General FAQs
Open Frame FAQs
TouchScreens FAQs
Video Monitor FAQs 
Sunlight Readable Monitor FAQs 
 
 
 
General:
Q: I would like to adjust the brightness of the display.
A: The display output may be adjusted from all dark to all white, or anywhere in between, for various applications. Please adjust the contrast as well as the brightness to achieve the desired result. (back to top)

 
Q: The color on the screen is abnormal. How can I fix it?
A: Check the VGA cable connectors at either end; one or two of the pins may be bent so the color signal is lost. You may need to replace the cable or bend the pin back to its proper position. (back to top)

 
Q: Graphics show up well on the screen, but some letters are blurred. How do I fix this?
A: Please set the adjustment options clock and phase, for vertical and horizontal pixel alignment to improve focus and clarity. Here’s how:    
1. Go to Windows START and click on SHUT DOWN. The screen will dim ( the black and blur wave will be all over the screen).
2. Pull down the main menu of the on-screen display.
3. On the main menu, select POSITION.
4. Adjust the clock and phase while watching the display until the least black-and-blur wave appears on the screen.   
If you tried this and the display fails to improve, please call us for an RMA # and ship the monitor back to us. (back to top)

 
Q: What is the backlight life for your FPT-1503A and FPT-1814A?
A: The 18" monitor backlight has a life of 15,000 hrs; the 15" will light for 25,000 hrs. (back to top)

 
Q: I would be interested to order some flat-panel display samples. What should I do?
A: Simply place an order and indicate on the purchase order that it is an evaluation unit. We require customers to prepay for the sample unit, either by credit card (Visa or MasterCard) or COD.
After you receive the unit, please check it thoroughly to make sure it works properly. Please pay attention to the LCD panel (screen) itself; it is easy to scratch. If you receive a damaged unit, please call East Stone ASAP. (back to top)

 
Q: For equipment design, which type of LCD monitor should I use – STN or TFT LCD active color matrix display?
A: East Stone provides only Active Matrix (TFT) Color LCD monitors, because of the high quality and availability of future supply. You may save money now if you purchase the mono STN LCD display, but in the near future there will likely be no cost difference between color TFT and mono STN, and the mono STN manufacturers are likely to phase out that product, causing you higher maintenance costs on the cheaper display. (back to top)

 
Q: Do all East Stone LCD products include the inverter? What is it for?
A: Yes, all of our products include inverters. The driver board may be an A/D conversion board for PC use or a video signal detection board for video player use. (back to top)

 
Q: Removing the protective plastic sheet from an 18" LCD monitor left a “blemish” on the screen. Is it OK to apply cleaning chemicals to the LCD screen?
A: A: When you remove the protective plastic sheet, which is necessary to keep the screen from getting scratched, sometimes a little glue is left behind. We recommend a solution of isopropyl alcohol (that you can buy from drug store) and water, either 1:1 or 2:1. Rub gently with cotton that had dipped some alcohol solution. If the glue is very stubborn, try pure alcohol (do not mix with water), but rub very softly. Please do not use petroleum solvents on your TFT LCD glass. They would erode the polymer film screen coating, especially under hard rubbing. (back to top)

 
Q: What's the maximum distance of serial extension cable can support from ELO resistive touch screen?
A: From 49.5' to 150’ through test. (back to top)

 
Q: We want to integrate a East Stone LCD screen into an automated printing press. When the machine cuts the paper, it creates a great deal of static electricity. Will this static charge harm the printed circuit boards in the FPT-1212O series monitor?
A: No. The FPT-1212O has passed the ESD test (static test, contact
8KV and air 12KV test). As long as the monitor is grounded after installation and the strength of the static charge remains lower than these amounts, which it should, the monitor will function properly without any problem. Also, this open frame monitor has a metal chassis that protects the printed circuit boards. This will greatly minimize the hazard. (As you all know, static electricity is strong enough to damage unprotected circuits on some very fine electronic devices.) (back to top)

 
 
 
Open Frame:
Q: Can I relocate the control panel on the monitor?
A: On the open-frame module, the control panel can be moved to the back of the module. On our other models, the control panel is fixed and cannot be moved. (back to top)

 
Q: How come your open frame units do not have any certificate sticker at the back? Are they failing to meet the standards?
A: Of course not. All our products have earned all the standard industry certificates before we sell them. But only the monitors with enclosures have the certificate sticker. Once the enclosures are removed, those certificates are not applied on the open frame units. (back to top)

 
Q: What’s the difference between the East Stone FPT-1503O and FPT-1503VO?
A: The 1503VO model is an upgraded version of the 1503O. It provides NTSC or PAL composite RCA and S-Video interface, plus the VGA signal which the FPT-1503O originally had. (back to top)

 

Q: What is the resistance to shock-wave sound in your FPT series open-frame VGA monitors? How many "G" forces can they stand before the LCD panel breaks?
A: A: Certain high frequencies, caused in military applications, can crack the glass in a flat panel display. Here are the shock-wave specifications:  

Model Number

G

 Time

  Position

FPT-1212A/B/O

 50 MAX

 18 ms

  +/- X,Y,Z direction

FPT-1503A/B/O

  50 MAX

    6 ms

  +/- X,Y,Z direction

FPT-1814A/B/O

  50 MAX

  25 ms

  +/- X,Y,Z direction

(back to top)

 
Q: Can you provide a mechanical drawing to help me design a metal cabinet around your open-frame unit?
A: A: Yes, of course. All mechanical drawings are available upon request.  Please send us your company name and street address. (back to top)

 

 
 
TouchScreens:
Q: The touchscreen doesn’t respond to touch. Can I fix it myself?
A: Several things can cause touchscreen malfunction. First, the pins on both sides of the connector heads may be bent, causing a lost signal. Second, the touchscreen serial cable may not be working. 
Otherwise, the touchscreen controller inside the monitor may be out of order. Please do not try to fix it yourself. Instead, call us for technical support. (back to top)

 
Q: The touchscreen cursor tends to stay in one position no matter how I try to move it. Is there anything wrong?
A: From your description, I would say that the frame is coming in contact with the active area in that corner. As the LCD heats up, the metal expands and forces the touchscreen against the frame. Try loosening the frame and see if it works properly. Check for clearance in that corner also. (back to top)

 
Q: What is the warranty on your touchscreens? I understand that the monitor itself has a one-year warranty.
A: All our monitors carry a 1-year warranty. Warranties for Accutouch touchscreens are 5 years, and 10 years for IntelliTouch touchscreens.  
There is no standard way of measuring MTBF (Mean Time between Failure) for a touchscreen, but Accutouch touchscreens have been tested to more than 35 million touches in one spot with a stylus similar to a finger, and IntelliTouch touchscreens have been tested to more than 50 million touches. The touchscreen controller MTBFs are typically 2-4 times longer than that of the display. (back to top)

 
Q: After calibration, we checked the accuracy of the touch-point versus the actual activation point. The lower left quadrant was always about 1/8th of an inch off from the actual calibrated point. Usually, to the lower right side of the actual activating point. The other three quadrants were pretty much on.
A: Actually, the standard deviation spec is around 3/32" (meaning that roughly 60% of touches will be within that range of accuracy), but the max deviation spec is around 3/16". If they're only off an eighth of an inch in the corner, they are within spec. Are you trying to run Windows with a touchscreen? That's pretty tough to do (actually, it's easier to run Windows with a mouse than with touch). If you are trying to run Windows, you should go to Control Panel, Display, Appearance and increase the size of the Active Title Bar to around 40, to make the icons big enough to touch easily. For touch applications, the bigger the touch zones, the better. (back to top)

 
Q: I installed the touchscreen driver from the ELO website , but my touchscreen monitor is still not working.
A: A: Make sure the touchscreen monitor serial port is connected to your computer during the installation. (back to top)

 
Q: Can a touchscreen monitor be placed as far away as 50 feet from its operating PC? Will the signal lose strength because of the distance?
A: A: Not if you use a monitor with an internal serial touchscreen controller, plus a high-quality low-capacitance cable to connect between the serial output in the monitor to the operating PC. (back to top)

 
Q: Are fingerprints and dirt a problem on touchscreens?
A: Dirt and fingerprints do not affect the operation of a properly sealed
Resistive or Surface Acoustic Wave touch display. Use bright, patterned
background colors to minimize the visual effects of dirt and fingerprints. (back to top)

 
Q: What can I use to clean the touchscreen?
A: Any standard glass cleaner can be used to clean the Surface Acoustic Wave touchscreen, but cannot be recommended to clean the Resistive touchscreen. Always spray the glass cleaner on the soft cloth or towel and then gently rub the touchscreen for cleaning. Glass cleaner is sprayed directly on the monitor could possibly leak inside a non-sealed unit and cause damage. (back to top)

 
Q: Will vinegar or ammonia hurt the touchscreen?
A: We recommend that do not use the vinegar to clean the touchscreen. Ammonia is OK, but be careful the liquid do not leak inside non-sealed units.
Again, spray the ammonia liquid on the soft cloth and then gently rub the touchscreen for cleaning. Basically, we strongly recommend that before you torch the touchscreen, please make sure your fingers is clear, then that will avoid unnecessary cleaning to damage the touchscreen. (back to top)

 
 
 
Video Monitor:
Q: Can we order VGA monitors from East Stone with the video signal interface built in?
A: Our 15” & 18” VGA & Open Frame monitors provide both Video and VGA interfaces. On our other current VGA monitors, video interfaces can be custom-made on demand, but the lead time is estimated to be 3-6 weeks longer. (back to top)

 
Q: How is the East Stone Small Video LCD Kit configured?
A: Our PM series models are assembled by our customers, according to their own demands or applications. The PM series includes a separate panel, driving board and inverter, not connected. Clients may put the panel and board together any way they want. For example, the board may not have to be on the back of the panel. (back to top)

 
Q: I have one of your PM-series small LCD kits, and I can’t figure out how to wire the connection between the driving board & the LCD panel. The I/O connector is not specified.
A: You need a 15-pin connector made by Molex. The part number is 53398-1590. Please visit www.molex.com & enter the part number in the search box. You will get a schematic drawing, plus a detailed description. (back to top)

 
 
 
Sunlight Readable Monitor:
Q: We have a high brightness environment--a kiosk that will stand in direct sunlight. How bright does an LCD screen have to be for it to be readable in direct sunlight? Does it make sense to request 3,000 nit brightness on our LCD monitors?
A: Usually any brightness of more than 1,000 nits on an LCD screen is onsidered sunlight readable. The reasons are:
1. Direct sunlight (reflected off white paper) will measure about 36,000 nits,
     so neither 1,000 or 3,000 nits will be readable in direct sunlight. Both
    would be lost in the glare. If you could construct an LCD screen that would
    put out 36,000 nits, it would be blinding. More brightness is not the
    answer.
2. Any outdoor kiosk needs a hood or canopy to prevent sunlight from
     shining directly on the screen, both for protection of the screen and to
    reduce heat. It is also a good idea to turn the unit so the screen stands at
    an angle to the sun. Both 1,000 nits and 3,000 nits will be quite sufficient
    in this environment.
3. Reports say there are experiments conducted in 23°C under direct
     sunlight. With the backlights off, the heat from the sun trapped on the LCD
    panel surface causes the temperature to jump up to 40°C in 30 minutes,
    not counting the temperature that would be generated by backlights,
    electronic components, and the inverter. Usually the unit's operating
    temperature range is from 0°C to 50°C. The backlights have a similar
    operating temperature range. Even with the backlights off, direct sunlight
    would generate too much heat over time. With the backlights on, the unit
    and the sun together would generate way too much heat, probably for even
    the backlights to operate.
4. Theoretically, 3,000 nits is not difficult to produce by adding more
    backlight tubes, but thermal generation and ventilation would be very
    difficult issues to manage. (back to top)

 

Q: Can East Stone provide 17" and larger size LCD monitors with 1,000 nits?
A: It is hard to make a 17" or larger LCD screen that bright. There are several factors that affect results:
1. Brightness depends heavily on LCD panel structures; usually the wider the
    viewing angle and the higher the contrast ratio, the more difficult it is to
    make them brighter.
2. To keep the same contrast ratio is difficult when improving brightness.
3. Most large high brightness products on the market range in brightness
    from 450 to 700 nits, and that tells us how difficult it is to make them more
    than 1,000 nits. (back to top)

 
Q: Can East Stone provide high brightness monitors with touchscreens, light sensors, automatic brightness adjustments, water/splash proofing, and panel mounts?
A: East Stone has a touchscreen option on the 12.1" and 15" high brightness monitors, but all these can be easily customized for your projects. We only need to know your lead-time; we may have to charge you something for development and sampling. (back to top)

 
 

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