Quick Links
Summary
This article aims to explain how to use the Fogarty Life Science 050 podium through quick operating instructions, in-depth operating instructions, and troubleshooting tips. It provides steps for beginning, conducting, and ending class with the podium; information about equipment in the podium; and steps to resolve common issues. Use the quick links to quickly jump to the desired section.
Fogarty Life Science 050 includes podium technology installed that is considered "Zoom Capable" or "Hybrid" and can accommodate video conferencing with built-in microphone and camera capabilities. Refer to Using the Cameras and Microphones for instructions.
Quick Start Instructions
Podium Style
The following are pictures of the podium in its default state and with its drawers and doors open. The equipment rack is behind the podium's doors.
To begin class
- If the touch panel is dark, tap the screen to wake it up
- Choose the desired source to project
- Wait for the system to start up
During class
- To change sources, press the Home button to go back to the source selection page
- Click Advanced to see advanced source selection options
- To run a virtual meeting, choose either "Presentation w/ Zoom" or "Dual Screen w/ Zoom" from the advanced source selection options, and then PC from the advanced sources' sub-menu. In the meeting set the speaker to Extron HDMI and microphone to Extron MediaPort200 050
- Control the room's volume level with the buttons under "Prg"
To end class
- Tap the System Off button
- Tap the Yes button to confirm
In-Depth Instructions
Quick Links within In-Depth Instructions
Electronic Podium Overview
The podium is located at the front of the classroom, between class seating and the white board. The majority of classroom's electronic equipment is installed in the rack built-into the podium. Please note the following technology in the rack that's intended to be controlled by users of the classroom:
- (1) Dell OptiPlex desktop computer
Other equipment located/installed in this rack should only be configured by ITS staff as needed for troubleshooting.
Extron Touch Panel Overview
This classroom is equipped with an Extron touch panel on the top of the classroom podium. This touch panel allows you to switch between different sources, adjust the classroom audio volume, and turn the projector on/off. Refer to Using Simple Sources or Using Advanced Sources for more information. In the photos below:
- (1) Simple Source buttons
- Instructor PC - selects the Dell OptiPlex Windows PC installed in the podium to be displayed on the stage left projector.
- Laptop HDMI - selects laptop or another computing device plugged into the HDMI at the podium to be displayed on the stage left projector.
- ShareLink - selects laptop or another computing device connected wirelessly via ShareLink to be displayed on the stage left projector.
- Laptop VGA - selects laptop or another computing device plugged into the VGA at the podium to be displayed on the stage left projector.
- Document Camera - selects the document camera installed in the podium to be displayed on the stage left projector.
- Doccam w/ Instructor PC - selects the document camera installed in the podium to be displayed on the stage left projector and selects the Dell OptiPlex Windows PC installed in the podium to be displayed on the stage right projector.
- (2) Advanced Source buttons
- Presentation - Turns on the stage left projector and brings up the advanced source control page for users to pick a source from.
- Dual Screen - Turns on both projectors and brings up the advanced source control page for users to pick a source from.
- Presentation w/ Zoom - Turns on the stage left projector and cameras and brings up the advanced source control page for users to pick a source from. Please note the cameras can only be used for video conferencing by the podium's PC.
- Dual Screen w/ Zoom - Turns on both projectors and cameras and brings up the advanced source control page for users to pick a source from. Please note the cameras can only be used for video conferencing by the podium's PC.
Turning Classroom Projector and Electronic Classroom Equipment On
Turning on the projector in the classroom is completed by tapping one of the sources on the touch panel.
Turning Classroom Projector and Electronic Classroom Equipment Off
Tap the System Off button to turn begin the shutdown process. Select Yes to confirm the change.
The photos below show the simple and advanced source control pages when the System Off button is selected.
Using Simple Sources
Refer to Extron Touch Panel Overview for a list of simple sources and their explanations. Selecting a simple source will automatically:
- Open the simple source control page
- Send the source to the stage-left projector
- Send the source to the computer monitor on the podium
- Send the source to the touch panel source preview window
- Lower the stage-left screen
In the center of the touch panel's simple source control page is a (1) source preview window. This allows users to the and interact with the source without having to turn around and look at the projector screen. Tap the source preview window to make it full screen on the touch panel. Tap the (2) Return button to exit the full screen source preview. To switch to a different source, press the (3) Home button to return to the source selection page.
The simple document camera sources, "Document Camera" and "Doccam w/ Instructor PC" have slightly different simple source control pages. The "Document Camera" simple source control page includes buttons for focusing and zooming in and out on the document camera, highlighted below.
The "Doccam w/ Instructor PC" is also different in the fact that it is the only simple source to use both projectors. When selecting this source the document camera will be sent to the stage left projector and the Dell OptiPlex Windows PC will be sent to the stage right projector. It includes the same document camera controls as the "Document Camera" source, but it also has an additional "Preview Control" button, highlighted below. This button allows users to switch between the PC and document camera on the touch panel's source preview window.
Using Advanced Sources
Refer to Extron Touch Panel Overview for a list of advanced sources and their explanations. Selecting an advanced source will automatically:
- Open the advanced source control page
- Lower the stage-left screen or stage-left and stage-right screens depending on screen mode
The advanced sources can be run in single-screen mode, with only the stage-left screen being used, or in dual-screen mode, where both screens are used.
In advanced single-screen mode, to send a source's video signal to the projector, select a source from the advanced source control page's submenu, highlighted below. The sub-menu source options are "Instructor PC," "Laptop VGA," "ShareLink," "Laptop," "Doc Cam," and "Cameras." To switch to a different source while in advanced single-screen mode, select the source from the advanced source control page's submenu. In this mode, users do not have to press the "Home" button to switch between sources unless they want to switch to a simple source and its simple source control page.
In advanced dual-screen mode, to send a source's video signal to the projector, select a source from the advanced source control page's submenu, and then tap Left Projector and or Right Projector to send the source to the projector. The projector buttons are under "Destination," highlighted below. To switch to a different source while in advanced dual-screen mode, select the source from the advanced source control page's submenu, and then select the destination. In this mode, users do not have to press the "Home" button to switch between sources unless they want to switch to a simple source and its simple source control page.
Connecting a Laptop (HDMI)
This podium is equipped with an HDMI cable, VGA cable and laptop charging power outlets, as illustrated in the photo below.
To begin class with the HDMI in simple control mode, connect the laptop using the HDMI cable. After connecting the laptop, tap the Laptop (HDMI) button on the Extron touch panel. While this input is labeled Laptop (HDMI), it can be used for any device that can connect over HDMI, such as a tablet. To begin class with the HDMI cable in advanced source control mode, refer to Using Advanced Sources.
After connecting the laptop, the viewing settings may need to be adjusted. On Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers, select the Windows key and the P key at the same time (Win+P) to bring up options to duplicate the display, extend the display, or select only the laptop screen or the projector screen for viewing while the laptop is connected. The pop-up in Windows displayed will look similar to this:
On Macintosh computers running recent versions of macOS, select Control Center from the top right of the Menu Bar, and then select Screen Mirroring, which can be used to configure the display settings to the projector.
Additional settings can be done by going to System Settings (or previously System Preferences) and selecting the Display settings.
If unusual issues are encountered connecting a laptop to the projector, for example - where it's not being displayed as expected, please try performing a restart on the laptop while it's plugged into the HDMI cable at the podium to see if that resolves the issue.
Connecting a Laptop (VGA)
To begin class with the VGA in simple control mode, connect the laptop using the VGA cable. After connecting the laptop, tap the Laptop (VGA) button on the Extron touch panel. While this input is labeled Laptop (VGA), it can be used for any device that can connect over VGA. To begin class with the VGA cable in advanced source control mode, refer to Using Advanced Sources.
After connecting the laptop, the viewing settings may need to be adjusted. On Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers, select the Windows key and the P key at the same time (Win+P) to bring up options to duplicate the display, extend the display, or select only the laptop screen or the projector screen for viewing while the laptop is connected. The pop-up in Windows displayed will look similar to this:
On Macintosh computers running recent versions of macOS, select Control Center from the top right of the Menu Bar, and then select Screen Mirroring, which can be used to configure the display settings to the projector.
Additional settings can be done by going to System Settings (or previously System Preferences) and selecting the Display settings.
If unusual issues are encountered connecting a laptop to the projector, for example - where it's not being displayed as expected, please try performing a restart on the laptop while it's plugged into the VGA cable at the podium to see if that resolves the issue.
Connecting a Laptop (ShareLink)
To begin class with the ShareLink in simple control mode, tap the ShareLink button on the Extron touch panel. While this input is labeled ShareLink, it can be used for any device that does not have a physical HDMI port, such as a tablet. To begin class with the ShareLink in advanced source control mode, refer to Using Advanced Sources.
- On the touch panel and projected image, an IP address will be shown in the bottom left corner. Type this address into your web browser to get to the ShareLink website.
- On the website, you will have the option to (1) download the Windows app, (2) share your screen through the web, or (3) download the app for other platforms. Choose one of the options to continue, but option (2) is recommended for most use cases. The following steps go over options (1) and (2).
- If downloading for Windows, clicking DOWNLOAD will bring you to the Extron Download Center where the file is automatically downloaded. Click Open file
- Follow the installation window's prompts to install ShareLink
- Open the ShareLink application
- If the ShareLink doesn't appear automatically, click the plus (+) button
- Enter the IP address shown on the projected image's bottom left corner. Click NEXT
- Enter the universal RIC ShareLink password and then click NEXT. The password is ric
- Enter the 4-digit code shown on the touch panel's bottom right corner. Click CONNECT
- Click the plus (+) button to bring up the "Share Content" menu. More than one piece of content can be displayed at a time. The following content sources are available for use:
- Mirror Screen - mirrors everything on your device
- Mirror Application - mirrors only one specific application that you choose
- Share Image or Video - lets you browse through your device's files to choose an image or video
- To stop displaying all content, click the Remove All button, and click REMOVE on the popup window
- Alternatively, click on the content you want to stop displaying, and then click the Remove button
- To disconnect from the ShareLink, click Leave, and click LEAVE SESSION to confirm
- If sharing over the web, click WebShare.
- Enter the 4-digit code shown on the touch panel's bottom right corner. Enter the universal RIC ShareLink password. The password is ric. Enter a name for your connection. Click CONNECT
- The following content sources are available for use:
- Browser tab - mirrors a specific tab in one of your web browsers
- Window - mirrors only one specific application that you choose
- Entire Screen - mirrors everything on your device
- Click Share once a content source is chosen
- Close the browser tab connected to the ShareLink to end the session
Using the Cameras and Microphones
To use the cameras and microphones for a virtual meeting, the "Presentation w/ Zoom" or "Dual Screen w/ Zoom" source must first be selected on the touch panel, and then "Instructor PC" must be chosen from the advanced source control page's submenu. See Using Advanced Sources for more detail. The meeting must be run on the podium's PC, and users must speak into the microphones for remote participants to hear them. Only the PC is connected to the cameras and microphones, and the equipment cannot be used by other devices connected via the HDMI cable or ShareLink.
In your video conferencing application, ensure that the speakers are set to use the Extron HDMI (Intel(R) Display Audio) and that the microphone is set as the Speakerphone (Extron MediaPort200 050 Speakerphone). In Zoom, pictured below, check the audio settings by clicking the (1) Up arrow (^) where it says "Audio." You can also click the (2) Audio settings... button to open the full Zoom audio settings.
The camera can be tilted up or down, or panned left or right using the (1) Pan/Tilt arrow buttons. To quickly reset the camera to its default position and zoom press the (2) Home button. To quickly focus the camera, press the (3) Focus button. To zoom in or out, use the (4) Zoom arrow buttons. To switch between the two cameras, press the (5) Cam Select buttons. "Cam 1" is a side view of the podium, and "Cam 2" is a straight-on view of the podium. The photos below show the advanced single-screen and advanced dual-screen Zoom source pages with their camera controls highlighted.
Adjusting Program and Microphone Volume Levels
Adjusting the program and microphone volume levels in the electronic classroom can be accomplished through the Extron touch panel. The program volume level - what is heard through the room's speakers - can be adjusted using the (1) arrow buttons under "Prg". The up arrow increases volume, while the down arrow decreases volume. The (2) Mute button will mute the audio. When using the Dell OptiPlex PC installed in the classroom or a laptop, verify that the audio output on the computer is not set to mute or off as well.
The lectern microphone volume level - how sensitive the lectern microphone is to noise - can be adjusted using the (3) arrow buttons under "Mic." The up arrow increases volume, while the down arrow decreases volume. The (4) Mute button will mute the lectern microphone. The photos below show the simple and advanced source pages with their volume controls highlighted.
The lectern microphone, lavalier/lapel microphone, and handheld microphone volume levels can be adjusted by clicking Mic Control. The Mic Control page has separate arrow and mute buttons for the three different microphone volume levels. Click the Back button to return to the main screen on the touch panel. The photos below show the simple and advanced source pages when the Mic Control button is selected.
- The "Podium Mic" arrows and mute button adjust the level for the lectern mic
- The "Mic 1" arrows and mute button adjust the level for the lavalier/lapel mic
- The "Mic 2" arrows and mute button adjust the level for the handheld mic
Projection Mute
The video signal to either projector can be temporarily turned off only when an advanced source is selected. See Using Advanced Sources for more information.
If in single-screen mode, select Blank under "Projector" on the Extron touch panel. Select Blank again to restore the video signal to the projector.
If in dual-screen mode, select Blank under "Left Projector" and or "Right Projector" on the Extron touch panel. Select Blank again to restore the video signal to the projector.
Document Camera Control
From the simple sources, select Document Camera or Doccam w/ Instructor PC on the touch panel to switch the video signal to the document camera installed inside the drawer of the podium. To begin class with the document camera in advanced source control mode, refer to Using Advanced Sources.
The power button on the document camera is located on the top of the device in the bottom right corner. The other buttons control the viewing of documents. The document camera remote is also inside the drawer with the document camera.
The simple document camera sources, "Document Camera" and "Doccam w/ Instructor PC" have slightly different simple source control pages. The "Document Camera" simple source control page includes buttons for focusing and zooming in and out on the document camera, highlighted below. The advanced "Doc Cam" source has the same controls as the simple "Document Camera" source.
The "Doccam w/ Instructor PC" is the only simple source to use both projectors. When selecting this source the document camera will be sent to the stage left projector and the Dell OptiPlex Windows PC will be sent to the stage right projector. It includes the same document camera controls as the "Document Camera" source, but it also has an additional "Preview Control" button, highlighted below. This button allows users to switch between the PC and document camera on the touch panel's source preview window.
Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse
Note the highlighted location of the power button of the Dell monitor in the photograph below, in the event the monitor at the podium is powered off.
Projector
Two projectors are installed in the ceiling of the classroom, located towards the front of the room. The projectors' video output is displayed on the white board.
Cameras
Two BirdDog PTZ cameras are installed in the room. "Cam 1" is a side view of the podium, and "Cam 2" is a straight-on view of the podium. To use the cameras for a virtual meeting, the "Presentation w/ Zoom" or "Dual Screen w/ Zoom" source must first be selected on the touch panel, and then "Instructor PC" must be chosen from the advanced source control page's submenu. See Using Advanced Sources for more detail. To use the cameras by themselves and not as part of a virtual meeting, the "Cameras" source must be selected from the advanced source control page's sub-menu.
Microphones
This room has three built-in microphones that are ready for use over the speakers and in virtual meetings:
- 1 lectern microphone
- 1 wireless handheld microphone
- 1 wireless lapel/lavalier microphone
The "Presentation w/ Zoom" or "Dual Screen w/ Zoom" source must first be selected on the touch panel, and then "Instructor PC" must be chosen from the advanced source control page's submenu. See Using Advanced Sources for more detail. The meeting must be run on the podium's PC, and users must speak into the microphones for remote participants to hear them
To turn on the lectern microphone, press its button (highlighted below) so the green light is on. To turn off the lectern microphone, press its button so the green light is off.
To turn on the wireless handheld microphone, flip its switch (highlighted below) so the LED screen is on. To turn off the wireless handheld microphone, flip its switch so the LED screen is off.
To turn on the wireless lapel/lavalier microphone, flip its switch (highlighted below) so the LED light is green. To turn off the wireless handheld microphone, flip its switch so the LED light is off.
The lectern microphone, lavalier/lapel microphone, and handheld microphone volume levels can be adjusted by clicking Mic Control. The Mic Control page has separate arrow and mute buttons for the three different microphone volume levels. Click the Back button to return to the main screen on the touch panel. The photos below show the simple and advanced source pages when the Mic Control button is selected.
- The "Podium Mic" arrows and mute button adjust the level for the lectern mic
- The "Mic 1" arrows and mute button adjust the level for the lavalier/lapel mic
- The "Mic 2" arrows and mute button adjust the level for the handheld mic
Speakers
Speakers are mounted in the ceiling and on the walls around the room.
Phone
An Avaya phone is installed in the classroom adjacent to the whiteboard.
Troubleshooting Tips
Projector Keeps Turning Off
To resolve this, please make sure you are not using the projector's white remote. The projector needs to be turned on using the touch panel only. If the issue keeps occurring and the touch panel was used to turn on the projector, please call the ITS Help Desk at 456-8803 for immediate assistance. Alternatively, you can email helpdesk@ric.edu to put in a ticket for a technician to take a look at the issue at a later date.
Monitor is Blank or Goes into "Power Saving Mode"
To resolve this, please go through the steps below:
- Ensure the white power button of the Dell OptiPlex computer is lit up
- If it is not, press the button until it lights up and see if the image appears on the monitor.
- If the PC is on but there is no image on the monitor, click Instructor PC on the touch panel.
- If the PC is projected, select the Windows key and the P key at the same time (Win+P) to bring up the display options and choose "Duplicate"
If the issue keeps occurring and the "Duplicate" option was selected, please call the ITS Help Desk at 456-8803 for immediate assistance. Alternatively, you can email helpdesk@ric.edu to put in a ticket for a technician to take a look at the issue at a later date.
Zoom Audio/Microphone Not Working
In your video conferencing application, ensure that the speakers are set to use the Extron HDMI (Intel(R) Display Audio) and that the microphone is set as the Speakerphone (Extron MediaPort200 050 Speakerphone). In Zoom, pictured below, check the audio settings by clicking the (1) Up arrow (^) where it says "Audio." You can also click the (2) Audio settings... button to open the full Zoom audio settings.
Projector Keeps Flickering
For this issue, please call the ITS Help Desk at 456-8803 for immediate assistance. Alternatively, you can email helpdesk@ric.edu to put in a ticket for a technician to take a look at the issue at a later date.