Api Fundamentals; Connecting To The Api; Password; Rs-232/Serial Connection - Cisco TelePresence SX20 Codec Reference Manual

Cisco TelePresence SX20 Codec
Contents Introduction

API fundamentals

This chapter contains a top-level view of the mechanisms
supported by the codec API. You can use the API to manage
all parts of the TelePresence system.
Here you can read about how to access the API, how to use
the command line and what the different parts of the API can
be used for. Information on how to use the feedback functions
that are available for the codec is included in this chapter.
The API consists of four major groups:
• Commands
• Configurations
• Status
• Events
These four groups are hierarchically organized, which makes
it easier to find related functionality. You can find the complete
lists of all commands, configurations and statuses in the
following chapters.

Connecting to the API

There are several ways to access the codec API. Regardless
of which method you choose, the structure of the API stays
the same. Choose the connection method that suites your
application best. Before you start, please read this section
about the different methods, as some of those may require
additional configuration changes before being enabled.
The following commands can be set from the System
configuration menu in the web interface or on the on-screen-
diplay, or from the command line interface. All of the examples
are for the command line interface.

Password

Initially, no password is set for the default admin user. We
strongly recommend that you set a password for this user, and
any other users possessing an ADMIN role, to restrict access
to system configuration. The password can be changed by
issuing the following command:
xCommand SystemUnit AdminPassword Set Password:
<password>
SX20 Codec API Reference Guide TC7.0, JANUARY 2014.
D14949.08
About the API About the API xConfiguration

RS-232/serial connection

This is one of the most used connections to our products for
integrators, as it can be used without an IP-address, DNS or a
network.
Codec configurations
There are two different configurations that can be changed
for serial connections; the baud-rate and whether login is
required or not. A reboot of the codec is required for these
settings to take effect.
xConfiguration SerialPort BaudRate:
<9600/19200/38400/57600/115200>
xConfiguration SerialPort LoginRequired: <Off/On>
Connecting
For the SX20 codec you need a USB to RS-232 adapter to
connect to the USB port.
Note:
• For security reasons the password prompting is turned on
by default, but it can be turned off if preferred.
• The default baud rate is set to 38400. The reason for
this is that the codec can give very much feedback.
When using 9600 baud it may cause your integration to
appear sluggish. We therefore recommend keeping the
connection at this speed or higher.
• During the initial boot sequence, the codec uses a baud
rate of 38400 regardless of the application baud rate you
have set.
8
xCommand xStatus

Telnet

Telnet can be viewed as the equivalent of the serial protocol
in the TCP/IP world. Telnet is disabled by default. Before
connecting to the codec with Telnet you have to enable it.
Codec configuration
To enable Telnet service, configure the following setting on the
codec. Changing this setting does not require a reboot of the
device, but it may take some time to take effect.
xConfiguration NetworkServices Telnet Mode: On
SSH
SSH is a secure TCP/IP connection and it is enabled by default
on the codec. It can be disabled. You need a SSH client, such
as PuTTY, to access the API over SSH.

HTTP/HTTPS

As HTTP/HTTPS are connectionless protocols, there
is no persistent connection. There are several ways of
communicating with the API over HTTP.
Codec configuration
In order to enable or disable the HTTP and HTTPS services,
configure the following settings on the codec. Changing these
settings requires a reboot of the device.
xConfiguration NetworkServices HTTP Mode: <Off/On>
xConfiguration NetworkServices HTTPS Mode:
<Off/On>
Connecting
You can inspect the API by entering the IP-address or host
name of the codec in your favorite web browser. In the web
interface, you can find the API documents under the menu
section System Configuration > API > XML API. The HTTP
POST and GET methods are used to execute commands
and get feedback from the codec. This is described in
"Using HTTP" on page 19
Copyright © 2014 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
API Reference Guide
Appendices
in this document.