Wahsega InformaCast User manual
Preface
Important Notice
This Manual and any examples contained herein are provided “as is” and are
subject to change without notice. Wahsega reserves the right to make changes
to its products without notice and advises its customers to obtain the latest
version of relevant information before placing orders and to verify that the
information being relied on is current.
No title to or ownership of the hardware, software and designs described in
this document or any of its parts, including patents, copyrights and trade
secrets, is transferred to customers. Wahsega makes no representations or
warranties regarding the contents of this document. Information in this
document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Wahsega Labs, LLC.
Copyright Notice
© 2023 Wahsega Labs, LLC. All rights reserved
Reproduction, adaptation, or translation of this manual is prohibited without
prior written permission of Wahsega Labs Company, except as allowed under
the copyright laws.
Trademarks
Wahsega and the Wahsega logo are trademarks of Wahsega Labs, LLC. All
other brand and product names are trademarks, service marks, registered
trademarks, or registered service marks of their respective companies.
Table of Contents
PREFACE ..............................................................................................................................................I
Important Notice
......................................................................................................................... i
Copyright Notice
......................................................................................................................... i
Trademarks
.................................................................................................................................... i
CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW.................................................................................................................. 2
Functionality
................................................................................................................................ 3
Quality Standards
....................................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 2: GENERAL HARDWARE INSTALLATION .......................................................... 5
Wiring
.............................................................................................................................................. 5
Dimensions
.................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 3: User Experience ......................................................................................................... 9
Software Capabilities
................................................................................................................ 9
Getting Started
.......................................................................................................................... 10
CHAPTER 4: CONFIGURATION AND WEB INTERFACE .................................................... 13
Output Settings
......................................................................................................................... 14
Account Settings
...................................................................................................................... 15
InformaCast Settings
.............................................................................................................. 17
Codec Selection
........................................................................................................................ 18
Network Configuration
.......................................................................................................... 19
General System Configuration
............................................................................................ 21
Firmware Management
.......................................................................................................... 23
APPENDIX A: FACTORY RESET ................................................................................................. 24
Software-Based Factory Reset
........................................................................................... 24
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Chapter 1
Overview
The Wahsega IP Paging Zone Controller with InformaCast®utilizes the
power of the InformaCast Advanced Notification System for multiple
notification scenarios, from bell schedules to emergency lockdowns.
Right out of the box, the InformaCast server software will recognize and
register the Wahsega IP Paging Zone Controller with InformaCast, so it
will instantly be able to receive pages in high or low-quality audio, both
live and pre-recorded.
The IP Paging Zone Controller with InformaCast is available in single-
channel or two-channel configurations. The two-channel zone
controller presents itself to the InformaCast server as two independent
speakers, so the server can control each channel independently. This
allows the user to play two separate audio announcements over
speakers in different zones across multiple floors or multiple areas of a
building.
The Wahsega IP Paging Zone Controller with InformaCast is perfect for
schools or any other large, multi-building campus.
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Functionality
Receive live or pre-recorded audio from the InformaCast server
Available in single or two-channel configurations
Simultaneously play up to 3 audio broadcasts per channel
Built in Web server
oAll configuration options accessible via easy-to-use HTTP web
interface
Easy installation
oStandard 1U rack mount
PoE 802.3af powered
o10/100 Ethernet port with Power-over-Ethernet (802.3af PoE)
o+9V to +16V DC input (if not using PoE)
High-quality (44.1kHz) and low-quality (8kHz) InformaCast audio
Multiple codecs for SIP calls, including G.711, G.726
(16/24/32/40kbps), G.722, DVI4 (narrow/HD/Ultra HD), Linear
PCM, iLBC, SILK and Speex
Reset to default software/configuration button
Remote firmware upgradeable
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Quality Standards
Wahsega Labs zone controllers achieve the highest standards of
performance in the market by utilizing our complete quality assurance
program encompassing software testing, product design and a multistage
automated factory test program.
Wahsega Labs’ ultimate goal is to provide a solution that is both cost effective
and unsurpassed in quality. By leveraging existing relationships with
suppliers to guarantee premium components at the lowest possible prices,
we are able to ensure Wahsega Labs products are the finest quality in the
market while still offered at highly competitive prices directly to installers.
In order to achieve the greatest possible voice clarity, all voice and related
algorithms have been individually tested to ensure the highest potential MOS
score. The accumulated error syndrome, which can cause poor voice quality,
is mitigated through this testing process.
Wahsega Labs’ engineering team utilizes a wide array of dedicated test
servers to pull and build the various software projects multiple times per day.
Each automatic build is then run through an extensive set of automated test
cases to ensure the highest performance of each and every firmware version
released. This test case coverage is expanded on a continual basis.
All Wahsega Labs products are 100% factory tested at the board level
through a bed of nails full functional test, not just an “is it close enough?”
flying probe test. Every finished product is 100% tested again after the final
assembly via an automated test station to ensure the highest production
quality product for installers.
To assure the highest quality standards, all Wahsega Labs products are
designed, developed and manufactured in the USA.
www.wahsega.com Page 5
Chapter 2
General Hardware Installation
Wiring
Power –Option A (preferred)
LAN - Using Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), route Cat 5 or Cat 6 Ethernet
cable through a PoE injector to the LAN port.
Apply power to your zone controller using either Option A or
Option B. The status LED will increase in brightness as the zone
controller is powering up and will remain steadily lit when the unit is
successfully powered.
A
Status
LED
Ethernet
Do Not
Use
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Power –Option B
9-16V DC - If using 9-16V DC power instead of PoE, plug in via 2-pin PCB
terminal connector.
Audio Outputs
Line 1 & Line 2 –Connect unbalanced, mono audio line out via RCA
mono connectors. Configure audio settings in software as described in
Chapter 4: Configuration and Web Interface.
Line 1 STAT & Line 2 STAT –Lit when audio is streaming.
B
Status LED
Do Not Use
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Chapter 3
User Experience
Software Capabilities
The zone controller’s configuration is accessible using an HTTP web
interface, viewable from any web browser on the same LAN.
This allows access to various settings such as network/IP address and
InformaCast instance configuration, audio output settings, and
administrative functions such as firmware upgrade and configuration
backup/restore.
The configuration is stored in a .JSON file, which is human readable and
can be edited by site administrators.
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Getting Started
1. Connect the IP Paging Zone Controller’s Ethernet port to a network
using a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) Ethernet connection. When
connected, it will power on immediately and the indicator light will
begin to blink.
2. Locate and note your zone controller’s MAC address. It is printed on a
white sticker on the bottom of the device. A single-channel zone
controller will have one MAC address, and a two-channel zone
controller will have two MAC addresses.
3. Use the InformaCast server to discover your zone controller’s IP
address. Look for the device matching the MAC address(es) you noted
above. Your zone controller—whether single channel or two-channel—
will only have one IP address.
4. When it boots, the zone controller uses DHCP by default to
automatically obtain a suitable IP address on your local area network
(LAN). If a DHCP server is not available or cannot be reached, the zone
controller will fall back to a randomly chosen IP address in the
169.254.0.0/16 range as per RFC 3927.
If you cannot discover the zone controller on the InformaCast server,
you can:
consult your DHCP server’s logs to determine its IP address;
use a network discovery app app (such as Fing on iOS and
Android mobile device or LanScan from the Apple OS X App
Store); or
use Wireshark to observe the DHCP network traffic.
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5. After you determine the zone controller’s IP address, navigate to that IP
address in your web browser (for example, http://123.456.78.9).
6. When you access the web pages, the zone controller will ask for a
username and password. The default username and password are
“admin” and “admin”.
7. On the right side of the page is the Status bar. It shows the zone
controller’s current system information (current IP address, system
time), SIP account status, and registration status and Ethernet MAC
address of each InformaCast instance.
8. To change the IP address settings, go to the Network tab and modify
settings in the “WAN” section. To set the network for DHCP, click the
“Dynamic IP” radio button. For static IP addressing, click the “Static IP”
radio button and fill in the relevant IP address fields with values from
your network administrator.
9. After configuring the network settings for your zone controller, use the
configuration settings described in the next section to customize the
InformaCast instances and audio levels.
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Chapter 4
Configuration and Web Interface
The web interface is a set of web pages used to configure the various
settings available on the zone controller. It allows the zone controller to
be configured from any computer or device with a web browser.
As you configure various settings, note that you will be prompted to
save changes and/or restart your device for those changes to take
effect.
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Output Settings
The Outputs page configures settings for audio outputs.
Line level –Select the audio line level for your application. If you are
unsure of line level, choose “Consumer line level.”
Consumer audio line level = -10 dBV nominal
Professional audio line level = +4 dBu nominal
Other = Choose a custom level from the dropdown menu
below.
Custom output gain –If a level other than -10 dBV or +4 dBu is
needed, select “Other” and choose line level here.
Output level ranges from -30dB to +6dB.
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Account Name –The name used to identify the SIP account. It will
only be shown on this page and in configuration and system logs.
Display Name –The name to report to the SIP server, which may be
shown to other callers (depending on the SIP server’s configuration).
Username/Number –The phone number or extension this phone is
configured with on the SIP server.
Domain –The hostname or domain name of the SIP server. Not
used in peer-to-peer (P2P) mode.
Register with domain –If checked, the account must register with a
server to send or receive calls. If unchecked, the account will operate
in P2P mode
Password –If the SIP server requires a password to authenticate,
enter it here. By default, authentication is done with the
Username/Number above. If a different username should be used for
authentication, enter it in Authentication Username under the
Advanced tab above.
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InformaCast Settings
The InformaCast page configures settings for each line’s InformaCast
instances.
Audio Mixing –Maximum number of audio broadcasts (one to
three) to play simultaneously on this channel. Note 1
To disable audio mixing, choose “1.”
Note 1: While the maximum number of simultaneous audio broadcasts over both channels on
each device is six (6), the maximum number of simultaneous high-quality (44.1 kHz) audio
broadcasts is two (2) per device, regardless of whether the broadcasts are on the same channel
or on different channels.
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Codec Selection
The Codecs page configures audio settings and preferred codecs.
Choose preferred codecs –These settings enable/disable audio
codecs and set their order of use. The system tries codecs at the
top of the “Preferred” list before trying codecs at the bottom of
the list.
To add an available codec to the “Preferred” list, select the
available codec, and click “Enable.”
To remove a codec from the “Preferred” list, highlight the
codec you’d like to remove, and click “Disable.”
To change the priority of codecs in the “Preferred” list,
highlight the codec you’d like to move, and click “move
up” or “Move down."
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