Gefen EXT-DSC User manual

www.gefen.com
f
EXT-DSC Users
Guide
EXT-DSC
User Manual
®

ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE
Rev X2
Technical Support:
Telephone [phone]
[phone]
Fax [phone]
Technical Support Hours:
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST Monday thru Friday PST
Write To:
Gefen LLC
c/o Customer Service
20600 Nordhoff St
Chatsworth, CA 91311
www.gefen.com
[email protected]
Notice
Gefen LLC reserves the right to make changes in the hardware, packaging and
any accompanying documentation without prior written notice.
Digital Signage Creator is a trademark of Gefen LLC
All trademarks are the property of their respective companies.
© 2010 Gefen LLC, All Rights Reserved
All trademarks are the property of their respective companies

CONTENTS
Introduction ____________________________________________________ 1
Operation Notes_________________________________________________ 2
Features _______________________________________________________ 3
Panel Layout ___________________________________________________ 4
Panel Descriptions ______________________________________________ 5
Connecting And Operating the Digital Signage Creator ________________ 6
Resetting the EXT-DSC to its Factory Defauls ________________________ 7
Accessing the EXT-DSC HTTP Server (PC)___________________________ 8
Accessing the EXT-DSC HTTP Server (PC)___________________________ 9
Communicating with the EXT-DSC (Mac Osx) _______________________ 10
Connecting to the EXT-DSC Content Server_________________________ 12
Automatic DHCP Configuration ___________________________________ 13
Fixed IP Configuration __________________________________________ 16
EXT-DSC HTTP Server __________________________________________ 17
Configuring Display Settings_____________________________________ 19
Using A USB Drive with The EXT-DSC _____________________________ 20
Controlling User Rights _________________________________________ 22
Configuring Network Credentials for Remote Servers ________________ 23
Using A Network Server with the EXT-DSC__________________________ 24
Content Access Modes__________________________________________ 25
Pull Mode _____________________________________________________ 26
How To Configure the EXT-DSC To Use the Serial Port________________ 27
Configuring RS-232_____________________________________________ 28
Specifications _________________________________________________ 30
Warranty______________________________________________________ 32

1
Congratulations on your purchase of the Digital Signage Creator. Your complete
satisfaction is very important to us.
Gefen
Gefen delivers innovative, progressive computer and electronics add-on solutions
that harness integration, extension, distribution and conversion technologies.
Gefen’s reliable, plug-and-play products supplement cross-platform computer
systems, professional audio/video environments and HDTV systems of all sizes
with hard-working solutions that are easy to implement and simple to operate.
The Gefen Digital Signage Creator
The Gefen Digital Signage Creator (EXT-DSC) enriches digital signage projects
with high quality video, audio, images, animations and text...all these media
types can be retrieved by EXT-DSC from local or network resources and can be
combined and rendered on any type of digital displays following specific graphical
layouts and time schedules.
EXT-DSC extends the basic functionalities of state of the art media players
supporting Hyper Media content. The term hypermedia is used as a logical
extension of the term hypertext, in which graphics, audio, video, plain text and
hyperlinks intertwine to create a generally non-linear medium of information.
EXT-DSC brings hypermedia content to digital displays in several ways.
How It Works
The Gefen EXT-DSC simplifies the publishing and maintenance of your digital
signage project.
Connected to digital displays through HDMI and VGA, EXT-DSC is capable of
rendering combinations of media elements from a rich set of formats: audio,
video, vector graphics, pictures and text. EXT-DSC natively implements the open
standards required to schedule, update, stream, and animate each supported
media. Distributing content from a central location onto a specific display is as
easy as publishing a web page.
As a network appliance EXT-DSC offers plug & play functionalities that simplifies
installation, remote maintenance and monitoring. From anywhere, your network
of digital displays is under control.
INTRODUCTION

2
READ THESE NOTES BEFORE INSTALLING OR
OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR
• This manual covers operation of the EXT-DSC hardware. Please see the
Digital Signage Director manual for software operation.
• The Digital Signage Creator uses DHCP by default. The unit is always
reachable at http://gef-dsc-xxxxxxxxxxxx.local from Zeroconf enabled
computers on the local network (replace “x” with the MAC address of the
unit. This is located on a sticker underneath the unit.
OPERATION NOTES

3
Features
• Comprehensive software suite which includes content creation and
management features
• Built-in layout templates that quickly allows users to get a project started
• Selectable output resolutions supporting 4x3 and 16x9, 16x10 computer and
HDTV to 720p
• Supports both horizontal and vertical display types
• Direct iCal support for scheduling
• Multiple content publishing options (local and remote)
• Built-in HTTP Web server for managment from any web browser
• Natively supports multiple Web streaming formats including RSS and ASX
• Serial RS-232 port for two way control of external mice and interactive
devices
• Compact form factor for easy placement
• Internal storage: 1.5GB solid state memory
• Expandable storage capacity via USB 2.0 port. (Supports USB flash drive or
Hard Disk Drive)
• Only 2W of power consumed, making this a “Green” energy saving product
• Two Channel L/R Audio output
• VGA port supporting 1024x768
• HDMI port supporting 1280x720 720p
Package Includes
(1) EXT-DSC
(1) 5V DC Locking Power Supply
(1) 6 ft Locking HDMI Cable (M-M)
(1) User’s Manual
FEATURES

4
Front Panel
Back Panel
2 3 54
1
86 7 9
PANEL LAYOUT

5
1 Mini-Plug to RS-232 Serial Communications Port
This port will accept a mini-plug to RS-232 serial communications adapter for
control of external devices.
2 Ethernet Port
This port will accept a Ethernet cable for the connection to a network. Once
connected, user can control the units via the built-in WEB interface of the DSD
(Digital Signage Director) software.
3 USB A Port
This port supports USB 2.0 Hi-Speed with a bandwidth of up to 10 Mbyte/s.
This USB interface can be used to extend the local storage through memory
sticks or hard drives. The same interface can support external devices such as
touch screen controllers.
4 LED Indicator
This LED serves as an indicator for the unit’s current status. It will blink a
GREEN color every second when operation is normal. If the LED is RED or
ORANGE, this will indicate an error.
5 ON/OFF Reset Button
This button will initiate a manual reboot of the unit. Press and hold this button for
~5 seconds to initiate the reboot process.
6 5V DC Power Receptacle
This port will accept power from the included 5V DC power supply.
7 HDMI Output
This port will accept a single HDMI compliant device. This port supports both
audio and video.
8 3.5mm L/R Analog Stereo mini-jack Output
This port can be used to output audio to an external audio amplifier/device. This
port will accept a standard 3.5mm analog stereo connector.
9 VGA Output
This port will accept a single VGA compliant device. This port supports only
video.
PANEL DESCRIPTIONS

6
How to Connect the Digital Signage Creator
1. Connect a HDMI and/or VGA compliant display device to the output port(s)
on the rear panel of the Digital Signage Creator. A single 6 foot HDMI cable
(male to male) is supplied.
2. Optionally, the user can connect an amplified speaker or audio device to the
3.5mm L/R analog stereo output for external audio support.
3. Optionally, the user can utilize the mini-plug to RS-232 serial
communications port to communicate with controllable RS-232 devices.
4. Connect the EXT-DSC to the local network using the Ethernet port on the
front panel of the unit. If using this as a stand-alone solution this step is not
necessary. As a standalone unit, uploading of media must be done manually
using the integrated USB port.
5. Connect the included 5V DC power supply to the power input receptacle.
Connect the plug-end into an open wall power socket.
Initial Bootup of the Digital Signage Creator
Upon the first boot up of the DSC a series Gefen splash screen should be visible
on the connected display. This initial boot-up process should take approximately
1.5 minutes. Subsequent boot-ups after the initial boot process will be reduced
in time to ~50 seconds. Once the boot-up process is complete a default logo
animation should be seen.
If your system did not have the behavior described above you may have a
defective unit. Before contacting Gefen, make sure that the digital displays are
functional and that the right input has been selected (some displays have multiple
inputs and you may need to manually select the right one). Also check that the
push button is not pressed by external elements. If the set-up appears correct,
try to power down and up the EXT-DSC unit by unplugging and plugging in the
power again. If this does not correct the errors send a message describing what
you observe to [email protected]
CONNECTING AND OPERATING THE DIGITAL SIGNAGE CREATOR

7
RESETTING THE EXT-DSC TO ITS FACTORY DEFAULTS
Resetting the EXT-DSC to its factory default settings
WARNING: The following procedure will delete all the content and configurations
on the EXT-DSC unit.
To reinitialize the EXT-DSC unit to its factory default settings do the following:
1. Unplug the power connector from the unit.
2. Push and hold the blue button on the front panel.
3. While continuing to hold the blue button, reconnect the power cable.
4. Continue to hold the push button for at least 8 seconds.
5. Release the push button.
6. The EXT-DSC unit will now boot in the factory default mode and will have
the default IP setting (DHCP).
Accessing the EXT-DSC HTTP Server (PC)
This tutorial explains how to access, for the first time, the EXT-DSC unit from a
PC using the Ethernet interface. This procedure is required to access the EXT-
DSC administration HTTP server or to publish content on a EXT-DSC unit.
NOTE: This procedure applies only if you have not modified the default network
configuration of the EXT-DSC unit. See Reset to Factory default to make sure
that your EXT-DSC has the default network configuration.
Requirements:
►One of the following configurations
• PC with 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface and an Ethernet cable.
• PC with 10/100 Ethernet interface and an Ethernet crossover cable.
• PC with 10/100 Ethernet interface, a switch and 2 Ethernet cables.
►One EXT-DSC unit
Guide:
1. Connect the PC, through the switch depending on the chosen setup, to the
EXT-DSC unit following one of the above schemes.
2. Power up the PC and switch (if applicable).
3. Power up the EXT-DSC unit. (Note that the EXT-DSC unit does not need to

8
ACCESSING THE EXT-DSC HTTP SERVER (PC)
be connected to a display: allow about 1 minute for the EXT-DSC to boot up,
you will see the green light blinking once per second).
4. Configure the network on your PC.
You need to configure your PC to have the following network configuration:
►A static address assigned by your network administrator. This must be
on the same subnet as the EXT-DSC unit.
►A IP address automatically assigned by a DHCP server located on the
same network as the EXT-DSC unit.
5. Validate that the above steps are successful:
a. Make sure that the EXT-DSC has completed the booting phase: allow
about 1 minute from the EXT-DSC power up. If you have connected the
EXT-DSC to a display you should see the default animated logo.
b. Check that the LED is blinking green once per second. If this is not the
case go to the troubleshooting section at the end of this guide.
c. Open a Web Browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox...) and type into the
location bar at the top:
http://gef-dsc-XXXXXXXXXXXX.local
Please replace the 12 X’s with the MAC address (without colons) of the
EXT-DSC unit. This is located on a sticker on the underside of the unit.
6. The browser should connect to the EXT-DSC HTTP server and display the
following page:

9
ACCESSING THE EXT-DSC HTTP SERVER (PC)
7. Congratulations. You can now explore the HTTP server of your EXT-
DSC unit. Through this web interface you can administrate the unit and in
particular configure its network properties and video resolutions.
Troubleshooting
If you have not been able to connect to your EXT-DSC unit, please read the
following suggestions before contacting the Gefen support team.
1. Double check that you have correctly written the right address on your web
browser.
2. Check the LED on you EXT-DSC unit.
c. If the led is blinking fast (several times per second) from green to red.
Your EXT-DSC is in recovery mode. In this case, unplug and power
up again the EXT-DSC unit. Wait about 1 minute. If the EXT-DSC unit
remains in recovery mode contact support.
4. It may happen that your EXT-DSC unit has already been configured and
does not have the default setting to use DHCP. In this case you should re-
initialize the unit to its factory default. Note that all the content stored on the
EXT-DSC unit will be deleted. Follow the instructions reported in Reset to
Factory default.
5. Double check the connectivity in your setup (cables, connectors, switches...).

10
COMMUNICATING WITH THE EXT-DSC (MAC OSX)
6. Check the network configuration of your PC.
7. Verify that the web browser does not have a proxy configured.
8. If you have checked all the above and the EXT-DSC HTTP server still cannot
be accessed, contact the support at [email protected].
Communicating with the EXT-DSC (MAC OSX)
This tutorial explains how to connect to your EXT-DSC unit from Mac OS X
without Hyper Media Director.
First we explain how to locate the EXT-DSC unit on the network and then how to
access and upload connect to the EXT-DSC.
Requirements:
►One EXT-DSC unit.
►A Mac computer running Mac OS X version 10.2 or later.
Finding The EXT-DSC On The Network:
This section explains how to find the network address of an EXT-DSC unit
connected to the same local area network (LAN) as the Mac computer, or directly
to the Mac computer. This is particularly useful when the EXT-DSC unit has been
configured to use DHCP or when the static IP address that was configured has
been lost.
1. Verify that the EXT-DSC is powered on and running: the green LED should
blink once per second.
2. Verify that the EXT-DSC has network connectivity: the red LED should be on
but dim (not bright).
3. Open the Terminal program, which you’ll find in the Applications Utilities
folder. The Terminal program presents a text based terminal where
commands can be typed.
4. Type the command
ping -c 3 224.0.0.1
and press Return. You will see multiple responses from all computers and/or
devices on the network.

11
COMMUNICATING WITH THE EXT-DSC (MAC OSX)
5. Immediately after observing the responses, type the command
arp -a
and press Return. This will print out a list of known network names, IP
addresses and Ethernet MAC address, in the first, second and fourth
columns, respectively.

12
CONNECTING TO THE EXT-DSC CONTENT SERVER SERVER
6. Look in the list for the Ethernet MAC address that matches the serial number
of the EXT-DSC (e.g., 0:1c:91:0:0:6e for serial number 001c9100006e). All
MAC addresses of the EXT-DSC start with 0:1c:91.
7. The network name of the EXT-DSC unit appears on the first column of the
matching line, if none is registered “?” is shown.
8. The IP address of the EXT-DSC unit appears, between parentheses, on the
second column of the matching line.
9. You may now close the Terminal application if so desired.
10. Now you can use either the network name, if one is registered or the IP
address to address the unit on the network.
Connecting To The EXT-DSC Content Server
This section explains how to connect to the EXT-DSC content using the Mac OS
X Finder.
1. Click anywhere on your desktop to bring up the Finder menu bar at the top
of the screen.
2. From the Go menu, select Connect to Server... The Connect to Server dialog
appears.
3. In the Server Address textbox type:
http:// followed by the IP address or network name of the EXT-DSC unit and
:81/.
For instance http://192.168.1.10:81/ to connect to the unit with the
192.168.1.10 IP address.

13
AUTOMATIC DHCP CONFIGURATION
4. Click the Connect button. This will open the content folder on the EXT-DSC
unit in a Finder window.
5. The EXT-DSC unit is also added, using the typed network name or IP
address, to the list of connected network servers and one need not re-
connect to it using this procedure.
Accessing / Copying Content From / To The EXT-DSC Unit:
This section explains how to access content from or copy (upload) content on the
EXT-DSC unit.
1. Open a Finder window.
2. Select the EXT-DSC unit on the list of connected servers on the left of the
window, it appears by the network name or IP address that was typed when
the connection was done.
3. On the right pane you now see all the content files on the EXT-DSC unit, you
can manage them as regular files on Mac OS X.
4. To copy files to the EXT-DSC unit (i.e. upload) just drag and drop files from
another Finder window to the right pane.
5. After uploading files allow some time for the EXT-DSC unit to notice the new
files.
Automatic DHCP Configuration
This tutorial explains how to manually configure an EXT-DSC unit to connect to a
specific network using DHCP for the distribution of network addresses. Note that
this procedure assumes that you can access the HTTP server of the EXT-DSC
unit through the Ethernet interface.
1. Access the HTTP server of your EXT-DSC unit.
►If you have just received an EXT-DSC unit see the previous sections to

14
AUTOMATIC DHCP CONFIGURATION
learn how to connect to its HTTP server.
►If the network configuration of your EXT-DSC unit has already been
modified follow the suggestions in Access HTTP server.
2. Select the Network configuration page on the left menu under Basic.
►Under Current settings you can read the current network configuration
of the EXT-DSC unit. In particular you can read the current IP address,
the Host name and the MAC address.
►Under Change settings you can configure the network settings of the
EXT-DSC unit.
3. Configure the EXT-DSC to use DHCP.
►Set the DHCP radio button instead of Static one.
4. Validate the changes.
►Validate the new network configuration with the Update button.
►The changes will be valid once the EXT-DSC unit has rebooted. If you
want to immediately reboot the unit, check the Reboot now check box
before pressing the Update button.
5. Re-connect to your EXT-DSC.
►If your DHCP server is configured to register new computer to the
DNS you can access your EXT-DSC using the following address Error!
Hyperlink reference not valid..
►Otherwise you need to find the IP address assigned to your EXT-DSC.
This can be done using the “discover device” feature of the DSD for
instance.

15
AUTOMATIC DHCP CONFIGURATION
Troubleshooting
Once the device has rebooted, you can check the new configuration by
accessing the HTTP server. Note that you need to use the new IP address of
the device name this time. If you are not able to connect to your EXT-DSC unit
after modifying the IP configuration, please read the following suggestions before
contacting the Gefen support team.
1. Check the LED on your EXT-DSC unit.
►If the led is blinking once per second in orange color and the red led
is bright on then your EXT-DSC unit has been configured to activate
DHCP but no DHCP server has been detected on your network. Make
sure your DHCP server is working correctly.
►If the green led is blinking fast (several times per second) then your
EXT-DSC unit is in recovery mode. In this case, unplug and power up
again the EXT-DSC unit. Wait about 1 minute to complete the booting
procedure and check the led again. If the EXT-DSC unit remains in
recovery mode then contact Gefen Technical Support.
2. You don’t have a DHCP server

16
FIXED IP CONFIGURATION
►In the case where your EXT-DSC unit has been configured to use
DHCP but the DHCP server cannot be contacted by the unit, you need
to reinitialize the unit to its factory default (See Reset to Factory default)
and restart the configuration procedure.
Fixed IP Configuration
This tutorial explains how to manually configure an EXT-DSC unit to connect
to a specific network with a fixed IP address. Note that this procedure assumes
that you can access the HTTP server of the EXT-DSC unit through the Ethernet
interface.
1. Collect information on your network configuration.
The following information should be available about your network:
►A range of free IP addresses that can be allocated to the EXT-DSC
unit(s) without network conflicts.
►The right subnet mask.
2. Access the HTTP server of your EXT-DSC unit.
►If you have just received an EXT-DSC unit see the previous sections to
learn how to connect to its HTTP server.
►If the network configuration of your EXT-DSC unit has already been
modified follow the suggestions in Access HTTP server.
3. Select the Network configuration page on the left menu under Basic.
►Under Current settings you can read the current network configuration
of the EXT-DSC unit. In particular you can read the current IP address,
the Host name and the MAC address.
►Under Change settings you can configure the network settings of the
EXT-DSC unit.
4. Set the static IP address and the subnet mask.
►Set the Static radio button instead of DHCP one.
►Attribute to the EXT-DSC unit a static IP address in the range of the free
IP addresses of your network.
►Also, make sure that the subnet mask corresponds to your network
configuration.
►You may fill the other network parameters as well if known.
5. Validate the changes.

17
USING THE EXT-DSC HTTP SERVER
►Validate the new network configuration with the Update button.
►The changes will be valid once the EXT-DSC unit has rebooted. If you
want to immediately reboot the unit, check the Reboot now check box
before pressing the Update button.
Troubleshooting
Once the device has rebooted, you can check the new configuration by
accessing the HTTP server. Note that you need to use the new IP address this
time. If you are not able to connect to your EXT-DSC unit after modifying the IP
configuration, please read the following suggestions before contacting the Gefen
support team.
1. Check the LED on you EXT-DSC unit.
►If the led is blinking once per second in orange color and the red led is
bright on then you are in one of the following cases
• The IP address of your EXT-DSC unit has already been assigned
on the network. Check your network configuration and make sure
that the address <new IP> is not taken by another device.
• Your EXT-DSC unit has been configured to activate DHCP but
no DHCP server has been detected on your network. Make sure
you have selected the Static radio button. If not, reboot the unit by
keeping pressed the push-button for few seconds.
►If the green led is blinking fast (several times per second) then your
EXT-DSC unit is in recovery mode. In this case, unplug and power up
again the EXT-DSC unit. Wait about 1 minute to complete the booting
procedure and check the led again. If the EXT-DSC unit remains in
recovery mode then contact support.
2. Wrong IP address
►In the case where your EXT-DSC unit has been configured with a wrong
IP address and cannot longer be contacted, you need to reinitialize the
unit to its factory default (See Reset to Factory default) and restart the
configuration procedure.
Using The EXT-DSC HTTP Server
If you want access to the HTTP server for the first time, please read the previous
connection sections first. Otherwise make sure that you have a PC connected
to the EXT-DSC unit through Ethernet connection and that you have correctly
configured the PC and/or the EXT-DSC unit to be on the same network with the
right IP address.
Execute on the PC a Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. There