Curtis introduces CAN LCD Instrument

Mount Kisco, March 2011: Curtis Instruments, a world leading developer of advanced instrumentation and control systems for Electric Vehicles of all types, introduces a new CAN compatible vehicle instrument panel, enGage® VII. The Curtis enGage® VII display is a microprocessor based, programmable, CAN compatible, instrument with full Input/Output capability. The new panel is available as a cased unit or as a module. It can be used to display information in a wide variety of On & Off-road electric vehicle applications, including material handling, industrial, utility and recreational. This new instrument panel features exceptional readability with large and sharp, easy-to-read, high-resolution LCD screen for optimum viewing. It integrates comprehensive panel functionality into a single display to differentiate and enhance vehicle aesthetics. Rich, vivid colors, sharp imagery, strong contrast and high-color vibrancy allow the perfect palette for designing virtually any custom screen according to your application and requirements. This provides state-of-the-art design flexibility and progressive appearance. Instrument designers benefit from a beautiful and effective array of graphic capabilities, colors, shapes and lines. Screen customization flexibility is virtually limitless. Transflective LCD assures clear viewing even in bright sunlight. The unit features clear, crisp 5.7” color LCD (¼ VGA, 320 X 240) two color video inputs, both of which accept NTSC or PAL format. Message center, display menu system, password security options provide flexible and varied options to vehicle panel designers. The new enGage VII is universally CAN compatible and seamlessly integrates with Curtis AC vehicle speed controllers and input devices without requiring additional code to be written. It interacts with any CAN node on your vehicle network. Options include isolated CANbus interface and an affordable CAN-only version, without the I/O feature. Powerful I/O capability allows for easy system integration. Non-CAN based digital and analog device signals in your distributed network can be converted to CAN.enGage VII significantly reduces the wiring requirements through the use of CANopen. The unit features four independent, open-drain MOSFET outputs (rated 2A continuous); and 29 Inputs: 5 analog (voltage or resistive), 3 frequency,16 switch inputs (active high or low), 5 push-button inputs. The enGage VII allows for full Customization & Programmability and is a blank palette. Vehicle OEMs can design a unique, special and fully customized panel fully suited to the application, with complete flexibility to match the instrument to the vehicle’s display requirements. One single screen displays many functions and instrument readings based on OEM defined functional and operational system parameters and thresholds. Changing display parameters (i.e. maintenance parameters, time of day, etc.) and providing input (i.e. password, check list information) can be accomplished through button inputs. The module can be programmed with the proprietary Curtis Vehicle Control Language (VCL) from a Curtis AC controller. Additional advantages include a real time clock which can be used to provide data logging and event time stamping. A heater option allows operation in cold climates to –40°C (normal operation to –20°C without heater). A wide voltage range, 12–48VDC or 60–144VDC is covered. The unit is available with the newest Curtis battery discharge algorithm for highly accurate battery state of charge information. ###

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