mfd lcd screen factory

NLS modified an existing 10.4” COTS touchscreen display to conform to the prescribed physical outline dimensions. We changed the 10.4” LCD panel to an industrial grade 8.4” LCD to free up space to add front panel controls and LED indicators. Working in conjunction with the computer manufacturer, we designed a backplane breakout board for routing the various I/O, video and power signals from the computer to the appropriate destinations inside the display housing.

I hope I inspire you to do the fix. When my friend drove off with a now working display (@2:30am) he was so "touch happy" playing with his screen again I was worried he would crash into something. LOL

These touchscreen displays eliminate the black box for most forms of sonar systems, offering a built-in conventional sounder, chirp sonar and side-scan technology using a compatible transducer. Many also can be networked with radar, autopilot and other peripherals such as audio systems.

Nine-inch displays (measured diagonally) offer the optimal balance of screen size and cost. But each model is available in smaller 7-inch sizes and larger screens up to 16 inches.

Furuno is a gold-standard navigation-device brand among commercial fishermen. Its track record of durability is unparalleled, and I’ve been on two US Coast Guard Cutters and one small patrol boat using this equipment. Operating menus are easily accessible by swiping in from the screen sides, and the architecture of the TZtouch3 firmware is extremely intuitive. Until the introduction of the TZT3-9 in 2021, everything Furuno offered was a la carte in individual black boxes. The TZT3-9 is expected to be particularly popular among yacht owners who use smaller launches as tenders.

Analysis: Screen brightness is a weakness of the Furuno display, but is mitigated partially by outstanding color arrays. Furuno also offers a more powerful Total Sonar, which doesn’t have as broad an array as side scan, but marks fish and structure down to 1,000 feet—about 800 feet deeper than most side-scan systems. The free weather service could save hundreds of dollars a year if at-sea downloads aren’t important to you.

Top Features: Garmin has a graphic user interface so logical and intuitive, most users can master the majority of it without the manual. In-plane switching (IPS), now the norm for most high-end MFDs, allows wide-angle viewing even with polarized lenses.

Analysis: This unit lacks the tactile buttons of other units, which might account for its comfortable price. A button pad can be added as an accessory. Reliability is equaled by a logical graphic interface. Drag-and-drop panes can be added to multipane screens and saved for easy access.

Top Features: A 10-inch display with 16-bit color offers outstanding resolution. If you use a Minn Kota Ulterra trolling motor, then steering, autopilot and SpotLock are available via the MFD. You can even program a route or tell the trolling motor to follow a depth contour. Embedded Mega Imaging offers live forward scanning to see fish movement in cover, ideal for competitive anglers. This requires the right transducer.

Raymarine’s 3D sonar is probably the best on the market. It requires a black box, but is the one I would make space for as an angler. The displays are crisp, the color spectrum is vivid, and the daytime display in full sunlight is unparalleled thanks to a 1,500-nit backlit LCD screen. Raymarine is also a popular factory-installed product for many boat brands, including Boston Whaler and Sea Ray. Network capabilities include FLIR, VGA cameras, engine functions and audio controls.

Top Features: The 1,500-nit screens are bright for daylight reading in full sun. The LightHouse II user interface is logical, versatile and easy to master.

Analysis: Quad-core processing makes the Raymarine Axiom+ quick when redrawing, zooming or panning on the chart, or scrolling back on sonar displays. Ample memory assists in operations and stores large tracks. The 1,500-nit color screens are the brightest on the market. It lacks a button and the dial interface of the Axiom Pro, but at a savings of over $1,000.

Lowrance is the oldest name in recreational fish-finding technology and one of the first to embrace GPS chart plotting for boaters. Its touchscreen controls are augmented with tactile buttons, and side-scanning, down-scanning, chirp and conventional sonar are built in. Connectivity with Motorguide and Lowrance Ghost trolling motors allows autopilot control of them while fishing.

Top Features: Live sonar with active imaging is embedded and only requires the appropriate optional transducer. With it, the screen can display cover and fish in motion and watch responses to lures.