Extron Electronics IPL 250 Reference Manual - Manual (Page 82)

IPL 250 • Special Applications 5-2
Special Applications
There are numerous ways to use an IP Link to control and monitor A/V systems.
The Global Configurator Help file and chapters 3 and 4 of this manual cover typical
uses and features. This chapter shows you how to set up the IPL 250 for a few
specialized applications.
Before configuring the IPL 250,
1. Connect cables between the IPL 250, the controlled devices, an optional
touchpanel, and the PC as described in chapter 2
2. Install and start the Global Configurator software, create or open a GC project,
and add an IPL 250 to the project, if that hasn’t already been done. For
instructions, refer to chapter 3 of the IPL 250 Setup Guide, steps 1, 2, and 3.
3. In Global Configurator, add device drivers and assign them to the appropriate
ports. For instructions on these tasks, refer to the Global Configurator Help file.
Customizing HTML Files to Control Devices, Modify
Embedded Web Pages, and Send E-mail Alerts
This section discusses methods that someone familiar with HTML can use to make
the IPL 250 perform customized functions or to alter the IPL 250’s embedded Web
pages. One option is to create server-side includes (SSIs) to send commands to the
IPL 250, itself, or to devices connected to its control ports. Another is to write query
strings and insert them into Web pages stored on the IPL. Or you can put a server-
side include command into an e-mail file to customize alert e-mails sent out by the
IPL.
First we will detail SSIs and query strings, then show you how to integrate them
into HTML files to upload into the IPL 250.
N Before attempting to develop new Web pages, the user should have a working
knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, and Server Side Includes.
Creating and using server side includes (SSIs)
About server side includes and the IPL 250
The IPL’s embedded Web pages, GlobalViewer Web pages, and e-mails include
device- or situation-specific content such as projector connection status or lists of
available driver commands. How does the IPL 250 know which information to use
and when to use it?
The IPL processes SSIs, which are a type of HTML instructions that dynamically
tell the unit what material or files to include in the contents of a Web page or
e-mail or to send out one of the IPL 250’s ports. SSIs can include embedded
instructions (scripts) and style sheets (to set up the page layout), and also specify
what information to insert into the Web pages. These instructions run on the IPL’s
internal Web server.
To give the IPL 250 customized instructions for creating e-mails and adding content
to Web pages, you can create your own server side includes and place them within
an HTML page or an e-mail file. These SSIs use Extron Simple Instruction Set (SIS)
commands to ask for and display information from the IPL 250, itself. When a Web
page is requested, the Web server (the IPL) replaces the SSI command with the
response to the SIS command.
When planning your installation, be aware that customized SSIs may reduce the
server processor speed.
N For the IPL and most other Web servers, an SSI-enabled HTML file must have a
file extension of .shtml.