Are you facing chaotic and disordered images when configuring an LED display? This frustrating experience often stems from incorrect receiver mapping settings.
By configuring the receiver mapping, you can adjust that the processor or sender recognizes the installation sequence of the receiving cards. Once this mapping is successfully set up, the display will transform from a jumbled mess into an organized visual presentation.
In this post, we’ll delve into the details of LED receiver mapping settings and the steps required to achieve a successful configuration. Here we use the Colorlight LED sender and receiver card for example.
In This Article
What is a LED Receiver Mapping?
Receiver mapping is a crucial configuration process for LED displays that defines how the controller recognizes the installation sequence of receiving cards. This setting ensures that the sender correctly recognizes the arrangement of receiving cards and accurately translates video signals into a coherent image on the screen.
What is a LED Screen Mapping File?
Once you’ve configured the mapping settings, you can save them to a local file, which can then be loaded for the LED sender.
This file, commonly known as a Mapping file, typically has a .mapping file extension. It contains the essential mapping settings that the LED sender needs to understand the arrangement and configuration of each receiving card.
Unlike the RCVBP configuration file, which is used to store parameter settings for the LED receiver card, the mapping file is specifically designed for the LED sender, allowing you to send the information to the sender for easy configuration. It serves as a bridge between the hardware components (sender) and the visual output, ensuring that the displayed content is properly aligned
Why do we Beed to Configure the Mapping?
Configuring the mapping is vital for the proper functioning of a LED display.
If the sender cannot know the installation order of the receiving cards, it can result in chaotic visuals, such as images displaying in the wrong order or sections of the screen failing to show any content. This misalignment can significantly detract from the viewer’s experience, rendering the display ineffective for its intended purpose, whether that be advertising, entertainment, or information dissemination.
Here is an example showing the LED display without Receiver Mapping Setting.
Here is an example of an LED display configured with receiver mapping.
As shown in the example, the LED screen that is not configured with receiver mapping will display chaotic pictures. To address this issue, we will proceed to set up the mapping. Next, let’s dive into a step-by-step guide.
Download and Install Software
The first step is to download the Software LEDVision.
For receiver mapping, you’ll need either LEDVision or LEDSetting. Older versions of LEDVision include built-in functionality for receiver mapping, while newer versions feature a separate tool called LEDSetting, which installs alongside LEDVision.
You can download the LEDVision software from the Colorlight official website or here. Then install the software on your local computer, after that, you’ll see two icons: LEDSetting, which is used for configuring parameters, and LEDVision, which is used for video playback.
Enter Mapping Interface
After downloaded, double-click the LEDsetting software on your computer. Once the software is open, you will be prompted to select the screen configuration option.
Next enter either “168” or “777”. After entering the password, navigate to the ‘Receiver Mapping‘ section at the top of the interface.
Now, You have entered the main interface of “Receiver Mapping”.
Before going to the next, it is crucial to understand the screen’s installation information. Take the following screen as an example; its resolution is 1,920 by 960 and is controlled by a Colorlight X4s processor. This processor controls 24 receiving cards (6 in width and 4 in height). Each receiving card controls 320 by 240 pixels.
In other words, you must familiarize yourself with the layout and capabilities of the receiving cards. This information is important for the next steps.
Enter Receiving Card Information
Once you’ve gathered the necessary installation information, the next step is to input the receiving card details into the software. In the section “Receiver Count” of “Receiver Mapping” interface, set the total number of receiving cards , which in our example is “6” and “4”.
This action will visually populate the software interface with 24 rectangles, each representing a receiving card. This visualization is vital for understanding how each card will be mapped to the sender’s output.
After entering the number of cards, you will need to specify the resolution for each card. As previously mentioned, each receiving card in this configuration handles 320 by 240 pixels. So in our example, first click the button “Select All“, then we enter width 320 and height 240 in the section of “Selected Receiver Info“. After that, you wlill see this information in the rectangle block. In this example, it is W: 320 and H:240.
If any cards differ in resolution, you can select them individually to adjust their settings accordingly. Here is the steps you can follow:
- Click the rectangle block that needs to be set to a different resolution. You can select multiple blocks by left-clicking, and right-click to deselect.
- Enter the width and height in the “Selected Receiver Info” section, and the selected rectangle representing the receiver card will change to the new resolution.
Draw the Mapping
With the receiving card information entered, you can now proceed to draw the mapping. This process involves connecting each receiving card from the front view of the screen to its corresponding port on the sender.
In our example, starting with ‘Port 1‘, click on it and use the mouse to either click or drag the receiving cards into the correct order based on their installation.
As you draw the mapping, keep an eye on the capacity ratio displayed on the left side of the interface. This ratio indicates whether the total pixel count for that port exceeds its limitations. If you exceed the maximum limit, which is 655,360 pixels per port, the display will turn red, serving as a warning to adjust your settings accordingly.
To streamline the process, the software provides quick mapping buttons that facilitate the completion of your mapping. Utilize these features to enhance efficiency, especially if you are working with multiple ports. Once you have finished mapping Port 1, repeat the process for the other Ethernet ports.
Precautions
When configuring the mapping for a LED screen, certain precautions must be taken to ensure a smooth and successful setup.
First and foremost, always base the mapping direction on the screen’s front view. This visual reference is critical for aligning the receiving cards correctly with the sender’s ports. Misalignment can lead to display errors.
Additionally, be mindful of the maximum load capacity for each port. As previously mentioned, exceeding the limit of 655,360 pixels can lead to operational failures. However, it is not the simple sum of all the receiving card’s pixels, but the whole area of the largest rectangle formed by the control area of all the receiving cards on this port
Similarly, you can complete the settings for other Ethernet Ports.
Send and Save the Mapping
After completing the mapping configuration, the final steps are to send and save the settings. To do this, click the ‘Send‘ button within the software to check the display for normal functionality. This action will send the mapped configuration to the sender, allowing you to verify that the screen displays correctly according to your settings.
Once you are satisfied with the display, it’s crucial to save the mapping to prevent any loss of parameters after a power cycle. How to achieve this? Just click on the ‘Save to devices‘ option to store the configuration securely.
Additionally, you can click “Save…” to store the settings as a local file, commonly referred to as a mapping file, as mentioned above.
At this point, the receiver mapping process is complete.