The Hardware section is where you configure the physical devices that connect to your computer. PlayIt Live supports these types of hardware interfaces:

Click Add New to configure a new hardware device. Each hardware device must be properly configured before you can create Named Outputs or Named Inputs that use it.

 

 

When you add or edit a hardware device, you'll configure its connection settings and communication parameters. The available settings depend on the hardware type you select.

Type: Select the hardware interface type:

Name: A descriptive name for this hardware device (e.g., "Serial", "Studio Controller", "Main GPIO"). This name will appear in dropdown menus when creating Named Outputs and Named Inputs.

Disabled: Check this box to temporarily disable the hardware device without deleting its configuration. While disabled, the device will not communicate with PlayIt Live, and any Named Outputs or Inputs using this hardware will not function.

The Setup section contains connection parameters specific to the hardware type selected. Configuration options vary by hardware type:

 

COM Port: Select the serial port your device is connected to (e.g., COM1, COM3). Click Refresh to update the list of available ports if you've just connected your device.

Baud Rate: Communication speed in bits per second. Common values are 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, and 115200. Must match your device's configuration. Default: 9600.

Data Bits: Number of data bits per character. Typically 8 for modern devices. Options: 5, 6, 7, or 8.

Parity: Error checking method. Options: None, Odd, Even, Mark, or Space. Most devices use None.

Stop Bits: Number of stop bits signaling the end of a byte. Options: 0, 1, 1.5, or 2. Most devices use 1.

Flow Control: Hardware or software flow control for managing data transmission. Most simple devices use None.

Encoding: Character encoding for text communication. Options include ASCII, and UTF8. Default: ASCII.

Read Timeout: Maximum time (in milliseconds) to wait for incoming data before timing out. Default: 1000 ms.

Write Timeout: Maximum time (in milliseconds) to wait when sending data before timing out. Default: 1000 ms.

 

Broadcast Tools devices use a simplified serial configuration:

 

COM Port: Select the serial port your Broadcast Tools device is connected to. Click Refresh to update the available ports.

Baud Rate: Communication speed. Default is 9600, which is standard for most Broadcast Tools equipment. Adjust only if your device is configured differently.

Read Timeout: Maximum time (in milliseconds) to wait for responses from the device. Default: 1000 ms.

Write Timeout: Maximum time (in milliseconds) to wait when sending commands. Default: 1000 ms.

 

Broadcast Tools devices typically use standardised protocols, so additional serial parameters (data bits, parity, stop bits) are pre-configured automatically.

 

X-Keys USB devices connect directly via USB and require minimal configuration:

 

Specific Unit ID: Check this box and enter a Unit ID number if you have multiple X-Keys devices connected to the same computer. This allows PlayIt Live to target a specific device when multiple units are present. Leave unchecked if you only have one X-Keys device connected. Enable and set a unique ID (1, 2, 3, etc.) for each device when using multiple units. The Unit ID must match the ID configured on your X-Keys hardware

 

X-Keys devices are plug-and-play USB devices and do not require COM port or baud rate configuration.

 

Named Outputs are commands that PlayIt Live sends TO your external hardware devices. Each output represents a specific action your hardware should perform, such as turning on a light, activating a relay, or switching equipment states.

 

When you create a Named Output, you specify:

 

Named Outputs can be triggered by Scheduled Events (Use the "Trigger Output" scheduled event action) within Manage > Scheduled Events or within a Scheduled Event Action item in the playout log.

 

Common examples include controlling on-air indicators, activating recording equipment or switching audio sources.

 

 

 

When you click Add New or Edit in the Named Outputs section, you'll configure the following settings:

 

Select which configured hardware device will receive this output command. The dropdown lists all hardware devices you've configured in the Hardware section. You must configure at least one hardware device before you can create Named Outputs.

 

A descriptive, human-readable name for this output that appears throughout PlayIt Live's interface. This name is displayed when selecting outputs in scheduled events and other PlayIt Live features.

 

A unique identifier used to reference this output in scheduled event actions and API calls. It must be unique across all Named Outputs. Click Reset to automatically generate a unique ID based on the Output Name you entered.

 

Important: If you change the Output ID after it's already being used, a warning dialog will appear: "Changing the output ID will affect any scheduled event actions or API calls that use this ID."

Any existing scheduled events or playout log items referencing the old Output ID will no longer work and must be manually updated. Only change the Output ID if absolutely necessary.

 

The Command field contains the exact text string that will be sent to the hardware device when this output is triggered. This is the actual data transmitted to your device.

 

You can include special character sequences to send non-printable characters:

 

\r — Carriage return (CR)

\n — Line feed (LF)

\t — Tab character

\\ — Literal backslash

\xhh — 2-digit hexadecimal byte (e.g., \x0D)

\uhhhh — 4-digit Unicode character

 

Important: Each backslash must be escaped as \\ when typing. For example, to send the text \COMMAND followed by a carriage return and line feed, type: \\COMMAND\r\n

 

Named Inputs are commands that PlayIt Live received FROM your external devices. Each input represents a specific signal or event from your hardware, such as a button press, sensor activation, or status change.

 

When you create a Named Input, you specify:

 

Hardware - Which configured hardware device will send the command

Input Name - A descriptive name displayed in PlayIt Live (e.g., "Next Track Button")

Input ID - A unique identifier used for API access and logging (e.g., "BTN_NEXT")

Command - The exact text string that must be received from the device to trigger this input (e.g., "PLAY_NEXT\r\n")

 

When PlayIt Live receives data from the hardware that matches the specified command string, the corresponding Named Input is triggered. This trigger can then execute actions through Input Triggers.

 

 

 

When you click Add New or Edit in the Named Inputs section, you'll configure the following settings:

 

Select which configured hardware device will send this input command. The dropdown lists all hardware devices you've configured in the Hardware section. You must configure at least one hardware device before you can create Named Inputs.

 

A descriptive, human-readable name for this input that appears throughout PlayIt Live's interface. This name is displayed when creating Input Triggers and helps you identify the purpose of each input.

 

A unique identifier used to reference this input in scheduled event actions, triggers, and API calls. Must be unique across all Named Inputs. Click Reset to automatically generate a unique ID based on the Input Name you entered.

 

Important: If you change the Input ID after it's already being used, a warning dialog will appear: "Changing the input ID will affect any scheduled event actions or API calls that use this ID."

Any existing scheduled events or playout log items referencing the old Input ID will no longer work and must be manually updated. Only change the Input ID if absolutely necessary.

 

The Command field contains the exact text string that must be received from the hardware device to trigger this input. When PlayIt Live receives data from the device that matches this command string, the corresponding Named Input is triggered.

 

When your external device (Arduino, control panel, etc.) sends data to PlayIt Live, that data is compared against all configured Named Input commands. If a match is found, the input is triggered and any associated Input Triggers are executed.

 

You can include special character sequences to match non-printable characters in the received data:

 

\r — Carriage return (CR)

\n — Line feed (LF)

\t — Tab character

\\ — Literal backslash

\xhh — 2-digit hexadecimal byte (e.g., \x0D)

\uhhhh — 4-digit Unicode character

 

Important: Each backslash must be escaped as \\ when typing. For example, to match the string \COMMAND followed by a carriage return and line feed, type: \\COMMAND\r\n

The example shown in the help text demonstrates this: typing \\COMMAND\r\n will match the string \COMMAND followed by a carriage return and line feed.

 

The command must match exactly for the input to trigger. Pay careful attention to:

Input Triggers define what PlayIt Live should do when a Named Input is received from your external hardware. They connect incoming hardware signals to PlayIt Live automation actions, enabling physical controls and external systems to trigger specific behaviours in the software.

 

When your external hardware sends a command that matches a Named Input, the corresponding Input Trigger is activated and executes its configured actions. Input Triggers can perform single actions or a sequences of multiple actions.

 

Click Add New or Edit in the Input Triggers section to configure a trigger.

 

A descriptive name that explains what this trigger does. This helps you identify the trigger's purpose when managing multiple triggers.

 

Select which Named Input will activate this trigger. The dropdown shows all Named Inputs you've configured. When the selected input receives its matching command from the hardware, this trigger executes.

 

The list of actions that will be executed sequentially when this trigger is activated. Actions are numbered and executed in order from top to bottom. The actions available are the same as those that can be configured on scheduled events. This means any action you can schedule to occur at a specific time can also be triggered by external hardware inputs.

 

Check this box to temporarily disable the trigger without deleting its configuration. While disabled, the trigger will not execute even when its associated Named Input is received. This is useful for testing or temporarily suspending automation without losing your configuration.

 

The Log panel displays real-time status messages and diagnostic information from the External Devices system. This is essential for troubleshooting hardware connections and monitoring system activity.

 

The log automatically scrolls to show the most recent messages at the top. Monitor this panel when setting up new hardware or diagnosing connectivity issues. If your hardware isn't responding, check the log for error messages.