Illuminated sign and control

Press, 17 March 1987, Page 23

Illuminated sign and control

A standard 14-inch colour video monitor is used as the basic element of Spectrum Associates’ Vidiad electronic, programmable illuminated sign. The heart of the system is the inclusion, within the colour monitor, of a control circuitry designed and manufactured by Spectrum. Using computer technology, the Vidi-ad enables the user to generate, store, retrieve and display up to 100 screens or “pages” of graphic information in a choice of 64 colours. Effects such as flashing pages, animation,

pages roiling up or down and changing with a “Venetian blind” effect are all possible. Programming of the system is menu-driven. A keyboard is not necessary as the Rolling Ball Mouse hand-held control unit is used for all programming functions. Moving the control unit over a flat surface causes a corresponding movement of a cursor on the monitor screen. Operation of a push-button "Hit” control on the control unit initiates various actions, dependent on the position

of the cursor in relation to the menu instruction on the screen display area. Information from the Vidi-ad memory may be transferred to a plug-in "Sava-pack” module and used to run other Vidi-ad systems. The monitor is supplied in a light grey colour and is mounted on a tilt-and-swivel plastic base. All components are UL approved and enclosed in a fire-retardant, self-ex-tinguishing plastic case. The monitor incorporates a clear-image CRT screen.