Aug 16, 2022Knowledge
1. Introduction
Elo Touch Solutions is a tech leader in the electronics industry specializing in industrial-grade hardware ranging from small signboards to large monitors, and even to media players. Their hardware is focused on commercial use and is built to last up to 10 years in the toughest environments.
Elo has a wide selection of OEM touch signboards between 10-70 inches which are most commonly used as guest ordering kiosks in restaurants. They also have their very own Android-powered media player called the Elo Backpack that gives users the ability to turn any display into a digital signage one.
What's great about these signboards is their applicability. Elo sells a number of mounts that can transform your signboard from a self-service signboard to a point-of-sale transaction signboard. Their touchscreens are well known in the retail and food industry and are highly used by corporations such as L’oreal, Best Buy, KFC, Giorgio Armani, Walgreens, and Dominos.
2. How can I use my Signboard for Digital Signage?
There are so many different use cases for Signboards. The most popular option is to display information in public areas or to provide identification for specific locations. These signboards are a great tool to quickly update and distribute information in places where easy access to the screens may be limited. You may have already seen these types of signboards strategically placed in train stations or airports, where the majority of people are waiting and have time to glance around. Or you may even be unknowingly using a digital signboard to search for your plane departure and arrival times.
Many companies can also use digital signage solutions for both internal and external use. Digital signs can be a great means to improve employee communications. For instance, businesses may use signboards to indicate directions to help employees navigate, give instructions during an emergency, or even announce company-related information.
Perhaps there is a large amount of foot traffic that passes by your business daily, you can use that free marketing space to grab people's attention with high-quality digital signs that display your most valued products or even demonstrate your product in action. Nothing beats a good infomercial. Check out our article here to see 6 effective ways to boost employee communications in the office!
Signboards are a great option for creating one-to-one digital signage experiences, they allow viewers to get closer to information and to digest it in real-time. Check out the devices we support below so you can get started.
3. Devices we support
Elo I-Series
The I-series combines a commercial grade LCD panel with the latest developments in touch screen technology, giving an overall superior performance than your average consumer tablet. Elo's I-Series is available in 15"-22" displays and comes equipped with Windows, Linux, Android, or no OS installed, allowing the user to utilize an operating system that suits them best. These smaller displays are more suited for smaller applications such as availability signs for conference rooms.
The I-Series are built with a rugged but sleek-looking form factor, making this signboard very durable. It has an LCD panel that emits 300 nits of brightness and has a resolution of 1920 x 1080p. This signboard has an 8th generation Intel core Celeron processor with the ability to upgrade to a core i3 or core i5 processor so you can easily cater to your level of digital signage needs. This signboard also comes with up to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of SSD and has up to 10 different touchpoints.
Elo Backpack (Android Powered Media Player)
The Elo backpack is one of our favorites. It is a compact sleek Android (ASOP) media player that comes with a powerful computing engine. The Elo Backpack comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor that supports full HD+ content. Its Octa-core ARM Cortex A53 64-bit CPU and 2.0 GHZ allows for consistently great audio and video performance, making this device all around suitable for commercial-grade use. The Backpack also supports industry-leading peripherals for scanning, payment, printing, and biometric input. Its ability to consistently play even the toughest types of content is great if you are looking to upgrade your digital signage media player to a reliable and durable device.
Elo Interactive Displays (Touch)
Elo's interactive displays are similar in that they are used for the same applications as the I-Series's, but are slightly bigger and are used more for larger applications such as a touch screen directory in a mall or as an interactive touch board in conference rooms, the applications are endless. The interactive touch displays come with slightly higher brightness at 500 nits as well as a higher color contrast of 3000: 1. This tablet has more advanced calibration than the I-series with an impressive 20 touchpoints.
4. How to set up your Elo I-series Signboard with Screencloud
4.1. Set up Guide for Android Signboards
First, unpack your I-Series signboard and turn on the device by connecting the provided power supply to the back of the device. Your signboard will automatically turn on.
4.1.1. After you power on your signboard, you will be greeted with the setup screen. When ready select the "Start" button to begin following the steps as shown on the device.
4.1.2. Next we recommend entering in your Wifi credentials as it will allow your signboard to automatically update to the latest firmware which may take a few minutes.
4.1.3. You will be prompted to select if you would like to restore a backup if you have an older device or set up a new device. If you are setting up a new device, select "set up as a new device". If you would like to store backup data, select "Copy apps & data".
4.1.4. Next, sign-in to your Google account. If you don't already have a Google account, not to worry you can create one now. If you prefer to do this step later just select "Skip".
4.1.5. For security reasons, we highly encourage setting a protective password for your signboard as this will provide the utmost protection when displaying your signboard in public areas, to do so select the type of password you would like to use.
4.1.6. Next, you will be prompted to select which Google Services you prefer to keep enabled such as backing up to Google Drive, location services, and device maintenance. Once you are done selecting your preferences, scroll down and select "Accept".
4.1.7. The device will then ask if you would like to set another email as a backup security measure. Enter in your credentials if you would like to do so or select "No Thanks" if you would like to continue.
Your device will now set up some finishing touches. Please do not turn off your signboard at this time.
4.1.8. Now that you have finished setting up your device, you will be presented with Elo's launch screen, EloView. If no content has been set, Elo's signboard will automatically revert to this default screen. To begin the process of setting up ScreenCloud on your Elo I-Series, you must enter into Android Home.
4.2. How to enter Android home
In order to access the Google Play Store and begin downloading ScreenCloud, you must enter the Android Home which is separate from the EloView Control Panel.
4.2.1. To enter the EloView Control Panel, press the "Home button" and "Power buttons" simultaneously on the back of the device.
4.2.2. When the window appears, enter in the default password "1elo".
4.2.3. From the home screen, tap 5 times anywhere within the white area until the Android Home button appears like so:
4.2.4. Select the "Android Home" button when it appears.
4.2.5. Next, your device will ask if you would like to continue as the device must reboot in order to enter into Android home. Select “Yes” if you would like to continue and begin rebooting.
To restore back to EloView, perform "Backup & Reset Function" from the Android settings, this will erase all of your data and restore your device to the default Elo home screen. This will take a moment, please do not unplug the device.
4.2.6. Once you are inside Android Home, it will look like the standard Android launch screen like so:
4.2.7. Now continue following the steps below to start downloading ScreenCloud.
4.3. How to download ScreenCloud
4.3.1. Once you are inside Android Home, navigate to the Google Play Store and search for the ScreenCloud Player app in the Search Box
4.3.2. Select the ScreenCloud app and select "Install" to begin the installation process.
4.3.3. When the app loads for the first time, it will ask you if you would like to enable the “Start at boot” feature. Select “Yes”, this is a fail safe feature that will relaunch the ScreenCloud app in the event there is a power cut.
4.3.4. When opening the ScreenCloud player app for the first time, you will see a 6 character pairing code (like the one pictured below) that you will use to pair your screen to your ScreenCloud account.
5. How to set up your Elo Backpack with Screencloud
5.1. How to enter Android Home
Note: Although the Google Play Store is present on the Elo View Control Panel, we recommend setting up Elo within the Android home.
5.1.1. To begin the process of setting up your ELO backpack, we suggest entering Android home. To do this, enter the EloView Control Panel by pressing the "Home button" and "Power buttons" simultaneously on the back of the device.
5.1.2. When the window appears, enter in the default password "1elo".
5.1.3. Next from the Elo home screen, tap 5 times anywhere in the white area until the Android Home button appears. Select the Android home button when it appears like so:
5.1.4. Next your device will ask if you would like to continue as the device must reboot in order to enter into Android home. Select “Yes” if you would like to continue and begin rebooting. This will take a moment, please do not unplug the device.
To restore back to EloView, perform "Backup & Reset Function" from Android settings, this will erase all of your data and restore your device to the default Elo home screen.
5.2. How to download ScreenCloud
5.2.1. Once you are inside Android Home, locate Elo's internet browser app called "WebView Browser".
5.2.2. Next type in this URL "www.release.screen.cloud" to access the ScreenCloud download page.
5.2.3. Download the ScreenCloud app specifically for Android devices called "Android (arm)".
5.2.4. After the ScreenCloud Signage Player app finishes installing, select “Open” to open it for the first time.
5.2.5. When the app loads for the first time, it will ask you if you want to enable the “Start at boot” feature. Select “Yes”.
6. How to set up optimum settings for Digital Signage
There is an additional setting you will want to set in Android to ensure the device runs optimally, let’s take a look.
6.1. How to Disable sleep mode
6.1.1. We highly recommend you disable sleep mode as this will keep the device awake while in use. To do so, locate the "Settings" app.
6.1.2. Next in the search box, type in "Display" and set the Sleep option to "None".