The Vanguard Auxiliary Control Panel complements the VFC-3000 by providing a secondary interface panel near the DMS, which can be located in the DMS itself or on a pole-mounted enclosure. The small Panel can be located in the DMS, in a pole-mounted enclosure, or in a ground-mounted traffic cabinet. When the VFC-3000 controller is located on the ground, a maintenance technician can use the Auxiliary Control Panel to perform diagnostics while working in the sign, or vice versa. That flexibility improves safety and reduces maintenance time by reducing trips between the ground and the sign. The Auxiliary Control Panel provides identical functionality as the front panel of the VFC-3000 Controller. It connects to a VFC-3000 Sign Controller from distances of up to 2,000 feet to enable an operator to control, configure, or monitor the VMS and its subsystems. The LCD and keypad on the Auxiliary Control Panel provide an interactive and easy-to-use menu system. The menu screens can be used to view the current status of the DMS systems, activate messages, blank the DMS, perform diagnostic tests, and more. The high-contrast LCD panel is backlit and can be easily used in both full sunlight and dark conditions. The Panel also includes switches for power, local/remote mode selection, and resetting the VFC-3000 Controller. Indicators are provided for power, heartbeat, communication status, and local/remote mode. A laptop computer can be easily connected to the panel’s NTCIP-compatible RS232 port for advanced diagnostics for control.