Flat Display Mounting Interface

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A TV mounted to a wall using a VESA mount Racks.jpg
A TV mounted to a wall using a VESA mount

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 monitors, televisions, and other displays to stands or wall mounts. [1] It is implemented on most modern flat-panel monitors and televisions.

Contents

A mini computer mounted to the back of a monitor using VESA mounting screw holes S76-tech-docs meer6 vesa-mounted-meerkat.jpg
A mini computer mounted to the back of a monitor using VESA mounting screw holes

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.

A 30'' LCD television on a VESA 200 (VESA MIS-E, C or VESA MIS-F, 200, 6) mount Vesa200.jpg
A 30″ LCD television on a VESA 200 (VESA MIS-E, C or VESA MIS-F, 200, 6) mount
Table 1: Parts of VESA MIS [2]
PartDisplayPattern sizesScrew size
Diagonal,
min.
Weight,
max.
ThreadLength
excl. bracket
MIS-(in)(mm)(kg)(lb)(mm)(mm)
B410224.420×50 M4 4.0
C82034.51035×755.4
D 75mm12305817.575×75, 50×757.4
D123051430.8100×100, 50×1007.4
E2358422.750100×200, 50×2007.4
F M63178550110200×200 and up M6 9 / 10 / 12
F M831785113.6250200×200 and up M8 12 / 15 / 16
Notes

Details of variant B to E

Hole placement etc. for "VESA MIS-E" mounts, showing many of the details described in the article VESA Mounts, size E.svg
Hole placement etc. for "VESA MIS-E" mounts, showing many of the details described in the article
Table 2: Part B to E center mounts [2]
VariantHole patternClearance
depth,
max.
Steel
thickness,
typical
PartLabelSizeCount
HeightWidth
Height
Width
(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm)
BMIS-B, C20502262
CMIS-C, C35752282.6
D 75mmMIS-D, 75, C757522102.6
DMIS-D, 100, C10010022102.6
EMIS-E, C10020023102.6
Notes for centre mounts
Table 3: Part B to E edge mounts [2]
VariantHole patternClearance
depth,
max.
Steel
thickness,
typical
Edge
distance
PartLabelSizeCount
HeightWidth
Height
Width
(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm)
BMIS-B, x2050226210
CMIS-C, x35752282.612.5
D 75mmMIS-D, 75, x507522102.610
DMIS-D, 100, x5010022102.610
EMIS-E, x5020023102.610

Notes for the edge mounts:

Common notes for variants B to E

More details can be found by purchasing a copy of the standard itself, [2] including rules to ensure cables don't prevent using the mounts.

Details of variant F

Table 4: Part F center mounts [2]
VariantHole pattern
PartLabelSizeCount
HeightWidth
Height
Width
(mm)(mm)
FMIS-F, 200, yn, 6/820020022
FMIS-F, 300, yn, 6/830030023
FMIS-F, 400, yn, 6/840040024
FMIS-F, 500, yn, 6/850050025
FMIS-F, 600, yn, 6/860060026
FMIS-F, 700, yn, 6/870070027
FMIS-F, 800, yn, 6/880080028
FMIS-F, 900, yn, 6/890090029
FMIS-F, 1000, yn, 6/810001000210

Common notes for variant F

More details can be found by purchasing a copy of the standard itself, [2] including rules to ensure cables don't prevent using the mounts.

Common deviations from variant F

In practice, many screens that almost comply with part F of the standard deviate in various minor ways, and most brands of compliant brackets are designed to handle these deviations with little or no trouble for the end user:

Compliance

Manufacturers of FDMI compliant devices can license the use of a hexagonal "VESA mounting compliant" logo. [5]

Many compliant or almost compliant devices do not display the logo, as is reflected by the absence of most key vendors from VESA's own public list of licensed manufacturers. [5] Of the members of the standard committee (Ergotron, Peerless Industries, HP, Samsung, Sanus, ViewSonic and Vogel), only Ergotron is on the list.

As mentioned above under variant F, there are many almost compliant screens on the market, and some of those use the "VESA" name loosely to refer to their similar mounting patterns.

References

  1. "FDMI Overview" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 VESA Flat Display Mounting Interface Standard Version 1, Rev. 1, January 16, 2006
  3. "Samsung f8500 specs".
  4. http://maritim.acte.no/getfile.php/1314779-1512130864/Maritime/Monitorer/ISIC/Datablader/DuraMON19_24_26_27_32%20MRA000000H-revision2.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  5. 1 2 VESA Mounting Compliance Logo, retrieved 2012-12-25