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HOW TO SELECT A LED DISPLAY
For those who are new to this field, we
Sunitron Inc. have created this guide to educate and help you in
selecting the appropriate display for your application.
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| 1.
Indoor or Outdoor |
Indoor Displays are to
be used only for interior application. If the application is for a window
display, then a super-bright indoor sign is needed or an outdoor one even if
the sign is indoor. Our Outdoor Displays are designed with military
specification to with stand outdoor weather conditions and are bright
enough to be visible in any day light condition. |
| 2.
Viewing Distance |
It is stated that for
every inch of a character's height the viewing distance increases by 50
feet, i.e. a 2" character can be read from 100 ft. |
| 3.
What's a pixel? |
LED Display is made
up of an array of pixels. A pixel can be made up from 1 or several LED's to
a cluster of LED 's. An array of pixels also known as the resolution is
distinguished by the number of pixels vertical by the number of pixel
horizontal. For example 64 x 16 pixels resolution means 64 pixels
horizontally and 16 pixels vertically. |
| 4. How
many pixels to form a character? |
For regular (single
stroke) character, a typical character is composed of 7 pixels high x
5 pixels wide, plus the spaces between characters and lines used. |
| 5.
Character Size Indoor Display |
For indoor
displays, your character size depends on your application. If it's an indoor
sign in an office lobby, cafeteria or similar, 2" - 4" size characters are
sufficient. For a warehouse, depending on it's display size and viewing
distance requirement, etc., 4" - 8" size characters are recommended. |
| 6.
Character Size Outdoor Display |
For outdoor displays,
if it's on a main street for driving and walking by traffic viewers 8" - 12"
size characters are sufficient. For longer distance whether from the
road or a highway, 14" - 24" size characters are appropriate. |
| 7.
Characters per Line |
The number of
characters on a line of a sign is determined by the number of pixels across
the sign. A single stroke character requires 5 pixels across plus a space.
An 80 column sign will display 13 characters (80/6= 13.3). As you plan out
your sign requirements, write down the messages that you intend to display
on the sign. Count the characters that you expect to display on each line.
This will help you to decide on the number of characters per line that will
best suit your application. Don't forget that you can scroll the
information, so you don't have to get everything on one line. |
| 8.
Selecting a Color |
There are 3 types of
LED display; Single Color (usually red unless specified) 3 Colors (red,
green, amber) capable of multiple shades and Full Color where you have a
16.7 million colors. For simple informational signs, single color is usually
sufficient; 3 color signs can be used in different application or to get
across different messages, e.g. red color for important messages, green or
amber color for daily messages; Full Color displays are usually used by
outdoor advertising firms or stadiums because they give a high resolution
and viewing is like watching a big TV visible in sunlight conditions |
| 9.
Methods of Communication |
Many indoor displays
are equipped with a hand held wireless remote with optional software
depending on the amount of usage and information you are displaying. For
other indoor displays as well as outdoor ones, one could use direct wired
cable, wireless receivers, or modems to get their messages to the displays. |
| 10.
When do you use a modem? |
Modems are used when
it is impossible to run a direct wire between the sign and the computer. A
dedicated phone line is required at the sign end. A software program
automatically dials the phone number of the sign when you are ready to send
a new message to the sign. |
| 11.
Graphics vs. Text |
Text-only
applications can be accomplished with signs with as little as one line of
text. Graphics, animation or video screen displays require more rows to
accurately display logos and animations. Graphics looks best when the sign
is at least 24 pixels high or if for good animation or video display, at
least 64 rows are recommended. |
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LED's with
100,000 Hr. life |
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Stores up to 99
alphanumeric messages |
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Upper and lower case
messages |
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PC / PLC / Ethernet /
Modem inputs |
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2 weeks typical
memory retention |
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Real-time clock can
report date/time, 12/24 hour format |
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Rugged extruded
aluminum enclosure |
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Character sizes from
2” to 18” |
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Units may be wall or
ceiling mounted |
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Indoor units designed
for industrial use |
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Windows®
based software provided or user developed protocol can be used |
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26 message operation
modes including: Wipe / Open /
Blink / Pause / scroll up / scroll down / double font size |
