Page 45: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2003)

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Monitoring Technology...Advanced

As the information age firmly roots onboard vessels of all shapes and sizes — from tugboats to tankers — there is a glaring need for enhanced information processing and handling to ensure that crews maintain their focus on the safe and efficient operation of the vessel.

Today's modern wheelhouse increasing- ly comes with the "cockpit" feel, as designers strive to standardize the form and function as another step towards safety and efficiency. Paramount to this task is the identification and integration of products designed and manufactured with the unique rigors of the marine industry in mind. Monitors onboard vessels are one product category particularly critical to modern ship opera- tions, as they are the hub whereby collected informa- tion is relayed and acted upon.

Leading the Way

For more than 20 years, Conrac GmbH has been manufacturing approved CRT displays for high performance profes- sional application in the medical, mili- tary and maritime industries. During this time, a great number of monitors have been manufactured which meet the requirements of MIL Spec, radar, IEC 60936, IEC 60945-3, IEC 61172

ECDIS, and GL approval, and are still in operation today. The same is currently happening with Conrac's approved range of TFT LCD monitors.

Developed specifically for maritime applications, a range of TFT monitors has been developed and several more models are in the pipeline. Conrac, a

Data Modul company, is unique in that

The SD Series

Available in 17,18,19 and 23-in. sizes, the SD - Ship

Display - Series of TFT displays from Conrac, a Data

Modul company, is designed to be reliable, flexible and efficient. Below are some technical specifications on the company's 23-in. unit, the 6023 SD. 6023 SD

Data Modul's 6023 SD high resolution multi-frequen- cy TFT-display for shipborne applications is supplied in rack/console mount versions. Built in a robust sea- water resistant aluminum housing treated to protect from corrosion, it provides a high contrast, flicker- free image for reduced eye strain.

Panel type Full color active matrix TFT (Super Fine)

Size 23.1 in. (58 cm)

HxWxD 550 x610 x 111.58 mm

Weight 16kg

Resolution . .Multiscan up to 1,600 x 1,200 (UXGA)

Horizontal Freq 30-85 kHz

Vertical Freq 50-85 Hz

Dimming range 100:1

Contrast ratio 500:1 typical # of colors 16.7 mio colors

Viewing angle + 85 degrees horiz/vert

Lamp life time50,000 hours @ 25 degrees C ambient temp., continuous operate all controller electronics for its monitors are developed and manufactured in- house, which translates to single-source accountability. Another key point: all of the company's units also have a modular based platform, meaning that the inter- face boards, LVDS adapters, dimmable backlight inverters, and software in each of its TFT product line (15-in., 17-in., 18-in., 19-in., 23-in.) are used across the board, a trend that will continue with the company's newly developed 30-in. and 40-in. TFT display. While all of this means a strong degree of reliability and compatibility for the end customer, it also give the manufacturer a strong advantage with OEM customers, as it is able to easily implement special require- ments and changes from customers, giv- ing it a high degree of flexibility. Data

Modul, located in Islandia, NY, is the sales agent for Conrac GmbH. Conrac

GmbH is located in Weikersheim,

Germany, where it operates a 180,000- sq. ft. modern production facility which can produce 4,000 TFT and 8.000 plas- ma displays per month.

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