

With the CNX (software) Gateway, the IP address should be the same as the PC where the Gateway is installed. The IP address of the e-Control PC Interface symbol depends on the e-Control gateway being used. For further information, refer to the Crestron e-Control Reference Guide (available in PDF format from the Crestron Web site) and the VisionTools Pro-e online help file. In addition to Web browser projects, e-Control 2 generates standalone executables that can be launched from the Windows desktop (with no need to upload pages to a Web server). When creating a Java-based project in VT Pro-e, the target is BROWSER with e-Control 2, the target is XPANEL.

VT Pro-e provides two options for creating Web browser projects: one is Java-based the other, referred to as e-Control 2, is based on Microsoft's COM technology and is designed specifically for Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows. All the join numbers in the VT Pro-e Web browser project then have to be mapped to inputs and outputs on the e-Control PC Interface symbol detail in SIMPL Windows.

In addition, VT Pro-e automatically adds a communication component that enables each Web page to connect to the e-Control gateway. When the design is finished and all join numbers have been assigned to programmable objects, VT Pro-e converts the project into HTML pages that are ready to be uploaded to a Web server. Programmable objects are assigned join numbers that identify inputs and outputs to the Web browser. Pages and subpage references are also programmable. In addition to static design elements such as graphics and lines, VT Pro-e provides a number of programmable objects for Web browsers, including buttons, sliders and gauges. The easiest method, requiring no knowledge of HTML, ActiveX or Java, is to create a Web browser project using VisionTools Pro-e, Crestron's page design software. The SDK contains Java components and ActiveX controls, routines and documentation for creating custom Web-based interfaces that can communicate with Crestron hardware. For software programmers, Crestron includes an SDK ( software developer's kit) as part of the CNX Gateway installation package.

There are a number of ways to create e-Control Web pages. Similarly, the signals on the input side of the symbol are sent by the control system as feedback to the Web browser/PC. The e-Control PC Interface symbol is defined like an Ethernet touchpanel for example, the signals on the output side of the symbol function identically to the outputs of a touchpanel, except that here they correspond to Web browser/PC commands such as key presses and mouse clicks. In this way, the Web browser or PC becomes a custom interface that can control network devices and receive feedback from the control system. The e-Control PC Interface symbol allows users on a LAN to access the control system with a Web browser or standalone desktop application.
