After 40 years of development, various monochrome LCD technologies are used in the display industry. With different characteristics, each technology is adapted to different types of application and/or environment. Syscom Prorep can help you determine which is best for your project.
TN (Twist Nematic):
This LCD technology is the most basic. Trapped between two glass plates equipped with polarizers, the liquid crystals are rotated through 90 degrees, making them visible. This technology offers 50:1 contrast and limited viewing angles.
TN doped :
This TN variant is only used for negative-mode displays (transparent segments on a dark background). The liquid crystal is doped with a black dye to absorb light in the non-display area. The result is a very dark background and high contrast of 100:1.
VA (Vertical alignment) :
The liquid crystals of the VA LCD display, in negative mode, have been aligned vertically instead of horizontally. In this way, light in the non-display area is practically absorbed. The result is a very high contrast of 800:1.
STN (Super Twist Nematic):
By increasing the rotation angle of the liquid crystals from 90 to 240 degrees, the STN (Super TN) LCD screen benefits from better viewing angles and the slope of the transmission voltage curve (Thresold Voltage). This characteristic of the Vth curve enables high resolution. However, the rotation of the liquid crystals also causes a significant dispersion of light towards blue or yellow.
DSTN (Double STN) :
To compensate for the STN cell's light scattering towards blue or yellow, the DSTN (Double STN) LCD superimposes 2 LCD layers with opposite deviations. The result is a black & white screen with no temperature-dependent color deviation. The constraint
of this technology is that it is almost twice as thick and heavy as other technologies.
FSTN (Film-compensated STN) :
Given the constraints of DSTN technology - thickness and weight - for many applications, the FSTN LCD uses a light-retarding film to compensate for light dispersion. As the filter is passive, compensation works well at room temperature, but cannot prevent colorization at higher temperatures. 20 High : -30 ~ 70 Test: -40 ~ 80 240 1.8 AV: 20 - 35
NB:
Because natural light consists of various wavelengths from 300 to 700 nm, the different lengths are diverted to different degrees as they pass through liquid crystals. This phenomenon is known as "light scattering".
What is syscom-prorep's experience?
Syscom-Prorep has many years' experience in the field of displays. We offer all these technologies for a wide range of applications in the industrial, medical and consumer sectors. We offer our customers knowledge of LCD technologies that enables them to make an appropriate choice according to their needs.
Syscom-Prorep provides expert advice on the design of standard or customized LCD displays and modules.
TFT displays
TFT (Thin Film Transistor) screens incorporate thin-film transistors in their glass, which control the liquid crystals with very fast response times compared to monochrome LCDs.
Syscom-Prorep has been in the vanguard of TFT technology since it was first introduced. Since its development, we have acquired key competencies that we put to good use for our customers. As a recognized player in industrial TFT displays, we are continually expanding our product line from 0.96'' to 85''. Built around renowned partners, our range covers a broad spectrum of sizes, formats and resolutions. For applications with special requirements, such as highly illuminated environmental conditions or hardened or even medical applications, we can offer specially adapted TFT screens.
Whether for indoor or outdoor use, from monochrome to color and from low-cost to high-end, Syscom Prorep will provide you with the best display solution!
What are TFT screens made of?
TFT displays come in 3 families, depending on the LCD technology used. We find the TN and VA technologies, detailed above for monochrome screens. Added to these is IPS (In Plane Switching) technology, patented and licensed by Hitachi, offering enhanced optical performance. This technology is particularly popular with customers who switched from monochrome to color a few years ago.
Our range offers resolutions from 160x80 to 3840x2160 pixels. Our range of standard displays is largely composed of 4:3 or 16:9 screens. However, these standard formats are complemented by round, square, stretch (native or recut) and curved screens.
For outdoor displays, we offer High-TNI liquid crystal screens to withstand high temperatures and solar radiation. For displays smaller than 7.0", we also offer transflective screens based on Blanview technology.
Comparison of TN, VA and IPS technologies
Similarities :
- Fast response times
- High contrast, Wide viewing angle
Our order of preference: IPS excellent contrast viewing angle, no color variation or grayscale inversion depending on viewing angle. Highest contrast level and very high black depth. VA: good price/performance compromise TN: Attractive price for certain sizes. Poor high/low viewing angle, very pronounced color variation and grayscale depending on viewing angle. A Wide Viewing Film (also known as O Film) can be used. For certain sizes, this can be an economical way of achieving "wide-angle" vision.
VFD screens
Vaccum Fluorescent Display (VFD) technology was widely used in consumer electronics equipment such as video recorders, car radios and microwave ovens.
A VFD works on the principle of cathodoluminescence, like a cathode ray tube, but at much lower voltages. A VFD has a phosphor-coated carbon anode that is bombarded by electrons emitted by the cathode filament. In fact, each tube in a VFD is a triode vacuum tube, as it also has a meshed control grid.
A VFD, using emissive technology, emits a very bright light with high contrast. VFD brightness can reach 4,000 cd/m2.
VFDs can display seven-segment digits, multi-segment alphanumeric characters, or can be realized in a dot matrix to display different alphanumeric characters and symbols. In practice, there is little limit to the shape of the image that can be displayed: it depends solely on the shape of the phosphor on the anode(s).
Design
The main features of the technology are :
Wide operating temperature range from -40 to 85 degrees.
High visibility and wide angle of vision in all directions.
Character and graphic format options
Longevity of design, supported for over 20 years in some cases.
Modmaster development software available.
Customizable displays and modules.
5x7-character LCD emulation
Our Noritake Itron TU family
Selectable 4/8-bit M68/i80 interfaces
Brightness control knob
ASIC controller with only 2us of occupied time.
Single 5 V DC power supply
ASCII + extended + user fonts
I/F CMOS Sync series available
These popular 5x7 character LCD emulation modules have the added feature that pin 3 can be linked to Busy or Hardware Reset. A 4-level brightness control is available.
The high-speed ASIC used to control these modules has an occupancy time of just 2us, enabling dynamic visual effects using the extended character set and 8 user-defined characters.
LCD Emulation + Graphics
Graphics upgrade for 5X7 LCD or VFD displays
Serial SPI/Async as slave or host
Commands for downloading and drawing graphics
Single system-pass serial port host
Selectable 4/8-bit M68/i80 interfaces
Place the cursor on any pixel.
ASCII fonts 5x5, 5x7, 7x7, 7x15, 10x14
The new Double Density versions allow you to increase the number of rows in modules of the same size. For example: 2x16 > 3x16 > 4x16. A 7x7 font is used to improve legibility The 7806A has ASCII + European fonts, and the 7806AC versions have ASCII + Cyrillic fonts.
Large character module
These character modules are easy to control with ASCII commands and characters using a parallel or serial interface. Y-series modules feature character brightness control to highlight and grayscale characters and symbols. T Series large character font modules have large pixels to provide a distinct image for easy reading from a distance.
Compact graphics module
Compact graphics modules have a pixel size of 0.3 to 0.5 mm, which means they're ideal for visibility at 1 m in general. There are 4 series of software packages available, providing commands tailored to display attributes.
Medium dot graphic modules
Medium dot graphics modules have a pixel size of 0.5 to 0.7 mm, which means they are visible from a distance of 2 to 3 m. There are 4 series of software packages available, providing commands tailored to the display's attributes.
Large modules for gaming, message signage and POS applications Noritake Itron has developed these large modules for gaming, message signage and POS applications. Many modules can store predefined text and graphics in an integrated EPROM. Multi-drop addressing allows multiple modules to be connected to the same system bus. 16- and 32-point-high modules include variable font sizes. The K61x series offers RS485 serial and clock options. Some modules are sold in boxes with software and support accessories.
PMOLED displays
PMOLED (Passive Matrix Organic LED Emissive Display) technology offers wide viewing angles. It is available for screens up to 5.2''.
As an OLED becomes self-emissive through an organic material, its viewing angle is much wider than that of an LCD. This wide viewing angle can bring great improvements to a wide variety of product applications. It also offers new concepts to industrial designers who were previously limited by the constraints of traditional LCD screens.
Fast response times
Slow response time is one of the main problems with existing LCD technology. Applications requiring animation are limited to a certain extent with traditional LCD screens. OLED technology offers 1,000 times faster response speed, reducing the constraints on screen design.
Low energy consumption
As backlighting is not required for OLED, power consumption is lower than that of an LCD module. This can increase battery life for portable products.
Compact size
As backlighting is not required for OLED, lightweight and extremely thin displays can be applied to a wide range of products, opening up a wide range of new design possibilities.
High brightness and contrast
OLED technology offers considerably higher levels of brightness and contrast than LCD screens.
The operating principle and structure of OLEDs is similar to that of conventional light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Light is emitted by the recombination of electrons and holes from the cathode and anode, respectively. According to the device structure, a typical OLED has a hole transport layer (HTL), an emitter material layer (EML) and an electron transport layer (EML) between the electrodes. An injection of current through the device excites the electrons to higher energy states, and their relaxation to lower states results in light emission with wavelengths depending on the organic materials and device structure used.
EPAPER SCREEN
Electronic ink
E-paper technology is also known as electronic ink. Our first partner E Ink is the inventor of several types of electrophoretic inks, often referred to as electronic inks. When laminated onto a plastic film, then bonded to electronics, it creates an electronic display on paper (EPD). Although sounding futuristic, e-ink is actually a simple fusion of chemistry, physics and electronics. It looks so much like paper that it uses the same pigments as those used in the printing industry today.
Single-pigment ink system
E Ink JustTint™ is a variable-transmission film that, when adhered to glass or plastic, allows light to be controlled across the surface. JustTint uses a single-pigment system, but drives the ink in a new way compared to other ink systems. In JustTint, the black pigments move sideways when a charge is applied to allow a transparent area of the cap.
Dual-pigment ink system
E Ink's dual-pigment electronic ink system is made up of millions of tiny microcapsules, each about the diameter of a human hair. Each microcapsule contains negatively charged white particles and positively charged black particles suspended in a clear liquid. When a positive or negative electric field is applied, the corresponding particles move to the top of the microcapsule, where they become visible to the user. This makes the surface white or black at that point.
For E Ink Prism™ film, we use our standard black plus one of seven different color pigments. Prism has been specially designed for the architectural market to give architects and designers new ways to transform spaces.
E Ink JustWrite ™, this new film, offers a natural writing experience without the use of a TFT substrate or complex electronics. JustWrite uses a dual-pigment electronic ink system, but drives the ink using a different method to our standard inks. In JustWrite, a magnetic pen is the "driver" for moving the ink; to reset the display, a small electrical charge is applied. JustWrite retains the same image stability of all our ink platforms, and power is only used to reset the image.
Three-pigment ink system - E Ink Spectra™ 3000
E Ink's Spectra 3000 uses a 3-pigment ink system in a microcup structure. This ink has been specially designed for electronic shelf labels (ESL) and is available in black, white and red, and black, white and yellow. This ink system works in a similar way to the dual-pigment system, in that a charge is applied to the pigments and to a top and bottom electrode to facilitate movement. However, instead of using microcapsules, this system uses Microcups®, which are liquid-filled and sealed.
Four-pigment ink system - E Ink Spectra™ 3100
E Ink Spectra 3100 is E Ink's next-generation Spectra product. Spectra 3100 is a four-pigment ink system that incorporates retailer requests for additional color functionality, using black, white, red and yellow particles to deliver rich, vivid color content. Spectra 3100 has an improved update time and an extended temperature range for red and yellow states, to meet retailers' needs to use ESL labels in a variety of environments within their stores. In addition, Spectra 3100 will be offered in panels with an updated all-in-one driver IC that supports premium ESLs with higher resolution in different sizes.
Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP™) - Four-pigment system
In 2016, E Ink introduced a multi-pigment ink system, Advanced Color ePaper (E Ink ACeP™). ACeP™ achieves a full color gamut, including all eight primary colors, using only colored pigments. The ink can be incorporated into microcapsule or microcup structures. Color is achieved by having all the colored pigments in each pixel, eliminating the need for a network of color filters. ACeP™ maintains the ultra-low-consumption, paper-like legibility in all lighting conditions of ordinary E Ink electronic paper.
Electronic ink film
Once the e-ink microcapsules or microcups have been created, the ink is laminated onto a roll of plastic film, which can be cut into different shapes and sizes. These cut parts are then attached to a layer of circuitry that can create an electric field across the microcapsule or microcup. It is this electric field that causes the ink to move inside the microcapsules or microcups and change from one state, or color, to another.
Microcapsules of electronic ink have been created and laminated onto a roll of plastic film. A roll of ePaper passes through Charles River, Boston.
E Ink plastic film can be applied to virtually any surface, including glass, plastic, fabric and even paper. Ultimately, E Ink will enable most surfaces to become a screen, bringing information beyond the confines of traditional devices and into the world around us.
Most customers will find a module solution the simplest and fastest route to market; a module is a complete screen, including TFT, ink layer, protective foil, driver electronics and connector. It is ready to be integrated into a customer's final product design. E Ink sells modules in a variety of configurations.
For customers with in-house module manufacturing capabilities, including access to a TFT factory, E Ink will consider joint development partnerships. Contact our sales team for more information.
E Ink manufactures a number of EPD films, with different characteristics depending on the needs of the application.
E Ink Carta™ 1000 offers a dramatic 50% increase in contrast over previous generations, giving displays a near paperback contrast ratio. Crisp text and detailed graphics are also highly legible in bright sunlight. Carta's 16 gray levels produce the sharpest image rendering with soft tones and rich detail.
E Ink Carta™ 1100 and 1200 offer a 20% increase in response time over E Ink Carta 1000 and a 15% improvement in contrast ratio. E Ink Carta 1100 and 1200 offer the same benefits as Carta 1000. In addition, faster response times enable smoother writing and animation on ePaper screens.
E Ink Carta 1000, 1100 and 1200 support Regal™ technology for image updates. Regal virtually eliminates the need for a full refresh, providing viewers with smoother viewing transitions.
E Ink Carta 1000, 1100 and 1200 modules consist of a TFT (thin-film transistor), an ink layer and a protective foil. In addition, product designers can include a touch solution, which is integrated into the module stack. E Ink currently offers both digitizers and capacitive touch solutions. Digitizer touch technology uses a stylus to update the display, with the touch sensor positioned beneath the TFT. Capacitive touch technology uses finger swipes and is positioned above the display module. E Ink's touch solutions will not affect the reflectivity of the screen.
ApplicationS
E Ink Pearl displays are ideal for a variety of dynamic content applications, including :
E-readers
Wireless devices - remote controls, game controllers
Health and fitness displays - cyclometers, ultra-mobile PNDs, glucose monitors
Fashion and performance watches
Thermostats
Mobile point-of-sale units (signature tablets)
In-store signage
E Ink Spectra™
E Ink Spectra™ is offered in two product lines; E Ink Spectra™ 3000 and E Ink Spectra™ 3100. The Spectra product link is geared towards electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and other retail signage.
By using electronic shelf labels (ESLs) with E Ink's technology, retailers have the ability to modify pricing strategies as needed in real time, keeping them ahead of their competitors while attracting consumers.
E Ink Mobius flexible displays have been the subject of interest for years, but product designers have been unable to capitalize on this technology due to the limitations of manufacturing TFTs on substrates other than glass. After many years of R&D, E Ink has launched E Ink Mobius, the first plastic-based TFT product to go into series production.
For an end customer, a flexible screen offers several advantages apart from the flexibility of the screen itself. Plastic-based TFTs enable the end product to be significantly lighter and thinner than products using glass-based TFTs. In addition, glass-based TFTs can be fragile; using plastic-based TFTs can result in a more robust end product with less breakage from drops.
The weight savings with plastic TFTs can make a significant difference to end product specifications: a 12.9" LCD screen weighs an average of 713g; a 13.3" E Ink screen with a plastic TFT weighs just 349g. As product designers consider using larger screens for textbooks and electronic journals, this weight saving can make it easy to hold larger devices in one hand, and will make a big difference to the weight of a student's backpack.
For applications such as phones or handheld devices, the use of a plastic TFT can be complemented by a layer of unbreakable glass on the front of the screen to give rigidity to a device that requires significant touch interaction, but still provides increased robustness. In these devices, the TFT itself is often the component that fails most often, rather than the top plane glass. A plastic TFT can significantly reduce display failures due to these drops.
Applications
E Ink Mobius displays are ideal for a variety of dynamic content applications, including:
E-readers
Educational devices, such as e-textbooks
Electronic newspapers and e-zines
Business devices
Smartphones - Primary and secondary display
Smartphone accessories
Luggage tag (unbreakable)
Smart card with active matrix EPD (thin and flexible)
Logistics tag (unbreakable)
E Ink color technology, Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP) - E Ink Gallery™, is a high-quality color reflective screen. In the ACeP™ system, the ink can produce a full color at each pixel, without the use of a color filter array (CFA).
ACeP™ achieves a full range of colors, including all eight primary colors, using only colored pigments. The display uses a single layer of electrophoretic fluid that is controlled using voltages compatible with TFT substrates. The fluid can be incorporated into microcapsule or Microcup® structures. Color richness is achieved by having all the colored pigments in each picture element (pixel) rather than the side-by-side pixel colors obtained with CFA. This eliminates light attenuation, which can be quite significant. ACeP™ maintains the ultra-low-power, paper-like legibility in all lighting conditions of ordinary E Ink electronic paper.
Applications
Digital signage, public information board, menu board, gallery and more.
The E Ink Gallery Palette uses the same color ePaper film as the ACeP product, but is driven by simpler electronics to support cost-sensitive applications that don't require the color performance of ACeP. Gallery Palette supports the seven colors most frequently used in advertising and signage: black, white, red, yellow, blue, green and orange. Gallery Palette is designed for applications where autonomy is an essential requirement, but only a limited range of colors is needed. Our customers use Gallery Palette in areas such as smart digital badges, mobile advertising, indoor signage and much more.
E Ink Kaleido ™ displays offer 16 grayscale levels and are capable of displaying 4096 colors, enabling ultra-low-power, high-mobility devices with a paper-like experience, ideal for image-rich information applications such as charts, graphs, maps, photos, comics and advertising. And just like E Ink's monochrome ePaper products, Kaleido's crisp text and detailed color graphics are fully visible in direct sunlight and have the same low-power attributes.
An E Ink Kaleido™ module consists of a TFT substrate, an ink layer, a color filter layer and a protective foil.
E Ink Kaleido ™ uses a new printed color filter array (CFA) technology in conjunction with E Ink's second-generation Carta ink, which is faster and brighter than previous generations. The new printing process reduces the need for a glass-based CFA, making screens thinner and lighter than previous generations, while simultaneously having better optical quality. This enables e-reader manufacturers to combine the power of traditional black and white displays with color for a more complete e-book buying experience. What's more, E Ink's faster ink enables faster updates for animations and page changes. Thanks to this new color technology, E Ink's eNote product lines are now able to offer writing tablets with colored highlighters, pens and markers, providing new options for educational and professional devices.
In early 2021, E Ink launched a new generation in the Kaleido family, named E Ink Kaleido™ Plus. In this new version, we've made adjustments to the printed CFA, to enable a better balance of colors and print texture, and we've moved the CFA closer to the ink, to reduce light scattering. New image rendering algorithms deliver sharper text. In addition, we have made adjustments to the light guides, enabling better optimization of the LED color spectrum to minimize color mixing.
Applications
eReader, eNote, Smartphones and more.
E Ink Triton™ technology is composed of a TFT substrate, an ink layer, a glass-based color filter layer and a protective foil.
E Ink offers a 31.2" Triton color module, with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels with 16 levels of grayscale and 4096 colors.
E Ink Triton-enabled ePaper color displays offer high-contrast, sunlight-readable, low-energy performance that further reduces the digital divide between paper and electronic displays. Applications
E Ink Triton displays are ideal for a variety of dynamic content applications such as indoor signage, public information board, menu board.
Finally E Ink Spectra technology is a multi-pigment electronic ink offered as standard for retail and electronic label tags. EPDs using Spectra offer the same high-contrast, sunlight-readable, low-energy performance attributes as other display types - now with a touch of color. The first generation of Spectra, E Ink Spectra™ 3000, contains black, white and red or yellow pigments, and E Ink Spectra™ 3100 contains black, white, red and yellow pigments to meet customer demands for additional color functionality.
E Ink Prism ™ will transform the way spaces and environments are experienced. Manufacturers and designers will now have the ability to integrate innovative films into architectural products to dynamically alter colors, patterns and habitats. E Ink Prism uses E Ink's bistable ink technology in a film that can transform architectural materials into dynamic, unique experiences and designs. It is visually similar to paint as it uses the same pigments found in the printing industry. But unlike traditional paint, E Ink Prism can change the color of a wall, ceiling panel or entire room instantly, at the flick of a switch.
It doesn't stop at color. Programmable patterns and shapes can be integrated to create patterns or functions. Doors can indicate whether a conference room is occupied, wall designs can react to noise, temperature or movement in the room. Whatever the idea, the opportunities are endless and limited only by a designer's imagination.
Applications
Architectural material, interior design, furniture, art installation, retail point of sale (POP), guidance, notice indicator, fashion industry.
Resistive touch panels
Resistive touchscreens work on a very simple and reliable principle. Resistive touchscreens are often used in applications requiring a guarantee that the touch solution will function properly. Syscom Prorep supplies resistive touchscreens in sizes ranging from 1.8" to 24". To accompany our touchscreens, we also offer resistive touchscreen controllers and drivers for Microsoft, Linux, Android or QNX operating systems. Resistive touchscreens are available in 4, 5 or 8-wire technologies.
4-wire resistive touchscreens are suitable for small to medium-sized products such as handheld devices. These tiles use X+, X-, Y+ and Y- outputs at the four edges of the screen, acting as variable potentiometers. When contact is made, the X/Y readings are then read by the controller and converted into the correct coordinates.
In a 5-wire resistive touchscreen, the upper conductive layer is responsible only for voltage sensing, while voltage is applied alternately to the X and Y axes of the lower conductive layer.
8-wire resistive touchscreens work in the same way as 4-wire resistive touchscreens, except that an additional sensing wire is added to compensate for the voltage drop at the edges due to resistance (disruptive uniformity) as the size of the touchscreen increases. An 8-wire structure offers 4 additional screen readings, circuit protection and is well suited to screens from 7" to 21.5".
3-layer resistive touchscreens feature a film-on-glass construction with a single circuit layer bonded to a scratch-resistant surface layer, on a lower glass layer incorporating a conductive coating.
The 5-layer resistive touchscreen construction comprises two layers of ITO (Indium Oxide) film bonded to acrylic or polycarbonate providing two layers of circuitry with an interposing spacer adhesive with the bottom ITO layer optically bonded to the support panel. This technology is only available to specification.
Touchscreens can benefit from a range of anti-reflective and transparent surface finishes. An anti-reflective finish is desirable in environments where glare from ambient lighting can interfere with LCD visibility, or where the likelihood of frequent scratches is high. If ambient glare is not a problem, a transparent finish offers the best possible image quality and superior visual results.
Syscom-Prorep also offers touchscreen panel attachment with optical bonding, which greatly improves readability in brightly lit environments and resistance to impact.
Capacitive touchscreens
Our projected capacitive touchscreens (PCAP) are manufactured specifically for the industrial, medical and commercial sectors. They are widely used in industrial machinery, points of sale, outdoor kiosks, medical devices, transportation, etc. Standard features built into PCAP touchscreens guarantee compatibility with a wide range of environments and products, including immunity to noise, standing water or rain, glove operation, automatic adaptation to the environment, glass options, easy parameter setting, etc.
Syscom-Prorep offers Glass/Glass Glass Film Glass and OGS (One Glass Solution) solutions with external COB (Chip On Board) or COF (Chip On Flex) controller technology.
Features
Total touch solution including projected capacitive touchscreen (PCAP), control board, firmware and software.
Standard projected capacitive touchscreens (PCAP) from 2.4" to 43".
The projected capacitive touch screen (PCAP) design is made for various applications with the possibilities.
Durable, scratch-resistant surface.
High light transmission.
Suitable for a wide temperature/humidity range.
EMI shielding available.
Contact one of our experts
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