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Electronic Theatre Controls Inc

QSC Q-SYS Unison Echo Plugin Help

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Introduction

Thank you for choosing to integrate with ETC's Unison Echo architectural lighting control system. Please click here to learn more about Echo's product offerings. Please contact aesupport@etcconnect.com with any technical questions you may have regarding this Q-SYS plugin package.

Summary

The Q-SYS plugin package consists of four *.qplugx files and an example Q-SYS Designer file. The modular design of the plugins allow you to have virtually unlimited scaling ability for your project design. Directly control Echo presets, zones and sequences. Each control plugin has the capacity to control up to 16 Echo objects. If you need more controls of a specific type simply drag in another control plugin instance into your schematic.

Release Notes
  • V1.0
    • Initial Release

    • Tested with the following firmware versions

      • Q-SYS V9.4.0
      • Echo Integration Interface (EII) V3.3.6
Getting Started

There are two ways to install the plugin package. Either double click each *.qplugx file or install through Q-SYS Designer's Asset Manager.

Once the plugins are properly installed drag in an instance of the I/O Handler plugin into your schematic. There must be at least one I/O Handler present within your schematic as this plugin is responsible for UDP/IP communication to/from the other three control object plugins and Echo. Next, drag in the desired control plugins into your schematic. Feel free to drag in multiple control plugin instances of the same type. The control plugins will automatically connect to the I/O Handler that has the same Plugin Group ID assigned...more on this below.

General Setup

Configuration of elements within the plugin UI can be done in runtime by either entering emulation mode (F6) or loading the design to the core (F5). Plugin properties that can be found within Designer located near the top right of the window can only be configured in designtime (e.g. not in emulation mode or connected to the core).

Coordination

Please coordinate with the ETC Field Service Engineer(s) assigned to the project to coordinate system details

  • Device IP addresses
  • Device port numbers 
  • Echo space numbers
  • Echo control object numbers
I/O Handler Setup

Screenshot_Echo_IoHandler.png  

Runtime Elements UDP/IP (preferred)

  • Output IP
    • IP address of the Echo Integration Interface (EII)
    • 10.101.19.201 (default)
  • Output Port
    • Echo UDP port to send commands to
    • 4703 (default)
  • Input Port 
    • Q-SYS UDP to receive status updates on
    • 4703 (default)
  • Core NIC
    • Select LAN A or LAN B depending on the capabilities of your core
    • Not Selected (default)
  • Test String
    • Send/receive to/from Echo to verify bidirectional communication is occurring
    • Send E$help to Echo to verify bidirectional communication
      • Echo will send a reply with all commands within the API
  • Socket Status (read only)
    • Indicates OK when the proper port is selected and operating properly
    • Indicates when in emulation mode
    • Indicates when a fault has occurred

Designtime Properties

  • End of Message Char
    • Carriage return end of message byte is Echo's default 
    • Choices
      • CR (default)
      • CR+LF
      • LF
  • Plugin Group ID
    • Assign all control plugins and the I/O Handler that need to communicate with each other to the same ID
    • The Plugin Group ID makes it possible to control many independent Echo systems from a single Q-SYS design
    • All plugins with the same group ID will play in their own control "sandbox" together
    • Most projects will only require the use of a single Plugin Group ID
    • Choices
      • 1-65535 (default 1)
  • Sync Status on Boot
    • Exposes or hides the Sync Time Delay property
    • Polls Echo for status on boot when set to yes 
      • Choices
        • Yes (default)
        • No
  • Sync Time Delay
    • Visible when Sync Status on Boot is set to Yes
    • The amount of time the core waits after a reboot before polling the Echo system for status
    • Increase the polling time if status is not properly updating on boot or when forcing sync status
    • Choices
      • 1-60 seconds (default 1 second)
  • Print to Event Log
    • Sends received/transmitted data details to the core's webserver event log
    • After troubleshooting be sure to set this property to NO and reload the design to the core
    • Choices
      • No (default)
      • Yes
  • Show Debug
    • Exposes or hides the plugin's debug window
      • No (default)
      • Yes (exposes Debug Print property)
  • Debug Print
    • When Show Debug is set to Yes this property is visible
    • After troubleshooting be sure to set this property to NO and reload the design to the core
    • Choices
      • Show All(default)
        • Logs all of the below debug messages within the plugin's debug window
      • Show None
        • Turns off all debug logging
      • Show Errors
        • Logs errors the plugin produces
      • Show Function Calls
        • Logs when functions within the plugin are called
      • Show Rx
        • Logs received status updates from Echo
      • Show Rx/Tx
        • Logs sent/received commands/update to/from Echo
      • Show Tx
        • Logs sent commands to Echo

Control Pins

  • Disable
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • 0/false
      • 1/true
  • Test String
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • string/text
Preset Control Setup

Screenshot_Echo_Presets.png

Runtime Elements

  • Force Sync Status
    • When triggered it will poll the Echo system for ALL objects connected to the EII
    • The plugin will update UI elements to reflect the proper on/off states of the objects they control within Echo based on the status returned by the EII
  • Preset Index
    • Select the Echo preset to control
  • Space Index
    • Select the Echo space to control
  • LED Indicator
    • Indicates the on/off status of the preset
    • If an associated zone level changes from the recorded preset look the preset status will change from on to off 
  • On
    • Activates the preset
  • Off
    • Deactivates the preset
  • Toggle
    • Toggles the preset between the activated and deactivated states

Designtime Properties

  • Preset Quantity
    • Choices
      • 1-16 (default 1)
  • See Plugin Group ID
  • See End of Message Char
  • On Button/LED State
    • When the associated Echo object is on/active the control will turn this color
    • This overrides the colors set within the UCI editor
    • Enter the color by using the 6 character hex format omitting the alpha channel byte (e.g. #005696)
      • clipboard_e09addd253d420c7b613fa80f24c98328.png
    • Alternatively the color can be set by entering any basic color name supported by Q-SYS (e.g. Red, Blue, Black, etc...)
  • Off Button/LED State
    • When the associated Echo object is off/deactivated the control will turn this color
  • Pushed Button State
    • The control will immediately set to this color when a user triggers the control
    • Once Echo returns status the control will either be set to the on or off state color
    • Echo status updates can take up to 1-5 seconds to be sent from the EII
  • See Show Debug

Control Pins

  • See Disable
  • Preset Index
  • Space Index
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • string/text
  • Preset Off
  • Preset On
  • Preset Toggle
  • Preset Status
    • Direction
      • Output
    • Values
      • 0/false
      • 1/true
  • Sync Status
    • Direction
      • Input
    • Values
      • Trigger/true
Zone Control Setup

Screenshot_Echo_Zones.png        

Runtime Elements

  • See Force Sync Status
  • Zone Index
    • Select the Echo zone to control
  • See Space Index
  • LED Indicator
    • Indicates the on/off status of the zone
  • On
    • Activates the zone
  • Off
    • Deactivates the zone
  • Toggle
    • Toggles the zone between the on and off states
  • Raise
    • Tap or press/hold to raise the zone level
    • Click the value above the raise button to change the value
    • Choices
      • 0-100% (default 5%)
  • Lower
    • Tap or press/hold to lower the zone level
    • Click the value above the lower button to change the value
    • Choices
      • 0-100% (default 5%)
  • Level Display
    • Displays the real time zone level in Echo
    • Click the dropdown above the display to change how the zone level is displayed
      • Choices
        • Percent (default)
        • 0-255
  • Slider
    • Linear control of the zone level
    • Will update position based on zone status level updates from Echo
      • Status level updates from Echo are disabled on THIS slider while under manual control and will enable 5 seconds after releasing the slider

Designtime Properties

Control Pins

  • See Disable
  • Zone Index
  • Space Index
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • string/text
  • Zone Level Display
    • Direction
      • Output
    • Values
      • 0-100% or 0-255
  • Zone Raise Intensity
  • Zone Lower Intensity
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • Momentary Held/1/true
      • Momentary Release/0/false
  • Zone Raise Value
  • Zone Lower Value
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • 0-100%
  • Zone  Off
  • Zone  On
  • Zone  Toggle
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • Trigger/true
  • Zone Slider Level
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • 0-255
  • Zone Status
    • Direction
      • Output
    • Values
      • 0/false
      • 1/true
  • Sync Status
    • Direction
      • Input
    • Values
      • Trigger/true
Sequence Control Setup

Screenshot_Echo_Sequences.png

Runtime Elements

  • See Force Sync Status
  • Sequence Index
    • Select the Echo sequence to control
  • See Space Index
  • LED Indicator
    • Indicates the on/off status of the sequence
  • On
    • Starts the sequence
  • Off
    • Stops the sequence
  • Toggle
    • Toggles the sequence between starting and stopping

Designtime Properties

Control Pins

  • See Disable
  • Sequence Index
  • Space Index
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • string/text
  • Sequence Off
  • Sequence On
  • Sequence Toggle
    • Direction
      • Input & Output
    • Values
      • Trigger/true
  • Sequence Status
    • Direction
      • Output
    • Values
      • 0/false
      • 1/true
  • Sync Status
    • Direction
      • Input
    • Values
      • Trigger/true
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