BOX-1024 Scan Converter
Box-1024
BOX-1024 transfers text and graphics from a micro computer onto a TV screen. VGA/MAC images can be displayed on large TV screens, video projectors and recorded with a standard VCR. The product contains several useful features which makes it a perfect choice for TV information systems.
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SHARP AND FLICKER-FREE IMAGE
Box-1024 generates a high-quality TV image, which is easy to read and does not stress eyes. The sharp image is achieved with a high sampling rate of VGA lines and an extremely low jitter. Flicker is reduced by filtrating 3 adjacent lines, which efficiently inhibits flicker caused by horizontal bright lines.
FULL-SIZE TV IMAGE
The TV image by Box-1024 does not contain disturbing black areas on the top or the bottom of the TV image. With the display adjustments the TV screen can be fully utilized for any TV set.
EVEN SMALL FONTS ARE READABLE IN HI-RES VGA MODES
Box-1024 incorporates advanced line interpolation, which transforms i.e. a VGA mode with 768 lines into a TV image with 550 active lines without losing line information. In addition, the thin horizontal lines in spreadsheets appear in the TV image.
INTEGRATED VIDEO/AUDIO SWITCH
Box-1024 consists of an integrated selector for video and audio inputs, which picks up the selected video out from the video in or from VGA. The audio out is selected from audio in 1 or from audio in 2. The selection is controlled by the user-interface of the device or with RS-232 (software control of video and audio sources).
TEXT LAYOUT ONTO A VIDEO IMAGE
A small optional overlay board can be plugged into the board of Box-1024. With the overlay board, the text and graphicc information from a PC can be overlayed into the incoming video image by setting colour key are of RGB for the Box-1024.
RELIABLE OPERATION
Box-1024 has been designed for a demanding industrial environment allowing 24 hours use. The package of Box-1024 is made of metal and the device itself produces very little heat. A watch-dog chip on the board is monitoring the microcontroller and if needed, the whole device is resetted after i.e. a strong external current peak. The adjustments by the user are stored in a non-volatile memory, which are retrieved after power-up.
EASY AND INTUITIVE USER INTERFACE
The user-interface of Box-1024 consists of 6 push-buttons plus an LCD panel with 2x16 characters. The LCD panel shows i.e. the VGA resolution and refresh frequency. The push-buttons contain the following functions:
| FREEZE | Freezes the image (VGA page is stored in a memory). |
| ZOOM | A zoom window of a VGA page can fulfill the whole TV image. The user can select a proper window with a horizontal and vertical pan settings. |
| CONTRAST | The contrast of an LCD panel can be adjusted to fit into the environment's brightness and the watching angle. |
| UP | Moves up in the menu. |
| DOWN | Moves down in the menu. |
| ENTER/ESC | Selects the menu choice. |
With the menu, the image size and location can be freely adjusted, the filtration can be selected from 4 different choices. RGB test bar image can be sourced and select the image and audio source. If the overlay board is plugged-in, with the menu it is possible to select the color-key values.
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS FOR TV INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Programmable option to automatically turn TV sets off an on
Users do not need to turn on each TV set in the morning and neither do they need to turn them off in the evening. If needed, the TV sets go to stand-by automatically and they are turned on automatically when the transmission starts.
If the TV sets are equipped with Start boxes, the monitoring software of the info system can directly turn on TV sets and turn them off with a time function. Box-1024 has an RS-232 serial interface, with which it receives the necessary commands. The video output line can be turned off, which causes the Start box to turn off TV sets.
If the TV sets are not equipped with Start boxes, the video output line of Box-1024 can be set to the state where a black sync is transmitted using RS-232. This prevents the TV sets from going stand-by keeping the right channel on as the picture is black. As the transmission starts, Box-1024 can be programmed to send video signal.
Easy testability of TV information systems
Box-1024 can send an internal test RGB bar image into the system without PC. The functionality of the system can be verified easily in installation without PC.
Multichannel TV information systems
With Box-1024 it is possible to build up a TV information system with more than just a single channel. In a basic TV channel network a couple of channels can be reserved for the information system. Two Box-1024 devices are required for a 2-channel system with RS-232 control coming from a monitoring computer. With a single computer the information system can be controlled using image freeze commands in turn.
Technical details:
- BOX-1024 supports the following VGA modes:
- 1024x768, 16/256/64K colors, 60/70/75 Hz
- 800x600, 16/256/64K colors, 56/60/72/75/85 Hz
- 640x480, 16/256/64K colors, 60/72/75/85 Hz
- MacIntosh: 640x480, 66.7 Hz
- IBM XGA: 720x400, 640x480, 800x600
- Compaq 640x480, 56 Hz
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Sharp and flicker-free image