Q-SYS 8.2.2

This topic covers release information for Q-SYS 8.2 and any maintenance releases.

For a list of known issues affecting this release, see the Known Issues page. (Online only)

Version 8.2.2 is a maintenance release of the Q-SYS platform. It primarily includes fixes to issues affecting version 8.2.1 and lower.

Resolved Known Issues

  • System: An issue that caused unnecessary system resource consumption through repeated design deployments has been resolved resulting in improved stability for large or complex systems.
  • System: An issue where Core Manager could become unresponsive on systems with a very large number of inventory items has been resolved.
  • System: An issue that could cause a design to stop running due to excessive event log writes has been resolved.
  • Control: With redundant Q-SYS Core processors, scripted TCP socket connections now remain open only on the Active Core.
  • Video: When powering off an NV-32-H (Decoder) that is receiving a multicast AV stream from an NV-32-H (Encoder), the Encoder now properly stops streaming to that Decoder.
  • Q-SYS Designer: Performance is improved when copying multiple controls at once from the schematic into a User Control Interface.
  • User Control Interfaces: If a design contains a very large number of User Control Interfaces or UCI Viewer instances, they now appear as expected in the iOS app and browser-based UCI viewer in Q-SYS Core Manager.

Other Updates

The DCIO-H (Digital Cinema Input/Output for Q-SYS) is now available to all users of Q-SYS Designer software. Formerly available only in Cinema-specific installations of Q-SYS Designer, the DCIO-H can be found in the Inventory menu within the Peripherals > Audio I/O category. For more information, see DCIO / DCIO-H.

Version 8.2.1 is a maintenance release of the Q-SYS platform. It includes fixes to issues affecting version 8.2.0 and lower.

Resolved Known Issues

  • System: Stability is improved for large, complex, or redundant systems previously affected by reduced CPU overhead caused by necessary changes introduced in version 7.2.1.
  • Audio: AES67 streams resume as expected after the rare circumstance that the transmitted stream goes missing or changes at the same time as a receiving Core reboot.
  • Audio: It is once again possible to set the Open threshold higher than >150Ω for generic 70/100 V speakers. The upper end of the range is now >1.50kΩ.
  • Video: An issue that caused the NV-32-H video stream to fail after a period of time has been resolved.

Version 8.2.0 includes these new features, updates, and resolved known issues.

Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager

Q-SYS 8.2.0 is the first release to support Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager.

Enterprise Manager offers a remote management and monitoring solution for AV systems. It leverages Q-SYS technology to provide visibility and control of all AV devices (including native and third party devices) across your estate in real-time, securely, from anywhere in the world. It can also connect to other IT platforms to enable your AV data to add value to those other IT systems for far deeper, actionable insights across your enterprise.

To learn more about Enterprise Manager, and to create a subscription, go to qsc.com/reflect.

More resources:

  • Click here to log in to Enterprise Manager.
  • Click here to view the Enterprise Manager Help.

Inventory / Q-SYS Hardware

Use the Monitoring Proxy component to allow a 3rd party device to report its status to the Status > Inventory list, which is viewable not only in Q-SYS Core Manager, but remotely in Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager. In addition, you can use the component to trigger custom log events – for example, from a scripted component.

To learn more, see Monitoring Proxy.

The Q-SYS Core 110f processor and NV-32-H Network Video Endpoint include a new HID Conferencing Controller inventory component. Use this component to control a conferencing application, such as Skype for Business, on a remote computer connected to one of these Q-SYS devices with a USB A/B cable.

To learn more, see HID Conferencing Controller [BETA].

Note: Skype for Business for Mac computers is currently incompatible with the HID Conferencing Controller. Zoom functionality on both Mac and PC is pending whitelisting by Zoom.

Note: This is a BETA component. Though it is functional, it is not feature complete and must not be relied upon in production environments. QSC cannot provide support for this component at this time, but is interested in your feedback. To provide feedback, send an email to qsyscontrolfeedback@qsc.com.

The HID Keyboard and HID Media Control components are now officially supported and no longer in BETA. In addition to existing support on the Q-SYS Core 110f processor, these components are now included as inventory items for the NV-32-H Network Video Endpoint.

To learn more, see HID Keyboard and HID Media Control.

Q-SYS 8.2.0 includes these updates and enhancements to the NV-32-H:

  • The Generic HDMI Source and Generic HDMI Display component Is Required property now defaults to 'No'. This prevents an error from appearing in the system log whenever an HDMI device is disconnected. Instead, the status appears as "Not Present".
  • If an HDMI device is disconnected, its extended status is now easier to understand. Generic HDMI sources report "No source connection detected (+5v)", and generic HDMI displays report "No display connection detected (HPD)".
  • If an HDMI source device's video format is not compatible with the NV-32-H, this is now clearly indicated in the Generic HDMI Source status and on the display itself.

    Note: The NV-32-H supports RGB 4:4:4 video sources.

  • If the NV-32-H is connected to a switch port with a speed slower than the required 1000 Mbps (1 gigabit) Ethernet, this now produces a "Fault - link speed" error in the NV-32-H Status component.

Redundant Q-SYS CDN64 Dante I/O cards are now supported by the latest version of Dante Domain Manager, DDM 1.1.0 (which is supported by Dante firmware 4.2.0).

For more information, see I/O Card Redundancy.

The TSC-8 touch screen controller is no longer available from the Inventory menu. Existing designs that include the TSC-8 no longer compile.

Control and Scripting

The Panel Type parameter in the User Control Interface Properties now includes these new types:

  • iPad Pro 12.9, 10.5
  • iPad Pro 9.7, Air 2
  • iPhone 11 Pro, X, Xs
  • iPhone 11, 11 Pro Max, Xs Max, Xr
  • iPhone 8, 7, 6s
  • iPhone 8+, 7+, 6s+

The Debug Output window includes multiple enhancements:

  • New buttons for deleting and copying all output to the clipboard.
  • New button for pausing window content from scrolling, which is useful for scripts that generate a high rate of output.
  • New drop-down menu for viewing output in normal and hex format.
  • New option for auto-saving script output to a designated text file every time new data is written.

To learn more, see Debug Output.

Use the new Component.GetControls method to obtain a list of all controls for a Named Component.

To learn more, see the Component Lua topic.

Asset Manager and Plugins

All QSC-authored plugins have been updated to support monitoring capability in Enterprise Manager. With the new Is Managed property, you can add the plugin to your Inventory list and have its status appear in the Status > Inventory list in Core Manager and Enterprise Manager. Status changes (for example, 'OK' to 'FAULT') generate events that are displayed in the Event Log as well as Alerts that appear in the Alerts table and optional Notification emails.

To learn more, see Adding Plugins to the Inventory.

Plugins that have been installed from Asset Manager now appear under an Asset Manager folder within the Schematic Elements > Plugins category. Plugins that are manually installed by the user (.qplug files) still appear under the User folder.

To learn more, see Plugins.

A new Show Debug property is included with all QSC-published plugins. When enabled, a Debug Output window appears under the plugin control panel so you can monitor any print output or see scripting errors.

To learn more, see Plugin Properties.

Other Updates

  • New icons in the Q-SYS Designer menu bar provide quick access to Administrator, Configurator, and Asset Manager.
  • Q-SYS Core Manager and the Q-SYS Help now open in your computer's default web browser.

Resolved Known Issues

  • Audio: Gain components with Ramp Controls enabled, and stored in Snapshots with a ramp time specified, now recall and ramp correctly.
  • Audio-Video I/O > NV-32-H: Audio quality on HDMI displays is now improved when listening through the display's built-in speakers or headphone jack.
  • Audio-Video I/O > NV-32-H: HDMI I/O Encoder and Decoder, Generic HDMI Source, and Generic HDMI Display components now behave as expected when placed into Container components.
  • Audio-Video I/O > NV-32-H: "Display Not Wired" no longer appears in the Encoder and Decoder control panel if a display is wired to one of those components.
  • Audio-Video I/O > NV-32-H: Selecting a multicast source using a Decoder's 'Active' LED control pin now works as expected.
  • Core Manager: It is now possible to create and edit users on the Users page for a redundant Core that is currently in standby.
  • User Control Interface: Images now display properly in TSC touch screens and UCI Viewer when the background-size property in custom CSS styles does not have both width and height defined or when the 'auto' value is used.

Q-SYS 8.x releases include the new Q-SYS Core Manager, which replaces many Q-SYS Administrator functions and all Q-SYS Configurator functions for Q-SYS Core processors.

Read the following sections carefully before upgrading to or downgrading from Q-SYS 8.x. See the Upgrade Path Requirements section for special requirements when upgrading from specific versions.

Design File Compatibility

CAUTION: Before upgrading, save a backup copy of system designs.

Design files saved in version 8.x cannot be opened in Q-SYS version 7.2 or lower.

About Q-SYS Core Manager

Q-SYS Core Manager replaces most Q-SYS Administrator functions and all Q-SYS Configurator functions for Q-SYS Core processors.

  • UCI user PINs, event log management, audio file management, SNMP configuration, and camera management have all moved from Q-SYS Administrator to Q-SYS Core Manager.
  • Configuration of LAN adapters, changing the Q-SYS Core's time and date, rebooting the Core, downloading logs, installing Q-SYS Feature Licenses, and configuring Network Services are all now handled within Core Manager.

To learn how to access Q-SYS Core Manager after upgrading, and to see a list of all its management functions, see Q-SYS Core Manager.

Core Device Passwords

CAUTION: After upgrading, the Q-SYS Core is unprotected. To restrict access to the Q-SYS Core, you must create users and assign permissions in Q-SYS Core Manager.

The Core Device Password is not used in Q-SYS 8.x, and has been replaced with individual users and passwords configured in Q-SYS Core Manager. The Core Device Password is not automatically converted to a user in Q-SYS Core Manager.

  • Before upgrading, use Q-SYS Configurator to clear the Core Device Password to avoid being prompted for user credentials. If you are prompted for user credentials when upgrading, use "admin" for User Name, followed by the Core Device Password.
  • The ability to 'Save to Core & Run' (including firmware updates), and 'Load from Core & Connect' are restricted by Q-SYS Core Manager Access Control. Only users with 'Administrator' and 'Technician' roles can perform these actions.
  • Peripheral Device Passwords are unchanged in Q-SYS 8.x.

To learn how to enable Access Control and create users in Q-SYS Core Manager, see the Users topic in the Q-SYS Core Manager help.

User Control Interface PIN Protection

CAUTION: To restrict UCI access after upgrading, you must create new PINs and assign them to UCIs in Q-SYS Core Manager.

User Control Interface (UCI) access control via Q-SYS Administrator users is removed when upgrading to Q-SYS 8.x. To learn how to create PINs and assign them to UCIs in Q-SYS Core Manager, see the User Control Interfaces topic in the Q-SYS Core Manager help.

Redundant Core Configuration

Core Users

In Q-SYS 8.x, Core users (created in Q-SYS Core Manager) are not synchronized between redundant Q-SYS Cores. In a redundant Core setup, you must enable Access Control and create users on both the primary and secondary Core. (User names do not have to be the same).

Event Logging

In previous Q-SYS versions, Q-SYS Administrator merged the Eventlog for each active/standby pair in a redundant Core configuration, which made it difficult to diagnose complex issues across a pair of Cores. In Q-SYS 8.x, the Eventlogs are no longer merged, so you can now view each Core's Eventlog separately to see what events occurred while Active. (No events are recorded on the Core when in Standby state.)

Q-SYS Administrator Changes

Access Control

Access to Q-SYS Administrator is now governed by Q-SYS Core Manager users and user roles:

  • If Access Control is enabled, only users with 'Administrator' or 'Technician' roles can use Q-SYS Administrator and its functions.
  • If Access Control is disabled, anyone can access Q-SYS Administrator and all of its functions.
  • Page-by-page access control is no longer supported in Q-SYS Administrator.

To learn how to control access in Q-SYS Core Manager, see the Users topic in the Q-SYS Core Manager help.

Function Migration to Q-SYS Core Manager

UCI user PINs, event log management, audio file management, SNMP configuration, and camera management have moved to Q-SYS Core Manager.

The following functions remain in Q-SYS Administrator in version 8.x:

  • PA administrative functions, including PA Global Settings, Page Stations, PA Zones, Commands, and Command Scheduling.
  • PIN users for Page Stations, External Control Protocol, and File Management Protocol.

Audio File Management

In Q-SYS 8.x, audio file management is available in the new Q-SYS Core Manager > Audio Files page.

Note: The ability to manage audio files is determined by Q-SYS Core Manager permissions. If Access Control is enabled, any user with the Administrator or Technician role can manage audio files. If Access Control is disabled, anyone can manage audio files.

To learn how to manage audio files in Q-SYS Core Manager, see the Audio Files topic in the Q-SYS Core Manager help.

Emulation Mode Changes

Q-SYS Core Manager is not accessible from Q-SYS Designer when running a design in Emulation mode. Core Manager can always be accessed via network connection and web browser.

Design-specific parameters that remain in Q-SYS Administrator (PA Global Settings, Page Stations, PA Zones, Commands, and Command Scheduling) are still accessible in Emulation mode.

Downgrade Requirements and Considerations

If you choose to downgrade from Q-SYS 8.x to an earlier version, note the following:

  • Before downgrading, disable Access Control in Q-SYS Core Manager, or create an Administrator user called "admin". Earlier Q-SYS versions will prompt for the "admin" password (but not the username) when saving and running the design.

    Note: Disabling Access Control removes all Q-SYS 8.x users from the Q-SYS Core. If you do not disable Access Control, these users are retained (but are not used) on the Q-SYS Core after downgrading. If you later decide to upgrade again, you will need to remember these credentials.

  • In the earlier Q-SYS version and design file, open Administrator and temporarily set the Guest account Administrator parameter to 'Yes' and the Load from Core & Connect parameter to 'Yes'. After downgrading, you can set these parameters back to 'No', if desired.
  • Downgrading the Q-SYS Core to previous firmware does not automatically restore legacy UCI PIN protection for UCIs. You must load a backed up design file, saved with a previous Q-SYS version, that has UCI protection enabled in Q-SYS Administrator.

Note the following requirements when upgrading to release 8.x. In all cases, Q-SYS Core processors and peripherals must be at version 7.2.1 before upgrading to 8.x.

CAUTION: Designs you create or update with a newer Q-SYS Designer version and then open in an older version are likely to be incompatible and unusable with the older version of software. Before upgrading, create backup copies of your Q-SYS design files for both the current version and older versions, and back up all media on your Q-SYS Core processor. To avoid overwriting design file backups, do not open backup files with newer versions of Q-SYS Designer.

If you are upgrading from versions 7.2.0, 7.1.x, 7.0.x, 6.2.x, or 6.1.x:

  1. Upgrade to version 7.2.1.
  2. Upgrade to version 8.x.

If you are upgrading from version 5.4.x, 5.3.x, 5.2.x, 5.1.x, or 5.0.x:

  1. Upgrade to version 6.0.0. See the version 6.0.0 Release Notes for upgrade requirements for that version.
  2. Upgrade to version 7.2.1.
  3. Upgrade to version 8.x.

Note: There is no need to update peripherals to version 6.0.0 in advance of updating to 7.2.1. Once the Q-SYS Core is running 7.2.1, it will update connected peripherals running version 5.x to version 7.2.1.

If you are upgrading from a version earlier than 4.2:

  1. Upgrade to version 4.2. See the version 4.2 Release Notes for upgrade requirements for that version.
  2. Upgrade to version 6.0.0. See the version 6.0.0 Release Notes for upgrade requirements for that version.
  3. Upgrade to version 7.2.1.
  4. Upgrade to version 8.x.

For software and firmware updates, see the QSC Software and Firmware page.

Operating System

  • Windows 7 PRO 64-bit
  • Windows 8.1 PRO 64-bit
  • Windows 10 PRO 64-bit

Installation Dependencies

The Q-SYS Designer installation program automatically installs the following components if not currently installed on the Windows PC. Some components require internet access for installation.

  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (includes 2.0 SP2, 3.0, and 3.0 SP2)*
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6 SP2*
  • Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime 14.1 update 1 (2015)*
  • Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1
  • Microsoft XML Parser 6.0

* Internet connection required.

Q-LAN relies on the performance of modern network switches to ensure real-time delivery and synchronicity of media streams across all connected Q-SYS devices. See Network Switches to understand your options in choosing a network switch, as well as the requirements for compatibility with Q-LAN.

Q-SYS Designer release numbering convention is a three-level system – major release.minor release.build number (2.2.100). Larger numbers indicate a newer release. If the "major.minor" release number of a design file and Q-SYS Designer software are the same, the "build" number doesn't matter. You will have to upgrade/downgrade your hardware to the same "build" number as the Q-SYS Designer software to Run the design on the Core processor.

You cannot open a design file with a newer "major.minor" release number than the Q-SYS Designer software. For example, you cannot open a 4.2.nnn design file with 3.3.nnn Q-SYS Designer software.

You can open a design file with an older "major.minor" release number than the Q-SYS Designer software. For example, you can open a 3.3.nnn design file with Release 4.2.nnn Q-SYS Designer software. If you save the file with the newer software, you cannot save it back to an older release.

Note: Make sure your design files are backed up using your current release before starting the upgrade to a newer release.