Avenue PC Control

Avenue’s control system gives you complete control of your video and audio signals. Module configuration is straight-forward and intuitive. Along with Touch Screen and Express Panel control, you can also access and control all frames and modules in the Avenue system with Avenue PC Control Software. The Avenue PC application comes on CD or can be downloaded from the Ensemble website.

The Avenue PC Control Application Software option is a PC-based remote control application which allows you to completely control, configure and monitor the modules in each of your Avenue frames. Avenue PC can be installed on a PC running all Windows operating systems. PC interface to the Avenue frames can be made through an RS-232 serial connection or through Ethernet.

Your PC can be connected to one of the Avenue frames (1RU, 3RU, or Intersection Frame) through a PC serial port or via Ethernet on the back of the Avenue frames. When Avenue frames are connected via IP or AveNet, Avenue PC only needs to connect to a single frame to access the entire Avenue System. Regardless of the network topology, Avenue PC will have visibility and control over all of the modules.

Module Control

The Module Selection screen is illustrated at right. Available frames on the Avenue network will appear in the window. Expanding each frame will show the Avenue modules present in each frame.

As shown in the List Frame illustration at right, the frames can be listed by Name, Group and Address ID. The modules can be listed by Name, Group, Slot, Model, and Type.

When you select a module from the list the setup menus available for that particular module will be displayed. Also displayed on the Mainscreen above the menus will be the Name and Description of the module, the Group, the Module number and whether the module is set to Remote or Local and if the module is Locked or Unlocked. Make sure the front panel switch on the module is set to Remote to allow it to be controlled by Avenue PC.

Updating Avenue PC and Module Software

The latest Avenue PC and Avenue Module software can be from the support section.

Alarms

Avenue PC gives you the ability to set alarms on a frame or module basis. You can define Low and High Alarms and then set conditions on a frame or module to react with the defined alarms.

Low and High Alarms

The control data from each frame module can be used to alert you when a module indicator becomes active or a module is missing. There are two alarm conditions, Low and High. You may define both types of alarms, making one a higher priority than the other or setting up a higher priority condition in one type of alarm.

Each alarm condition allows you to define the characteristics that will alert you when a module condition changes. Some of the alarm types include Visual Blinking and Audio which allows your PC to sound a Beep or Red Alert. You can also set up an alarm to send an email or page.

Logging Alarms

The Alarms pull-down brings up the Alarms definition menu. To add an alarm, click on the Add Alarm box to bring up the Conditions entry screen. You can select the frame, then the module and choose the control data for the alarm given. You may also enable or disable the alarm with the Enable check box in the Conditions screen.

You can lock modules on Avenue PC and set Module User Levels. Modules in the Avenue system running v2.0 software or later have a User Level assigned to each adjustable control parameter. These levels are assigned to a default according to the type of adjustment. The User Levels of these parameters can be edited by an Administrator if desired using this menu.

Set User Levels

To edit Control User Levels, select an Avenue module from the frame list so its control parameters appear in the Edit Control User Level window. Select the individual Control in the list, then click on the User Level desired for this Control parameter. Select Done when finished to save and close the list.

Save and Load Module Configurations

Save Module Configuration: This menu allows you to save a module configuration to a file. All module parameters will be stored and this file may be saved or downloaded to another module of the same type.

Load Module Configuration: Selecting this function brings up a file location menu. The configuration from a stored file can be downloaded to another module of the same type.

Virtual Modules

Virtual Modules are custom menus that combine functionality from any modules in the system. Use the Virtual Modules menu to create the combinations of controls from any modules. Virtual modules allow you to customize a module’s menu to meet your facility’s needs.