Introduction

This manual contains information on how to use Tata Elxsi Accelerator UI, which is an user interface for Video Accelerator devices.

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FeaturTaes

1. Live Video Playback
2. Playback Controls

3. Home screen UI with following options:

   1. Recommended Videos
   2. Premium Apps (YouTube)

   3. Metrological Apps

4. Video on Demand (VOD)

5. Bluetooth Settings

6. Volume Control

7. Wifi Control
8. Diagnostics screen

Set Up  

This section provides details on how the user can launch Tata Elxsi Accelerator UI by choosing either of the following 3 options:

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Using pre-deployed url (option 1) is the easiest way, but NOT the recommended way as DEV version is deployed which undergo continuous development. Preferred option is to setup a build locally from Github code - Option 3

Option-1: Launch the pre-deployed Lightning UI on accelerator 

1. Pre-deployed url is available at http://35.154.217.235:8081/
2. Navigate to  Controller UI ( Controller UI can be loaded with the RPi / box's IP address with port number 9998 (http://<Rpi's /Box's IP address>:9998). )
3. Navigate to Resident App tab
4. Enter deployed url (http://35.154.217.235:8081/) in custom URL field and click ‘SET’.
5. The accelerator UI will get loaded on Resident App (web kit browser instance)

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(Above figure shows setting URL in the Resident App)  

Option-2: Configure the pre-deployed Accelerator UI as the default UI on STB boot up 

Point Resident app to the deployed URL of Accelerator Application. On boot up, Accelerator app will be launched immediately after displaying the box console screen (Default video will be played on launching the Accelerator App)

Option-3: Build the Accelerator UI and launch on accelerator 

How to build Accelerator UI code

1. Pre-requisites:

1.1) Installation of Node.js and npm. 

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 eg: http://127.0.0.1:8080 and http://<host_ip>:8080

How to bring up Accelerator UI 

As mentioned in Launch the pre-deployed Lightning UI on accelerator section, Launch Controller UI in your web browser by giving the URL in specified format.

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Follow steps mentioned in Configure the pre-deployed Accelerator UI as the default UI to configure your locally deployed application (http://<IPaddress>:8080) as the default UI on STB boot up

Keys Used for Navigation

Functional Specification

User Management

Live playback

Live video playback will be running by default on the screen.  Dash, HLS and MP4 format of videos are supported by the media player.

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(The above figure shows an instance of video playback before the user launches the UI.)

Playback Controls

(The above figure shows the player control UI)

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Channel Information

Along with the Player control UI, channel name and channel logo also appear on top of the screen.

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(The above figure shows an example of the Channel Info)

Network Information

Network information also appears along with the Player control UI. Time, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and weather information should appear on top right corner of the screen (functionality- to be implemented)

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(The above figure shows the Network info appearing on the screen )

Accelerator UI

On pressing ‘Home’ key (or ← key) from the live playback  (or Backspace from keyboard), the Accelerator UI will get launched. Exiting from the UI at any stage is also done in the similar fashion by pressing ‘Home/Backspace’ key.

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(The above figure shows the launched Accelerator UI on the screen)

Home Screen

In the Accelerator UI that has launched, the user will be in Home screen by default.   On Pressing ‘Enter’ key from the home menu on Sidebar, the focus will be on Recommended for you.  Underneath Recommended for you, there are rows corresponding to Premium Apps and Metrological Apps. The user can navigate into various rows using Up- ‘Down Arrow’ keys.                                                             

Premium Apps

In the second row there is Premium Apps, in which Youtube Apps is supported. The user can launch YouTube by pressing ‘OK /Enter’ key from the tiles.

Metrological Apps

Launching of all Applications in the third row is achieved by pressing ‘OK/Enter’ key from the tiles in Metrological Apps. To exit from metro apps, press on 'Home' button.

Side Menu

On launching the Home screen, Side bar would be visible on the left-hand side of the screen which comprises of menu items like Home, TV guide, App, VOD and Settings. By pressing ‘Left Arrow’ key from Home screen, the Side Menu will expand.

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Shrink view

(The above figure shows the Side Menu on launching the Home screen )

Expanded view

(The above figure shows the expanded Side Menu on pressing ‘Left Arrow’ key)

Info bar

 Information like Bluetooth & Wi-Fi connectivity, weather information and time are displayed in Info bar seen on the top right corner of the Home screen. InfoBar appears along with the launching of Player controls UI. This information status toggles with the logo, and once in every 2 mins logo is shown

TV Guide [To be Implemented]

For navigating into TV guide, press ‘Enter’ key from the TV guide menu on Sidebar and thus the TV guide UI appears.

Video on Demand

Navigate Down through the Side bar menu and press ‘Enter’ key on VOD and the VOD screen appears. On the top of the screen, the list of categories of videos will be available. Among them FOR YOU category will be highlighted.

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While navigating through VOD tiles, the description box showing the description about the video along with its   ratings and quality will appear at the bottom of each tile as shown in the figure. The cost of each video will be visible while that particular tile is on highlight but the purchase options are not yet implemented.

Settings

Navigate down through Sidebar menu and press ‘Enter’ key on settings menu to get settings window. Settings window comprise of General Settings, Bluetooth Remote & Devices, Network Interfaces , Diagnostics and Wifi

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General Settings will be in highlight by default. Using ‘Left Arrow’ and ‘Right Arrow’ keys, the navigation through each settings tile can be achieved.

Bluetooth Settings

Press ‘Enter’ key on ‘Bluetooth Remote and Devices’ to go to submenu related to Bluetooth settings.

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On Pressing ‘Enter’ key from ‘Pair and Connect’, the user can connect the device and gets navigated into ‘Discover window’ in which the connection status will be updated as ‘Ready’. On Pressing ‘Enter’ key from ‘Disconnect’, the user can disconnect the selected device.

Diagnostics Screen

Diagnostics screen will  provide device information like version, serial number, time , Up time etc. Device info will be displayed when we press enter from the 'Diagnostics' tile.

Wifi 

Press ‘Enter’ key on ‘Wifi’ to go to submenu related to Wifi settings. A screen appear from the right side and Wifi scan starts automatically. (On power on, make sure that box/RPI is not connected to Ethernet). On completion of scan, a list of available networks (access points) will be visible and if no networks were found, user can try again by using the "Discover WiFi" button on screen. 

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On successful connection, it is returned back to the previous screen with the list of available networks and user can see that the device has been connected to the desired network. On choosing the connected network from the list again, user shall be able to view the details of this network such as ssid, bssid, rate, noise, security, signal strength and frequency. It also gives the option to disconnect from this network and on disconnect a new scan starts automatically

Volume Control

(The above figure shows volume control UI )

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(The above figure shows the volume control UI when in mute)

Features not supported

Following features are not yet implemented in this release 

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• Settings : Settings options excluding Bluetooth settings , Wifi and Diagnostics
• Bluetooth Settings - 'Other devices' not supported

Known Issues in the App with RDK services

1. App gets stuck randomly if we launch metro apps back to back

2. Mute UI works, but mute functionality not working (Observed displaySettings plugin RPC call is also not working)

3. Bluetooth paired devices gets removed from the app after a long time(Observed only in Commscope)

4. Only numeric keyboard is available in Wifi Settings now. User won't be able to enter passwords with alphabets

5. Accelerator App crash observed on launching the app in Commscope box(Not observed in RPi and Realtek devices). App crash issue observed for other app URL also (https://jira.rdkcentral.com/jira/browse/VIP7802-159)

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•   After plugin crash due to app launch, Reboot the box and enable Webkitbrowser and launch the application URL through Webkitbrowser.
•   Then disable Webkitbrowser and enable Resident App and launch our application via Resident app plugin. This time, URL launches without crash.
        
         

Appendix

Whom to contact for Support 

te_rdkm_lightningui@tataelxsi.co.in

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