Getting started with XC3/XD3/XS3

This getting started guide describes how to initially connect the device, open the web interface and setup device user and network settings.

XC3

XC3 IP Core, rear view
XC3 IP Core, front view

Back

PortTypeComment
IPx 1 PRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceFactory-Equipped IPx Interface, network communication interface of the core
IPx 1 SRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceFactory-Equipped IPx Interface, network communication interface of the core
IPx 2 PRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
IPx 2 SRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
GA1 - GA4Gigabit Audio / MADIFunction depending on equipped optional SFP module
APC 1 - APC 12RJ45 DHD APC portConnect DHD modules like Surfaces or I/O Modules. No switched ethernet interface, only for direct point to point connection.
Sync In/OutHD BNC multi formatSync sources can be:
BNC Wordclock (Rising Edge)
BNC Wordclock (Falling Edge)
BNC AES EBU
BNC Video (NTSC/PAL)
sAPCUSB-C proprietaryReserved for future use. Not USB-C compatible.
48V 1 - 48V 2Power supplyRedundant power supply inputs
LEDFunction
DCIndicates at least working PSU connected
ButtonFunction
FCTPress and hold min. 5 seconds: Reset Admin User Password
Press and hold min. 20 seconds: Reset Admin User Password, Network & Security Settings

Front

LEDFunctionColorSpeedMeaning
State 1Controller statusGreenpermanently onController running
State 2Internal DSPx module statusGreenFast blinkingDSPx module running
Green/yellowFast/slow blinkingUpdating
PowerGives information about PSU stateGreenpermanently onPSU ok
Yellowpermanently onPSU failure (1 remaining), check system app for details.
Only applies if more than 1 PSU configured in Toolbox
OffOffNo power
SyncGives information about current sync sourceGreenpermanently onSync 1 synced
Green/YellowAlternatingSync 1 synced, sync 2 not ready
Yellowpermanently onSync 2 synced, sync 1 not available
OffOffInternal sync, sync 1 and 2 not available
IPx 1IPx 1 module and Core Firmware statusGreenFast blinkingIPx 1 module and core firmware running
Green/yellowFast/slow blinkingUpdating
IPx 2IPx 2 module and Firmware status (optional, only if equipped)GreenFast blinkingIPx 2 module running
Green/yellowFast/slow blinkingUpdating
CPUCPU running indicationGreenSlow blinkingCPU running
DSPxAdditional DSPx module status (optional, only if equipped)GreenFast blinkingAdditional DSPx module running
GreenSlow blinkingAdditional DSPx module not configured
OffOffAdditional DSPx module not installed

Note
For more detailed information on LED behaviour, see Meaning of LEDs

ButtonFunction
ResetHardware Reset Button. See Reset Behaviour.

XD3

XD3 IP Core, rear view
XD3 IP Core, front view

Back

PortTypeComment
ETH1 / ETH2RJ45 LAN / Ethernet interface, Bond interfaceBond Ethernet interface, network communication interface of the core
ETH3RJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceNetwork communication interface of the core
ETH4RJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceNetwork communication interface of the core
APC 1 - APC 4RJ45 DHD APC portConnect DHD modules like Surfaces or I/O Modules. No switched ethernet interface, only for direct point to point connection.
S/RRS232 Serial interfaceFor serial protocol connection with a PC or interconnection to second redundancy core
IPx 1 PRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
IPx 1 SRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
IPx 2 PRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
IPx 2 SRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
GA1 - GA4Gigabit Audio / MADIFunction depending on equipped optional SFP module
Sync In/OutHD BNC multi formatSync sources can be:
BNC Wordclock (Rising Edge)
BNC Wordclock (Falling Edge)
BNC AES EBU
BNC Video (NTSC/PAL)
sAPCUSB-C proprietaryReserved for future use. Not USB-C compatible.
48V 1 - 48V 2Power supplyRedundant power supply input
LEDFunction
DCIndicates at least working PSU connected
ButtonFunction
FCTPress and hold min. 5 seconds: Reset Admin User Password
Press and hold min. 20 seconds: Reset Admin User Password, Network & Security Settings

Front

PortTypeComment
USBUSB-CFor service and recovery purposes
LEDFunctionColorSpeedMeaning
State 1Controller statusGreenpermanently onController running
State 2Internal DSPx module statusGreenFast blinkingDSPx module running
PowerGives information about PSU stateGreenpermanently onPSU ok
Yellowpermanently onPSU failure (1 remaining), check system app for details.
Only applies if more than 1 PSU configured in Toolbox
OffOffNo power
SyncGives information about current sync sourceGreenpermanently onSync 1 synced
Green/YellowAlternatingSync 1 synced, sync 2 not ready
Yellowpermanently onSync 2 synced, sync 1 not available
OffOffInternal sync, sync 1 and 2 not available
IPx 1IPx 1 module and Firmware status (optional, only if equipped)GreenFast blinkingIPx 1 module running
IPx 2IPx 2 module and Firmware status (optional, only if equipped)GreenFast blinkingIPx 2 module running
CPUCPU running indicationGreenSlow blinkingCPU running
REDRedundancy status informationGreenSlow blinkingRedundancy enabled, unit is A and Main
Greenpermanently onRedundancy enabled, unit is B and Backup
YellowSlow blinkingRedundancy enabled, unit is B and Main
Yellowpermanently onRedundancy enabled, unit is A and Backup
Green/YellowAlternatingSlave not ready
OffOffRedundancy disabled

Note
For more detailed information on LED behaviour, see Meaning of LEDs

ButtonFunction
ResetHardware Reset Button. See Reset Behaviour.

XD3 optional router part: Back

GA5-GA24Gigabit Audio / MADIFunction depending on equipped optional SFP module.
Port usability also depending on number of equipped optional DSPx modules

XD3 optional router part: Front

LEDFunctionColorSpeedMeaning
State 1Controller statusGreenpermanently onController running
State 2Internal router and integrated DSPx module statusGreenFast blinkingRouter and DSPx module running
DSPx 1-DSPx 4Additional DSPx module status (optional, only if equipped)GreenFast blinkingAdditional DSPx module running
GreenSlow blinkingAdditional DSPx module not configured
OffOffAdditional DSPx module not installed

Note
For more detailed information on LED behaviour, see Meaning of LEDs

XS3

XS3 IP Core, rear view
XS3 IP Core, front view

Back

PortTypeComment
IPx 1 PRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceFactory-Equipped IPx Interface, network communication interface of the core
IPx 1 SRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceFactory-Equipped IPx Interface, network communication interface of the core
IPx 2 PRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
IPx 2 SRJ45 LAN / Ethernet interfaceOptional IPx audio over IP Interface
USBUSB Audio16×16 ch USB audio interface for MAC/PC. See Getting started with XS3 USB Audio 16x16 Interface for detailed instructions.
MADIMADI
sAPCUSB-C proprietaryReserved for future use. Not USB-C compatible.
Dante 4×4Dante Audio NetworkIndependent Dante audio network interface.
APC 1 - APC 8RJ45 DHD APC portConnect DHD modules like Surfaces or I/O Modules. No switched ethernet interface, only for direct point to point connection.
Mind the different order of APC ports!
Sync In/OutHD BNC multi formatOptional module - Sync sources can be:
BNC Wordclock (Rising Edge)
BNC Wordclock (Falling Edge)
BNC AES EBU
BNC Video (NTSC/PAL)
48V 1 - 48V 2Power supplyRedundant power supply inputs
LEDFunction
FLIndicates at least working PSU connected
ButtonFunction
FCTPress and hold min. 5 seconds: Reset Admin User Password
Press and hold min. 20 seconds: Reset Admin User Password, Network & Security Settings

Front

LEDFunctionColorSpeedMeaning
State 1Controller statusGreenpermanently onController running
State 2Internal DSP module statusGreenFast blinkingDSP module running
Green/yellowFast/slow blinkingUpdating
PowerGives information about PSU stateGreenpermanently onPSU ok
Yellowpermanently onPSU failure (1 remaining), check system app for details.
Only applies if more than 1 PSU configured in Toolbox
OffOffNo power
SyncGives information about current sync sourceGreenpermanently onSync 1 synced
Green/YellowAlternatingSync 1 synced, sync 2 not ready
Yellowpermanently onSync 2 synced, sync 1 not available
OffOffInternal sync, sync 1 and 2 not available
IPx 1IPx 1 module and Core Firmware statusGreenFast blinkingIPx 1 module and core firmware running
Green/yellowFast/slow blinkingUpdating
IPx 2IPx 2 module and Firmware status (optional, only if equipped)GreenFast blinkingIPx 2 module running
Green/yellowFast/slow blinkingUpdating
CPUCPU running indicationGreenSlow blinkingCPU running
USBUSB Data StatusGreenpermanently onUSB data connection is currently active
OffUSB data connection is currently inactive or USB not connected
Dante 4×4Dante 4×4 StatusGreenpermanently onDante 4×4 is ok and synced to the current PTP leader clock
Greenslow blinkingDante 4×4 is ok and
- is the current PTP leader clock
- network port is not connected
- Dante Controller's Identify device function was activated
Yellowslow blinkingDante 4×4 is in failsafe mode - check Dante Controller

Note
For more detailed information on LED behaviour, see Meaning of LEDs

ButtonFunction
ResetHardware Reset Button. See Reset Behaviour.

Connect the device to the power supply using the power supply unit(s). The device has no power switch and should begin booting up completely. Wait until “State 2”-LED starts flashing fast. The device is now booted.

Since Version 10.1 and higher the default network settings have basically changed.
Port IPx1 P on XS3 and XC3 Cores and ETH1/ETH2 on XD3 Cores is always set to DHCP. If no DHCP Server can be found the Core will use DHCP / Zeroconf to find itself an IP Address in the range of 169.254.0.0/16.

Port IPx1 S (ETH4 on XD3) is by default set to a fixed address in the 10.0.0.0/8 range, using our well-known MAC addressing scheme. But instead of using the 10.5.*.* address a corresponding 10.6.*.* is used.

For initial setup, we recommend to connect your computer directly to the corresponding network port of the Core. Either

  • IPx1 P (ETH1/ETH2 on XD3) with activated DHCP setting on the PC. Or
  • IPx1 S (ETH4 on XD3) with a fixed address in the range of 10.0.0.0/8 on the PC.

If you decide to use a fixed IP adress on the PC, the following settings will work:

  • IP address: 10.0.0.10
  • Netmask: 255.0.0.0
  • Default Gateway: not required
  • DNS server: not required
New Default IPx default setup. Initial connection is possible on both ports.
New Default Setup for XD3. Initial connection is possible on all ports.

Note
No DHDCS used anymore.
With Firmware and Kernel Version 10.1 the device discovery mechanism has been fundamentally changed. Instead of UDP broadcasts the core sends out mDNS Multicast messages now. Those are not received by the old DHDCS anymore. So a running DHDCS will not list devices running on 10.1. A Toolbox 10.1 and higher can directly connect to the Core for discovery and config upload.

Tip
The new Cores support connections using mDNS/DNS-SD. So you can also connect to the device by typing “Device-Name.local” in your browser. The default device name is its MAC-address, which can be found on a sticker on the Core.
For example: If the stated MAC-address is 05-13-A4, you can connect to the core by typing 05-13-A4.local in your browser.

Important
Don´t configure the same network segment twice. For correct internal network routing it´s important that all ETH ports of your core are configured in a different IP range.

To find and access the device:

Open the new integrated Device List in Toolbox10 via View > Maintenance or F7.
  1. Open Toolbox10.1. It has an integrated Window that can list all devices. The DHDCS is not used anymore.
  2. Press F7 or click View > Maintenance
  3. The Device List opens up and displays all devices discovered in the network.
  4. Click on the Device's IP address in the list
  5. Your web-browser opens with the device's IP address and will access WebApps

A new Core will then show the initial Onboarding Process to configure an admin password or individual IP settings.

New Default IPx default setup. Initial connection is possible on both ports.
Onboarding sequence, animated

Onboarding

When WebApps are first launched, a onboarding sequence will be displayed. It consists of the following steps:

  1. Setup admin user
  2. Setup device network interfaces (optional)
  3. Setup TLS (optional)
  4. Apply network configuration
  5. Launch WebApps

Setup Admin User

First, choose a admin user password. This will be required to add more users to the system and for system administration.

Important
Admin user has access to all setup and configuration functions, so we recommend using a strong password.

Tip
You can add more users later on. After login, go to System App > User Management and click Add User. See also Toolbox setup & user management for user group and rights assignment.

After setting admin user password as desired, click the button on the bottom of the page to continue.

Setup Device Network Interfaces

No network settings are applied immediately. After completing network and TLS setup, you will be asked to apply the settings.

On the network configuration page, first enter a hardware name. The device will later be accessible under [Hardware Name].local, as this is published as mDNS to the local network, if supported by your network environment.

Afterwards, enter a DNS server. It is required to address other devices or services on the network by name instead of IP address. Also, setup a FQDN. If not sure what to set, click Suggest and use the recommended setting. FQDN is only required to be set correctly when using a TLS certificate.

Then, setup the network interfaces. Within each network interface entry, click Settings button to access full IP configuration.

Important
Make sure that all network interfaces are configured to a different subnet. For XC3 core a good example would be:

  • IPx P: 10.0.0.0/8 (e.g. IP: 10.0.2.23; Subnet mask: 255.0.0.0)
  • IPx S: 192.168.1.0/24 (e.g. IP: 192.168.1.12; Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0)

A MISCONFIGURATION would be:

  • IPx P: 10.0.0.0/8 (e.g. IP: 10.0.2.23; Subnet mask: 255.0.0.0)
  • IPx S: 10.0.0.0/8 (e.g. IP: 10.5.2.23; Subnet mask: 255.0.0.0)

This would lead to unpredictable behaviour of the device within the network.

Note
On XD3, ETH1 and ETH2 behave as virtually the same physical interface, therefore they share the same network configuration. This is for redundancy purposes.

Note
In redundant XD3 systems, ETH 3 must be used as direct (point-to-point) connection between main and backup core. DHD recommends the following network configuration:

  • Main XD3:
    • IP address: 172.16.0.1
    • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Backup XD3:
    • IP address: 172.16.0.2
    • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

After setting all network configuration as required, click the button on the bottom of the page to continue.

Setup TLS Certificate

Note
This step is optional. You can add a TLS certificate later. To skip, click the button on the bottom of the page.

By default, the connection from your browser to DHD Web Apps is insecure, because the device only uses HTTP instead of HTTPS This means the connection is vulnerable to snooping and your private information, e.g., the admin password, may be at risk.
You can use HTTPS to secure it. This requires to install and maintain a TLS certificate.

Important
Only use Web Apps without a TLS certificate (HTTPS) if you consider your Network to be secure!

To upload a TLS certificate, drag and drop a certificate in .p12 file format into the drag and drop area or use click to select with your file browser and select a file to upload.

After selecting a file, click Upload. The file will be uploaded and checked if valid and usable for the device.

Note
A .p12 file is required, because it contains both elements of the certificate chain, public and private key. You can use third party converter software to generate .p12 files.

Important
The .p12 file must meet the following technical requirements, otherwise the validation after the Upload will be not successful:

  • internal archive file format: PKCS#12
  • file must not be protected with an extra export password while it is generated / exported

After uploading, more informations will be displayed about the certificate details. It is important that the FQDN you entered in Setup Device Network Interfaces matches the DNS name displayed here. Also note the Valid until output.

Important
If you decide to upload a TLS certificate later on, you can do so on System App > Network Settings > Security Settings page. Please keep in mind that a restart of the webserver on System App > Service page is required afterwards.

After setting all network configuration as desired, click the button on the bottom of the page to continue.

Apply Network Configuration

After confirming the TLS certificate settings, a dialog box will appear, summarizing all new network settings. If the configuration is good, click OK. New network settings will now be applied. You will be redirected within 10-20 seconds to the new [Hardware Name].local address. This will only be successful if yor PC's network configuration matches the device's new network configuration.

If you want to correct some network settings, click Cancel and < Buttons at the bottom to redo configuration until correct.

If you already prepared your device to work with your new network environment, wait some additional seconds. You can now unplug it and connect it to your network and use it as intended.

You are redirected to the final onboarding page, providing you with useful links to next steps and functions. If network configuration changed, the next time you open the device's web interface, WebApps will launch.

After performing the initial setup, the following additional steps might be required:

If not configured already, use Toolbox to configure your device or start using the device and the device's WebApps.