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Touch Screen Controls

User Manual &

Troubleshooting Guide

ARMS B098 Projector System

Step-by-step instructions with pictures for using & troubleshooting the touch screen controls for the projector system in ARMS B098.

 
The touch screen controls in ARMS B098 offer many useful features for effective classroom instruction. The panel here is unique from most other consoles across campus because it controls output for six different projectors. There are also two different consoles capable of controlling the audio/visual equipment in this room. When the divider in the middle of the room is up, only the console on the left is operational. When the divider is down, each console can control the half of the room to which it belongs (Room A or Room B).
 
A very important note regarding the use of the Toshiba tablet PCs with the projectors:
The video cards for the tablet PCs can be very temperamental with the projector system. Always check the screen resolution after plugging in a VGA cable and before using it for class or a presentation. The screen resolution can be checked and/or changed by right-clicking on the desktop and clicking on the menu option Screen Resolution.
 
For the Instructor Laptop setting, the proper resolution to use is 1280 x 800 pixels. This is also the highest resolution supported by the tablet PCs. The instructor laptop signal runs to the projectors through a router and signal amplifiers, and should work on all of the projectors without issues. For the Local Laptop setting, do not use any resolution higher than 1280 x 768 pixels. The ultimate cause is unknown, but 1280 x 800 pixels will not work for the local connections. One suspected reason for this is that the local laptop connections run straight from the wall ports to the projectors without a signal amplifier, but it is not certain. The important thing to know is that the Local Laptop setting should always be used with the laptop’s screen resolution set to 1280 x 768 pixels.
 
Touch screen controls image 1
 
1 This console is located behind the instructor’s table. To get started with the projectors and/or audio, touch anywhere on the screen to turn the console on.
Touch screen controls image 2  
2 There are two options here: Digital Signage Controls and Press Here To Start System. The Digital Signage Controls are used for controlling TVs facing the hallways, and are not used for class. To continue, touch “Press Here To Start System.”
Touch screen controls image 3  
3 This is the main screen of the projector system. The main portion of the screen contains all projector-related options, and the bottom-left and far right sides of the screen contain audio-related options. To turn all projectors in the room on, press All Projectors On and continue to step 6.
Touch screen controls image 4  
4 Another option is to turn on only certain projectors. The screen is laid out as a map of the room, with the console being in the position of the All Projectors On button. As an example, turn on the screen to the left of the console by touching Screen 1A. 
Touch screen controls image 5  

5 The center of the screen now shows the controls for the selected projector. Press On to turn only this projector on. To turn on more projectors, repeat steps 4 and 5 for the projectors desired. 
Touch screen controls image 6  

6 Regardless of the number of projectors that were just turned on, Projector Warming: Please Wait will display. Wait until this message disappears before using the console again, or the console may freeze. This process can take 2-3 minutes. 
Touch screen controls image 7  

7 After the projectors have warmed up, touching the button for a screen will display its controls. There are three choices for video output: Instructor Laptop (connected to the table at the front of the room), Local Laptop (connected to the VGA port on the wall in front of the projector), and Black (blank screen). 
Touch screen controls image 8  

8 To use Instructor Laptop for the output, connect the VGA cable to the monitor port on a laptop at the instructor’s table. Then select Instructor Laptop on the console. Likewise, to use Local Laptop, connect a laptop to the port on the wall for the desired projector. If there are no problems after this, skip to step 10. 
Touch screen controls image 9  

9 If the laptop display is not showing on the projector, use the keyboard combination Fn+F5 to cycle through the computer’s video output modes, which are: Laptop Only, External Only, and Laptop + External. 
Touch screen controls image 10  

10 To freeze the projector’s output, touch Freeze On for the desired projector(s). There is a short delay between touching the button and the projector freezing the image. Wait a few seconds to freeze another projector if trying to freeze separate images. 
Touch screen controls image 11  

11 Touching Freeze On turns the button into a green Freeze Off button. To unfreeze the image on a projector, touch Freeze Off. There will be a short delay again. Wait until the projector changes before touching another Freeze Off button. 
Touch screen controls image 12  

12 The audio controls are located on the right side of the screen. In this example, the room volume and microphone volume have both been Muted. To un-mute either control, touch the Muted button for that control. It will then turn gray and display Mute. 
Touch screen controls image 13  

13 To control volume levels, touch the up or down arrows. The volume bar will fill with red to show the current volume level. To mute the volume, press the gray Mute button. 
Touch screen controls image 14  

14 To use audio from the instructor’s laptop, plug the audio cable attached to the VGA cable into the headphone port located on the front of the computer to the left of the volume dial. On the console, select Instructor Laptop under Audio Source. The currently selected option is shown with a red background. 

 

 

One other notable aspect of controlling the audio for this room is that while the Room Volume has its own controls, it is also dependent on the source’s volume. Be sure that the audio source has its volume set at an appropriate level (and not muted) in order to use the Instructor Laptop audio source option. However, the Mic Volume controls on the console are the only way to control the volume of the microphone from the lectern, because the wireless transmitter does not have a volume control.
 
If the screen resolution for the laptops is set at the dimensions mentioned at the beginning of this document, but a projector still isn’t displaying the image properly or is cropping the image, select that screen again on the console and select the input currently being used. The screen will go dark after a few seconds, auto-adjust the image, and then return to showing the input. It should then show the proper resolution without any cropped edges.