Daily Question 20090328: Discussion on the support for wide-screen displays in DCS monitoring interfaces

Due to the issue of the built-in graphics in DCS, these graphics are designed for a specific resolution (usually 1024*768 for standard screens). If the computer uses a different resolution, and the system does not support adaptation, the graphics will either not fit properly or there will be empty spaces. Even when adaptation is supported, the graphics may become distorted, which is not aesthetically pleasing... Of course, the most fundamental solution is to recreate all the system graphics at the desired resolution, but this is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, it also carries a high risk of various unexpected errors. So for a DCS system, it’s better to buy a standard monitor; the size doesn’t matter – whether it’s 20, 21, or 22 inches. Use the resolution supported by the system’s display, and avoid changing the system’s resolution arbitrarily!

This only allows the screen resolution to be defined during configuration; so far, there seems to be no system that can automatically adapt to different screen types (standard and wide screens). I don’t think a system, once it’s in use, would require frequent changes of monitor!

That’s a good suggestion. What I do is set the resolution of the widescreen monitor, and then work on that computer; this way, I avoid having to copy the program from the laptop to the desktop after it’s been completed, only for the interface to get stretched and requiring further adjustments to the layout.

1. The Yokogawa CS3000 does not yet support widescreen resolutions. 2. The ABB AC800F does not yet support widescreen resolutions. However, the upcoming V9.2 version will provide limited support for widescreen resolutions. The monitoring software for ABB 800XA supports custom resolutions, such as wide-screen ones, as well as those for multi-screen setups; for example, an 80-inch HDTV with a resolution of 1920X1080 in a 3X4 arrangement. All of them can be supported. The ABB-Bailey Symphony also does not support widescreen resolutions at the moment. 3. The monitoring software for Honeywell DCS has unknown support for widescreen displays. 4. Previous versions of Siemens PCS7 V7 do not explicitly support widescreen resolutions. However, the technical support team in the CS2 PA department modified the configuration files so that the monitoring software WinCC can support not only the standard resolutions of 1024X768 and 1600X1200, but also 1680X1050 and 1920X1080. Siemens DCS users who have new projects that require wide-screen monitors can request special configuration files from the CS department. The soon-to-be-released PCS7 V7.1 has announced explicit support for widescreen monitors, with 16:10 and 16:9 formats all being supported.

1. For software that does not support wide screens, when starting a new project, try not to purchase wide-screen monitors. The Samsung 214T is a standard 4:3 monitor. But the price is higher than that of a 24-inch widescreen. 2. For projects like Siemens PCS7, not all of them use the latest V7.1 version; you can request a widescreen configuration file from Siemens CS. Then purchase a widescreen monitor. After all, if you buy a standard-screen monitor now and it breaks in a few years, by then there will likely be no more standard-screen monitors available; they will all be wide-screen ones. 3. For projects that have been running for several years, if standard monitors were used in the past – after all, wide-screen monitors weren’t popular until 3 years ago – and now the monitor is broken, it’s best to buy a standard monitor if one is available. If standard-screen models are not available, one must choose to purchase wide-screen models instead. Some 24-inch widescreen displays have adjustment options. For example, models such as the Samsung 245B, 244T, and 2443BW offer the option to switch between 4:3, 16:10, and 16:9 formats. The standard format is 16:10 with a resolution of 1920X1200; when switched to 4:3, the resolution becomes 1600X1200. Older 20-inch screens with a 1600X1200 resolution did not suffer from any distortion. It’s just that the 24-inch monitor has black borders on both sides. A black border is still a black border – it’s far better than the image being distorted. Displays with proportional scaling are available; in addition to Samsung, there are also several models from Philips and LG.