AV interfaces: document TCP, UDP, APIs, and GPIO

TCP and UDP: transport and meaning

TCP provides an ordered byte stream. UDP carries datagrams without guaranteeing delivery or duplicate protection. Neither defines what “play Q010” means in your application.

For a TCP interface, document message boundaries and how to recognize a complete response. For UDP, check whether the application provides correlation, acknowledgment, or repetition. A transport acknowledgment does not prove content was presented.

An application interface record

Ask the manufacturer for supported commands and queries, data types and ranges, message format and terminator, errors, authentication requirements, polling limits, and reconnection behavior. Keep credentials separate from public documents.

Documented example: Q-SYS 10.5.0 QRC uses null-terminated JSON-RPC 2.0 and an id to match a response to a request. Do not apply that framing to another API. Correlation by id does not guarantee deduplication.

Contacts and GPIO: identify the variant

For an example of why variants matter, Q-SYS 10.5.0 Help distinguishes onboard GPIO on Core 110f from its absence on Core 110f v2. Confirm physical hardware and version compatibility before choosing this path.

A contact and a logic input are not equivalent because of their names. Ask the manufacturer for interface type, permitted levels, required isolation, and resting state. The appropriate professional must review any connection against the exact documentation.

For an AV trigger, document edge or level behavior, required duration according to the receiver, debounce handling, and rearming. Do not assume these parameters or use an AV interface for motion or safety functions.

What to hand to the specialist

A record for interface IF-01 could include: selecting cue Q010; sender and receiver with versions; transport or input type; documented message or condition; expected response; loss and recovery behavior; and the person checking the output.

Mark missing fields as unconfirmed. Do not fill them with another model’s pinout or timing. If feedback is unavailable, agree on what the operator observes and when cue advancement should stop.

Start before every detail is known

Share the sequence you want to coordinate. Equipment photos or a preliminary diagram are enough to start, even if models or dimensions are still missing. They help us identify the documentation needed and the interfaces worth evaluating.

Sources and manuals

• IETF RFC 9293 — TCP
• IETF RFC 768 — UDP
• Q-SYS 10.5.0 — QRC commands: identifiers and formatting
• Q-SYS 10.5.0 — GPIO on Core 110f and Core 110f v2