As a new developer in the BrightSign ecosystem, there are several items that will help get you up and running as efficiently as possible. Mandatory items include everything listed in the earlier hands-on examples, listed again here for convenience:
BrightSign player and associated power supply
microSD (µSD) or other storage device
µSD card adapter (computers with standard SD card readers typically require an adapter to access µSD cards)
Mac or PC
Display
HDMI cable (connects the player to the display)
In addition, it is very useful to connect the player to the local network via an Ethernet cable or, if the player has the necessary hardware, WiFi.
The following items, while not strictly required, are very helpful tools.
Serial Cable
To enable serial access to the BrightSign player, a serial cable is required. Older lines of BrightSign hardware (Series 3 and older) used a DB9 connection to the player. Series 4 and later players primarily use a 3.5mm jack on the player except for the LS line which uses a USB-C connection.
Not all serial cables are the same. Even if two cables physically look similar externally, they may be wired differently and thus not compatible with our players. For this reason, we recommend that you procure serial cables per the sources provided below.
Series 4 and Series 5
The serial cable for all Series 4 and Series 5 players with the exception of the LS line requires the following configuration:
The above items can be procured at the following links:
It is important for Cable 2 to have the Prolific PL2303GT USB to RS232 Serial Bridge. Similar-looking cables with the same connectors but without this controller may not work as well.
LS
For the LS424 and LS423 players, you will need an additional cable, Cable 3, with the following configuration:
Cable 3 can be procured from the BrightSign Store.
Series 3 and Earlier
The DB9 to USB-A serial cable for these players can be procured here or here.
Local DWS
The Diagnostic Web Server (DWS) is a powerful tool that enables inspection of various player settings and diagnostic details. Both a Local Diagnostic Web Server (LDWS, accessible over the local network via the player’s IP address) and Remote Diagnostic Web Server (RDWS, accessible via either the Control Cloud or Content Cloud at bsn.cloud) are available. General info about the DWS can be found here and more specific info about the RDWS can be found here.
Local DWS APIs also exist to enable direct access to DWS functionality.
VSCode
Visual Studio Code is a popular coding environment for BrightSign development. The BrightScript Language extension facilitates coding in BrightScript and is used by thousands of developers around the world.
Next, let’s look at the many resources BrightSign offers developers.