External Triggers and Automation

Section 10: External Triggers and Automation

10.1 Remote Trigger Integration

NextKast offers the ability to integrate with external hardware or software triggers, allowing for enhanced automation and control of your radio station. This feature enables dynamic and responsive operation, crucial for live broadcasts and advanced automation setups. The trigger assignement window is found in the main settings window of NextKast.

Key Features:

• GPIO Device Integration: General-purpose input/output (GPIO) devices can be used to remotely control NextKast functions, such as starting and stopping playback, switching audio sources, or triggering specific actions.
• Serial Command Support: NextKast can respond to serial commands from various devices, useful for integrating with studio equipment or other broadcast systems that use serial communication.
• Trigger-Based Automation: External triggers can be programmed to initiate specific events, such as playing station IDs, activating commercials, or switching between live and automated programming, allowing for seamless transitions and real-time adjustments based on external inputs.

Supported Remote Trigger Methods:

• Keyboard Shortcuts: Assign keyboard shortcuts to specific NextKast functions for quick manual control.
• Broadcast Tools Serial: Input specified as a number between 1 and 16, representing different trigger inputs.
• Livewire Axis GPIO: Input formatted as card number-input number (e.g., 1-1 for card 1, input 1).
• Audio Science GPIO: Trigger input specified as either 0 or 1.
• Axia Command: Uses a format of lllll or LLLLL for low levels and HHHHH or hhhhh for high levels. These 5 elements represent the 5 available GPIO per Axia Channel.
• Wheatnet IP GPIO: Command format is SLIO:#|LVL:1, where # represents the slot number, and LVL:1 indicates the trigger level.
• HTTP Control Webserver: Utilize the built-in HTTP control web server to manage triggers and commands remotely via a web interface.

Setup Instructions:

1. Connect the Device: Attach the GPIO, serial device, or configure the HTTP server to your broadcast server. In the case of the Broadcast Tools select the COM port the device is connected to. For the The AXIA and WheatStone select the targer IP address. Make sure the device is enabled by the checkbox on the active profile. When the trigger window is open all commands will be filltered to it for diagnosing and testing purposes.
2. Configure Trigger Settings: Open NextKast and navigate to the external trigger configuration panel to set up each method:
   • For Broadcast Tools Serial, specify the input number (1-16) corresponding to your device’s configuration. This indicates which relay is triggered.
   • For Livewire Axis GPIO, input the value in the format card number-input number (e.g., 1-1 for card 1, input 1).
   • For Audio Science GPIO, use 0 or 1 to indicate the trigger state.
   • For Axia Command, input commands using formats like lllll (low level) or HHHHH (high level).
   • For Wheatnet IP GPIO, configure the command format as SLIO:#|LVL:1.
3. Map Trigger Inputs: Assign each input to the desired function or event within NextKast.
4. Test and Verify: Ensure that each trigger responds correctly by testing the setup in a controlled environment. When the Trigger window is open all triggers should go directily to the textbox that shows ‘Not Assigned’.

Additional Configuration:

• At the top of the “Add Trigger” button window, there is a list of profiles that can be defined. Each profile can define different trigger definitions, and these trigger profiles can be scheduled using the VT Host/Sweeper Profile window to be active based on a day/time schedule.
• Each trigger configuration can be saved as a trigger profile, which can then be scheduled to be active using the Profile Talent schedule. This profile can also be activated using the startSerialListen playlist Macro, with the profile set as the argument.