Harry Joseph and Associates, Inc.
System 64 (1995)
HJA Announces New Trading Floor Loudspeaker System
Harry Joseph and Associates have just introduced a versatile and economical trading floor loudspeaker system that's feature-rich and reliable.
Called System 64™, the new system provides instant trader access to any eight of 63 trading or other circuits (the 64th is 'blessed silence'), on an open-seating basis--a trader logs in at any desk just by entering an access code. A perfect match in size and color for IPC MX-series equipment, System 64™ can also be tailored to other footprints. It costs less and sounds better than its competition, and offers users a choice of operation by handset or broadcast-quality gooseneck microphone.
Eight display pushbuttons and eight volume controls keep the user completely informed and in control of his/her communications environment. Each pushbutton displays the name of its assigned circuit at all times, glowing green when the circuit is idle, orange when incoming audio is present, and red when pressed and the associated microphone or handset is live. For announcements over multiple circuits, any number of pushbuttons may be pressed at once. In addition, the user may choose LATCH MODE, which takes one button-press to turn on the microphone and another to release it. For the forgetful user, after 90 seconds in LATCH MODE the latched button begins to flash; the circuit is released after another half-minute in the absence of another button-press.Best Sound Around
Sound quality is spectacularly good, compared to the barely voice-grade reproduction of other trading floor systems. 'Traders whose living depends on what comes out of a small loudspeaker will appreciate System 64™'s excellent sound quality,' says Harry Joseph, President of HJA. 'If you spend eight or ten hours a day listening to a small loudspeaker, you deserve quality sound. These days a trading floor loudspeaker carries more than just trading circuits,' he continued, 'so our system makes CNN or other TV feeds sound great, and there's an electrically-isolated ninth channel with its own level control for the audio output of a local workstation or video-conferencing card.'
Joseph continued, 'Good sound makes for good trades. There's a fatigue factor associated with listening to crummy audio all day that a trader may not verbalize, but nonetheless performance is affected. Good components and full-frequency design cost very little per trader, but the reduced fatigue leads to better overall results. Our great audio is a major advantage of our system.'
Back-Room Features
Back-room equipment also shows thoughtful design. As many as 225 trader positions may be served from a single 19-inch equipment rack; high density is important in high-rent buildings. All cards are VME-format, hot-swappable from the front of the rack without taking out of service more than the absolute minimum number of trading positions.
Traders can change their own circuit profiles, or circuits can be assigned by system administrators, or a mix of the two, for the ultimate in administrative flexibility.
For smaller trading floors, System 64™ is perfectly scalable. A minimum nine-inch System 64™ shelf is wired for 45 positions, but can serve as few as three traders, with a switching card added for each additional three, a controller card for each 15, and another shelf for each 45. Maximum system size is 2000 positions. Perfect scalability, no waste!
Master PC: Watch, Don't Touch!
Each System 64™ installation is supervised by a network-able PC-based Master Computer (MC), which monitors for trouble and updates user profiles. The MC has no role in everyday operation, since all updated user profile information is stored in each 15-user controller board. In addition, even if a controller board fails, its desks continue to operate; all that is lost are log-on and profile-change functions.
Audio is nowhere digitized in System 64™, resulting in improved reliability (fewer active components) and cleaner sound (no compression anywhere in the system).Each System 64™ module is served by a single 12-pair home-run cable, which also brings power to the module, and a four-pair system is under development. Maximum cable length is 1500 feet, though in cases of extreme distance (and voltage-drop) a local power supply may be used.
For users who wish to monitor a fixed set of up to eight circuits but not change their profile or have a System 64™ module on their desk, an Orator loudspeaker breakout box is available. Trader positions or offices without an IPC-profile turret tub can simply have a handsome System 64™ module sit on a desk; it blends well with other desktop electronics.
For more information and a demonstration, call Harry Joseph on 212-244-5900, or e-mail harry@hja.com.
