custom lcd display diy made in china

Looking to take your project to the next level in terms of functionality and appearance? A custom LCD display might be the thing that gets you there, at least compared to the dot-matrix or seven-segment displays that anyone and their uncle can buy from the usual sources for pennies. But how does one create such a thing, and what are the costs involved? As is so often the case these days, it’s simpler and cheaper than you think, and [Dave Jones] has a great primer on designing and specifying custom LCDs.

The video below is part of an ongoing series; a previous video covered the design process, turning the design into a spec, and choosing a manufacturer; another discussed the manufacturer’s design document approval and developing a test plan for the module. This one shows the testing plan in action on the insanely cheap modules – [Dave] was able to have a small run of five modules made up for only $138, which included $33 shipping. The display is for a custom power supply and has over 200 segments, including four numeric sections, a clock display, a bar graph, and custom icons for volts, amps, millijoules, and watt-hours. It’s a big piece of glass and the quality is remarkable for the price. It’s not perfect – [Dave] noted a group of segments on the same common lines that were a bit dimmer than the rest, but was able to work around it by tweaking the supply voltage a bit.

We’re amazed at how low the barrier to entry into custom electronics has become, and even if you don’t need a custom LCD, at these prices it’s tempting to order one just because you can. Of course, you can also build your own LCD display completely from scratch too.

Supply Blue Backlight 2.4 Inch 6 Digit 7 Segment LED LCD Screen Display Module Description This is a 6-digit 7-segment LCD screen display module, the screen is already used in a large number of multimeter, electronic, electronic clock, ultrasonic ranging. feature - Backlight color: blue - Display size: 2.4 inches - Driver chip: HT1621 - Interface: 3-wire SPI - Operating voltage: 4.7-5.2VDC - Operating current: 0.4mA (no backlight), 4mA (with backlight) - Applications: thermometers, multimeters, electronics, DIY projects, etc. list 1 x module

Orient Display is a company that specializes in manufacturing LCD displays, touch panels, OLED displays with competitive prices. The company was founded in 1996 by specializing in fields of production, R&D, quality controls. Thanks for the management and employee’s continuous hardworking and enormous effort and shareholder continuous investment over years, Orient Display factory is now the world’s leading custom LCD manufacturer in flat panel industry and is listed as a public company in China stock market. Now, Orient Display factory has 2 production lines that can produce PMOLED and AMOLED custom display modules. Factories have complete quality and environment management system, ISO9001, ISO/IATF16949, ISO14001, IECQ QC080000. Orient Display takes around 18% market share in global automotive market and is No.1 in automotive capacitive touch screen.

Orient Display has supported customers with custom LCD displays for tens of thousands of types and models for automotive, appliances, medical, smart homes, point of sales, industrial advices, etc. Whether your design requires a small custom LCD display glass, or a fully customized LCD module, or custom monitors and displays equipped with complicated embedded control board with touch panels, our experienced engineers in North America, Europe or in China factory will assist you in designing your customized displays.

Orient Display customer service sends quotation to you (might come with technical suggestions according to your targeted applications). The time will depend on the complexity of the project and the time to source components, normally, it takes 1-3 days for custom LCD glass panels, 2-5 days for custom LCD display modules or touch panels.

Orient Display engineers provide custom LCD display counter-drawings for you to approve with your signature on the drawing. The drawings might be modified several times until the designs are fully achieved your technical requirements. There can be a lot of technical discussions at this stage. The time our engineers take to arrange drawings also depend on the complexity of the project. Normally, it takes 1-3 days for custom LCD glass panels, 2-5 days for custom LCD display modules or touch panels.

After your drawing approval, Orient Display will start to make samples or prototypes for you to test. The lead time also varies depending on the production complexity and component/material sourcing. Normally, it takes 4-6 weeks for custom LCD glass panels, 8-10 weeks for custom LCD display modules or touch panels.

After your sample / prototype approval, Orient Display is ready for production. Orient Display welcomes trial production between the prototypes to large scale production so that you have the opportunity to fully test the custom LCD display or touch panel to run well in your designed products.

Congratulations! You have accomplished the journey of the idea, design, prototype and production in the market. The journey can take from 3 months to 3 years. Whatever the voyage, Orient Display’s engineers, customer services are proud to be part of your design. Our happiness is based on your success.

Dimensions (Specification / Drawing / Sketch of the LCD, if available). If it is a drop-in replacement, it is great to provide files in dwg. or dxf. format.

LCD Mode Preference if you have an idea or let us to decide (TN Positive/Negative, STN Positive YG, STN Negative Blue, STN Positive Gray, FSTN Positive, FSTN Negative, FFSTN Negative);

Dimensions (Specification / Drawing / Sketch of the LCD module, if available). If it is a drop-in replacement, it is great to provide files in dwg. or dxf. format.

LCD Mode Preference if you have an idea or let us to decide (TN Positive/Negative, STN Positive YG, STN Negative Blue, STN Positive Gray, FSTN Positive, FSTN Negative, FFSTN Negative);

Fully custom made TFT LCD display module can be very expensive, the NRE ranges from $80,000 to $1M depending on the size and the resolution of the LCD display and the generation of the production line the LCD display to be produced. For over 99% of our projects, we are talking about the modifications of the standard TFT LCD display. There are a lot of standard color TFT displays available in the market. You are highly likely to find one matching your requirement. If you can’t find a suitable one on our website, please check with our engineers, we have a database in factory with much more types.

Dimensions (Specification / Drawing / Sketch of the LCD module, if available). If it is a drop replacement, it is great to provide files in dwg. or dxf. format.

The above information can be overwhelming. Actually, we design a lot of touch panel and LCD custom display projects without being provided detailed information. Our engineers and customer service can quickly decide the parameters based on the customer’s application. Please feel free to contact our engineers for details.

STONE Technologies is a proud manufacturer of superior quality TFT LCD modules and LCD screens. The company also provides intelligent HMI solutions that perfectly fit in with its excellent hardware offerings.

STONE TFT LCD modules come with a microcontroller unit that has a 1GHz Cortex-A8 CPU. Such a module can easily be transformed into an HMI screen. Simple hexadecimal instructions can be used to control the module through the UART port. Furthermore, you can seamlessly develop STONE TFT LCD color user interface modules and add touch control, features to them.

You can also use a peripheral MCU to serially connect the STONE HMI display via TTL. This way, your HMI display can supply event notifications and the peripheral MCU can then execute them. Moreover, this TTL-connected HMI display can further be linked to microcontrollers such as:

The famous china LCD display manufacturers. It is the world’s leading semiconductor display technology, products, and services provider. Products are widely used in mobile phones, tablets, laptops, monitors, televisions, cars, digital information displays, and other display fields.

Focus on the development and production of china HMI (Intelligent TFT LCD Module) LCD display manufacturers, production, and sales of LCD display modules for 16 years. The company master TFT LCD technology and software system. The main products are industrial electronic series, advanced series, and civil and commercial series. Application scenarios include automation systems, medical beauty equipment, vending machines, smart lockers, energy, and power equipment (refueling machines, charging piles), elevators, smart homes, and offices, measuring instruments, public transportation, etc.

The company serves the consumer display market of the mobile terminal and professional display market. Its products are widely used in many fields such as smartphone, tablet computer, smart wear, car display, medical display, industrial control, aviation display, and smart home, and provide the best product experience for customers through TIANMA and NLT brands.

Mainly committed to the r&d, production, and sales of TFT-LCD/stn-LCD /OLED display modules, it is a modern high-tech enterprise that provides a full range of product LCD module technology and manufacturing support services for TCL group member enterprises and international electronic enterprises.

Set an LCD display module (LCM), capacitive touch screen (CTP), fully integrated touch display module (TDM), LCD thin technology development, production, and service in one national high-tech company.

Domestic size of the top four small and medium-sized flat panel display manufacturers. The products cover medium and small-size TFT-LCD display modules and high-precision miniature cameras, which have been widely used in the fields of smartphones, medical treatment, and industrial display.

The LCD business division is specialized in the r&d, production, and sales of the LCD display (LCD) and LCD module (LCM) series of products. It has ten semi-automatic COG production lines, 1.5KK of monthly COG products, covering COG, TAB, COB, and other LCD module products, TFT, CSTN, and other color LCD display products, and OLED display products. touch screen manufacturers.

Byd IT products and business mainly include the establishment of rechargeable batteries, plastic parts, metal parts, hardware, and electronic products, mobile phone keys, microelectronics, LCD display module, optoelectronic products, flexible circuit board, chargers, connectors, uninterruptible power supply, dc power supply, solar energy products, mobile phone decoration, mobile phones ODM, mobile phone test, assembly operations, laptop, ODM, manufacturing, testing and assembly operations, etc.

Star source products cover backlight, LCD, optical diaphragm, etc., widely used in LCD modules, photo frames, tablets, portable, instruments, and meters.

The company has long invested in the research and development of the TFT-lcm LCD module, focusing on consumer products and industrial control products. Currently, 3.5-11.6 inch modules are available, among which 4.0, 4.3, 5, 6, and 10.1-inch products have reached the leading level in the industry. Products are mainly used in vehicles, mobile TV, PMP, DVD, EPC, security, and industrial control products.

Professional development, design, production, and sales of LCD display module (LCM), products cover COB, TAB, COG, and other LCD module products, TFT, CSTN, and other color LCD display products, as well as OLED display products. Products are widely used in mobile phones, communications, digital products, household appliances, industrial control, instrumentation, vehicle display, color screen display, and other fields.

Mainly engaged in research and development, manufacturing, and sales of the LCD display and LCD display module. Products are widely used in all kinds of electronic products and equipment HMI interface, such as medical equipment, instruments and meters, audio, household appliances, telephone and clocks, game machines, and other different types and use.

Focusing on the LCD module industry, is a collection of research and development, manufacturing, sales as one of the high-tech enterprises. TFT module size from 1.44 to 7 inches, product specifications cover QVGA, WVGA, qHD, HD, etc., the market prospects are broad.

The display manufacturers company mainly researches and develops the LCD display, charger, battery, and other products of mobile communication mobile phone, telephone, MP3, and other high-tech products.

The company integrates research and development, design, production, sales, and service into one, and provides comprehensive touch and display integrated solutions for the complete machine touch screen manufacturer of smartphones, specializing in the development and manufacture of Sensor sensors, capacitive touch screens (GFF/OGS/GG), small and medium-sized LCD (TN/HTN/STN/CSTN/TFT) and corresponding modules and glass cover plate products. The company’s products are widely used in communication terminals (smartphone, tablet computer, etc.), household appliances, car electronics, digital products, and other industries, exported to Europe and America, Japan and South Korea, Singapore, and other countries.

Mainly produces medium and small-size LCD display module (LCM), multi-point capacitive touch screen (CTP), and other high-tech products. At present, more than 1000 models of 1.2-12.1 inch products have been developed. Products are widely used in mobile phones, GPS, mobile TV, tablet computers, digital photo frames, e-books, and other consumer electronics.

It is a professional development and production of small and medium-sized flat panel display upstream materials manufacturers. The company’s main products include LCD display panels, color filter, ITO conductive glass (CF), TFT LCD panel, and capacitive touch screen with multi-touch control functions (sensor and the final module), can provide complete medium and small size flat-panel display device using the solution of raw materials, product specifications varieties complete, widely used in 10.4 inches below the smartphone, tablet, PMP, digital camera, digital camera, GPS and other products of the display panel.

Now it is divided into mobile phone business division: the main products are (2.8-6) inch and the LCD screen and capacitive screen all fit together.MID tablet computer and ultrabook computer division: the main production product size is (7-15) inch capacitive touch screen.

Committed to 3.5~4.3 inches, 5 inches, 5.88 inches, 6.2 inches, 7.0 inches, 8.0 inches, 9.7 inches, 10.1 inches, 12.1 inches medium size FOG, backlight process production, products should be widely used in high-end communication phones, tablets, notebook computers, car TV, navigator, and other display products. automotive LCD display touch screen manufacturers.

The company has an injection molding business division, SMT business division, FPC business division, backlight business division, irrigation crystal business division, TFT module business division, SIN module business division, products involving touch screen, LCD display module, backlight, black and white screen, flexible circuit board.

Engaged in the laptop, tablet, smartphone, computer high-performance board card, LCD module, and other electronic products research and development, production, and sales of high-tech private enterprises.

Is a professional engaged in LCD display module, electronic components, production, design, research and development, sales as one of the high-tech enterprises. Products are widely used in mobile phones, game consoles, PDA, portable DVDs, video phones, intercom doorbells, car video, industrial control medical, and other fields.

STONE provides a full range of 3.5 inches to 15.1 inches of small and medium-size standard quasi TFT LCD module, LCD display, TFT display module, display industry, industrial LCD screen, under the sunlight visually highlight TFT LCD display, industrial custom TFT screen, TFT LCD screen-wide temperature, industrial TFT LCD screen, touch screen industry. The TFT LCD module is very suitable for industrial control equipment, medical instruments, POS system, electronic consumer products, vehicles, and other products.

Liquid Crystal Displays or more commonly known as LCDs are one of the most common electronic components which help us interact with an equipment or a device. Most personal portable equipment and even gigantic industrial equipment utilize a custom segment display to display data. For many portable consumer electronics, a segment LCD display is one of the biggest contributors to the overall cost of the device, hence designing a custom segment display can drive the cost down while also utilizing the display area in the most optimum manner. These displays have the lowest cost per piece, low power requirements, and a low tooling fee too.

At first thought, designing a custom segment LCD might look like a Herculean task, but trust me that it is easier than it seems. In this article, we have summarised and compared the display types and available technologies which are required to construct a custom segment LCD. We have also provided a flowchart that can act as a step-by-step guide while you design your own custom LCD. We have also provided the process we followed, a require gathering sheet we used for communicating our needs to the manufacturer, and a few other data and the quotation we received from the manufacturer.

Icons: A silhouette of any shape can be placed on the glass which enhances the ability to display data. For example, a symbol of a heart can be made to denote heart rate or an icon for a low battery to show that the battery needs to be charged. Icons are counted as a single pixel or segment and can give a lot more details than similar-sized text.

LCD Bias– It denotes the number of different voltage levels used in driving the segments, static drives (explained later in this article) only have 2 voltage levels or 2 bias voltage while multiplex drives have multiple voltage levels. For example, 1/3 will have 4 bias voltages.

LCDs utilizes the light modulating properties of liquid crystals which can be observed by using polarizing filters. Polarizing filters are special materials that have their molecules aligned in the same direction. If the light waves passing through polarisers have the same orientation as the filter, then the molecules of lights are absorbed by the filter, hence reducing the intensity of light passing through it, making it visible.

A custom LCD is important for maximizing the efficiency of the display area by adding custom symbols and characters. It also helps in reducing the cost and improving energy efficiency of the product. A higher number of custom symbols and specified placement of numerical and alphanumerical characters make the display more informative and readable for the user. This makes it look better than the plain old boring displays we get in the market. Furthermore, we can specify the viewing angle, contrast, and other specifications which can increase durability or give a better value for money for our intended usage.  A typical Custom Segment display is shown below, we will also show you how to design and fabricate the same further in the article.

The LCD display doesn’t emit any light of its own, therefore it requires an external source of illumination or reflector to be readable in dark environments.

While designing a custom segment LCD display, we have the leverage of choosing a lot of parameters that affect the final product. From the color of the display to the illumination technique and color of illumination as well as the type of input pins. Some important considerations we need to take while designing a custom 7 segment display are - the type of display, i.e. positive or negative, illumination method, driving technique, polarising type, and connection method. All these design criteria are explained below:

Positive and negative displays can be easily distinguished by the colour of the background and characters. Some common differences between the positive and negative displays are:

So, which one should you choose? When the displays are to be used in areas with higher ambient light, we should select positive segment LCD display as it has better visibility than negative segment LCD displays without using a backlight.

As we know that LED displays don’t emit any light, hence to illuminate it and make it visible in a dark environment, we can use different methods of illumination. The most common LCD Illumination methods are compared below:

For displays that need to be used for budget-friendly devices that should be small and rugged, LED lights are preferred for the displays due to the high durability and low cost of operations. For high brightness, CCFL and Incandescent lights can be used.

A polarizer film is the most important component of an LCD display, which makes it possible to display characters by controlling the light. There are 3 types of polarizers that can be used in the LCD display, the properties and difference are given below:

Displays can be categorized into two types, passive displays, and active display, passive displays are simpler to construct as they have 2 connections at each segment, the conductors comprise of an Indium Tin Oxide to create an image, whereas the active displays use thin-film transistors (TFT) arranged in a grid. The name is due to its ability to control each pixel individually.

If your displays have fewer segments, then static LCD drive is preferred as it is easier to control and cheaper to construct, and has a better contrast ratio. But let’s say that if the number of segments in the display are more than 30-40 then a multiplex LCD drive should be preferred as it has multiple common pins, hence reducing the total number of pins required to drive the display.

Choosing a connector type!!! For the prototyping phase or if you need to connect your LCD display on a Microcontroller directly, a pin type connector is the best and most economical option you have. If you need to connect your LCD display in a final product with a high volume of production which also requires to be extremely durable, but at the same time should not take up a lot of space, a Flex type LCD Connector will work best for you

LCDs have limited viewing angles and when seen from an angle they lose contrast and are difficult to be observed.  The viewing angle is defined by the angles perpendicular to the center of the display towards its right, left, up, and down which are denoted by the notations 3:00, 9:00, 12:00, and 6:00 respectively. The viewing angle of LCD can be defined as the angle w.r.t. to the bias angle at which the contrast of segments is legible.

To improve the viewing angle in an LCD, a Bias is incorporated in the design which shifts the nominal viewing angle with an offset. Another technique is to increase the Voltage, it affects the bias angle, making the display crisper when viewed from a direction.

For example, the viewing angle of a TN type TFT LCD is 45-65 degrees. Extra-wide polarising film (EWP) can increase the viewing angle by 10 degrees, using an O film polariser can make the viewing angles 75 degrees but these come at a cost of reduced contrast.

LCD Control chip or LCD driver chips can be mounted on the flex cable, display, or externally on a PCB. The placement of LCD control chip can affect the cost and size of the display. The 2 most common methods of chip placement are-Chip of Board (COB)and Chip on Glass(COG) which are described below:

We planned to design an air quality monitoring system for which we needed a custom segment LCD panel for an air quality monitoring device. Our product needs to display the following data: 2.5-micron and 10-micron particulate matter (PM) suspended in the air; the units should be in parts per million (PPM). CO2 in the air in PPM along with total volatile organic compounds present in the air in parts per billion (PPB). To make the product more usable, we included time in 24-hour format, Temperature in ºC, Battery status, loudspeaker status, Bluetooth status, and Wi-Fi status. And for some personal touch, we also added how good the air quality in the room is by using 3 different smileys.

We realized that it was impossible to provide all these data in a generic LCD available in the market, thus decided to build a custom LCD for our project.

A step-by-step flowchart is shown below to walk you through each and every step of selecting components and getting your custom segment LCD manufactured.

We started by listing down our requirements and drew a mock-up of the display on paper. After finalizing the placement of all the segments and icons on the prototype sketch of the display, we then decided which all icons and segments have to be kept on for the whole time and which needs to be driven. Realizing that there are too many segments, characters and icons, hence we selected a multiplex drive with 8 common pins which helped us bring down the total pins from an estimated 180 pins to less than 40 pins.

Since the device was meant to be used inside houses and offices, which are more often than not well lit and protected from environmental conditions, we opted for a positive mode display. For superior contrast ratio and better viewing angle, we chose a Film Super Twisted Nematic Display (FSTN) with a drive condition of 1/8 Duty and bias of 1/4.

Usually, the displays are mounted at a height of 4.5 feet from the ground, thus the viewing direction was selected to be 12"O clock with an operating frequency of 64Hz. We selected a Transmissive polarizer for the front glass and a reflective polarizer for the rear glass so that the natural light can pass through the front panel and the display can achieve the maximum contrast without the need for backlighting and we opted for the pin type connectors as they are easy for prototyping and are suitable for harsh environment with a lot of vibrations and shocks which best suited our purpose.

In the above image of a custom display design, we sent to the manufacturer, the red lines over multiple characters indicate that all these are considered as a single segment. For the sake of simplicity, we added test like T, S, U, B to denote Text, Symbols, Units, and Battery respectively. These characters were followed by numbers to simplify communication between us and the manufacturer. For example, if we needed any particular text or symbol to remain on, we can easily specify that to the manufacturer by using the corresponding text for that segment.

We mailed our requirements to multiple LCD manufacturers, (you will find a lot of LCD manufacturers on the Internet). Most LCD manufacturers have competitive pricing, and reply within a week. A sample requirement sheet is shown above which a customer needs to fill to specify all the details to the manufacturer.

This is a sample Custom Segment LCD quotation we got from one of the manufacturers. As you can see, the cost is based on the quantity. Higher the quantity, lower the cost. Apart from the cost per quantity, there is one more component called tooling fees. Tooling fee is a one-time fee charged by the manufacturer. It is for the technical design, support, and customization of the product. Customization of PCB or tooling of LCD can drive the tooling price higher or lower.

A custom segment LCD can help you personalize your product while also saving the overall cost of your product. The whole process will take you around 2-3 months, which will include the designing phase, prototyping phase, and getting your custom segment LCDs delivered to your doorstep. Higher ordering quantity will reduce the cost per piece of each unit, thus driving down the cost of your final product.

Planar® CarbonLight™ VX Series is comprised of carbon fiber-framed indoor LED video wall and floor displays with exceptional on-camera visual properties and deployment versatility, available in 1.9 and 2.6mm pixel pitch (wall) and 2.6mm (floor).

From cinema content to motion-based digital art, Planar® Luxe MicroLED Displays offer a way to enrich distinctive spaces. HDR support and superior dynamic range create vibrant, high-resolution canvases for creative expression and entertainment. Leading-edge MicroLED technology, design adaptability and the slimmest profiles ensure they seamlessly integrate with architectural elements and complement interior décor.

From cinema content to motion-based digital art, Planar® Luxe Displays offer a way to enrich distinctive spaces. These professional-grade displays provide vibrant, high-resolution canvases for creative expression and entertainment. Leading-edge technology, design adaptability and the slimmest profiles ensure they seamlessly integrate with architectural elements and complement interior decor.

From cinema content to motion-based digital art, Planar® Luxe MicroLED Displays offer a way to enrich distinctive spaces. HDR support and superior dynamic range create vibrant, high-resolution canvases for creative expression and entertainment. Leading-edge MicroLED technology, design adaptability and the slimmest profiles ensure they seamlessly integrate with architectural elements and complement interior décor.

Planar® CarbonLight™ VX Series is comprised of carbon fiber-framed indoor LED video wall and floor displays with exceptional on-camera visual properties and deployment versatility, available in 1.9 and 2.6mm pixel pitch (wall) and 2.6mm (floor).

Carbon fiber-framed indoor LED video wall and floor displays with exceptional on-camera visual properties and deployment versatility for various installations including virtual production and extended reality.

a line of extreme and ultra-narrow bezel LCD displays that provides a video wall solution for demanding requirements of 24x7 mission-critical applications and high ambient light environments

Since 1983, Planar display solutions have benefitted countless organizations in every application. Planar displays are usually front and center, dutifully delivering the visual experiences and critical information customers need, with proven technology that is built to withstand the rigors of constant use.

The process to take your LCD idea from a concept to having prototype samples in hand is simple and requires just the few steps listed below. (Download PDF)

In many cases, FocusLCDs’ lead time for custom LCD samples is as little as 6-7 weeks after you approve our counter drawings and data sheet. This lead time increases by 4-6 weeks between November to early February due to Chinese New year. Standard production orders for custom displays have a lead time of 10-12 weeks, which can increase by 2-4 weeks during Chinese New year.

Focus Display Solutions offers several LCD technologies. The majority of these displays can be customized to fit your need. Below is a short introduction to each type of LCD.

Ultra-Wide Viewing Display (UWVD) is a new technology that is named after one of its most notable characteristics – it is viewable from all angles. In addition to the viewing angle, this technology provides a better contrast than other options and can allow for multiple colors. Call one of our design specialists today to see if UWVD is the right technology for you.

Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays (TFTs) are perhaps the most encountered display technology we see daily. Often seen in cell phones, tablets, cameras and countless other devices, this technology offers several hundreds of thousands of colors with a high pixel count to offer supreme visual clarity. In addition, all TFTs are available off the shelf with resistive and capacitive touch panel options.

Character LCDs have been around since the 1950s and are still very common. These displays offer 256 selectable characters and are available with several different font tables to show a variety of languages. They are most commonly known for their ease of programming wide variety of sizes, character arrays and colors.

An LCD or liquid crystal display is a combination of two states of material ie, the solid &  the liquid. These displays use a liquid crystal to produce a visible image. LCDs are super thin technology display screen that are used in cell phones, TVs, portable video games, laptops, computer screen, portable video games. Compared to CRT (cathode ray tube) technology, this technology permits displays to be much thinner. The LCD is composed of different layers which contain two electrodes and polarized panel filters. This technology is used to display the image in electronic devices. It  is made up of active matrix or passive display grid. Most of the gadgets with LCD display uses active matrix display. There are various technologies used to make digital displays. But, we are discussing two different LCDs. The alphanumeric display and customized LCD.

The most common types of monochrome LCDs are called character display or alphanumeric display. Alphanumeric LCD displays are used to display alphabets and numbers. The 16×2 intelligent alphanumeric dot matrix displays are capable of displaying 224 different symbols and characters. Generally, alphanumeric LCDs  are used widely in these applications: cellular phones, home appliances,  meters, word processors, communication, medical instruments, etc.. These displays are widely used due to the following reasons:

Hardware designers and engineers favor alphanumeric LCD displays for fast developing products. These types of devices contain their own controller driver chip with a character map built into the IC. To integrate the software, the character map makes it easy for the design. When any designer or engineer wants to display or show a letter, all they need to do is to send a command requesting the capital. This is much easier than a graphics LCD module wherein each spot on the letter A needs to be addressed. This is a highly time consuming activity.

The most common structure of alphanumeric display is known as a chip on board (COB) where in the PCB (printed circuit board) is attached to the LCD glass. The name COB means that the controller driver chip is placed on the back of the PCB. This module handles vibration very well. And also the increasing holes placed on the PCB permit an easy and secure method to attach the LCD to the customer’s product.

Alphanumeric LCD displays are designed in standard configurations such as LCD display 16×2, 8×1 and 40×4. The identification of alphanumeric displays is broken down into the number of characters in each row and then the number of rows. The example of this is a 16×2, where there are 16 characters in each row, and there are two rows of these characters. This enables the alphanumeric displays to display 32characters at a time.

A character can be any letter: capital or small, any number,and punctuation mark, such as comma, period and backslash. The character table built into the microcontroller of the LCD display displays 255 different characters.Furthermore, there are many languages, so you can select a character table that displays English, German and French or any other language. Most of the alphanumeric LCD displays cannot display Chinese and Japanese languages without the use of a larger character size. This means that a 16×2 is built to display English characters, but not the Chinese;Chinese will require larger than 16×2 display.

The alphanumeric displays consist of LCD displays or a set of LEDs that are connected in common anode or common cathode mode. 7 segment displays are used for only numbers in decimal and hexadecimal format.For both alphabets and numbers, the 18 segment display consisting of the 5 by 7 dot matrix is used.

Alphanumeric LCD Displays are most commonly used in test and measurement equipment,  process control equipment, handheld devices, PLC’s, data loggers, PCO displays  energy meters, and a host of other applications. Displaying Scrolling Messages on Alpha Numeric Displays using a PC is one of the most frequently used application of alphanumeric display.

The above block diagram can be used to display scrolling message on alphanumeric LCDs by using PC. The information can be sent through a PC that is interfaced with an 8051 microcontroller through MAX232. An external memory is connected to the microcontroller which  stores the information. The endless scrolling can be displayed using alphanumeric LCD display, which is connected to a microcontroller.

In present days, different types of LCDs are used in a wide range of applications from calculators, watches, games to medical and industrial applications. One of the main advantages of LCDs over other display technologies is the display content can be modified to satisfy the exact requirements of an application. In this way, the customized LCD panels can present particular user interface information that enhances the product value and performance.

Customized LCD displays are used to display a combination of  numeric, alphanumeric digits, on/off indicators,messages, graphic icons, symbols, pie charts, bar graphs, etc. The content of this panel is limited only by the imagination of the product designer. There are manyfactors that should be considered in the design of a customized LCD panel. In order to design a quotation for a customized LCD panel, the following information is necessary:LCD panel, display modes, polarisers, viewing mode, backlight requirement, operating environment, drive method, connection method, and a keypad is required if applicable.

This is all about Alphanumeric and Customized LCD displays with Applications. We all know that these LCD displays play an essential role in many applications like measurement equipment,  process control equipment, handheld devices, PLC’s, Measuring device, Marine equipment, Medical equipment, Automotive display etc. This article deserves readers’ feedback, suggestions and comments. Furthermore, any doubts regarding electronics projectsreaders can post their comments in the comment section below.

Nextion is a Human Machine Interface （HMI） solution combining an onboard processor and memory touch display with Nextion Editor software for HMI GUI project development.

Using the Nextion Editor software, you can quickly develop the HMI GUI by drag-and-drop components (graphics, text, button, slider, etc.) and ASCII text-based instructions for coding how components interact on the display side.

Nextion HMI display connects to peripheral MCU via TTL Serial (5V, TX, RX, GND) to provide event notifications that peripheral MCU can act on, the peripheral MCU can easily update progress, and status back to Nextion display utilizing simple ASCII text-based instructions.