Penn State University, committed to enhancing its athletic facilities, has embarked on a major refurbishment project that includes videoboard upgrades at its soccer field, softball park, and indoor and outdoor football practice facilities. SNA Displays won each of these projects and set out to create eye-catching display systems from the ground up for each venue.
For both the Jeffrey Field soccer pitch and Beard Field in the Nittany Lion Softball Park, the SNA Displays team created LED video scoreboards using the company’s EMPIRE Exterior technology. Both video scoreboards are approximately 26 feet wide and 15 feet tall with 10mm pixel pitch. A slightly wider display was deployed at the Lasch Outdoor Practice Fields, while the Holuba Hall indoor football practice facility features a 26-foot-wide, 14-foot-high dvLED video wall that uses BOLD Interior display technology.
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Beyond the videoboards, SNA Displays provided comprehensive services, including web-based control software that offers easy operation and valuable insights into the display systems. A key aspect of the projects’ success rested on achieving effortless end user operation for both display control and power control. For this reason, the company partnered with LynTec.
“Every one of these games is critical for coaches, players, sponsors, and fans, and therefore all equipment in the system is critical,” said David Kile, director of systems integration, SNA Displays. “Our proprietary diagnostics tools provide real-time visibility into the display system and can help to address any problems from one place. That’s where having the right power solution comes in.”
Power control is an essential component for operating and protecting LED displays. First, it’s the most efficient way to safely power up and down videoboards. It also has other benefits: it contributes to an extended equipment lifespan by curbing heat build-up that can happen when displays are left on or in standby, enables displays to be reset remotely, and delivers significant cost savings by reducing standby power consumption—a factor that is often underestimated. Finally, it provides proper sequencing as it mitigates inrush current issues, preventing damage and nuisance trips.
For decades, LynTec's flagship RPC panel has been the go-to power distribution panel for integrated AVL installations for many collegiate and professional arenas and stadiums, including University of Georgia Coliseum and Baum Stadium at George Cole Field at the University of Arkansas, among others. In response to more projects using the panel for LED video wall and lighting projects, the company designed its LCP panel series as a more affordable, compact, and flexible solution.
The LCP was chosen for the Penn State installations. It is built on the same Square D G3 Powerlink controllable circuit breaker platform as the RPC Power Control Series, but with the control features that video wall projects require. The controller electronics have been removed from the panel and mounted in a standalone 12x12 enclosure to increase installation flexibility and reduce wall space requirements. Plus, the power supply has been moved into the primary panel enclosure, thereby eliminating the need for sidecars.
For Penn State, the panelboard had to interface with SNA Displays’ proprietary controller, V3 Pro. Because of the existing relationship between LynTec and SNA Displays, that interoperability was already customized into its web interface. Operators use the same SNA Displays GUI they use to monitor and manage the video walls to power them on/off, see if any circuits are tripped, and troubleshoot issues remotely. The result is a seamless, comprehensive video scoreboard and power control solution that achieves an elevated game experience for Penn State's sporting events.
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“Given the importance of these contests for the universities and student athletes, these systems must be running at maximum efficiency and uptime when it’s gametime,” said AJ Faxel, director of sports and live Events. “Having the right team and the right partnerships like LynTec to support these challenging projects has really been a home run for everyone.”
