INSIGHT RESEARCH, INC. "POWERS UP"

 

 

 

 

 

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Oct. 25, 2000 -- Insight Research, Inc.has just completed a $1.3 million upgrade of the Alabama Control Center (ACC) for Alabama Power Company. The ACC was originally constructed approximately eight years ago and originally equipped with CRT projectors.

The new upgrade consists of four banks of three 84"x 60" rear projection screens, which are used to monitor and control the various aspects of electric power generation and distribution. The integrated system utilized Insight's own display wall controller, MAGIC.

What started out as a simple projector upgrade quickly turned into a full-blown technology upgrade for the center involving 4 phases:

1. Replacement of twelve CRT projectors with Christie Digital's HAL DLV1280 digital light valve projectors

2. Replacement of the wall display controllers with Insight's own MAGIC (Multivideo And Graphic Image Controller) display wall controller. The MAGIC video wall controller is designed for systems and applications that display large amounts of data at one time (i.e. multiple screen projection). The MAGIC gives the user direct control of multiple screens with the ability to move and resize windows freely across screen boundaries.

The MAGIC provides the user with functionality that extends beyond the capabilities of traditional video wall solutions, including:

  • · Support for non-standard screen arrays
  • · Virtual screen capability with super high resolutions [up to 1600x1280 per screen]
  • · Multi OS Platform - Allows simultaneous Windows and Unix applications to be displayed

3. Installation of a keyboard/video/mouse switching system. This system allows the ACC operators to access and interact with any CPU in the system, regardless of the operating platform. The 82 CPUs are located in a secured area freeing up space in the consoles. The CPUs can be accessed by any of the operator workstations and their displays routed to any of the 73 monitors, or the display wall.

4. Installation of NTSC Video Management System. This system consists of 14 cable TV tuners controlled by the AMX system (provides control of the display, channel selection, and audio volume) giving each operator the ability to monitor newscasts and weather at all times. The AMX system is also equipped with an audible fault detection alarm. When the AMX control system detects an alarm, the Insight system determines the routing required and overrides all other audio forcing the alarm through the operators' station speakers until it is acknowledged.