Remote access
Remote control of a unit is possible from anywhere in the same region through the use of the remote console, available for purchase at major NS outlet stores. The remote console makes it easy to check the status of your unit, send commands, and operate menus, as well as scanning for nearby units and broadcasting announcements to them.
Pictured above: The Companion 8 remote console shown in its ‘disconnected’ and ‘connected’ states (top and bottom, respectively.)
To connect to a unit, press the connect... button. After 4 seconds, a list of available units will appear. Note that the console
will be otherwise inoperable while scanning.
To view the nearby units, press the scan... button. The scanner will be active for 4 seconds. Note that functions on the console
other than menu and terminal input will be inactive during this time. The scan output will include version numbers,
which are of importance: only units running version 8.0.5 and newer can be controlled using the remote management console.
Older units will only support public announcements (if chorus mode is enabled.)
Press the broadcast... button, select a range, and enter a message (up to 250 characters.) Messages broadcast with unlimited range will be sent through all units in the region.
Press the command... button and enter the command you wish to execute. To make the unit act or speak, use the relay <message> command. For a list of other commands, see Command reference. Note: The unit may not respond at all if the command is rejected for security reasons, so it is advisable to perform a test command (such as help) after connecting.
Press the terminal button to enter terminal mode. All messages sent locally will be relayed through the remote control as console commands to the unit. You must have RLV enabled to use this feature.
After connecting, click the menu button. As of Companion 8.3, this will create a separate menu session that will not interfere with simultaneous local console access.
The about button will report on identification information, authorized users, and connected devices at a glance, and is equivalent to the about command.
Units accept remote commands on two channels: band -9999999 and a unique, per-unit band based on the negative value of the digits of the serial number. (For example, a DAX/2 with the serial number 998-23-5311 would use band -998235311.) The uniformity of the former makes it easy to issue commands to several units at once, and the latter's specificity is convenient for targeting an individual unit without knowing specific key information. Respectively, these are known as the public and private command channels, although their use is limited according to remote access settings, and so neither is intrinsically tied to a certain accessibility.
The chorus functionality, accessed through the 'broadcast' button on the remote console HUD, sends a special command called say which is unique to the command channel processor, and is not to be confused with the Arabesque version of say, which simply maps to the standard system relay command.
Command channels are also used for certain identification messages, ping and the ATOS equivalent, identify. Documentation for these messages is available in the Companion SDK, and online at the ATOS protocols page, respectively.
Pictured above: The Companion 8 remote console shown in its ‘disconnected’ and ‘connected’ states (top and bottom, respectively.)
Connecting to a unit
To connect to a unit, press the connect... button. After 4 seconds, a list of available units will appear. Note that the console
will be otherwise inoperable while scanning.
Scanning nearby units without connecting
To view the nearby units, press the scan... button. The scanner will be active for 4 seconds. Note that functions on the console
other than menu and terminal input will be inactive during this time. The scan output will include version numbers,
which are of importance: only units running version 8.0.5 and newer can be controlled using the remote management console.
Older units will only support public announcements (if chorus mode is enabled.)
Sending a public announcement
Press the broadcast... button, select a range, and enter a message (up to 250 characters.) Messages broadcast with unlimited range will be sent through all units in the region.
Issuing a command to a single unit
Press the command... button and enter the command you wish to execute. To make the unit act or speak, use the relay <message> command. For a list of other commands, see Command reference. Note: The unit may not respond at all if the command is rejected for security reasons, so it is advisable to perform a test command (such as help) after connecting.
Issuing multiple commands to a single unit
Press the terminal button to enter terminal mode. All messages sent locally will be relayed through the remote control as console commands to the unit. You must have RLV enabled to use this feature.
Accessing the menus
After connecting, click the menu button. As of Companion 8.3, this will create a separate menu session that will not interfere with simultaneous local console access.
Checking unit status
The about button will report on identification information, authorized users, and connected devices at a glance, and is equivalent to the about command.
Technical note regarding channels
Units accept remote commands on two channels: band -9999999 and a unique, per-unit band based on the negative value of the digits of the serial number. (For example, a DAX/2 with the serial number 998-23-5311 would use band -998235311.) The uniformity of the former makes it easy to issue commands to several units at once, and the latter's specificity is convenient for targeting an individual unit without knowing specific key information. Respectively, these are known as the public and private command channels, although their use is limited according to remote access settings, and so neither is intrinsically tied to a certain accessibility.
The chorus functionality, accessed through the 'broadcast' button on the remote console HUD, sends a special command called say which is unique to the command channel processor, and is not to be confused with the Arabesque version of say, which simply maps to the standard system relay command.
Command channels are also used for certain identification messages, ping and the ATOS equivalent, identify. Documentation for these messages is available in the Companion SDK, and online at the ATOS protocols page, respectively.