GPIO and Control
Control VRA over TCP from your studio systems
A playout system or broadcast controller that can send a line of text over TCP can drive your visual radio studio. VRA Core accepts commands as plain text lines over TCP: one line puts the studio on air, cuts a camera or fires a macro, and the reply says whether it worked.
What VRA does with TCP.
One line per command
Send the line studio/onair and the studio goes on air. Lines on one connection are answered in order, one reply each.
A reply you can check
Every line gets OK, the value you asked for, or ERR with a code like not_found, so the sender knows whether the command landed.
Tokens or listed devices
Authenticate a connection with a device token, or let listed addresses on the studio network in without one. Access without a token is off by default.
OSC for touch panels
The same routes also arrive as OSC messages over UDP, for controllers like TouchOSC. A button release is ignored, so a press fires once.
How to set it up.
Requirements
- VRA Core with the Core API v2.
- TCP access from the sending system to the Core machine, port
3003unless you changed it. - A device token, or the sender's address allowed under access without a token.
In VRA Cloud, open Settings, Studio, Core API and switch on the TCP line protocol. The default port is
3003.Add a device for the sending system and copy its token, or let its address in under access without a token.
Open a TCP connection to the Core machine, send
AUTHwith the token, then one route per line.Check the reply to each line before you put the command in an on-air workflow.
TCP questions
Can I control VRA with TCP commands? +
Yes. Switch on the TCP line protocol under Settings, Studio, Core API. The Core listens on port 3003 by default and takes one Core API route per line.
Which commands can I send to VRA over TCP? +
The Core API routes: studio on air, recording and off air, camera cuts, preview and angles, macros, signals including Audio Director and Camera Assist, and station variables.
Can VRA control any device over TCP? +
No. To control a device, VRA needs a connector that understands its protocol. Send us the model and its control documentation and we will check it.
Does VRA accept OSC? +
Yes, the same API as OSC over UDP, on port 3004 by default. Replies go back to the sender as an OSC message.
Visual Radio Assist
About TCP.
The Core API on your studio's VRA Core answers over HTTP and, once you switch them on, over two more transports: text lines over TCP and OSC messages over UDP. Both are off by default and use the same routes, permissions and device tokens as HTTP.
A line is a route, like studio/onair, cameras/2/cut or signals/audio-director/toggle. The reply is OK, the value you asked for, or ERR with a reason, and a line that starts with JSON gets the full answer as JSON. The same routes reach camera cuts and angles, macros from Automation, signals and station variables.
TCP also carries some of VRA's own device connections, like the AerOn v2 automation feed and Blackmagic Videohub control, each set up on its own page. VRA does not speak an arbitrary device's TCP commands: to control a device, it needs a connector for that device.
What you can do with this connection
Automated camera switching for radio
Switch cameras from microphone activity and prepare PTZ shots off air.
More infoThe products behind it.
More integrations.
Bitfocus Companion
Get Stream Deck control of your visual radio studio. The VRA Core module for Companion puts on air, cuts, macros and auto switching on keys with tally.
Inbound HTTP
Send now-playing data to VRA over HTTP from any playout system: post the current and upcoming items as JSON and your radio graphics follow the show.
Blackmagic Videohub
Automate Blackmagic Videohub routing from VRA. Put SDI routes on buttons and in macros, next to your camera and graphics commands, on the studio network.
Check your studio setup with us.
Tell us your camera models, video switcher and radio automation. We will check the connections and show you the workflow that fits your station.