POWER STUDIO

VM140 Control

Use the VM140 Control plugin with a Velleman VM140 or K8061 interface.

The Power Studio installer includes the VM140 Control plugin and the required K8061.dll support file. The plugin is installed as Velleman VM140 (K8061) remote control plugin.

Use this plugin when the station needs local USB GPIO with more I/O capacity than a VM110/K8055 setup. Common examples are start/stop buttons, Playout Player PFL buttons, cart triggers, automation/live-assist switching, indicator lamps, relay outputs and larger studio-control panels.

Configure

Install the required Velleman driver files and connect the interface before configuring the plugin. The plugin can work with up to eight VM140/K8061 cards, addressed 0 to 7.

  1. Install the Velleman VM140/K8061 driver and connect the interface.
  2. Check the card address on the hardware. Each connected card must have a unique address.
  3. Open Options and Settings > Plugins in Power Studio.
  4. Select Velleman VM140 (K8061) remote control plugin.
  5. Enable the plugin and open Configure.
  6. Select which player states should be displayed on outputs.
  7. Choose the output patterns for player state indicators. The available patterns include Off, Flash, Blink, Fast blink, Long cycle and On.
  8. Configure Input mapping.
  9. Configure Output mapping.
  10. Apply the settings and restart Power Studio.

The display options are Player is playing, Player is cued, Track in player is next in the playlist and Player is in Pre Fader Listening mode.

The input and output mapping screens use - for an unassigned row. Leave unused functions unassigned.

Input Mapping

Input mapping connects VM140 input pins to Power Studio commands. Select the command, card address, pin and pin state.

The VM140 input mapping screen supports card addresses 0 to 7 and input pins 0 to 7. The pin state can be On or Off. Use On for most button-press workflows. Use Off only when the wiring or relay logic is normally closed and the command should fire when the input releases or opens.

The plugin can map inputs to:

  • Player A-D: play, stop, cue, PFL on, PFL off and PFL toggle.
  • Cart A and Cart B: row 1-7, stop and play selected.
  • Mix Editor: play, stop, record start, record stop, record toggle and save.
  • Recorder: play, stop, record start, record stop and record toggle.
  • Playout: refresh playout playlist, next playout playlist, automation, live assist and automation toggle.

Because commands are fired when a pin changes state, use clean dry-contact or debounced switching where possible. Avoid wiring that causes repeated transitions when a presenter presses a button.

Output Mapping

Output mapping connects Power Studio status to VM140 digital outputs. Select the status, card address and output pin.

The VM140 output mapping screen supports card addresses 0 to 7 and output pins 0 to 7.

The plugin can display:

  • Player A-D playing.
  • Player A-D PFL.
  • Automation and Live assist mode.
  • Timeshift recording.
  • Multi-Studio local on-air state.
  • Multi-Studio studio 1-5 on-air state.

Output indicators follow the configured blink patterns. By default, Power Studio treats playing, cued and next-track states as separate visual states. Test the chosen blink pattern with the actual lamps, LEDs or relay interface used in the studio.

When the plugin stops, Power Studio clears the VM140 digital outputs before closing the devices. Do not rely on the card output state to remain latched after Power Studio closes.

Connection Recovery

The VM140 plugin checks the connected cards while it is running. If it detects a connection or power issue, it closes the devices and tries to reconnect. This can help after a temporary USB or power interruption, but it should not be used as a substitute for stable wiring.

If reconnects appear in the logs, treat that as a technical fault to investigate. Check the USB cable, USB hub, power supply, card address, driver installation and any Windows power-management settings that may suspend USB devices.

Check The Hardware

Test all inputs and outputs before assigning them to on-air workflows.

Before assigning the interface to on-air workflows:

  • Confirm that Power Studio sees the correct card address.
  • Test each input with the actual button or relay contact.
  • Test each output with the actual lamp, LED, relay or interface circuit.
  • Check that unused mappings are left as -.
  • Test Power Studio startup with the interface already connected.
  • Test what happens when the USB cable is disconnected and reconnected.
  • Verify that outputs return to a safe state when Power Studio closes.

For reliable operation, use a stable USB connection and avoid moving the card to another USB port after configuration. Label the wiring and keep a copy of the card, pin and function mapping with the station's technical documentation.