CIRM - Our contribution to the newsletter of July 2022

18/07/2022

We are a proud member of CIRM (Comité International Radio-Maritime - The International Association for Marine Electronics Companies).

Last friday the summer newsletter was sent and we had the opportunity to make our contribution with an article about NSI. We want to give you the chance to read this article too, so we are posting it on our own blog:

The most demanding jobs ask for the most reliable solutions.
Let’s take a deep dive into the world of maritime keyboards, pointing devices and control panels.

Requirements for maritime applications are demanding. More and more regulations are coming, mandatory tests and certifications are indispensable, and in the maritime world, all components simply have to meet the highest standards. Parts must be protected against water, dust, dirt, oil and even chemicals. Therefore a deep technical knowledge is needed to find the right solutions for operations in challenging conditions.

These requirements also apply for keyboards, trackballs and control panels. Therefore, our company NSI has fully committed itself to meet the highest level of control, accuracy and quality in this niche market. Since 1988 NSI provides reliable solutions for the demanding applications in various industries. One of our largest markets is the maritime and marine sector. With more than 30 years of experience you can say we are a reliable supplier of all kinds of input devices.

Input devices can be understood as various products: keyboards, trackballs, joysticks, touchpads, control panels, radar & ECDIS control panels and more.

NSI is a Belgian based company and, together with the UK company Cursor Controls, part of the discoverIE Group plc. We offer the most extended range of maritime keyboard and trackball solutions with IEC60945 certification in the world! This large standard product range is a big advantage, but we really make a difference with flexible custom solutions and personalized products. Even for smaller quantities.

Do you know that NSI and Cursor Controls are the only companies offering IP68 fully waterproof trackballs? This patented design has already proven a huge difference in various maritime applications. Furthermore the development of custom and standard IP68 trackballs and scroll wheels is constantly being improved.

Through the years, our reputation for quality has ensured that we have collaborated with some of the most visible names in maritime technology. You can see the usage of the NSI products in various applications: from yachts till submarines and from workboats till navy ships or cruise vessels.

NSI stands for high quality technical solutions. Therefore we are proud to state our development of the GEN4 keyboard controller based on Cypress Infineon PSoC 4. For this USB keyboard controller full developments has been done in-house. This enables us to offer the greatest possible flexibility towards customer solutions. These are including:

  • Large Switch matrix support;
  • Multiple key-technology;
  • Easy connection and processing of up to 7 bidirectional rotary encoders;
  • Led backlight control at individual key level;
  • Flexible trackball integration;
  • In-field reprogramming support via integrated boot loader.

At NSI we also offer a full service regarding testing and certification for IEC60945 / IACS E10 and MIL Standards like MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-461. All the tests are exclusively done in collaboration with accredited test houses. In this way we unburdens our customers for the tests and certifications and assures them to deliver certified products.

Furthermore NSI has an ‘open certificate’ for light customization for most of their standard products. This means that small changes, like another country layout, backlight change or adding a logo can be made without having to reapply for certification. Maybe a small change already might be the perfect solution for you?

To this we can add that our company has all necessary mechanical and electrical design facilities available in order to meet specific customer requirements. This enables us to offer custom made products, for example:

- Personalized sealed keyboard, branded with a logo;
- Special shape or output;
- A pointing device that fits perfectly into your own console, withstanding extreme temperatures;
- Special requirements or a certification for certain applications or markets;
- Or a complete custom made control panel.

Our dedicated team of development engineers like to be challenged and the goals is always to deliver high quality custom products that meet all requirements. NSI regards close cooperation with their customers throughout the entire design and production process as the key point to a successful partnership and perfect solution.

We can conclude that through these many years of experience, our high quality product solutions, the wide products range and the possibility for customization, we can fulfil our role as a trustworthy supplier in the maritime market.

 

Keyboards & pointing devices
for the most demanding jobs.
Freddy Caubergh NSI

For further information or to get in touch:

 

Freddy Caubergh
Managing Director of NSI bv

fc@nsi-be.com ▬ +32 89519002

Bilzen, Belgium