OpenAVC built into equipment

Equipment using the OpenAVC SDK can be controlled by an OpenAVC server elsewhere on the network. A product can also include the full OpenAVC server and control its own hardware locally.

Add equipment over the network

Use Devices > Discovery and add the discovered product: its card shows the product’s Username and Password fields before adding it. Or choose OpenAVC built-in product in Add Device and enter its Host, Port (9443 unless the product’s documentation gives another), Username and Password. The product supplies its commands, settings, state and channels when connected. Use them in panels, macros and scripts like other devices.

After the equipment restarts, OpenAVC reconnects and reads its current protocol and capabilities before accepting more commands. An incompatible product stays disconnected. Commands interrupted by the restart are not replayed.

A command is reported as done when the product confirms it finished. OpenAVC waits for that confirmation for up to the advanced Wait for completion setting, 5 seconds unless you change it; raise it for hardware that takes longer, such as a motor. A command still running after the wait is reported as not confirmed. It may still finish, so check the product’s status before sending it again.

HTTPS certificate verification is on by default. Products should provide a certificate trusted by the server. The advanced Verify HTTPS certificate setting controls this check for a remote connection. Turning it off accepts untrusted certificates for that connection.

Control the product running OpenAVC

The product running OpenAVC appears automatically in every project, marked Product hardware. This is the product itself, such as the audio channels of an amplifier running OpenAVC. Its manufacturer supplies the hardware connection. You can change its project label and its Wait for completion (as above, on its device page), use its controls, save declared device settings and label its channels. It cannot be deleted, uninstalled, duplicated or replaced with another driver.

Disable stops OpenAVC control in the current project. It does not turn off the equipment. Test checks the local connection even while project control is disabled. Programmer, panels, automation and other device connections use the normal OpenAVC interfaces.

While OpenAVC runs on the product, the SDK prevents other OpenAVC servers from discovering or controlling that same hardware. Normal server discovery for panels remains available.

Move a project

Use the normal Program > Export and Import controls. A project from the same equipment model uses the receiving unit’s local connection while retaining device IDs and programming. Connection credentials for product hardware are not stored in the project.

If the new server cannot connect to the original product hardware, it retains the programming and displays Product hardware unavailable. Choose Reassign Driver on its device page to select compatible equipment.

To use the receiving product’s hardware, select Product hardware. OpenAVC keeps the imported device’s ID and checks declared commands, required parameters, saved settings and channel types. The receiving product hardware must be connected and have no existing programming or saved settings in the project. If it is already used, resolve those references before reassigning. Test the resulting controls and scripts against the replacement equipment.

Project Import transfers programming. Use Backups > Restore when restoring a backup’s persisted variable values as well.

Firmware integration

The SDK supplies the hardware adapter. For a server embedded in firmware, set OPENAVC_EQUIPMENT_MANIFEST to an absolute path to a manufacturer-owned JSON file:

{
  "device_id": "local",
  "identity": "acme-unit-001",
  "integration": "acme_amplifier",
  "name": "Acme Amplifier",
  "connection": {
    "url": "https://127.0.0.1:9443",
    "token": "<locally provisioned endpoint credential>",
    "ca_file": "/etc/acme/equipment-ca.pem"
  }
}

identity identifies the physical unit; integration must match the equipment model’s id. Keep them stable across firmware updates. device_id is the preferred project reference when a new project needs one. An imported project may retain another ID. Protect this file and its credential with the product’s firmware permissions. Projects cannot select the endpoint or replace its credential. Local endpoint certificates are always verified.

The normal OpenAVC data directory remains writable project storage. Keep it separate from the manifest and software installed by the manufacturer. A server without the environment variable remains an ordinary installation.

If firmware owns updates, set OPENAVC_FIRMWARE_HOST to an absolute path containing:

{"schema": 1, "update_owner": "firmware", "firmware_version": "1.0.0"}

The Updates page then directs users to the product’s firmware settings. Generic OpenAVC update and rollback operations are disabled. An explicitly configured file that cannot be read or validated keeps those operations disabled and reports the configuration problem.