Data Modul was in the new ‘Hall 15’ which was a very large tent-like structure that was installed in front of the main RAI building. The area was very dark and there was some confusion. Companies from outside Europe seemed not to have realised that organisers had decided that all lighting was to be provided by exhibitors. Quite a number did not have booths that could even accept lighting, so negotiations with adjacent booth holders was the order of the day!
The company was promoting its products under the Data Modul name, rather than the Conrac brand that it still uses for just Flight Information Displays (FIDs). At the show was a new entry level range of digital signage in 43″, 55″, 65″ and 75″ with OPS slots and with simple SoCs for media playback. Brightness options are 400 and 700 cd/m². There were also video wall displays with 1.8mm or 3.8mm bezels in 55″ diagonal with FullHD resolution.
An unusual display is the ‘Canvas’ monitor which features a 26.5″ square 1920 x 1920 panel with 450 cd/m² of output and 1,200:1 contrast. The system includes features including Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi, RS232 and MicroUSB.
Another new product was an 86″ 3840 x 600 ‘panel PC’ that includes a full PC and has 700 cd/m² of brightness with 1,100:1 contrast. The company also has a range of panel PCs from 15.6″ up to 21.5″ with integrated PCap touch and features such as NFC connections. There are a wide range of options including additional lights for POS etc.
Data Modul’s Panel PC have a number of extra features including lights and NFC. Image:Meko
Next we looked at the EP185WAD152-1-PCap-U-DM which is an 18.5″ ‘open frame’ monitor that uses a Sharp FullHD panel and a Data Modul eMotion series controller and easyTouch.
Finally, we looked at a 55″ UltraHD panel with PCap that is IP rated for more challenging conditions.
Analyst Comment
We had an interesting discussion about optical bonding. Data Modul has its own facilities for this technique, but it seems that demand tends to be limited by the cost. Many customers would like to use the technology, but are not prepared for the premium. (BR)
