Installation Notes

Download site: http://www.cebra.dk/inserter/pcilist.htm

1.    Installing and connecting the card

The card has no jumpers for user settings, so go ahead and install the card in an empty PCIslot. The back plane of the card has one switch – the bypass switch – and three BNC connectors. The connectors are (from the top of the card)

 

 

The bypass switch has two positions:

 

In the bypass position, the video input connector is connected straight to the video output connector, completely bypassing the teletext generator card. The card also features an automatic bypass in case of power failure, so if the card loses power, the video path is in bypass mode irrespective of the bypass switch setting.

2.    Installing the driver

In Windows XP environments, the Plug-and-play system will recognise the card on first boot, and ask for a driver for the card. Direct the driver wizard to the location where you downloaded the TTXGEN3P.SYS and TTXGEN3P.INF and the driver will be installed correctly.

 

3.    Installing the software

The CtCaster is the broadcasting carrousel software provided with the card as a sample application. This application is not meant as production software, but merely as an example of what this card can be used for. If you want to build your own application the source code for the Cebra CtCaster is available.

 

To install CtCaster, simply copy the files in the CtCaster directory to the directory where you want the application. Examine the CtCaster.Ini to adjust any settings, IP addresses, port assignments and VBI line settings before you launch the CtCaster.Exe to run the application.

 

4.    Installing the Remote Administration Tool

The CtRAdm is the remote administration tool for controlling the settings of a CtCaster. Examine the Ctradm.Ini file for configuration before launch. You can use this tool to create user accounts on the CtCaster for editors. 

 

5.    Installing the editor

The CText is the editing tool for composing teletext pages. Just copy the files from the Editor directory.

6.    Driver Programming Interface

In order for you to write your own application for the Cebra Teletext Inserter card, we provide the API for the driver. The file Api.Zip contains these driver API’s. If you want to write your own driver for the card, we can provide the source code for the Cebra driver as a programming example.

7.    Before Starting CtCaster for the first time

Before you start the CtCaster for the first time, please study the CtCaster.Ini configuration file, and check the section called [Net] and make sure that the IP-address stated there is valid for your system. The local loopback address used is 127.0.0.1 but if you intend to access the CtCaster from other machines on a network, you should enter the actual IP address of the PC hosting the CtCaster. Then launch the CtCaster.Exe and check that all subsystems initiate successfully by examining the console output.

8.    Configuring CtCaster for Internet Access

It is possible to deliver pages directly to a broadcast inserter via the Internet. There are two ways of making a CtCaster accesible from the Internet, one is to provide the host PC of the CtCaster with a public IP address, and the other is to provide port forwarding from your internet access point of the port used for communication with the CtCaster. This is normally port 7000 (defined in the CtCaster.Ini under [Net] item Port). Your internet service provider or firewall/router provider can help you with configuring your port forwarding. But beware! If your CtCaster is made publicly available like this, then anybody who knows a userid/password can deliver pages to your system. Therefore, if your system is open you should secure it with longer and more complex passwords, remember to add a password to the built-in administrator account, or provide IP address filtering in a firewall/router on anybody accessing the CtCaster port. This way you can create a very secure system even if your pages arrive via the internet. In summary, the steps are:

  1. Set the IP address of the host PC in CtCaster.Ini in the [Net] section. Test this by connecting to it from a different machine on the same LAN using CtRAdm.Exe, Connect using the LAN IP address of the CtCaster.

  2. Change the password for the built in accounts "Administrator" and "User" (using CtRAdm.Exe). Because in the next step, we actually provide access from the internet to the CtCaster, and leaving the built in Administrator account with it's built in password is a security vulnerability.

  3. Provide access from the Internet (port forwarding or an outside IP address). Test this by connecting to it from a different machine on the LAN using CtRAdm.Exe, but now connect using the WAN IP address of the firewall/router on which you forwarded the CtCaster port or the public IP address of the CtCaster..

  4. Create user accounts with specific priveleges (using CtRAdm.Exe).

  5. If possible, set up IP-address filtering in your firewall to allow specific IP-addresses to connect to the CtCaster (consult your firewall manual)

  6. Provide your editing users with their userid/password and the IP-address/Port of the CtCaster. Then they can create a communications profile for your CtCaster and connect to it. Your editing users can download the CText software from the Cebra web site.

9.    Using the administration tool: CtrAdm.Exe

Once the CtCaster is up and running, you can launch the CtrAdm.Exe administration tool. First thing to do is to create a communication setup for connecting to the CtCaster which you just started. So go to the menu item "Setup" and choose "Add". Here you enter the details of your CtCaster, with IP address and port (should be what was just set in CtCaster.Ini, normally 7000) and a suitable name for your CtCaster. Then hit OK and close the setup window. Now go to the menu item "Communication" and choose "Connect" and pick the name of your CtCaster that you just created. Hit OK and you get the login screen, which should read "Administrator", just hit OK to login (the password is preloaded initially but can be changed once you are inside).

Now you can browse the setting of your CtCaster. Do expand the description field at the bottom of the application window, this will give you additional information about each item. Use the "Back" button the steo backwards in the information tree.

Under "users" you can create user accounts for editors, assign page ranges and priveleges for each user and maintain passwords.

Hint: If you want your CtCaster to keep backup copies on disk of all pages on air, then enable the repository function under "Repository" and choose for example "On Changes" as the method.

10.    Using the teletext editor: CText.Exe

Once the administrator has created user accounts for editing, you are ready to start writing some teletext pages. Launch the teletext editor: CText.Exe. The first thing to do is to create a communication setup for the CtCaster. Choose "Communication" then "Setup" on the menu. Here you key in the IP address and port of the CtCaster you wish to access.

Then choose "Communication" and "Connect", to connect to the CtCaster, which will present you with a user login screen. Key in the userid and password created by the administrator. Then hit OK and you are on your way. Now the menu items "Send Page", "Receive Page", "Delete Page" and "Command" are enabled on the communication submenu.

So create a new page either from scratch or from a page that you read back from the CtCaster, and then send your edited page to the CtCaster using the Send Page command.

That's it, now you are well on your way with your teletext system.

Best regards,

Cebra Teletext