Q-SYS 9.2.1

A number of changes affecting Software Dante have been introduced in v9.2:

• Software Dante now supports unicast clocking when enrolled in Dante Domain Manager.

• Software Dante RX and TX component names are now used to create Dante default channel names.

• Software Dante RX and TX component names are now limited to 28 characters. Combined with leading channel number (two digits plus a space), default channel names are 31 characters or less.

• Software Dante TX component channel labels are now called Names, which aligns with the latest Dante specifications. You can either specify a custom name or allow the system to generate a default name for each channel, which is the <channel number>[space]<component name> – for example, "01 MySoftwareDanteTX". Note that when upgrading an existing Software Dante design to Q-SYS 9.2, the current channel Names (formerly called Labels) remain intact to preserve existing subscriptions.

• Software Dante components now support Channel Groups in Dante Controller. Each Software Dante component appears in Dante Controller as a Channel Group using the component's name (as set in Properties). The Channel Group appears under the Device, which is the Q-SYS Core processor.

• Multicast flow channel allocation is now more efficient. In previous releases, a single Software Dante multicast flow consumed 8 channels by default. In Q-SYS 9.2 and later, a multicast flow only consumes the number of channels actually used. Note that this update only applies to Software Dante, not the CDN64 Dante Audio Bridge Card.

Refer to the Software Dante RX and Software Dante TX topics to learn more about these components.

• Dante component channel labels are now called Names, which aligns with the latest Dante specifications. You can either specify a custom name or allow the system to generate a default name for each channel, which is the channel number – for example, "04".

• In the Dante Out component > Config section, you can now click Reset All to clear all channel Names and reset Flows back to "Auto". This matches the same functionality as Software Dante TX.

• In the Dante In component > Subscriptions section, you can now click Clear All to clear all Devices and Channels for all output channels. This matches the same functionality as Software Dante RX.

• The Dante In component now supports browsing Channel Groups, same as Software Dante RX.

Refer to the Dante In and Dante Out topics to learn more about these updates.

The Timeline (BETA) component includes a new Pulldown Correction property for LTC time sources. Selecting 'Yes' allows the current time display to align with incoming 29.97 NDF (30 pull-down) LTC frame rates.

For designs using the NV-32-H (Core Capable), the Generic HDMI Display component now includes the ability to toggle display power via Consumer Electronics Control (CEC). You can also view display power status and set how often Q-SYS polls for that status. In addition, the new Auto Power control (in the Video tab) allows the existing HDMI Enable control to toggle the power of the connected HDMI display using the CEC on/off controls.

To learn more, see the Generic HDMI Display topic.

The performance of the AV Stream Router component has been improved with these changes and additions:

• Output selection is now via knobs and buttons.

• You can now group outputs into individual tabs, which is useful for organizing large quantities of outputs.

• A new Selection Controls property allows you to choose the type of control for selecting outputs: Knobs + Buttons, Knobs only, or Auto. The 'Auto' option is recommended and provides the best balance between component performance and control type.

To learn more about this component, see the AV Stream Router topic.

For NV-32-H streaming components, including HDMI I/O (Encoder and Decoder), Status, and System Link, a new Source Index property allows you to select how control indexes are determined. This affects how controls are referenced in scripting components, including Named Controls in Block Controller and Text Controller:

• Auto: (Default) Components in existing designs upgraded to Q-SYS v9.2.0 and later will continue to use a 0-based index. New components use a 1-based index, which matches the functionality of other Q-SYS components.

• 0-Based: The component will use a 0-based index, meaning that control indexing starts at 0. This is useful for maintaining consistency with other components and for re-using control scripts.

• 1-Based: The component will use a 1-based index, meaning that control indexing starts at 1. This matches the functionality of other Q-SYS components.

To see an example, refer to the Properties section of the HDMI I/O (NV-32-H), Status (NV-32-H), or System Link topics.

In preparation for future AV capabilities in Q-SYS, the Generic HDMI Source component has been renamed to Generic AV Source. The component is located within the Inventory > Video > Sources & Displays section. For existing designs that use the Generic HDMI Source component, the component will automatically use the new name when upgrading to version 9.2. No user updates are required.

To learn about this component, see the Generic AV Source topic.

The new UCI Controller is a User Control Interface (UCI) design feature that is an alternative method of building UCIs. The traditional method involves copying controls from design components into a UCI, which thus ties that UCI to the design. UCI Controller, however, allows you to build a UCI from a list of template control types (Toggle, Knob, etc.), link one or more controls to components in the design, and then write a dedicated Lua script for the UCI. The UCI, and its script, can then be easily copied, re-used, and modified as desired.

UCI Controller comprises these UI updates:

• Build – Use the Toolbox tab to drag controls into your UCI by control type.

• Link – Click the Link icon in the Layers tab to link a UCI control to a component control. Easily re-link or un-link later.

• Script – Click the UCI Script tab to write a custom Lua script specific to the UCI. Easily change the script to suit your needs, such as when duplicating a UCI for a different purpose. A Q-SYS Scripting Engine feature license is not required for building and running scripts contained within the UCI Script tab. (Some Lua methods are not supported.)

. To learn how to build a UCI with UCI Controller, see the UCI Controller [BETA] topic.

Note: This is a BETA feature. Though it is functional, it is not feature complete. QSC cannot provide support for this feature at this time, but is interested in your feedback. To provide feedback, send an email to Qsyscontrolfeedback@qsc.com.

A new Media Display control Presentation allows you to display a static image from a specified JSON-encoded URL within a UCI. Media support includes PNG, JPEG, and GIF images, and you can optionally specify how often the image is refreshed.

To learn more about this feature, including its requirements and configuration, see the new Media Display topic.

You can now reference icon fonts, which are icons that you can customize in CSS for color, size, and style. Two built-in fonts are included – foundation and material – but you can also reference custom font icons in the same way as custom fonts.

To learn how to reference font icons in your style, see Referencing Icon Fonts.

You can now define a style specific to a button that has been pressed, and optionally define whether that style is used depending on the button's value.

To see example usage for the :pressed selector, refer to Setting Pressed Button Styles.

You can now import a style into another style, resulting in a unified single style with combined classes, selectors, and variable definitions. For example, if one style contains an icon set that would be useful in another style, you can use @import to bring everything from the imported style into the base style.

For more information, and to see example usage, see Importing Styles.

The Ssh object now supports PKI-based authentication. You can specify a public key, private key, private key password, and certificate when connecting to clients requiring PKI authentication.

To learn more, see the Ssh topic.

The Ssh object now supports 'interactive mode' via a new .IsInteractive property. Set this property to 'true' if your client device requires interactive mode, which opens a PTY (Pseudoterminal).

To learn more, see the Properties table and Examples sections in the the Ssh topic.

The methods for viewing, loading, and saving snapshots in Lua scripts are now formally documented. You can learn about them in the new Snapshot topic.

The new Assets page provides a consolidated list of all devices (assets) within a selected Organization. You can easily view at-a-glance status, names, and categories of devices, as well as their associated Sites, Systems, locations, and, optionally, the details for each device.

• A new Q-SYS Reflect System Up-time website displays the current status of the Q-SYS Reflect servers, as well as availability percentages and service interruptions over time. You can also set up email notifications based on service downtime.

• In-app notifications provide information about system pre- and post-maintenance activities, including when planned maintenance is scheduled to occur, and what updates were performed (once complete).

In Q-SYS Core Manager and Enterprise Manager, the Network > Basic page now shows the Core's DHCP server-assigned DNS servers and search domains when the LAN Mode is set to 'Auto'. You can optionally specify additional DNS servers and search domains in either 'Auto' or 'Static' mode.

To learn more, see the Core Manager > Network > Basic topic.

In some corporate environments, a dedicated proxy server must be specified to reach the internet. In Q-SYS Core Manager and Enterprise Manager, you can now specify a proxy server and optional login credentials.

To learn more, see the Core Manager > Network > Basic topic.

In preparation for upcoming new features, the Core Manager and Enterprise Manager > Audio Files page is now called Files. It includes these UI updates:

• The Files page user interface now allows you to select one or more files and drag directly into a Playlist without having to select a check box first.

• Playlists have been moved to their own tab in the top-right of the interface.

• A new File Information tab displays selected file (or folder) information, including its type, location, size, creation date, and modification date.

To learn how to manage media on the Q-SYS Core processor, see the Core Manager > Files topic.

For greater security, the Q-SYS Designer Software > File > Preferences > Connection parameter has been removed, and the ability to force Designer to communicate with the Core using legacy, unencrypted HTTP is no longer available. Beginning with version 9.2.0, Q-SYS Designer will always communicate with the Core using secure HTTPS over TCP port 443.

Note: If you are upgrading a Q-SYS Core processor running a very old version of Q-SYS firmware that does not support HTTPS (versions prior to 7.1.2), you must first upgrade the Core to a version that supports HTTPS so that the Core can communicate with Designer v9.2.0 via HTTPS. Follow the upgrade steps in Upgrade Path Requirements for your version.

The Q-SYS Designer Software interface includes a modern new look, including freshened menus, fonts, and colors.

You can now switch between Light and Dark themes. Light mode is the traditional gray theme, while the new Dark mode provides a modern look and can help with eye strain in low-light conditions. Use the new Theme [BETA] preference in File > Preferences to toggle between the two. You can also temporarily switch themes by using the icon in the top-right of the Designer interface.

To learn more, see the Preferences topic.

Note: This is a BETA feature. Though it is functional, it is not feature complete. QSC cannot provide support for this feature at this time, but is interested in your feedback. To provide feedback, send an email to Qsyscontrolfeedback@qsc.com.

All sample design files are now available in Asset Manager, and older sample designs have been updated to work in version 9.2 and later. Once installed, sample designs are accessible from File > Open Sample Design.

Planned Deprecation: Q-SYS 9.3.0

Starting with Q-SYS Designer Software v9.3.0, QSC will introduce new features that improve camera imaging and USB Video Bridging performance and capabilities. To take full advantage of these new software features using the Core 110f’s onboard AV USB bridge, the cable infrastructure between the Core 110f’s USB device port (Type B) and the PC’s USB host port (Type A) must be USB 3.0 compatible, including the cable, port, and anything in between. If you choose to use USB 2.0 infrastructure after updating to v9.3.0, AV bridging performance will be limited to 360p. Note that this does not affect other Q-SYS bridging devices.

Planned Deprecation: Q-SYS 9.3.0

To increase the security of data transfers to and from the Core, the ability to upload, delete, and reference audio files via CGI scripts will no longer be supported. This impacts anyone using the existing Q-SYS PA Remote API (PARAPI) or other custom software using the cgi-bin calls. Use the new media-related Management APIs for audio file transfers instead, which allow for scripted API calls over secure HTTPS.

Planned Deprecation: Q-SYS 9.4.0

The ability to browse the /media file directory is being deprecated in favor of the Files page in Q-SYS Core Manager, where you can easily browse, upload, and download media files.

Planned Deprecation: Q-SYS 9.3.0

To increase the security of media file uploads and downloads to and from the Core, the ability to enable the FTP server on the Core will no longer be supported. Q-SYS Core Manager now provides a much richer user experience for media file management via the Files page. You can also use the new media-related Management APIs for audio file transfers, which allow for scripted API calls over secure HTTPS.

As part of the FTP server deprecation, the "Volatile Storage" feature will also be removed.

Planned Deprecation: Q-SYS 9.4.0

To increase the security of data transfers to and from the Core, the insecure HTTP protocol will no longer be supported. Transition all custom applications to secure HTTPS.

Note: By default, the Q-SYS Core processor and Q-SYS peripherals use self-signed certificates for HTTPS communication. This can cause some browsers, such as Chrome, to prompt you to accept the connection. To avoid this, you can install a CA-signed certificate, depending on your organization's security requirements. To learn how, see the Network > Certificates topic in the Core Manager section.

1. Upgrade to version 9.1.x.
2. Upgrade to version 9.2.x.

1. Upgrade to version 7.2.1.
2. Upgrade to version 9.1.x.
3. Upgrade to version 9.2.x.

1. Upgrade to version 7.2.1.
2. Save the design in QDS version 9.0.0 to upgrade the file format. (There is no need to upgrade the Core and peripherals to 9.0.0.)
3. Upgrade to version 9.1.x.
4. Upgrade to version 9.2.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. (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.)
2. Upgrade to version 7.2.1.
3. Save the design in QDS version 9.0.0 to upgrade the file format. (There is no need to upgrade the Core and peripherals to 9.0.0.)
4. Upgrade to version 9.1.x.
5. Upgrade to version 9.2.x.

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. Save the design in QDS version 9.0.0 to upgrade the file format. (There is no need to upgrade the Core and peripherals to 9.0.0.)
5. Upgrade to version 9.1.x.
6. Upgrade to version 9.2.x.

• Windows 8.1 PRO x64
• Windows 10 PRO x64

If you are using a high DPI monitor resolution, such as 4K60, you might need to adjust the Windows Compatibility settings so that Q-SYS Designer Software displays properly:

1. Right-click the Designer shortcut on the desktop and select Properties.
2. In the Compatibility tab, click the "Change high DPI settings" button.
3. In the DPI settings window, select the following:
   • Select "Use this setting to fix scaling problems...".
   • In the "Use the DPI..." drop-down menu, select "I open this program".
   • Select "Override high DPI scaling behavior".
   • In the "Scaling performed by" drop-down menu, select "Application".

Q-SYS Designer Software has been tested to work when running in a virtual Windows 10 environment via Parallels Desktop for Mac. Use the following test environment and settings as a guideline for your setup.

Mac Hardware

• Mac Mini
• 3.2 GHz 6 Core Intel I7 processor
• 16 GB RAM

MacOS

• Version: Catalina 10.15.7
• To preserve RDP access, disable Energy Saver.

Parallels

• Version: Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac
• To preserve RDP access, deselect Pause Windows.
• Make sure that Devices > Network > Bridged Network (Ethernet) > Ethernet is selected.
• Reserved RAM space for Windows 10: 8 GB

Windows 10 Virtual Environment

• Version: Windows 10 Enterprise
• To preserve RDP access, disable sleep settings.

Other Notes

• If you have no intent of using Remote Desktop (RDP), you can leave the sleep / Energy Saver settings for all three layers at their defaults.
• If you change any network settings (for example, switching network NICs), you must restart Parallels.
• Hard Links have not yet been tested in a virtual Windows installation.
• Big Sur (MacOS 11.1) has not yet been tested by QSC as a host MacOS version for a virtual Windows installation.

The Q-SYS Designer and Q-SYS Administrator installation programs automatically install the following components if not currently installed on the Windows PC. Internet access is required to download these dependencies.

• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (includes 2.0 SP2, 3.0, and 3.0 SP2)
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6 SP2
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8
• Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime 14.16 (2017)
• Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1
• Microsoft XML Parser 6.0

These web browsers are tested to work with Q-SYS Core Manager and Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager on Windows, MacOS, and Linux:

• Microsoft Edge

• Mozilla Firefox

• Google Chrome

• Apple Safari

Note: Internet Explorer is not supported.