HydraConnect Now Supports Control4 SDDP for Matrix Switchers

HydraConnect LLC has introduced support for the Control4 Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP) for its HSS product family. Control4’s SDDP provides the capability to automatically identify and load the proper Control4 driver for an HSS HDMI and audio matrix processor.

HydraConnect LLC’s implementation of SDDP was developed in anticipation of the next Control4 OS release (version 2.3) that improves HSS’s auto-configuration capabilities. Control4 systems will now be able to automatically discover and add HSS devices to their installations in Composer without requiring the typical driver search. The HSS IP address will also be automatically discovered and configured, eliminating this and other error prone steps.

SDDP defines a discovery protocol similar to SSDP which is the discovery protocol used by Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). In the protocol, devices/services make announcements on a multicast address when they become available and immediately before they go away.

The HSS processor uses SDDP to identify itself to a Control4 system controller automatically at start up via its web administration interface, and/or via the button already present on the rear of all HSS units. This identify capability advertises the HSS presence to the Control4 system which then automates the addition of the HSS into the installer’s Composer project.

SDDP support comes in the form of new software components that have been added to all new HSS matrix processors. This technology upgrade is also installed automatically on all fielded HSS-2 systems in use worldwide during Q4 without customer or dealer intervention using HydraConnect’s cloud-based update system. The SDDP technology in HSS products insures that this new Control4 feature will be fully operational when Control4 OS 2.3 is released.