RE: Hello all

["Hawes,Timothy Edward (GEG)" <haweste@xxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Levene Sent: 29 January 2004 20:39
>
> Hi
>
> I was asked to send a little info about myself, as an introduction.

Welcome Mark - I see you have the right first name to join this group ;-)

<snip>

> With my business partner, we are installing some new
> technology to do with
> plasma screens. We run a PC with the screens attached. The
> software we are
> running, can stop displaying anything between the hours of
> xx:xx and yy:yy.
> Unfortunately the plasma's don't respond to the "no-signal",
> and continue to
> burn.
>
> Does anyone know of a simple circuit that would turn the
> power to the screen
> off, when there is no VGA signal?

A few thoughts, off the top of my head.
#1 RS232 - do the screens you use have serial ports ? And is the
"standby" command accessible via RS232 ? Use your software to
send a "standby" command when there is "no signal".
When the signal reappears, have your software take the panel out of
standby.

#2 If you can't do it by RS232, can you do it by infra-red ? Exactly the
same as #1 but use an external IR emitter to put the panel to sleep when
you don't want to display anything.

#3 Fit an automated breaker in the power feed to the panel and switch the
power based on the display times required. X10 is the obvious choice (plug
in modules, low infrastructure costs) although there are other solutions.
You may also want to have a look at the xAP & xPL applications to drive
the X10 module.

Disclaimer - I don't have a plasma screen so can't confirm their precise
behaviour.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

> Thanks in advance for your help
> Regards,
> Mark ...

HTH,

Tim H.

+

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