EZPrompt & EZPrompt Pro XP Closed Caption Setup

The Closed Caption output capability of EZPrompt and EZPrompt Pro XP must be activated by ADS Technical Support. If you haven't done so, please download and install the current release of the version of EZPrompt or EZPrompt Pro XP before you request activation:

1. Go to http://www.ezprompt.com, and click the Download button.

2. Select the version of EZPrompt (EZPrompt or EZPrompt Pro XP) for which you have purchased a license ... make sure you provide correct email address.

3. When your download authorization arrives via email (takes only a few moments) download the Setup.exe and save it to the hard drive of your prompter machine.

4. When the download finishes, locate the new Setup.exe, and run it. Install using only default settings.

5. Run the program and go to License | Register.

6. Note the Code Entry Number and Computer ID.

7. Leave the program running and do not shut down the computer down.

8. Call our Sales Hotline (888-326-1415) between 8am and 5pm CT (6am and 3pm PT).

9. We will calculate a new activation code and get your software updated on the phone.

10. Make sure the serial feed from your prompter is hooked up to your caption encoder per the manufacturer's instructions.

11. Make sure the serial port on your computer is activated (in the computer BIOS).

12. Launch the program, and select Prompter | Options | Closed Caption Setup

13. On the Port tab, make sure the correct serial port is selected, and that the baud rate, data bits, parity, and stop bits are set the encoder manufacturer's specifications.

14. On the Encoder tab, set the Initialization, End of Line, and Reset strings to the encoder manufacturer's specifications.

NOTE: The default strings are appropriate for the Link Electronics family of encoders.

If you are using an encoder from another manufacturer (EEG, Evertz, etc.) you will need to enter strings appropriate for that manufacturer's devices. The numbers in the strings are decimal codes that are equivalent to standard character codes.

15. Set the Line Length and Character Pacing if you wish, Apply your changes, and click OK.

16. Select Prompter | Options | General, and check Output Closed Captioning. If you wish, you may also check CC Script Capitalization. Click OK

17. Load a script in the editor, click the Prompt icon, then click the left mouse button to start the prompter scroll. As text is scrolled through the prompter, corresponding text is sent via the serial port to your encoder.

Closed-Caption Encoder Interfacing

The communications and programming instructions below refer specifically to the family of Closed-Caption encoders manufactured by Link Electronics. ADS recommends, and supports, Link Closed Caption Encoders (PCE-845, PDR-885, PDE-890, etc.). Other encoders (EEG EN-270, EN-370, Evertz 8084, etc.) are generally compatible, however initialization and control commands must be set with the ADS Closed-Caption Administration Utility, located in the Property Sheet under Prompter | Closed Caption Setup.

The current EZPrompt / EZPrompt Pro XP implementation of Closed Captioning is referred to as "3-Line Roll-Up", which is also sometimes referred to as "Newspaper Mode". The roll-ups can be set in a number of widths, all divisible by 4. The maximum width for any roll-up is 32 characters, however the de-facto standard for TV News is 28 characters.

Default Settings

The Closed-Caption Setup utilities can be accessed via the Prompter menu. There are two Property Sheets which control the encoder interface:

Port setup Controls the serial interface to the closed caption encoder. The default communications settings (appropriate for Link Encoders) are: Port: COM2 Baud: 1200 Data Bits: 8 Parity: N Stop Bits: 1 If the encoder requires communications parameters other than those above, the software can be set to any required combination of port, baud rate, parity, word length and stop bits. Please note, however, that the encoder may require changes in jumpers or dip-switches which may be internal to the encoder.

Encoder setup, Sets control codes for addressing the closed caption encoder. The default settings (appropriate for Link Encoders) provide 3-Line Roll-Up caption mode with :03 second inactivity timeout. Line Length defaults to 28, however you may select any of the available line length options (up to 32 characters per line). Character Pacing is a unique feature of the Closed Caption interface. Pacing permits you to insert a slight delay before each character. This avoids sending bursts of text to the encoder (which are often hard to read), and gives the closed-caption viewer the illusion that the text is being typed or painted on the screen.

Command Strings

To initialize a Link Encoder to do a 3-Line Roll-Up, 28 characters wide, the following command string must be sent:

<CTRL/C><CTRL/A>3 3<CTRL/M><CTRL/C><CTRL/A>6<CTRL/A>N3<CTRL/M>

The above string sets the encoder to timeout after :03 of no data input. The timeout is variable, and is set at the end of the string (<CTRL/A>Nx<CTRL/M> where x is the number of seconds to wait before timing out).

When the timeout occurs, the encoder automatically sends an erase command to clear the screen.

When the encoder times out, it will automatically go into by-pass and allow any closed-caption data on commercials, etc. to pass through to air. When data resumes via the RS-232 port, the encoder will drop back into 3-line roll-up with the time-out by itself.

The program sets the maximum number of characters to be fed per line. The options for line length are 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, and 32. At the end of each line of text, the software feeds the required character string to end the line and send the roll-up and display commands to the viewer's decoder. The Link encoders require only a carriage return (<CTRL/M>), however other encoders may require other command strings.

When all text has been fed to the Link encoder, it must be reset with:

<CTRL/C><CTRL/A>3 3<CTRL/M><CTRL/T>,<CTRL/C><CTRL/A>7

Custom Programming

It is possible to change the operating parameters of the encoders with the software. Such things as line length, display position, etc. can be modified. Consult the manual for the specific encoder to determine what command strings are required for the desired result.

User-definable commands can be embedded in any or all of three command strings:

· Initialization Fed when the computer attached to the encoder is put into Prompt mode.

· End Of Line Fed at the end of each line of text

· Reset Fed to return the encoder to its default state.

The command strings must be entered in the form of decimal codes equivalent to the control character or ASCII text character required. Decimal code equivalents must be separated with a semi-colon (;). For example, if the required command is ^A (where ^ is CONTROL or CTRL), then the decimal code is the number 1. If the required code is:

^C^A3 3^M^T,^C^A7

then the decimal codes must be:

3;1;51;32;51;13;20;44;3;1;55

ASCII Tables

The charts below define the decimal codes for the first 126 ASCII characters.

Decimal/ASCII Control Codes - ^ Represents CTRL

0 Null

1 ^A

2 ^B

3 ^C

4 ^D

5 ^E

6 ^F

7 ^G

8 ^H

9 ^I

10 ^J

11 ^K

12 ^L

13 ^M

14 ^N

15 ^O

16 ^P

17 ^Q

18 ^R

19 ^S

20 ^T

21 ^U

22 ^V

23 ^W

24 ^X

25 ^Y

26 ^Z

27 ESC

28 ^[

29 ^\

30 ^^

31 ^_

Decimal/ASCII Character Codes

32

33 !

34 "

35 #

36 $

37 %

38 &

39 '

40 (

41 )

42 *

43 +

44 ,

45 -

46 .

47 /

48 0

49 1

50 2

51 3

52 4

53 5

54 6

55 7

56 8

57 9

58 :

59 ;

60 <

61 =

62 >

63 ?

64 @

65 A

66 B

67 C

68 D

69 E

70 F

71 G

72 H

73 I

74 J

75 K

76 L

77 M

78 N

79 O

80 P

81 Q

82 R

83 S

84 T

85 U

86 V

87 W

88 X

89 Y

90 Z

91 [

92 \

93 ]

94 ^

95 _

96 `

97 a

98 b

99 c

100 d

101 e

102 f

103 g

104 h

105 i

106 j

107 k

108 l

109 m

110 n

111 o

112 p

113 q

114 r

115 s

116 t

117 u

118 v

119 w

120 x

121 y

122 z

123 {

124 |

125 }

126 ~