Black Box iCOMPEL 2U Series User manual

BL A C K B OX®
These publisher and subscriber units provide
impressive, attention-getting digital signage.
Available in 2U, VESA, and OPS models.
iCOMPEL™
ICXX-XX-XX-X-X
(Turn this page over for a
breakdown of part numbers.)
Order toll-free in the U.S.: Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500)
FREE technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax [phone]
Mailing address: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence, PA 15055-1018
Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: [e-mail]
Customer
Support
Information

Table 1. Building an iCOMPEL part number, example ICPS-2U-PU-N-H.
iCOMPEL (1st 2
characters) Series (3rd and 4th characters)
Chassis type
(after 1st dash)* Role (after 2nd dash)
Wi-Fi (after 3rd
dash)** Video option***
IC PS, SS, KS, KP, or OS 2U or VE or no value PU, SU, KU, or IU N, W, or no value A, D, or H
* O series has no chassis type value here.
**O series has no Wi-Fi value here.
*** Video option applies only to 2U models.
Examples:
ICPS-2U-PU-N-H—iCOMPEL unit, P series, 2U chassis type, publisher role, no WiFi, HDMI capture
ICPS-VE-PU-N-H—iCOMPEL unit, P series, VESA mount chassis type, publisher role, no WiFi, HDMI capture
ICOS-PU—iCOMPEL unit, O series, publisher role
Letter key for part numbers:
iCOMPEL (1st 2 characters):
IC
Series (3rd and 4th characters):
PS = P series
SS = S series
KS = K series
KP = K+ series
OS = O series
Chassis type (after 1st dash):
2U = desktop/rackmount/wallmount chassis type
VE = VESA mount chassis type
None (O series has no chassis type value here)
Role (after 2nd dash):
PU = publisher role
SU = subscriber role
KU = kiosk role (standalone)
IU = interactive kiosk (standalone)
Wi-Fi (after 3rd dash):
N = no Wi-Fi
W = Wi-Fi
None (O series has no WiFi value here)
Video option (after 4th dash):
A = ATSC/NTSC/QAM video
D = DVB-T video
H = HDMI capture

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio-frequency energy, and if not installed and usedproperly, that is, in strict
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio communication. It has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class A computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules,
which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the user at his own
expense will be required to take whatever measures may be necessary to correct the interference.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emission from digital apparatus set out in the Radio
Interference Regulation of Industry Canada.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques
de la classe A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique publié par Industrie Canada.
Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada Radio Frequency Interference
Statements
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iCOMPEL

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1. Todas las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser leídas antes de que el aparato eléctrico sea operado.
2. Las instrucciones de seguridad y operación deberán ser guardadas para referencia futura.
3. Todas las advertencias en el aparato eléctrico y en sus instrucciones de operación deben ser respetadas.
4. Todas las instrucciones de operación y uso deben ser seguidas.
5. El aparato eléctrico no deberá ser usado cerca del agua—por ejemplo, cerca de la tina de baño, lavabo, sótano mojado o cerca
de una alberca, etc..
6. El aparato eléctrico debe ser usado únicamente con carritos o pedestales que sean recomendados por el fabricante.
7. El aparato eléctrico debe ser montado a la pared o al techo sólo como sea recomendado por el fabricante.
8. Servicio El usuario no debe intentar dar servicio al equipo eléctrico más allá a lo descrito en las instrucciones de operación.
Todo otro servicio deberá ser referido a personal de servicio calificado.
9. El aparato eléctrico debe ser situado de tal manera que su posición no interfiera su uso. La colocación del aparato eléctrico
sobre una cama, sofá, alfombra o superficie similar puede bloquea la ventilación, no se debe colocar en libreros o gabinetes que
impidan el flujo de aire por los orificios de ventilación.
10. El equipo eléctrico deber ser situado fuera del alcance de fuentes de calor como radiadores, registros de calor, estufas u otros
aparatos (incluyendo amplificadores) que producen calor.
11. El aparato eléctrico deberá ser connectado a una fuente de poder sólo del tipo descrito en el instructivo de operación, o como
se indique en el aparato.
12. Precaución debe ser tomada de tal manera que la tierra fisica y la polarización del equipo no sea eliminada.
13. Los cables de la fuente de poder deben ser guiados de tal manera que no sean pisados ni pellizcados por objetos colocados
sobre o contra ellos, poniendo particular atención a los contactos y receptáculos donde salen del aparato.
14. El equipo eléctrico debe ser limpiado únicamente de acuerdo a las recomendaciones del fabricante.
15. En caso de existir, una antena externa deberá ser localizada lejos de las lineas de energia.
16. El cable de corriente deberá ser desconectado del cuando el equipo no sea usado por un largo periodo de tiempo.
17. Cuidado debe ser tomado de tal manera que objectos liquidos no sean derramados sobre la cubierta u orificios de ventilación.
18. Servicio por personal calificado deberá ser provisto cuando:
A: El cable de poder o el contacto ha sido dañado; u
B: Objectos han caído o líquido ha sido derramado dentro del aparato;o
C: El aparato ha sido expuesto a la lluvia; o
D: El aparato parece no operar normalmente o muestra un cambio en su desempeño; o
E: El aparato ha sido tirado o su cubierta ha sido dañada.
Instrucciones de Seguridad
(Normas Oficiales Mexicanas Electrical Safety Statement)
NOM Statement

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Trademarks Used in this Manual
Black Box and the Double Diamond logo are registered trademarks of BB Technologies, Inc.
Any other trademarks mentioned in this manual are acknowledged to be the property of the trademark owners.
All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems - without the written permission of the
publisher.
Products that are referred to in this document may be either trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners. The
publisher and the author make no claim to these trademarks.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, the publisher and the author assume no responsibility
for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this document or from the use of
programs and source code that may accompany it. In no event shall the publisher and the author be liable for any loss of profit or
any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this document.
Printed: April 2013

iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3) Glossary
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Table of Contents
1. ......................................................................................................................................................12 Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
................................................................................................................................... 121.1 Terms You Need to Know
................................................................................................................................... 141.2 Logging On
................................................................................................................................... 151.3 Using the Web Interface
2. ......................................................................................................................................................20 Creating Digital Signage
................................................................................................................................... 202.1 Using Schedules
................................................................................................................... 212.1.1 Creating a Schedule
................................................................................................................... 222.1.2 Schedule Entries
................................................................................................................... 242.1.3 Overriding the Schedule
................................................................................................................................... 252.2 Using Layouts
................................................................................................................... 252.2.1 Manage Layout Page
................................................................................................................... 262.2.2 Adding a New Layout
................................................................................................................... 262.2.3 Editing a Layout
................................................................................................................... 272.2.4 Layout Properties
................................................................................................................... 272.2.5 Interaction Properties
................................................................................................................................... 272.3 Using Zones
................................................................................................................... 282.3.1 The Layout Editor
................................................................................................................... 292.3.2 Editing a Zone
................................................................................................................... 302.3.3 Editing a Zone's Properties
................................................................................................................................... 312.4 Using Playlists
................................................................................................................... 322.4.1 Adding Media Item Files to a Playlist
................................................................................................................... 322.4.2 Adding Special Items to a Playlist
................................................................................................................... 332.4.3 Adding Folders to a Playlist
................................................................................................................... 332.4.4 Playing Content Items to Test Them
3. ......................................................................................................................................................36 Understanding Media Types
................................................................................................................................... 363.1 Media Directly Managed by the iCOMPEL
................................................................................................................... 363.1.1 Text
................................................................................................................... 373.1.2 Newsfeeds
................................................................................................................... 383.1.3 Clocks
................................................................................................................... 383.1.4 Tables
................................................................................................................... 403.1.5 RS-232 Outputs
................................................................................................................... 403.1.6 QR Codes
................................................................................................................................... 403.2 Media Run from the iCOMPEL Disk
................................................................................................................... 413.2.1 Uploading Content Files
................................................................................................................... 433.2.2 Video
................................................................................................................... 443.2.3 Text Files
................................................................................................................... 443.2.4 Images and Photos
................................................................................................................... 453.2.5 Audio
................................................................................................................... 453.2.6 Presentations
................................................................................................................... 463.2.7 HTML Web Pages
................................................................................................................... 473.2.8 Adobe Flash
................................................................................................................... 473.2.9 Folder Play

iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3) Understanding Media Types
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................................................................................................................................... 483.3 Media from External Sources
................................................................................................................... 483.3.1 TV
................................................................................................................... 483.3.2 Radio
................................................................................................................... 493.3.3 Live Video
................................................................................................................... 493.3.4 Multicast Video
................................................................................................................... 503.3.5 External Web Pages
................................................................................................................................... 513.4 Media Item Properties
................................................................................................................... 533.4.1 Movie Properties
................................................................................................................... 533.4.2 HTML Properties
................................................................................................................... 543.4.3 Image Properties
................................................................................................................... 553.4.4 Text Properties
................................................................................................................... 563.4.5 Soundtrack Properties
................................................................................................................... 563.4.6 Newsfeed Properties
................................................................................................................... 583.4.7 Clock Properties
................................................................................................................... 593.4.8 Folder Play Properties
................................................................................................................... 603.4.9 Common Advanced Properties
................................................................................................................... 623.4.10 Ad Hoc Properties
................................................................................................................................... 633.5 Playlist Commands
................................................................................................................... 633.5.1 Rendezvous Points and the Advance To Command
................................................................................................................... 643.5.2 Change Layout Command
................................................................................................................................... 643.6 Colors
................................................................................................................................... 653.7 Fonts
4. ......................................................................................................................................................68 Enhancing Your displays
................................................................................................................................... 684.1 Synchronizing Playlist Displays Between Zones
................................................................................................................... 684.1.1 Automatic Captioning
................................................................................................................... 694.1.2 Displaying Video-On-Demand Using a Sub-Playlist
................................................................................................................................... 714.2 Using Interactivity
................................................................................................................... 734.2.1 Designing Interactive Layouts
................................................................................................................... 744.2.2 General Purpose Input/Output
................................................................................................................... 744.2.3 Touch Screens
................................................................................................................... 754.2.4 Click On Touch
................................................................................................................................... 754.3 Using the RS-232 Interface Port
................................................................................................................................... 754.4 Displaying Part of a Movie or Web Page
................................................................................................................................... 764.5 Mitigating Plasma Screen Burn
................................................................................................................................... 764.6 Changing the Screen Background
5. ......................................................................................................................................................80 Ad Hoc Content
................................................................................................................................... 815.1 Enhanced Ad Hoc Access Control
................................................................................................................................... 835.2 Remote Keypad Control
................................................................................................................................... 845.3 Additional Ad Hoc
................................................................................................................................... 865.4 Ad Hoc from Center
................................................................................................................................... 865.5 Making Ad Hoc Changes
................................................................................................................................... 865.6 Managing Ad Hoc Items
................................................................................................................................... 885.7 Creating Ad Hoc User Accounts
................................................................................................................................... 885.8 Ad Hoc Pages

iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3) Ad Hoc Content
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................................................................................................................... 885.8.1 Managing Ad Hoc Pages
................................................................................................................... 895.8.2 Editing Ad Hoc Pages
................................................................................................................................... 905.9 Ad Hoc Folder Play
................................................................................................................................... 905.10 Ad Hoc Media Folder
................................................................................................................................... 915.11 Changing Ad Hoc Content
................................................................................................................................... 925.12 Ad Hoc Theming
6. ......................................................................................................................................................96 Sharing Content Using Layout Packages
................................................................................................................................... 966.1 Layout Packages
................................................................................................................................... 966.2 Creating a Layout Package
................................................................................................................................... 976.3 Uploading and Installing a Layout Package
................................................................................................................................... 976.4 Layout Package Conflicts
................................................................................................................................... 986.5 Layout Package Information
7. ......................................................................................................................................................100 Channels and Signage Networks
................................................................................................................................... 1017.1 Channel Roles
................................................................................................................................... 1017.2 Channel Content Servers
................................................................................................................................... 1027.3 Publishing
................................................................................................................... 1037.3.1 Configuring the Publisher
................................................................................................................... 1047.3.2 Publishing a Channel
................................................................................................................... 1057.3.3 Multichannel Publishing
................................................................................................................................... 1057.4 Subscribing
................................................................................................................... 1057.4.1 Configuring a Subscriber
................................................................................................................... 1067.4.2 Updating Subscription
................................................................................................................................... 1077.5 Channel Ad Hoc
8. ......................................................................................................................................................110 Player and System Status
................................................................................................................................... 1108.1 Player Status
................................................................................................................................... 1108.2 System Status
................................................................................................................................... 1118.3 Conditional Play Status
................................................................................................................................... 1128.4 TV & Radio Status
................................................................................................................................... 1128.5 Screen Snap Shot
9. ......................................................................................................................................................116 Setup
................................................................................................................................... 1169.1 Help and User Options
................................................................................................................................... 1179.2 System Setup
................................................................................................................... 1189.2.1 Users
................................................................................................................... 1199.2.2 Date and Time
................................................................................................................... 1209.2.3 Network
................................................................................................................... 1229.2.4 TV & Radio
................................................................................................................... 1249.2.5 HTTP Proxy
................................................................................................................... 1259.2.6 Security – General Settings
................................................................................................................... 1289.2.7 Security – Advanced LDAP Settings
................................................................................................................... 1329.2.8 Player Local Information
................................................................................................................... 1329.2.9 Reporting & Remote Setup
................................................................................................................... 1349.2.10 Feature Keys
................................................................................................................................... 1349.3 Player Setup

iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3) Setup
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................................................................................................................... 1349.3.1 Audio
................................................................................................................... 1349.3.2 Screen
................................................................................................................... 1369.3.3 Players
................................................................................................................... 1379.3.4 RS-232 Outputs
................................................................................................................... 1399.3.5 Interactivity
................................................................................................................... 1419.3.6 International Settings
................................................................................................................................... 1419.4 Backing Up Your Player
................................................................................................................................... 1429.5 Software Update
................................................................................................................................... 1449.6 Reboot System
10. ......................................................................................................................................................146 Troubleshooting
................................................................................................................................... 14610.1 Support Snap Shot
................................................................................................................................... 14610.2 Connection Troubleshooter
11. ......................................................................................................................................................150 Technical Reference
................................................................................................................................... 15011.1 Energy Saving
................................................................................................................................... 15111.2 Optimizing Playback Performance
................................................................................................................................... 15111.3 RS-232 Technical Reference
................................................................................................................................... 15211.4 Backup Contents
12. ......................................................................................................................................................154 Glossary
Index 157

Part
I
Welcome to Black Box
Digital Signage

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iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3)
1. Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
Welcome to the iCOMPEL user guide. Here you will find comprehensive information about how to create digital signage with
the iCOMPEL and how to manage the iCOMPEL unit.
Find the subject you are looking for in the table of contents or in the PDF bookmarks. Track down the location of specific
topics with the index at the end of the guide or by using the Adobe Reader search facility.
If you are new to the iCOMPEL, how it operates, and what it can offer, you will find helpful orientation by reading through
the Terms You Need to Know . Following that, check through the steps needed to log on to the iCOMPEL and the
description of the iCOMPEL user interface features .
The more experienced may wish to go straight to the information about creating and controlling digital displays:
Creating Digital Signage – Getting started with designing and implementing your display.
Understanding Media Types – Understanding the different types of content you can display and how the iCOMPEL
manages them.
You can also find background Information on setting up and managing the iCOMPEL:
Player and System Status – Keeping your iCOMPEL running smoothly.
Setup – Performing configuration and maintenance tasks.
1.1 Terms You Need to Know
The iCOMPEL provides powerful facilities to help you to design, structure, and control sophisticated and effective content
display. Before you can make full use of those facilities, you need to be familiar with some core concepts.
The iCOMPEL is a digital signage player that displays content on a screen. The screen is physically attached to the
iCOMPEL and is usually an LCD panel or LCD TV. To design what appears on the screen, and to manage the iCOMPEL
itself, you connect to it over your network using a web browser running on your PC.
To understand how you use the iCOMPEL to manage display of content, it is important to understand how certain key
features relate to each other. The following diagram illustrates the critical relationships between Schedules, Layouts,
Zones, and Playlists:
12 14
15
20
36
110
116

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Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
To flesh out how those relationships work, consider each of those key features in turn.
Schedule
Your iCOMPEL is designed to run continuously. You control which Layouts are displayed on what days and at which times
by creating a Schedule. The schedule may be something like this:
Layout A runs from 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm, Mondays to Fridays.
Layout B runs from 2.00 pm to 8.00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays.
Layout C runs at all other times, throughout the week.
Layout
A Layout is the arrangement of individual display areas, known as Zones, that you use to compose your on-screen
display. Your layout might display video in one zone, scrolling text in another, a sequence of still images in a third zone,
with a full-screen zone behind the others showing a background color or image.
Zones
Zones are rectangular areas, each of which can display various forms of content (known as media items). You can design
layouts with any number of zones, of any size, in any location, either separate or overlapping. You specify which zones
display which media types (for example, one for a promotional video, one for scrolling text, another for your organization's
name or logo, and so on). You can also have zones display a mix of media types. You arrange the media items for each
zone in a Playlist.
Playlist
A Playlist contains one or several media items that you choose to display in a zone. Media items include fixed and
scrolling text, movies, images, Adobe Flash animations, web pages, and newsfeeds. To display a media item, you add it to
the playlist. Each zone has its own playlist, which runs continuously. You can also synchronize the display between two
playlists (for example, to run a scrolling text message at the same time as a related promotional video or image.
That examination of the key features gives a flavor of how you put together your signage display on a single iCOMPEL.

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iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3)
However, if your software key permits it, you can also easily create a network of inter-related iCOMPEL players. You do
this by designating and configuring one iCOMPEL as a Publisher, which means it shares the design and content of its
schedule and layout with other iCOMPEL players. In turn, you designate those other iCOMPEL players as Subscribers.
This shared content is referred to as a Channel.
You can also allow people local to the subscriber iCOMPEL players to have a degree of control over the content the
iCOMPEL displays. The material and features that you allow local users to modify is called Ad Hoc content and they are
called Ad Hoc Users.
That brief survey of the key terms provides the foundation to start using the iCOMPEL. Other sections introduce and
describe additional terms and concepts as needed. An extensive glossary provides definitions of the core iCOMPEL
terminology.
But now, to consider further how to use schedules, layouts, zones, and playlists to create your digital signage, you might
want to refer to Creating Digital Signage .
1.2 Logging On
During the log on process, you will need to provide the IP address of your iCOMPEL. Make a note of this before you begin.
If you do not know the IP address, restart the iCOMPEL: it displays its IP address above the progress bar towards the end
of the boot sequence.
Follow these steps to log in to your iCOMPEL:
1. Ensure that the iCOMPEL is connected to the network.
2. Open a web browser (such as Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer) on a computer on the same network as the
iCOMPEL.
3. In your browser's address bar, type in the IP address of your iCOMPEL and click the 'go to' arrow or press the Enter key.
4. When prompted, enter the username and password. The factory-set defaults for these are remote and 9999 respectively.
Your iCOMPEL displays its Home page
Security: It is strongly recommended that you change the remote account password from the factory default as soon
as possible. Also change the iCOMPEL master password and check that the security services configuration matches
your requirements (see Security – General Settings for details).
For the future, you might want to bookmark the Home page or add it to your favorites for easier access. If your network is
set up to provide DHCP and DNS support, you can also access the iCOMPEL later using its name rather than its IP
address: the name is automatically generated in the format iCOMPELserial, where serial is the serial number of your
iCOMPEL (for example, iCOMPEL123456).
The iCOMPEL comes ready-installed with a number of sample displays and you might find those useful to illustrate the
kinds of features you can implement.
If you need assistance at any time, click Help on the menu bar to access page-specific help or to navigate to any other
help page.
You can now begin to become familiar with the iCOMPEL user interface.
154
20
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Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
1.3 Using the Web Interface
You control and manage the iCOMPEL through your browser using the web-style pages of the iCOMPEL user interface.
You should familiarize yourself with the essential features of the user interface before beginning to use the iCOMPEL. Most
important is the main Home page but you should also be aware of the generic navigation and command features employed
on other pages. What follows is a tour of the Home page followed by descriptions of those generic features.
The Home Page
This is the first page you see after logging onto the iCOMPEL.
At its heart is this view of the current state of the iCOMPEL, picturing what it is currently displaying and showing a
summary of its operational status:
The components of this display are:
Layout thumbnail
Layout icons
Status bars
Layout Thumbnail
This shows you what the iCOMPEL is currently playing. If you click on the thumbnail, the iCOMPEL opens the page
showing a full-size screen snap shot.

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iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3)
The bar above the thumbnail includes the name of the layout and a link to open the editor for it. The time underneath
indicates when the iCOMPEL last updated it.
Layout Icons
This shows you the arrangement of zones in the layout. Each zone is represented by a rectangle and the colors indicate
the kind of content that zone can display. If you click on a zone, the iCOMPEL opens the graphical layout editor for you to
edit it.
The panels underneath the layout show:
How much CPU the iCOMPEL is currently using to display the layout
The icon: click this to open the system status page.
Status Bars
These indicate the status of key iCOMPEL operational components. Each status bar has this general appearance:
The features to note are:
Open/close arrow – Click the arrow to reveal more details. Click the arrow to reduce the detail.
Name – The subject of the status report (in the above case the subject is the Network).
Status summary – The color of the icon indicate the current status (in the above case, the network status is good).
Here are status bars that respectively indicate attention needed and problem detected:

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Welcome to Black Box Digital Signage
If you click the open arrow on an attention or problem status bar, the iCOMPEL provides a description of the problem in the
information revealed. To take corrective action, click on the appropriate button to open the relevant page in the interface.
More generally, opening a status bar provides you with additional information about the subject area with a selection of
buttons to take you to relevant pages in the user interface. For example, opening the Media status bar reveals details
about the iCOMPEL media state:
Generic Features: The Menu Bar
The menu bar appears on every page of the user interface. It allows you to navigate to the page you need to perform
detailed actions. Broadly speaking, each page corresponds to a particular feature such as:
Layout design
Playlist creation
Channel publishing
Managing user accounts
The menu bar offers these top-level options:
The relevant explanatory sections describe those options in detail. You can also change how you interact with the menu bar
on the Help > UI Options page. Some iCOMPEL features are only available if you enable the Detailed or Expert option on
the UI Options page. Restrictions may also apply if your iCOMPEL hardware components and capabilities do not support
certain functions or if you do not have the requisite software feature keys.
To speed your access to important pages and information, the right-hand side of the menu bar includes a selection of icons.
Click the icon to access the following:
– The Home page.
– The Manage Schedules page.
– The Manage Layouts page.
– The Setup icons page.

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iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3)
– Confirmation of no known issues.
– Brief description of an attention item (only shown if one is active).
– Brief description of a problem item (only shown if one is active)
Note: The iCOMPEL does not display the quick access icons if your PC screen is too small or you have restricted the
size of the browser window.
To allow you to use more of the screen to display page content, the left-hand side of the menu bar includes a control to
collapse and expand the screen banner:
– Collapse the banner.
– Expand the banner.
Generic Features: Tabbed Pages
Many options in the iCOMPEL user interface are split across tabbed pages.
To access the options on the tabbed page, click the tab label (for example, Add Schedule).
Generic Features: Action Buttons
Numerous actions are common across different iCOMPEL pages. The user interface indicates these with icon action
buttons. Click the button to perform the indicated action:
– Audition
– Delete
– Rename
– Copy
– Edit
– Drag to reorder
Generic Features: Command Buttons
Some commands are common across different iCOMPEL pages. The user interface provides command buttons for these.
To execute the command, click the button. The label on the button describes the command, such as or
.

Part
II
Creating Digital Signage

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iCOMPEL Digital Signage User Guide (V9.2.3)
2. Creating Digital Signage
This section describes how to create your digital signs. If you are new to the iCOMPEL see Terms you need to know
before you begin.
The details in this section apply equally to creating content for a standalone iCOMPEL and for creating content for a
channel publisher .
Click on the links below for more information on:
Schedules
Layouts
Zones
Playlists
Media types
Enhancing your digital signage
2.1 Using Schedules
Your iCOMPEL is designed to run continuously. You control which layouts are displayed on what days and at what times
by creating a Schedule. A schedule always contains at least one Schedule Entry, which defines at least one iCOMPEL
action (often, which layout to display). A schedule entry does not necessarily specify a layout change, it could specify
some other action (for example, switching the audio to mute).
The schedule entries define periods of time during which actions occur. The program of schedule entries is based on a one-
week cycle. The Default Schedule Entry defines the layout that appears, or the actions that occur, when no other
schedule entry is active.
The iCOMPEL always displays the schedule with the most recent start time. Once a schedule starts running it continues
until another schedule is set to begin. If there is only one schedule it runs indefinitely.
An example schedule might contain schedule entries taking these actions:
Playing layout X from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Mondays to Fridays.
Playing layout Y from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The default schedule entry, playing layout Z at all other times.
Whenever you make a change to a schedule or layout, you must click the button to implement the
change.
You can temporarily interrupt a schedule by using a Schedule Override.
To list all of the schedules configured on the iCOMPEL:
1. On the menu bar, click Schedules.
2. Click Manage Schedules.
There are these action buttons for each schedule:
– Delete the schedule (does not delete the associated layouts).
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