High-tech happenings: Message board offers multimedia experience

A fully functioning, temperature-regulated sign produced by manufacturer Daktronics of Brooking, S.D., will soon greet visitors to Chadron State’s northwest corner of campus.

Mike Kidder, an engineer from Daktronics, met with a five-member group of campus personnel Tuesday morning for a two-hour demonstration outlining how to design and program content for display on the sign.

CSC representatives present included Shellie Johns, conferencing coordinator; Connie Frandson, conferencing office assistant; Keith Crofutt, IT system administrator and security analyst; Justin Haag, college relations marketing coordinator; and Alex Helmbrecht, sports information director.

Content is designed and regulated through Daktronic’s Venus 1500 software.

Haag, Helmbrecht, and Johns each will have a copy of the Venus 1500 software to manage the sign’s content. A representative from Daktronics said Tuesday that software licenses are $150 per license.

The message board has an internal memory of 2GB, which allows content to be stored and displayed over an extended time period.

The 64 x 144 pixel sign supports video and animation playback with a maximum playback of 30 frames per second.

Other features of the digital display include a photo eye that measures brightness and sets the display to one of 64 brightness levels based on ambient light, and the ability to display the time, temperature, and calendar date.

The engineer said the sign, built locally in the region, was very durable.

“You have a sign that should last easily 20 years,” Kidder said Tuesday.