Amino A 4 Series User manual

Amino Communications Ltd.
Quick Start Guide (Ax4x and Ax5x)
Technical Information
AM-006716-TC
Issue 4
November 2015

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Revision history
Rev
Date
Author
Description
A
22/02/13
C Delf
First Draft
B
28/02/13
C Delf
Section 1.7 added
1
19/04/13
C Delf
First Issue
2
25/04/13
C Delf
Instruction to log in removed from 1.2 as
login not required
3
14/10/14
C Delf
Updated to show latest support site screen
4
16/11/15
C Marriage
Updated to include Ax5x STBs
Disclaimer
This document contains information on a product under development. Amino Communications Ltd reserves
the right to change or discontinue this product without notice.
Trademarks and copyright
Amino Communications and the Amino logo are trademarks of Amino Communications Limited.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
© Amino Communications Ltd, 2015
Confidential
Amino contact details
Method
From UK
International
Telephone
[phone]
[phone]
Fax
[phone]
[phone]
E-mail
[e-mail]
Web
www.aminocom.com
Comments about the documentation are welcome. Please submit feedback to [email protected]m.
For further information about Amino or Amino products, please e-mail in[email protected]om.

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Contents
Revision history .................................................................................................................................... 2
Disclaimer ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Trademarks and copyright.................................................................................................................... 2
Amino contact details........................................................................................................................... 2
Contents ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Document Conventions........................................................................................................................ 4
1.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Getting the software ...................................................................................................................... 5
1.3 Installing the software on your webserver .................................................................................... 6
1.4 Configuring your DHCP server ........................................................................................................ 6
1.4.1 Linux..........................................................................................................................................................6
1.4.2 Windows ...................................................................................................................................................7
1.5 Getting the STB up and running ..................................................................................................... 9
1.6 Common problems with the software loading............................................................................. 10
1.6.1 On screen messages................................................................................................................................11
1.6.2 Common Flash Codes..............................................................................................................................11
1.7 What next? ................................................................................................................................... 11
1.7.1 Bringing up the browser address bar......................................................................................................11
1.7.2 Playing video ...........................................................................................................................................12
1.7.3 Setting up a channel list ..........................................................................................................................12
1.7.4 Configuring software images ..................................................................................................................12
1.7.5 STBremoteconf .......................................................................................................................................13
1.7.6 UI Development ......................................................................................................................................13
1.7.7 Getting support .......................................................................................................................................13

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Document Conventions
Formatting
Usage
< ...>
Indicates a value that you need to replace with a system specific value (except
where used in HTML or XML examples, where it is used in tags, as normal).
[ ...]
Indicates optional parameters - for example in commands or functions.
... | ...
Indicates choices - for example where an input can take one of a number of values.
code font
Indicates input and output values (for example, at a command line), as well as
function, configuration, parameter and file names.
bold text
Used for emphasis and to indicate specific key presses. For example: Press the
Esc key.
grey text
Commands or settings which are not in general use (for example, configuration
settings that are reserved for Amino internal use).
blue text
Cross-references (this is a “clickable” hyperlink if you are viewing the document
electronically).

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Introduction
The A150, H150 and A550 (collectively known as the Ax5x) and the A140, H140 and A540 (collectively known
as the Ax4x) are the newest ranges of set top boxes (STBs) in the AmiNET family. This guide is designed as a
basic starting point to get the appropriate Opera browser based software onto these STBs and applies to
whichever of these models you have.
The process for loading other (non-Opera based) software is the same, but you may not be able to get a pre-
signed software image from Amino so may need to sign an image yourself.
The STB is supplied with a “recovery image” on it. This is a software image that enables a main software
image to be loaded onto the STB but has no other functionality. The main software image contains either a
middleware application or a browser (in this case Opera). It can either be installed from a USB stick
1
or
downloaded over the network.
For information on installing from a USB stick please see TN059 - SW Installation from USB v4.pdf.
Download over the network can be done in one of two ways:
Unicast (HTTP) –the software image is hosted on a web server. On booting, the STB requests the
software image from the web server, then loads and installs it. This method is designed for lab
use or for internet based solutions where multicast is not available.
Multicast –the software is broadcast on a multicast address across the network. On booting the
STB joins the multicast group and downloads the software, then loads and installs it. This method
is designed for scalability so is recommended for IPTV deployments.
The STB is configured to use DHCP by default so that it knows which address or multicast group to use (and
therefore which method). A set of special Amino options must be configured in the DHCP server to do this.
The software image is a set of files provided by Amino that are signed with a key to create a single image file
called mc2.mcfs (or mc2 for short).
This document will explain the process of downloading a pre-signed software image and how to use HTTP to
upgrade the STB. It assumes that you already have a DHCP server (either Windows or Linux) that you can
access.
2
1.1 Getting the software
A pre-signed software image for either Ax4x or Ax5x can be downloaded by going to the support site:
http://stbsupport.aminocom.com. These images are available without needing a login.
Go to Online Support > Downloads. Then, in the right-hand column select
Aminet STBs > Software Releases > Ax4x or Ax5x (depending on the model of your STB) > Opera
(if there is more than one Opera folder use the highest numbered). Go to the latest release folder: at the
time of writing this is 3.3.2a8 for Ax4x and 4.3.3 for Ax5x. You will see a file name starting mc2.
The example below shows the download screen for version 4.3.3.
1
USB installation will work on all Ax5x boxes but on Ax4x it will depend on the recovery image version installed on the box so
may not be successful.
2
If you do not already have a DHCP server then Amino recommends that you install a Linux based one. There are many
websites that can provide further information on doing this. For example, for a Debian installation:
http://www.howtoforge.com/dhcp_server_linux_debian_sarge and http://www.debianhelp.co.uk/dhcp.htm.

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1.2 Installing the software on your webserver
The software can be installed anywhere on your webserver. Make sure that the permissions are correctly set
for downloading and make a note of the URL as you will need this for your DHCP configuration.
1.3 Configuring your DHCP server
The DHCP server is a key part of the initial software upgrade because the STBs use a set of vendor options
for passing information. The option used to tell the STB where to find the software image to load is the
“AMINO.software_uri”.
1.3.1 Linux
A sample DHCP configuration file can be downloaded from the support site by going to Online Support >
Downloads > Aminet STBs (in left-hand column) > Documentation > Installing and Upgrading STB Software.
The file is dhcpd.conf.ax4x.

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If this is to be used with Ax5x products then the lines
###############################################################################
# class "AMINOx4x" #
# AMINOx4x - response to x4x family STBs during Main and Recovery image boot #
###############################################################################
class "AMINOx4x"
{
match if (substring( option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 8)="AMINOx4x");
should be edited to replace x4x with x5x, that is
###############################################################################
# class "AMINOx5x" #
# AMINOx5x - response to x5x family STBs during Main and Recovery image boot #
###############################################################################
class "AMINOx5x"
{
match if (substring( option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 8)="AMINOx5x");
To use this file directly, do the following:
1. Uncomment lines 50 and 53 and edit line 53 “option AMINO.software_uri
http://server/image.mcfs” to include the URL for the mc2.mcfs file that you have
placed on your webserver
2. Edit lines 59, 64, 69, 74, 79 and (optionally) 84 to provide details for your network
3. Edit lines 111 and 112 to provide the address range to be used on your network
4. Copy this file to the correct location ( for example, /etc/dhcp3) and restart your DHCP
server (for example, /etc/init.d/dhcp3-server restart)
To modify your existing DHCP configuration:
1. Add the Amino option declarations by copying lines 13-41.
2. Add “option AMINO.software_uri http://server/image.mcfs”(edited for
your mc2.mcfs file) to the information given to the STBs
3. Optionally you can include lines 43-54 from the sample file to provide this information to
only those STBs that identify themselves as Amino x4x STBs.
4. Restart your DHCP server
For more information on configuring a Linux DHCP server for the
AmiNET STBs see the Software Installation and Upgrade Guide.
1.3.2 Windows
This procedure assumes you have a Windows 2008 DHCP server.
1. Create a new Vendor Class by right-clicking IPv4 and selecting Define Vendor Classes.

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The New Class dialog box is displayed:
2. In the Display Name text box enter Aminet x4x, and in the Description text box enter Aminet
x4x vendor class.
3. In the ASCII field enter the Vendor ID AMINOx4x.
4. Click OK then Close.
5. Create the option for passing the software_uri information by right-clicking IPv4 and
selecting Set Predefined Options...
The Predefined Options and Values dialog box is displayed:

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6. In the Predefined Options and Values dialog box under Option class, select Aminet x4x.
7. Click Add… to add a new option for the software URI.
The Option Type dialog box will be displayed.
8. Click OK.
9. In the Predefined Options and Values dialog box under Value enter the URL of the
mc2.mcfs file.
10. Click OK.
For more information on configuring Windows DHCP for the AmiNET
STBs see Amino Technical Note TN043: “Windows 2008 Server DHCP
service configuration”.
1.4 Getting the STB up and running
When you have copied your mc2.mcfs file to an appropriate location and configured your DHCP server to
tell the STB where it is, you should connect the STB to the network and turn it on. As part of the boot up
process it will make a DHCP request, locate the mc2 file and install it.

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The process will take about 2.5 - 3 mins (depending on your network) and you should see the STB go through
the software installation sequence, at the same time displaying the following
3
:
a black screen with a white TV logo
the ‘Amino: Recovery Image’ splash screen
the ‘Amino: Fetching Data’ splash screen
the ‘Amino: Upgrading Do Not Unplug’ splash screen
the ‘Amino: Upgrade Successful’ splash screen
a black screen (the STB reboots at this point)
a black screen with a white TV logo
the ‘Amino’ splash screen
the Opera homepage
When you see the Opera homepage - congratulations! You have now installed the software on the STB.
For more information on the boot process of the STB, see the
Software Installation and Upgrade Guide.
1.5 Common problems with the software loading
If you have followed the instructions in the previous sections you will have software loaded on to the STB.
However, if your STB is not progressing through the stages above and after several minutes you do not see
the Opera page appear, then there may be a problem with the set up.
The Amino STBs have two features that will help with troubleshooting:
There are a limited number of messages that may be displayed on the TV screen (depending on
the version of the recovery image installed on the STB).
3
Exact sequence will depend on the STB model and the version of the recovery image installed on the box.

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The LED on the front of the STB will flash a sequence of X flashes, short pause, Y flashes, longer
pause, all repeated 3 times. This X,Y flash code can indicate where the specific problem lies.
1.5.1 On screen messages
Network Problem
When this message is displayed on screen there is a problem with the networking configuration. This
includes DHCP configuration, not just a physical network problem. You should also see a flashing LED
sequence when this screen is displayed.
1.5.2 Common Flash Codes
1,2 –The STB is unable to get a response from the DHCP server. Check that it is running and responding to
requests on the same network as the STB.
2,3 –The STB is unable to get the AMINO.software_uri from the DHCP server. Check the DHCP
configuration.
2,8 –The STB is unable to download the mc2.mcfs file from the URL specified in
AMINO.software_uri. Check the URL and that the file permissions are correctly set on the webserver.
1.6 What next?
1.6.1 Bringing up the browser address bar
The browser address bar can be displayed so that you can enter the URL of a video asset or webpage. The
Ax4x software image is configured to work with the newest Amino IR keyboard:
To display the address bar with this keyboard press Alt Gr-6.
If you are using an older Amino IR keyboard there is a Toolbar button. To configure the STB for the older
Amino IR keyboard, or for alternative keyboard layouts:
1. Press Alt-M on the keyboard to enter the management pages. The password is ‘leaves’.
2. Select IR and then under Keyboard Layout select British/United States (without LRK or
Flymouse). The password needed to save the configuration is “snake”. You will need to restart
the STB for this to take effect.

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Alternatively many USB keyboards will work with our STBs (although they are not officially supported). We
would recommend that you follow the instructions to configure the STB for the older Amino keyboard
before starting. Once this has been done, press F10 to bring up the address bar.
On Ax5x only the older style IR keyboards or USB keyboards are currently supported for the toolbar although
the new style keyboard above can be used for the channel zapper application (see below).
1.6.2 Playing video
To play video being streamed to the STB you simply enter the URL of the stream into the browser’s address
bar.
For a multicast stream the format is:
igmp://<multicast address>:<port>
For an RTSP stream the format is:
rtsp://ServerAddress:554/<Path>/Asset
For more information on playing video streams see the knowledgebase at http://stbsupport.aminocom.com.
1.6.3 Setting up a channel list
This software image has been pre-configured with a basic channel zapper which can be used to set up a list
of URLs (channels).
1. To access the configuration interface press alt-C on the keyboard and enter the password
’letmein’.
2. Enter start and finish numbers of the channels you wish to edit and click ‘Edit Range’(for
example, 1 to 5).
3. Enter the URLs of the streams that you wish to enable along with a name and then click
Save/View Video.
4. You can then set the homepage of the STB to file:///mnt/nv/index.html so that the
channel zapper starts up automatically after a reboot. To do this press alt-m on the keyboard
(password “leaves”), select Browser and then edit the homepage field.
For more information on the channel zapper please see TN050 - channel changer (Downloads -> Aminet STBs
-> Documentation -> Configuration Guides).
1.6.4 Configuring software images
There are many configuration options available for the Amino STBs for optimum operation within a network.
These are fully documented in the Set‐Top Box Configuration Guide along with the different mechanisms
that can be used for changing them. (The Set‐Top Box Configuration Guide can be downloaded at
http://stbsupport.aminocom.com. Go to Downloads > Aminet STBs > Documentation > Configuration
Guides).
For more advanced features and for pre-configuring a software image you will need a software release
archive. Depending on what configuration you are doing it may be necessary to add a “post build pack” to
the image and/or edit files in the release before you sign it.

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In order to download a release you will need a support account from Amino. See below for more
information on our support accounts.
Instructions for unpacking a release and the signing process are in the Software Installation and Upgrade
Guide.
1.6.5 STBremoteconf
STBremoteconf is a tool designed for basic control and configuration of the STBs over the IP network. It is
designed to be run on a Linux server and commands can be sent either via unicast or multicast. There is
more information on STBremoteconf in the Set‐Top Box Configuration Guide.
1.6.6 UI Development
Development on the Amino STBs is designed to be done using standard HTML and JavaScript. Our set of
proprietary JavaScrpt APIs, known as JMACX, can be downloaded from our support site
http://stbsupport.aminocom.com without needing a login.
1.6.7 Getting support
Our key documentation and some knowledgebase articles are freely available on our support site
http://stbsupport.aminocom.com. You can use the links on the front page of the site to take you to the
different areas and then either use the navigation bar on the left hand side or the search box just above it to
find what you are looking for.
To access software release archives, further documentation and articles you will need an Amino Support
Account. You may be eligible for a free Download only account. See http://stbsupport.aminocom.com/cgi-
bin/accounts.cgi for more information and to request an account.
For access to our support team and the ability to submit support tickets a paid level of support account is
required. For more information on our support accounts please see http://www.aminocom.com/what-we-
offer/Support/.
We welcome feedback on our support site and you can use the “Submit Feedback” button under “My
Support” to do this. Unfortunately we cannot answer individual support queries submitted in this way.