Philips PM5540

Image:Phillips PM5540.pngFile:Sjónvarpið Testcard.jpg/RÚV{{Cite web|url=https://fmtvdx.eu/tv/europesch-testbeelden/|title=Radio Bulletin 1972 - Europesche-testbeelden|website=www.fmtvdx.eu}}]]

File:SFB Testbild.jpg, SWF, SFB and Sjónvarpið/RÚV.{{Cite web|url=https://francoisf.wixsite.com/dxtv/islande?lightbox=i018fs|title=Reception DX TV Islande|website=dxtv}}]]

The Philips PM5540 was an early electronic video signal generator, which generated a monochrome test card{{Cite book |url=https://frank.pocnet.net/other/sos/Philips_TV-MeasuringEquipment_1980.pdf |title=Philips TV-Measuring Equipment |publisher=Philips |year=1980 |pages=13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408080505/https://frank.pocnet.net/other/sos/Philips_TV-MeasuringEquipment_1980.pdf |archive-date=2022-04-08 }} that is considered to be a black-and-white predecessor of the widely used Philips PM5544 and the latter's related family of Philips circle test patterns. The content and layout of the pattern, as well as the generator, was designed and made by Danish engineer {{ill|Finn Hendil|da}} (1939–2011) at the Philips TV & Test Equipment laboratory in Amager, south of Copenhagen in 1965–66.{{Cite web |title=Dansk Radio - TV historie |url=https://danskradio.dk/tv.html |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=danskradio.dk}}

It has been used in Australia, Spain, United Arab Emirates,{{cite web | url=https://ing-sat.hu/tv-dx-amateurs/podani.htm | title=Podani György }} Denmark,{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607000809/http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/Test-Cards/Non-UK.html|title=

Non-UK Test Cards and Captions - Denmark}} Israel,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMEJQWn5GFU |title=ערוץ 1 - תום שידורים (גרסה 1)|website=www.youtube.com |date=10 July 2010 |accessdate=2020-07-23}} Qatar, and the Netherlands.{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_anderson/16722263150/|title=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting NOS 1, Philips 5540 Monochrome test card received often on E4 during 1984|date=March 23, 2015|via=Flickr}}{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607000809/http://www.pembers.freeserve.co.uk/Test-Cards/Non-UK.html|title=

Non-UK Test Cards and Captions - Netherlands}}.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radio-tv-nederland.nl/historie/analogetv/gegeschiedenis.html|title=Analoge Televisie is gestopt Stukje geschiedenis|website=www.radio-tv-nederland.nl}}{{cite AV media| url-status = live| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/qznDRCfV4Uw| archive-date = 2021-12-08| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qznDRCfV4Uw| title = 1981 • Nederland 1/2 • Mire N&B | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web |title=Testbeelden van de Nederlandse Televisie |url=https://www.radio-tv-nederland.nl/historie/testbeeld/foto_album2.html |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=www.radio-tv-nederland.nl}}{{Cite web |title=Reception DX TV Pays Bas |url=https://francoisf.wixsite.com/dxtv/pays-bas |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=dxtv |language=fr}}

A heavily modified variant of the PM5540 test card (absence of border castellations and other modifications) was used by Sjónvarpið/RÚV{{Cite web |title=Reception DX TV Islande |url=https://francoisf.wixsite.com/dxtv/islande |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=dxtv |language=fr}} of Iceland from 1966 until 1982, and by three regional broadcasters of the German public broadcasting corporation ARD (Sender Freies Berlin, Süddeutscher Rundfunk and Südwestfunk{{Cite web|url=http://tab-multimedia.de/oe_re/dritte_programme/swr/swf/swf_07.jpg|title=Altes SWF 3 Testbild|website=Tab-Multimedia}}).{{Cite web|url=https://fmtvdx.eu/tv/europesch-testbeelden/|title=Radio Bulletin 1972 | Europrse testbeelden|website=www.fmtvdx.eu}}

Some features of the main test card:{{Cite book |url=https://frank.pocnet.net/instruments/Philips/PM5540/PM5540.pdf |title=Black/White Pattern Generator PM 5540 - Operating and Service Manual |publisher=Philips |year=1971}}

• Background - grid of 14 x 10 squares, each square with a white border 2 raster scan lines thick;
• Black and white squares - around the borders, with the four corners being white;
• Circle - has a diameter of 440 scan lines;
• Definition lines - gratings corresponding to 0.8, 1.8, 2.8, 3.8 and 4.8 MHz, allowing measurement of image bandwidth and associated horizontal resolution ;
• Staircase - grayscale linear gradation in 5 steps;
• Background - uniform 50% lightness grey background;
• Needle pulse - white pulse on black background;

Besides the main "Complete Pattern", the hardware was capable of generating other patterns named as "Crossed Lines", "Black/White Steps", "Definition Lines", "Sawtooth", "Vertical Bars" and "Blank Pattern".{{Cite web|url=https://frank.pocnet.net/instruments/Philips/PM5540/PM5540.html|title=Electron Tube Data sheets PM5540|website=frank.pocnet.net}}