AmpronLED NextGen Content Management API Configuration

Technical

AmpronLED NextGen Content Management API Configuration

23 January 2019 · 2 min read

With this use case we demonstrate how to use our LED message signs to display the amount of free parking spaces for the drivers.

We go through the use case example with our two products. The upper LED sign is our model DS-320×160-P8 and the lower one is model DS-320×320-P8. Both models are full colour and with pixel pitch P8. Suitable for outdoor and indoor use.

DS-320×160-P8 (top) and DS-320×320-P8 (bottom) compact LED displays
DS-320×160-P8 (top) and DS-320×320-P8 (bottom) — both full colour, P8 pitch, suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

Configuration and Setup

To set things up, we need to add layout information to the JSON configuration files. The layout file tells the display controller how to divide the screen into named zones, what content type each zone accepts (text or image), and how to style the output.

We configure the layout file for the upper LED message board model DS-320×160-P8 as follows:

JSON layout configuration for DS-320×160-P8
Layout JSON for DS-320×160-P8: one TEXT zone covering the full display, centred, font size 18, white text (RGB 255 255 255).

This configuration defines a single zone named FREESPACES that displays text, centred, across the full message board area, with font size 18 and font colour white. For more detail on AmpronLED NextGen content management API configuration, see the API documentation.

For the model DS-320×320-P8 LED message board, we create a two-zone layout — one TEXT zone for the upper part and one PICTURE zone for the lower part:

JSON layout configuration for DS-320×320-P8 with TEXT and PICTURE zones
Layout JSON for DS-320×320-P8: TEXT zone (rows 0–19) for the number, PICTURE zone (rows 20–39) for directional GIF animations mapped to UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT.

The PICTURE zone supports GIF animations mapped to direction keys. The controller substitutes the correct GIF into the zone based on the PICTURE parameter value sent in the API request. There are many more configuration options and layers available — this example keeps it simple.

Sending Information to the Display

In simplified form, it works the same way as browsing the web. You type a web address and the server sends back information to your screen. Here, you send an HTTP GET request to the Ampron LED display controller, which forwards the content onto the display. For this example, assume the LED display IP address is 192.168.1.1 at port 9527.

Sending information to Model DS-320×160-P8

To display the number 034, we send an HTTP GET request:

http://192.168.1.1:9527/mlds?id=PARKING&layout=FREESPACES&TEXT=034

Result on the DS-320×160-P8 screen:

DS-320×160-P8 displaying the number 034
DS-320×160-P8 showing 034 — the free parking space count — in large white text across the full display area.

Sending information to Model DS-320×320-P8

To display the free parking space count together with a directional arrow, we send:

http://192.168.1.1:9527/mlds?id=PARKING&layout=DIRECTION&TEXT=034&PICTURE=RIGHT

Result on the DS-320×320-P8 screen:

DS-320×320-P8 displaying 034 with a right-pointing arrow
DS-320×320-P8 showing 034 in the upper TEXT zone and a right-direction arrow animation in the lower PICTURE zone.

That was it. You just learned how to configure the displays and send information via the API. To automate this, developers configure their software so that variables change dynamically based on real-time data — the parking management system sends the current free space count to each display on every update cycle, with no manual input.

Here are some more examples showing different layouts and display visuals in the same setup:

DS-320×320-P8 showing X mark (no spaces) and free space count
Layout example: red X in the PICTURE zone (parking full) combined with count in the TEXT zone.
DS-320×320-P8 showing parking level P3
Text-only layout: displaying a parking level identifier (P3) using the full display area.

For questions about configuration, layouts, or integration with your backend system, contact the Ampron team. Full API documentation is available on this site.