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Power Outage Protection

Never allow power outages to affect the computer. Windows requires a progressive shutdown; an abrupt power cut can cause data loss or even storage disk damage.
The use of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is highly recommended.
  • Always use Online or Double Conversion UPS types, which guarantee absolute power continuity.
  • These allow controlled system shutdown during an outage.

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AUDICOM Behavior During Power Outages

  • If transmission is interrupted and the system shuts down in a controlled manner:
    • When power returns, Windows restarts.
    • AUDICOM launches in the On Air Screen, performing auto-PLAY at the corresponding time.
  • Ads that did not air during the outage appear in audit logs as not aired.
  • AUDICOM’s billing program cancels the billing for omitted ads.
A shortcut to aire.exe (On Air Screen) must be created in the Windows Startup group for AUDICOM to run at startup. The Autorun option must be enabled in AUDICOM’s Configuration Panel.

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Lightning and Surge Protection

Most lightning damage occurs through power lines. Neither UPS nor voltage regulators provide protection against this event, as voltage surges can exceed tens of thousands of volts.
Even distant electrical storms can propagate through overhead power lines and damage equipment.
Recommendation: use Lightning Arrestors for 220V lines.
  • Connect between both 220V poles and a 2m grounding rod.
  • Must be installed in the main panel, before the UPS.

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AUDICOM Automatic Startup

Many stations do not broadcast overnight and require AUDICOM to start programming automatically at the beginning of the day. Although not strictly part of the installation, this case is very common and is included here.

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Configuration Example

  • The station stops transmission at 00:00 and resumes at 07:00.
  • Staff turns on equipment or an automatic timer switch is used.
  • AUDICOM must start playback exactly at 07:00.
Solution: program a satellite fill block (SatFill) during off-air time.
  • The computer stays on all night, playing the SatFill block.
  • At 07:00, the block ends and the next one begins (example: AutoDJ music block).
Example instruction in PGM file: 
/Block /00:00-07:00 /Satfill
/Block /07:00-09:00 /AutoDJ="Morning music"
The last operator must leave the computer playing before leaving.

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Additional Notes

  • If the station stops at 23:00, the SatFill block is divided in two:
    • From 23:00 to 00:00.
    • From 00:00 to 07:00.
  • The complete block is formed by joining the end of one day’s schedule with the beginning of the next day.
  • This programming mode is independent of the Auto-start option explained in the previous section.
For more programming details, see the CyberPlay Editor chapter.