BellCommander

BellCommander is an innovative, patent-pending, audio scheduling and paging application which

uses standard PCs and low-cost hardware to create a powerful school bell, factory bell, intercom
system, or any system which requires scheduled or live audio. BellCommander works with existing
public address/intercom systems by playing audio from the PC's sound card to the PA system. Or,
BellCommander can use small network devices or client PCs to distribute audio to locations across
buildings. In this configuration, different buildings or rooms can receive different audio, so
different rooms of a school can have different bell schedules or different areas of a store can have
different announcements playing. Installation costs are extremely low since the organization's
existing network and cabling can be used.

The BellCommander application is organized into seven distinct features which can be accessed
through the buttons on the top of the BellCommander window.

Main Program Functions:

• Device Manager
• Zone Manager
• Sound Sequences
• Day Scheduler
• Calendar Scheduler
• Intercom
• Notifications

To begin using BellCommander requires some simple processes:

1. Click the Devices button. If playing

audio to the sound card, verify that the
correct sound card is selected. If playing
audio to Barix, PC clients, or CD3O
devices, first add the devices. See the
corresponding sections of the help for
details on setting up each device.

2. Click the Zone Manager button if using

multiple zones. Define the desired zones
to group PC clients and Barix devices.

3. Click the Day Scheduler button to

create day schedules. Day schedules
represent each unique schedule. A day
schedule should be created for each
unique schedule such as a standard daily
schedule, early dismissal schedule, and
assembly schedule.

4. Click the Calendar Scheduler button to

assign the day schedules to the
BellCommander calendar. A default
weekly, bi-weekly, or tri-weekly schedule
would typically be defined. Then exceptions
would be added for days where the schedule
varies from the default schedule.
Device Manager

The Device Manager is used to select the types of devices which Bell Commander will use to play
audio. BellCommander can send audio to the PC's sound card, to network audio players from Barix
and CD3O (recorded audio only), and to other PCs with the BellCommander PC client application
installed.

To set the configurations for each type of device, select the type of device from the top drop-
down.

1. Sound Card
2. Client PCs
3. Barix Network Audio Devices
4. Paging Station
5. USB Relay Controller
6. SIP Extensions
Sound Card

The sound card option is designed to provide a low-cost system for operating single-zone
bell/intercom systems. For this configuration, audio plays to the selected sound card. The sound
card can then be connected to speakers or can be connected directly to a PA system. The sound
card configuration supports multiple sound cards, so default system sounds can still be played
locally and BellCommander sounds can be played to the selected sound card.

To configure BellCommander to use the sound card option, select Sound Card from the Device Type
dropdown and check the "Enable Sound Card Audio" checkbox. Then, select the sound card where
the audio should be sent and click the apply button.

New: Version 4.10 adds a new option to enable scheduling to multiple sound cards or sound card
outputs. Using this option, each sound card and sound card output are treated as zones, so bells
can be targeted to each sound card output. To enable this option, check the "Enable scheduling to
multiple sound cards" box. For purchasing, this option requires the multiple sound card version of
BellCommander.
PC Clients

BellCommander features the ability to play audio to PCs around an organization installed with the
BellCommander client application. If Client PCs with sound cards and speakers are installed in each
room of a school, for example, then BellCommander can play bells to each room. Since each client
can receive unique audio, announcements can be made to single classrooms or to a set of
classrooms.

BellCommander features two PC client versions:

Windows Service Client - The Windows Service client runs as a Windows service on Windows 2000
or Windows XP. Since the client runs as a service, no user has to be logged into the PC in order for
the client to play audio. A small program is installed with the web service to allow it to be
configured. This version is recommended for Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista.

Windows System Tray Client - The Windows System Tray client runs within the task bar in the
system tray only while a user is logged in. The system tray component window can be opened by
double-clicking on its icon to check on the connection status or to change settings. The system tray
component runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, and Vista.

To download the Windows client versions, please go to

http://www.acrovista.com/bellcommander/clients
Installing the PC Clients:
1. Start the BellCommander server software through the Windows Start Button (select All Programs,
BellCommander folder, and BellCommander icon).
2. Click the Devices button.
3. Select "Client PCs" from the Device Type dropdown and check the box to use Client PCs.
4. Install the client software on the client PC by running the downloaded client file.
5. Configure the client:

For the Windows Service client:

a. Click the Windows Start Button, select All Programs, select BellCommander, then select
"BellCommander Client Settings".
b. In the settings program, set the server IP to the name or IP address of the server running
BellCommander.
c. Set the port to 17344.
d. Click the Apply Settings Button.
e. Close the settings window.

For the System Tray client:

a. Start the BellCommander system tray client by clicking the Windows Start Button, selecting
the BellCommander folder, and then the BellCommander Audio Client.
b. In the BellCommander client select Program Options.
c. In the Program Options window, enter the IP address or computer name of the system running
the BellCommander server. Leave the port as 17344. Change the identifier to be a name which
uniquely and easily defines the computer. This name will appear in the BellCommander server
software.
d. Click the OK button on the Program Options window.
6. At this point the client should connect to the server. On the BellCommander server, you can
verify that the client connected by looking for the client in the Device Manager. If the client fails
to connect, verify the IP address on the client and make sure that no firewalls are blocking the
communication. By default, communication will occur over TCP to port 17344 on the server. This
can be changed to a different port in the Device Manager, if necessary.
Communication Protocol:

In the BellCommander Device Manager, BellCommander can be configured to use two

communication protocols for the PC clients.

TCP: Used by previous versions of BellCommander. Client connects to BellCommander server and
maintains a connection. When scheduled audio plays, the BellCommander server sends a request to
the client to check if the file already exists. If the file already exists on the client, then it plays
the client's copy. If not, then it sends the file from the server to the client and the client plays the
file. This configuration is ideal for situations where the same scheduled audio is typically placed,
such as for school bells and factory shift change horns.

UDP: New in BellCommander 3. Client creates a UDP listener. BellCommander streams live or
scheduled audio in real-time to the client. This configuration is better for situations where audio
frequently changes, such as for store announcements or for sending music. Depending on the
network and PC running BellCommander, audio may play more in-synch using this method.
Barix Devices

The patent-pending network audio device configuration is optimized for Exstreamer and
Annuncicom (UDP Recommended) devices from Barix (http://www.barix.com) and supports sending
both scheduled and live audio to the devices. The network devices are small devices which can be
connected to a computer network and have connectors for speakers. The BellCommander software
will send audio direct to the devices over the network, so no physical connection is required from
the PC. The network audio device configuration allows multiple zones to be created, so different
audio can be sent to different locations like a traditional intercom system. Currently, up to 255
Barix devices can be controlled.

Exstreamer 100 Annuncicom 100

An example of the Barix configuration is shown in the window below. To set the device type,
select "Barix Network Audio Devices" in the drop-down list. Check the "Enable Barix Devices" box to
enable output to Barix devices. To add Barix devices, click the Add Device button and enter the IP
or host name of the Barix device. A static IP is recommended, but a dynamic IP with a hostname
can be used.
The Barix devices can be communicated with using either TCP or UDP. TCP maintains a connection
to the devices and is the most reliable if communication is required over the Internet or over a slow
network. UDP sends audio in real-time and is ideal for local networks and is also recommended for
Annuncicoms. With scheduled audio, UDP can play audio to more devices with less delay than UDP.
To select TCP or UDP, select the corresponding item in the Device Manager and click the Apply
button. The default port settings, TCP (2020) and UDP (3030), should be used for most installations.

The Device Manager shows the status of the Barix devices based on either a standard ping or
retrieving the device's status via UDP. A standard ping is default and will show whether the device
is attached to the network. If the "Send UDP Test For Ping" box is checked, then a UDP command
will be sent to the device to retrieve it's status. This provides a more in-depth status, but requires
more work on the device and may result in an audio blip.

Once the Barix device options are set, the devices can be tested in the Device Manager by selecting
a device and an audio file and then clicking the Play Audio File button.

Broadcast Device:
If all Barix devices are typically broadcasted to, rather than individual Barix devices, it may be
possible to perform a UDP broadcast to reach all devices on the local network. This will result in
less network traffic from the BellCommander server, more synchronized audio, and less processing
on the BellCommander PC. To perform a UDP broadcast, add a "dummy" Barix device with an IP
address ending in .255 (ex. 10.0.0.255 or 10.0.255.255). The "dummy" device will show active as
false in the Device Manager, but will receive audio if the router is configured to allow UDP packets
to be broadcasted.
Barix Device Configuration:
To configure the Barix devices the following settings should be applied using the Exstreamer's or
Annuncicom's web interface. The web interface can be accessed by accessing the device's IP
address or host name directly (ex. http://192.168.0.132).

In the web configuration tool, click the Config link and then click the Streaming link. In the
streaming settings make the following changes:
Set the Mode to 4 Streaming Receiver
Set the TCP Streaming Listen Port to 2020
Set the UDP Streaming Listen Port to 3030
Set the Start Threshold to 10000 (If this is not set, short audio files may not play)

Finally, click the Apply button on the bottom of the form. This will reboot the device and apply
the new settings.
BellCommander Network Relay Controller

Remotely control and schedule school/factory bells, sounders, sirens, strobe lights, and more

BellCommander works with the Barix Barionet to remotely control relays for bell systems, sirens,
light devices, and more. Bell systems that connect to a mechanical or electronic device for
scheduling via relays or contact closures can be replaced with the Barix Barionet relay controller
and the BellCommander network software.

Each Barionet device contains two or four relays that can be activated over a network by
BellCommander. BellCommander supports multiple Barionet devices, so relays can be activated in
multiple buildings using a single copy of BellCommander.

Barix network audio devices and client PCs can also be added to this configuration. So, audio can
be streamed to a Barix Exstreamer and a Barix Barionet could trigger a relay for a strobe light to
provide both audio and visual notifications.

The relays are capable of 5.0 Amps at up to 240VAC.

Paging Station

The paging station allows pages to be sent from other PCs on the network in addition to sending
pages from the BellCommander PC. The paging station client is a separate application that can be
licensed per seat, with discounts for multiple licenses. The paging station client communicates
with the BellCommander software to receive the list of zones and allows the operator to send a
pre-recorded audio file or a live page to the selected zone(s).

To enable the paging station, select the Paging Station from the top drop-down list in the Device
Manager and check the "Enable Paging Station Support" checkbox. Typically, the Listening Port,
which provides the zone lists to the paging station clients, and the realtime audio port, which
allows live audio to be streamed to BellCommander, should remain with the listed ports. If a
firewall is present, TCP communication to port 17345 and UDP communication to port 17346 on the
BellCommander PC should be enabled.
SIP Extensions

BellCommander works with SIP compliant phone systems, such as 3CX (http://www.3cx.com) for
Windows or Asterisk/Trixbox (http://www.trixbox.com) for Linux. A SIP phone can be used to dial
BellCommander and either enter an emergency notification code or zone code. When a zone code
is entered, a user can speak into the phone and audio will broadcast to the zone.

To configure SIP in BellCommander, follow the steps below:

1. Open the BellCommander Device Manager.
2. Select SIP Extension from the Sound Device Type drop-down.
3. Check the "Enable SIP Extensions" box.
4. Enter the SIP server's IP address or hostname and the SIP server's port. Then, click the Apply
button.
5. Click the Add button for Local SIP Extensions. In the Add Local Extension window, enter the
following settings:

• SIP Extension - Extension number. The extension would typically be configured on the SIP
server before adding the extension to BellCommander.
• Extension Password - The password for the SIP extension.
• Local Port Number - Port that BellCommander will listen on for communication to the
extension. The default value should typically be used.
• SIP Server Options - These options can allow additional SIP servers to be used.

6. Click the Add button for Allowed Extensions. Enter each extension that you would like to be able
to page BellCommander. BellCommander SIP paging is licensed by the number of allowed
extensions. A single SIP extension is allowed in the trial and base BellCommander versions.
Additional SIP server extension licenses can be purchased at
http://www.acrovista.com/bellcommander/order.html
Zone Manager

The Zone Manager is used to create and assign devices to zones in the multiple zone (network
audio) configuration. The Zone Manager is disabled for single zone (sound configurations) and a
single zone, "Sound Card", is available in the scheduler windows. Zones consist of one or more
network audio devices and are similar to a traditional intercom zone where audio can be
broadcasted independently of other devices on the network. In the scheduler windows, zones are
used to direct where audio will be sent. When audio is transmitted it will be transmitted to all
devices in the selected zone. The same device may appear in multiple zones. For example, a
device may appear in a zone for broadcasts specific to the area of the device and it may appear in
another zone which consists of multiple devices for broadcasts to larger areas of the facility.

An example of the zone manager window is shown below:

The Zone Manager window consists of the "Zone List" on the left side of the window which contains
a listing of existing zones and a "Devices in Zone" list which contains a listing of devices within the
selected zone. In the example above, the "Full School" zone is selected and it consists of two
devices, "Main 1" and "Main 2". There are also two other zones defined for "Hall B" and "Hall D".

The following buttons are available in the window:

Add Zone - Adds a new zone.
Delete Zone - Deletes an existing zone. Bell Commander verifies the scheduler for any schedules
using the zone and if a schedule is using the zone, then a warning is displayed. If the warning is
ignored, then corresponding schedule items will be removed which use the zone.
Rename Zone - Changes the name of an existing zone.
Edit Device List - Displays a window where devices can be added or removed from the selected
zone.
Sequences

Sound Sequences are used to play multiple sounds over a short time period. Sound Sequences are
ideal for regularly occurring sound sequences such as a school bell sequence, for example, a regular
bell, a warning bell, and a tardy bell. To create or modify sound sequences, click the Sound
Sequences button on the toolbar.

An example of the Sound Sequences window is displayed below:

The Sound Sequences window is organized on two level. In the top part of the window are
functions to create, rename, or delete sound sequences and in the main part of the window are
functions to edit the sound list within the current sound sequence. In the example window, the
"Standard Bell" sequence contains three sounds. The delay is the delay from the beginning of the
bell. In this example, the first bell sounds when the alarm is activated (at 0 seconds), then four
minutes later (at 240 seconds) the warning bell rings, and finally, the tardy rings at 300 seconds
after the start of the sequence or one minute after the warning bell.

The buttons have the following functions:

Add - Creates a new sound sequence
Rename - Renames the sound sequence
Delete - Deletes the sound sequence
Copy to New Sequence - Copies an existing sequence to a new sequence with a new name.

Add Sound - Adds a new sound to the current sequence

Edit Sound - Displays a window to modify the currently selected sound in the sequence
Delete Sound - Deletes the selected sound from the sequence. Multiple sounds can also be deleted
by selecting multiple sounds and clicking the Delete Sound button. To select multiple sounds hold
the mouse button down while moving through the sound list or use shift+click to select multiple
sounds.
Day Scheduler

The BellCommander scheduling interface uses two screens to define the bell schedule. The first
screen, the Day Scheduler, allows day schedules to be defined for all bells occurring within a
defined day's schedule. The second screen, the Calendar Scheduler, uses the schedules from the
Day Scheduler and applies them to specific dates on a calendar. This configuration allows for a
very flexible design and is perfect for block scheduling, assembly schedules, early dismissal
schedules, and more.

An example of the Day Scheduler window is shown below:

The example schedule uses the Standard Bell sound sequence define in the Sound Sequences
example. For this schedule, the first bell sequence starts at 7:55 AM with the three bell in the
sequence denoting the start of the school day. The Standard Bell sequence repeats at the selected
times throughout the day to mark the end of class and the start of the next class. Finally, the last
bell is a single bell which plays a single file denoting the end of the last class.

The buttons in the window have the following functions:

Add - Adds a new schedule.
Rename - Renames the selected schedule.
Delete - Deletes the selected schedule. If you the schedule is already being used in the calendar
scheduler, then a warning message will be displayed. If the warning is overridden, then schedules
on the calendar scheduler using the day schedule will be deleted.

Add Bell - Adds a new bell to the selected schedule or a range of bells at a specified interval.
Edit Bell - Opens a window where modifications can be made to the selected sound.
Delete Bell - Deletes the selected bell. Multiple bells can be deleted by selecting bells in the bell
list. To select multiple bells hold the mouse button down while moving through the bell list or use
shift+click to select multiple bells.

Copy To New Schedule - Duplicates the currently selected schedule to a new schedule. The new
schedule can then be modified to make changes for the differences between the schedules. This
feature is especially useful for copying a schedule to a new schedule which is similar to the original
schedule. For example, if there is one additional bell in the new schedule, then the schedule can
be copied to a new schedule and the bell can be added to the new schedule.
Copy Schedule To Zone - Copies a day schedule from one zone to another zone. To use this
function, select a zone from the zone dropdown list, then click the "Copy Schedule To Zone"
button. This will open a new window. In the window, select the zone to copy the schedule to and
click the ok button. The schedule will then appear for the other zone.
Barix Commands

BellCommander supports sending commands to Barix devices. Commands can instruct the devices
to set configurations or to perform actions, such as activating and deactivating a relay. Multiple
commands can be entered with each command separated by a semi-colon. BellCommander also
includes sleep function that sleeps a specified number of milliseconds before the next command is
executed.

Some example commands are listed below:

v=10
Sets volume to 50%. Volume levels start from 0 (off) to 20 (100%)

c=19
Increases volume level by one level (5%)

c=20
Decreases volume level by one level (5%)

c=78;sleep=5000;c=79
Activates the relay on the Annuncicom then sleeps 5 seconds and then deactivates the relay. This
procedure would be used to activate external devices such as lights or sirens from the Annuncicom's
relay.

setio,1,1;sleep=5000;setio,1,0
Activates relay 1 on the BarioNet then sleeps 5 seconds and then deactivates the relay.

For more commands, see the Barix Technical Documents at http://www.barix.com

Calendar Scheduler

The Calendar Scheduler allows day schedules to be visually assigned to a calendar. Before using
the Calendar Scheduler, at least one day schedule must be defined. The Calendar Scheduler is
organized into two types of schedules. The first is the standard weekly schedule which defines a
standard schedule which is used on all weeks. The second is the exception schedule which
overrides the standard weekly schedule for specified dates or ranges of dates.

An example Calendar Schedule is displayed below:

In the example, a default weekly schedule is defined for a typical block schedule with one schedule
on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and another schedule on Tuesday and Thursday. The 2nd of the
month is selected and is highlighted in yellow. The schedule for the selected date is displayed on
the right hand side of the window. If the schedule for the day needs to be modified, return to the
Day Scheduler and edit the schedule which is assigned to the date. There is an exception defined
for the 16th where a different schedule will play.

To use the Calendar Scheduler window, first click the "Set Default Weekly Schedule" button which
will open a window which will allow you to define schedules for each day of the week. Then use
the remaining buttons to define exceptions for specific dates or date ranges on the calendar.
Intercom

The intercom window is used for sending recorded or live pages through BellCommander. The
intercom window can send live announcements to Barix devices and PC clients only. Live audio is
not supported for sound cards. If live paging is required for the sound card, most sound cards can
have the microphone volume un-muted through the Windows volume control which will then play
out the sound card.

To send a page using the intercom function, first click the intercom button. Then, select whether
to send live audio from the PCs microphone, an existing MP3 file, or to record a message. If
recording a message, then clicking the next button will allow an audio message to be recorded and
previewed through the PCs sound card. After pressing the next button, the zone selection menu
will be displayed where the zones that audio should be paged to should be selected. Finally, press
the Play or Broadcast button on the final screen to send audio.

NOTE:
If a comprehensive live interactive intercom solution is required then it is suggested that users
deploy the Barix ICGraph application or use the Barix PS16 Multifunctional digital desktop
intercom master station together with the Barix Annuncicom devices.
Notifications

Notifications provide an easy method to alert an organization for emergencies, such as tornadoes,
fires, school lockdowns, and more. A notification should be created for each type of emergency. A
notification may also be created for a manual bell ring.

To create a notification, click the Add button at the top of the Notifications window. This will
display the Add Notification window. In the Add Notification window, enter a name for the
notification and select an image file in .bmp format. A SIP code may also be entered for the
notification. If a SIP code is used, then a caller from a SIP phone can activate the notification by
dialing the BellCommander extension and then entering the SIP code for the notification. To stop a
notification, the phone user should enter "999#".

After a notification is added, actions should be assigned to the notification. The actions are script-
based and will run sequentially from the top to the last action. There are two type of actions in
BellCommander organized into two tabs "Notification Steps" and "Post Notification Steps".
Notification Steps are actions that execute when the notification is triggered. Post Notification
Steps are actions that are triggered when the notification is stopped.
BellCommander Options

BellCommander includes an options window for setting general program options. To access the
window, click Options on the BellCommander menu and select General Options. The Options
window includes the following options:

Enable Logging: Enables logging to log files. Logs are located in /Program
Files/BellCommander/logs directory.

Enable Extended Logging: Enables logging of additional messages to log files. Used for
troubleshooting purposes.

Start BellCommander on Login: Starts BellCommander when a user logs into the current account.

Intercom Buffer Size: Sets the buffer size for the intercom function. Lower values result in less
delay; however, audio skipping may occur if the value is set too low for the PC and network.

System Privileges (Administrative Rights)

The desktop and trial versions of BellCommander require a user with administrator privileges in
Vista or administrator or power user privileges in 2000, XP, or Server 2003.

The service version, available to paid customers, can run the front-end BellCommander application
under a standard user. In the service version, the application should be installed by an
administrator and the BellCommander Windows service will be installed and will run under the
service account. The front-end application can be ran by standard users and will interact with the
service for updating schedules, testing sounds and devices, and playing intercom announcements.
Software Licensing
BellCommander is typically priced in a three level tier with the Exstreamer units with the following
versions:

Exstreamer based systems

Small Network Version: 1-10 Exstreamer units.

Medium Network Version: Up to 50 Exstreamer units.

Large Network Version: More than 50 Exstreamer units (Recommended limit 200 units)

Each license covers a single site. For a district with multiple sites, each site/school should have a
license, even if BellCommander is centrally controlled.

The BellCommander Web Manager is priced separately. Larger customers who want to allow
multiple users to program schedules typically use the Web Manager.

Sound Card Versions

Sound Card Version – Plays scheduled sounds, such as bells, to a sound card in the PC
Standard running BellCommander

Sound Card Version with Adds emergency notification buttons/scripts for triggering audio
Emergency Notification alerts to the PC's sound card.

Multiple Sound Card Plays scheduled sounds to multiple zones using multiple sound cards
Version or a multi-output sound card.

Paging Station Client

The BellCommander Paging Station client allows pages to be sent from other PCs on the network
through BellCommander to specified zones with PC clients and Barix Exstreamer or Annuncicom
devices. The Paging Station retrieves the list of zones from BellCommander and allows the user to
choose one or more zones to send audio to. The user can either send live audio from a microphone
or send pre-recorded MP3 files.

This is based on quantity with discounts for quantities in excess of 10 units.

Web Manager
The BellCommander Web Manager is an add-on for BellCommander that allows schedules and zones
to be managed remotely by users with a web browser. The BellCommander Web Manager is an
ASP.NET 3.5 web application that communicates via a service to BellCommander to allow real-time
viewing and updating of schedules, zones, and sound sequences. Through the use of AJAX
technology, the Web Manager features an easy-to-use interface similar to the desktop application.
The Web Manager includes built-in password support and authorization can be modified in the
application's web.config.

A BellCommander Web Manager license should be purchased for each BellCommander server/site
license.

System Requirements:
Windows Server 2003, Server 2000, XP Pro, or Vista with IIS enabled
ASP.NET Framework 3.5 (free download from Microsoft)
1 GHz or higher processor recommended
512 MB minimum RAM recommended