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Matrix Orbital MX512


Date
: 07/14/05 – 12:04:44 AM

Author
:

Category
: Monitors

Page 1 : Index

Manufacturer
: Matrix Orbital

Price
:
MX512 $149.99
Temperature Probe $9.95
Indicator LED Bus $12.95
Internal USB Cable $8.25

Many people have heard of the name Matrix Orbital before… today is the day where we present our first MX orbital article. Matrix Orbital has been in existence for over 10 years and they have made a number of display products to go with your case, most notably their line of LCD displays.

While many people, including myself, have made their own two line LCD displays with stock components, these were usually limited in features. With Matrix Orbital products, this is not a problem.

We'll be taking the MX512 out for a spin and we'll be using a number of the accessories you can purchase for the unit.

Page 2 : Package

When my local UPS delivery man dropped off the package, I was shocked at the size. I had expected a much larger package than what I got.

In this tiny box, we have a two bay drive LCD display panel, two temperature probes, a three LED indicator, cable splitter, and an internal USB header. The total value of this tiny box is almost 200 USD! Expensive things do some in small packages!

As we open up the box and empty out the contents, here is the first wave of goodies:

The last piece of hardware included is the two bay, four line, LCD display panel and a mini installation CD. The display panel was carefully placed in bubble wrap to prevent any damage during shipment.

Regardless of how much protection you have, there is always a risk of damage, either during fabrication or shipment. The package I received looked like it was clipped against the edge of a table prior to being shipped.

The black cover could be peeled up off this corner. Other than this tiny injury, there were no other damages to the package.

Flip over to the next page where we'll cover the specifications of each of the components I received.

Page 3 : Specifications

We'll start this section off with the smaller accessories before moving onto the MX512.

First up on our list are the thermal temperature probes.

Here's what Matrix Orbital has to say about the temperature probes:

I was disappointed when I first saw these probes. I originally thought they were touch sensors that you could sandwich between the core of a GPU and a heatsink. Instead, these are the diode probes that won't fit in tight spaces. Perhaps a second set of temperature probes can me offered by Matrix Orital. :)

Moving on is the three LED indicator.

The indicator is a very handy device, but purchase only if you're willing to drill three holes, to mount it nicely, or let it hang loose. My suggestion to Matrix Orbital is to package the LED indicator as a 3.5" bay device. This way their customers don't risk damaging their case and everyone can take advantage of its features.

The last accessory is the internal USB connector. This nifty device saves you the hassle of having to run the USB cord to the outside of your case. Although this costs a little more, it also frees up a USB connector for all those devices (printers and scanners) that don't come with one.

Finally, we have the actual MX512 unit. I skipped the power connector as I think we've all seen one before.

The four line LCD panel has its own circuit board, and to control the rest of the features, Matrix Orbital has opted for the dual board design.

Because the screen isn't flush against the front panel, parts of the letters at the edge of the display will be cut off at certain viewing angles.

The entire system is fanless and heatsinkless, but quality components are used to ensure your device doesn't overheat and fry on the hottest day.

The overall layout of the MX5 series is very organized and spacious. There is plenty of room to navigate the smaller plugs into position.

Off to one side are connectors for
five
thermal probes and
four
fan headers. Even the USB cable is zip-tied down for neatness.

The bottom edge also has a number of connectors. Matrix Orbital has clearly thought out the placement to ensure cables don't cross over each other and create one big mess.

At the top right corner of the circuit board is the internal USB header. It's tucked away in a spot that's easy to miss. While discretely hidden, an improvement to the design would be to move it away from the external connector by one or two millimeters. This could be achieved by moving the external header. I'm suggesting this because the pins have already started to bend outwards. Repeated movement and tugging on the USB cord could eventually result in damaging the header.

We've now seen all of the components to the MX512, and the rest of the specifications are shown below:

Page 4 : Installation

The physical installation of the MX512 isn't very difficult. If you thought it would be best to install the LCD and then plug in all the connectors, I think you're approaching the procedure in the wrong order. Since the MX512 lies at the front of the computer, it would be extremely hard to find out where all the connectors are when reaching into your bay drives. It's best to make all the necessary connections and work from there.

I started off by plugging in the internal USB connector and cutting off the zip tie so I can remove the external connector. If you plan on using the external connector, be sure it is connected directly to the motherboard and not through a hub. The MX512 requires 500mA of current to get going, so check your hub to be sure it can take this type of current.

I then plugged in the power connector (required if you plan on running fans at greater than 5V) and the rest of the accessories: temperature probe and LED indicator. For the LED indicator, you are required to have the 1-pin (red cable) to the right of the Matrix Orbital logo on the indicator PCB and to the right of the power connector on the MX512 circuit. This is documented in the included installation guide. A black jumper located just above the power connector toggles between 5V and 12V, set according to the fans you have plugged in. In addition, each connector is capable of 1A, which should be sufficient for most fans.

Before you rush into installing the drive, make sure you remove the four screws attached to the MX512. You'll need these to secure the unit to your case.

Once you've collected the screws, the next step is to find two empty drive baus and slide the unit in. For my first installation, I decided to use my Ahanix D.Vine 4…until I realized this was not possible. The MX512 requires two available bay drives, which the Ahanix D.Vine 4 offers, however the vertical cover used to hide (stealth) the drives got in the way. The edge of the MX512 rests on the top of the door cover. Your alternatives are to either find a new case or trim the edge of the MX512 off. If you do own a case like the D.Vine 4, you may want to reconsider pairing it up with the MX512. I suggest getting the MX6 display. If you have any tower system, you won't have a problem with the MX512 as no door I've ever seen hinges so close to the drives like the D.Vine 4.

(Note that the D.Vine 4 already has a VFD display so chances are you won't be running into the same issues as I did.)

My second install with the Antec TX1088AMG, worked out much better. Nothing got in its way and, with the provided rails, it was a snap to toss all the cables into the case and slide in the MX512.

Once you get the unit in, place the temperature probes where you want, connect the power and fire up your machine for the software install. Matrix Orbital has provided a CD with a very detailed installation guide for setting up the MX512.

Page 5 : Basic Software Setup

I'll only recap some of the key features, but if you want the full installation procedure, a digital copy has been made available for you here.

Assuming you've got everything installed and you've booted into windows, it will automatically detect the MX512 on Windows XP.

You will need to proceed with the automated USB driver installation…just click "Next" and "Continue". :)

The software that controls the MX512 is the "LCDC Drive it to the edge baby!" and the beauty of this piece is how well written it is. As part of your Matrix Orbital purchase, you're entitled to a complete copy of this piece of software.

Upon a successful installation, you will need to configure the MX512. Assuming you've properly plugged in the USB header, the "Configure/Test" button will automatically setup all the proper conditions. This page will also let you configure all your other options: various plug-ins (Motherboard Monitor, WinAmp, FRAPS, HMonitor, Trillian, SETI@Home, Weather, etc), advanced features such as RPM Control, and Dallas One Wire (Temperature Probe).

The contrast and backlight intensity have been fixed by Matrix Orbital, though you can vary the brightness.

One you have everything configured to your preference, you need to run the "Screen Builder". This controls what pages you display and how long they should run for. Remember, you have four lines to fill, so take advantage of it!

The image above shows the default list that I've modified. Simply check off the features you want and click on the "+" to add your own personalized display.

For each new page you need to setup the basic configuration (see above) and then setup each individual line.

From the page above, I've currently added two commands to the first line. I'm calling on LCDC to print off the name of my temperature probe in connector 0 and to display the value it is currently reading. The name of the probe can be setup in the LCDC configuration page.

Clicking on the diamond shaped button at the end of the textbox gives you options on which code to insert.

Once you're finished configuring all your displays, it's time to sit back and fire up the display. To see the display on your desktop, you can run the "Virtual Display". This is simply a window that shows you what is being shown on each of the four lines.

Some additional features included with the MX5 series are the Boot Editor and Power On applications. These little toys give you custom start up screens at various brightness, contrast settings and GPO settings.

If you ever get stuck with the installation, the install CD is a very useful resource. Matrix Orbital offers its own support forum as well. To top it off, you can always email them; they boast a 24-48 hr turnaround time.

Page 6 : Display In Action

Matrix Orbital uses a VFD design for the MX512. If you're interested in this technology, you can read up on it at Noritake and if you want some medical grade VFD devices, check out Device Link.

I can tell you that the images are very crisp and the only time you can't view it is when something is blocking the screen.

Here's a collection of pictures at various brightness: 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%:

Some more pictures at various angles:

Finally, some pictures of different applications:

What makes the difference between the MX5 series and some of the other models is the 4*20 character display, requiring the dual bay drive system, and the 15 buttons available for you to use. These buttons can be triggered to do different things by changing the options within LCDC. On the default settings, some of the buttons will control your volume and act as a remote control for WinAmp.

If you purchased the LED Indicator, this is also controlled with LCDC; you can really see the versatility of this piece of software. While you only have three LEDs to work with, you can have them perform different actions, such as light up on internet activity, flash when you receive an email or warn you when your system overheats.

I've already spoke about the temperature probe and how to set it up, so here's a quick shot of it in action. I dangled the probe inside my TX1088AMG machine:

Let's wrap it all up on the next page.

Page 7 : Conclusion

The MX512 is certainly a great accessory for your system. It has features that DIY models or models included with your case don't have. If you have a pretty penny to spend, say after getting your tax return, the MX512 will look great in a tower.

For those who don't have two bay drives to spare, Matrix Orbital offers a 2*20 character LCD that fits into a single 5.25" bay. You can find this in their latest MX6 series. For those who still favour the DIY models, Matrix Orbital has several barebone LCDs that you can purchase. As you can see, the options are endless and everyone is sure to find something they like with Matrix Orbital.

Advantages

LCDC software has many features
Highly customizable
Abundance of accessories
Wouldn't install on D.Vine 4 style stealth bays
Great technical support

Disadvantages

Costs a pretty penny
Temperature probe can't be placed under heatsinks

Overclockers Online would like to thank Matrix Orbital for making this review possible.