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A square wave
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is a type of waveform that alternates between two voltage levels, typically a high voltage level and a low voltage level, in a repeating pattern.
In electronics, square waves are commonly used as a means of transmitting digital information because they have a well-defined and predictable pattern that can be easily decoded by electronic circuits.
To display pixels on a screen, the square wave is used to control the flow of current to each pixel on the screen. Each pixel is made up of three sub-pixels: one red, one green, and one blue. By adjusting the voltage levels of the square wave sent to each sub-pixel, the brightness of that color can be controlled.
The square wave is generated by a circuit called an oscillator, which produces a continuous stream of square wave pulses at a specific frequency. The frequency of the oscillator determines the rate at which the pixels on the screen are updated, with higher frequencies resulting in a smoother and more continuous display.
The square wave is then fed into a circuit called a driver, which amplifies the voltage of the signal and sends it to the sub-pixels on the screen. Each sub-pixel has a transistor that acts as a switch, allowing the current flow to be turned on or off depending on the voltage level of the square wave.
Using this method, the square wave current flow can be used to control the brightness of each color in each pixel on the screen, resulting in a display that can show a wide range of colors and images.
We abandoned all analog theories and focused on digital. We wanted to get to a sound that directly represented digitization.
At first we tried to explore natural sounds like the marimba, but then we realized that in the world of technology there are countless connections and symmetries, and we realized that we could create a sound wave that looks like a pixel.
We used digital equipment to create our sound. We were inspired by the strange connections and coincidences and natural symmetries that work in nature and tried to transfer them to the theory of the digital world of the pixel. Through mathematics we tried to get to the core of the digital world and find connections.
Despite the technical limitations, we were able to come up with something that sounds like, and at the same time resembles, the 8-, 16-, and 24-bit things associated with pixels.
If we tried to be absolutely accurate, the sound would be a technical electrical noise/hum.
We modified it to make it sound while keeping the original principles.
The grid pattern is 8 16 24... which is the same as the popular beat patterns used in music production.
The speed of the square wave is almost the same as the refresh rate of the pixels on most of our monitors.
Displays that use square-wave current for their pixels are typically found in passive matrix OLED (PMOLED) displays. In PMOLED displays, each pixel is controlled by a switch that turns it on or off, and the ripple current is used to activate the switch and control the brightness of the pixel.
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In our research
for the most appropriate and representable sound of pixels, we were naturally driven by the common old 8-bit UI sounds that old computers used when our eyes could still recognize each individual square on the screen.
Instead of just focusing on pleasant sounds, we also tried to find connections between the visualization of sound waves and the square shape of the pixels.
As it happens, the basic sound waves used in music production have a square shape. If we look at the oscillation of this wave in the low-frequency range, we can begin to see pixel-like shapes. We used this digital square wave as a base and added a little bit of mastering and mixing effects while still maintaining the required properties of the user interface. So we used digital synthesis to create an audibly pleasing and visually appropriate sound design for our editor.
Overall, we've combined visual and auditory elements to create an interactive experience that engages users and encourages them to experiment with creating their own musical compositions using a unique and stylized sound.
The square wave we used in our project not only creates a unique sound that is pleasing to the ear, but it also serves as a representation of the pixels that appear on the screen. This is because some displays use a digital signal, which is a square wave.
By using a stylized square wave sound to accompany our pixel grid visualization, we not only create an engaging auditory experience for users, but also highlight the underlying digital technology that powers modern screens. This creates a deeper level of connection between the visual and auditory elements of our project and adds to the overall user experience.
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The waveform of the electrical current
that drives a pixel in a display is typically not random. Instead, it is carefully designed to produce the desired level of brightness and color accuracy while minimizing power consumption and heat dissipation.
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In some display technologies, the waveform of the current that drives each pixel in some display technologies, the waveform of the current that sends information to each pixel in the screen is typically a square wave with a fixed frequency.
This square wave is used to control the amount of light that passes through each pixel by adjusting the duty cycle of the waveform.
In other display technologies, such as OLED displays, the waveform of the current that drives each pixel can be more complex. For example, the waveform may be a sine wave or a pulse-width modulated (PWM) square wave with a variable frequency that is used to adjust the brightness of the pixel.
Overall, the waveform of the electrical current that drives a pixel in a display is carefully designed and optimized to achieve the desired level of performance and power efficiency based on the specific requirements of the display technology.