Outdoor Marquee and Message Center Software

• AlphaNet Plus for Windows
• Basic Hardware Requirements
• Creating and Editing Messages
• Message Emulator
• Diagnostics 
• Site Manager

Spectrum offers a software package for Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT or Windows XP for programming wallboards, indoor electronic moving message centers and outdoor Horizon Marquees. 

This software allows the user to:

• Create messages
• Emulate the message before transmission
• Set up multiple transmission sites
• View the current transmission in progress
• Perform a diagnostics check of the signs in the network
• Read through the on-line manual
• Uninstall the program from the users hard drive

This software is not intended for real-time data collection, it is intended for simple messaging and scheduled messaging.  This software is appropriate for use in schools or for messaging only in a business environment.

AlphaNet Plus for Windows

Spectrum offers a software package for Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows XP for programming its electronic moving message centers. This software allows the user to: Create messages, Emulate the message before transmission, Set up multiple transmission sites, View the current transmission in progress, Perform a diagnostics check of the signs in the network, Read through the on-line manual, Provides backward compatibility to our DOS version of AlphaNet Plus EZ and Advance software and offers an Uninstall program to remove the program from the users hard drive. 

Basic Hardware Requirements

These are the basic computer requirements. A faster computer and more RAM will improve the performance of the software.

Transmitting messages to the signs can be done in a number of ways. All of the signs will accept transmissions straight out of the PC’s RS 232 serial port. To get greater distance from the transmitting PC to the signs, all of the signs will accept an RS 485 communications signal. Spectrum also provides a means to transmit to the signs via RF wireless communications and via telephone modem. These two methods eliminate the need for cabling to the signs, which can be costly and time consuming. All of the signs can be hooked into a LAN (TCP/IP) so that new cabling does not need to be pulled for a sign network. Finally, Spectrum can combine wireless with TCP/IP connectivity to have a network to wireless set up. Please refer to Spectrum’s Network Configuration guide, which details the installation of each of these options.

Creating and Editing Messages

• Select Presentation Modes and Message Colors
• Choose Character Fonts (Slim, Wide, 1.5”, 2.1”, 4.8”, 7.2” upper and lower case)
• International Characters available
• Find and Replace text
• Insert Strings, Variables, Counters, Graphics, and Animation’s into your message
• Use Snippets to create your message (duplicates any part of your message)
• Spell Check
• Transmit the message to the signs from the Editor
• Print messages

Message Emulator

• Emulate the message before transmission to the signs
• Select the signs size including custom size signs
• See how your message will fit on the sign before transmission

Diagnostics

• Query the Network to find out what’s out there
• Get information from selected signs in the network
• Clear selected signs Memory
• Cause units to Reset or Beep
• Change the Address of the sign
• Send Continuous Transmissions to the signs
• Set the Temperature Offset and Dimming on/off times on the outdoor signs
• Transmit messages to the signs

Site Manager

• Set up Single or Multiple sites for transmitting messages to signs
• Set up Addresses for signs
• Transmit to Selected sites via Modem, Direct or Wireless
• Set up and Select Counter files and News Files
• Schedule Message run times
• Delay transmissions
• Set Time Zone adjusts
• Create multiple transmission files for single sites or groups
• Edit the COM port, Data Format, Baud Rate, Modem settings, and Pager settings
• Select compatibility to older signs
• Transmit to selected Addresses in the network
• Set up and select different Tone Settings for the signs speakers