I am seeking help in understanding what powerline communications or Homeplug devices might be available to help me with a small project. I need run between 25 to 35 monitors from a server(s). The monitors will be located between 50 to 400 ft from the server(s). I want to use the existing electrical infrastructure. low speed is OK. Can this be done? are there devices on the market that can be used?
Thanks
It would be helpful if you explained your application and perhaps what video standard you are trying to send.
Don
OTOH if he wants to run SVGA computer monitors over the line it'll be fun.
Yes, that would probably help. This is a prototype effort in, what will hopefully become a commercial application. The monitors will be in various locations throughout a building and will display text messages only. Cost is a prime consideration. In the proof of concept I will use LCD monitors, but I am looking at various technologies including flexible displays on plastic, e-ink and segmented ePaper displays.
messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@11g2000cwr.googlegroups.com...
messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@11g2000cwr.googlegroups.com...
Iuse
Since you want to use LCD monitors, I'll assume you are not sending composite video. You can do much if you use a small diskless, fanless computer board that runs a small application to suit your purpose. Something in the PC104 form factor would be quite capable. You can then transmit your text via standard ethernet means.
In that case there are off the shelf LED displays that should work well. You could send out a line of txt and let the display scroll it.
I think the the best way to proceed would be to work out what data rate you require. In other words, how many characters will you need to transmit in total per second (one character = 1 byte). Then look at the data rate you can get with available devices.
Have a look at:
Are all the monitors displaying the same message or different messages? If they are displaying different messages?
proceed would be to work out what data rate
text only... that makes a big difference. you could probably get by withe anything that can send a reasonably fast serial signal down the powerline
for proof of concept you could try hooking a phone extender to pair of POTS modems and put a small pc begind the monitor. run the modems half-duplex.
for production possibly flatscreen TV (or security?) monitors be modified by adding a teletext chip, microcontroller and a custom modem...
Bye. Jasen
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