The Back Room

A panel of lights being controlled via ethernet

In relation to the line of work we are in, our Flash applications don’t normally fit into the mainstream web application paradigm.  Often we interface with special hardware, touch screens, and systems with more than one monitor in non-standard orientations.  We also have to ensure that our applications can run non-stop for a minimum of a full day and potentially seven days a week.

One of the Many Test Setups

In order to try and simulate the final production environment, when developing software; Bruce and I like to test applications on the hardware it will be run on in situ for several days at a time.  On one corner of the desk that I work at, we have a big three touch screen configuration that we often hook machines into for testing.

Monitoring the Hardware Using a Webcam

Recently while testing large touch screen monitors, the company pool table was occupied for several days with 40-inch vertical monitors and their associated computers.

For situations requiring interaction with hardware such as a telegraph, we will often isolate the piece of hardware in our studio and run it for days while controlling it via the local network.  A cool way of monitoring the hardware being tested in the studio from our office in the backroom is to use a webcam and Red5.  In the images I am using Red5s sample broadcast and subscriber applications.