Anatomy of an LED Panel
Understanding the physical components of your LED panels helps with troubleshooting, maintenance, and replacement requests.
For a detailed visual guide to LED panel components, visit the Hardware Support section on the Vū support site.
Key Components
Modules — The individual LED tiles that make up a panel. Each module contains a grid of LED pixels and can be replaced independently if damaged.
Cabinet/Frame — The structural housing that holds multiple modules together. Cabinets connect to each other to build the full wall.
Receiver Card — The electronics card inside each cabinet that receives the video signal and distributes it to the modules.
Sending Card — Installed in the media server, the sending card outputs the video signal to the receiver cards via fiber or Ethernet cable.
Power Supply — Each cabinet has one or more power supplies. Power supplies can fail independently.
Data Cable — Connects cabinets in a daisy-chain from the sending card.
Cleaning Your Panels
Keeping the panel face clean keeps brightness and color looking uniform across the wall. The correct method depends on which panel type you have — using the wrong one can damage the LEDs.
| Panel type | Surface | How it looks up close |
|---|---|---|
| SMD | Textured / open | The individual LED packages sit on the board with small gaps between them |
| COB / GOB | Smooth / sealed | The LEDs are covered by a flat protective resin layer, so the face feels like one continuous surface |
If you aren't sure which type you have, check your panel model against Hardware Specifications → or contact support@vustudio.com.
SMD panels — dust dry, never wipe
- Use a soft, natural-bristle brush — a clean paintbrush works well
- Brush lightly across the surface to lift the dust away and let it fall
- Work in one direction with a light touch, and don't press into the LEDs
Never use a cloth or any liquid on an SMD panel. The LEDs are exposed, and wiping can snag or knock them off the board.
COB / GOB panels — microfiber and 70% isopropyl alcohol
Because the LEDs are sealed behind a smooth protective layer, these panels can be wiped.
- Use a clean microfiber cloth lightly dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol
- Dampen the cloth, not the panel — never spray or pour liquid onto the display
- Wipe gently in straight passes, then buff with a dry microfiber cloth and let the surface air dry before powering back up
Before you clean
- Sleep or power off the display so the surface is dark and dust and streaks are visible
- Let the panels come back to room temperature if they've been running for a long time
- Keep your tools clean — a gritty brush or a reused cloth can scratch the face
Powering Down at the End of the Day
Sleeping the display is the recommended way to shut down for the night — there is no requirement to power the system off. Sleep blanks the LED output and drops power draw while keeping the Vū Media Server online, so the wall wakes instantly and stays reachable from Vū Studio.
To sleep a display, go to one.vu.studio and use the sleep control in the main toolbar for a single display, or use Sleep All in the Display Dashboard to sleep every display at once. Lights attached to a display sleep and wake along with it. See Displays Overview →.
Fully powering off is only necessary for maintenance, electrical work, or an extended shutdown such as a venue closure.
Common Issues
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| One module darker than others | Failing power supply or module |
| Horizontal line of dead pixels | Failing receiver card |
| Color shift on one cabinet | Calibration drift — needs recalibration |
| Entire cabinet dark | Power supply failure or loose data cable |
| Random flickering | Loose data connection between cabinets |
For hardware repairs or module replacements, see the RMA Process → or contact support@vustudio.com.