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VESA mount

VESA mount is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand VESA mount rather than just read about it. In short: The Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI), also known as VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS) or colloquially as VESA mount, is a family of standards defined by the Video Electronics Standards Association for mounting flat-panel displays, televisions, and other displays to stands or wall mounts. It is implemented on most modern flat-panel monitors and televisions.

VESA mount — main illustration
VESA mount — illustration

Key takeaways

  • VESA mount belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect VESA mount to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of VESA mount from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI), also known as VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS) or colloquially as VESA mount, is a family of standards defined by the Video Electronics Standards Association for mounting flat-panel displays, televisions, and other displays to stands or wall mounts. It is implemented on most modern flat-panel monitors and televisions.

As well as being used for mounting monitors, the standards can be used to attach a small PC to the monitor mount. The first standard in this family was introduced in 1997 and was originally called Flat Panel Monitor Physical Mounting Interface (FPMPMI), it corresponds to part D of the current standard.

Variants Most sizes of VESA mount have four screw-holes arranged in a square on the mount, with matching tapped holes on the device. The horizontal and vertical distance between the screw centres respectively labelled as 'A', and 'B'. The original layout was a square of 100mm. A 75 mm × 75 mm (3.0 in × 3.0 in) was defined for smaller displays. Later, variants were added for screens with as small as a 4 inches (10 cm) diagonal. The FDMI was extended in 2006 with additional screw patterns that are more appropriate for larger TV screens. Thus the standard now specifies seven sizes, each with more than one variant. These are referenced as parts B to F of the standard or with official abbreviations, usually prefixed by the word "VESA". Unofficially, the variants are sometimes referenced as just "VESA" followed by the pattern size in mm, which is slightly ambiguous for the names "VESA 50" (four possibilities), "VESA 75" (two possibilities) and "VESA 200" (three possibilities). However, if "VESA 100" is accepted as meaning the original variant ("VESA MIS-D, 100"), then all but "VESA MIS-E" and "VESA MIS-F, 200" have at least one unique dimension that can be used in this way, as can be seen from the tables below.

Notes

If a screen is heavier or larger than specified in table 1, it should use a larger variant from the table, for instance, a 30-in LCD TV weighing more than 50 lb (23 kg) would need to use a part F mount. The weight limits were chosen as round numbers in kg or lb for different sizes. The screw lengths for parts C, D and E become whole numbers when adding a 2.6 mm thick bracket (which is how the standard describes them). The screw lengths for part F are minimum / maximum / hole maximum, as in: M6 screws must go at least 9 mm in but at most 10 mm in, and the hole might not be deeper than 12 mm.

Details of variant B to E

Notes for centre mounts

The mounting pattern must be centred between left and right of the screen case. For part D and E, it must also be centred between top and bottom (since 2006).

Notes for the edge mounts:

x is "T", "B", "R" or "L" for "Top", "Bottom", "Right" or "Left" as seen from the back in landscape mode. More than one x or "C" can be specified for a screen with more than one set of mounting holes. For left or right edge mounting, Swap width and height, so the brackets will look the same with respect to all 4 edges. The rounded rectangles and distances (see below) do not apply towards the edge, except that the surface on the screen need not touch the bracket beyond them. The distance from the edge of the screen case to the centre of the first holes is ±0.5 mm.

Common notes for variants B to E Screws are standard M4 machine screws as long as the bracket is thick plus the length given in table 1. Each hole must be within ±0.25 mm of its nominal position. Each hole in the bracket is 5 mm in diameter to allow for this tolerance in both screen and bracket. If the screen manufacturer included different screws, they must be used, not the ones that came with the bracket. If the screen manufacturer provides their own mount, it may be attached in any way as long as it can be removed. The clearance area must be a completely flat surface at most "max. clearance" above or below the general back surface of the screen. The clearance area is a rounded rectangle whose sides extends at least 8.5 mm beyond the hole centres and with a corner radius of at most 7 mm. The bracket is within a rounded rectangle whose sides extend at most 7.5 mm beyond the hole centres and with a corner radius of at least 6 mm. The part of the bracket laying against the clearance area must be at least 12.5 mm wide, it may be straight or diagonal. The two extra holes in type E brackets are in the middle of the long sides of the hole pattern, see the drawing. The screen manufacturer should warrant that filling the standard holes with the specified screws will be able to hold the screen in any direction. The bracket manufacturer should warrant that the bracket can carry the maximum weight from table 1 when using all the specified screws. More details can be found by purchasing a copy of the standard itself, including rules to ensure cables don't prevent using the mounts.

Details of variant F

yn is Y if the screen can be turned 90 degrees (to alternate between portrait and landscape orientations), N if it cannot. 6/8 is 6 for M6 screws, 8 for M8 screws. The 2006 edition of the VESA standard is very clear that the type F pattern is always square, and that the odd sizes 300×300, 500×500, 700×700 and 900×900 are allowed too.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

VESA mount: A TV mounted to a wall using a VESA mount
A TV mounted to a wall using a VESA mount
VESA mount: A mini computer mounted to the back of a monitor using VESA mounting screw holes
A mini computer mounted to the back of a monitor using VESA mounting screw holes
VESA mount: A 30″ LCD television on a VESA 200 (VESA MIS-E, C or VESA MIS-F, 200, 6) mount
A 30″ LCD television on a VESA 200 (VESA MIS-E, C or VESA MIS-F, 200, 6) mount
VESA mount: Hole placement etc. for "VESA MIS-E" mounts, showing many of the details described in the article
Hole placement etc. for "VESA MIS-E" mounts, showing many of the details described in the article

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with VESA mount

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what VESA mount claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to VESA mount before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about VESA mount ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of VESA mount

In research
VESA mount appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses VESA mount in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
VESA mount is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Audiovisual introductions in 1997, Computer monitors, Computer peripherals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for VESA mount outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study VESA mount in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what VESA mount means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain VESA mount out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is VESA mount in simple terms?

The Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI), also known as VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS) or colloquially as VESA mount, is a family of standards defined by the Video Electronics Standards Association for mounting flat-panel displays, televisions, and other displays to stands or wall mounts…

Why does VESA mount matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study VESA mount?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on VESA mount.

Tags

  • Audiovisual introductions in 1997
  • Computer monitors
  • Computer peripherals
  • Display technology
  • Mechanical standards
  • VESA

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