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Pixel access rate of raster system

Short answer

Pixels per frame = 1200×1000 = 1,200,000. With 50 fps, pixels accessed per second = 60,000,000. Access time per pixel = 1 / 60,000,000 ≈ 16.67 ns.

Consider a raster scan system having 12 inch by 10 inch screen with a resolution of 100 pixels per inch in each direction. If the display controller of this system refreshes the screen at the rate of 50 frames per second, how many pixels could be accessed per second and what is the access time per pixel of the system?

Screen = 12 in × 10 in, 100 pixels/in
Resolution = 1200 × 1000 = 1,200,000 pixels per frame
Refresh rate = 50 frames/s

Pixels accessed per second = 1,200,000 × 50 = 60,000,000
Access time per pixel      = 1 / 60,000,000 s
                           = 1.667 × 10⁻⁸ s = 16.67 ns

(Retrace time is ignored.)

Answer: 6 × 10⁷ pixels per second; access time ≈ 16.67 ns per pixel.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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