sharp memory lcd module free sample

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.

Sharp"s Memory LCD is a lightweight display with 1-bit memory in every pixel allowing high-contrast, ultra-thin and at the time same delivering a relatively high frame rate (20Hz max) at merely microWatt power consumption level.

Install this library to /arduino libraries folder. In Arduino IDE from File->Examples->Custom Libraries you will see 5 examples. We have tested 5 Memory LCD models up to time of writing:

Selection options for which LCD model to use is available in MemoryLCD.h. Listing below shows an example with 2.7" model to use by leaving only #define LS027B7DH01 while other models has been comment out.

Memory LCD is driven with two data update modes: 1-line mode and multiple-lines mode. There is no single pixel write! To get around this problem a frame buffer is declared to store all pixels in a 2D array:

Each byte in the second subscript frameBuffer[0][x] represents 8 pixels in the horizontal direction. On the first horizontal line, pixels 0-7 are represented by frameBuffer[0][0], pixels 8-15 by frameBuffer[0][1] and so forth. Bitwise operation is used to fill up this frame buffer in SRAM of the MCU. After the required pixels have been updated in SRAM, the LCD is refreshed for a complete horizontal line with consecutive SPI transfers.

To illustrate this idea better we have captured the pixels on a 4.4" Memory LCD with a macro lens as below. The red rectangle is a label for the first 8 pixels represented by the byte element at framebuffer[0][0].

To extend this concept to 2D, we may partially update a rectangular area with GFXDisplayUpdateBlock() to keep the content at the right unchanged while updating the area at the left. Graphical interface illustrated in the Arduino Sketch BloodPressure_GU.ino shows a counting blood pressure reading at the left with a stood still icon of an up-arrow at the right. Feel free to open this sketch and change the delay constant in loop() from delay(50) to delay(1), or removing it to get an impression on how fast it can go. Another unique features of Memory LCD is partial update as long as it spans a horizontal region. Given the blood pressure reading GUI below this means only the area occupying the font height of the SYS. pressure is changed while the top and bottom regions unchanged when it is the systolic pressure counting.

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, and while these e-paper displays do not need any power to keep the image up, changing the display content comes with a cost and 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 I was pointed to a display from Sharp: both very low power and fast.

And even better: Adafruit has a breakout board for that display available. The display on the board is the Sharp LS013B4DN04 with 96×96 monochrome pixel resolution. The display is a cross between e-paper and a normal LCD. The ‘background’ color is a nice silver color. What looks cool with this display is that the pixels show up like a 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 really cool, and 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 just interested in the sources, they are available on the McuOnEclipseLibrary project.

Developed for Sharp to help test the memory LCD modules in your prototype, see the performance in real-time and check against your specifications and design. Our evaluation kit allows you to understand the final product better and further refine it for perfection.

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.

The 1.3" 168x144 SHARP Memory LCD display is a cross between an eInk (e-paper) display and an LCD. It has the ultra-low power usage of eInk and the fast-refresh rates of an LCD.

This model has a gray background, and pixels show up as black-on-gray for a nice e-reader type display. It does not have a backlight, but it is daylight readable. For dark/night reading you may need to illuminate the LCD area with external LEDs.