Release Note

Gallagher Command Centre

ASCII Text Interface Feature
Gallagher Command Centre vEL7.01.xxx
Gallagher Controller vBT7.01//bxx or vGR7.01//bxx

Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................. 1
Installing the ASCII Text Interface feature.................................................................. 1
Configuring the ASCII Text Interface feature.............................................................. 2
FMF logging................................................................................................................. 5
Known issue................................................................................................................. 5

Introduction
This release note is for the ASCII Text Interface feature of Gallagher Command
Centre.
Purpose
The ASCII Text Interface feature enables Command Centre to act as a central
security management system by integrating with security sub-systems that
communicate with Command Centre using the ASCII Text Plug-in on the Middleware
PC.
Compatibility
The ASCII Text Interface feature should be used in conjunction with Gallagher
Command Centre version vEL7.01.xxx and is compatible with either vBT7.01//bxx or
vGR7.01//bxx of the Gallagher Controller.
Important: If your site is currently using a previous version of the ASCII Text
Interface feature, you must upgrade to the latest version when you upgrade to
version vEL7.01 of Gallagher Command Centre.

Installing the ASCII Text Interface feature

Perform the following procedure to install the ASCII Text Interface feature:
1.

Obtain a licence file containing the following options:

[Plugin]
Plugin(n)=ASCIIText

2.

Upgrade to the latest Gallagher FTCAPI Middleware Framework (FMF) from

the installation DVD, (or install it, if not already installed).
Refer to the Installing the FTCAPI Middleware Framework (FMF) topic
(in the External Systems chapter) in the Gallagher Command Centre User
Guide.

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3.

Release Note

On the server PC and all workstation PCs install Gallagher Command Centre
vEL7.01.xxx from the installation DVD, if not already installed.
IMPORTANT:
If your site already has this feature installed as a Customisation you must
first uninstall the customisation using the Windows Add or Remove Programs
utility and then upgrade the Command Centre server PC and all workstation
PCs to vEL7.01. If you are upgrading from version vEL5.10 you also need to
remove the FTCAPI Middleware Framework (FMF) DLL from all Controllers.

4.

Install the ASCII Text Plug-in (from the installation DVD) on the Middleware PC.
Note: The FTCAPI Router Service restarts as part of the install. The ASCII Text
Interface feature installs.

Configuring the ASCII Text Interface feature

To configure the ASCII Text Interface feature, perform the following procedures:

Configuring an External System/DVR System

Configuring an External System Item/DVR Camera

Configuring an External System/DVR System

Perform the following procedure to configure an External System or a DVR System:

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1.

In Command Centre, click Configure from the menu bar then External
Systems.

2.

Right click and select New...External System or DVR System.

3.

Type in the Name, Description and select the Division.

4.

Click the Event Response tab and assign a primary Alarm Zone for all events.

5.

Click the API Setup tab.

6.

Select the appropriate Controller from the drop-down list.

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Notes:
Gallagher UltraSec Controllers will not work.
If a Controller is selected the Middleware PC Name/IP Address field
becomes compulsory.
7.

Enter the Middleware PCs name or IP Address in the Middleware PC Name/IP

Address field. This field is limited to 255 alpha-numeric characters.

8.

Click the appropriate radio button in the Identity section of this screen.
Button
Unique
Same as

9.

Description
This field is limited to a maximum of 64 characters.
This drop-down lists the other available External Systems
(for an External System) or other available DVR Systems
(for a DVR System).
Note: If Same as is selected the Configuration tab disappears.

Click the Configuration tab.

Note: This tab only appears if Identity on the API Setup tab is set to Unique.

10. Select ASCII Text, (the middleware plug-in to be used) from the System Type
drop-down list. The Configuration section of this screen becomes populated
accordingly.
11. Enter the IP Address and Port of the terminal server that acts as a Serial-TCP/
IP protocol converter for the plug-in.
Note: You must use a terminal server that allows multiple concurrent
connections. This is required as the plug-in creates a new separate connection
for each message and some terminal servers take a long time to close them.
This has been tested using a Moxa Nport 5150 serial device server.

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12. Complete the other Configuration details as required:

Field
Maximum
number of
messages to
queue

Discard
messages after

Description
This field determines the maximum number of messages
that the ASCII Text plug-in will hold in a queue while the
connection between the Middleware PC and the terminal
server is down. When the queue is full the oldest message
is discarded when a new message arrives. Limited to a
maximum of 500 messages.
Checking this field allows you to enter the length of time
that messages will be held in the ASCII Text plug-ins queue.
Limited to 1-9999 seconds.

13. Click the OK button.

Configuring an External System Item/DVR Camera
Perform the following procedure to configure an External System Item or a DVR
Camera:
1.

In Command Centre, click Configure from the menu bar then External
Systems.

2.

Right click and select New...External System Item or DVR Camera.

3.

Type in the Name, Description and select the Division.

4.

Click the API Setup tab.

5.

Select the External System from the drop-down list that this External System
Item belongs to.
Note: If you do not select an External System, this item will display at the root
level of the External System window tree until it is assigned an External System
as a parent.

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6.

Enter a string value in the Identification field.

This identifier is intended to allow the API to map External System Items in the
External System to the Gallagher items that represent them.
Notes:
The Identification string entered is checked for uniqueness within the
same External System and is limited to 64 characters.
The Identification can be any printable ASCII character.

7.

Select an Access Zone from the drop-down list, if required for card events.

8.

Click the OK button.

Note: For any further configuration required, refer to the External Systems
chapter in the Gallagher Command Centre User Guide.

FMF logging
To enable debug logging:
1.

Open the FTCAPIRouterService.exe.config file located in the C:\Program

Files\CARDAX\FTCAPI\Middleware Framework directory.
Note: Due to rebranding and depending on what version you are upgrading
from the location may be C:\Program Files\Gallagher\FTCAPI\
Middleware Framework. Likewise, wherever else the CARDAX folder
is mentioned in this document, it could be Gallagher.

2.

Locate the line with <!--<add name=Debug />-->

3.

Remove the <!-- characters from the beginning of the line and the -->
characters from the end of the line.

4.

Save the .config file.

5.

Restart the FTCAPI Router Service.

Known issue

Edition 1
November 2011

If External Systems/DVR Systems are configured using the Same As Identity

option on the API Setup tab, then the Unique Identity of the master External
System/DVR System should not be changed at a later time.

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