Axia Pathfinder Routing Control (Legacy)

Pathfinder Software Family Overview {Legacy Product}

Axia’s PathfinderPC and PathfinderPRO router control software for Windows are an amazingly rich set of tools you can use to customize and command your entire Axia network, allowing you to craft extremely sophisticated routing functions. Define automated switching events, construct custom software control panels, change between presets manually, on a daypart schedule, or via an external trigger. Pathfinder’s advanced features include the ability to sense silence at a particular audio port and patch around it automatically — and even send the engineer an e-mail notification. And that’s just the start.

Designed for automated routing control in small to medium-sized facilities, PathfinderPC provides a central point of control, via IP, of up to 25 Axia devices in your plant. Capabilities include route or scene changes based on scheduled events, GPIO closure or Silence Detect trigger events.

PathfinderPRO is the enterprise version of PathfinderPC. It contains all features found in PathfinderPC plus additional capabilities tailored to facilities with large physical plants or complex operational requirements. PathfinderPRO Controls an unlimited number of Axia devices and supports unlimited PathfinderPC client or PathfinderPC Mini connections plus direct Pathfinder control of motorized console faders, VMix Virtual Mixers and more. Includes two server licenses for backup server or server clustering.

If you'e looking for a dedicated appliance for routing control, check out the second-generation of Pathfinder Routing Control, the Pathfinder Core PRO Routing Appliance.

Pathfinder Software Family Features {Legacy Product}

• Provides central routing interface for entire Axia networks. Pathfinder presents all Axia nodes and equipment and as a traditional single router, so you don't need to jump from place to place to see and manipulate your facility's routing infrastructure.

• Provides scheduling for one-time or regularly occurring routing events. These events can trigger route changes and/or GPIO events, from small-scale changes to system-wide “scene changes”.

• Provides silence detection events with email and GPIO warnings, and automatically switches to an alternate pre-programmed route in the event of an audio failure. Includes audio presence meters in the onscreen routing matrix for instant visual audio confirmation.

• Pathfinder Stack Events allow you to design logic as complicated or as simple as you need, using simple or complex Boolean based logic events. So if you need to route a specific satellite feed to air only on Mondays, when a certain audio route exists, and the operator is holding down the blue button, you can.

• Panel Designer allows you to drop controls into your own software routing panel, then deploy it on studio
  PCs for users to select routing changes, monitor silence detection, and a whole host of other functions.

• Interfaces routing control with Axia console User Keys. Map custom-designed features to buttons mounted right in the console; depending upon console equipment, these buttons can even be programmed to dynamically change color and text to display status and engage actions.

• Built-in Protocol Translator, a part of PathfinderPRO software, allows your legacy systems to think they are talking to a router they understand — while behind the scenes, it's really Axia. Currently supported third party protocols include Pro-Bel General Router and General Switcher Protocols, Sine Systems ACU-1 Protocol and SA Port Router protocols.

• Clustering support with Pathfinder PRO allows deployment of multiple PathfinderPRO servers which automatically monitor each other for backup and redundancy. If the primary server is unavailable, the clustered backup takes over, and all the client screens in the studios follow.

• Comprehensive logging capabilities include every route change, GPIO change, user button press, and more. Logging for each of these features may be enabled or disabled individually.

Pathfinder Software Family In Depth {Legacy Product}

Power and Flexibility, At Your Fingertips

Power is good — but only if you can control it. Axia’s Pathfinder family of router control tools let you customize and command your entire Axia network. Using your choice of graphical software or networked appliance, you can easily build extremely sophisticated routing functions like automated events, custom on-screen control panels — even change the entire network on a timed schedule if you like. Pathfinder can even give you peace of mind, by sensing silence on critical paths and patching around it automatically — then sending you an e-mail to let you know what happened. And that’s just the start. Pathfinder can keep automatic logs of your studio network’s routing operations — route changes, GPIO changes, user button presses, and more. Create sophisticated routing “scenes” with Boolean logic that automatically watch for and react to specified events, using a unique graphical editor that eliminates tedious script writing. Pathfinder Panel Designer even lets you construct custom on-screen controls that can be deployed on PCs across your network. Or, map custom features to rack-mounted button panels and user keys mounted right in the console.

In today's broadcast environment, information is key. So Pathfinder allows you to keep logs of your studio network's routing operations — route changes, GPIO changes, user button presses, and much, much more.

You want to design that perfect automated system? Pathfinder gives you the tools. Pathfinder Stack Events allow you to design logic as simple (or sophisticated) as you need. An enhanced, graphical editor eliminates tedious script writing, allowing you to create sophisticated routing "scenes" with Boolean logic that automatically watch for and react to specified events.

Pathfinder's Panel Designer applet lets you construct custom on-screen controls that can be deployed on PCs across your network. Or, map your custom designed features to rack-mounted button panels and user keys mounted right in the console. Some of these buttons can even dynamically change color and text to display status and engage actions.

There are two different Pathfinder software offerings tailored to your specific needs. Read on to find out which is right for you.

PathfinderPC Software

Designed for automated routing in small to medium-sized facilities, PathfinderPC gives you networked control of up to 25 Axia devices. This full-featured system runs on Windows PCs and allows you to construct and execute route or scene changes based on scheduled events, GPIO closures or Silence Detect trigger events. Using the client application, you can log in and change routing from anywhere you have network or Internet access. Use PathfinderPC to attach events to Axia SmartSwitch, SoftSwitch and Film-Cap button panels, or construct on-screen “virtual” controls that can run simultaneously on up to 10 PCs.

PathfinderPRO Software

PathfinderPRO, the enterprise version of Pathfinder, contains all of the features found in PathfinderPC plus additional capabilities tailored to facilities with large physical plants or complex operational requirements. PathfinderPRO supports server “clustering” – running simultaneously on two connected, yet independent computers – for the ultimate in redundancy and security.

PathfinderPRO catalogs all of your Axia devices and supports as many end-user connections as your CPU can handle. PathfinderPRO can directly control console VMix virtual mixers, motorized faders on consoles so equipped, Show Profile changes, and more.

But PathfinderPRO doesn’t stop at just controlling your Axia equipment. Complete delivery system integration is at your fingertips with Sine Systems ACU-1, Pro-Bel, SA Port Router and generic protocol emulators, plus support for routing and translating of serial, TCP and UDP ports. Snap-in real-time metering and Web browser controls provide added options for user-designed software panels. Browser controls even support multimedia audio and video, allowing embedded A/V streaming displays in software mini-panels.

Pathfinder Software Family Specifications {Legacy Product}

PathfinderPC Server

Hardware

• Minimum hardware requirements specified for 2008 Server or later and/or Windows 7 or later are also acceptable to run PathfinderPC Client, PathfinderPC Mini, Panel Designer, SAPortRouter, VMIXControl, and the bridge application programs.

Software

• Windows 7 or later, 2008 Server or later. Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1 is also required. Additionally, the startup links must be set to “Run as Administrator” in the compatibility frame.

PathfinderPRO Server

Hardware

• Minimum 512 Mb RAM, If the clustering option is used, minimum two NIC cards should be used, four are recommended.

Software

• Windows 7 or later, 2008 Server or later. However, installations using more than 10 clients (PathfinderPC Client, PathfinderPC Mini) will require a server operating system such as Windows 2008 Server or later.

PC Client Applications

• Windows 7 or better.

Regulatory

• Click here to view the current regulatory compliance