The DM-XN04 demo board from Nexmosphere offers a simple way to test and demonstrate various components for controlling digital signage content.

The Nexmosphere Demo Board DM-XN04E includes the below elements:

Here we'll show you how to get this setup with your embed signage account including a demo layout example.

Here are a few things you'll need:

If you do download the Nexmosphere DM-XN04E embed signage demo layout you can install it by following these quick instructions:

Go to Account Settings > Templates

Click 'Add New'

Choose 'import from .zip'

Drag and Drop the Nexmosphere DM-XN04E embed signage demo layout zip file into the 'upload' section

Once uploaded, you'll be redirected back to the Templates area.

Go to the External Communications section and Create a new connection. Give it a name such as Nexmosphere DM-XN04E then click 'Create Device'

In the settings, we can then configure the communication type with the Nexmosphere board and the device we're using. All communication is done via RS232 with the Nexmosphere board and in our example, we'll be using a BrightSign player via USB (port 2).

For guides on setting up RS232 with the various platforms, please refer to these guides:

RS232 with Windows

RS232 with macOS

RS232 with BrightSign

For the Nexmosphere board, the RS232 configuration should be as below:

Baud Rate = 115200

Data Bits = 8

Stop Bits = 1

Parity = None

This is what our BrightSign + Nexmosphere RS232 connection settings look like so far:

Now we can save the connection and move to setting up our commands.

In the External Communication connection, click on the 'Command's tab:

Here is where we specify all the elements we want to use. We do not have to configure them all, but for this example, we're going to set up the entire board to trigger content.

First, we need to understand how the board is setup so we can configure the relevant commands. Below is the XN-185 X-Talk interface channel configuration for the board:

With this information, we know which channels we associate to the relevant elements in the command section so we can go and add all of the components as below.

Quick Links:

Jump ahead to the relevant sensor Ext Comms config

If you've downloaded and installed the DM-XN04E demo layout, below we'll outline the steps to configure the layout. If you're creating your own, follow along anyway as the configuration we'll use can be applied in a variety of ways to your own designs.

First, let's create a new layout and choose the DM-XN04E template as our starting point - then save & continue to builder:

The layout is a single page layout with multiple zones, structured much in the same way as the board design:

Quick Links:

Jump ahead to the relevant sensor Layout config:

We'll configure the Push Buttons first. For this we have two zones which we've called:

You don't need to do anything with these zones but to help understand what's going on and what we're about to do, if you click into the zone playlist for each one, you'll see two playlist items:

As the blank item is the first item in the playlist, when the layout loads, the blank item loads and with it set to repeat, it'll only show this blank item. We'll now configure the button push so it'll activate the 'Pressed' item in the relevant zone. So, click on the Ext Comms receive command panel for the layout, located on the top bar:

Now click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

You can also click the '+Add Command' option to add the configuration for Button 4:

You can now save changes.

Tip: How do we know which button is what? On the Push Button hardware, the physical buttons are connected to an interface which is numbered - this is the button number. In this demo board setup, the buttons are on Button 1 and Button 4

Much like the Push Button configuration above, we have a zone which we've called 'Touch Button'

You do not need to do anything with the zones but for reference, within this zone playlist we have a two item playlist:

To configure the actions, click on the Ext Comms receive commands section:

Now click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

As per other zones, we don't have to change anything related to the zone or playlist but again to help understand what's going on, there is a zone called RFID Left:

This zone has three playlist items consisting of:

To configure the actions for the RFID, click the Ext Comms receive commands section:

First we'll configure what happens when the Tags are placed onto the sensor. Click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Now we'll add the same but for Tag 2 so click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Finally we'll configure what happens when we pick up / remove either Tag from the sensor. Click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Tip: For a Place and Learn experience, set up the triggers so that when a Tag is 'Put Back' it activates the relevant content with the neutral state being when the Tag is 'Picked up'.

For a Lift and Learn experience, set up the triggers so that when a Tag is 'Picked up' it activates the relevant content with the neutral state being when the Tag is 'Put Back'.

Now we can replicate the setup for the other RFID sensor - on the right. Again we have a single zone, this time called RFID Right:

And just like the RFID Left zone, the RFID Right zone has three playlist items consisting of:

Click the Ext Comms receive commands section:

Here we'll configure what happens when the Tags are placed onto the sensor and we'll do it just like the previous RFID setup but specifically for the RFID Right zone now. So, click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Now let's add the same but for Tag 2 so click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Finally we configure what happens when we pick up / remove either Tag from the sensor. Click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

There is a zone called 'X-Snapper'

You do not need to do anything with the zone but again to help you understand what's going on, you can see within this zone playlist we have a two item playlist:

To configure the actions for the X-Snapper, click on the Ext Comms receive commands section:

Now click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Next we configure the 'idle' state. Click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

There is a zone called 'Presence'

Like all the other zones, you do not need to do anything with the zone or content within it but to help you understand what's going on, you can see within this zone playlist we have a two item playlist:

To configure the actions for the Presence detection click on the Ext Comms receive commands section:

Now we'll configure what happens when Presence IS detected. Click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Next we configure the 'idle' state / when there is NO presence detected. Click to '+Add Command' button and then follow the below config:

Tip: For presence and proximity sensors, play around with the detection / no detection timings for your content. Also explore using ranges which split the sensor into different detection segments to allow you to trigger different content based on the proximity of a person.

The LED Strip setup is a little different to what we've done before. In this case, we've setup four zones which are hidden by default - each with a background colour set that matches the LED colours we've configured earlier. There is another zone which is called 'LED Title' and this is the one we need to focus on for further configuration.

With the 'LED Title' zone, we have a playlist that has four text items in it:

On each playlist item there are Five (5) content triggers set at the start. Here's what the playlist looks like:

The experience we're going for here is that when each text item plays, it will show the relevant 'Colour Zone' (they're hidden by default) and also Send commands to the LED strip itself. So you'll see the LED strip and the Zones on the screen change to the relevant colour. Here's how to do that...

Click on the 'Triggers' option for the first playlist item (Send Red)

Configure the Triggers for the 'Send Red' item to be as below:

The Triggers should look something like this:

Note: You don't necessarily need to send 'hide zone' commands to all the X-Wave LED zones in this setup. You could just target the previous X-Wave LED zone that was 'shown'. However, by doing adding hide commands for all X-Wave zones to each playlist item, it allows you to reorder the playlist items without having to adjust the commands.

Now, we can repeat this process for the other playlist items but choosing to show / hide the relevant zones and send the relevant colour commands. Here's what that looks like:

Click on the 'Triggers' option for the second playlist item (Send Blue)

Configure the Triggers for the 'Send Blue' item to be as below:

Click on the 'Triggers' option for the third playlist item (Send Green)

Configure the Triggers for the 'Send Green' item to be as below:

Click on the 'Triggers' option for the last playlist item (Send Yellow)

Configure the Triggers for the 'Send Yellow' item to be as below:

Tip: When creating experiences that incorporate LED, explore the various states you can create and look to activate them from the content items in the zone playlist.

Now the layout is complete, the External Comms setup is complete and you've got your compatible device hooked up with your Nexmosphere board, it's time to publish the layout to your device to start playing with the sensors.

Note: when the LED commands are first sent to the Nexmosphere hardware there is a short period of initialisation... Once this is done, the LED colours will activate and change as per the layout structure.

Any questions, please reach out to us via [email protected]