Documentation

Connection Metadata

Connection metadata describes a product's ports, protocols, and power requirements - enabling auto-wiring and signal flow diagrams.

What is Connection Metadata?

Connection metadata is structured data that describes how a device connects to other equipment. This enables:

  • Auto-wiring - Automatically connect compatible devices in system diagrams
  • Signal flow diagrams - Visual representation of audio/video signal paths

Metadata Fields

  • Device Category - Input, Processing, or Output
  • Device Type - Specific type (e.g., "Ceiling Array Microphone", "Video Matrix")
  • Input Ports - Signals the device receives
  • Output Ports - Signals the device sends
  • Power Requirements - PoE, PoE+, PoE++, AC, DC (barrel jack), or generic Power
  • Physical Dimensions - Width, height, depth (or diameter for round devices)

Port Information

Each port entry includes:

  • Port Type - Physical connector (HDMI, USB-C, RJ45, XLR, etc.)
  • Protocols - Supported protocols (Dante, AES67, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, etc.)

Note: To add multiple ports of the same type, add separate port entries (e.g., 3 HDMI ports = 3 separate entries).

Supported Port Types

Category Ports
Video HDMI (Type A, Mini, Micro), DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, BNC, DVI-D, DVI-I
Audio XLR 3-Pin, XLR 5-Pin, 1/4" TRS, 1/4" TS, 3.5mm TRS, Speakon, Phoenix/Terminal Block
Data USB Type-A/B/C, USB Mini-B, USB Micro-B
Network RJ45
Control DB9 (RS-232), DB15, DB25, IR Emitter/Receiver, GPIO
Fiber LC, SC, ST, MPO/MTP

Common Protocols

  • Audio IP: Dante, AES67, AVB/Milan, CobraNet
  • Video IP: NDI, NDI HX, SDVoE, Dante AV
  • Video: HDMI 1.4/2.0/2.1, HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, 6G-SDI, 12G-SDI, HDBaseT
  • Control: RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, IR, TCP/IP
  • USB: USB 2.0, USB 3.0/3.1, Thunderbolt 3/4, DisplayPort Alt Mode

Generating Metadata

Credit Cost

Metadata generation uses 5 credits per product. Make and Model fields are required - generation fails without them.

Single Product

  1. Edit a product (ensure Make and Model are filled)
  2. Scroll to the Connection Metadata section
  3. Click "Configure Connection Metadata"
  4. In the modal editor, click "Auto-fill with AI"
  5. Review AI-generated ports and protocols
  6. Edit any incorrect values, then click Save in the modal
  7. Click Save on the product form

Batch Generation

  1. Go to the Products page
  2. Select products using checkboxes (up to 50 at a time)
  3. Optionally enable "Skip products with existing metadata" to preserve current data
  4. Click Apply Metadata
  5. Terminal window shows real-time progress (~2 products/second with rate limiting)
  6. Review summary: success/skipped/error counts per product
When to Use Each Method
  • Single product: New or unusual devices that need careful review
  • Batch: Standard equipment from well-documented manufacturers

Kit/Bundle Products

Some products are kits with multiple devices (e.g., a wireless mic kit with base station and handhelds). Connection metadata supports sub-devices:

  • Each sub-device has its own ports and specifications
  • Signal flow diagrams show connections between kit components
  • AI automatically identifies kit products during generation

Physical Dimensions

AI auto-fill captures physical dimensions for use in floor plan layouts:

  • Rectangular devices - Width, depth, and height (rack equipment, displays, processors)
  • Circular devices - Diameter and height (ceiling microphones, flush-mount speakers)
  • Cylindrical devices - Diameter and height (pendant speakers, tabletop mics)

Dimensions are extracted from manufacturer spec sheets when available. All measurements are stored in inches.

Editing & Accuracy

After AI generation, always review:

  • Device category - Does Input/Processing/Output match the actual device role?
  • Port types - Compare against manufacturer datasheet
  • Protocol versions - Verify HDMI 2.0 vs 2.1, USB 3.0 vs 3.1, etc.

To edit: Open the metadata modal, modify fields, and save. Click "Auto-fill with AI" again to regenerate (discards current values).

Best Practices
  • Run "Fill with AI" first to populate product descriptions
  • Ensure Make and Model are accurate before generating metadata
  • For large catalogs, process in batches of 50
  • Review AI-generated metadata against spec sheets

Export & Import Metadata

Share curated connection metadata between tenants or back it up by exporting to a JSON file. Recipients can import the file to apply metadata to matching products.

Exporting Metadata

  1. Go to the Products page
  2. Select the products whose metadata you want to export
  3. Click Export Metadata in the toolbar
  4. A JSON file downloads containing the metadata for all selected products that have it

Products without metadata are silently skipped. The exported file is keyed by Make + Model, so it can be applied to any tenant's matching products.

Importing Metadata

  1. Click Import Metadata (always visible near Clear Filters — no selection needed)
  2. Select a .json metadata export file
  3. A preview modal shows each entry with match status:
    • How many products matched by Make + Model
    • Which Part#s matched
    • Whether matched products already have metadata
  4. Optionally check "Overwrite existing metadata" to replace metadata on products that already have it (off by default)
  5. Click Apply to write the metadata to all matched products
How Matching Works

Import matches entries by Make + Model (case-insensitive). If multiple products share the same Make and Model (different Part#s), metadata is applied to all of them — they represent the same physical device.

File Size Limit

Maximum import file size is 10 MB.

Troubleshooting

  • Generation fails - Ensure Make and Model fields are populated
  • "Insufficient credits" - Purchase credits at Billing > Credits
  • Wrong ports generated - Edit manually in the modal, or improve product description first
  • Batch shows all failures - Check that products have descriptions; try single-product generation for diagnostics
  • Import shows "No match" for all entries - Ensure your product catalog has matching Make and Model values
  • Import says "Invalid JSON" - Verify the file is a valid metadata export (not a generic JSON file)