Video Transcript
Introduction to Q-SYS Control (Part 5)
6m 43s
00:07
Alright, welcome back.
00:08
Let’s discuss third party control plugins available in Q-SYS.
00:13
These plugins provide an easy way to quickly create great user interfaces
00:17
that can be used across multiple designs.
00:19
Once you have installed a plugin from our Asset Manager, from a 3rd party,
00:23
or one that you wrote yourself,
00:25
the plugin files will be located in the Assets or Plugins folder
00:29
located in My Documents, QSC, then Q-SYS Designer folder.
00:35
Here are some important “how to’s” if you need to install a plugin that is not available in Asset Manager.
00:41
Included in Q-SYS Designer is a Q-SYS plugin helper file.
00:46
This application takes a .qplug file and copies the plugin to the plugin folder.
00:53
If you are installing an update to as existing plugin,
00:56
this helper application does not check for other versions that may exist in other subdirectories,
01:02
so an updated plugin may not overwrite the original file.
01:06
This update process happens outside of Q-SYS Designer, so when a design file is opened,
01:12
Designer will check the GUID and the version of the plugin located in the design.
01:18
If Designer detects a different version located in the plugin folder,
01:22
a message will appear with an option to load the newer plugin version.
01:26
Keep in mind that if you open a Designer file that includes a plugin
01:30
in the schematic that is not installed in your computer,
01:34
Designer does not install the plugin on your computer or place it in your computer’s plugin folder.
01:40
If you want access to it for additional designs, you’ll need to install it.
01:44
The Q-SYS Asset Manager functions as a repository of QSC developed plugins.
01:50
Asset Manager provides is the fastest way to gain access to the latest and greatest plugins,
01:54
and allows for version plugin control and up-to-the-minute updates.
01:59
If you take a look at Asset Manager, you will find quite a long list of plugins available for download and install.
02:05
At the top right of the window you can also verify what version of the plugin is installed on your computer
02:11
and what is the latest version available for download.
02:15
This makes updating plugins very easy.
02:18
It is also important to note that technical support for plugins is based on the creator of the plugin.
02:25
QSC only provides full support for plugins created by QSC, and is limited to the
02:31
amount of provided support for plugins created by our partner companies.
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If you run into any issues or need help setting up a QSC developed plugin,
02:40
please check the help files available in Designer or online help webpage as well.
02:45
Q-SYS also supports the use of encrypted plugins for developers with a need to protect their code.
02:52
This means that any necessary edits will require access to the original unencrypted source file.
02:58
This encryption is provided by a PlugIn Tool application which can be used to encrypt
03:03
both .qplug plugin files as well as .lua control scripts.
03:08
These encrypted plugin files can be installed as a .qplugx file
03:13
using the same Q-SYS Plugin Helper mentioned earlier.
03:17
Let’s put some of our new knowledge to use, shall we?
03:20
Start by asking yourself some basic question:
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Does this issue involve the incoming control of Q-SYS, or is this outgoing control from Q-SYS to another device?
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Also, what is the method of control such as GPIO, serial, or IP,
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as well as what devices are involved in the control system.
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It’s also helpful to know which control protocols are being used to not only control Q-SYS like QRC or ECP,
03:49
but also 3rd party device API’s.
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This information will be critical to troubleshoot a design.
03:56
Next, performing a WireShark Packet Capture or P-CAP for our Q-SYS support team can often help gather useful
04:04
information to diagnose an IP control issue for a variety of IP control problems.
04:10
While the QSC support team can’t be experts on every 3rd party device protocol,
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WireShark can help verify which commands and responses are being sent between devices
04:20
to better understand why or why not a control is functioning.
04:26
There are two primary applications for troubleshooting Q-SYS with WireShark:
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verifying incoming control communication received by Q-SYS,
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and verifying outgoing control from Q-SYS to other 3rd party devices.
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Either way, the same troubleshooting principles apply.
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First, we need to setup WireShark to point to the correct LAN connection of the computer.
04:50
Then, apply a “Filter by IP Address” that should be set up an IP address of the 3rd party device.
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Next, set the “Filter by Port Range” to the port number used by the control IP communication.
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Typical port numbers for Q-SYS control systems include 1702 for ECP or 1710 for QRC control.
05:14
These filters can go a long way to limiting the IP traffic you receive in a capture which can make diagnosing
05:20
issues easier and much faster.
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Once a P-CAP has been performed, this file can be displayed in WireShark to examine
05:29
the flow of communications between devices.
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If your control system is using Q-SYS ECP on port 1702,
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you should be able to see commands and responses formatted for that protocol.
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Or, if your system is using QRC on port 1710, JSON formatted communication will now be visible.
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You can also see time stamps, the source and destination of IP addresses of the communication,
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as well as the IP protocol and data size of the communication.
06:00
WireShark is also able to display a P-CAP as a color-coded,
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back-and-forth dialog between two devices to provide an exact detail of the control communication.
06:11
Potential problems to look for include dropped packets and timing issues.
06:15
For example, if you find a “RC” coming from the Core, this usually means the 3rd party device has
06:22
not maintained the keep-alive timing of 60 seconds to maintain the IP connection.
06:27
Other device timing issues can be discovered here along with
06:31
issues such as verifying the proper End of Message or EOM is used.
06:36
That’s it for Control for Quantum! Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next time.
Downloads and Links
Introduction to Q-SYS Control (Part 5)
6m 43s