- Email: [email protected]
Single line active display
I'Jisplous neuJs Displays make wide-ranging serial connections A n n o u n c i n g a w i d e r a n g e of general purpose displays comp r i s i n g o n e or two r o w s of u p to 40 a l p h a n u m e r i c c h a r a c t e r s in v a c u u m f l u o r e s c e n t 5 x 7 dotmatrix format, P u l s e v i e w h a v e filled a niche in the m a r k e t . O p e r ation c a p a c i t y f r o m a single 5 V power supply and a watchdog t i m e r is i n c o r p o r a t e d to e n s u r e continuous operation. For i m p r o v e d dataflow f r o m the host, a 32 b y t e p r i n t e r buffer is p r o v i d e d a n d control c o d e s sent to the host w h e n the serial link is u s e d to indicate c h a n g e s in p r i n t e r status. Up to 255 d i s p l a y s c a n b e conn e c t e d in serial a n d individually s e l e c t e d for d i s p l a y b y multid r o p p i n g . Host c o m m u n i c a t i o n s can either b e serial or p a r a l l e l input, with serial output a n d o p e n collector, pull-up output options p r o v i d i n g two w a y c o m m u n i -
cations via an RS232 r e c e i v e r . Parallel inputs a r e TTL a n d CMOS c o m p a t i b l e , in eight data bits plus write format with s e l e c t a b l e parity. The 8 bit, parallel p r i n t e r interface f e a t u r e s b u s y control for e a s y linking to such p r i n t e r s as E p s o n ' s M164 with a controller b o a r d a n d data can b e r e d i r e c t e d to either a p r i n t e r or the d i s p l a y via host commands. Parallel inputs can b e u s e d as g e n e r a l p u r p o s e inputs w h e n t h e y a r e not b e i n g u s e d for parallel host inputs, a n d t h e s e can b e r e a d a n d sent to the host, u n d e r c o m m a n d s f r o m the host. W h e n using the m u l t i d r o p option, the inputs a r e w i r e d to g i v e the a d d r e s s of the unit b y g r o u n d i n g s e l e c t e d inputs. The g e n e r a l p u r p o s e d i s p l a y s feature an ASCII c h a r a c t e r set a n d international s y m b o l s as s t a n d a r d .
o
o
e
,
m
o
e
,
e
o
J
o
e
o
o
o
ED 88 o
o
•
o
•
Q
o
o
o
e
•
o
•
o
The k e y p a d interface p r o v i d e s control of u p to 64 interface k e y s on either a m e m b r a n e o r c o n d u c tive r u b b e r k e y p a d , with switch debouncing being provided by software. Printer k e y s a r e also available for p a u s e a n d p a p e r feeding.
Regisbrook Group, Units 1 and 2, Suffolk Way, Drayton Road, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 5JY, OK. Tel: (0235) 554433; Telex: 83428 []
Single line active display The latest addition to the M e s s a g e M a k e r r a n g e of d i s p l a y s a v a i l a b l e f r o m S h o r e k a r n is a selection of r u g g e d single-line active d i s p l a y s offering e x p a n d e d m e m o r y a n d additional c h a r a c t e r heights. The memory capacity has been i n c r e a s e d f r o m 4 to 30 k a n d a 70 m m height is n o w a v a i l a b l e for the first time. O t h e r c h a r a c t e r heights a r e 32, 50, 58, 100, 175 a n d 300 m m . Portability is a feature of the 32-175 m m units. Display p r o g r a m m i n g is via a s t a n d a r d Q w e r t y k e y b o a r d . The d i s p l a y can also b e p r o g r a m m e d r e m o t e l y o v e r an RS422 serial link. Up to 255 individual d i s p l a y s m a y b e p r o g r a m m e d in this way. The d i s p l a y ' s b r i g h t n e s s can b e a d j u s t e d for u s e in low- o r highlight level environments. A d j u s t m e n t s a r e m a d e via the k e y b o a r d . D i s p l a y s p e e d c a n also b e a d j u s t e d with nine different s p e e d settings a v a i l a b l e f r o m the keyboard. A full function e d i t o r is s u p p l i e d
DISPLAYS, JANUARY 1989
a n d a four p r o g r a m m e s c h e d u l e r e n a b l e s m e s s a g e s to b e s w i t c h e d on or off at p r e d e t e r m i n e d times, different m e s s a g e s to b e linked t o g e t h e r or b r i g h t n e s s a n d s p e e d settings to b e c h a n g e d automatically. A d o u b l e - w i d t h c h a r a c t e r m o d e is p r o v i d e d to i n c r e a s e legibility f r o m a distance. Four
m e m o r i e s can c o p e with a total of up to 30 000 c h a r a c t e r s . In the abs e n c e of mains p o w e r , an internal b a t t e r y p r o v i d e s data retention in the clock a n d m e m o r i e s for u p to 12 w e e k s .
Shorekarn Ltd, 18 Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8BT, 076. Tel: (0684) 29,q845 []
R u g g e d single-line active displays from Shorekarn
47
cations via an RS232 r e c e i v e r . Parallel inputs a r e TTL a n d CMOS c o m p a t i b l e , in eight data bits plus write format with s e l e c t a b l e parity. The 8 bit, parallel p r i n t e r interface f e a t u r e s b u s y control for e a s y linking to such p r i n t e r s as E p s o n ' s M164 with a controller b o a r d a n d data can b e r e d i r e c t e d to either a p r i n t e r or the d i s p l a y via host commands. Parallel inputs can b e u s e d as g e n e r a l p u r p o s e inputs w h e n t h e y a r e not b e i n g u s e d for parallel host inputs, a n d t h e s e can b e r e a d a n d sent to the host, u n d e r c o m m a n d s f r o m the host. W h e n using the m u l t i d r o p option, the inputs a r e w i r e d to g i v e the a d d r e s s of the unit b y g r o u n d i n g s e l e c t e d inputs. The g e n e r a l p u r p o s e d i s p l a y s feature an ASCII c h a r a c t e r set a n d international s y m b o l s as s t a n d a r d .
o
o
e
,
m
o
e
,
e
o
J
o
e
o
o
o
ED 88 o
o
•
o
•
Q
o
o
o
e
•
o
•
o
The k e y p a d interface p r o v i d e s control of u p to 64 interface k e y s on either a m e m b r a n e o r c o n d u c tive r u b b e r k e y p a d , with switch debouncing being provided by software. Printer k e y s a r e also available for p a u s e a n d p a p e r feeding.
Regisbrook Group, Units 1 and 2, Suffolk Way, Drayton Road, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 5JY, OK. Tel: (0235) 554433; Telex: 83428 []
Single line active display The latest addition to the M e s s a g e M a k e r r a n g e of d i s p l a y s a v a i l a b l e f r o m S h o r e k a r n is a selection of r u g g e d single-line active d i s p l a y s offering e x p a n d e d m e m o r y a n d additional c h a r a c t e r heights. The memory capacity has been i n c r e a s e d f r o m 4 to 30 k a n d a 70 m m height is n o w a v a i l a b l e for the first time. O t h e r c h a r a c t e r heights a r e 32, 50, 58, 100, 175 a n d 300 m m . Portability is a feature of the 32-175 m m units. Display p r o g r a m m i n g is via a s t a n d a r d Q w e r t y k e y b o a r d . The d i s p l a y can also b e p r o g r a m m e d r e m o t e l y o v e r an RS422 serial link. Up to 255 individual d i s p l a y s m a y b e p r o g r a m m e d in this way. The d i s p l a y ' s b r i g h t n e s s can b e a d j u s t e d for u s e in low- o r highlight level environments. A d j u s t m e n t s a r e m a d e via the k e y b o a r d . D i s p l a y s p e e d c a n also b e a d j u s t e d with nine different s p e e d settings a v a i l a b l e f r o m the keyboard. A full function e d i t o r is s u p p l i e d
DISPLAYS, JANUARY 1989
a n d a four p r o g r a m m e s c h e d u l e r e n a b l e s m e s s a g e s to b e s w i t c h e d on or off at p r e d e t e r m i n e d times, different m e s s a g e s to b e linked t o g e t h e r or b r i g h t n e s s a n d s p e e d settings to b e c h a n g e d automatically. A d o u b l e - w i d t h c h a r a c t e r m o d e is p r o v i d e d to i n c r e a s e legibility f r o m a distance. Four
m e m o r i e s can c o p e with a total of up to 30 000 c h a r a c t e r s . In the abs e n c e of mains p o w e r , an internal b a t t e r y p r o v i d e s data retention in the clock a n d m e m o r i e s for u p to 12 w e e k s .
Shorekarn Ltd, 18 Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8BT, 076. Tel: (0684) 29,q845 []
R u g g e d single-line active displays from Shorekarn
47