bistable lcd displays manufacturer
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High contrast and wide viewing angle: The monochromatic bistable LCD’s contrast ratio is as high as 25:1, viewing angle about 80 degree in all directions.
Bistable Liquid Crystal materials require protection from UV light. A UV blocking material with a minimum 98% cut of at 380nm and lower spectral components is required.
The finished product design should incorporate a transparent cover such as acrylic, polycarbonate etc. to protect the viewing area of the display. Place the protective cover as close to the display bistable module as possible. The protective cover should be sufficient thickness to resist bending.
The power used for screen refreshing is pretty high. So, it will not worthwhile for an application if the screen has to be refreshed more than 20 to 50 times depending on the battery used. Bistable display technology has been used for shelf label and E-reader. Bi-stable LCDs requires the use of a voltage booster. Designing into some environments needs to be cautious, examples: explosive gas. Bistable LCDs are limited to one color of character and one color of background.
Bistable LCDs are reflective and do not require a backlight. This can be a disadvantage in areas with dark ambient light. If the lighting has to be used, it can only use front light instead of backlight. It can be expensive and lose its key advantage of low power.

New Vision Display acquired the ZBD LCD technology – including patents, know-how, employees and facility – on September 20th, 2019. ZBD LCDs are a low-power, reflective, bistable LCD technology that offers paper-like reflectivity, wide viewing angles, wide storage/operating temperatures, and long-term stability at a low cost. ZBDs use standard LCD material with a robust and proven supply chain. Because of their unique advantages, ZBDs are an excellent display solution for battery-operated devices, outdoor environments, and bright lighting conditions. Call us to discuss if ZBD LCDs are the right choice for your project!
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The power efficiency offered by bi-stable displays is their primary draw. For example, research conducted by Motorola found that a battery in a PDA can last over 600 times longer on a device that utilises bi-stable technology.
Electronic shelf labels (ESL) using bi-stable technology allow retailers to change product pricing remotely and in real-time. This allows the retailer to be reactive with pricing and promotions, and stay ahead of their competitors. At GTK, our colour bi-stable displays offer the additional benefit of making signage more visually appealing and eye-catching.
In addition to the above benefits, bi-stable displays offer wider viewing angles than most transmissive displays, high contrast ratio and excellent sunlight readability.

Bistable LCD Display offers the perfect display in a world of imperfect LCD technology. Think about this; perhaps in a perfect world automobiles would require no gas; air conditioners in Arizona would require no power; and food crops would require no rain or water. We do not live in a perfect world but there is a LCD display technology that can display an image that requires zero power. Is it possible?
Well, yes and no... the Bistable LCD Display, also called cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLCD), e-paper, and even zero power, do offer a great power savings. They do not require any power to display the image, but there is a need for power to change the image. This unique bi-stable property means that an image placed on the display will remain indefinitely without the need for refreshing as is necessary in an active matrix display such as a TFT LCD Displays or a passive matrix display such as a monochrome character LCDs.
At this time all Bistable LCD displays are custom built to the customer’s specification. This requires a one-time tooling fee and an MOQ (minimum order quantity).
Zero power displays are reflective and do not require a backlight. This can be a disadvantage in areas with dark ambient light, but the plus side is they are very readable in direct sunlight. This is a great advantage over many other display technologies that have to compete with sun light, making the other displays difficult to read.
Some of the bistable LCD display is equipped with on-board RAM memory to store the image. They can be manufactured as a Chip on Glass (COG), Chip on Flex (COF) and Chip on Board (COB).
The largest possible glass size at this time is 18 inches. The product designer can build the custom bistable display to a size that meets their design requirements.

Bistable LCD Display offers the perfect display in a world of imperfect LCD technology. Think about this; perhaps in a perfect world automobiles would require no gas; air conditioners in Arizona would require no power; and food crops would require no rain or water. We do not live in a perfect world but there is a LCD display technology that can display an image that requires zero power. Is it possible?
Well, yes and no... the Bistable LCD Display, also called cholesteric liquid crystal (ChLCD), e-paper, and even zero power, do offer a great power savings. They do not require any power to display the image, but there is a need for power to change the image. This unique bi-stable property means that an image placed on the display will remain indefinitely without the need for refreshing as is necessary in an active matrix display such as a TFT LCD Displays or a passive matrix display such as a monochrome character LCDs.
At this time all Bistable LCD displays are custom built to the customer’s specification. This requires a one-time tooling fee and an MOQ (minimum order quantity).
Zero power displays are reflective and do not require a backlight. This can be a disadvantage in areas with dark ambient light, but the plus side is they are very readable in direct sunlight. This is a great advantage over many other display technologies that have to compete with sun light, making the other displays difficult to read.
Some of the bistable LCD display is equipped with on-board RAM memory to store the image. They can be manufactured as a Chip on Glass (COG), Chip on Flex (COF) and Chip on Board (COB).
The largest possible glass size at this time is 18 inches. The product designer can build the custom bistable display to a size that meets their design requirements.

The Bistable display has been introduced to the public thank to E-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle®. This is a new type of custom LCD. This article on the Bistable LCDs, or zero power LCD, gives a quick Q&A on this new display technology. To read the first of this series, click on part one.
The concept of a display module that can hold an image without any drain to a battery has become popular as more OEM manufactures seek to incorporate this technology in their next generation of products. In a perfect world, automobiles would require no fuel; air conditioners would run without power and food crops would require zero water. Although we do not live in a perfect world, there are new types of custom LCDs that can display an image and requires zero power.
This is great news if you manufacture abattery powered product since the LCD Displays is one of the greatest power draining devices in your bill of materials (BOM).
For this reason, we receive many calls from OEM manufactures that want to switch to a Bi-stable LCD Module in their next generation product. But as good as this technology sounds; it is not the ‘perpetual motion’ of custom LCDs. There are some restrictions, including both technology and cost that make this display the not-so-perfect solution for every application.
This article was written to provide a quick overview of advantages, disadvantages and costs associated with incorporating a bistable LCD display in your next custom LCDs application.
Bi-stable LCD Technology also referred to as Cholesteric displays, are able to hold an image without any power drain, but they do require voltage to switch the image.
A2: At this time Chip on Board (COB), Chip on Glass (COG) and Tape Automated Bonding (TAB) are available. When designing a custom bistable LCD display with a resolution of 128x64 or lower, we recommend COG. For resolutions above 128x64 it is suggested to consider TAB or COB.
A4: Bistable displays are reflective which is one reason why they are excellent in direct sun light. It is possible to install a side lit LED with a reflective polarizer.

This is the same technology that is being use on the Amazon Kindle and other e-readers. These zero-power displays are now available to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers). Their cost and MOQ’s (Minimum Order Quantities) are decreasing as they become more popular. This makes the new technology more and more attractive for consumer products that require minimal power usage.
Cholesteric liquid crystal displays offer an ultra wide viewing angle; in fact, the display is readable from a full 180 degrees. This exceeds the viewing angle of every other type of LCD display. The reason this is possible is because the technology does not require a polarizer. Without the polarizer—which naturally limits viewing angle—this means you can read the display from extreme high, low, left, or right angles.
The display offers a very sharp contrast between the background and the character segments. The contrast is very close to that of printed type on white paper; that is another quality that speaks to its readability. Bi-stable displays are also versatile in that they are not limited to black letters on a white background. The segments can be other colors and the display can run in negative mode. (Negative mode is when the characters are light in color and the background is darker.)
Bi-stable displays require the use of a booster or charge pump. There are certain conditions or environments wherein this technology is not recommended. Specifically, it can be dangerous in situations where there may be explosive gas.
At this time, while Bi-stable LCD’s can use a wide range of colors for the background and the segments they are limited to one color of character and one color of background. Unlike TFT (thin-film-transistor) and OLED (organic light emitting diode) displays, which allow the user to display 64,000 or more colors.
There is new technology being developed to add colors as an option to these displays. Research by Gamma Displays (http://gammadynamics.net/) in Tempe Arizona has developed a prototype bi-stable display that is able to produce a multitude of colors. Although this is not in production at this time, it could be incorporated in the next generation of tablets or laptops.

Say goodbye to constant power consumption and hello to energy efficiency with bistable displays. This groundbreaking technology allows electronic displays to hold an image almost indefinitely without needing a continuous power source, making them a game-changing solution for low-power electronics applications.
In a nutshell, bistable displays are a type of electronic display that can hold an image almost indefinitely without the need for a continuous power source. Most bistable displays are reflective display technologies and typically belong to the e-paper display family.
There are several different bistable display technologies available on the market. Fundamentally, they are built only to draw power when updating the image, but no power for static usage.
Electrophoretic displays, typically referred to as e-paper or e-ink displays, use microscopic particles suspended in a fluid to display an image. When an electric current is applied, the particles are moved to the front or back of the display, creating an image.
Bistable liquid crystal displays (LCDs) use a special type of liquid crystal material that can hold an image without the need for a continuous power source. These displays are similar to traditional LCDs, but they are able to hold an image indefinitely without consuming any power. There are many different types of bistable display modes that have been developed over the past four decades, including:bistable twisted nematic liquid crystal
Electrochromic displays use an electrochromic material that is able to change its color or transparency when an electric current is applied to it. When the current is removed, the material remains in its new state for a certain time period, typically referred to as image memory or image retention. The image retention time can vary for different electrochromic stacks, but most electrochromic devices are not fully bistable.
There are several advantages to using bistable displays over traditional displays:Energy efficiency: As bistable displays do not require a continuous power source to hold an image, they are much more energy efficient than traditional displays. This makes them ideal for use in applications where power consumption is a concern, such as in portable devices or in areas where access to electricity is limited. Read more about low-power displays.
Simplified driving: Depending on bistable display technology, passive matrix addressing is possible, and no need for a thin film transistor array (TFT).
Reflective Display Advantages: as mentioned, most bistable displays are reflective, which means benefits such as sunlight readability. Read more about reflective displays.
Long lifespan: Bistable displays can have a longer lifespan than traditional displays, as they do not suffer from the wear and tear that comes from continuously displaying an image. This makes them ideal for use in applications where the display will be in use for long periods of time, such as in digital signage or in public transportation systems.
Bistable displays have a wide range of potential applications, including:Electronic shelf labels: Bistable displays are ideal for digital price signs and labels, as they are energy efficient and have a long lifespan.
Digital signage: Bistable displays are also well-suited for use in digital signage, as they are able to hold an image indefinitely without consuming any power. This makes them ideal for use in outdoor advertising or in public transportation systems with relatively infrequent information changes. Read more about digital signage.
E-readers: Bistable displays are often used in e-reader devices, as they are able to display text and images with high contrast and a wide viewing angle and can be read under sunlight. Their energy efficiency and long lifespan make them well-suited for use in this application.
Bistable displays are a revolutionary technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we use electronic displays. With their energy efficiency, long lifespan, and durability, they have a wide range of potential applications and are well-suited for use in a variety of settings.

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When simplicity, functionality and performance is what you need, our monochrome active and passive LCD displays provide the answer. Lightweight and compact, with ultra-low power consumption, our state-of-the-art mono LCD displays deliver optimum clarity and brightness with striking visual graphics. We also offer sunlight readable solutions as well as customized and bespoke displays to match your every requirement.

Kent Displays is a global leader of a unique eWriter display technology. It has expertise in research, development, roll to roll manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods design and assembly using the eWriter technology. Kent Displays also commercializes and sells the eWriter technology under its brand Boogie Board in a multitude of global retail markets.
Boogie Board eWriters have been in existence since 2010 and have become ubiquitous when it comes to electronic writing with the most natural feel of handwriting. Kent displays is using the market success in consumer retail and introducing the eWriter technology in other OEM markets including consumer electronics, mobile electronics accessories, security, healthcare, and education.
Kent Displays was founded in 1993 by Professor Bill Doane of the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University and William Manning of Manning and Napier, Rochester New York. Years of development have gone into commercialization of the cholesteric display technology. Over the course of many years Kent Displays has developed expertise in supply chain of flexible crystal films, roll to roll manufacturing, as well as materials, process, and devices. The world’s first roll to roll manufacturing line dedicated to bistable cholesteric displays was installed in 2008. Today Kent Displays runs two complete roll to roll manufacturing lines dedicated to flexible eWriter display technology mass production. Future expansions are in development to service the growing eWriter demands.
Dr. Doane is a world renowned expert in the field of liquid crystal materials and devices. Together with William Manning of Manning Ventures of Rochester, NY, they co-founded Kent Displays, Inc. in 1993.
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