April 18
20
E
mbedded
C
omputing
Cloud for flat-panel controllers
and RFID readers
By Dirk Fistel,
eCount embedded
The first cloud for flat-panel
controllers offers full connectivity to
enable central parameterization and
constant monitoring of
the operational status of displays.
This brings two clear advantages:
higher ease of use and lower
maintenance costs.
Industrial-grade OEM flat panels are used
in many types of implementations, from
large-scale digital signage solutions to medi-
cal monitors that hang over operating tables
to embedded displays in many other indus-
trial devices, machines and systems. That’s
why every OEM needs an application-specific
controller that provides the necessary intelli-
gence to process the respective video signals. It
further supports display peripherals, such as
the provision of sound and touchscreen func-
tions and RFID readers, as well as the defini-
tion and storage of user-specific parameters
such as brightness, contrast, gamma correc-
tion and color representation.
Wherever much configuration and parame-
terization is required, a user-friendly interface
is highly welcome. Parameterizing a monitor
via an on-screen display is only the minimum
requirement in such cases. These days, OEMs
and users want a lot more. The operator of a
system catering menu board does not want to
climb up a ladder to manually optimize the
settings. He prefers a contactless method. A
remote control would work, but it is all too
easily lost, especially if used only sporadi-
cally. A better solution would be to provide
an app for smartphones and tablets with a
local WLAN or Bluetooth connection, simi-
lar to modern state-of-the-art TV sets. How-
ever, for the operator of several branches such
a solution is not good enough. He wants to
be able to distribute the settings to all stores
with a few clicks. It goes without saying that
it is not only the operators who demand this;
OEMs from many other sectors also appreci-
ate the same level of comfort. They too want
to be able to centrally monitor and conve-
niently configure their settings, such as the
luminosity of the display when a set thresh-
old is exceeded or undercut, and parameterize
alarm scenarios, for example, to send an SMS
to a service technician if the image source fails.
Today, the use of proprietary programming
devices that require special cables for the con-
nection of devices and costly on-site service
is an unpopular solution. Instead, users and
OEMs want to be able to leverage clouds and
navigate a monitor via IP addresses to cen-
trally manage and maintain their displays.
Ideally, the cloud provides an HTML-based,
responsive interface so you can use any client
that supports a browser, from smartphones to
tablets to desktop PCs. Everything can then
be connected to this central cloud – from
new displays in a wide variety of locations,
alarm management systems with escalation
routines and acknowledgment functions, to
the integration of back office, ERP and CRM
systems as well as content delivery platforms.
For this purpose, eCOUNT embedded has
developed a device-independent cloud solu-
tion with HTML interface for intelligent flat
panel display controllers. This solution is first
made available for the new CRTtoLCD-91 flat
panel controller with 4K UHD support. As an
industry first, the solution also integrates an
optional RFID reader, making it possible for
the display controller, and therefore also the
flat screen of a system, to assume a central role
in authorization management. Since device,
machine and system functions are nowadays
almost exclusively accessed via touch displays
and their peripherals, this is a highly efficient
solution. For example, systems can be con-
figured to boot by default with the screen off,
and only turn on the display and/or touch
function when an approved tag is detected.
Once it is possible to centrally monitor the
display usage or to manage authorization and
user-dependent configurations centrally via
clouds, even payment systems for pay-per-use
applications can be connected. But OEMs do
not have to go all that far in order to profit
from the easy connection of display control-
lers to the cloud.
For example, the ability to track display tem-
perature to avoid damage from overheating
by proactively dimming the display is a very
efficient way to make predictive maintenance
even more effective. If the GPIOs that are part
of the flat screen can also be configured and/
or reset remotely, installation becomes more
efficient as well: all that’s needed is an on-site
mechanic. The system can be conveniently
configured from a cloud workstation any-
where in the world. By tracking switch opera-
tion and other analog inputs, it is also possible
to gain valuable insights into the usage of the
flat screens and their applications, plus the
systems can always be kept up to date via
remote firmware updates. By tracking oper-
ating times along with temperatures, predic-
tive maintenance can be planned much more
precisely with the help of MTBF calculations.
Figure 1. Thanks to the
eCOUNT eCLOUD for flatpa-
nel controllers, there’s no more
need to climb ladders to configu-
re your monitors. You can simply
use your smartphone instead.
