How to recognize a real LED screen manufacturer from a hoax
21.02.2011
Following last article, entitled "Are You a LED video walls Manufacturer or a Hoax?" I received several interesting comments. Each one provided a slightly different angle, but basically all posed the same question: "How do I distinguish a real LED screen manufacturer from a hoax?"How Not to Get Cheated
First of all, let's try to understand what it means to be a "LED screens manufacturer".
In addition to having the ability to select and mount LEDs, being a LED screens manufacturer means first of all have the competencies to develop a proprietary electronic control that can manage these LEDs to produce a realistic image.
The electronic control system consists of of the following:
- A Printed Circuit Board (PCB), on which depends the effectiveness with which the LEDs are run, and therefore ultimately the quality of the LED screen
- A Control and Management Software, with which the electronic board is controlled to determine and change the settings for brightness, contrast, gamma, diagnostics, remote control etc...
Developing these two components requires very advanced electronic competencies, that in Italy only 3 or 4 companies have developed. EuroDisplay was the first to develop this technology in 1978 (for mono-color display) then evolved into true full color screens.
How to Recognise a Hoax
To distinguish one real manufacturer producer from an import company, the best method is to visit their production site. Pretty easy, right?
If this is a real manufactuer, in fact, you will invariably find all the following tools. Since each of these devices requires a large investment, they are very hard to find in an import company, who would not know what to do with them:
1) Production Area
Trading companies are often quite small, consisting only in a sales office. In case there is a larger space, it is usually a warehouse for the goods in transit – at EuroDisplay for example, the manufacturing plant has a surface of over 4.500 square meters.
2) Office of Electronic Design
Any digital billboards manufacturer, has first of all a team of electronic engineers, using one or more professional design softwares – at EuroDisplay for example we use the world's best software Protel®, which license costs about 6.000 euros (www.protel.com).
3) Office of Mechanical Design
LED screens manufacturers also have a team of mechanical engineers, using a professional 3D CAD design software – at EuroDisplay we use the leading 3D software SolidWorks®, which license costs about 7.000 euros (www.solidworks.com).
4) Electronic Microscope
Used to verify the quality of industrial production in printed circuit boards and soldering of electronic components, particularly the most critical – at EuroDisplay we use the state-of-the-art Vision Mantis® Electronic, priced at around 1.000 euros (www.visioneng.com).
5) Climatic Chamber
A LED screen manufacturer must necessarily tests printed circuit boards and semi-assembled at precise temperature and humidity values, to ensure they can withstand the weather when installed outdoor – at EuroDisplay we use an Angelantoni® (leader in climatic chambers) worth about 15.000 euros (www.angelantoni.it).
6) Chroma Meter
The Chroma Meter is a camera that allows measurement of the perfect calibration of the LEDs to ensure that the colors are more vivid and realistic – at EuroDisplay for example we use a CS-100A Konica-Minolta® from the Japanese manufacturer Konica-Minolta, worth approximately 8.000 euros (www.konicaminolta.com).
7) Oscilloscope
The oscilloscope is an electronic test instrument that allows signal voltages to be viewed, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences – at EuroDisplay we use a Tektronix® TDS 5034 from the world's leader manufacturer Tektronix (USA), worth about 9.000 euros (www.tek.com).
Other Ways to Recognize a Hoax
There are other ways to recognize a hoax... do you know any? Use the form below to let us know!
For more information, call us now at the No. +39/011-954-1015, or write to info@EuroDisplay.com.