24/09/2003

KME Announces New Marine Approved TFT Monitors

KME (Kent Modular Electronics Ltd) has introduced two new colour LCD TFT monitors for worldwide marine applications where low EMI and long-term vibration resilience are essential criteria.

Both have been certified by an independent Test House and meet the stringent demands of IEC 60945, the international test standard for maritime electronics systems.  Type Approval submissions are in process.

The 18.1" and 19.0" monitors have been designed for different applications:The 18.1" is a unique design for replacement of older CRT monitors on board commercial ships; the 19.0" is targeted at new, high resolution systems on ships and super yachts. Both are constructed in Rackmount format and built around a milled aluminium front plate for exceptional stability and a special design of metal chassis to secure the TFT panel and the electronics.

Display resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 pixels (SXGA) are provided in crisp, clear detail. The 19.0" design has also been homologated for ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display) systems. ECDIS standards call for good balance of all colours as the brightness of the monitor is dimmed to a level where the information is only just visible. The bridge of a ship at night on the high seas needs to be very dark for good visibility and this places unusual demands on monitor performance – as bright as possible during the day; as dim as possible at night. KME achieved this by designing a special backlight inverter to enable smooth dimming of the brightness over a very wide range. (A ratio of 2000:1 max. to min. brightness has been measured) Viewability is also improved by the incorporation of a front safety glass, which has a multi-layer optical coating for contrast enhancement. It also protects the TFT panel from accidental damage. 

The 18.1" unit is 9U in rack height; the 19.0" is 10U. However the 18.1’s main distinguishing feature is that the Analogue-Digital converter electronics have been designed to accept Slow Scan signals from older Radar, Navigation or Control Systems. These signals are commonly in the scanning range 15-30kHz and of lower resolution than their modern equivalents. Not many TFT monitors can work with these “Legacy” systems and KME is enjoying good success in this niche area.

Both monitors are available as AC (90-265Vac) or DC (18–30Vdc) versions. The 19.0" also incorporates PAL/NTSC capability and it has the ability to allow Picture-in-Picture viewing of the secondary video source.