Video Displays

9 Pixel Monitor

The scan sends the video signal

Each circle represents
to each pixel individually one at a
aPixel:
pixelElement of
time.
Either lighting..
a monitor
Or not lighting the
illuminated by
pixel
When the scan
the video signal
reaches the end of
the line, the line
sync pulse tells it to
To send the
go to a new one
video signal
And the video signal
we need a
continues accessing
raster scan
pixels
Once the scan
reaches the end of a
To fool the eye into thinking
frame, the frame
there is a flicker free picture
sync pulse tells it to
we need a refresh rate of
start a new one
about
25Hz
Refresh
time = 1/f =
40ms
Access time per pixel = refresh time/number
of
pixels
E.g.
40ms/9 =
4.4ms

Control of the Pixels

Demultiplexers
control which rows
and columns are
selected (ie. which
pixel is accessed by
the video signal)

0
4
Channe 1
l
DEMUX
ROW 2
S
3
Frame
Sync
Pulse
Line
Sync
Pulse

Video
signal
input

Count
er

0
1
2
3
4 Channel DEMUX
COLUMNS

Counte
r

Frame and Line sync pulses control

demultiplexers and make sure pixels are
accessed in correct order

CLOC
K

Pixel Design: Flash Pixel

Video
Signal
Input
R and C are R
signals for
C
rows and
columns
Both must be
high to access
this pixel

For LED to light,

video signal
input must also
be high

Pixel Design: Refresh

Pixel
Pixel rests at a particular brightness
until accessed again with a different
video signal voltage

R
C

Video Signal
Input
Video signal
charges up
capacitor when
pixel is accessed

When AND
input goes
low, and
other pixels
are being
accessed, the
capacitor
Next time the pixel is
accessed
remains
with new video signal,
capacitor
charges to different charged
voltage, so
new gate voltage, new Rds, new
brightness

Video
Video
signals are
Cables

passed on two wires,

coaxial, to help reduce
interference signals

Computer

However, this
means your
information system
is effectively like a
treble cut filter

This break frequency is the

upper limit of the frequency of
info you can send down the
cable. The Cable Bandwidth

Break frequency
f = 1/2RC

Monitor

Worst case signal is every

other pixel, T = 2 x pixel
access time
Video signal access time =
pixel access time x number of
pixelsBandwidth =
1/T

Sending Colour
A colour monitor is divided into cluster,
which each cluster consisting of three
pixels; red, green and blue
Each pixel receives a separate
When more than one pixel is lit
video signal which determines
the colour of the cluster can be
intensity of LED
changed

Computer

re
d

gree
n

blu
e

Monitor

Each group of six

bits is a word for
each pixel
Video voltage is analogue
but transmitted as serial
digital words
So for each pixel we need a
digital to analogue
converter

Bit
Rates
Bit rate = frame
rate (Hz) x
number
of bits
Worst case
scenario = bit rate/2
Bandwidth = bit
rate

Digital to Analogue
Conversion:
2 Bit DAC
Summing
Amplifier
50k
B
2 bit
inpu
100k t
A

word

20k

B
+

Inverting Amplifier

DAC

30k

12k
Analogu

e
output
+

Consists of a 2-input
summing amplifier and an 0V
inverting amplifier
G = -Rf/Rin
-Vout/Rf = V1/R1 +V2/R2...
V1 and V2 = 5 x
Range of converter is
input (where
maximum variety of
input=is5B/50
1 or 0)+
-Vx/20
voltages
5A/100
Vx = -(2B +A)
Resolution is increment of
the DAC

AN