The EchoSystem Device Monitor is a Windows-only application designed to work with the Delcom USB HID Visual Signal Indicator (a USB-attached light). Together, these products provide a visual confidence monitor to instructors and students on the state of a capture device while recording. They also allow you to quickly set up an ad-hoc recording without needing to access the ad-hoc recording interface.
The Delcom USB Visual Signal Indicator is a small light, that attaches via USB port to a classroom PC that controls ad hoc captures from an EchoSystem SafeCapture HD device (SCHD) or that has Classroom Capture installed.
The Device Monitor light is available from Delcom Products, product number 904007-SB: http://www.delcomproducts.com/productdetails.asp?productnum=904007-SB.
The EchoSystem Device Monitor 1.9.4 is available through the Echo360 Customer Portal at: http://echo360.com/customer-portal-login.
Since the Device Monitor is simply a way to interact with the existing ad hoc web interface, you should be able to use the Device Monitor with any version of EchoSystem that supports ad hoc capture. However, it has only been tested with EchoSystem versions 5.0 and up.
The Device Monitor Software is a redesign of the Echo Status Client and contains significant added functionality. If you are an Echo Status Client user, we recommend you remove the Echo Status Client and install the Device Monitor. |
The zip file containing the device monitor software can be obtained from the Echo360 Customer Portal.
To install the device monitor software:
Once installed, you can plug the Device Monitor light into the PC.
The Device Monitor is configured to start when Windows starts. Even if the Device Monitor icon does not appear in the System Tray, the Device Monitor is active and the light should show current capture status and allow you to press it to start or control a capture.
To manually launch the Device Monitor:
On first launch, you will be prompted to complete the Device Configuration defaults Ad Hoc Capture default settings. These can be done with generic information (applicable to all users) or with instructor-specific information. The information entered is retained on a per-user basis, so that each logged in user can have their own configurations.
Once launched, the Device Monitor can be controlled through the Windows System Tray icon, which looks like the Echo360 logo. Click this icon to open the Device Monitor menu options, as shown in the below figure.
If the PC is using Classroom Capture version 5.3 or earlier, you may have trouble distinguishing between the Device Monitor icon and the Classroom Capture icon. Hover your mouse over the icon to view the tooltip identifying the corresponding application. |
Device configuration is performed through the Echo360 Configuration menu option. These settings identify the device that will be doing the capturing (either Classroom Capture or an SCHD), and an instructor login. Instructors can enter their specific login credentials or you can use the generic instructor login.
Best Practice is to let each instructor log into the PC and then configure the Device Configuration Defaults using their EchoSystem logins. Instructors can set their own Credentials and Adhoc Capture defaults. This information is retained on a per-user basis and will be used each time that user logs into the PC and initiates an Ad Hoc Capture using the Device Monitor light. Instructors can re-configure these settings if necessary (for a different section or capture different inputs). |
To set Device Configuration defaults:
https://10.3.10.245:8443
The Ad Hoc Capture configuration allows you to set default information to be used for any Ad Hoc Capture initiated through the device monitor.
If an instructor provides their personal credentials in the Device Configuration dialog box (above), the Ad hoc Capture defaults (configured below) will be used for all captures initiated via the Device Monitor Light after the instructor logs into the PC. If for some reason the user cannot be authenticated or is not associated with a particular course or section, the capture can proceed, but will use generic capture settings and will need to be assigned to a Section later through the ESS.
You must complete the Device Configuration (shown above) before you can configure the Ad Hoc Capture Settings defaults. The Product Group selections for Ad Hoc Capture defaults require the system to know what type of device is being used for capture. |
To set Ad Hoc Capture defaults:
Open the System Tray menu, shown above, and select Ad Hoc Capture Settings. Depending on the credentials entered, one of the following Ad Hoc Capture dialog boxes appears.
The two Ad Hoc Capture dialog boxes are identical except for the ability to select a Section to which to publish the capture. Section selection appears if the Credentials entered are for an instructor who is associated with an active course or section.
The Device Monitor light indicates the current status of the capture using both steady-state and blinking LED lights of different colors. The default setting are shown below but can be changed.
By default, the light indicator settings are as follows:
To view or change Device Monitor Light settings:
Open the System Tray menu, shown above, and select Device Monitor Configuration. The Device Monitor Configuration dialog box appears, shown below.
There is a screw in the bottom of the light that may need to be loosened in order to "feel" the light as a button. The light is typically shipped with the screw tightened to avoid unnecessary movement or loosening during shipment. The button feature does not have to feel like a button in order to work, but some users may be bothered by the lack of obvious movement when they press the light. |
The Device Monitor light functions not only as a capture status indicator, but also as an "Easy Button" to start, pause, and stop Adhoc Captures. Note that this feature can be disabled in the Device Monitor Configuration. It is enabled by default.
Whenever the light is used to initiate a capture, the settings configured in the above sections of this page are used to define the title, duration, and inputs for the capture, as well as the section to which it will be published (if configured).
The light will control captures as follows:
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
If you want to Extend a capture already in progress (either ad hoc or scheduled) with the device monitor, you must use the System Tray menu. Be advised, however, that if there is a subsequent capture scheduled for the room, you cannot extend the current capture beyond the starting time of the next scheduled capture for that room.
To Extend a Capture:
The capture will continue for the configured extension or until you manually stop the capture.
The above instructions for Extending a capture can also be used to Start, Pause, Resume, and Stop a capture if you prefer to use the System Tray menu or if pressing the Device Monitor light does not work. |
Use the Configuration Lock option to set a password on the Device Monitor configuration. Locking the configuration is optional.
Select Configuration Lock from the System Tray menu, shown above, to bring up the Configuration Security dialog box as shown.
If you do lock the configuration, making any changes to the device monitor configuration will require entering the appropriate password to do so.
Device Monitor 1.9.4 includes an admin override feature that supersedes any local settings and uses configuration values from a supplied XML file. This allows for mass deployment of the application without the need to configure each individual instance.
When an admin override XML is used, Device Monitor will parse it, use the supplied settings and prevent any configuration changes through the user interface. This includes graying-out the Device URL field in the Echo360 Configuration window and preventing access to the Device Monitor Configuration window.
In order to use this feature, a file labeled adminOverride.xml must be created and placed in the following directory:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Echo360\Echo360 Device Monitor\
An example adminOverride.xml which outlines the required structure is as follows:
<AdminOverride xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"> <!-- these can be set or not regardless of the OverrideDelcomSettings flag --> <EchoServerURI>https://10.3.6.164:8443</EchoServerURI> <EchoUsername>instructor</EchoUsername> <EchoEncryptedPassword>166125033209225163193094161087240006163200008085</EchoEncryptedPassword> <!-- set to true to enable all of the settings below --> <OverrideDelcomSettings>true</OverrideDelcomSettings> <!--disable all delcom light gestures --> <DisableDelcomGestures>false</DisableDelcomGestures> <!-- disable individual gestures, if DisableDelcomGestures is true all will be disabled regardless of these settings --> <DisableDelcomGestureStart>false</DisableDelcomGestureStart> <DisableDelcomGestureStop>false</DisableDelcomGestureStop> <DisableDelcomGesturePause>false</DisableDelcomGesturePause> <DisableDelcomGestureResume>false</DisableDelcomGestureResume> <!-- set led sequence and level for each device state --> <LEDStateIdle>2</LEDStateIdle> <LEDStateIdlePowerLevel>50</LEDStateIdlePowerLevel> <LEDStateWaiting>6</LEDStateWaiting> <LEDStateWaitingPowerLevel>50</LEDStateWaitingPowerLevel> <LEDStateCapturing>4</LEDStateCapturing> <LEDStateCapturingPowerLevel>50</LEDStateCapturingPowerLevel> <LEDStatePaused>7</LEDStatePaused> <LEDStatePausedPowerLevel>50</LEDStatePausedPowerLevel> <LEDStateCompleting>3</LEDStateCompleting> <LEDStateCompletingPowerLevel>50</LEDStateCompletingPowerLevel> <LEDStateError>5</LEDStateError> <LEDStateErrorPowerLevel>50</LEDStateErrorPowerLevel> <!-- allow warning signal when audio is not detected for the delay time --> <AudioWarningEnabled>false</AudioWarningEnabled> <AudioWarningDelay>2</AudioWarningDelay> <AudioWarningLEDState>13</AudioWarningLEDState> <AudioWarningPowerLevel>50</AudioWarningPowerLevel> <!-- allow warning signal when capture is about to end within delay time --> <CaptureWarningEnabled>false</CaptureWarningEnabled> <CaptureWarningDelay>5</CaptureWarningDelay> <CaptureWarningLEDState>8</CaptureWarningLEDState> <CaptureWarningPowerLevel>50</CaptureWarningPowerLevel> </AdminOverride> |
The two primary tags that dictate the level of override are the EchoServerURI
and OverrideDelcomSettings
tags:
EchoServerURI
tag is populated with the URL of the SafeCapture HD appliance you wish the Device Monitor application to connect to. OverrideDelcomSettings
tag is set to true when you wish to force the application pull the Delcom light configuration values directly from the XML file.Both of these tags can be defined, but at least one needs to be present for the application to correctly parse the XML file. Additionally, the Delcom light settings in the override XML directly reflect the settings available in the user interface and use an integer to map the light configuration. This mapping is below:
Integer | Light Configuration |
---|---|
1 | Lights Off |
2 | Green Light |
3 | Green Light Flashing |
4 | Red Light |
5 | Red Light Flashing |
6 | Yellow Light |
7 | Yellow Light Flashing |
8 | Green Solid/Yellow Light Flashing |
9 | Green Solid/Red Light Flashing |
10 | Yellow Solid/Green Light Flashing |
11 | Yellow Solid/Red Light Flashing |
12 | Red Solid/Green Light Flashing |
13 | Red Solid/Yellow Light Flashing |
14 | Green Solid/Yellow Solid |
15 | Green Solid/Red Solid |
16 | Yellow Solid/Red Solid |
17 | Green Solid/Yellow Solid/Red Solid |
If you choose to set the EchoUsername and password, the password must be encrypted.
To encrypt the password:
Once the adminOverride.xml has been created and placed in the installation directory as noted above, restart the Device Monitor application for the change to take effect.