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Documentation: Smart Panel Tutorial (for Mac users)
Video | Sound | Troubleshooting and FAQs

 

VIDEO

You’ll need:

  • A VGA cable
  • A DVI-VGA adapter (also known as a "dongle")
  • Your laptop
  • A classroom or lecture hall with a smart panel!

1) Turn on the smart panel.

This may mean pressing the power button firmly. Give the smart panel 15-45 seconds to warm up before you can expect any picture.
Mini DVI-VGA Adapter
A Mini DVI-VGA adapter ("dongle").

2) Attach a VGA cable from your computer to the smart panel, using a “dongle” (DVI-VGA adapter) to connect the cable to your computer.

Unfortunately for most Mac users, the standard video port in on all smart panels is what’s known as “VGA.” (A VGA cable has a prong with the shape of a trapezoid and has several rows of pins.) You should have received a dongle from the IHUM”s Academic Technology Specialist.

Plug the dongle into the mini-DVI port (both the dongle and the port will have the same symbol on them), plug the VGA cable into the dongle, then plug the other end of the VGA cable into the smart panel. Unless you’re worried about the cable falling out of the smart panel or your dongle, you needn’t twist the screws on the VGA cable to secure it.

For maximum ease, and if you have the time, your computer should be off or hibernating. (But you can always make it work if your computer is already on.)
Smart Panel
A Stanford Smart Panel. Note that this is a slightly older smart panel that uses RCA audio inputs, rather than the typical single-pronged 1/8" miniplug.

3) Once the projector is fully warmed up, ensure that the smart panel source matches up with the port into which you plugged your laptop.

If you don’t think the smart panel is set to the right source, push the button for the correct source (often “laptop” or “computer”). Just like with the power button, you may have to push the button quite forcefully.

4) Toggle video modes on your laptop, if necessary.

If you had your computer off or hibernating before you attached the VGA cable, chances are everything is working now. Sometimes, though, your computer will not recognize that there is an external video source attached. 

If the video is not working and you’re sure everything else is right (smart panel source, cable hookup, etc.):

  • Click on “System Preferences” (most likely on your dock, the white switch icon).
  • Then click on “Displays.”
  • Push the little button that says “Detect Displays” and your picture should appear after a moment.

The default setting for attaching an external video source may be to use the projector as an extension of your desktop. If you would prefer to have the projector screen look exactly like your laptop:

  • ArrangementClick on "System Preferences."
  • Click "Displays."
  • If you have an external source attached, a sub-tab will appear between "Display" and "Color" called "Arrangement." Select that tab.
  • Check the checkbox for “Mirror Displays” at the bottom of the window.

    •  

    SOUND

    You’ll need:

    • Your laptop (or any other audio source you want to play in the classroom’s speakers)
    • A miniplug-to-miniplug audio cable (headphone jack-sized plugs)
    • A mini-to-RCA adapter (if necessary)

    1) Ensure that the smart panel is on, warmed up, and set to the correct source (i.e. the source into which you’ll be plugging your audio cable, such as “laptop 1” or “computer”).

    Chances are that you’ve connected your laptop to project an image already. (Note that you do NOT have to have the VGA cable connected in order to play audio.)

    2) Attach the audio cable from your computer’s headphone port to the smart panel’s audio port.

    You should have been provided a mini-to-mini audio cable for the duration of your teaching. This cable’s male termination is the same size as something you’d plug into the headphone jack of any portable audio device.

    Mini-to-RCA Cable
    A miniplug (1/8") to RCA cable.
    RCA Input. It’s possible that your classroom’s smart panel doesn’t have a miniplug input, but instead has dual-port "RCA" input (in the smart panel image above). RCA is two-pronged, often with one red and one white (sometimes black). (This cable can output stereo sound, so you can remember that right = red, though admittedly this is more relevant for setting up your home stereo system, where left and right channels matter more.) If your smart panel requires an RCA input, you should also have been given a mini-to-RCA adapter. One end of this adapter has a miniplug female port and the other end has RCA male. Attach your miniplug cable to one end, and plug the RCA male end into the smart panel.

    3) Adjust the volume levels of the smart panel, the master volume of your laptop, and the volume of the application playing your sound file (if applicable).

    It’s important to remember that there are three different places where volume can be adjusted when you’ve connected your laptop’s audio to the smart panel. I’d recommend having the volume relatively high on your laptop (both its master volume as well as the volume of your sound application) so you won’t have to turn the smart panel’s volume up very much. Otherwise you might get a lot of hiss.

    Troubleshooting and FAQs

    Q. I don’t see anything on the screen.

    There are numerous possible reasons for this.

    1. You need to detect displays. Click on “System Preferences” on your dock, then click “Displays.” Click “Detect Displays.”
    2. The smart panel is not set to the correct source, or you’ve plugged the VGA cable into the wrong port on the smart panel. Be sure that whatever port you plug your VGA cable into is the one you're telling the smart panel to project.
    3. The VGA cable has become loose. Most VGA cables have little hand-turnable screws that you can turn to secure them if this is becoming a problem.
    4. You have a bad VGA cable. This is very unlikely. Look at the pins on either end of the VGA cable. Are any bent? Even if one pin is bent, the cable may not display any signal.
    5. Lastly, there is a VERY SMALL possibility that the projector is broken in some way. If you think this is the case, you should call the Registrar’s classroom technology team at (650) 723.7280. If you see anything at all on the screen (e.g. a solid blue background), then the projector is probably working.

    Q. The image on the projector screen is “cut off” compared to what I see on my laptop.

    This is often caused by a disparity in what’s called the "refresh rate" between the laptop and the projector. The safest setting is a 60 Hz refresh rate.

    Q. I don’t hear any audio even though I am connected and playing a sound file on my computer.

    There are many possible explanations.

    1. Volume on your computer is muted. Test this by unplugging the audio cable from the smart panel. Do you hear any sound on your laptop’s speakers? If not, then something not right on your laptop – unmute it!
    2. Volume is too low on either the smart panel, the computer, or the software. Remember that when connecting to external speakers in a smart panel, there are now three places where volume can be controlled – the smart panel, your computer’s master volume, and whatever software program is playing the sound file on your computer (e.g. iTunes). Note that some programs such as PowerPoint do not have volume controls of their own.
    3. Your audio cable is plugged into the wrong source on the smart panel.
    4. You have a bad audio cable (unlikely).
    5. Some rooms, such as Sweet 303, Sweet 403, and Meyer 144, have switches that turn off the power supply to the speakers, so it’s possible that someone has turned off the speakers. In Sweet 303 and 403, look UNDER the smart panel. There’s a small switch there that needs to be flicked. When it’s on, you should actually hear a light hiss on the speakers (this is often why people turn them off). In Meyer 144, someone may have turned off the amp (also to rid the room of this hissing noise). Contact the IHUM ATS if this has happened.

    Q. I’m seeing an image on the screen that looks like my laptop background, but all my icons are missing.

    You need to mirror your desktop. Right now your computer is treating the project as if it were an extension of your desktop. (This may be useful in certain circumstances - e.g. if you wanted to keep notes hidden from your students on one screen and show a movie in the other.)