sharp memory lcd module quotation

Sharp’s Memory LCD is the perfect solution for compact handheld, wearable, and other small-screen applications. Embedded, 1-bit memory in every pixel allows for an always-on display capable of delivering high-contrast, high-resolution content with ultra-low power consumption. A lightweight, two-glass design plus an integrated driver in the panel provides an exceptionally thin module. Incorporating the Memory LCD into a design is simple with 3-wire SPI serial interface (SI, SCS, SCK).

As I mentioned in my previous post, the e-paper displays have a problem under UV light. So I wanted to try another display and found Sharp memory LCD which draws very low current and is supposed to provide good contrast under ambient light. It’s not transparent, so backlight doesn’t work.

I bought a 1.26 inch LS013B7DH05 from Aliexpress and tested with a test sketch included in the Adafruit_SharpMem library. I was expecting to see brilliant contrast images and texts, but the result was quite disappointing. See below pictures. Only when the illuminated angle of the light source is the same as your viewing angle, you can see good contrast. In other words, the viewing angle is very limited. I tested outdoor as well and the result was not improved. As you can see, as you tilt the display, it gets dark quickly.

There are many other models which may be better than this model. Actually there are many websites that introduce these memory LCDs as good display. Another downside of these LCDs is the price. It’s quite expensive, so I don’t want to buy another model and try.

Many projects benefit from a small display as a user interface. For very low power applications this is usually a no-go as the display needs too much energy. I have used e-paper displays from Kent: while these e-paper displays do not need any power to keep the image, changing the display content is not for free, plus is very slow (around 1 second needed to update the display). So I was looking for something low power and fast for a long time, until Christian (thanks!) pointed me to a display from Sharp: both very low power and fast:

And even better: Adafruit has a breakout board for that display available (https://www.adafruit.com/product/1393) :-). The display on the board is the Sharp LS013B4DN04 with 96×96 monochrome pixel resolution. The display is a cross between a e-paper and normal LCD. The ‘background’ color is a nice silver color. What looks cool with this display is that the pixels show up like little mirror:

One special thing with the Sharp Memory display is that it needs a special clock signal to generate the VCOM, an alternating signal that prevents a DC bias from being built up within the display panel. Depending on the display used, that signal or clock needs to supplied in the range of 0.5 to 60 Hz. That signal can be supplied either externally or by software, depending on the EXTMODE pin:

That Sharp Memory Display is a really cool one. The Adafruit breakout board has its price ($39.95). It took me a while to get the protocol right, but now I have very low power display and driver in my inventory :-). There is an example project on GitHub, and the SharpMemDisplaycomponent is available on GitHub and will be part of the next McuOnEclipse component release. If you are interested in the sources only, they are available on the McuOnEclipseLibrary project.

Max K is out to show us that this doesn"t have to be the case, and has enlisted the lesser-seen, low-power operation modes of the ESP32, in order to allow him tocreate thisslick handheld device, based around the ESP32-WROOM module and a very nifty Memory LCD from Sharp.

The most striking feature that faces you when you first encounter this board is the huge LCD panel on the front of the device. Not only for its generous size however, the more observant would notice that the display is sat showing its frame buffer, even when the handheld is sat inactive.

Sitting somewhere in between conventional LCD technology and E Ink display tech, Sharp"s Memory LCD is a compelling option for those who prefer the faster update rates of LCD, but who also long for the low power operation of E Ink.

Normally, these modules can be found in places like some of the Garmin Fenix smartwatches, which feature color versions of the display panels, or on the development boards from companies such as Silicon Labs, where they nicely complement the ULP design of the microcontrollers they are showcasing.

Max K has pulled out all the stops here though, in sourcing one of the larger panels on the market, theSharp LS027B7DH01A— packing 400x240 pixels into a generous 2.7" screen size — meaning that there is a huge amount of real estate available for graphics, menu systems and more!

There is one very neat feature to this design that has caught my eye, more so than the massive LCD panel front and center, and that is the input method available to the user.

Another design feature that"s quite interesting to see in this project, is the use of the ESP32"s ultra-low-power coprocessor. One of thequirksof the memory LCD panel technology is that while the display buffer can be treated as static, and forgo the need to be refreshed, the interface does require something in the region of a 1Hz signal to be applied to the EXTCOMM pin of the module to keep things fresh, in order to avoid issues such as display burn in.

In “Low Power LCD: Adafruit Breakout Board with Sharp Memory Display” I used a 96×96 Sharp Display (LS013B4DN04) with the Adafruit breakout board, but because that one seems to be EOL (End Of Life), I searched for a replacement. I have found the 128×128 pixel version (Sharp LS013B7DH03), and best of all, it is pin compatible :-). With a small tweak of the driver, it works :-):

I ordered the LS013B7DH03 from Mouser, and the display costs around US$20. I used the breakout module from Adafruitwhich comes with the 96×96 display. I have found a bare breakout module on tindie.

Sharp memory lcd is one of the most widely used mobile phones. As it"s clear from the image, sharp memory lcd is easy to find and with new functions, it can be used for smart phones, and more. Tinted glass is a transparent, tinted glass- and, to prevent the damage from the degrading color the sharpness lcd is one of the widely used online cameras.

Sharp memory lCD is available in a variety of colors, such as crystal, clear glass, and plastic. With all the colors of Alibaba.com, sharp memory lcd provide a easy-to- install option and have a different range of colors.

I looked at this question as I too plan to drive a Sharp Memory LCD manually with my own code at some point. From your question and comments I think you are going about it the wrong way, even if you are already very proficient with the electronics side of the task.

As a pointer to why your code is not doing what you expect, I think you may be misunderstanding how the screen works. Your question and code suggest you may be trying to display ASCII characters on the screen which I believe can be done easily with some LCD displays but I"m fairly sure that these LCDs are not character based - you have to manually set or clear each individual dot. I think the minimum number of dots you can set at a time is a full single line of the display.

This creates a panel with lots of small light "dots" or lines, the diffuser film then..well.. diffuses this to create an even light source across the panel. There is also a mirror/reflective film on the back because the lightpipe will kick out light from both flat sides, so at the back it needs to be reflected back into it. As LCD"s (including TFT"s of course) use a polariser, 50% of the light is wasted when a pixel is transparent (usually "on" on TFT"s, as they are negative displays). Some companies like 3M have created a polarising diffuser - this allows one polarisation to pass through, diffused, whilst reflecting the other polarising back, recycling the light. It"s clever and can increase the brightness, or reduce the power consumption. I believe these diffusers are standard these days.