Overview

When servicing a Just Add Power installation—whether recently deployed or legacy—critical system details are not always available. It’s common to arrive on-site expecting a quick task, only to discover that missing documentation or unfamiliarity with the system significantly extends the visit.

This article is designed to help you:

1. Identify issues as quickly and efficiently as possible
2. Identify the Just Add Power system type
3. Take inventory of and document the system

How to use this article: Start with Quick System Identification to narrow the system type fast. If a Report File is available, review it next. Use Gather System Details only if you still need to confirm hardware, switch access, or device inventory. As you work, capture information in the Takeover Form so findings are documented and usable beyond the site visit.

Goal: Get to a confident system type and a documented inventory with minimal guesswork.

Quick System Identification

Use the checks below to quickly narrow down the system type. If more than one result matches, continue to Gather System Details to confirm.

• Report File available? → Use it first (fastest path).
• Device subnet is 172.27.x.x? → AMP Standardized (VLAN)
• Device subnet is 172.17.x.x? → AMP Alternate (Multicast)
• Encoders start on port 2 and run sequentially? → JADConfig
• Decoders start on port 1 and run sequentially? → AMP Standardized (VLAN)
• No clear port pattern? → Custom or AMP Alternate (Multicast)

Fillable Form

Download the form below, complete it on-site, and send it to us if you would like assistance taking inventory of the jobsite.

For best results: Fill this out while on-site and include photos of switch labels, port layouts, and any Decoder debug screens.

Download Takeover Form

System Types

There are five system types that Just Add Power has supported over the years:

System Type	Configuration Software	Control Type	Just Add Power Series	Installation Years	Support Status
AMP – VLAN	AMP Standardized	IP	Omega Series Ultra Series MaxColor Series	2022–Present	Ongoing
AMP – Multicast	AMP Alternate	IP	Omega Series Ultra Series MaxColor Series	2021–Present	Ongoing
JADConfig – VLAN	JADConfig	IP	2G Series Omega Series Ultra Series	2013–2022	Ongoing
Custom Multicast	None Custom	IP	2G Series Omega Series Ultra Series MaxColor Series	2016–2021	Limited Recommended by Support: convert to AMP Alternate (Multicast) (2G Series is not compatible with AMP)
Custom Serial Control	None Custom	Serial Connected directly to switch	1G Series 2G Series	2009–2013	Limited Recommended by Support: convert to JADConfig (1G Series and 2G Series are not compatible with AMP)

Report File

If a Report File is available, review it first. It often eliminates the need to manually identify switch access, port assignments, and IP addressing.

Systems set up with JADConfig or AMP generate a Report File that provides:

• Number of Encoders
• Number of Decoders
• IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for all Just Add Power devices
• Port location for all Just Add Power devices (VLAN systems)
• Switch model, IP address, username, and password (VLAN systems)

With the information in the Report File, an installer can inventory every device in the system and verify whether it is properly connected.

Tools to Bring to the Site With You

Just Add Power provides many software tools to troubleshoot a system, but some essentials are hardware items you should bring to every jobsite.

Minimum kit: Windows PC, PuTTY, a discovery scanner, and the correct console/USB-serial cables.

Optional but helpful: Spare power supply, headphones, and a known-good HDMI cable for quick isolation tests.

• Windows PC
• JADConfig software
• AMP software
• Bonjour Browser
• Docklight scripting
• PuTTY
• USB-to-serial adapter
• Console cable
• Headphones with 3.5mm (1/8") connector
• Power supply for Just Add Power devices
  • 2G Series Power Supply
  • Omega Series Power Supply
  • Ultra Series Power Supply
  • MaxColor Series Power Supply

Gather System Details

Checklist: Work through the steps below in order. Stop once you can confidently identify the system type and document the information needed for service or Support.

• Capture: hardware series + switch model
• Confirm: switch IP + login method
• Document: Encoder/Decoder counts + port ranges
• Verify: device subnet + firmware version
• Record: control system (driver/platform)

These details help determine which system type you are working on:

1. Just Add Power Hardware
2. Switch Model
3. Switch IP Address and Login
4. Encoder Ports and Count
5. Decoder Ports and Count
6. Just Add Power IP Scheme
7. Just Add Power Firmware Version
8. Control System

Gather Details: Just Add Power Hardware

Identify the Just Add Power hardware series used in the system. In most installations, all devices are the same series. Mixed-series systems exist, but they follow additional rules and are outside the scope of this article.

MAXCOLOR™ Series – Released in 2022 and supports 4K60, 36-bit color, 4:4:4

Ultra Series – Released in 2015 and supports 4K30, 30-bit color, 4:4:4

Omega Series – Released in 2016 as an upgrade to the 2G Series. Compatible with both 2G Series and Ultra Series.

2G Series – Released in 2011 and supports 1080p. Compatible with Omega Series.

1G Series – Released in 2009 and supports 1080p on a 100 Mbps network.

Gather Details: Switch Model

List of switches supported by JADConfig. If the switch is not on this list, it is not a JADConfig system.

List of switches supported by AMP Standardized (VLAN). If the switch is not on this list, it is not an AMP Standardized (VLAN) system.

If the switch is not on either list, the system is likely AMP Alternate (Multicast) or one of the custom types.

To find the switch model:

1. Locate the manufacturer sticker on the switch (or switches).
2. Use the sticker to identify the switch model.
3. If the sticker is missing, the model is often printed on the enclosure.
4. If you can’t locate the model, call Tech Support with a serial connection from the switch to a PC.
5. After identifying the switch model, continue to the next section.

Gather Details: Switch IP Address and Login

Logging into the switch (with a valid username and password) is often the first major hurdle when taking over a system. If you don’t know the switch IP address, you can usually find it using one of the methods below.

Method 1: IPv4 Discovery Software

• Advanced IP Scanner: https://www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/
• Angry IP Scanner: https://angryip.org/

Discovery tools can scan an IPv4 subnet and list devices on the LAN. For each discovered device, you can typically see:

• IP Address
• Manufacturer
• MAC Address

Instructions:

1. Identify the switch MAC address from the manufacturer sticker.
2. Run Advanced IP Scanner or Angry IP Scanner.

   

3. Match the switch MAC address to the device list in the scanner.
4. The matching entry will show the switch IP address.

Method 2: Router Client List

Another option is to use the jobsite router to view connected clients. Router interfaces vary—if your router doesn’t provide this view (or discovery scanning fails), contact Support for assistance.

Gather Details: Encoder Ports and Count

Count the number of active Encoders and document their switch port connections. Encoder layouts often follow a pattern. Ignore unused/blank ports for now—those may be reserved for future expansion or reassignment.

Encoder Ports	System Type
Start on port 2 Sequential until the last Encoder	JADConfig
Start after the last Decoder port Sequential until the last Encoder	AMP Standardized (VLAN)
Any other layout No pattern	Custom or AMP Alternate (Multicast)

Gather Details: Decoder Ports and Count

Count the number of active Decoders and document their switch port connections. Decoder layouts often follow a pattern. Ignore unused/blank ports for now—those may be reserved for future expansion or reassignment.

Decoder Ports	System Type
Start after the last Encoder port Sequential until the last Decoder	JADConfig
Start on port 1 Sequential until the last Decoder	AMP Standardized (VLAN)
Any other layout No pattern	Custom or AMP Alternate (Multicast)

Gather Details: Just Add Power IPs

All Just Add Power devices will be in the same subnet. In some cases, the subnet can also help identify the system type.

To find a device IP quickly, view a Decoder debug screen. One simple method is to disconnect video from an Encoder so the Decoder has no video to display.

IP Address	System Type
10.x.x.x 172.16.x.x 192.168.100.x 192.168.200.x	JADConfig
172.27.x.x	AMP Standardized (VLAN)
172.17.x.x	AMP Alternate (Multicast)
Any other IP	No definite system type

Gather Details: Just Add Power Firmware

All Just Add Power devices in a system must be on the same firmware version. You can view the firmware version on a Decoder debug screen.

Gather Details: Control System

Just Add Power provides drivers for many control systems. If the site is using an official Just Add Power driver, you can confirm compatibility on the Control page.