Enable local console access to the Admin panel

Operators and administrators can access the Admin panel locally to reconfigure Pearl-2 without needing a laptop. With the local console feature, you can connect a USB mouse, keyboard, and a monitor directly to Pearl-2. Or you can connect a touch screen monitor. Pearl-2 also supports connection of a USB wireless RF receiver for local console.

A built-in virtual keyboard is readily available, but you can also connect an external USB keyboard. When you enable local console, you must also enable the External keyboard option.

Use the Admin panel or the touch screen on Pearl-2 to enable local console and the external USB keyboard. Once enabled, simply connect your USB mouse, USB keyboard, and an HDMI monitor to the HDMI OUT port that has local console enabled. You cannot use the HDMI pass-through port for local console.

Optionally, you can disable whether or not users must login to the Admin panel when they access the local console. Login is enabled by default.

You can also change the layout of the built-in and external keyboards to any of the supported languages. If you select multiple languages, you can toggle between languages using Ctrl+Shift (or Ctrl+Alt).

  • American English
  • Dutch
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Netherlands
  • Portuguese (European)
  • Spanish (Spain)
  • Swiss
  • Norwegian (Bokmal)
  • Russian

Important considerations

  • Epiphan Live is not accessible from the local console.
  • The live preview link is not accessible from the Channel Status page using the local console.
  • You cannot upload/download the following types of media using the local console:
    • Images
    • Channel recordings
    • EDID files
    • Configuration files
    • Firmware update files

Use the web-based Admin panel from your administration computer for full access to all Admin panel functions.

Enable local console and the external keyboard option using the Admin panel

  1. Login to the Admin panel as admin, see Enable local console access to the Admin panel.
  1. From the Configuration menu, select External keyboard. The External keyboard configuration page opens.
  2. Select Local console as the Keyboard application and click Apply.

  3. (Optional) Check a different keyboard language layout or multiple language layouts. The default layout is American English.
  4. (Optional) Choose the keyboard key combination to toggle between keyboard layouts if multiple languages are selected: Ctrl+Shift or Alt+Shift.
  5. From the Output ports menu, select the output port (HDMI 1 or HDMI 2). The video output port configuration page opens.
  6. Under Settings, select Local console in the Source drop-down menu and click Apply.

    7. If you skipped the steps to configure the external keyboard for local console, an error message appears. Click the link to fix it.

  7. (Optional) Check Disable authentication if you don't want users to have to use their credentials to login before using the local console to access the Admin panel on Pearl-2.
  8. Under Settings, select Local console in the Source drop-down menu.
  9. Click Apply.

Enable local console using the touch screen

  1. Tap the gear icon to open the System settings screen. If the control icons aren't showing, tap anywhere on the touch screen.
  2. Tap the arrow icon in the lower-right corner of the screen to go to the second Settings page.

  3. Tap Output ports and select an output port.
  4. From the Output port's screen, select Local console as the Source and tap Apply.

What's next?

Connect your USB mouse, keyboard, and connect an HDMI monitor to the output port that has local console enabled to access the local console directly from Pearl-2.