Glossary A–ZLetter A
Ambient light sensor
An ambient light sensor measures how bright it is around a display and automatically adjusts its brightness.
By day the picture becomes brighter, in the evening and at night darker. The sensor usually sits in the display’s bezel or is connected as a small add-on.
In screen networks, the sensor matters mainly for shop window displays, outdoor displays and devices in rooms with changing daylight. It keeps a screen readable in midday sun and stops it dazzling in the evening. At the same time it lowers power consumption and spares the backlight, because the display does not run at full power all the time.
Operators should pay attention to where the sensor sits: if it is shaded by a frame or in direct sun, it measures incorrectly and dims too much or too little. On displays behind glass it measures the light in the shop window, not necessarily on the pavement. Upper and lower brightness limits should be set so that the picture never disappears completely. Control by time of day can complement the sensor but does not replace it.