How It Works
The CasaTunes application consists of two components, the CasaTunes Music Server
and the CasaTunes Web Service. The CasaTunes Web Service is responsible for interfacing
with the user, sending user requests to the CasaTunes Music Server, and displaying
feedback to the user. The Music Server is responsible for playing the selected music
and communicating with the multi-room music system and keypads.
CasaTunes Music Server
The CasaTunes Music Server runs as a Windows Service. Windows Services run in the
background, and are for the most part, transparent to the user. You can stop and
start the CasaTunes Music Server using the Services applet located in the Administrative
Tasks folder (located in the Control Panel). The CasaTunes Music Server is automatically
started when the installation completes, and then every time the computer is powered
on.
The CasaTunes Music Server communicates with the mutli-room music system using an
RS232 serial port. The serial port can either be located on your Music Server PC,
on a Barix Exstreamer, or using some other networked serial port that appears as
just another serial port to the PC.
To play music through your multi-room music system, connect one or more stereo outputs
from your Music Server PC to the source inputs on your music system. The number
of stereo outputs you can connect is only limited by the number of stereo outputs
available on your Media Center PC and the number of source inputs available on your
multi-room music system. Both Russound and Nuvo systems currently support up to
six sources. You can use multiple sound cards or sound cards that have more than
one stereo output. For example, M-Audio provides several sound cards and solutions
that support 2, 3 and even 5 stereo outputs. When selecting a sound card make sure
it includes DirectSound driver support. Another option is to use one or more Barix
Exstreamers. These devices are networked music players and contain one stereo output
each. You can locate these with your multi-room music system and use the built-in
serial port on the Exstreamer to control your music system.
If you are using or more tuners, you should keep in mind that each tuner will require
an input source on your music system. The Russound and Nuvo external tuners are
dual-tuner units, and each will require two input sources. The built-in tuner on
the Russound CAM series include a single tuner unit. This also reduces the number
of source inputs available for use with the Music Server. For example, if the multi-room
music system supports a total of six sources, and you have a dual-tuner in your
setup, you can connect, at most, 4 stereo outputs to your music system. Also be
aware that if you have one or more Nuvo tuners, you will need an additional serial
port for each tuner. Russound tuners are accessed via the Russound RNET bus and
do not require a separate serial port.
CasaTunes supports multiple linked multi-room music systems. You can link up to
six Russound CAV 6.6 units and two Nuvo Concerto units. If you have more than one
multi-room music system you do not require any additional serial ports, since both
the current Russound and Nuvo units use a single serial port and communicate between
the linked unit using their own proprietary buses.
The CasaTunes Music Server records any unexpected condition in the Application Event
Log. To access the Event Log, use the Event Viewer applet located in the Administrative
Tasks Folder (located in the Control Panel).
Hardware configuration information is saved in a file called 'Config.xml'. On Windows
XP, this file is typically found in %SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All Users\CasaTools\CasaTunes\2.0.0.0".
On Vista this file is typically found in "%SystemDrive%\Program Data\CasaTools\CasaTunes\2.0.0.0".
You should not edit this file directly or it may become corrupt in which case you
will have to re-run the Setup Wizard. Whenever you run the Setup Wizard and change
the configuration this file is automatically updated.
The CasaTunes Music Server is built using Microsoft's .Net 2.0 Framework.
CasaTunes Web Service
The CasaTunes Web Service runs as an ASP.NET application. It is hosted in Microsoft
Internet Information Server (IIS). The application makes heavy use of Microsoft
AJAX ASP.NET to provide a better user response. The CasaTunes Web Service communicates
with the CasaTunes Music Service via .Net Remoting using an HTTP transport.
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