ADDER ARDx KVM Matrix User Guide

ADDER ARDx KVM Matrix

Contents hide

5 Further information

6 CUSTOMER SUPPORT

7 Documents / Resources

7.1 References

8 Related Posts

Introduction

WELCOME

ARDx™ Viewer from Adder Technology is a software client application that allows a PC user to manage and connect to remote KVM over IP devices that feature ARDx™ technology. The ARDx™ Viewer supports high-quality video and audio, secure connections and low latency control of the remote host and provides all the necessary tools to configure and manage connection settings and user profiles.

Connect, View, Manage and Control

Use the dashboard to manage connections to several devices, access user admin tools and adjust settings. Multiple sessions can be launched concurrently, providing a seamless remote KVM experience on your desktop.

Seamless User Experience

Inherently low latency provides precision control as though you were operating the remote device directly. Unobtrusive On-Screen Display (OSD) lets you manage key features quickly and intuitively.

High quality audio and video

Renders fluid motion, accurate colour and clear text without tearing or artifacts for demanding image critical applications. Synchronised high quality digital audio provides the complete multi-media experience.

Highly Secure

Enterprise grade security ensures your connection is safe. AES-256 encryption and RSA2048 authentication offer the highest level of protection, trusted by security agencies and financial institutions worldwide.

Connection Profile Management

Create, save, modify, import and export multiple target PC network connection profiles.
Provides IT admin with the tools to simplify single and batch system installations.

User Management

Admin can create, configure and manage an effectively unlimited number of User Profiles, each with defined access rights such as view only or the ability to connect privately by blocking concurrent connections.

Major OS Support

The ARDx™ Viewer supports two key Operating Systems, Windows 10/11 and Linux Ubuntu 22. Downloads are not restricted and the viewer can be installed on multiple PCs.

Installation

INSTALLING THE ARDx™ VIEWER FOR WINDOWS

Connection to the ARDx™ device is carried out over a network, using the ARDx™ Viewer application running on a Windows-based computer.

If you already have the ARDx™ Viewer application installed, please follow the Initial configuration instructions given.

To install the ARDx™ Viewer

Go to the Adder website (www.adder.com), then search for and download the ARDx™ Viewer installation file for Windows.

Run the downloaded .exe file to view the opening dialog:
Click Next > to view the Installation Selection page:

Click Next > to confirm the installation of the ‘Client Only’ and to view the Choose Components page:
If necessary, alter the installation options and then click Install to proceed. The necessary files will be installed and the following page displayed once the process is complete.

Click Finish.

INSTALLING THE ARDx™ VIEWER FOR LINUX

Connection to the ARDx™ device is carried out over a network, using the ARDx™ Viewer application running on a Linux-based computer.

If you already have the ARDx™ Viewer application installed, please follow the Initial configuration instructions given.

To install the ARDx™ Viewer using the gui

Go to the Adder website (www.adder.com), then search for and download the ARDx™ Viewer installation file for Linux.
Double click the downloaded installation file.
In resulting dialog, click the Install button and then confirm the action when requested.
Enter your admin password and click the Authenticate button. The package will be installed on your system.

To install the ARDx™ Viewer using the command line

Go to the Adder website (www.adder.com), then search for and download the ARDx™ Viewer installation file for Linux.
Navigate to the file directory and, if necessary, list the downloads directory to discover the <filename> of the installation file.
Run the command sudo apt install ./<filename>
Enter your admin password and confirm installation.

Configuration

INITIAL CONFIGURATION

To perform the initial configuration, you need to connect the Adder ARDx™ device to an IP network and use a computer located on the same network to connect to it. Note: It is also possible to connect a computer (using a cross-over cable or adapter) directly to the ARDx™ device for configuration purposes.
When the ARDx™ Viewer opens you will see the main page:

Any pre-configured servers will be listed in the Connect area.

Adding a new server

There are two ways to add a new server (connected to an Adder ARDx™ device):

Import an ARDx™ config file (see below), or
Manually enter the server details (see opposite).

To import an ARDx™ config file

ARDx™ config files use the. json format.

Click the icon to show a file dialog, use it to highlight a valid import file and then click Open.
If the selected ARDx™ configuration is valid, its contents will be used to create one or more new server entries within the Connect area of the application:

To manually enter the server details

Click the Add Server button to show the Preferences dialog:

For details about all of the options, please see Appendix 1 – Server Preferences Dialog.
You need to enter the following key settings:
- Server Name (this is displayed on the connection entry that is added to the Connect area,
- Server Ip Address,
- Determine whether authentication is required for the server (if yes, then a valid user name and password must be entered).
  All other options can remain at their default unless particular circumstances dictate otherwise.

Click Save to add your new server entry to the Connect area of the application (see below left).

Editing existing server details

You can edit any of the stored details for a server connection at any time.

To edit details for an existing server

Click the icon located in the top right corner of the server entry that you wish to edit.
The preferences panel will be shown on the right side of the application window.
Make the necessary changes and then click Apply.
For details about all of the options, please see Appendix 1 – Server Preferences Dialog.

Viewing a server connection log

You can view the connection log for any server.

To view the connection log for a server

Click the icon located in the top right corner of the server entry.
The preferences panel will be shown on the right side of the application window.
At the bottom left of the preferences panel, click the LOG icon.
The current log for the server will be displayed within the Windows Notepad application.

Removing a server entry

You can view the connection log for any server.

To view the connection log for a server

Click the icon located in the top right corner of the server entry.
The preferences panel will be shown on the right side of the application window.
At the bottom left of the preferences panel, click the icon. A confirmation dialog will be displayed.

Click Yes to confirm the delete action.

UPGRADING AN ARDx™ DEVICE

To upgrade an ARDx™ device

Download the appropriate upgrade file from the Adder website.
Open the ARDx™ Viewer as an admin user.
View the Preferences for the ARDx™ device that is to be upgraded: Click the icon located in the top right corner of the appropriate server entry. In the Device section of the Preferences, note the Server IP address.

Using the viewer, connect to the ARDx™ device that needs to be upgraded.
In the connection session window, move your mouse up to the top margin of the window to invoke the dropdown menu.
From the dropdown menu, click the icon and choose the System page. At the bottom of the page, in the Misc. section, click the Web Server slider to enable the option and then click the Apply button:

Using a web browser on your system, navigate to the IP address noted earlier for the ARDx™ device. The device’s webpage should be displayed. Within the Firmware Upgrade page, click the Filename field to locate the upgrade file that you downloaded to your system earlier. Click the Upgrade Now button to enact the upgrade:

The upgrade process should start and a progress bar displayed:

When the upgrade process has completed, you should see the following message:
If required, begin a new connection session to the ARDx™ device in the usual manner.

Operation

CONNECTING WITH A SERVER

The ARDx™ Viewer application allows you to remotely connect with multiple server systems via ARDx™ devices.

To make a remote server connection

Run the ARDx™ Viewer to view the Connect page. All registered server entries will be displayed within the Connect area:

Click the Connect button of the required server to begin a connection.
If login details are requested, enter a valid password and click OK.
An Adder Remote Desktop window will be opened.

ARDx™ connection window options

During a connection session the ARDx™ Viewer window provides a drop down toolbar with various options. To view the toolbar, simply move your mouse up to the top margin of the window:

Further information

This chapter contains a variety of information, including the following:

Getting assistance – see right

Appendix 1 – Server preferences dialog
Appendix 2 – ARDx™ connection window settings
Appendix 3 – Open source licenses

GETTING ASSISTANCE

If you are still experiencing problems after checking the information contained within this guide, then please refer to the Support section of our website: www.adder.com

APPENDIX 1 – SERVER PREFERENCES DIALOG

Within the ARDx™ Viewer application, when you click the Add Server button or click the icon on any existing server entry, the following settings will be shown:

Server Type

Choose the type of server: Device for when an ARDx™ device is connected to the system.

Server Name

Enter the name, up to 30 characters, to be displayed on the server entry.

Server IP Address

Enter the network address where the server is located.

Authentication / User Name / Password

When enabled you will be required to enter a user name and password that will be presented to the server when logging in.

Session > Access Mode

Choose the required access mode for this connection:

View Only – Allows the user only to view the video output of the server, the USB channel is denied.

Shared – Allows the user to control the server in conjunction with other users. This is the default setting.
Exclusive – Grants exclusive control to one user while all others can simultaneously view and hear, but not control, the output.
Private – Allows the user to gain private access to a system, while locking out all others.

Session > Encryption

Determines whether links to the server should be encrypted. Current options are None or to use AES256.

Session > Statistics Collection

Determines whether or not connection statistics should be collected during sessions with the server.

Video > Resolution

Determines the preferred video resolution for connections with the server. Various common resolutions are available for selection.

Video > Target Frame Rate

Determines the video frame rate that should be achieved if connections speeds are sufficient. Choices range from 10 to 60 frames per second (with 60 being the default).
The Congestion Control setting (below) can have an effect on frame rates.

Audio

Determines whether the audio link is enabled or disabled.

APPENDIX 2 – ARDx™ CONNECTION WINDOW SETTINGS

During an ARDx™ connection session you can access and alter various settings.
In the dropdown toolbar at the top of the connection window, click the to view settings:

System page – Normal user

Use the menu on the left side to change to other pages.
When you make changes to any settings, be sure to click the Apply button in the lower right corner to save them.

Mouse Cursor

During a connection session, your mouse movements within the window are complimented by a second mouse cursor to account for any lag in the connection speed. By default two mouse cursors will be seen: the one local to your system which immediately follows your movements plus a second pointer representing the response of the remote system. You can optionally choose to hide or completely suppress your local mouse pointer within the connection window using the Hide Cursor or No Cursor settings, respectively.

Time and Date

When the NTP Server option is disabled, this field displays the current date and time setting. Click the calendar icon to change the settings.

System page – Admin user

Use the menu on the left side to change to other pages.
When you make changes to any settings, be sure to click the Apply button in the lower right corner to save them.

Mouse Cursor

Add NTP Server
Allows you to determine the time and date settings using an NTP Server.

Current Time

When the NTP Server option is disabled, this field displays the current date and time setting. Click the calendar icon to change the settings.

Statistics

Determines whether connection statistics are collected.

Management Port

Determines the network port that is used for all ARDx™ management information. This should remain at 5800 for most installations.

Data Port

Determines the network port that is used for all ARDx™ connection data. This should remain at 5801 for most installations.

Use DHCP

Determines whether a DHCP server should be used to automatically configure the network settings for the ARDx™ device.

IP Address / Netmask/ Default Gateway / DNS Server 1

If the Use DHCP option is disabled, these fields allow you to manually configure the network details for the ARDx™ device.

Server Port

Port used for the Remote Support function to access the internet. The port selected will need to have a route to the internet for Remote Support function.

Enable/Status

Toggle to enable/disable remote support for the device.

Remote Port

The port number opened on Adder’s remote support server and will need to be shared with Adder support for them to use. If no port is generated after enabling remote support, you’ll need to check your connection to the internet.

OTP

One Time Password to be shared with Adder support to allow a remote support connection to your device.

Web Server

Toggle to enable/disable the web server for the device. You will need to enable the web server to upgrade the firmware of the device.

Profile page

Use the menu on the left side to change to other pages.

User name

Displays the user name for the current user account.

User Type

Indicates whether the current user account has admin privileges.

Access

Displays the access permissions granted to the current user account: View-Only, Shared, Private or Exclusive.

Last Login

Indicates the date and time of the last login by the user account.

Change Password

Click to change the password for the current user account.

Users page – Admin user only

Use the menu on the left side to change to other pages.

Edit User

Click the pencil icon for a particular user to view the edit popup:

Here, after entering the appropriate password, you can edit the access rights for the chosen user.

Click Apply to save changes and exit.

Maintenance page – Admin user only

Use the menu on the left side to change to other pages.
When you make changes to any settings, be sure to click the Apply button in the lower right corner to save them.

Logging

The various drop downs determine how verbose the log level for each of the categories of event should be.

Logging mode is a choice between File or Syslog. File will store log files to the unit, whereas Syslog will push the events to a syslog server. When File is selected, you have the options to determine the size of the log files in MBs and how many files to store on the unit (File count).

Syslog

Remote logging – Log syslog events to an external syslog server.
Local logging – Store the syslog on the ALPR110T.
File size is the maximum file size of the syslog stored on the ALPR110T in KBs.
When Remote Logging is enabled, you will also be presented with an IP address to fill in for your syslog server

Power Options > Reboot Device

Click to perform a cold reboot of the ARDx™ device.

About page

Use the menu on the left side to change to other pages.
When you make changes to any settings, be sure to click the Apply button in the lower right corner to save them.

Device Name

This field allows you to assign a specific name to the ARDx™ device to differentiate it from other installations.

Serial Number / MAC Address

These entries display the fixed unique identifiers for the ARDx™ device.

Firmware Version

Indicates the current firmware version being used by the ARDx™ device.

APPENDIX 3 – OPEN SOURCE LICENSES

This product includes binaries that are derived from the open source community by Adder under the GNU General Public License v2. Please follow the link below to view the full list of open source licenses used: https://support.adder.com/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=ARDx™-Viewer:-OpenSource-Licence

The software included in this product contains copyrighted software that is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). You may obtain the complete Corresponding Source Code from Adder for a period of three years after the last shipment of this product, which will be no earlier than 2028, by contacting support@adder.com or writing to:

Attn: ACD/Open Source Request,
Adder Technology Ltd,
Saxon Way, Bar Hill,
Cambridge, CB23 8SL,
United Kingdom

Please write “Source for product XXXXXXXX” in the subject line, where XXXXXXXX is the model and version number.

This offer is valid to anyone in receipt of this information.