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General Digital™Corporation GenStar™User’s Manual
2.0 OVERVIEW
General Digital™introduced the GenStar™UB-20W-NX family of 20.1” RGB Industrial LCD
monitors in response to the growing need for a high performance LCD monitor that can operate in
bright ambient light or direct sunlight conditions. Model Number UB-20W-NX-xx was speciÞcally
designed to address the demanding needs of “mission critical” applications (commercial and
industrial) such as Air TrafÞc Control monitoring where its unique set of advanced features are
required.
Internal to the LCD monitor is an intelligent video controller that permits the device to operate
from analog video sources and function as a seamless replacement for the traditional CRT. The
LCD monitor will interface with virtually any host computer (PC/AT, VME, STD, Workstations,
etc.) provided its video controller (analog) supports VESA standards for VGA, SVGA, XGA and
SXGA resolutions (up to 120 Hz vertical refresh/160 MHz dot clock). In addition, the LCD monitor
will support EIA-RS-343-compatible analog RGB color video at any timing set over the vertical and
horizontal frequencies listed (see section 9.0, SpeciÞcations). The intelligent video controller (internal
to the monitor) enables the device to operate from separate, composite or sync-on-green video
inputs. A membrane pad located behind a hinged access panel on the front bezel activates intuitive
on-screen menus that allow technicians to calibrate the monitor.
The GenStar™UB-20W-NX-xx features an AMTFT LCD display with a large 20.1” diagonal viewing
area, a maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels, and the best viewing angle (±80°) in the
LCD industry. General Digital™integrates its own proprietary SmartBright™Backlight module to
augment the display’s brightness from 150 nits to a maximum of 1000 nits, making it suitable
for operation in direct sunlight. A 1000:1 dimming circuit allows operators to vary the brightness
from full off to maximum brightness via a local potentiometer or a remote brightness interface.
The optical performance of the LCD display is further embellished by optically bonding a 62%
neutral density contrast enhancement Þlter to the surface of the LCD glass. While the Þlter reduces
the maximum brightness to 620 nits, it improves the contrast ratio to ≈6:1 @ 6000 foot-candles, a
characteristic equally important as brightness to sunlight readability. The Þlter is also treated with
an etched antireßective coating (OCLI) to further reduce surface reßections. The optical bonding
material is index matched to reduce the number of reßective surfaces (air gaps) between the operator
and the surface of the LCD display, thereby optimizing the optical clarity while minimizing surface
reßection. The optically bonded Þlter also produces a secondary beneÞt: it creates a protective
surface over the face of the LCD display that guards the fragile liquid crystal material.
The SmartBright™Backlight module consists of 31 cold cathode ßuorescent bulbs (CCFT) that are
stacked horizontally and housed within a rugged aluminum enclosure mounted to the back of the
LCD panel. Integral to the backlight enclosure is a custom-engineered heat sink that dissipates
the heat generated from the CCFTs away from the temperature sensitive liquid crystal material.
Two externally mounted exhaust fans draw Þltered (HEPA) ambient air through the SmartBright™
Backlight assembly (over the CCFTs) via a series of internal bafßes. An additional cooling fan directs
ambient (room) air across the heat sink and other internal electronics, exhausting airßow through a
series of ventilation holes located on the back of the enclosure. The SmartBright™Backlight assembly
is powered by a pair of redundant DC–AC inverters. Each of the inverters produces high voltage
output in excess of 2000 volts AC and drives up to 16 bulbs (alternating bulb pattern). In the event
that a single inverter fails, the other inverter will continue to produce uniform brightness across
the entire viewing surface. Failure of any of the 31 individual bulbs will not adversely affect the
performance of the other CCFTs.
Another unique property of the GenStar™UB-20W-NX-xx LCD monitor is its ability to anticipate
and/or diagnose component failures. The integration of General Digital’s™proprietary Intelligent
Backlight Controller™(IBC) promotes the practice of “intelligent replace before fail.” The primary
function of the microprocessor-based controller is to regulate the brightness of the SmartBright™
Backlight CCFTs and maintain the internal ambient temperature of the device via control of the
