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Using the Scorelink with NCAA LiveStats for Football

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    Welcome to the Sportzcast integration User Manual for LiveStats! This manual is designed to help you integrate Sportzcast's hardware and software into LiveStats to collect and manage live game statistics. Sportzcast provides a ScoreLink device that connects to Scoreboard controllers, which can then transmit data to LiveStats through the local network or cloud servers. This manual will guide you through the steps to integrate Sportzcast into LiveStats, whether you choose local or cloud integration methods. With this manual, you will be able to easily configure and connect Sportzcast to LiveStats to enhance your sports broadcasting and analysis experience.

     

    Introduction

    Cloud connection to Sportzcast (preferred)

    Local Connection to Sportzcast

    Hardware Connection

     

    Introduction

    Whether you choose Cloud or Local integration, the match configuration in LiveStats remains the same. In both integration methods, you need to set the Game Key and do all the configurations even when a stadium does not support Sportzcast.

    Cloud connection to Sportzcast

    (This is the preferred method of connection for all NCAA schools)

    Requirements

    • Laptop Connection to the Internet

    • Bot Connection to the Internet

    Steps

    1. Install NCAA LiveStats for Football

    2. Enter the Game Key (or use a Training Game in Test Environment)

    3. When configuring the match, you will see an option in System Checks called “Live scoreboard data”

    4. Select the Cloud option in Clock Type

    5. Enter the BotNumber for the venue scoreboard you are working with

    6. Connect

    7. Data should start flowing in

    Common Issues

    Connectivity Issue

    Capture8.gif

    1. Connection error with Sportzcast device message will be shown.

    2. WAIT! Do not try to Connect and Disconnect immediately; the system will try to reconnect every 2 seconds.

    3. The button will have the following text:

      • Connect

        • WHEN it is clicked, it will open a connection to the Bot entered.

      • Cancel

        • WHEN the button is showing this, THEN a connection is being attempted.

        • IF it is clicked, it will close the connection and jump back to “Connect”.

      • Disconnect

        • WHEN the button is showing this, LS is connected to the bot and receives data.

        • IF it is clicked, it will disconnect LS from the BOT.

    4. If clicking Cancel or Disconnect, we advise you to wait 5 seconds to start a new Connection.

    Local Connection to Sportzcast

    Requirements

    • ScoreLink connected to Local Network

    • ScoreLink connected to Scoreboard controller

    • PC that is going to run LiveStats in the same Network as ScoreLink

    • The user has the privilege to install any software on the PC

    Steps

    1. Install NCAA LiveStats for Football

    2. Enter the Game Key (or use a Training Game in Test Environment)

    3. When configuring the match, you will see an option in System Checks called Live scoreboard data

    4. Select the Local option under Clock Type

    5. Connect

    6. Data should start flowing in

    Common Issues

    ScoreConnect is not installed

    1. If ScoreConnect is not installed, then an option to download it will be shown.
      Capture.png

    2. Click on the here link, or download it from here.

    3. Download and install it.

    4. Say “yes” to all options.

    5. It will open a website.

      Capture2.PNG

    6. After installed, click on Check Status

    7. By default, the ScoreConnect service will run after installation, but there is a possibility that the ScoreConnect service does not run so the following screen below will be shown.

    ScoreConnect Service is not Running
    Capture3.png

    1. If the above screen is shown click on “here” to make the service run.

    2. If there is a problem running the service, or you are not running LiveStats as an administrator, it will show an error.
      Capture4.PNG

    3. If an error is shown, you could start the service from Windows directly. Follow these instructions.

    ScoreConnect is Running but no Data is coming in
    Capture5.PNG

    1. Check that ScoreLink is properly connected.

      • GO TO Common Hardware Issues

    2. Click on the Check Status button and check that data is coming in.

    1. Check the configuration of the Scoreboard.

      • Vendor is the brand of the scoreboard controller.

      • Sport is the sport configured in the scoreboard controller.

      • Connection Type is how the ScoreLink is connected to the scoreboard.

    2. If the configuration is correct, it automatically will hide the Check Status button and show the connect button.
      Capture7.PNG

    Connectivity Issue

    Capture8.gif

    1. A “Connection Error” with Sportzcast device message will be shown.

    2. WAIT! Do not try to Connect and Disconnect immediately; the system will try to reconnect every 2 seconds.

    3. The button will have the following text:

      1. Connect

        • WHEN it is clicked, it will open a connection to the Bot entered.

      2. Cancel

        • WHEN the button is showing this, THEN a connection is being attempted.

        • IF clicked, it will close the connection and jump back to “Connect”.

      3. Disconnect

        • WHEN the button is showing this, LS is connected to the bot and receives data.

        • IF clicked, it will disconnect LS from the BOT.

    4. If Clicking Cancel or Disconnect we advise you to wait 5 seconds to start a new Connection.

    5. NOTE! => There could be the possibility that ScoreConnect III is running in a different port rather than 5000, if this is happening Livestats is not going to be able to connect to the bot locally. If this happens we recommend to use the command netstat -ab in a CMD window as administrator, you will be able to find what program that is using that port. Terminate it and restart ScoreConnect III.

    Trying to Self Support in Local Connection

    1. Go to http://localhost:5000

      • Make sure is HTTP and not HTTPS

    2. Go to the Status Page

      • Ideal Status

        • ScoreBoard Data Status: Data Is Coming Correct Format

        • Cloud Connection: Internet is Detected

        • Local Connection Stream: Yes

        • Bot Configuration in Progress: No

        • Data: Shows an array of data changes.

        • Example:
          Capture8.PNG

      • Most Important

        • ScoreBoard Data Status: Data Is Comming Correct Format

        • Local Connection Stream: Yes

        • Data: Shows an array of data changes.

      • Meaning of Statuses

        • ScoreBoard Data Status

        • Cloud Connection

          • Internet is Detected: Connected to the Bot Server to retransmit data

          • Internet not Detected: No connection to the Bot Server to retransmit data

        • Local Connection Steam

          • Yes: Someone is connected locally and is getting data

          • No: No one is connected locally

        • Bot Configuration in Progress

          • Yes: We are reconfiguring something in the ScoreLink (Hardware)

          • No: Hardware is not being configured at the moment

        • Data

          • Blank: No data is being pulled and decoded

          • Array of Data: Data from the scoreboard being decoded.

    3. Go to the Other/Logs Page

      • Everything that ScoreConnect is trying to do and configure will be shown here.

      • Possibly you could see what is going on.

      • These logs could help to diagnose the problem.

    4. Settings Page

      1. :warning: Warning this page could break the configuration of connection and decoding.

      2. Select Bot Title

        • In this Drop Down, the Bot should be selected, and it should say Ethernet ScoreLinkII BOT: XXXXX
          Capture9.png

        • If that option is not selected, and when clicking on the dropdown it does not appear, then you can click on the link “Find Bot”.

        • After the find bot process, the Bot should be shown in the drop-down, select it.

        • And then, click on the “Submit” button and wait for the page to finish loading.

        • Go back to Live Stats and check again.

    Hardware Connection

    Check that you are looking at the ScoreLink as shown in the diagram with the DB9 Port on your left side.
    Capture10.png

    • Check that the (1) Interface Port is connected Properly

    • Check that the (5) Internet Port is connected Properly

    • Power could come from Port 4 (AC Adaptor) or Port 5 (POE Power Over Ethernet)

    • The most important lights are USB, Server, and Power.

      • Everything OK should be:

        • USB Blinking Yellow

        • Server Solid Green

        • Power Solid Green

    Lights Meaning Detail

    • USB Light:

      • Blinking Yellow: Data coming from ScoreBoard.

      • Solid Yellow or Off: Data not coming from ScoreBoard.

    • Server Light:

      • Blinking Green/Blue: Not connected to any server, local or cloud

      • Solid Green: Connected to either the Local or Cloud server

    • Power Light:

      • Solid Green: With power

    • In Range Light: Only for Wireless scoreboard controllers (RFC or similar module needed)

    • Scoreboard Light:

      • This light is only when a scoreboard controller needs decoding internally

      • Only for the following Scoreboard Controllers:

        • Daktronics 4000

        • Nevco

        • Fairplay MP69

        • Fairplay MP70

      • Light Ref:

        • Solid Orange: Being Configured

        • Blinking Green: Decoding

        • Blinking Orange: Incorrect Decoding

          • Reasons:

            • Bad Connection to Scoreboard Controller

            • Incorrect Configuration for ScoreLink