As mentioned earlier, Tetrus controllers allow ‘data only’ protocols to be received, recognised, displayed and animated. In addition to the principal function of displaying service information, Infotec displays can be accessed simultaneously by several users for the purpose of re-configuration, health monitoring and firmware upgrades without interrupting the standard receipt and interpretation of display data.

Infotec offers several units which allow display communications at station level to be implemented seamlessly by means other than TCP/IP Ethernet.

Data Distribution / Cabling

Where the final loop is less than 100m and it is or can be wired in a star manner using CAT5 or CAT5e cable, TCP/IP Ethernet can be used right up to the display. All Infotec displays have an RJ45 Ethernet RJ45 connector as standard. Often the distances or need to use existing cabling make the above methodology  less convenient. This existing cabling can take many forms and  Infotec displays have been used successfully in a wide range of legacy cabling application where the cost of re-cabling become prohibitive.

Where Ethernet cannot be used for the final hop, Infotec provides simple to deploy equipment to convert between the LAN/WAN system and the station wiring. The key unit for this it range of IPH servers which connect directly to the Ethernet network, strips the information appropriate data and distributes either point to point or multi-drop (daisy chanined). The internal intelligence of our IPH devices allows multiple protocols and multiple connections to be handled over  connected cabling.

The IPH device also perform other functions for the connected displays including:

• Animation timing of the displayed information
• Synchronisation of animation and paging between displays
• Synchronisation of intensity between displays installed in a single location
• Maintenance of synchronised  real time clock display

The ability to allow multiple operators to connect to the same display means, for example, that one person can request display health information, another can be re-scripting the unit and another can be sending new display data. This effectively makes the IPH interfaces as function pretty much as if connected directly to your LAN.

Communications Interfaces

Using the lightweight data protocols described earlier, data can be transmitted to the displays using a variety of methods including 2G/GPRS, 3G, 4G, Radio, WiFi, RS485 and Ethernet. The hardware is thoroughly integrated with these communications interfaces to ensure the best performance.

Display Monitoring

Infotec provides, on a license-free basis, the “IRIS-2” PC software package, which allows all displays to be controlled, monitored, re-scripted and firmware to be updated once installed. All displays and communication devices in a scheme are shown in a tree diagram, each node being a single device behind which the scripts and firmware are installed. The script editor can be opened from within IRIS-2, the script modified and downloaded to the display without taking the display out of service and without disrupting the CIS System Host operations.

Infotec’s “Delve” software enables the display to be interrogated directly from the network, to simply adjust internal display parameters to change and monitor the way the display operates.

Firmware

Firmware is stored in the display using on board solid state memory. Upgrades can be made either locally or by sending them over a network. This can be done remotely from recognised hosts, irrespective of the method or at what speed the display is connected.