Video Transcript
Connecting to the Core
7m 33s
00:07
One of the most requested troubleshooting topics is,
00:11
“How do I get my Q-SYS Design onto a Core?”
00:15
A close runner up is, “What do I do when I see this guy?”
00:22
In this video, we’ll show you how to connect to the Core right out of the box,
00:26
but we’ll also point out some differences if you’re connecting to a Core that’s already on an existing system.
00:34
You’re going to need a Q-SYS Core processor, a network switch, a couple of Ethernet cables, and a laptop or PC.
00:42
First, you want to make sure that the Q-SYS Designer Software is installed on your computer.
00:47
This can be downloaded free from qsc.com.
00:50
Next, you’ll establish a connection between the computer and the Q-SYS Core via the network switch.
00:57
If you have the luxury of building your own AV network from scratch,
01:00
we highly recommend using the NS Series of network switches.
01:04
However, almost any modern network switch could be used,
01:09
as long as it’s configured properly to accommodate Q-LAN.
01:12
Q-LAN is a collection of open,
01:14
IT-standard protocols and solutions designed to allow Q-SYS to integrate into a standalone or converged IT network.
01:22
It allows your Q-SYS audio, video and control to be transported between your Q-SYS Core,
01:29
your computer, and other Q-SYS networked peripherals.
01:33
Connect your Q-SYS Core to the switch via the LAN A connection,
01:37
and connect your computer to the switch as well.
01:40
If you’re connecting to an existing system,
01:43
simply connect your computer to the switch.
01:48
If you’re using the Q-SYS NS Series network switches, your switches are already setup!
01:53
These switches come preconfigured with all the configuration settings
01:57
to pass Q-SYS audio and video across your network right out of the box.
02:03
However, if you’re installing your Q-SYS system onto an existing network that’s not using an NS Series,
02:09
you and your IT administrator will want to refer to qsc.com/networking
02:14
for more information on how to configure those switches to accommodate Q-LAN protocol requirements.
02:24
The next step requires the Q-SYS Designer Software.
02:27
First, launch the application to create a new design,
02:30
or open an existing design that you’ve already been working on.
02:34
Navigate to the Inventory panel on the Left-side Pane,
02:37
and you’ll notice that a Q-SYS Core automatically is part of your inventory.
02:42
By default, this will display a Core110f with the name of “Core-1.”
02:49
If you select this Core, you’ll notice that its Properties appear in the Right-Side Pane,
02:54
and here you can edit the name and Model of this Core.
02:58
When you eventually run this design,
03:00
it will only connect to a Core on the network of the same model and name as this Core in your Inventory.
03:07
That means we need to change these Core properties
03:10
to match those of the physical Core you want to connect to.
03:14
So how do we do that?
03:16
One option is just to look at the Core!
03:18
The front panel of the Core will tell you its model number, and if you press the Page or Next button,
03:25
you can cycle through its screens until it displays its Device Name.
03:29
But I’d recommend a different option, which is the Q-SYS Configurator Tool.
03:33
Simply navigate to Tools > Show Q-SYS Configurator.
03:38
The center of your screen now displays the Q-SYS Configurator,
03:42
which displays every single Q-SYS device connected to your network.
03:46
You'll see your Core listed in the scroll bar on the left.
03:49
The status box beside each device’s name indicates the connection status
03:54
between your computer and that device.
03:56
A green box indicates your connection to the device is OK,
03:59
but a red box will indicate some sort of connection failure.
04:03
A blue box is usually an indication of network inconsistencies.
04:07
Since new Cores default to auto-IP mode, your new Core should have a green box.
04:14
If you’re connecting to an existing system, this Core might show a red box,
04:18
which probably means it has a static IP address outside of your computer’s range.
04:24
In this case, you’ll need to change your PC’s IP settings
04:28
to live in the same subnet as the Core in order to communicate with it.
04:32
If you don’t know what you’re doing, talk to the IT department first,
04:36
and make sure you’re not assigning an IP address to your computer
04:39
that is already being used by another device on the network.
04:43
Click on the Core and select this link, which will launch Core Manager via your default web browser.
04:49
If it’s your first time connecting to that Core,
04:52
your web browser may warn you that it doesn’t recognize this destination,
04:56
but feel free to proceed because you know that this is a trusted device that is secure.
05:01
Here in the Network Settings tab, you’ll find important information regarding your physical Core,
05:07
including its name and IP address.
05:09
Yes, this is the same information that you find on the front display,
05:13
but now you know your computer is properly networked to the Core.
05:17
Also, you can select the Edit button and change the name of the Core or its IP address if you like.
05:23
A new Core out of the box might be named something generic like, Core-3eb7,
05:28
so I recommend changing the name of the Core to something more appropriate.
05:34
Then, select Save.
05:37
However, if you’re connecting to a Core that is already installed and running a system,
05:42
somebody has taken the time to name that Core for a reason, and you may not want to mess with them.
05:53
Regardless of what your Core is named,
05:55
it’s time to make the Core in your Inventory match the Core on your network.
06:00
Once again,
06:01
click on the Core in your Inventory to display the Core Properties window in the far Right-side Pane.
06:07
The Configurator tells me that my Core’s name is conference-1,
06:12
so I will copy that information into the Name field in my design.
06:18
The model of my Core is a Core 110f, which I'll select in the Model dropdown list in the properties.
06:25
If your Core uses IO Cards, you’ll also want to adjust the Core’s Properties
06:30
so that each Card Slot matches the type of IO Card installed in the Core.
06:35
Once all your information matches,
06:37
save your design to the Core and run by navigating to File > Save to Core & Run, or pressing F5.
06:45
If the version of Q-SYS Designer on your PC is different than the version installed on the Core,
06:51
you’ll see a screen asking if you want to upgrade the Core’s firmware.
06:55
This process may take a couple minutes.
06:57
If you see a screen like this and the network never progresses past “Discovering Core …”,
07:03
this is an indication that your design cannot find a Core on the network
07:07
that matches the name you’ve provided in your design.
07:10
Double check that the name of the Core in your design exactly matches the name of the Core on the network,
07:17
and that you have a green connection status. Then try again.
07:22
Once your design is running on your Core,
07:24
you're ready to start designing that new system or troubleshooting the old one!
07:28
Thanks for watching.
Lesson Description
Connecting to the Core
7m 33s
Learn the common troubleshooting topics related to connecting to a Q-SYS Core, and how to remedy them.
Downloads and Links
Connecting to the Core
7m 33s