Softphone Component

VIDEO TUTORIAL: Video tutorial available online for Making an AEC/Softphone Design.

The Q-SYS Softphone gives you the ability to connect to a Voice-over-IP telephone system (IP-PBX) or SIP-based devices. The Softphones tab in the Administrator facilitates registration with IP-PBX systems (such as Cisco CUCM, FreeSwitch, etc.). In addition, you can use the Softphone component in unregistered mode, which allows making ad-hoc IP-to-IP calls and connecting to other non-registered SIP-compatible equipment.

Q-SYS uses software to implement the Softphone, allowing multiple VoIP endpoints in a single Q-SYS design. In addition, the software implementation allows the Softphone to operate without telephony hardware. Q-SYS supports most ITU standard Codecs. Refer to the Administrator Softphone topic for details.

The Q-SYS Softphone is a VoIP/SIP system, and directly supports digital phone systems and direct VoIP calls. To connect to an analog system, you can use an FXO Gateway that has analog POTS inputs, a network output, and can be configured to route incoming analog to the Q-SYS Softphone.

The limit on the number Softphone components that can be placed in a design is: Core 110f = 2, all other Cores = 64.

A single Softphone consists of the following:

Status component - This component is the controlling component. It has a numeric keypad, displays the incoming call information, has various controls including Do-not-disturb, Auto Answer, Dial, Hang-up, and displays status information.
Softphone In component - This component provides and controls the audio input signal from the incoming call.
Softphone Out component - This component provides the audio output connection and controls the outgoing audio signal level.
Softphone configuration (Q-SYS Administrator) - This is where you enter the Softphone SIP parameters. These settings are available once a Softphone is in the Q-SYS design.

Below is a very simple illustration of how you can set up the Q-SYS Softphone in a design; there are a number of other ways.

To enhance your Q-SYS Softphone implementation, you can add various components from the Schematic Library. Below is another conference-room implementation, using the Q-SYS Acoustic Echo Canceler component. This particular design is available on the QSC Training website.

Controls

SoftPhone Status Component

Dialer Tab

Control	Function	Default/Range
Dial String	The number of the phone or device you are calling. This number is a text string entered by either the Keypad, keyboard, or using the Dial String Control Pin.	N/A
Backspace key	The Backspace key deletes the last character typed, and can continue deleting one character at a time.	N/A
Clear key	The clear key (X) clears the entire Outgoing dial digits field.	N/A
Progress	Displays the CID number, the CID name (if available), and the call status of the incoming call. You can display these separately using the corresponding Control pins.	N/A
DND button (do not disturb)	Activating the DnD feature causes Q-SYS to ignore any incoming calls. If connected to an IP-PBX, that system handles the response given to the incoming caller. For example, busy signal, message, and so on.	Off / On
Disconnect button (Hang Up/Ignore)	Press this button to disconnect the call.	N/A
Connect button (Dial/Answer )	Enter the Outgoing dial string then press this button to initiate the call. If there is an incoming call, press this button to answer the call.	N/A
Off Hook LED	This LED indicates that your call is active. It lights when the call is connected, and goes off when you press the Hang Up key or the line is disconnected.	Off / On
Ringing LED	LED indicates that there is an incoming call, or there is an outgoing call waiting for the called party to answer.	Off / On
Call Control Call Connect Time	Digital readout of the time the call has been connected.	N/A
Hook Flash	Simulates a quick Off Hook, On Hook, Off Hook sequence. This causes the PBX to start some feature of the PBX.	N/A
Auto Answer button	Enables and disables the Auto Answer feature. The button illuminates when the feature is active.	Off / On
after # rings	This parameter sets the number of rings before the Auto Answer feature answers the call. NOTE: This control acts like a knob - click and drag to change, or key in the number of rings.
Keypad	This is a standard 12-key numeric keypad used to key in the Outgoing dial digits, or send DTMF while off hook. For example, you can enter additional numbers to navigate an answering system.
Recent Calls	List of recent calls.
Clear	Clears recent call list.
Status LED	Multi-color LED giving the status of the Softphone.
Status	This is a text field displaying details of the status of the Softphone. The color of this field matches the color of the LED.

Tone Control Tab

NOTE: Ring Tone files – Q-SYS has a default set of ring tone .wav files in the Ringtones directory. You can access these files through the Administrator > Audio Files > Ringtones. You can add files of your choice in either .wav or .mp3 file format.

Control	Function	Default/Range
Ring Tone
Enable	Enables the ring tone for incoming calls. This also configures the ring-back tone on outgoing calls. If the far end of the outgoing call provides a ring tone, that tone overrides this configuration.	Off / On
Gain (dB)	Sets the level of the incoming call ring tone and, for outgoing calls, this sets the level of the ring-back tone.	Default -20 Range = -100 to 0
Filename	Specifies the file to play for the incoming call's ring tone, and outgoing call's ring-back tone.	User selectable
Entry Tone
Enable	Enables the entry tone for incoming calls. The entry tone indicates that the incoming call has been Auto-answered.	Off / On
Gain (dB)	Sets the level of the incoming call entry tone.	Default = -20.0 Range = -100 to 0
Filename	Specifies the file to play for the incoming call's entry tone.	User selectable
Exit Tone
Enable	Enables the exit tone for incoming calls. The exit tone indicates that the incoming call has been disconnected (hung up).	Off / On
Gain (dB)	Sets the level of the incoming call exit tone.	Default = -20.0 Range = -100 to 0
Filename	Specifies the file to play for the incoming call's exit tone.	User selectable
DTMF Local Playback
Enable	Enables the playback of the DTMF digits sent from your Core.	Off / On
Tone Gain	Sets the level of the DTMF tones sent from your Core.	Default = -10.0 Range = ‑63.0 to 0
Filename	Specifies the file to play DTMF Tones.	User selectable

Properties

When you give name and location to any one of the three Softphone components, it gives the other two components the same Properties.

Property	Function	Choices
Name	The Name identifies the Softphone component in Q-SYS Designer. The name must follow standard naming conventions. The Administrator restricts the name according to the following: ASCII characters a - z, A-Z (case insensitive) Digits 0 - 9 Hyphen (cannot be at the beginning or end of the name) Underscore (acceptable with a Q-SYS implementation) You cannot use any other characters, symbols, punctuation, or blank spaces. When you have entered the Name, it displays next to the Softphone icon in the Inventory list, and on the component in the Schematic.	User input
Location	The Location is a means by which you can organize your virtual equipment to correspond to your physical equipment. The Softphone has no physical equipment, so you may want to group this with the Core running the related design. Click in the Location property, the "Default Location" highlights. Type the name of the new location. Once you have entered the new Location name, it is available on the pull-down for the Location property, in addition, the Location lists the Softphone.	User input
Tone Output	When set to Yes, this creates a new output on the POTS In component. Tones such as Entry, Exit, and Ring tones are sent to the new audio output. This separates the voice audio from tone audio and gives you the ability to treat the tone audio differently from the voice audio.	Yes / No

Property

Function

Choices

Name

The Name identifies the Softphone component in Q-SYS Designer.

The name must follow standard naming conventions. The Administrator restricts the name according to the following:

ASCII characters a - z, A-Z (case insensitive)

Digits 0 - 9

Hyphen (cannot be at the beginning or end of the name)

Underscore (acceptable with a Q-SYS implementation)

You cannot use any other characters, symbols, punctuation, or blank spaces.

When you have entered the Name, it displays next to the Softphone icon in the Inventory list, and on the component in the Schematic.

User input

Location

The Location is a means by which you can organize your virtual equipment to correspond to your physical equipment. The Softphone has no physical equipment, so you may want to group this with the Core running the related design. Click in the Location property, the "Default Location" highlights. Type the name of the new location. Once you have entered the new Location name, it is available on the pull-down for the Location property, in addition, the Location lists the Softphone.

User input

Tone Output

When set to Yes, this creates a new output on the POTS In component. Tones such as Entry, Exit, and Ring tones are sent to the new audio output. This separates the voice audio from tone audio and gives you the ability to treat the tone audio differently from the voice audio.

Yes / No

Control Pins

Status Component

Pin Name	Value	String	Position	Pins Available
Call Control Auto answer	0 1	off on	0 1	Input / Output
Call Control Auto answer Rings	0 to 99	0 to 99	0.00 to 1.00	Input / Output
Call Control Backspace	Trigger			Input / Output
Call Control Clear	Trigger			Input / Output
Call Control Connect	Trigger			Input / Output
Call Control Dial String	Text Edit Field			Input / Output
Call Control Disconnect	Trigger			Input / Output
Call Control Do Not Disturb	0 1	off on	0 1	Input / Output
Call History Clear Call History	Trigger			Input / Output
Call History Recent Calls	Text Field			Output
Call Status
Call Status Call Details	Text Field			Output
Call Status Call Progress	Text Field			Output
Call Status Caller ID Date/Time	Text Field			Output
Call Status Caller ID Name	Text Field			Output
Call Status Caller ID Number	Text Field			Output
Call Status Off Hook	0 1	false true	0 1	Output
Call Status Ring (trigger)	Trigger			Output
Call Status Ringing (state)	0 1	false true	0 1	Output
Call Status Status	Text Field			Output
Configuration Entry Tone Enable	1 0	enabled disabled	1 0	Input / Output
Configuration Entry Tone Filename	Text			Input / Output
Configuration Entry Tone Gain	-100 to 0	-100dB to 0dB	0.00 to 1.00	Input / Output
Configuration Exit Tone Enable	1 0	enabled disabled	1 0	Input / Output
Configuration Exit Tone Filename	Text			Input / Output
Configuration Exit Tone Gain	-100 to 0	-100dB to 0dB	0.00 to 1.00	Input / Output
Configuration Local DTMF Echo Enable	1 0	enabled disabled	1 0	Input / Output
Configuration Local DTMF Echo Gain	-63 to 0	-163dB to 0dB	0.00 to 1.00
Configuration Ringing Tone Enable	1 0	enabled disabled	1 0	Input / Output
Configuration Ringing Tone Filename	Text			Input / Output
Configuration Ringing Tone Gain	-100 to 0	-100dB to 0dB	0.00 to 1.00	Input / Output
DTMF In	Text Edit Field			Input / Output
DTMF Out	Text Field			Output
Pin Pad characters (One control pin for each character.)	Trigger button input causes the triggered character to display in the Dial String field.			Input / Output

In Component

Pin Name	Value	String	Position	Pins Available
Input Gain	-100 to 20	-100 dB to 20 dB	0.000 to 1.00	Input / Output
Input Invert	0 1	normal invert	0 1	Input / Output
Input Mute	0 1	unmute mute	0 1	Input / Output
Input Peak Level	-100 to 20	-100 dB to 20 dB	0.000 to 1.00	Input / Output

Out Component

Pin Name	Value	String	Position	Pins Available
Clip	0 1	false true	0 1	Input / Output
Clip Hold	0 1	false true	0 1	Input / Output
Output Gain	-100 to 20	-100 dB to 20 dB	0.000 to 1.00	Input / Output
Output Invert	0 1	normal invert	0 1	Input / Output
Output Mute	0 1	unmute mute	0 1	Input / Output
Output Peak Level	-100 to 20	-100 dB to 20 dB	0.000 to 1.00	Input / Output

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Acronym / Abbreviation	Explanation
CID	Caller ID
DTMF	Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (for digital systems, this is numbers, not tones)
FXO	Foreign eXchange Office
PBX	Private Branch exchange
POTS	Plain Old Telephone System (Analog)
PSTN	Public Switched Telephone Network
SIP	Session Initiation Protocol
VoIP	Voice over Internet Protocol
VoIP‐PBX	Digital version of the Private Branch exchange (Other abbreviations include IP-PBX, and IPBX.)

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