Morey Chooses Planar Display Solution for Fire Truck Electronics
BEAVERTON, Ore.--March 28, 2001--The Morey Corporation, a turnkey electronic manufacturing and design engineering service organization in Woodridge, IL, has chosen an electroluminescent (EL) display from Planar Systems, Inc. to incorporate into an innovative fire truck information system for Pierce Manufacturing Inc., a subsidiary of Oshkosh Truck Corporation .
The Planar display is the primary human interface for the Command Zone information centers in the Pierce Command Zone(TM) advanced electronics and control system. The information centers display a range of vital fire truck operating information both at the driver's instrument panel and at the pump operator's panel. The Planar display provides critical performance characteristics for an emergency vehicle application, such as at-a-glance readability in all ambient conditions, including direct sun light; a highly rugged solid-state design ensuring reliability in the field where lives are on the line; and a broad operating temperature range for use in some of the most extreme environmental conditions.
"Typical display requirements -- readability, reliability, ruggedness -- take on new meaning when the display is used in a transportation application, especially one for an emergency vehicle," said Erick Petersen, director of marketing and business development for Planar's Transportation Business Unit. "We understand the demanding SAE specifications for transportation applications, and the importance of easy-to-read displays that they can count on under any condition. We work closely with our customers to understand their application needs and to provide a range of display solutions and design support to meet those needs."
Display is Ideal for Harsh Operating Conditions of Emergency
Vehicles
The Command Zone information centers are the interface to the overall system, which encompasses all aspects of the vehicle's information and diagnostic systems. The information centers display a range of vital fire truck operating data using Planar's easy-to-read EL displays. One display is located at the driver's instrument panel and another at the pump operator's panel. The cab display lets the driver review fluid levels, oil temperature, engine RPMs, fuel level, and much more. The pump panel information screen displays all vital pump operation information, as well as fuel remaining, transmission oil temperature, system voltage, and more. In addition, the Command Zone information centers provide visual and audible warnings for any open cab or body doors, as well as a hydraulic ladder rack out of the stowed position. The display must be quickly readable both inside the cab and outside the truck, from full sunlight to nighttime lighting conditions, and must be able to withstand vibration, impact, moisture, and a wide range of operating temperatures. Long-term reliability is also critical: Taking a fire truck out of service because of a non-working display is not an option.
The Morey Corporation has a strong emphasis on the integration of advanced technologies into easy-to-use display interface assemblies for non-technical users that are designed for harsh environmental specifications. For the Pierce application, the Planar EL display was the only display available that met the system's stringent design specifications. The Planar thin film EL display is a low-power, high-performance display that utilizes Planar's proprietary brightness enhancement technology to achieve unparalleled image quality without the use of expensive filters. The EL display is solid-state technology so it is not affected by vibration or temperature and is more suited to demanding field environments than other display technologies. A key criterion for the display was a particularly broad temperature operating range of minus 40 degrees F to 185 degrees F to match the extreme environmental conditions under which Pierce fire trucks operate worldwide. EL technology is also ideal for transportation applications because of its ease of readability in a wide range of lighting conditions, wide viewing angle, and at-a-glance readability, all of which are vital in reducing "heads down" time for fast, safe operation.
"Planar took the time to understand the design requirements for this application, and has worked closely with us to provide thorough documentation and timely delivery of product in support of Pierce's rollout of the Command Zone system," said Norm Kadivnik, Director of Development Engineering at The Morey Corporation. "Planar's EL technology is ideally suited to the demanding on- and off-highway applications that Morey pursues. Unlike LCDs, the visual performance is not effected by operating temperature and is ideal for this high-reliability application."