How LED wall data is calculated
- Pixels per panel = pixels wide × pixels high — from panel size ÷ pitch, or the matrix on the datasheet.
- Pixels per port: about 650,000 px for a 1 Gb port at 8-bit / 60 Hz, half that at 10-bit or 120 Hz, a third at 12-bit. Your processor’s own figure overrides it.
- Panels per port = pixels per port ÷ pixels per panel, rounded down.
- Ports = the data chains needed to cover every panel along the cable route.
- Processor check: ports needed against output ports, and wall pixels against the processor’s maximum.
Worked example
A 500 × 500 mm panel at 2.6 mm pitch is 192 × 192 = 36,864 px. At 650,000 px per port, one port drives 17 panels. The 10 × 6 wall (60 panels, 2,211,840 px) snaking across the rows needs 4 ports: 17, 17, 17, 9 panels.
Cable routing
Choose whether data chains run across rows or down columns, the corner the first cable enters, and whether chains snake from one line into the next. Max cabinets per chain shortens chains below the port limit — useful to keep a spare margin or match an existing cable plan. The data sheet numbers each port where its cable enters and follows it panel to panel with arrows.
The same wall’s circuits and heat load are on the LED wall power calculator; size, resolution and weight are on the LED wall calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many pixels can one output port drive?
Most 1 Gb sending cards and processors rate each port at about 650,000 pixels at 8-bit / 60 Hz. Use the figure from your processor’s datasheet when you have it — type it into Pixels per port.
Why do 10-bit and 120 Hz reduce the pixels per port?
Deeper colour and faster frame rates push more data through the same port bandwidth. Processors typically rate a port at about half the pixels for 10-bit or 120 Hz (325,000 px) and about a third for 12-bit.
How many panels can one port drive?
Port capacity ÷ pixels per panel, rounded down. A 192 × 192 px panel is 36,864 px, so a 650,000 px port drives 17 of them.
How many processor ports do I need?
One per data chain. The calculator counts the chains needed to cover every panel along the cable route you choose. If you run a backup (redundant) loop, each chain uses a second port, so plan for double.
Should data cables snake through the wall?
Snaking (serpentine) chains continue into the next row or column, so ports fill up and the wall needs the fewest of them. One chain per row or column wastes some port capacity but keeps every run the same and easier to trace on site.
What is a wall penetration?
The hole or conduit where data cables pass through the wall or structure to reach the panels. Set ports per penetration to bundle consecutive port cables through one entry; the schedule lists which cabinet each bundle enters at.
Does the processor’s maximum resolution matter?
Yes. Besides having enough ports, the processor must handle the wall’s total pixels — 2,211,840 for the example wall. Enter your processor’s ports and maximum pixels to check both.