Real Time Events (RTEs) in Signagelive allow your players to send outbound messages to other software or hardware systems whenever a specific event occurs on your screen. This article will focus on setting up RTEs to send messages using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) over your local network.
TCP is particularly useful for sending commands to hardware that might be further away or cannot be directly connected via a serial port due to physical restrictions.
Before You Begin:
Ensure you have a supported player (BrightSign or PC Appliance) that is activated with a valid Signagelive license.
You'll need the IP address (Host) and Port number of the device you wish to communicate with over TCP.
Understand the specific commands (Messages) required by your target device.
How to Trigger Real Time Event (RTE) Content Over TCP
Real Time Events (RTEs) in Signagelive allow your players to send outbound messages to other software or hardware systems whenever a specific event occurs on your screen. This article will focus on setting up RTEs to send messages using TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) over your local network.
TCP is particularly useful for sending commands to hardware that might be further away or cannot be directly connected via a serial port due to physical restrictions.
Before You Begin:
Ensure you have a supported player (BrightSign or PC Appliance) that is activated with a valid Signagelive license.
You'll need the IP address (Host) and Port number of the device you wish to communicate with over TCP.
Understanding of the specific commands (Messages) required by your target device.
Configuring an RTE Template for TCP
You'll create a reusable template in your Signagelive network to set up an RTE for TCP communication. Please follow these steps:
Please log in to your Signagelive network.
Navigate to Settings > Real Time Events.
Click the blue "+" button in the top right, then select Custom Events.
Name your event: Give your RTE template a descriptive name (e.g., "Trigger Projector On," "Change Room Lights Green"). This name will help you easily identify and reuse the template later.
Enable Network-Wide (Optional): You'll see a checkbox labeled "Enabled On All Supported Players and Assets."
Check this box if you want this RTE to be automatically available and active for all supported players and all media assets across your entire network.
Leave unchecked if you plan to apply this RTE to specific players or media assets later.
Choose When the RTE Occurs: You need to decide at which point during content playback your RTE should trigger. Select the appropriate tab:
Asset Download: Trigger when an asset is fully downloaded to the player.
Asset Start: Trigger when an asset begins playing on screen.
Asset Complete: Trigger when an asset finishes playing.
Asset Remove: Trigger when an asset is removed from the player's content.
Select TCP as the Message Type: Within your chosen event tab (e.g., "Asset Start"), select TCP.
Complete the TCP Configuration:
Host: Enter the local IP address or hostname of the target device you wish to send the TCP message to (e.g.,
192.168.1.100).Port: Enter the port number that the target device is listening on for TCP commands (e.g.,
5000).Messages: Enter the command string(s) that you want to send to the device. These are specific to the device you are controlling. You can enter multiple commands, each on a new line.
EOL (End of Line): This defines how the command string is terminated. Common options include Carriage Return (
\r), Line Feed (\n), or a combination (\r\n). Consult the documentation for your target device to determine the correct EOL character.Message Encoding Format:
UTF8: The standard encoding format. This is the default for Electron clients (PC Appliances).
HEX: Used for sending commands in hexadecimal format. Note: HEX format is currently only supported on the BrightSign client. Requests sent by Electron clients in HEX will default to UTF8.
Click "Save" to create your TCP RTE template.
Applying an RTE Template
Once your RTE template is set up, you can apply it to your Signagelive network, specific players, or individual media assets. This determines when and where your TCP message will be sent.
Important Recommendation: We strongly recommend creating RTEs as templates (as described above) before applying them to assets. If you create them directly against specific assets, they cannot be easily reused or transferred.
A. Apply at the Network Level (All Players and Assets)
This method enables the RTE to be executed on all supported players and for all media assets across your entire Signagelive network.
Go to Settings > Real Time Events.
You can just select the RTE template you would like to configure.
Ensure the tick box labelled "Enabled On All Supported Players and Assets" is checked.
B. Apply at the Player Level (All Assets on Specific Players)
This method enables RTEs across the player(s) that you choose. By default, this will send the RTE for all assets on that player.
Navigate to Network > Manage.
Select the player you would like to configure by clicking on its name.
Navigate to the Real Time Events tab on the far right of the player's properties.
Note: Only players that support Real Time Events will display this tab.
Select the RTE templates you wish to enable for this player from the dropdown list.
C. Apply at the Media Asset Level (Specific Assets on Supported Players)
This method enables RTEs on the specific media assets you select. The RTE will then apply to a supporting player whenever that asset is published.
Go to Content > Playlists.
Locate the desired media asset(s) from your Library (you may need to navigate into a playlist if the asset is there) and click the "⋮" (three dots) icon to open its properties.
Go to the Real Time Events tab.
Click the blue "+" button.
Select "From Template" (recommended) or "Custom Events" if you wish to create a one-off RTE just for this asset.
If you selected "From Template," choose your desired TCP RTE template from the list. If "Custom Events," follow the steps from Section 1 for TCP configuration.
By following these steps, you can harness the power of Real Time Events to create highly integrated and responsive digital signage experiences using TCP communication.