Matrix Switch: Web like Interconnectivity between Various Sources and Displays - SmartVM Blog

» Matrix Switch: Web like Interconnectivity between Various Sources and Displays - SmartVM Blog: "- A Matrix switch is a device that allows video from multiple sources to be displayed on multiple displays with any combination of inputs connected to any outputs.

Digital Signage Software: Dynamic Advertising Medium offering Increased ROI

Digital Signage technology is the fastest growing medium of advertising being recognized and used globally. Also known as an out of home medium of advertising, it is associated with a high return on investment and is dynamic in nature as changes to the information being relayed can be made in real time and without any additional investment. Unlike static means of advertising like print media etc. where the changes to be made require time and money, this technology allows content to be updated manually as needed, through a scheduling system, or by linking in with an outside feed so that appropriate messages are displayed and that too in real time. The solution itself is an amalgamation of digital signage software, hardware and content.

Compatible with all industry standard file formats, such as Flash files, Video, HTML, QuickTime, Microsoft Office, and JPG, most of these solutions are built on Microsoft technology and do not require and proprietary hardware. Content can be in the form of data, animations, video or text and is all high resolution. These software solutions create signage networks that make dynamic, targeted messaging easy allowing the content to be created and scheduled so that it is made available to target audience at the right time and appropriate location. This can then can be distributed to the server and relayed across a network or via IP. While some solutions are stand alone and can be plugged into existing television sets and played others allow the users to create customized content that includes video and audio through a computer program.

The electronic displays which depict the information are called digital signage hardware devices. They can be in the form of Video Walls, LCD or Plasma display, Multimedia Kiosks and Projectors. The user requires a thorough understanding of the network and bandwidth availability in order for successful deployment of this signage network. The system which is being used for this technology should be able to operate on the network without affecting normal operations. The costs and the benefits of deploying this medium in respective sectors should be evaluated before implementation of the signage solution. The selected solution should have the capacity to accommodate growth irrespective of how diverse or complex the future requirements may be.

A digital signage software solution influences customer behavior, enhances the customer experience, lowers production costs, provides cost efficiency, reliability, faster deployment and generates greater revenue. Due to all these key benefits, it is a widely used solution adopted in financial, educational and commercial institutions along with healthcare, travel, government and military sectors.

Video Screen Splitter: Transmission of Signals from Multiple Sources to Single Destination

A Video Screen Splitter is a device which is used to relay images from multiple sources simultaneously on a single display device. Alternatively known as a distribution amplifier, this device transmits images without data loss and it appears as though the source is directly connected to the display. Consisting of two units, a local transmitter placed next to the source and a receiver placed next to the display, this device has the capability of splitting and boosting the signals. Available in 2, 4, 8 and 16 orts, they can also be cascaded or daisy chained together to achieve a greater configuration. Amongst the various models of the screen splitter available in the market, the most common ones are the DVI Splitter, the VGA Audio video splitter, VGA Video, S-Video, Component Video, HDMI Video and Composite Video splitter. All these models are classified on the basis of the video signals that they relay.

Some key features common to all these models are easy installation, plug and play functionality, no requirement of additional software or device drivers and long distance transmission of the video signals while maintaining signal integrity. While the DVI and HDMI splitter are highly demanded models, the most basic one is the VGA splitter.

On the other hand, the Quad Video Splitter is the most innovative device in the KVM industry as it simultaneously displays signals from four analog or digital sources on a single display device. This unit has numerous display modes such as the Quad mode wherein the screen is split into four fields of equal size with each field displaying content from one source respectively. The PIP mode is one in which up to three video sources is displayed as thumbnails on the right hand side of the full screen image. The dual mode allows the left halves of the full screen images from two video sources to be displayed side by side at full size and the full screen mode allows one of the four video sources to be shown at full screen size and maximum resolution.

All the different types of the Video Screen splitter are FCC and CE certified as well as RoHS compliant and allow switching between sources through front panel push buttons and RS232. High end models enable switching through IR and TCP/IP control as well. Ideal for situations where images from various sources need to be replicated on a single screen, they find usage in remote monitoring and surveillance facilities, financial, commercial, educational, government and military environments.

Rackmount LCD Monitor: Industrial Grade Monitor used by Network Administrators

An industrial grade cost and space saving LCD monitor which is a solution to space constrained server racks is known as a Rackmount LCD monitor. Housed in a metal casing, this device is available in sizes such as 15”, 17”, 19” and 20”. Depending upon the size of the rack, these devices can be 1U, 2U, 6U, 7U, 8U, 9U or 10U. Classification is also done on the basis of type of video supported or on the features of the device. While the former categorizes them in VGA, DVI, HDMI, S-Video, Composite RCA and Composite BNC, the latter separates them into Sunlight readable LCD, Short or shallow depth LCD, Quad screen LCD etc. While the short depth LCD is for smaller than normal depth server rack environments, the Sunlight readable LCD is for ambient lighting conditions.

The Quad Screen Rackmount LCD on the other hand is one of the latest models which have the ability to monitor four video feeds simultaneously on a single screen. Available in two models, one with standard 4:3 video resolution and the other with wide screen 16:9 video format, these devices are perfect for CCTV and Surveillance monitoring, Data Centers, Control Rooms and Mission Critical Monitoring configurations. The most important feature of this device which is also common to all models is the unique flip up design which allows the unit to remain open even when the rack door is closed for easy viewing.

Other key features of the Rackmount monitor are easy installation, simple plug and play methodology, no requirement of additional software or device drivers, hot plug ability and an on screen display that controls Brightness, Contrast, Color, Clock, H. Position, V. Position, Phase, Scaling, Auto config, Input select, Multi window, Clear EEPROM, OSD adjust and Save. Equipped with LEDs that indicate the power connection status, these units offer multi platform support and can work with IBM, HP, Dell, SUN Microsystems. Optional DC power 12V, 24V and 48V, analog to digital signal converter board, Standard D-sub 15-pin VGA input connectors are some additional features of these monitors. They support resolutions ranging from 1024 x 768 up to 1600 x 1200 and have all necessary agency approvals from CE, FCC, TAA and RoHS.

Due to all these features, the Rackmount LCD monitor provides effective assistance to network administrators to monitor PCs. They are widely used in commercial, military, and government as well as industrial applications.

Rackmount LCD KVM: Cost Efficient Solution for Space Constrained Server Room Environments

A space saving solution for compact server rooms, the Rackmount LCD KVM is a combination of a keyboard, LCD and mouse integrated into a drawer. These drawers can be 1U or 2U depending upon the size of the rack. Classified on the basis of the type of video supported, these drawers are categorized as VGA, DVI, HDMI, Composite RCA or BNC and S-Video. They can also be classified on the basis of features into sunlight readable KVMs, short depth model, SUN KVM and Dual slide KVMs. While the Sunlight KVM drawers are used in high brightness environments, the short depth model is used in server rooms where rack depth is shallow. The SUN KVM is designed specially to work with SUN servers and the Dual slide KVM has two separate slides; one housing the keyboard / mouse and the other housing the LCD.

The Rackmount monitor keyboard drawer is also available in PS2 and USB variants. All these models have some features that are common to all such as operating on simple plug and play functionality, easy installation and set up, a flip up design that allows the unit to remain open for easy viewing even when the rack door is closed. While the on-screen display is used to control Brightness, Contrast, Color, Clock, Horizontal Position, Vertical Position, Phase, Scaling, Auto configuration, Input select, Multi window, Clear EEPROM, Save and Adjust, the mode of control of these units are hot keys, front panel push buttons or auto scan.

Available with adjustable rack mount brackets, the Rackmount keyboard also has slide rails which prevent movement of the keyboard while typing. The TCP, UDP, IP, ARP, ICMP, HTTP/HTTPS, Telnet, DHCP/BOOTP, PPP, SMTP, DNS, NTP, Dynamic DNS protocols are followed by these units and they are available in screen sizes ranging from 15” to 20”. Offering multi platform support these devices work with Windows, SUN, Dell, UNIX and Linux operating systems. Light weight, they are hot pluggable and allow users to add and remove connected devices for maintenance without powering down the switch. The more advance version of this device allows remote access to servers over the TCP/IP network via web browser and is SSL V2/V3 encrypted for secure transmission. Equipped with built-in microprocessor emulation for each port boot up process, the Rackmount LCD KVM also has the ability to support multiple keyboard languages.

Used in various server room applications, this Rackmount device is also required in certain commercial, industrial and military environments.

Matrix Switcher: Creates Web Patterns of Interconnections

Video from multiple sources can be routed to multiple displays with the help of a Matrix Switcher. The name of this device is derived from the ability to connect any combination of inputs with any outputs or a single input with multiple outputs creating a web like pattern of interconnection. The switches range from 2x2 to 16x16 models and some variants can also be daisy chained for achieving a greater configuration. Available in various different models depending upon the type of video signals supported, these units can be classified into VGA video switches, HDMI switches, Cat5 Video Router, Cat5 Audio-Video Switcher, S-video matrix, DVI Video matrix, Composite and Component video matrix switch. While the DVI switch is the latest model available, the most popular one is the HDMI Matrix Switch.

This device allows computers with High-Definition Multimedia Interface to be connected and relay video along with audio. DVD players, D-VHS players or satellite set top boxes are connected to the input ports on the switcher which is then connected to the display using a single HDMI to HDMI cable. Available in sizes such as the 2x1 switch, 3x1 switch, 4x1 switch, 5x1 switch and the 3x2, 2x2, 4x2 switches, they eliminate the need to disconnect and reconnect multiple HDMI sources resulting in less hassle. Backward compatible with DVI-D these devices follow a standard of extremely high speed digital transmission.

The device which relays analog signals to composite display devices is known as a Composite Matrix Switch. Available in two categories, RCA video switch and the BNC video switch, with the former found in home installations and latter in professional configurations, these units can be used to connect up to 8 devices.

All variants of the matrix switches work on simple plug and play functionality and do not require any additional device drivers for operation. The switching between sources is done using push buttons on the front of the unit, simple to use RS232 video matrix control software or Infrared remote while LEDs on the unit indicate the connection status. Equipped with the necessary agency approvals from CE, FCC and RoHS, the Matrix Switcher units maintain video integrity and provide clear & sharp images and it appears as though each unit is directly connected to the display.

These units are ideal for situations where information from multiple sources need to be displayed on multiple screens or information from a single source needs to be viewed on multiple displays. Due to this feature, it is commonly used in educational institutions, financial centers, remote monitoring and training facilities and digital signage applications.

KVM Over IP Switch: Remote Server Management through 128 bit Browser

The KVM over IP Switch was introduced to overcome the distance limitations associated with the normal KVM Switches. Like the latter, these devices also allow a user to control multiple computers with the help of a single set of peripherals but the connections are secured without cables. These units allow monitoring and controlling through 128 bit secure browser from anywhere in the world over IP. Available in desktop and rack mountable versions, these units support resolutions ranging up to 1920 x 1440 locally and 1600 x 1200 remotely. Designed to offer multi platform support, they work with SUN, IBM, HP, Dell, Solaris, and Mac, and Windows Vista/2003/XP/2000, Netware, UNIX and Linux operating systems.

The KVM over IP switching device works on plug and play functionality and does not require any additional software or device drivers for operation. They use microcontrollers and specialized hardware to capture the signals from peripheral devices, compress and convert these into packets, and send them over an Ethernet link to a remote console application that unpacks and reconstitutes the dynamic graphical image. Hot pluggable, a user can add or remove connected device for maintenance without powering down the systems or the switch. A normal IP KVM device is available in 8, 16 or 32 ports but can be daisy chained to control up to 123 servers. Control is exercised using push buttons on the front panel, via OSD menu or a combination of hot keys.

The matrix model of this device is known as the IP KVM Matrix. The key benefit of this device is simultaneous access that allows one local, one remote and up to two IP users on four different switches at one time. Its OSD supports configurable hotkey access and has English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Simplified Chinese multilingual interface. Equipped with optional 12, 24 and 48 volt DC power, these switches have the ability to automatically sense video resolution for best screen capture. It is also equipped with has a built-in microprocessor emulation for each port boot up process and a BIOS level access for administration. Other features include availability of scan mode to monitor servers at intervals between 5 and 99 seconds. The device also has a multilingual interface which allows users to select English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

Providing a non intrusive solution for remote access and control, the KVM over IP Switch is an ideal device for any environment involving multiple computers where remote access is needed.