Houston Radar PNL18 User manual

PNL18
OEM Radar Speed Sign Kit
Installation and User Manual
K-Band Doppler Speed Measurement and Display Kit
Rev 1 December 20, 2021
© 2005 to 2021 Houston Radar LLC
702 Julie Rivers Drive, Sugar Land, TX 77478
http://www.houston-radar.com
Toll Free: 1-888-602-3111

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This device conforms to the CE mark and conforms to the requirements of the applicable
European Directives as follows:
EN 60950-1
ETSI EN 300 440-1 V1.4.1
ETSI EN 300 440-2 V1.2.1
ETSI EN 301 489-1 V1.7.1
EN 55022 Class B
EN 61000-4-2 8 kV/4 kV
EN 61000-4-3 3 V/m
FCC ID: TIADR600
This device meets the FCC requirements for RF exposure in public or uncontrolled
environments.
This device complies with FCC part 15 Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: 1. This device may not cause harmful interference and 2. This device must
accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Changes or modifications not approved by Houston Radar could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which
the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

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IC ID: 21838-DR600
This device meets the IC requirements for RF exposure in public or uncontrolled
environments.
Cet appareil est conforme aux conditions de la IC en matière de RF dans des
environnements publics ou incontrôlée.
IC Warning
This device complies with Industry Canada license exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: 1. this device may not cause interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause
undesired operation of the device.
Cet appareil est conforme avec Industrie Canada RSS standard exempts de licence (s).
Son utilisation est soumise à Les deux conditions suivantes: 1. cet appareil ne peut pas
provoquer d’interférences et 2. cet appareil doit accepter Toute interférence, y compris
les interférences qui peuvent causer un mauvais fonctionnement du dispositive.
Warning: DR600-OFD radar is supplied in an open frame format with exposed antenna
and electronics and thus is a static sensitive device. Please use static precautions when
handling. Warrantydoes not cover damage caused by inadequate ESD procedures and
practices.
Note: Specifications may change without notice.
Note: Not liable for typographical errors or omissions.

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Table Of Contents
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 6
INSTALLATION.............................................................................................................. 7
DIRECTION POINTING:...................................................................................................... 7
RECOMMENDED ENCLOSURE FOR THE PNL18:................................................................ 7
HOOKUP:.......................................................................................................................... 9
Power Input: ............................................................................................................... 9
Data/PC Connection:.................................................................................................. 9
Measured Speed Output:............................................................................................. 9
IO CONNECTOR SIGNAL DESCRIPTIONS:........................................................................ 10
J1 - DB9 RS232 Female Connector: ........................................................................ 10
J8 - AUX Connectors:............................................................................................... 10
J9 - IO Connectors: .................................................................................................. 11
J5 - 100’s Digit board............................................................................................... 11
J6 - Pwr In (Molex Micro-Fit).................................................................................. 12
J7 - Pwr In (Terminal Block).................................................................................... 12
J10 –Slow Down ...................................................................................................... 12
USE................................................................................................................................... 13
FORCE ACTIVATING DISPLAY ........................................................................................ 14
Option 1:................................................................................................................... 14
Option 2:................................................................................................................... 14
TRIGGERING AN EXTERNAL CUSTOM MESSAGE: ........................................................... 14
LED Driver External Strobe (Slow Down) Output:.................................................. 14
DR600 Open Drain Outputs:.................................................................................... 15
COLLECTING AND ANALYZING IN-RADAR TRAFFIC STATISTICS............ 15
REAL TIME TRAFFIC STATISTICS IN THE RADAR:......................................... 15
Internal Clock:.......................................................................................................... 15
CONFIGURING THE PNL18: ..................................................................................... 16
Connect To The Unit:................................................................................................ 16
Read The Radar Configuration: ............................................................................... 17
Setup The Display Limits (Permanent Location, Rotary Switch Disabled): ............ 18
Setup The Display Limits (Portable Sign, Rotary Switch Enabled): ........................ 19
Setup White Strobe Configuration:........................................................................... 20
Additional PNL18 Configuration Option:................................................................ 21
PNL18 LED Driver Calibrate: ................................................................................. 22
Write the Configuration to the PNL18: .................................................................... 22
Setup Additional Radar Configuration Options:...................................................... 23
PNL18 SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................... 24
GENERAL ....................................................................................................................... 24

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APPROVALS ................................................................................................................... 24
DATA INTERFACES......................................................................................................... 24
OPTICAL......................................................................................................................... 24
MECHANICAL................................................................................................................. 24
PERFORMANCE............................................................................................................... 24
MECHANICAL OUTLINE DIMENSIONS:............................................................... 26
APPENDIX A: PLASTIC WINDOW LOCATION AND SIZE WHEN USING
FRONT METAL MASK................................................................................................ 27
APPENDIX B: ACTIVATE AN EXTERNAL LED MESSAGE ABOVE A PRESET
SPEED.............................................................................................................................. 28
APPENDIX C: HOUSTON RADAR “SLOW DOWN” PANEL.............................. 29
APPENDIX D: EXPANDING TO AN OPTIONAL 3RD DIGIT TO MAKE A 3
DIGIT SPEED SIGN...................................................................................................... 30

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INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of the Houston Radar directional Doppler Speed Radar
sign kit PNL18. This state of the art two-digit speed display with integrated ultra-low
power 24GHz K-band microwave Doppler radar is specifically designed for the license
free solar power or battery operated speed sign and traffic calming sign market.
Utilizing high performance, ultra low power DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology
and microwave components based on a planar patch array antenna with integrated low
power MMIC, you will find that this high quality product meets your exacting standards
for performance and reliability.
Some of the highlights of this product include:
Zero cables highly integrated design assembles into your enclosure in minutes
18” (46cm) digit height with 30% inter-character separation is matched to 2000+ ft
(600+ m) detection range of the radar for optimal display legibility
Best in class power efficiency achieved by:
Low power DR600 radar directly drives display thus eliminating display
controller
Built-in ambient light sensing and automatic brightness control
Ambient temperature compensation of the LED drive voltage
High efficiency boost regulator for LED drive voltage
When no traffic is present, the radar automatically powers down display further
reducing power consumption
Wide input supply voltage operation allows flexible power supply options ranging
from 3, 4 or 5 cell Lithium Ion packs to 8.5V or 12V Lead Acid batteries without
sacrificing sign efficiency
Built-in rotary switch allows user to set cutoff and violator speed alerts in the field
without connecting to a computer
White LED strobe light and display flashing can be optionally activated to draw
attention to speeding
An expansion connector allows addition of a third digit or a fixed custom external
message, e.g “SLOW DOWN” when speed violation is detected
Built-in radar is FCC approved with CE mark and available in 24.125GHz and
24.200GHz versions for worldwide deployment
Advanced In-Radar Traffic Statistics collection option available

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INSTALLATION
The PNL18 is supplied in an “open frame” format. It requires a weatherproof enclosure
before it may be operated outdoors.
Direction Pointing:
The DR600 radar used in the PNL18 is directional in nature. It may be configured
to detect and measure the speed of incoming, outgoing, or bi-directional traffic. It
then rejects traffic moving in the opposite direction (unless set to bi-directional).
Direction of detection is configured via the bits in the radar’s MO and MD
variables, or preferably, via the GUI. In the usual “speed sign” configuration the
radar is set to measure and display speeds of incoming vehicles and is the default
shipped from the factory.
Statistics are only gathered for incoming traffic when placed in incoming or bi-
directional mode. No statistics will be collected in outgoing mode.
To achieve optimal performance please follow a few simple rules:
PNL18 should be pointed into the direction of the oncoming traffic.
PNL18 should be placed along the size of the road to minimize the angle of the
oncoming traffic to the sign.
oIf it cannot be placed right along the side of the road, it should be pointed
at least 100-150 feet up the road into oncoming traffic.
The radar in the unit may pick up rotating fans, compressor blades, etc. Avoid
pointing it at any machinery containing moving parts.
PNL18 should be mounted at least 3 feet high from the ground for proper
operation and at least 6 feet high for maximum pickup distance
PNL18 utilizes 15viewing angle LEDs. For maximum visibility of the digits the
sign should be pointed at the incoming traffic with better than 10accuracy.
Alternatively, the sign may be oriented towards traffic to maximize the LED
brightness from the desired viewing location on the road. We suggest providing
an adjustable mounting bracket for your enclosure that will allow at least a 15
horizontal rotation to allow the user to make an adjustment during installation.
Recommended Enclosure for the PNL18:
The PNL18 display kit must be protected by a weatherproof enclosure for outside use.
The following needs to be observed for optimal performance:
1. Any plastic cover or window in front of the unit may be mounted as close to the
LEDs as desired. However, please consider any potential damage from flexing
due to an external impact on the sign face (vandalism, etc.) being transferred to

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the PNL18. For maximum field reliability we recommend that you test the
proposed enclosure design to ensure the front face does not flex sufficiently to
transfer an impact to the PNL18.
2. The optimum material for the front window/face is Lexan (Polycarbonate) plastic.
3. The optimum thickness of polycarbonate window/sign face is half wavelength at
24.125Ghz or about 137mils to 146mils (3.5 to 3.7mm) thick.
a. Commonly available ¼” or 3/8” thick Lexan is not optimal and will
reduce pickup range. 3/16” thick Lexan is a better choice if the
recommended thickness is not available. For metric sizes, 4mm thick
Lexan is a reasonably good choice.
b. Frosted (anti-glare) plastic have been successfully used as well. It does not
matter which side (into the sign or into the traffic) the frosting faces and is
left to your discretion.
4. Other plastic materials may be used as a front window, but the optimum thickness
will wary with the material’s dielectric constant. Please contact Houston Radar for
details.
5. If you want to make a metal mask with holes for the LEDs to pass through, you
must provide a plastic window for the radar microwave beam to pass through. The
location and size of this window is shown in Appendix A.
A dxf drawing to use as a template for the metal mask is available. Please contact
Houston Radar for the drawing.
We strongly recommend that you prototype and test your enclosure on the road to
verify that the radar detection range is not affected by your choice of plastic and
mechanical design prior committing to full production.

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Hookup:
Power Input:
The PNL18 may be powered from a DC supply with output voltage between 8.5 and
18VDC. This allows great flexibility in power options including 12V (nominal) lead acid
batteries (SLA), 3, 4, or 5 cell Lithium Ion (LiOn) or Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4)
cells. In all cases, a highly efficient input power regulation system in the PNL18 adjusts
the LED drive voltage to the optimum level required by the sign based on ambient
temperature. This ultra low operational power translates directly into a longer battery life
or gives you an option to power the unit from smaller batteries and smaller solar panels.
Data/PC Connection:
The PNL18 features a standard RS232 interface that is used to configure the sign as
explained later in this document. It also sends out the measured speed over this interface
when a vehicle is detected which may be used by an external controller board to monitor
the speed measured by the radar in the PNL18 kit or display on a connected PC running
Houston Radar Stats Analyzer.
Measured Speed Output:
In addition to showing the measured speed on the LED digits, the PNL18 will also send
out the speed via the ASCII interface as a 3-digit speed with an optional direction
indicator in standard resolution mode. Extended resolution mode adds up to 3 digits after
the decimal point. The format is:
[?,+]nnn[\r,\n] or in extended resolution mode [?,+]nnn[.n[n[n]]][\r,\n]
The format of the speed output can be adjusted to any combination of:
“?”: Optional prefix sent when 000 selected to be sent when no vehicles are detected
“+”: Optional prefix sent when nnn speed is sent for incoming vehicles
“nnn”: Three digit ascii speed in the units selected via the UN variable
“[.n[n[n]]]”: Optional decimal point with up to 3 digits of extended resolution selected
via UN variable.
“\r”: Carriage Return character, optional line ending
“\n”: Line Feed character, optional line ending
Please see serial port configuration section for details on how to select the above format.
The radar used in the PNL18 is the Houston Radar DR600. Please see the DR600 user
manual for more details on setting the output format and decimal point options. The LED
digits on the PNL18 will only display the whole integer speed even when the decimal
point is enabled.

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IO Connector Signal Descriptions:
J1 - DB9 RS232 Female Connector:
Note 1: Pin 1 optionally connected to +VCC (supply +) if PCB pad labeled “DB9 PWR” near DB9
connector is bridged. This may be bridged by the OEM or by us if you require this feature.
J8 - AUX Connectors:
You may optionally connect an off board speed selection switch, DB9 serial connection
port, or ambient light sensor.
Note 1: Contact us for the part number and hookup schematic for the light sensor. Two different types of
sensors may be used, passive LDR or active IC (recommended). Internal light sensor must be disabled by
removing R26 on the back of the PCB in order to use an external light sensor.
Note 2: You may also connect an external BCD rotary switch or thumbwheel switch to use in place of the
on-board rotary switch. In this case the on-board switch must be set to the “0” position or removed at the
factory
Note 3: To use 3.3V output on pin 13, JMP2 must be shorted
Connector
Pin #
Signal
Name
Direction
(wrt Radar)
Description
1
VINNote 1
PWR
Connected to input supply voltage +
2
RS232 TX
OUT
RS232 Serial port TX pin from sign
3
RS232 RX
IN
RS232 Serial port RX pin into sign
4
N/C
-
Do not connect
5
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
6
N/C
-
Do not connect
7
N/C
-
Do not connect
8
N/C
-
Do not connect
9
N/C
-
Do not connect
Connector
Pin #
Signal
Name
Direction
(wrt Radar)
Description
1
Light Note 1
IN
External Light Sensor Input
2
B1 Note2
IN
External BCD speed switch B1 pin
3
B4Note2
IN
External BCD speed switch B4 pin
4
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
5
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
6
B2Note2
IN
External BCD speed switch B2 pin
7
RS232 TX
OUT
RS232 Serial port TX from radar
8
RS232 RX
IN
RS232 Serial port RX pin into sign
9
VIN
PWR
Connected to input supply voltage +
10
+3.3VNote3
OUT
3.3V output from Radar

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J9 - IO Connectors:
Note 1: To use 3.3V output on pin 13, JMP3 must be shorted
J5 - 100’s Digit board
Connector
Pin #
Signal
Name
Direction
(wrt Radar)
Description
1
OD2
OUT
Open Drain 2 output
2
DA0
IN/OUT
Digital input/output 0 (future expansion)
3
OD1
OUT
Open Drain 1 output
4
DA1
IN/OUT
Digital input/output 1 (future expansion)
5
PB
IN
Push button input
6
DA2
IN/OUT
Digital input/output 2 (future expansion)
7
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
8
DA3
IN/OUT
Digital input/output 3 (future expansion)
9
VIN
PWR
Connected to input supply voltage +
10
AI1
IN
Analog input 1 (future expansion)
11
Unused
Unused
Unused pin
12
AI2
IN
Analog input 2 (future expansion)
13
+3.3V
OUT
3.3V output from RadarNote 1
14
AI3
IN
Analog input 3 (future expansion)
15
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
16
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
Connector
Pin #
Signal
Name
Direction
(wrt Radar)
Description
1
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
2
S0
OUT
String 0 output
3
S1
OUT
String 1 output
4
S2
OUT
String 2 output
5
S3
OUT
String 3 output
6
S4
OUT
String 4 output
7
S5
OUT
String 5 output
8
VLED
OUT
VLED output voltage

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J6 - Pwr In (Molex Micro-Fit)
J7 - Pwr In (Terminal Block)
J10 –Slow Down
Connector
Pin #
Signal
Name
Direction
(wrt Radar)
Description
1
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
2
VIN
OUT
Connected to input supply voltage +
Connector
Pin #
Signal
Name
Direction
(wrt Radar)
Description
1
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground
2
VIN
OUT
Connected to input supply voltage +
Connector
Pin #
Signal
Name
Direction
(wrt Radar)
Description
1
SFDRV
OUT
LED driver output, “THANK YOU” activate
2
SLDRV
OUT
LED driver output, “SLOW DOWN” activate
3
VIN
OUT
Connected to input supply voltage +
4
GND
PWR
Signal/PWR Ground

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USE
Turn on the power to the PNL18 to make it operational. The display will count up to from
1 to 10 and then blank out. The sign is now fully operational.
If the rotary speed switch is enabled (see later section on configuration), turn the speed
switch to the desired position (0 through 7) determined by the speed limits on the road to
set the low-speed display cutoff, violator display flashing speed, and the high-speed
display cutoff.
Typically, users set the violator flashing speed at or just above the speed limit on the road
and the high-speed display cutoff at a speed sufficiently above the speed limit to capture
most of the speeding traffic but not high enough to encourage “racing against the radar”.
For example, for a 25mph speed limit road, the violator limit may be set to 26 mph and
the low and high cutoffs will be set 15 mph below and above this value respectively. The
exact values are of course left to the judgment of the user.
No other action is required. The PNL18 will display the measured speed when an
incoming vehicle is detected between the low-speed and high-speed limits. The display
will blink at about 1.4Hz rate if the measured speed is above violator speed. This
indicates to the driver that they are driving above the speed limit.
If the white LED cluster is populated (this is the default, but you may choose to have it
removed), and enabled through the software configuration - it will strobe at a 10Hz rate.
The strobe can also be configured to blink at 1.4 Hz rate when activated.
Finally, if the vehicle speed is above the high-speed display cutoff, the display will be
blanked. This prevents drivers from “racing against the sign” (trying to see how high a
speed they can display). The strobe may be configured to stay active or go blank above
this speed.
As long as the radar is tracking a target between the low-speed cutoff and the high-speed
cutoff, the radar will transmit the speed in user selected ASCII format over the serial
interface. This may be observed via our PC based configuration tool or captured by an
external user provided controller board. Monitoring or capturing this speed is not
required for normal operation of the speed sign.
Serial output is affected by low, high, and violator speed configuration in the same way
as the display panel.

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Force Activating Display
In order to test integrity of the LED digits, to convert PNL18 into a slave display unit or ,
or for any other custom purposes, the user may activate PNL18 display by using the
following procedures:
Option 1:
1. Make sure that PNL18 is connected to a computer or a controller with a standard
RS232 cable. PNL18 provides DB9 connector on the back for this purpose.
Optionally, a Bluetooth wire replacement may be utilized.
2. Set RS232 parameters (baud rate, parity, etc.) to match that of the PNL18. For
PNL18 these parameters are configured via RS variable in DR600 radar non-
volatile memory as described in the DR600 manual.
3. Provide power to the PNL18.
4. After the initial count-up is completed, issue “bcd” command. This command
supports one or two parameters, must be terminated by a carriage return or line
feed and has the following format:
bcd:speed [flags]
where bcd is the command, speed is the value to be displayed and flags is an
optional parameter that can be used to activate or de-activate the white strobe or
an optional external message board. For example:
“bcd:20” will activate PNL18 and display the number 20
“bcd:55 1” will change the number to 55 and activate the strobe
“bcd:55 0” or “bcd:55” will turn the strobe off and continue to display 55
“bcd:0” will deactivate display and turns off the digits. Speed value of 0 cannot
be displayed since it has a special meaning.
Note 1: bcd command overrides speed output from the detected targets but all other
PNL18 features such as brightness control and statistics collection remain operational.
Option 2:
1. Press the button located on the back of the PNL18 to display value “88” and
activate the strobe for 60 seconds.
2. Press the button a second time to cancel the PNL18 60 second “88” plus strobe
test output.
Triggering an External Custom Message:
LED Driver External Strobe (Slow Down) Output:
The PNL18 makes it very easy for OEM’s to connect an external custom LED string
message like the Houston Radar “SLOW DOWN” sign (or any string of LEDs arranged
in a local language). This message can be activated whenever the strobe is active and will
also blink if the strobe is configured to blink. This output will also be PWM controlled
according to the configuration applied to the PNL18. A second “THANK YOU”
message can also be activated by the PNL18 when the digits are turned on but the vehicle
is below the limit at which the strobe will be activated.

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This configuration allows you to make a full functionality speed sign with a “SLOW
DOWN” type message that is activated if the measured speed is above the speed limit or
above the high-speed display cutoff and a “THANK YOU” type message activated below
the speed limit. Please refer to Appendix B for a schematic of this simple external
message board. Alternatively contact us to purchase this message board.
DR600 Open Drain Outputs:
In addition to the external “Slow Down” output option, the standard DR600 open drain
outputs can still be utilized on the auxiliary connector. Please refer to the DR600 user
manual for information regarding these outputs.
Collecting and Analyzing In-Radar Traffic Statistics
The PNL18 supports optional “In-Radar” advanced traffic statistics collection. This
feature is sold separately. If this feature is enabled you may collect the stored statistics by
using the provided Houston Radar Advanced Statistics Analyzer Windows program.
This program must be installed on a MS Windows (32 bit and 64 bit versions) computer
and allows the retrieval of stored statistics from the radar by using a PC serial port. It also
has features to generate traffic reports, plot interactive graphs and export the raw data to a
MS Excel file.
Please refer to the on line help functionality of the program after you install it on your
computer for detailed instructions on how to use its functionality.
Real Time Traffic Statistics In the Radar:
The PNL18 In-Radar stats software features “real time” histogram statistics. These are
updated as soon as a vehicle is detected and may be read out as a speed bin count
“histogram”. Thus no historical records need be read out and parsed to read statistics.
This feature requires a host program to be on-line to read the live statistics. Please contact
Houston Radar for more information if you are interested in acquiring live statistics from
the radar.
Internal Clock:
The PNL18/DR600 has a built in clock/calendar function. This is used to keep the time to
date/time stamp the historical archive records saved by the Advanced In-Radar traffic
statistics collection feature that is available as an option in the radar.
The DR600 radar features a built in clock backup battery that will keep the clock
time in the case of power failure for over 10 years.

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Configuring the PNL18:
The PNL18 supports many user options and configurations that make it a very versatile
device. A user-friendly MS Windows PC based graphical user interface (GUI) software is
provided to make this configuration a snap for the end user.
Install the Houston Radar Stats Analyzer software provided with the sign on your MS
Windows PC. After starting the installed program, click on “Connect To Radar” in the
top ribbon.
Connect To The Unit:
Step 1: Connect to the PNL18 in the “Connection” tab by clicking the “Connect To
Radar” button. Ensure you get “Radar Found” message and another window with radar
details. Click past these messages.
Step 1

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Read The Radar Configuration:
Step 2: Click on the “DR600 Setup” tab. The software will read the radar configuration
and you should see this screen (actual values will depend on your setup).
Step 2

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Setup The Display Limits (Permanent Location, Rotary Switch Disabled):
Step 3: Setup the display limits for your permanent location.
The following screen shows the simplest option with the rotary switch disabled. We will
discuss the rotary switch in the next section.
Step 3A: Disable the rotary switch if the sign will be in a permanent location and the
display limits will be fixed (skip to next section if sign will be portable unit).
Step 3B: Set the Minimum display speed. Display will be blank below this speed.
Step 3C: Set the Maximum display speed. Display will be blank above this speed.
Step 3D: Set the Speed Limit. Display will flash above this speed to attract further
attention. Users may choose to set this slightly above the actual speed limit on the road to
prevent excessive flashing if traffic is moving just above the posted speed limit.
However, the end user is the best judge of this value.
Step 3D
Step 3C
Step 3A
Step 3B

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Setup The Display Limits (Portable Sign, Rotary Switch Enabled):
Step 4: Alternatively set the display limits for your portable sign where you may turn the
rotary switch (or thumbwheel switch) provided with the PNL18 to conveniently change
the display limits for different locations without using a computer.
Step 4A: Enable the Rotary switch and choose if you wish to shift all limits together (as
shown in the image) or just the minimum display limit. The blue underline will change to
reflect your choice.
Step 4B: Set the Minimum Display Speed, Speed Limit and Maximum display speed to
the desired value for position 0 of the switch (important!).
Step 4C: Now set the rotary switch increment. This increment will apply to all display
limits or just to your minimum display speed depending on the rotary switch mode you
picked in Step 4A above.
Step 4D: Check your setup. Click the “Display Speed Limits Table” to see the display
limit values for the other positions or click on “Check Limits” button and spin the “Test
Rotary Switch Position” box. The slider will move to show you the effective values.
Please note that spinning this “virtual” rotary switch on the GUI does not affect
the actual sign. To change the speed limits in the sign, the actual rotary switch on
the back of PNL18 needs to be adjusted. The simulated values are provided as a
tool to check what actual speed settings you will get when your configuration is
saved to the sign.
Step 4B
Step 4D
Step 4A
Step 4C

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Setup White Strobe Configuration:
Step 5: Set the White Strobe cluster option and blink style to your preference.
If you do not wish the strobe to be activated, simply uncheck both checkboxes.
The PNL18 has a white LED cluster (strobe light) arranged in a circle in between the two
digits (this option may not be present in your display). The cluster strobes at a fast 10Hz
rate to attract attention and may be selected to activate above the flashing speed limit as
well as above the maximum display speed.
Note that if enabled above the flashing speed limit, the cluster will also illuminate above
the maximum display speed.
Strobe light is typically used to draw attention of the driver to the display and the fact that
their current vehicle speed is above the posted speed limit or that they are driving at an
unsafe speed.
The 10Hz modulation can be disabled via software on the PNL18. This is discussed in a
later step.
Additionally, this strobe can be configured from this screen to blink on/off at a 1.4Hz rate
together with the speed display.
If you connect an external message as described in Appendix B, then that message
is activated along with the strobe. Thus the strobe configuration options become
the external message options as well. Note that the 10Hz strobing effect does
affect the external message. However, the 1.4Hz blinking effect is propagated to
the external message.