Requirement one: it cannot stop
A FIDS screen that goes dark for two minutes creates a crowd. The system needs a redundant player, automatic failover, and a screen that holds the last frame rather than going black when the signal drops. Specify the failure behaviour, not just the uptime percentage.
Requirement two: legibility at 12 metres, not 3
The viewer is walking, often in a hurry, sometimes reading a second language. Minimum character height should be 25 mm at 5 metres and 60 mm at 12 metres. That is bigger than most content designers assume, and it is why FIDS content looks coarse on a desk monitor.
Requirement three: the data refresh is the real latency
Flight data updates come from the airport system every 30 to 60 seconds. A screen that refreshes every 5 seconds does not make the data fresher; it just makes the timestamps flicker. Match the display refresh to the data source rate.
Requirement four: 24/7 duty cycle
Consumer panels are rated for 12 hours a day. FIDS runs 24. This changes the panel choice, the power supply derating, and the expected life. Ask for a panel rated for continuous operation, and expect to pay 15 to 25 percent more for it.
The specification table we use
| Parameter | Typical FIDS spec |
|---|---|
| Brightness | 700 – 1000 nits |
| Contrast | ≥ 4000:1 |
| Panel duty | 24/7 rated |
| Signal failure | Hold last frame, alarm |
| Player redundancy | 1+1 automatic failover |
| Character height at 12 m | ≥ 60 mm |
What airports get wrong
They buy the brightest screen and put it in a position where daylight falls directly on it. A 1000-nit screen facing a window is worse than a 700-nit screen with a hood, because the reflection dominates. Position and shading come before nits in every terminal we have worked on.
Maintenance access
FIDS screens are usually mounted high, above the walkway, and the terminal is never closed. Plan the access method at design stage: a lift that fits the corridor, a maintenance window that the airport approves, and a spare screen on site. Without those three, a dead panel stays dead for weeks.