Glossary 33
Glossary
BNS Cable:
Common type of RF (radio frequency) connector used for terminating coaxial cable.
Boot loading:
Process that allows changes to the firmware.
Calibration:
Process of adjusting the intensity level of each pixel in a Daktronics LED video display as needed to
improve the uniform intensity of the entire display.
CAN (Controller Area Network):
Serial network of microcontrollers that enables real-time control applications by
connecting devices and sensors.
CAN LUX (Controller Area Network Luxmeters):
SI measurement of light intensity.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol):
System that includes a server that assigns IP addresses.
Dimming:
Adjustment of the overall brightness of a sign. The brightness level should be highest during the day to
compete with daylight and lower at night for comfortable viewing. Manual dimming is adjusted by the operator; auto
dimming is adjusted by the software based on information received from a light sensor.
Firmware:
Software (programs or data) that has been written onto read-only memory as a permanent part of a
computing device. It allows software to be read and executed but does not allow modification. Firmware is embedded
in a hardware device and is considered a combination of software and hardware.
Gamma Correction:
Process used with video images to correct brightness and internal micro-contrast within the
image; it allows a change of ratio between the brightest red component and weakest red component.
Refresh Rate:
Number of times per second a display is updated or “repainted.” NTSC signals have a refresh rate of
30 times per second; PAL signals have a refresh rate of 25 times per second; and LED displays should be refreshed at
least 120 times per second.
RGB (Red-Green-Blue):
Colors of LEDs used in full-color Daktronics displays. All colors are defined in terms of a
combination of these three colors. For example, the RGB abbreviation for the color blue is 0-0-255.
RJ45 (Registered Jack-45):
Eight-wire connector commonly used to connect computers to a local area network (LAN),
especially Ethernets.
Screen Brightness:
Color intensity of an image. An image high in saturation will appear very bright, while an image
low in saturation will appear duller and more neutral. A 100 percent saturated color does not contain any white;
adding white reduces saturation. An image without any saturation is also referred to as a grayscale image.
Sensor Cable:
Wire link between a controller and its corresponding temperature sensor.
Temperature Sensor:
Outdoor electrical component used to detect the ambient air temperature outside a display.
Video Image Processor (VIP):
Device primarily intended to accept and process live video and/or computer graphics
feeds before sending them to a display.
Video Processor:
Device used to convert incoming video signals to V-Max
™
signal, allowing for direct display of
video. It also applies video image enhancement tools.
V-Max
™
Signal:
Proprietary signal used with Daktronics displays.
