Understanding Electronics | The Big Picture
A pixel is simply one or more LEDs that form one point of a picture. Pixels can be made up of single color (monochrome) or multiple color (RGB) LEDs. Pixels are spaced to produce character sizes that can be read at different viewing distances. The spacing is measured from the center of one pixel to the center of the next. This is referred to as "pixel spacing."
A picture comprised of pixels that is programmable with text, graphics, animations or even video is called a "matrix." A matrix is designated as being X pixels high times Y pixels wide (for example, 32x80).
LEDs are soldered onto printed circuit boards (PCBs), together with the other components required to control them. The circuit boards are the first step in building LED matrix displays. Conformal coating weatherproofs the circuit boards, which are then placed into modules with louvers to increase contrast ratio for outdoor use. Modules are attached to a face frames with special gaskets designed to further weatherproof the electronic components. Other power and data components are then added to the structure. YESCO message centers require no air conditioning.
