A big name in broadcast systems technology, Snell recently approached Stadium-IGT with a wish-list of features it wanted for its new Kahuna Maverik modular outside broadcast system. This new modular control surface is easily adaptable to multiple events and event types, and it can save valuable space within space-restricted outside broadcast vehicles, giving ultimate flexibility and comprehensive control.
The product offers ground-breaking new architecture, total customisation, crystal clear OLED buttons with user-assignable thumbnails, touch screen at the M/E level for instant function selection, high resolution and intuitive user function buttons for easy effect recognition and the ability to change or add individual panel segments. Stadium-IGT sales director, Terry Moss takes up the story:
“Snell required a clean, modern switch surface, with a custom multi-touch touch screen and RGB backlit capacitive switching for their GUI unit. Stadium-IGT’s innovative and patented thin film backlighting was used for their T-Bar unit. Our design engineers assisted Snell from the outset with material selection, mechanical and electrical design parameters and PCB design.”
Working closely with the engineers at Snell Stadium IGT designed and built a number of prototypes which included light models, prototype touch screens and ultimately fully functional pre-production units of both the GUI and T-Bar products. Now entering full production Snell launched the system earlier this year at NAB in Las Vegas, the world’s largest media technology show.
Stadium-IGT can provide its patented thin-film backlighting on a range of scalable, wire-free, vandal and water resistant custom capacitive touch screens. Capacitive touch screens have many advantages in both consumer and industrial MMI/HMI interfaces and are widely used in applications including mobile phones, MP3 players, PDAS, home entertainment, home automation systems and brown and white goods.
Their use in industrial applications has been limited until now due to small screen size, low screen resolution and a lack of visual clarity imposed by the commonly used wire matrix technology. Overcoming the limitations of this traditional approach, Stadium-IGT has developed capacitive touch screens in custom sizes up to 19in, with a node count of up to 256 (16 x 16) and bespoke interfaces to suit host equipment.
The most recent Stadium-IGT development combines, in one thin layer, capacitive switching and multi-colour area-specific backlighting. Traditionally, it has been extremely difficult to combine the two technologies because the electric field from a conventional electro-luminescent light source, which requires high voltage excitation, has interfered with the capacitive operation.
Stadium-IGT uses remote LEDs and thin light guides embedded into the capacitive sensing flexible layer to overcome these problems. The completed assembly is less than on millimetre thick and, by successfully combining these two technologies, secret-until-lit areas, colour changes on key operation and colour-coded visual directions can be given to the operator.