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

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