Dot matrix display

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A dot matrix display is a display device used to display information on machines, clocks. railway departure indicators and many and other devices requiring a simple display device of limited resolution. The display consists of a matrix of lights or mechanical indicators arranged in a rectangular configuration (other shapes are also possible, although not common) such that by switching on selected or off selected lights, text or graphics can be displayed. A dot matrix controller converts instructions from a processor into signals which turns on or off lights in the matrix so that the required display is produced.

[edit] Characteristics

Dot matrix displays used in pinball machines are generally made using gas bulbs as opposed to LEDs or conventional filament bulbs The orange colour sometimes seen in these displays is based on the Neon gas principle.

Sarhing A. Al-Zawity

[edit] Usual character resolutions

A common size for a character is 5x7 pixels, either separated with blank lines with no dots (in most text-only displays), or with lines of blank pixels (making the real size 6x8). This is seen on most graphic calculators, such as CASIO calculators or TI-82 and superior.
A smaller size is 3x5 (or 4x6 when separated with blank pixels). This is seen on the TI-80 calculator as a "pure", fixed-size 3x5 font, or on most 7x5 calculators as a proportionnal (from 1x5 to 5x5) font. The disadvantge of the 7x5 matrix and smaller is that lower case characters with descenders are not practical. A matrix of 11x9 is often used to give far superior resolution.