Knowing the long-term average landed duty cycle (of the end product or application) is important because subjecting all (or a portion) of the micromirror array (also called the active array) to an asymmetric landed duty cycle for a prolonged period of time can reduce the usable life of the DMD.

The symmetry of the landed duty cycle is determined by how close the two numbers (percentages) are to being equal. For example, a landed duty cycle of 50/50 is perfectly symmetrical whereas a landed duty cycle of 100/0 or 0/100 is perfectly asymmetrical.