Hardware and Accessories > Compact Player

The Pandoras Box Server hardware can be purchased with or without additional software, such as Pandoras Box or Widget Designer. Pandoras Box is a software and hardware based solution for show control and real-time video processing. The playback performance depends on the content format, its resolution and frame rate. The Download-Center includes a performance sheet listing many examples.

Its distinctive hardware feature is its size: the Compact Player is only one rack unit high and roughly half 19" wide.

For more information regarding the Pandoras Box product structure, please see the chapter "Product Overview" in the Pandoras Box manual. It also includes links to chapters that explain the different software solutions and possible hardware accessories. We offer specialized interfaces for SMPTE I/O, DMX, serial and sensor control.

Drivers

All drivers are pre-installed on the system. Also, software like the PB Menu is pre-installed. Please check the Download-Center for drivers, software updates and more documentation.

PB Menu

There is software pre-installed on Pandoras Box hardware called the PB Menu. It starts automatically when booting. It covers the Windows desktop and consists of a few buttons that give access to the most needed actions, e.g. starting the Master or Client software or opening the Windows Explorer (File Browser).
The PB Menu includes another software called the Server Management Application. It allows to manage multiple hardware systems and connect via VNC to them.

Product Specifications

Operating system: Windows 10

Microprocessor: Intel i5 processor

RAM: 8GB

SSD drives: depends on hardware edition, i.e. PK1 - 480GB, PK2 - 960GB, PK3 - 1920GB

USB ports: 3x USB 3.0 ports (1x front and 2x rear panel)

LAN: 2x 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports

WiFi: IEEE 802.11ac/a/b/g/n

Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0

COM: 1x D-Sub male DE-9 connector (RS-232)

Audio*: Optical S/PDIF output; stereo analog audio output and microphone input

Graphics card: NVIDIA Quadro P1000 with 4x HDMI 2.0

Product Size (WxHxD): 210mm x 44.4mm x 176.6mm

Power: DC 19.5V/120W with an external power supply unit

Compact Player Hardware

Front view, connections and LEDs from left to right

Power switch	The power switch allows powering on and off the system. Press the power button after connecting the supplied PSU to the power jack on the system rear panel. Note that the button's backlight LED lights up in red when the PSU is connected and in green when the system is switched on.
HDD LED	This LED indicates that the hard drive is accessed.
WiFi LED	This LED indicates that data is transmitted via WiFi.
USB 3.0 port	Connect USB devices such as external hard drives, SSDs and flash drives to this port. The USB 3.0 port supports SuperSpeed USB 3.0 devices and is backwards compatible with USB 2.0/1.1 devices.
Memory card slot	The built-in memory card reader reads SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
Microphone jack	Connect a microphone to the microphone jack (3.5mm).
Headphone/ Audio Out jack	Connect amplified speakers or headphones to the stereo headphone jack (3.5mm) and receive the system's audio output signal.

Rear view, connections from left to right

COM port	Connect your serial device via a RS-232 cable.
Power input DC 19.5V/120W	Connect the supplied power adapter to this jack. Then press the power switch on the front panel to turn on the system. Please note: To prevent damage to the PC, always use the supplied power adapter. The power adapter may become warm to hot when in use. Do not cover the adapter and keep it away from your body.
2x Antenna	Connect the supplied SMA RF antennas for WiFi and Bluetooth to this and to the connector to the right of the HDMI ports.
Optical (S/PDIF out) jack	Connect digital audio receivers and speakers to the optical S/PDIF output.
2x Ethernet ports	Connect a network router, hub or switch or another computer to this port. The eight-pin RJ-45 LAN port supports standard Ethernet cable for connections to local area networks (LAN) with speeds of 10/100/1000Mbps.
2x USB 3.0 ports	Connect USB devices such as external hard drives, SSDs and flash drives to this port. The USB 3.0 port supports SuperSpeed USB 3.0 devices and is backwards compatible with USB 2.0/1.1 devices.
4x HDMI port	Connect a digital display device to the HDMI 2.0 port (max. resolution: 4096x2160 @60Hz).