ProAudio: Setting Up the Paging System (PuTTY / Direct Commands)

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When a page or doorbell is triggered, every zone switches to a predetermined source and volume, then returns to normal operation once the page ends. This article covers configuring paging by sending ASCII commands directly over serial or TCP/IP — for example, using PuTTY.

Configuring via a Control4 driver instead? See ProAudio: Setting Up the Paging System (Control4)
Configuring via the ProAudio Config Tool instead? See ProAudio — Setting Up Paging Using the Config Tool

How Paging Works

Every ProAudio switch has two independent page presets — Page 1 and Page 2 — each with its own configuration. For example, Page 1 could be used for the front door and Page 2 for the back door. If you have two different sound generators, you can connect each one to a different source and assign it to a different page preset.

The examples below assume a 16-zone switch, with input 15 as the doorbell chime source and a switch or relay wired to DB-1. Adjust the zone range to match your model — for example, change @1:16 to @1:32 on a 32-zone switch.

Wiring the Trigger Switch

Page 1 is triggered by the DB-1 input, and Page 2 by DB-2. Both accept a dry contact closure — a relay or push-button switch wired to the back of the switch.

Dry contact closure wiring for DB-1 and DB-2. SW-1 and SW-2 are chassis ground — connect a grounded cable's ground side there.

Setting Up Page 1

Run through these steps once for each page you want to configure. This example configures Page 1, triggered by DB-1.

Set the paging source.

^pASZ 1,@1:16,15$

Sets zones 1–16 to switch to source 15 (the doorbell chime input) whenever Page 1 is triggered.

Set the paging volume.

^pVPZ 1,@1:16,40$

Sets the Page 1 volume for zones 1–16 to 40% (0–100% scale). Use pVZ instead of pVPZ if you'd rather set the level in dB.

Unmute the zones for the page.

^pVMZ 1,@1:16,0$

Makes sure zones 1–16 come on during the page, overriding any existing mute state on the zone.

Allow the zones to respond to the page.

^pADNDZ 1,@1:16,0$

Sets the Do Not Disturb flag to 0 ("allow paging") for zones 1–16 on Page 1.

This step is not optional. Every zone defaults to Do Not Disturb = 1 (ignore paging). If you skip the pADNDZ command above, Page 1 will trigger correctly but every zone will silently ignore it — there's no error, the zones simply won't switch.

Configure the back panel trigger.

^pDSW 1,1,1,0$

Sets switch input 1 (DB-1) to trigger Page 1 in "Active on" mode — the page runs for as long as the contact stays closed. The final 0 is the timed-mode duration parameter, which "Active on" mode ignores, but the switch still expects it to be present.

(Optional) Set paging delays.

^pTIME 1,0,0$

Sets the initial delay and minimum page time for Page 1, both in milliseconds. The initial delay (first value) can hold off switching sources — useful for giving a power amp time to turn on. The minimum time (second value) guarantees a page lasts at least that long even if the trigger is only tapped briefly. Leave both at 0 if you don't need them.

Setting Up Page 2

Repeat the same six steps using preset 2 and DB-2:

^pASZ 2,@1:16,15$ 
^pVPZ 2,@1:16,40$ 
^pVMZ 2,@1:16,0$ 
^pADNDZ 2,@1:16,0$ 
^pDSW 2,1,2,0$ 
^pTIME 2,0,0$

Removing a Zone From Paging Temporarily

To exclude a single zone from a page — for example, to keep a page from waking a sleeping baby — set that zone's Do Not Disturb flag back to 1:

^pADNDZ 1,@5,1$    
zone 5 ignores Page 1 
^pADNDZ 1,@5,0$    
re-enable zone 5 for Page 1

There's also a middle option: setting the flag to 2 lets the zone respond to the page's volume and mute settings without switching its source — useful if you want a zone to duck in volume during a page but not actually play the doorbell chime.

Backing Up Your Settings

Back up after every change.Once both pages are configured, send:

^SS 4096$

This saves your paging settings to EEPROM. Without it, a power outage can silently wipe your configuration.

Triggering a Page Manually

If your controller can send ASCII strings, you can trigger a page directly instead of wiring up a physical switch:

^pSET 1$    
start Page 1 

^pSET 0$   
end the page and return to normal

Or trigger a page for a fixed duration, in milliseconds, and let it end automatically:

^pSET 1,4000$    
ring for 4 seconds, then return to normal automatically

Every page has a hard limit of two minutes, whether triggered by a switch or a command. If a page is left running longer than that — for example, a contact held closed, or a pSET 1$ without a follow-up pSET 0$ — it will automatically time out and return to normal.

Testing the Paging System

Trigger the page.Press the DB-1 switch, or send ^pSET 1$.

Check the zones.Zones 1–16 should switch to source 15 and rise to 40% volume.

End the page.Release the switch, or send ^pSET 0$. Zones should return to their previous source and volume.

If zones don't respond, double-check that their Do Not Disturb flag is set to "allow paging" (0) — this is the most common reason a page appears to do nothing.

Need help with your paging setup?

Our support team can help troubleshoot command syntax or wiring issues.

UK: 01202 413 610 | US: (858) 748-8250 | support@pulse-eight.com

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