Absolutely. DigiQ implements the System16 interface which enables you to join multiple displays together.

DigiQ can run up to 3 Queues. How a Queue operates is dependent on the Queues type. You choose the Queue type during configuration. There are 4 types to choose from.

DigiQ accepts a 100mm * 100mm VESA mount and is supplied as standard with a low profile VESA wall mount. We offer an number of different style mounts for DigiQ on our Website. If you can’t find the style you want just ask, we’re here to help.

Counter displays come supplied as standard with a two part “L” shaped wall mounting bracket. Screw the long arm of the 'L” shaped bracket onto the wall if you want to mount the display close to the wall. Screw the short arm of the bracket onto the wall if you need a greater degree of swivel. The maximum display swivel left or right is 45 degrees. There is also a pole mount option should you wish to Desk or Ceiling mount the display.

DigiQ has been designed for 24/7 use and you can expect a minimum of 10 years continuous service. We go to great lengths to ensure all our products are designed for maximum long term reliability and we have numerous installations of our previous generation of displays approaching 20 years service.

The segments in our Brilliant Blue LED displays are all driven with constant current, which protects the segments from Voltage fluctuations whilst allowing us to get the Maximum light output from the display. With LED displays in order to achieve a long life it is very important to follow the LED manufacturer’s current verses temperature derating curve. All our displays have an on board temperature sensor and as the temperature rises above a preset point, the segment current is progressively reduced to protect the display. In practice, the dimming of the display as the temperature rises will never be visible unless you mount the display in an environment with an ambient temperature above 40°C.

On the rear of all our displays you will find a Serial number. The Prefix identifies the display. If you have a System16 keypad you can get further information by pressing the Setup Key and selecting the  Displays Menu. From here you select the address of the display you are interested in and run the Display Test program. This will report the display PCB type and Software Version along with the Display Common Anode LED voltage, Display Temperature and DOM, date of manufacture of the display.

All our products are guaranteed for 3 years. The guarantee covers all parts and labour, subject to a fair use policy. If any product fails within the guarantee period just return it to Ctronix and we will repair or replace the product by return.

DigiQ supports 4 types of Queue. Call Forward, Ticket Queue, Reception Assigned Queue and Collection Queue. Call Forward also know as Head of Queue does not require tickets. Customers in a Call Forward Queue wait in line and the customer at the front of the Queue is directed to the next available position. Ticket Queues work with either pre-printed tickets supplied on a roll or tickets printed on demand. Customers do not need to wait in line in a ticket Queue. Reception Assigned Queue is used where the customers first point of contact is a receptionist, who having ascertained the nature of the visit assigns the customer to the appropriate Queue. Collection Queue is used  when you need to inform customers that their order is now ready for collection.

DigiQ displays are supplied pre-configured to run a Call Forward or Tickets Queue. You can alter this by entering the DigiQ Programming Mode and selecting the required Queue type. In the programming mode you can also alter the Flash Time, Power Off Time, Chime, Speech and Volume. The Manual details how to enter the programming mode. If you have a System16 keypads you have full access to the advanced configuration settings via the Setup key. When you exit Setup any changes that you made are automatically saved to the Flash Memory card. When in Setup pressing function key F1 will bring up detailed context sensitive help on the item you are about to change. If you plan to run a Reception or Collection Queue type you will need a System16 keypad. You will also need a System16 keypad to program the message text if you choose the Dot Matrix Display option. Similarly you will need a System16 keypad to edit the Ticket text if you plan to use a ticket printer.

Changing the configuration is straightforward. There are a number of different ways to do this. The quick way is to enter the Programming mode, step through to the Queue Type and select the type required. When you change the Queue Type this way DigiQ also configures the Display Power Off time and speech message to match your chosen Queue type. Alternatively, if you have a System16 keypad you can press the Setup key and scroll down to the Queues menu where you can change the Queue Type. You will need to make additional changes to the Display Power off and Speech message as DigiQ will not do this for you when you are using a System16 keypad. This allows you much greater freedom to alter settings. The final method is to replace the CONFIG.CXL file located in the root directory of the Flash Memory Card with a new version. You can download pre-built configurations for the 4 Queue types that DigiQ supports from our Website.

Yes, easily. You will need a MMC/SD memory card reader. DigiQ saves all configuration settings to file CONFIG.CXL located in the root directory on the Flash memory Card. Copying this file  is a quick way to clone a DigiQ configuration and enables multiple displays to be configured with the same settings. Only insert or remove the Flash memory Card when the power is turned Off.  

To shutdown DigiQ just turn the power off. Unlike a PC there is no special shutdown procedure. When you power up DigiQ again and call a ticket it will continue with the next number in the sequence. If you are running Queues with a ticket printer and customers are waiting in the Queues DigiQ will remember all the waiting tickets and they will be called in sequence as normal. DigiQ uses four separate types of non-volatile memory, on chip Flash Memory, Ferroelectric Non-Volatile RAM - FRAM, battery backed RAM and the Flash memory Card. These are fully utilised by the software, making a shutdown procedure unnecessary. On chip Flash Memory holds the program software and critical configuration values. FRAM holds the important working data, ticket records, ticket number sequences etc. This data frequently changes and FRAM, despite being the most expensive memory per byte, has a number of unique properties which make it by far the best choice for this type of data. When DigiQ wants to update data in FRAM it first check the supply voltage to ensure it's in range. It then writes the data in a block with a checksum for protection. There is only a small amount of battery backed RAM which is integrated in the Real Time Clock chip. It is used to hold time. When DigiQ is powered up it checks this memory to work out how long it has been powered off. This knowledge is then used when updating statistics, ticket sequence start numbers etc. The Flash memory card holds all the speech and sound MP3 files as well as the ticket record archive and the configuration settings file, CONFIG.CXL.

DigiQ plays Speech and Sound files stored on the Flash Memory card in MP3 format. It uses a separate high performance DSP Processor to decode the files. The resulting analog signal is then amplified by a Class D switching Amplifier which has a total harmonic distortion plus noise figure of less than 0.1% at full output power. The amplifier drives a pair of Rare Earth Magnet, Neodymium Iron Boron, loudspeakers. We went to a great deal of trouble to find a manufacturer who could produce the high quality, small speakers we required. Although small in size they do an excellent job. Most small speakers have a paper cone, thinned at the circumference, to allow the cone to move. This works but does not allow much travel with the result that low frequencies are poorly reproduced. Our speakers have an elastomer suspension allowing a much greater cone movement. Rare Earth Magnets ensure the cone movement is accurate even at full power. The resulting sound quality is excellent.

You certainly can. DigiQ has a standard 3.5mm Stereo Line Output Socket which you connect to a Line Input channel on your PA amplifier. The Line Out can also be used to drive active speakers. These are speakers that include an amplifier. Commonly used to add sound to a PC, there is a wide choice of computer speakers available.  

When using a keypad you press the Setup Key and scroll down and press Setup again to enter the Keypad Menu where you will find the Voice property. When using Wire Free buttons the default programming assigns the Double Click action to toggle between Female and Male Voice. If you need to change the Wire Free default action you will need a Sytem16 keypad.

You can set the volume by entering the DigiQ Programming mode or via the System16 keypad. With the System16 keypad you press the Setup key and scroll down to the Sound menu where you will find the Volume property. Note: You can set a different volume for each Queue.

Certainly, you need to be able to record your speech message in MP3 format. You will also need a MMC/SD memory card reader to transfer your files to the DigiQ Flash memory Card. Adding your own speech for a Call Forward system is easy as you only need to record a single phrase for each counter along the lines of “Next customer Counter 1 Please”. Adding speech for Ticket Queues requires considerably more work. You need to record all the numbers in the range 0 - 99 as well as any additional phrases used. DigiQ then joins the phrases and numbers together when you call a ticket for service. As an example, the speech message “Will ticket number -  23 - Please go to - Counter - 4” is  actually made up of 5 separate MP3 files. The manual describes the procedure for adding you own speech in detail in the chapter on Sound.

Each System16 keypad and Wire Free button has an Arrow property that can be set to Left, Right or Off. For keypads press the Setup key and scroll down to the Keypad Menu. In that menu locate and change the Arrow property. To set the Arrow property for Wire Free buttons you also use a Keypad. Press the Setup key and scroll down to the Wire Free Menu. Select the button number you wish to program and change the Arrow property to the desired value. Note: You will need to use keypad 1 to make changes to the Wire Free buttons. Keypads are programmed with a unique address. Only a keypad programmed with an address = 1 has access to all the Setup menus.

The recommended cable is Belden 9534 - 4 Core 24 AWG with a foil shield. The System16 interface used by DigiQ is a bus based interface. Devices can be wired in a star arrangement where all cables return to a central junction box, spurred off a central feeder, wired device to device or a combination of the above.

Using Belden 9534 cable the maximum lengths are 30 metres for a DigiQ display, 135 metres for a 1 Digit Counter Display and 75 metres for a 2 digit counter display. DigiQ displays require a voltage between 11.5 – 17 VDC to operate. When current flows the resistance of the cable leads to a voltage drop. If devices are powered from a central point the limiting factor is the voltage drop.For greater distances devices can be powered locally at the device rather than down the cable. See the manual for details.

The System16 interface was designed by Ctronix specifically for Queue Management Systems. It is an upgrade of the Ctronix System8 interface which started life in 1988. The System16 interface was released in 2000 and offered a 16 fold speed increase over the System8 interface whilst retaining compatible Physical and Electrical specification. It is a widely deployed, robust, bus based interface that carries low voltage power and data down one cable making Queue Management installation simple and quick. Field proven over many years, this rugged interface implements unicast, mutlicast and broadcast addressing, error detection and re-transmission, message by message arbitration, guaranteed latency and automatic transmission speed adjustment.

System16 allows you to connect up to 100 devices together. Devices with a System16 interface include Counter displays and Keypads as well as DigiQ, Smart232, SmartGateway and Wire Free button Addressable Receiver.

DigiQ requires an external 15V DC power supply. The size depends on the number of devices you have connected. The DigiQ Manual lists the Maximum Power  for all the devices in the chapter on Wiring and Installation. Total up the maximum power of all the devices in the system, add an additional overhead of 30% then choose a supply that meets or exceeds the total.

We certainly do. The DigiQ housing was specifically designed for this. We know our customer go to a great deal of trouble with their In House Style and we relish the challenge of producing a Panel to match and blend with their surroundings. For orders of 25+ this is generally a no cost option, subject to material and design being acceptable.  

There are two high speed, 80mm, thermal printers recommended for use with DigiQ. A POS style, desktop printer manufactured by Epson, Part No. TM-T88IV fitted with a serial interface and a Wall Mounted ticket printer manufactured by Ctronix, Part No. CXL-TPS, for unattended Ticket Issue direct to the public. For the POS style printer you will also need Smart232. This devices is already fitted as standard inside the Ctronix CXL-TPS Ticket printer. Smart232 acts as a printer server for DigiQ. It has a System16 connector on one end and a 9 Pin D-Sub Male connector on the other end which connects to the serial port on the ticket printer. Smart232 converts the System16 print commands from DigiQ into ESC/POS commands used by ticket printers. To setup the ticket print message you will also need a System16 keypad.

It is possible although not recommended. DigiQ uses Smart232 as a print server. This device connects to the serial port on the printer. You need to set the the serial port on the printer to match the following: Baud Rate 57600, 8 data bits, No Parity, 1 Stop Bit, Handshake RTC/CTS. Unfortunately just setting the the printer serial port to the correct values doesn't guarantee success. Smart232 uses ESC/POS commands to control the printer. This command set was originally developed by Epson and is widely used in POS style printers. Although there are a large number of ESC/POS printers available they are not necessarily compatible as each manufacturer has added to the ESC/POS command set.

SmartGateway is a Network enabled device. It forms a Gateway between SmartSoft and  DigiQ / System16 devices and enables SmartSoft to control these devices. SmartSoft is our comprehensive range of PC based Queue Management Software. SmartSoft allows you to use Virtual Keypads running in a Web Browser instead of the System16 Keypad or Wire Free button. In addition SmartSoft can drive multiple large TFT displays showing Queueing information combined with Power Point Presentations, Video etc. It includes an extensive reporting package with over 60 different reports available. SmartGateway has a 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet Socket on one end, on the other a System16 Interface. The SmartGateway receives Network TCP/IP packets sent by SmartSoft, converts them to Serial format, splits the packet into individual messages, converts the serial to System16 protocol and sends the messages using the System16 physical interface to  the DigiQ/System16 devices. SmartGateway also receives messages from the the DigiQ/ System16 devices via the same System16 physical interface, converts the System16 protocol to serial format, collects the individual messages into packets and transmits TCP/IP packets to SmartSoft over the Network.

The Wire Free push buttons use the PAN European, License Exempt, 433.92 MHz Frequency. The transmission modulation is FM with Bi Phase Encoded data. The Wire Free button transmitter conforms to European standards EN 301 489-3 and ETSI EN 300 220-3 (ERP @ 10mW).

Wire Free push buttons have a typical range of 10 metres though the actual range may be more or less depending on the environment. The range can be extended by the addition of one or more addressable receivers, Ctronix Part No. ADR1.

The Wire Free button has a single button that recognises three click states, Single Click, Double Click and Treble Click. You assign the action you want the button to perform to  one of the Click states. Typically Single click is used to Call Next Ticket and Double Click to Switch between Female and Male Voice. The available actions are: Next Ticket, Switch Voice, Fast Increment, Print Ticket, Sound Alarm. Fast Increment is used when you need to set the Next Ticket number to match the number on a roll of pre-printed Tickets. Print Ticket is used with POS and CXL-TPS ticket printers to Print a Ticket on demand. Sound Alarm sounds the DigiQ Panic Alarm.

The battery is good for over 300,000 key presses. When the voltage starts to drop the LED will no longer flash when the button is pressed although a message will still be transmitted. When this happens you should replace the battery.

The Wire Free button takes a CR2032 3V Lithium Coin Cell, diameter 20mm, height 3.2mm. The CR2032 is one of the most widely used 3V Lithium Coin cells and should be readily available.