warranty that the use of these products for
specific applications will be suitable without further testing or modification. Alcorn McBride products are not
intended for use in applications where a malfunction can reasonably be expected to result in personal injury.
Customers using or selling Alcorn McBride products for use in such applications do so at their own risk, and agree
to fully indemnify Alcorn McBride for any damages resulting from such improper use or sale.
Some or all of the following open source software were used in the development of this product: u-boot, uClinux,
ALSA, Busybox, drivers by Analog Devices Inc, drivers by PLX Technology, Inc., drivers by Alcorn McBride
Inc., and the traxxPlay Mp3 player.
Please contact us at [e-mail] to request a copy of any license or source code for the previously
mentioned open source projects.
Proper steps have been taken to separate proprietary portions of this product in order to satisfy license restrictions.
Proprietary designs include the application logic (TraxxOS), hardware design, and documentation of this product.
The product’s hardware warranty will be voided if, at any time, software that is not released in the form of a
firmware update by Alcorn McBride Inc. is executed on the hardware.
8TraXX/E™ is a trademark of Alcorn McBride Inc., all rights reserved.
Copyright ©2012Alcorn McBride, Inc. All rights reserved.
Artwork Gerry Calixto, Jr.
Hardware Design Jim Carstensen
Mechanical Design Martin Chaney
Software Design Hunter Olson
Firmware Design Adam Rosenberg
Driver Development Phil Wilshire
Part Number: 110-103737.50
Document Revision: 2.6
March 23, 2012
Alcorn McBride Inc.
3300 S. Hiawassee Rd.
Bldg. 105
Orlando, FL 32835
Tel: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
http://www.alcorn.com
[email protected]

Page 2 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 3
Table of Contents
Welcome! _________________________________________________________________________ 5
Features __________________________________________________________________________ 5
Technical Support __________________________________________________________________ 6
Getting Started _____________________________________________________________________ 7
In the Box ______________________________________________________________________ 7
Playing a Test Sound _____________________________________________________________ 8
Replacing an Older 8TraXX Model _________________________________________________ 9
Control _______________________________________________________________________ 9
Compact Flash _________________________________________________________________ 9
Front Panel Controls and Indicators ________________________________________________ 9
Test Channel Buttons ____________________________________________________________ 9
Channel Status LEDs ___________________________________________________________ 10
Input LEDs ___________________________________________________________________ 10
Mute All Button _______________________________________________________________ 10
File Access LED_______________________________________________________________ 10
Communication LED ___________________________________________________________ 10
LCD and Menu Knob ___________________________________________________________ 11
Rear Panel Controls and Connectors _______________________________________________ 12
Audio Outputs ________________________________________________________________ 12
Discrete Control Inputs _________________________________________________________ 12
RS-232C Serial Connector _______________________________________________________ 12
MIDI In______________________________________________________________________ 13
Ethernet RJ-45 ________________________________________________________________ 13
Configuration DIP Switches______________________________________________________ 13
Power _______________________________________________________________________ 14
The Compact Flash Card ___________________________________________________________ 15
Recommended Compact Flash Cards ______________________________________________ 15
Supported File Formats __________________________________________________________ 15
File Naming ____________________________________________________________________ 15
Playback ______________________________________________________________________ 16
Transferring Files via FTP _______________________________________________________ 17
Additional Features ________________________________________________________________ 18
LCD Status Display _____________________________________________________________ 18
Control Methods __________________________________________________________________ 19
Serial Control __________________________________________________________________ 19
Ethernet Control________________________________________________________________ 19
Discrete Input Control ___________________________________________________________ 20
Input Groups__________________________________________________________________ 20
TraXX Configuration Software ___________________________________________________ 20
Playlist Control_________________________________________________________________25
Overview ____________________________________________________________________ 25

Page 4 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Special Playlist Commands ______________________________________________________ 26
Example Playlist_______________________________________________________________ 27
Playlist Builder________________________________________________________________ 28
Scheduler Control ______________________________________________________________ 29
Schedule File Format ___________________________________________________________ 29
Schedule Builder ______________________________________________________________ 35
Command Protocol ________________________________________________________________ 39
Playback Commands ____________________________________________________________ 39
Play -PL_____________________________________________________________________ 40
Loop Play -LP ________________________________________________________________ 40
Play Toggle -PT ______________________________________________________________ 41
Search -SE ___________________________________________________________________ 41
Play Directory -PD ____________________________________________________________ 42
Pause -PA ___________________________________________________________________ 42
Stop -RJ _____________________________________________________________________ 43
Add Channel Pairs to Channel Group -GR __________________________________________ 43
Playlists _______________________________________________________________________ 44
Play System Playlist ____________________________________________________________ 44
Play Channel Playlist ___________________________________________________________ 44
Stop Channel Playlist ___________________________________________________________ 44
Control Commands _____________________________________________________________ 45
Keylock Enable _______________________________________________________________ 45
LCD PIN Enable ______________________________________________________________ 45
LCD PIN Set _________________________________________________________________45
Version Request _______________________________________________________________ 46
Soft Reset ____________________________________________________________________ 46
Set Name ____________________________________________________________________ 46
Mute/UnMute/Volume Control ___________________________________________________ 47
Send String ___________________________________________________________________ 47
Playing Status Request __________________________________________________________ 48
Filename Status Request ________________________________________________________ 48
Completion Acknowledge Mode __________________________________________________ 49
MIDI Control Protocol __________________________________________________________ 50
Error codes ___________________________________________________________________ 51
How To Update Firmware __________________________________________________________ 52
Standard Firmware Update ______________________________________________________ 52
Firmware Recovery _____________________________________________________________ 52
Troubleshooting Guide _____________________________________________________________ 53
Specifications_____________________________________________________________________ 54
Index ___________________________________________________________________________ 55

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 5
Welcome!
Thank you for purchasing The Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E™. The
8TraXX/E replaces CD and solid state audio players in permanent audio
playback installations, providing hours of high-quality, maintenance-free
digital audio.
The 8TraXX/E lets you play eight independent stereo tracks from a single,
economical rack-mount unit. It’s perfect for museums, interactive displays,
and background music or effects. Each track can be individually triggered by
a number of methods. Discrete inputs –contact closure or voltage –allow
direct connection to proximity sensors or switches. The 8TraXX/E can also
be controlled using Ethernet, RS-232 serial or MIDI. It can even be
programmed to play on a scheduled-basis using its built-in Real Time Clock
or execute a pre-programmed sequence of playback operations using a
playlist.
8TraXX/E offers the latest in Digital Audio Repeater technology, combining
MP3 audio with Compact Flash for a rugged, reliable, maintenance-free
solution to your playback needs. Access time is nearly instantaneous! All
eight tracks are completely independent, and offer superb audio quality.
Sounds are simply copied onto the 8TraXX/E from your laptop computer
using an Ethernet connection, or you can use an external Compact Flash card
reader.
Features
The 8TraXX/E offers a wide range of features including:
•8 Independent Stereo Audio Channels
•Hours of High-quality MP3 Audio
•Compact Flash Media Included
•Voltage or Contact Closure Control
•Ethernet, RS-232 or MIDI Control
•Ethernet File Transfer
•Scheduled Playback using built-in clock
•Playlists for automated operation
•“Boot-and-Loop” playback capability

Page 6 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Technical Support
You can obtain technical support or other information about specifying, installing,
configuring, updating and programming your Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E from
several sources:
For…
Contact…
When?…
Firmware Updates
http://www.alcorn.com/support
Any Time
Knowledge Base
http://www.alcorn.com/kb
Any Time
E-mail Support
[email protected]
Any Time
Telephone Support
[phone]
M-F 9am-5pm (EST)

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 7
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 8TraXX/E play some audio
right away. We’ll start with a few easy steps to show you how to play audio from the
8TraXX/E straight out of the box!
In the Box
•8TraXX/E Multichannel Audio Player (with CF card installed)
•8TraXX/E Manual
•Straight-through DB-9 Female to DB-9 Female serial cable
•Crossover Ethernet Cable
•Power Supply
•(2) Phoenix type connectors for rear control inputs

Page 8 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Playing a Test Sound
Every 8TraXX/E 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:
•Connect a channel of the 8TraXX/E to a set of powered speakers or
to the input to an amplifier.
•Power the 8TraXX/E using the included power supply. The LCD
display will indicate that the 8TraXX/E is initializing, and then
display its current status when it’s finished.
•When the 8TraXX/E has finished initializing, press the front panel
channel pushbutton corresponding to the channel you connected the
amplifier to. You should hear the test sound playing.
Connect to amplifier or
powered speakers

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 9
Replacing an Older 8TraXX Model
Control
By default, the 8TraXX/E uses an advanced command set to take advantage of its new
features and flexibility. If you are replacing an older 8TraXX model and wish to
continue using the older command set, use the LCD menu of the 8TraXX/E to turn on
“Legacy Mode”. Your 8TraXX/E will now function like an older model 8TraXX.
Compact Flash
The 8TraXX/E uses a FAT32 formatted compact flash card. If you wish to reuse the
compact flash card from your old 8TraXX, first backup all your audio files to a
computer. Then, format the flash card to FAT32. Finally, copy your audio files back
to your newly formatted compact flash card.
Note: Reformatting your compact flash card will ERASE all content on the card.
Backup your files BEFORE formatting.
Front Panel Controls and Indicators
The 8TraXX/E includes controls to accommodate a wide variety of installations. The front panel
incorporates a 2x16 LCD display and Menu Knob, a blue power indicator, eight channel control
pushbuttons, a Mute pushbutton, media status/error indicator, an Ethernet activity indicator, channel
status and rear input indicators, and a Compact Flash slot. All front panel controls can be locked using
a PIN number for systems requiring tamper-free operation.
Test Channel Buttons
The numbers next to the
test button match the
channel and file
numbers (i.e. Button
number 1 plays file
number 1 to channel
pair 1, Button number 2
plays file number 2 to
channel pair 2, etc.
The front panel contains a row of eight pushbuttons. These buttons allow
you to test play each of the unit’s 8 stereo channels. When a test channel
button is pressed, the file with the same number as the button number will be
activated and played out the corresponding channel. Pressing a button once
plays the sound. Pressing it again while the sound is playing stops playback.

Page 10 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Channel Status LEDs
Front Panel Channel Status LEDs activate whenever a channel is playing (Green) or muted (Red) or
paused (Orange).
Input LEDs
Input LEDs will illuminate Green whenever the corresponding rear panel input is activated.
Mute All Button
A pushbutton on the far right of the front panel causes all channels to mute. Pressing the button once
causes all channels to mute. Pressing it again causes all channels to unmute.
File Access LED
This LED is primarily used to indicate Compact Flash media activity. It
illuminates green whenever the Compact Flash media is being accessed. The
LED will turn Red if an error condition exists.
File Access
LED Behavior
File Access
LED Color
LED Meaning
Off
Off
Idle
On
Green
Media activity (Playing, file
transfer, etc.)
On
Red
Media Error
On
Orange
Firmware Update (erasing
Flash)
Flashing
Green
Firmware Updating
Flashing
Red
Firmware Update Error
Communication LED
The LED located directly above the File Access LED is used to indicate
communication activity. It will blink Green whenever the unit is
communicating via Serial or Ethernet. It will blink Red whenever a
communication error is detected.

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 11
LCD and Menu Knob
The Menu Knob is used to navigate through an LCD menu in which you can configure your 8TraXX/E.
Details of each of these parameters are explained in the sections that follow.
Main Menu
Audio
Clock
Network
System
Master Volume (0-100)
Sample Rate (Auto, First Det, 44.1, 48KHz)
Time
Date
Time Zone (offset)
DST Mode (None, USA, UTC, Aus, Europe)
NTP (Yes, No)
IP Address
Subnet Mask
Gateway
Cable Status
Front Panel
LCD PIN (Edit 4-digit PIN)
LCD Locked (Yes, No)
Buttons Locked (Yes, No)
Legacy Mode(Yes, No)
Version
Update (Cancel, Use CF Card)

Page 12 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Rear Panel Controls and Connectors
The rear panel includes RCA jacks for 8 stereo channels of unbalanced
audio, parallel control inputs, configuration DIP switches, serial and MIDI
control connectors, an RJ45 network jack and the power input jack:
Audio Outputs
Eight sets of RCA jacks supply analog line-level stereo signals suitable for
connection to a multi-channel amplifier or powered loudspeakers.
Discrete Control Inputs
Eight discrete inputs can be programmed in a variety of ways to operate the
unit. Please refer to the TraXX Configuration Software section for
programming details. These inputs can be set up to accept contact closures
or voltage inputs using the configuration DIP switches.
By default, the rear control inputs are configured to play files 1-8 to channel
pairs 1-8. For instance, input 3 will play file 3 to channel pair 3 when
triggered. With the default input configuration, files will play and loop for
as long as the input is maintained.
RS-232C Serial Connector
A serial cable is
provided with each
8TraXX/E.
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 null-
modem) 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 8TraXX/E)
3
RXD (data to 8TraXX/E)
5
Ground

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 13
MIDI In
The 5-pin DIN connector is used for MIDI control. The 8TraXX/E uses
standard control change MIDI command protocol. Please refer to the Serial
Protocol section of the manual for a list of commands.
Ethernet RJ-45
UDP control uses port
2638.
FTP uses TCP ports
20, 21.
NTP uses UDP port
123.
This is a standard RJ-45 jack used to connect the 8TraXX/E to a network.
Control (UDP), file transfer (FTP), and time (NTP) protocols are supported.
Network settings can be configured using the front panel menu.
Configuration DIP Switches
Four small DIP switches near the power connector are used to configure the unit.
DIP Switch Operation
Number
On
Off
1
Ground Lift Enabled
Ground Lift Disabled
2
Voltage Input Mode
Contact Closure Input Mode
3
Firmware Recovery Mode
N/A
4
Reset to Factory Defaults
N/A
Ground Lift (DIP 1)
The Ground Lift feature can sometimes help in situations where audio hum
or other noise is being caused by potential ground loops. A Ground Lift
disconnects the internal ground from the 8TraXX/E’s metal chassis, reducing
the chance of ground noise affecting the 8TraXX/E’s electrical systems (i.e.
audio outputs/inputs, etc.). This feature is configured using switch #1on the
bank of DIP switches. By default, this switch is set to the OFF position
which grounds the 8TraXX/E to its chassis. You can implement a ground lift
by setting this switch to the ON position. After that, the 8TraXX/E’s ground
will be isolatedfrom the chassis.
Voltage Mode (DIP 2)
This switch configures the discrete control inputs for either dry contact
closure operation or voltage input operation. For voltage input operation, the
input voltage should be at least 12VDC and not more than 24VDC. See the
Discrete Input Control section of this manual for more details.

Page 14 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Firmware Recovery Mode (DIP 3, Unlabeled)
This switch boots the 8TraXX/E in a recovery mode in which you can update
the firmware. Use this mode to update to a working firmware version if a
regular firmware update fails (due to power failure during update, corrupt
firmware file, etc.)
Factory Defaults (DIP 4)
Activating this switch while the unit is booted returns 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.org
FTP User
admin
FTP Password
password
UDP Port
2638
RS232 Serial
9600 Baud, 8 Data Bits, No Parity, 1 Stop
Bit
Buttons Enabled
Yes
LCD PIN
1111
LCD Locked
No
Master Volume
100
Legacy Mode
No
NTP Enabled
No
Timezone Offset
0
Daylight Savings Mode
None
Power
The power input is a 2.5x5.5x10mm threaded barrel connector with center
pin (+) and the outer rim (-). The 8TraXX/E requires 9-36VDC at
approximately 2 Amps. An external 115 or 230 VAC power supply is
provided with the unit.

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 15
The Compact Flash Card
Recommended Compact Flash Cards
Included with your 8TraXX/E 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.html
Supported File Formats
The 8TraXX/E plays MP3 files which are compliant to the following specifications:
Supported MP3 Formats
Standard
MPEG-1 Part 3 (or simply, MP3) defined in ISO/IEC-11172-3
Channel
Encoding
Mono, Joint Stereo, Stereo, Dual
Sample Rates
44.1KHz, 48KHz
Bitrates
32,48,56,64,80,96,112,128,160,192Kbps
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.
A specific file naming convention is used so that the 8TraXX/E can identify
the file type, as well as associate the supported file types with a number.
Here is a table showing the naming conventions based on the type of file that
is being named:
Details about Playlists
and Schedules are
contained in separate
chapters of this manual.
File Type
File Naming Style
MP3 Audio File (numbered)
SNDnnnnn.MP3
MP3 Audio File (named)
any-filename.MP3
Playlist
PLYnnnnn.LST
Schedule
SCHEDULE.SCL

Page 16 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Files can be referenced in commands by their full filename or their file
number. The file number is determined by the 5-digit ‘nnnnn’ portion of the
file name. The 8TraXX/E supports files that are assigned numbers between
1 and 99999, so this part of the filename is always represented as 00001
through 99999.
Just as an example, let’s say that you created an MP3 file that you want to
associate as file #123. To do this, you would need to rename the MP3 file to
SND00123.MP3.
The file number naming style is not needed if you plan to reference files in
commands by their full filename.
The one exception to the numbering method is the schedule file. The
8TraXX/E only supports a single schedule, and therefore there is only one
file name permitted for this file. As you can see in the table above, this
filename is SCHEDULE.SCL.
Note: If you use the file numbering scheme, every file on the media must
have a unique number in the file name, no duplications are allowed. If you
have duplicate file numbers (i.e. two files associated as file #1), the
8TraXX/E would consistently choose only one of those files when told to
play the associated 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.
If not otherwise specified in the play command, files play back as
interruptible, meaning that repeated play requests during playback will cause
the sound to start over. An example of where this might be used is in a
shooting gallery, where you want the sound to be heard every time a gun’s
trigger is pulled.
See the Command Protocol section for details on how to specify interruptible
vs. uninterruptible mode in your commands.

March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6Page 17
Transferring Files via FTP
In addition to transferring the files to the 8TraXX/E’s compact flash card
directly with your PC, 8TraXX/E 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.
Before using FTP, be sure that the network settings on your 8TraXX/E are
configured correctly. Network settings can be configured using the front
panel menu of your 8TraXX/E. The default network settings are listed below.
IP Address
192.168.0.254
Subnet Mask
255.255.255.0
Gateway
192.168.0.1
Nameserver
127.0.0.1
FTP User
admin
FTP Password
password

Page 18 March 23, 2012 • Alcorn McBride 8TraXX/E User’s Manual • Rev 2.6
Additional Features
LCD Status Display
You can choose from three different home screen status displays via the LCD menu on your 8TraXX/E.
Entering the main menu and choosing System->Panel->Home Screen, you can choose from Clock, Ch.
Status, and All Ch. Status. 8TraXX/E defaults to the Ch. Status home screen.
Clock: Displays the current system time.
Ch. Status: Cycles through the channel pairs, showing the current status as one of the
following: (Playing, Stopped, Paused). The currently displayed channel pair changes every 3
seconds -turning the menu knob will scroll through the channels.
All Ch. Status: Displays the status of every channel on the screen at once as one of the
following letters: (P, S, A), corresponding to Playing, Stopped, and Paused. Channels are
listed 1-16 from left to right.