Kitchen Display System
The Radiant Kitchen Display System is commonly referred to as the Kitchen Controller or KDS. The KDS services the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) and Hospitality food markets, and is also used in Convenience Store Kitchens and Entertainment Concessions. The Kitchen Production System is made up of the kitchen controller, kitchen monitor (flat panel or CRT), bump bar, and printer (optional).
The KDS is designed to display kitchen order information to a kitchen monitor. The orders originate from POS input and are sent to the Kitchen Controller through the 10/100 Mbps network interface. As each order is completed, the user can "bump" or delete the order from the queue by using the attached Bump Bar. Order information can also be printed from each Kitchen Controller by attaching a printer to the KDS Controller.
The Radiant Kitchen Controller is built on the proven reliable Intel ARM platform and runs on the Windows CE 5.0 operating system. Its rugged enclosure offers protection from the extreme temperature and humidity that are present in the kitchen environment. The KDS Controller is a solid-state device meaning that it has no moving parts. The solid-state design greatly extends the hardware life, as well as increases its reliability.
The Radiant Kitchen Controller offers a very small footprint and standard VESA mounting options to make it easy to install in space constrained kitchen stations. The I/O is all located on the rear panel in order to improve cable management resulting in a cleaner install. The front panel features four LEDs (Link, Activity, Power, and, Heartbeat) that can be used to quickly determine the status of the controller. Also located on the front panel is a recessed power button which helps prevent accidental shut downs.
The Kitchen Controller is designed with rubber caps on each end that help seal the internal components from the outside environment. The rubber caps also act as feet for the controller and provide excellent balance so that the Controller can sit on right / left side or top / bottom without turning over.
Expansion options are available through the use of the Compact Flash slot and mini-PCI slot. The CF slot can be used for additional storage. Wireless networking is available as an upgrade by installing a wireless card in the internal mini-PCI slot and attaching a wireless antenna to the rear panel. Video support for the KPS system is offered through the DB-15 analog connector on the Controller. The screen resolutions supported by the Controller are 1024x768, 800x600, and 640x480. Digital video is also available through the optional DVI connector.
Like the Kitchen Controller, the Bump Bar is also built with a rugged aluminum enclosure that is resistant to water and other solvents like cleaning agents. The Bump Bar offers a volume adjustable, 4-tone piezo that helps place the "beep" closer to the end user. Each key is programmable to a pre-defined function list to provide the most flexible solution for each customer's operation. As a standard feature, mounting brackets are built into each side of the enclosure for the Bump Bar.