Digital Alert Systems: EAS solutions for Internet and LAN-based alert communication

Installation Instructions

1. Open Windows Explorer into a view of the folders. Copy cygwin_install_1-2.zip to C:\. This ZIP file consists of a
   directory called "cygwin" with one more subdirectory called "install".

2. Unzip cygwin_install_1-2.zip by extracting the files into the C:\ directory. Under WinXP you should simply
   have to click on the cygwin_install_1-2.zip file and then set the target unzip directory path.
   You will likely have to change the default unzip path that is provided, as it will probably want to
   unzip into a directory called C:\cygwin_install_1-2\. Make sure you set the unzip target directory
   to simply be C:\.

3. This creates C:\cygwin with one subdir: C:\cygwin\install. Once more. If you have lazily unzipped the file and
    the new set of unzipped directories is C:\cygwin_install_1-2\cygwin\install
    (instead of the required C:\cygwin\install) then you have NOT followed the instructions in step 2 above.
If this happens simply create a new directory C:\cygwin and manually move
    the C:\cygwin_install_1-2\cygwin\install directory into C:\cygwin, and then delete
C:\cygwin_install_1-2. Alternately, delete the unzipped directory and start over at Step 2.

4. In Windows Explorer open a view into C:\cygwin\install

5. With the Mouse Double click setup.exe. This will install the Cygwin packages onto the system.
    Carefully follow the directions below for each of the setup screens.

   a. Choose Next on the first screen.

   b. Choose Install from Local Directory
       Then Choose Next.

   c. The next screen displays the Cygwin Root Directory.
      Make sure Root Directory is C:\cygwin (or the same root volume
      used in step one. If it is not, edit.
      Keep the default choice of All Users on the Install For: option.
      Keep the default choice of Unix/binary on the Default Text File Type option.
      Then Choose Next.

   d. The next screen displays the Local Package installation directory.
      Make sure the Local Package Directory is C:\cygwin\install (or the same root volume
      used in step one. If it is not, edit.
      Then Choose Next.

   e. Wait a few moments for the Package Selector to pop up.
     Every package in this installation should be installed, however, by default, not all are selected.
     So we will have to select the ones that have not been chosen by default.

      A. Using the mouse left button, select the View button (upper right) until the word "Full" is shown
         just to the right of the button. This should take only a single selection of View. If not, keep selecting
         View until the word "Full" appears.

      B. You will see rows of packages listed in the dialog window.
         Most of these packages are already selected for installation.
         Pre-selected packages show there version number under the first column (which is labled 'New').
         If the package is not yet selected, the word "Skip" is displayed instead of the version number.
         Using the mouse, down the first column, through each row and with the mouse, left click on
         every occurence of the word "Skip". Each time you do this, the word "Skip" changes
         to a package version number. Also, you will notice that the display just to the right of the package
         changes from n/a to an X'ed box.

       C. Once you have selected all packages, choose the Next button.

   f. Take a short break while the packages install. Once complete,
      select the Finish button on the dialog. Then you will be
      presented with a small dialog display that says the installation
      has completed. Select the OK button.

   g. Now, go back to the Windows Explorer view from which you ran setup.exe.
        Within the same view of C:\cygwin\install, double click the file initcyg.bat.

   h. Use the Windows Control Panel to find the Windows Firewall control interface. Check the firewall settings and
     make sure that port 22 is open for TCP traffic. This is the port ssh uses. If it is not then use the provided interface
     to add Port 22 (also assign the name ssh). If port 22 is blocked by the firewall, the DASDEC will NOT be able to
     send the EAS alert translation file to the SqueezeMax.

     This will complete the installation of the Cygwin packages needed on Squeezemax.

DASDEC Public Key
Installation of Cygwin enables ssh communication between a DASDEC and a SqueezeMax. Installation of the DASDEC Public key on the SquuezeMax authorizes the secure communication from EAS NET to the SqueezeMax without a password.

DASDEC_pubkey.txt

NOTE:You do not need to add the DASDEC default public key to the Cygwin 1-2 installation downloaded/installed from above. It is already integrated into Cygwin 1-2.

To add this key to an existing cygwin installation that lacks the key is easy.

Save the DASDEC_pubkey.txt text file from the link above into a folder on the SqueezeMax. Remember where you placed it.
Using Notepad on SqueezeMax open this key file.
Using another copy of Notepad, open the ssh authorized key file. This is located under the SqueezeMax user name folder that appears under the C:\cygwin\home\ folder. The exact name of the SqueezeMax user name can vary from system to system. So you need to browse to the C:\cygwin\home\ folder and select the folder underneath that has the same name as the SqueezeMax user name. After the user name folder is selected, browse deeper into the .ssh folder and then select the file authorized_keys to edit. On an HD SqueezeMax this file is usually at C:\cygwin\home\admin\.ssh\authorized_keys. On an SD system this file is often at C:\cygwin\home\SqueezeMAX\.ssh\authorized_keys. But just keep in mind the the user name folder could be different then admin or SqueezeMAX. On some systems, there is a white space character in the account name (for example, Squeeze Max).
Highlight all of the text in the first Notepad. This is the DASDEC public key. It needs to be in the authorized_keys file so your DASDEC is authorized to communicate with the SqueezeMax. Copy this text using Cntrl-C or the mouse popup Copy menu option.
Examine the authorized_keys file and make sure the DASDEC key text is not already in this file. If it is not then paste the copied text at a new line at the end of authorized_keys file.
Save the authorized_keys file over the original file.
Exit both Notepads.
Now DASDEC's EAS NET is authorized to send data to the SqueezeMax.

SqueezeMax General purpose EAS plugin Version 1.4

Unless you have a brand new SqueezeMax system, you should update the EAS plugin on your SqueezeMax. The software supplied here improves the EAS plugin on SqueezeMax to fix some problems with the original basic plugin. This is needed for EAS NET with the HD version of SqueezeMax and is strongly recomended for the SD version. Installation is quick and easy and is approved by Utah Scientific. This plugin is completely compatible with all existing SqueezeMax installations.

Zip Package
Download this file and copy to your SqueezeMax. Then follow the installation instructions below.

easplugin_install_1_4.zip

Installation Instructions

Using Windows Explorer on your SqueezeMax, move the ZIP file under the SqueezeMax program code plugins folder.
For an HD SqueezeMax this is usually at C:\Program Files\Utah Scientific\Apps\plugins\. For an SD SqueezeMax this is at C:\Program Files\VertigoXmedia\Utah Scientific\Apps\plugins\.

Unzip the easplugin_install_1_4.zip ZIP file. Now move into the unzipped directory that appears.

Copy the two files : alt_easplugin.ocx and alt_easplugin_installer.exe into (directly under) the SqueezeMAX plugins folder directory.

Make sure SqueezeMAX is NOT running during the plugin installation! If it is, then exit SqueezeMax.

Run the alt_easplugin_installer.exe app from a Windows Explorer view by double clicking the file alt_easplugin_installer.exe.

The original file easplugin.ocx will be moved to a backup file, easplugin.orig.ocx, if this file does not already exist.
If it does, it is left alone and the current file easplugin.ocx will be moved to a backup file easplugin.prev.ocx.

Two popup dialogs will present themselves during the installation phase. Just hit the OK button for each one.

Restart SqueezeMAX and the new EAS plugin will support TFT/SAGE/SqueezeMax LAN/DASDEC EAS NET/Direct EAS datasource edit.

The current version of plugin will display two dialogs, not one.
One will be small and empty and should not be closed. This one looks a lot like the original plugin but does not present any controls. The other will look like a regular Windows dialog and will have controls for setting various values in the SqueezeMax settings.ini file.

The current version of the plugin allows changes to be made to all of the provided configuration fields on the fly without restarting SqueezeMax.

The plugin does not support editing of all of the values in the settings.ini file. If for some reason any of the values are not correct, you have to carefully hand edit the setting in the file settings.ini under the Plugins directory while SqueezeMAX is NOT running. Then rerun SqueezeMAX for these new settings to take effect. This will not hurt any of the existing settings.

If the serial port is from a USB adapter, and this is not plugged in when SqueezeMax is first run, it is likely that the EAS plugin will need to be relaunched (by restarting SqueezeMax) after the USB adapter is first plugged in.

DASDEC/OneNet "EAS NET" SCP to SqueezeMax configuration

Using the DASDEC Web Browser interface, go to Setup->Net Alerts->EAS NET. You will need to create and configure an EAS NET client interface to each SqueezeMax. For details about using this configuration interface, see the user manual. Here is a condensed version specifically for interfacing to SqueezeMax using the secure copy (SCP) transport.

After adding an EAS NET client interface on the Setup->Net Alerts->EAS NET page, there are a few values to fill into the client interface. The following operations apply from the top of the interface going down.

Reset the name of the EAS NET Client Interface (optional). Space characters are allowed in this field.
Make sure the interface is set to Enabled.
Check the box controlling when EAS NET data is sent. The box should be checked and labeled "Client will send EAS NET alert info prior to alert playout." This option allows the DASDEC to send the alert text data to the SqueezeMax prior to actual playout of the alert audio on the DASDEC. This needs to be paired to setting the GPI #1 input on the DASDEC to Hold Non-National EAS alerts until closure. See below.
More than likely the next box should be left unchecked. This will allow National Alerts to be sent to the SqueezeMax.
Set the IP address of the SqueezeMax in the form #.#.#.#. For example 10.0.0.123. Do not use leading 0's (eg do not set to (010.000.000.123).
Set the EAS_NET Event Transfer Protocol to the Secure Copy option.
Leave the Port at 22.
Set the SqueezeMax Windows User Name in the EAS_NET User field. This is the Windows login user account name on the SqueezeMax. This is often SqueezeMAX on an SD system and admin on an HD system. You can check the Control Panel -> User Accounts tool on the SqueezeMax to find the account name.
Make sure the DASDEC public key has been copied to the SqueezeMax Cygwin authorized_keys file as described above. NOTE: The default DASDEC public key is already included in Cygwin 1.2. If the DASDEC public key has been changed from the default, then follow the provided link on the DASDEC EAS NET client interface and copy the public key info into the SqueezeMax Cygwin authorized_keys file.
Set the Schema File pulldown menu selector to SqueezeMaxHD or SqueezeMaxSD. depending on the target SqueezeMax. Older DASDECs only provide one schema file named SqueezeMax. If this is the case then you will need to slightly edit the schema file. To do this use the provided Edit/Review Schema button to bring up the Schema editor. Look down the list and find the Schema Meta-Key Tag name called ALERT_TRANSLATION_FILE_PATH. For an HD SqueezeMax this file should be set to C:/Program\ Files/Utah\ Scientific/Data/. For an SD SqueezeMax this file should be set to C:/Program\ Files/VertigoXmedia/Apps/JambalayaData/. If modification is needed, after you make the modification, save the schema file under a new name. For an HD system we recommend naming it SqueezeMaxHD. For an SD system, SqueezeMaxSD. The Save As field appears at the bottom of the Schema editor page. Enter the desired schema file name and click the Accept Changes button below it. This will save your change and take you back to the original configuration page. Now set the schema file name to the new schema file you just saved.
Keep the next two checkboxes for Composite Audio and EAS Audio files unchecked. No audio files need to be sent to the SqueezeMax.
The next two checkboxes controlling options for the EAS Translation file need to be checked. The first option should read EAS Translation File will be sent (after it is checked). The next should be checked and will then read EAS Translation has newline characters removed.
Video Start Delay Factor and Duration Extension Time can both be set to the default 0.
The last checkbox controls whether further FIPS code filtering is done. The default is to allow all forwarded alerts to any FIPS code to be sent to the EAS NET SqueezeMax client. If you want to add further FIPS code filtering (to be applied after the Decoder Forwarding filtering), uncheck this box and use the provided interface to select which FIPS codes must be present in an alert before it is EAS NET forwarded to the SqueezeMax client. NOTE: On DASDEC software versions 1.6-0b and greater, a second checkbox controls whether or not to apply filtering based on EAS codes.
For each remote SqueezeMax, repeat the configuration steps described above. A nice shortcut is the use the EAS NET configuration Duplicate button. Duplicate the SqueezeMax interface you just made, then change the interface name, IP address and schema if needed.
After every EAS NET to SqueezeMax client has been configured, and the DASDEC is active on the same network as the SqueezeMax, try a test alert. You can either use the DASDEC front panel button to issue a weekly test (touch it twice in a row), or you can use the One-Button alert interface under Encoder->Send EAS->One-Button EAS. After issuing the alert, confirm the EAS NET send by traversing to the Server->Logs->Operation Log (or use the quicklink Op Log at the bottom of the page) and looking for the logged results. Look for text logging the Originated Alert. Look for the logged results for the EAS NET clients before the description of the Originated Alert. The log will clearly show if the data connection and transfer was successful or failed from the DASDEC to the SqueezeMax. If it failed go back and look for mistakes in configuration. You can also verify the file transfer on the SqueezeMax under the proper Data directory.

DASDEC/OneNet GPIO Configuration for using SqueezeMax

Go to the DASDEC/OneNet Web Browser configuration page Setup->GPIO. Set the #1 GPI input on the DASDEC to Hold Non-National EAS alerts until closure. A GPI contact closure from the Master Control needs to programmed to close upon alert activation on the SqueezeMax. This contact closure needs to be wired up to the DASDEC #1 GPI input on the DASDEC back panel. When an alert has been forwarded, the alert text will be sent to each SqueezeMax client, and then the alert audio playout will pend until the contact closure is made. Master Control can be programmed to make this closure when the SqueezeMax EAS alert is taken to air.
On the DASDEC Setup->GPIO page, alert triggering via this contact closure can also be restricted based upon FIPS codes and EAS codes. Use the provided DASDEC GPIO Activation Filter Configuration user interface to configure this option.

If you want to have the DASDEC provide a relay contact closure during the alert hold time, set the #2 GPIO Output to During hold of EAS until GPI closure.