HRS Control Adds Schedule Management and Mass Updater Features to Popular Raptor Server

	HRS Control UDC Pro Embedded Control Server calendar screenshot.

HRS Control announces a new schedule management feature for UDC Pro ECS-Raptor, a UDC Pro Embedded Control Server for permanent AV installs. Schedule management enables users to schedule control and macros using the familiar Google calendar interface. A second new feature, Raptor Mass Updater, is also in the works.

A Linux-embedded server that significantly lowers costs to users over full-blown Windows servers, the popular Raptor began shipping in February. Raptor comes with an Ethernet connection to the device network, optional WiFi, and one USB port while supporting a wide variety of third party network interface products for legacy control such as Serial, IR, Contact Closure, Relay, Sensor, DMX, MIDI, LTC, MTC, time code and more. It occupies 1RU in height and one-half of a rack in width and ships with an optional rack shelf for space-saving rack mounting.

Raptor supports the same user interfaces as UDC software: iPad touch control with the HRS Control Pro iOS app available in Apple's App store; the HRS Control Pro app for any Windows tablet available in the Windows Store; in-wall mount touch screen and button solutions; Android tablets; and web browsers. Any device with a browser can act as a controller.

"We always intended to introduce schedule management but when one of Raptor's first clients asked for it, we gave it priority," says programmer Daniel Renne. Users simply access the list of macros on their web browser, drag-and- drop macros into the calendar view, and set the times to trigger them.

"Once the configuration is built the user can manage rooms and schedule control events quickly and easily. This feature is designed to give the end user a simple drag and drop interface for managing scheduled automation and control in a variety of markets," says Drew Taylor at HRS Control.

HRS Control plans to integrate the new feature into UDC for Windows to gain the same functionality across the board.

A second new feature, Raptor Mass Updater, is expected to be part of the next release at the end of August. Raptor Mass Updater will enable users to push the same configuration out to multiple Raptor units simultaneously for distributed configuration uploading.

"Currently, users have to upload a configuration to one Raptor at a time, so facilities with multiple rooms of Raptors with the same configuration will be able to do a multi-Raptor upload," Taylor explains. "For educational customers with many classrooms or businesses with conference and meeting rooms that are alike, Raptor Mass Updater will make it easier and faster to do facility-wide updates to the control systems."