Automation Systems and Axia GPIO

ReganFick · Post by **ReganFick** » Thu Jun 12, 2014 2:09 am

Hello!
If I am using Scott Studios ss32 automation system and am not using the Ip Audio Driver for the remote console control, would it actually be possible to plug Com Port 2 on the ss32 machine to a broadcast tools gpi switch and then those ports to the Axia GPIO node? If I could get some help with this that would be great.

ReganFick · Post by **ReganFick** » Sat Jun 21, 2014 4:53 am

I have found a couple options which might help since I posted the question originally. I could use an audioscience livewire card for ss32. It does talke about them in the automation system users manual. Another thing which I am not exactly certain about is the consoles tab in the configuration area. It has a GPI screen. I wonder if doing some configuration there would make remote start with a axia console work. Does anyone know if that would work? If anyone uses axia and ss32 in your operation then I would like to hear from you.

ReganFick · Post by **ReganFick** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:28 am

I have done some additional research about livewire soundcards from audioscience. For GPIO I have seen that there are a couple different options because there is no direct port from the soundcard to conenct GPIO to an Axia Node.
Option 1: Use a second network interface card for the computer and assign it an ip address compatible with your axia network. Next you would connect this to your axia ethernet switch.

Option 2: Use a network router to connect to your automation computer and then to the axia switch.

Option 3: Use Axia's Pathfinder to control GPIO for the automation system.
The simplest option would be the first. According to the manual page I read this is indeed the case.

AXIA_milos · Post by **AXIA_milos** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:16 pm

The question is really what will SS32 support. The IP-Driver has built in GPIO, but the SS32 needs to support that. The same would apply to the AudioScience card, how does SS32 support it. If SS32 doesn't support any of these options, than you need to see what SS32 does support. If a rs-232 connection to a BB tools is the few options, than you can wire up relays from a BB to a GPIO node or wire the serial interface (physically or virtually) to Pathfinder and virtualize the BB within Pathfinder.

ReganFick · Post by **ReganFick** » Mon Jan 18, 2016 10:04 pm

Looking at upgrading to Wide Orbit from Scott studios SS32. You used to need pathfinder to make the GPIO work. But now the latest version integrates with Axia without needing pathfinder. I suppose I could attach a serial cable from the automation computer to a GPIO node and then setup the device in Wide Orbits Device server. Wouldn't that work? From my understanding it seems like you can do that. I have heard there have been issues when configuring the system with pathfinder. Is there any documentation on configuring the latest version of Wide Orbit without Pathfinder available? If the way I described above does not work, then how should it be done?

AXIA_milos · Post by **AXIA_milos** » Mon Jan 25, 2016 11:37 pm

Support of Wide Orbit integration should go through Wide Orbit. If you are not able to get your answers, than call our support department. Some of our techs are familiar enough with the automation system to help you, but again, it really is up to the automation system to provide you the support. We are not familiar with every automation system nor do we keep up with the various updates they all go through. Our support department is composed of people that have been in roles as broadcast engineers so they are familiar with your challenges. It isn't their responsibility to support your automation needs.
As for this alternate integration, I believe WO is using TCP to get the needed information from a node, not serial as the nodes do not have serial ports. The nodes are network devices and functionality is made possible through network connections.