This topic describes how to change the functionality of Power Core using ON-AIR Designer.

Overview

The Power Core resources are defined by a configuration file that is stored on the Core and read during boot-up. All systems ship with a very basic configuration that allows the Core to boot. This should be replaced by one of the standard configurations, available from the Downloads area at www.lawo.com (after Login), or a custom configuration created for the installation.

In both cases, you must use the ON-AIR Designer software to prepare the configuration offline, and then upload it to the Core via the control network. You will need to do this during the initial setup to get the system operational, and subsequently to make changes to the functionality.

How to upload one of the standard configurations is described in the System Setup chapter, see Power Core - Uploading a Configuration. In this topic we cover how to edit the configuration to change the functionality of a device.

Prerequisites

ON-AIR Designer must be installed onto the configuration PC (as described earlier).

It is mandatory that the software version of the system matches the software version of ON-AIR Designer. Otherwise the configuration may contain options which are not supported by the Lawo system (and functionality may be ignored). To make sure everything runs smoothly, first run the installer (to update ON-AIR Designer) and then use SoP Explorer to check and update the firmware running on the hardware components.

What you will need

To change the functionality of an existing system, you will need a copy of the current .db3 project file. You can then use ON-AIR Designer to open, edit and save the file; and transfer the modified configuration back to the Core.

For Power Core systems, it is recommended to download a copy of the current project from the device (using 'File → Load Project from Unit'). Alternatively, you can use one of the standard configurations available from the Downloads area at www.lawo.com (after Login).

If you plan to use VisTool with your device, then it is a good idea to edit the VisTool and ON-AIR Designer configurations in parallel. For more information on editing a VisTool project, see VisTool - Editing a VisTool Configuration.

Configuring Multiple Systems

If the installation contains more than one system, then you may wish to apply similar configuration parameters so that each system operates in the same manner. This can be achieved by using local and/or global substitutions. This feature makes it easy to maintain the configuration(s) for a large installation as, if something changes, the change needs only be applied once. It also allows configuration data to be transferred to multiple devices in one operation (to save time and effort).

For more information about this feature, please refer to ON-AIR Designer - Configuring Multiple Units. The rest of this topic describes how to configure a single device.

First Steps

1.    Start the software.

ON-AIR Designer starts automatically at the end of the software installation procedure. It can also be started from the desktop icon or Windows START menu. You can check the version of ON-AIR Designer while the software is starting.

2.   Open a project using one of the following methods.

Please click on the links above for full instructions.

Editing the Configuration

Once you have opened a project, you can use the 'Frame' and 'Treedefinition' windows to make the required changes. 

For a complete guide to all of the configuration possibilities, please refer to Configuring Power Core in the "ON-AIR Designer User Manual". In this chapter, we include a few examples.


Important: In the current release of ON-AIR Designer, the default System Core is set to 710/11 (which is correct for Power Core revision 2 systems).

To configure a revision 3 system, this must be changed to 710/13 (to ensure that the correct options are available in ON-AIR Designer). Please see Changing the Hardware Revision for instructions.

Monitoring the Resources

While you are working, it can be useful to open the 'Resources' window (to check the DSP resources used by the project).

To do this, select Command → Resources from the main menus. The 'Resources' window appears either as a new tab (in Tabbed View) OR as a floating window that can be positioned and resized.

The counters show how many resources are left out of the maximum available.

The maximum numbers vary depending on the main license. Note that the add-on license resources such as N-1 and Mixer TB Input are displayed regardless of whether the add-on is enabled or disabled.

If you try to add a resource which exceeds any of the limits, the software warns you by displaying the message: 'No resources available'.

Saving the Project

It is recommended that you save your work at regular intervals, and also use "save as" to keep a copy of the project at different revision stages. This will allow you to upload and test the configuration and revert to an earlier version if necessary.

To overwrite the current project, use one of the following methods.

  • Select File → Save from the main menus.
  • Click on theToolbar icon.
  • Press CTRL + S on your computer keyboard.

This overwrites the current file (specified in the "File" field in the 'Project' window).

To save into a new project file, use "save as" as follows.

1.    Open the "Save" dialog box using either of the following methods.

  • Select File → Save As... from the main menus.
  • Press CTRL + SHIFT + S on your computer keyboard.

2.    Choose a folder location and enter a suitable file name.

The default file type is .db3 which is fine for all current products.

For compatibility with legacy systems, the file type can be changed to .mdb using the Save as type option at the bottom of the dialog box. Note that a project containing substitutions cannot be saved as a .mdb file.

3.    Select Save to save the file.

Uploading the New Configuration

Once you have finished editing the project, it is time to transfer the configuration back to the Core.

To do this, you must have a valid network connection to the device and any changes to the project must be saved (as described above).


If you edit the IP Address field in the 'Project' window, then the file must be saved, closed and re-opened. 

1.    Start by selecting Transfer -> Config to unit from the top menu bar, or click on theToolbar icon.

If the option is greyed out, then there is no network communication to the device. In this instance, check the IP settings of both the configuration PC and Power Core. Then check your network cabling.

2.    A confirmation box appears. Check the details and select Yes to start the transfer.

The software now compiles the necessary files and transfers them to the device. The progress is shown in the Console status area at the bottom of the 'Project' window.

Once the transfer is complete you will see the lines "File loaded to unit" and "Sending restart" (in the Console status area). The device will go offline while it restarts. This is perfectly normal but may take a few seconds.

All systems perform a cold start, except for the Nova29 which warm starts (to keep all matrix crosspoints in place).

3.    The new configuration data is loaded at the end of the boot-up sequence and the transfer is complete.

If your computer's firewall prevents the transfer, then change your firewall settings and retry.

4.    You should now test the operation thoroughly to check that the system is working as expected.