Admin

The Admin tab allows you to set up and provision players. You can also create users, modify permissions in this tab.

Device Setup 

A Device Setup allows you to set up a player for your desired publishing type and configure various other settings on the player.

You can create a Device Setup from the Dashboard, the Schedule tab, the Admin tab, or the Device Setup Library.

1. Package Name: Enter a name for the Device Setup. Once you save the Device Setup, you can locate it in the Device Setup Library later using this name. 
2. Device Name: Enter a name for the player. All players provisioned with the Device Setup will use this name by default, though individual names can be specified when players are added to the Device Provisioning library.
3. Device Description:(Optional) Enter a description for the player.
4. Customization: Customize the device-naming scheme:
   1. Append unit ID: Appends the serial number of the player to the end of the Device Name. This option is useful if you're applying the Device Setup to multiple players and want each player name to be unique.
   2. Use name only: Does not append anything to the Device Name.
5. Time Zone: Select the time zone where the player is located.
6. Idle Screen Color: Specify what screen color the player should display if it does not have an active presentation. 

7. Device Type: Select a publishing method for the player: 
   

   Note

   The Standalone, Local File Networking, and Simple File Networking setup options are only available on the desktop version of BrightAuthor connected.

   1. Standalone : Publish presentations directly to your player using an SD card or USB drive.  Use this method if your player doesn’t have a network connection or if you do not plan to update the presentation frequently.
   2. Local File Networking: Publish presentations to players over your local network.
   3. BSN.cloud Networking: Use your BSN.cloud Content Cloud subscription to remotely schedule presentations.
      1. Group: Select a BSN.cloud group for the player. All players in a group receive the same presentation schedule. You can add BSN.cloud groups in the Network tab.
   4. Simple File Networking: Publish presentations remotely using your own web server.

      1. URL for WebFolder: Specify the location from which the player will download content updates. Do not use trailing slashes in your URL; some web servers do not support trailing slashes.
         

         Note

         If you're having trouble getting players to communicate with your web server, see this FAQ for troubleshooting tips.

      2. Content Check Frequency: Set how often you want the player to check your server for updates.
      3. Simple File Networking Authentication (optional): Enter a User name and password to enable digest authentication between the BrightSign player and the server.
         1. Enable basic authentication: Instruct the player pass credentials to the web server in unsecured packets. Use this option only if it is absolutely required by the configuration of your web server.
8. Network Options: Click this button to open the Advanced Network Options window.
9. Save Setup Files: Publish the Device Setup manually. Follow these steps to complete the Device Setup process: 
   1. Save the Device Setup files to an SD card (recommended) or USB flash drive. Ensure the setup files are saved to the root folder of the storage device.
   2. Turn off the BrightSign player by unplugging the power adapter (or Ethernet cable if the player is being powered by PoE).
   3. Insert the SD card or USB flash drive into the player.

   4. Turn on the BrightSign player by reconnecting the power. 

      note

      We recommend formatting your SD/microSD card using FAT32 or exFAT. The exFAT format allows you to store files larger than 4GB, but is not supported on the 4Kx42.

      Important

      The storage device must remain in the player at all times while playing presentations. 

10. Add Setup File: Add the Device Setup to the BSN.cloud Device Setup Library. You can then open the Device Setup later or provision players using the Device Setup.

Network Options 

Click the Network Options button to configure advanced network settings.

Player

• Specify hostname: Designate a custom hostname for the player on the local network. By default, the player serial number is used to generate a unique hostname (i.e. "brightsign-<serial_number>").
• Use Proxy: Configure the player to use a proxy server:
  • Address: Enter the address of the proxy. If you need to provide a user name and password for the proxy, use this format: <user name>:<password>@<proxy server address> (e.g. “admin:root@myproxy.com”).
  • Port: Enter the port number of the proxy. If you do not specify a port number, the player will default to using port 1080.
• Limit Content Downloads: Check this box to restrict player content downloads to a certain time of day. This is useful if you want to limit network traffic during peak hours.
  • Start of Range: The beginning of the time frame during which content downloads can occur.
  • End of Range: The end of the time frame during which content downloads can occur.
• Limit Health Updates: Check this box to restrict player health updates to a certain time of day. This is useful if you know that the player will be offline at certain times a day.
  • Start of Range: The beginning of the time frame during which health updates can occur.
  • End of Range: The end of the time frame during which health updates can occur.

Wired/Wireless

• Data Types Enabled: Use the checkboxes to determine the data types that can be transferred using the connection. You can enable/disable downloads (Content, Text Feeds, Media Feeds), as well as uploads (Health, Log Updates).
• Connection Settings: Specify how the player attains an IP address:
  • Obtain an IP address automatically: The player obtains its IP address using DHCP.
  • Use the following IP address: The player uses a static IP address. You will need to enter the required IP parameters in the fields.
• Rate Limit Network Download Traffic: Set rate limitations for downloading content. You can also set rate limitations for During content download window and During initial downloads.
  • Unlimited Download Rate: Sets no limit on downloads.
  • Default limit: Sets the default limit (2000 Kibit/s) on downloads.
  • Specify limit: Sets a customized limit. Enter a limit in the text field (in Kbit/s).

Diagnostics

• Enable network diagnostics: Have the player display the Network Diagnostics screen during setup.
  • Test Ethernet: The Network Diagnostics screen will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over Ethernet.
  • Test Wireless: The Network Diagnostics screen will indicate whether or not it was able to attain an IP address over wireless.
  • Test Internet Connection: The Network Diagnostics screen will indicate whether or not it was able to communicate with a remote server.

Advanced Device Settings

The Advanced Device Settings section on the right allows you to configure additional optional parameters.

Network Properties

• Time Server: Specify the server (using a supported protocol) that the player should use to synchronize its clock. Players use the BSN.cloud time server by default.
• Enable Wireless: Connect the player to the local network using a wireless connection. In order to use a wireless connection, you must purchase a Wireless Module for your BrightSign player.
  • SSID: Enter the SSID of the wireless network.
  • Security key: Enter the password for the wireless network
• Network Connection Priority: Choose to prioritize either the Wired or Wireless connection. The BrightSign player will always attempt to download and upload using the first option, and will only use the second option if the first is unavailable.

Device Configuration 

• Enable Diagnostic Web Server: Enable the Diagnostic Web Server.
  • Password: Specify a password for the server (the username is always "admin"). We strongly recommend securing the Diagnostic Web Server with a strong password.

• Enable Local Web Server: Enable the Local Web Server, which is necessary for Local File Networking. This feature enables the Device Webpage, which allows you to update User Variables over the local network.

  Tip

  You can access the Device Web Page using the BrightSign App or a web browser. To locate the Device Web Page on a web browser, enter the IP address of the player at port 8008 (for example, “10.0.1.199:8008”).

  
  

  • User Name: Enter a user name for the Local Web Server login
  • Password: Enter a password for the Local Web Server login
  • Enable Update Notifications:(Optional) Check this box to have the player automatically refresh the Device Webpage whenever variable values change on the player.

Logging

• Enable playback logging: Records playback start and end times, zone names, media types, and file names.
• Enable event logging: Records timestamps, state names, zone names, event types, and event data.
• Enable state logging: Records current and last state names, timestamps, and media types.
• Enable diagnostic logging: Records timestamps, firmware and script versions, and the current presentation.
• Enable Variable logging: Records the current and default values of all User Variables in the presentation. This log is only generated when logs are uploaded to the log handler URL.
• Upload Logs: Check one or both of the following boxes to enable log uploads:
  • On startup: Uploads log files each time the player is powered on.
  • At specific time each day: Uploads log files daily at the specified time. Use the dropdown list to pick a time.
• Relative URL for log handler: Specify the location on the server where you want logs to be uploaded and parsed. This feature is only available for Simple File Networking.

BrightSign OS Update

Use this section to include an OS update file with the Device Setup. First, determine the behavior of the update file using the Update Type dropdown list:

• Standard: The OS update is applied to the player. The player reboots and deletes the update file after the update is complete.
• Different: The OS update is only applied if the version of the update file is different from the current OS version on the player. The player reboots and deletes the update file after the update is complete.
• Newer: The OS update is only applied if the version of the update file is newer than the current OS version on the player. If the player is booting up in Safe Mode, the update is always applied because the player cannot check its OS version before applying the update. The player reboots and deletes the update file after the update is complete.
• Save: The OS update is applied to the player, but the update file is not deleted from the storage device. The player does not reboot after applying the update; instead, it waits for the storage device containing the update file to be removed.

Next, select the version of the OS update file according to your player model:

• Production Release: The current official release of BrightSign OS
• Beta Release: The current beta release of BrightSign OS
• Minimum Compatible Release: The minimum OS version that supports presentations created by your version of BrightAuthor:connected. The minimum compatible OS may not support all features provided by a contemporary version of BrightAuthor:connected.
• Specific File: Select a .bsfw firmware update file from your hard drive. The other options will download the update file from BrightSign when the setup files are created.
• Update from URL: Enter the download URL for a .bsfw firmware update file. This option is only available when distributing a Device Setup via Device Provisioning.

Remote Snapshot

Check the Enable Remote Snapshot box to enable the Remote Snapshot feature, which allows you to remotely view screenshots of presentation playback.

• Remote Snapshot Interval: Specify how often (in minutes) the player should take a snapshot of the presentation.
• Maximum Number of Images to Save: Specify how many JPEG snapshot images can be stored on the local storage of the player.
• JPEG Quality Level (0 - 100): Specify the quality level (and thus the file size) of each image file.
• Screen Orientation: Specify the rotation of snapshots:
  • Landscape: Snapshots will not be rotated.
  • Portrait - Bottom Left: Snapshots will be rotated counter-clockwise 90 degrees before being saved.
  • Portrait - Bottom Right: Snapshots will be rotated clockwise 90 degrees before being saved.
• Remote URL for Remote Snapshot Handler: Specify the URL of a server that can process Remote Snapshots. This option is only available for Simple File Networking setups.

Debugging

• Enable Serial Debugging: Enable serial debugging on the player. The autorun script will output debugging information related to the presentation to the serial port (as well as over Telnet and SSH if these features are enabled).
• Enable System Log Debugging: Enable system-log debugging on the player. The player will output system log information to the Log tab in the Diagnostic Web Server (or the serial/telnet/ssh ports if these are enabled via the Serial Debugging option).

Advanced

• Enable BSN.cloud: Enable the persistent Websockets connection between the player and BSN.cloud servers. This allows for BSN Control Cloud and Content Cloud functionality with players. 

Device Setup Library 

The Device Setup Library allows you to edit or delete Device Setups that have been saved to your BSN.cloud network.

1. New Device Setup: Click the  New Device Setup button to add a new Device Setup to the Device Setup Library.
2. Edit Device Setup: Click thebutton to edit a Device Setup.
3. Delete Device Setup: Click the button to delete a Device Setup.

Device Activation 

The Device Activation feature allows you to add players to your BSN.cloud network in a single step, without performing Device Setup.

To perform Device Activation, power on a new (or factory reset) player with an active network connection and a blank SD card or other storage device. After a few moments, the player will display an activation code on screen. Enter this code in the Device Activation window and click Submit. The player will then provision itself to the "Default" group on your BSN.cloud network; you can then edit the player settings in the Network tab.

Device Provisioning 

The Device Provisioning screen allows you to provision players for your BSN.cloud network: When you power on a new (or factory reset) player that has been added to the Device Provisioning library, the player will automatically retrieve and apply the Device Setup associated with it. All the player needs is an active network connection and a blank SD card (or other storage device)–no further equipment or expertise is needed for on-site setup.

1. Add Device: Click the Add Device button to add a player to the Device Provisioning library. You will be prompted to enter the following information:
   1. Serial Number: The serial number of the player. You can find this number printed on the bottom of the player or on the side of the box it comes packaged in.
   2. Device Name:(Optional) A name for the player

   3. Device Description:(Optional) A description for the player

      Note

      If you do not specify a Device Name or Device Description, they will default to the values in the Device Setup you apply to the player. 

2. Apply Setup: Apply a Device Setup to selected players in the list. If the player(s) have not been provisioned or set up already, they will download the Device Setup from the BSN.cloud servers when they boot up. If they have been setup previous, applying a new setup will re-provision the device, causing it to download the new set up and restart. 
3. Apply Application: Assign a BrightSign partner application to selected players in the list. At setup, the players will download the application package from the specified Application URL and set up the player for the partner application.
4. Delete Device(s): Remove the selected players from the Device Provisioning library. Deleted players will not be automatically provisioned the first time they boot up. This action does not affect players that have already been provisioned, unless they are factory reset.

User Management

The User Management screen allows you to add, edit, and delete users on your BSN Content Cloud network.

Adding a User

Click the  Add User button to add a user to the network:

• Email: Enter the user's Email address.
• First Name: Enter the user's first name.
• Last Name: Enter the user's last name.
• Description: Enter a custom description for the user.
• Assign to Role: Select a role for the user. You can view permissions for each role and create a custom roles on the Roles and Permissions screen.

Editing a User

Click the Edit icon to edit the user's description and/or role.

Deleting a User

Click the  Delete icon next to a user to delete that user.

Roles and Permissions

The Roles and Permissions screen allows you to view the permissions of different roles and add new roles to your BSN Content Cloud network.

Adding a Role

Click the  Edit icon and select Add Role to add a new role to the network. 

• Name: Enter a name for the role
• Description: Enter a custom description for the role
• Copy Permissions from an Existing Role: Select this option to copy permissions from another role on the network. Use the From Role dropdown list to select the role. If you don't enable this option, the custom role will have no permissions by default.

Deleting a Role

Click the  Edit icon and select Delete Role to delete a role from the network. Only custom roles can be deleted.