Comtech EF Data CRS-200 - Manual (Page 17)

Rev. 1 2–1
2
Chapter 2.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The CRS-200 is constructed as a 4U high rack-mounting chassis, that can be free-
standing, if desired. It is provided with rack-handles at the front to facilitate its removal
from, and placement into a rack.
2.1 Front Panel
See Figure 2-1. On the front panel of the unit are the Vacuum Fluorescent Display
(VFD), keypad, and several LED indicators. The user enters data via the keypad, and
messages are displayed on the VFD. Behind the front panel there is also an audio alarm,
that can be controlled to respond to various faults.
The Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) is an active display showing 2 lines, each of 24
characters. It produces a pleasing blue light, the brightness of which can be controlled by
the user. It has greatly superior viewing characteristics compared to a Liquid Crystal
Display (LCD), and does not suffer problems of viewing angle or contrast.
The keypad comprises six individual keyswitches, mounted directly behind a fully sealed
membrane overlay. They have a positive ‘click’ action, which provides the user with
tactile feedback. These six switches are identified as UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW,
RIGHT ARROW, LEFT ARROW, ENTER and CLEAR. The functions of these keys are
described in the ‘Front Panel Operation’ section.
There are 3 LED indicators at the top of the front panel that reflect the condition of the
switch itself. The functions of these indicators are shown in Table 1 below.