Devices

The Devices link in the navigation bar displays a list of all devices discovered by Pathfinder Core PRO.

Each device entry in the list includes the following options:

Reference	Description
1	Clicking this link takes you directly to the device’s configuration web page.
2	If a different login is required by the device click this link to set the password.
3	Clicking this icon will remove this device from the system. See notes below for details.
4	The connection recycle icon should rarely, if ever, be used. Clicking this icon will cause Pathfinder to drop and reconnect its connection to the device.

Important Note: When a device is removed from the system, it will also remove all entries in the Audio and GPIO router for that device. It is important to note that if Livewire Discovery is enabled on the system page, the device may get re-discovered and added back into the list if it is still on the network.

Manually Adding Devices

Some devices cannot be discovered automatically. These include Axia OLED and LCD rackmount button panels. Additionally, you may want to add a device into the system without enabling the full network discovery engine. To add these into the system, click the Add button on the Devices dialog.

A dialog box will appear that allows you to define a range of IP addresses to scan and the investigation method to use.

Reference	Description
1	If you are adding a single device, type the same IP address in both boxes. The To box should auto-populate when you type an IP address into the IP Address box.
2	If you are adding an Axia audio or GPIO device, select Lwrp as the investigation type. See note below. If you are adding an Axia rackmount OLED or LCD panel, use the Lwcp investigation type.
3	Clicking Investigate will cause the system to try and contact a device on the requested IP address using the defined investigation type. If a device can be contacted and data can be discovered from the device, it will be added to the Devices list. Its routing resources will also be added to the requisite routers.

Virtual GPIO Node

Pathfinder Core PRO includes a virtual GPIO node which may be accessed by browsing to the GPIO navigation bar link under the System items.

This virtual node behaves very much like the GPIO portion of an Axia Livewire driver except that the number of ports is dynamically adjustable and includes a few additional features as described below.

When you first open the GPIO link it will recognize that the internal GPIO node has not been added to the devices table and will ask if you would like to add it. The node may only be used and/or configured after it has been added to the device list.

Click OK to discover and add the internal GPIO node into the device list. This will also discover the GPIO points into the GPIO router as well.

Reference	Description
1	Once the device has been added you will see the list of GPIO ports. By default, there are 4 ports in the system.
2	You can add additional GPIO ports by typing a new port count at the top of the screen and then clicking Update. This allows you to add any number of GPIO ports into the local virtual GPIO node.
3	Click the edit link to change the property values for any GPIO port. See the Pathfinder Core PRO GPIO Properties section below for details.

GPIO Refresher

It is important to understand the various ways GPIOs may be used in an Axia environment.

• Software GPIOs with no source address assignment will simply allow closures to be directly tripped on either GPI or GPO by Pathfinder Core PRO

  • Example: SRCA:””

• If a source address field for a GPIO port uses a Livewire channel number in its address field, it will listen to and generate closures to and from an Axia Console over multicast

  • Example: SRCA:9501

• Finally, if the source address uses an IPAddress/port format it means that the GPIO port should use TCP to connect to the device at that IP Address, monitor the GPIs from the selected port on that device, and mirror those closures on this port’s GPOs; this is the method used by the PathfinderCore PRO GPIO router to route GPIO data across a network

  • Example: SRCA:”172.16.1.23/8”

Pathfinder Core PRO GPIO Properties

By default, Pathfinder Core PRO’s GPIO node works in the same way as described above; clicking Edit in the GPIO table allows advanced users to manipulate advanced properties

Field	Description
Port Name	This allows you to type a unique name for this GPIO port.
MCast Mode	Selecting Node from the drop-down list allows the port to behave like a Livewire driver GPIO port when a Livewire channel number is typed in the source address. Specifically, the port will listen to GPIO messages from the console fader on which the Livewire channel number is loaded and change its GPO pins accordingly. Tripping the GPI pins of the port will send closures to the Axia Console. Selecting console allows the port to behave as if it were an Axia console. Therefore, GPIs that are tripped on this node will be sent to the GPOs of other GPIO ports on the network that have the same channel number assigned. Tripping a GPI on one of those other devices will cause the GPO on this port to change.
IRoute Mode	By default, this will be set to O. This property only applies to situations where an IP/Port or Livewire channel is used in the source address. When a GPI comes in from either of these sources, it is applied to a GPO on the port. This property allows you to change this behavior and apply the incoming GPI to either the GPI or to None which means it is ignored.
ORoute Mode	This property defines where inbound GPOs will be sent. By default, they are sent nowhere as this setting replicates other GPIO node functionality. When using IP/Port source addressing the Pathfinder Core PRO GPIO node is unique in that it will also subscribe to GPO changes for the port and these may be routed to I, O, or None. See note below.
Source Address	This field may be left blank if the closures will be used by Pathfinder and do not need to follow another port or console functionality. Alternatively, you may type a Livewire channel number or IP/Port value to this field. If you type an IP/Port value, you do not need to assign it in the configuration user interface. The GPIO router will allow you to manipulate this field much more easily by just making route changes.

Important Note: By manipulating IRoute Mode and ORoute Mode, it is possible to make a multicast or unicast GPIO route where one port’s inputs and outputs mirror another port.