LYNX Series 5000 - October 2013 October 2013 | Page 6

Auto Control – System Automation
Auto Control for APPolo is a radical advancement for infrastructure control and automation. Most facilities
use automation yet generally do not have the ability to automate static terminal equipment. Auto Control
adds automation and programmable intelligence inside the terminal equipment, which enables automatic
recon?guration of the modules functions, signal routing and internal signal processing, This opens up an
entirely new layer of power and ?exibility to automated facility control.

APPolo also includes Backup and Restore. This utility lets users manually backup the system to a ?le. The
backup can be as simple as a single module backup or a complete global system backup including all
connected modules and racks. This is particularly useful for systems that are multi-use and need to be
con?gured differently for certain productions or events. Simply store the system con?guration inside APPolo as
a backup, and restore at a later time to re-apply the system con?guration.

APPolo monitors every module’s internal status and con?guration, every input and output in terms of
presence and video format, plus multiple external GPI inputs in the system. Based on these input parameters,
the user can program an automatic conditional “action” using logical functions.
A simple example: The video input to a module has embedded audio present, however the embedded audio
from AES1 could be dropped or go missing depending on the input signal received. The user would like to
automatically embed an external audio input if the SDI input is missing audio.
With APPolo Auto Control, the solution is simple. Program APPolo to monitor the embedded AES 1 input
stream on the selected video input. If audio is present, the system will do nothing and transparently pass the
audio to the output. If the AES 1 audio is missing, the system will automatically recon?gure the module and
route an external audio input to the AES1 channel on the embedder and embed new audio.
There is virtually no limit to the automation that APPolo offers! From a very simple action to an incredibly
complex series of events that span multiple modules in multiple rack frames in several locations,

APPolo automation is only limited by your imagination.

Error Logging and Maintenance
A comprehensive error log is maintained within APPolo, which can be fully user-con?gured for each
individual module. Each time an event occurs (e.g. input is missing or something changed), the event is time
stamped and recorded in the event log.

System Backup
The System Backup function is often overlooked for terminal equipment settings yet is vital to a well
functioning solution. We offer two layers of backup. One is fully automatic and designed for maintenance use,
and the other is designed for storing and recalling complete system con?gurations.
Complex signal processing modules may have more than 700 user-con?gurable settings. Once a module
is set up, con?guration is easily forgotten. Should the module develop a problem and need to be replaced,
re-con?guring the new module can be rather time consuming, resulting in increased downtime. LYNX Technik
APPolo includes HotSync Backup, which is an automated process that runs in the background. Each APPolo
rack controller automatically takes an inventory of the installed modules and stores all the module settings
inside the controller RAM. If the module con?guration changes, the backup is automatically updated. No user
interaction is required, and the backup is always 100% up to date. If the module fails and a new module is
inserted, the system detects the new module and automatically restores all the settings from the last backup.
This only takes seconds.
All you have to do is switch it on and forget it.
APPolo takes care of the rest.

The APPolo system can be con?gured to communicate with LYNX Technik engineering servers. When a
?rmware update is available, the user is noti?ed within APPolo, and the module can be updated with the click
of a mouse. If a speci?c module or the APPolo system ever exhibits a problem, the user can invoke a function
to gather all pertinent technical information and internal log ?les from the system and automatically email the
information to LYNX support for investigation and resolution.

Try it for yourself!

APPolo is the heart and brain of the LYNX Technik Series | 5000 product line. It is simple to install, easy to
operate, and inexpensive. In fact, the basic APPolo software package is included free with the purchase of
a rack controller. Test it out for yourself! Download APPolo from the LYNX Technik website www.lynx-technik.
com. Th