FlickerSpec vs Pixel Mapper xModel
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
FlickerSpec
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Your new LEDs shouldn't be giving you headaches. If they are, the lights are almost certainly flickering ā faster than your eyes can consciously detect, but fast enough to trigger migraines, eye strain, and fatigue. FlickerSpec turns your iPhone into a flicker meter, using the 240fps camera to measure exactly what your eyes can't. For documentation ā clinical engineering, facility management, lighting audits ā FlickerSpec generates PDF reports that record the IEEE 1789 result and IEC PstLM value together with the standard, threshold, measurement uncertainty and calibration reference behind them. FlickerSpec is a screening and documentation aid, not an accredited laboratory instrument; whether a report satisfies a particular surveyor or regulator is their determination. WHAT YOU MEASURE Quick Measurement (Free, unlimited) Live 240fps capture with real-time results: ⢠Dominant flicker frequency in Hz ⢠Percent Flicker and Flicker Index per IEEE 1789-2015 ⢠Signal-to-noise ratio and confidence rating ⢠Live luminance waveform and FFT spectrum ⢠No daily limit ā measure as many fixtures as you like IEEE 1789 Verdicts (Pro) Turn raw numbers into a documented decision: ⢠IEEE 1789-2015 verdict against the published low-risk practice: PASS, FAIL, or Can't confirm when the capture or framing cannot support a pass ⢠Custom pass/fail thresholds when your specification differs ⢠The standard and threshold applied are recorded with every saved measurement 3-Minute PstLM Measurement (Pro) 3-minute tripod capture for documenting low-frequency flicker: ⢠Short-Term Flicker Severity (PstLM) per IEC TR 61547-1:2015, for dominant frequencies up to 90 Hz ⢠Compared against the PstLM ⤠1.0 limit cited by EU Ecodesign 2019/2020 (PstLM only ā Ecodesign also requires SVM, beyond FlickerSpec's 240fps phone-camera pipeline) ⢠8Ć oversampled LM flickermeter checked against all 5 IEC Table A.1 test vectors ⢠Camera-based measurement aid, not an accredited instrument or certified result Measurement Logging & PDF Reports (Pro) Every audit, documented: ⢠Save measurements with GPS location, fixture photo, and notes ⢠Single-measurement and session-summary PDF reports ⢠PstLM threshold-comparison section included when applicable ⢠Calibration certificate reference on every report ⢠CSV export for spreadsheet workflows Calibration System (Free) Verify accuracy before any audit: ⢠Built-in calibration web app generates a known-frequency reference signal ⢠Point your iPhone at any screen showing the calibration page ⢠Timestamped calibration certificate attached to all subsequent reports MEASUREMENT BANDWIDTH 240fps camera capture (Nyquist: 120 Hz) is designed for 50 Hz mains regions: ⢠50 Hz and 100 Hz flicker (50 Hz mains) ā frequency and modulation depth ⢠60 Hz and 120 Hz flicker (60 Hz mains, e.g. North America) ā the dominant frequency may still be identifiable, but depth and the verdict that depends on it are conditional because 240 fps is an exact multiple of both. The app reports Can't confirm when it cannot sample the whole cycle. ⢠Above 120 Hz PWM and kHz drivers ā outside camera bandwidth ⢠Modulation depth is a lower bound unless the light fills the region of interest NO SUBSCRIPTIONS $49.99 one-time purchase unlocks everything: IEEE 1789 risk indications, 3-Minute PstLM Measurement, unlimited logging, PDF reports, CSV export, the calibration certificate document, report header customization with your company name and logo. Free tier: unlimited Quick Measurements with the full live readout ā frequency, percent flicker, flicker index, SNR and confidence ā plus free calibration. Privacy Policy: https://flickerspec.slick-engineering.workers.dev/privacy Terms of Use: https://flickerspec.slick-engineering.workers.dev/terms
Pixel Mapper xModel
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Pixel Mapper turns your iPhone or iPad into an automatic layout tool for xLights. Point your camera at your light display, and the app lights each WS2811 / WS2812 pixel, finds it in the camera image with computer vision, and builds a ready-to-import xLights Custom model ā no manual clicking pixel by pixel. Perfect for Christmas light displays, props, matrices, megatrees, and any irregular pixel layout that's painful to map by hand. HOW IT WORKS 1. Target ā enter your controller's IP and pixel count. Output goes over DDP or sACN / E1.31, the same protocols xLights and FPP already speak. 2. Scan ā choose a mode: ⢠Fast (base-3): every pixel lights in every frame, colored by one base-3 digit of its index, so all pixels are identified in only ~log3(N)+2 frames (about 500 pixels in 8 frames). Two checksum digits reject misreads. ⢠Sequential: light one pixel at a time and find the single bright blob. Slower, but dead simple and rock solid. Both modes subtract a black reference frame to ignore ambient hotspots. 3. Review ā see the detected layout over your photo, drop bad points, tap to place or move a node, and re-scan individual pixels. Zoom and pan to fine-tune. 4. Export ā save a standard xLights .xmodel file that imports into both old and new versions of xLights. WHY PIXEL MAPPER ⢠No more mapping hundreds of pixels by hand. ⢠Works with the gear you already own ā any DDP or sACN/E1.31 pixel controller. ⢠Fast base-3 scan maps large models in seconds of capture. ⢠Checksum-protected so misread pixels get rejected, not placed wrong. ⢠Best results in a dim room; the app locks camera exposure and focus where the device supports it. REQUIREMENTS ⢠A WS2811 / WS2812 (or compatible) pixel controller reachable on your network. ⢠The controller set to receive DDP or sACN / E1.31. ⢠An iPhone or iPad on the same Wi-Fi network as the controller. Pixel Mapper is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the xLights project. xLights is a trademark of its respective owners.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pixel Mapper xModel at none against FlickerSpec's 1. Pixel Mapper xModel also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. FlickerSpec sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pixel Mapper xModel asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | FlickerSpec | Pixel Mapper xModel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | ā |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No ā better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 13.0 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Corey Thomas Slick | S&B Designs |
In-app purchases
FlickerSpec
- FlickerSpec Pro$49.99
Pixel Mapper xModel
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FlickerSpec free?
Is Pixel Mapper xModel free?
Do FlickerSpec or Pixel Mapper xModel have ads?
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