pls lcd panel technology quotation

IPS (in-plane switching) is a screen technology for liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). In IPS, a layer of liquid crystals is sandwiched between two glass surfaces. The liquid crystal molecules are aligned parallel to those surfaces in predetermined directions (in-plane). The molecules are reoriented by an applied electric field, whilst remaining essentially parallel to the surfaces to produce an image. It was designed to solve the strong viewing angle dependence and low-quality color reproduction of the twisted nematic field effect (TN) matrix LCDs prevalent in the late 1980s.

The TN method was the only viable technology for active matrix TFT LCDs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Early panels showed grayscale inversion from up to down,Vertical Alignment (VA)—that could resolve these weaknesses and were applied to large computer monitor panels.

Shortly thereafter, Hitachi of Japan filed patents to improve this technology. A leader in this field was Katsumi Kondo, who worked at the Hitachi Research Center.thin-film transistor array as a matrix and to avoid undesirable stray fields in between pixels.Super IPS). NEC and Hitachi became early manufacturers of active-matrix addressed LCDs based on the IPS technology. This is a milestone for implementing large-screen LCDs having acceptable visual performance for flat-panel computer monitors and television screens. In 1996, Samsung developed the optical patterning technique that enables multi-domain LCD. Multi-domain and in-plane switching subsequently remain the dominant LCD designs through 2006.

IPS technology is widely used in panels for TVs, tablet computers, and smartphones. In particular, most IBM products was marketed as CCFL backlighting, and all Apple Inc. products marketed with the label backlighting since 2010.

Most panels also support true 8-bit-per-channel colour. These improvements came at the cost of a lower response time, initially about 50 ms. IPS panels were also extremely expensive.

IPS has since been superseded by S-IPS (Super-IPS, Hitachi Ltd. in 1998), which has all the benefits of IPS technology with the addition of improved pixel refresh timing.

In this case, both linear polarizing filters P and A have their axes of transmission in the same direction. To obtain the 90 degree twisted nematic structure of the LC layer between the two glass plates without an applied electric field (OFF state), the inner surfaces of the glass plates are treated to align the bordering LC molecules at a right angle. This molecular structure is practically the same as in TN LCDs. However, the arrangement of the electrodes e1 and e2 is different. Because they are in the same plane and on a single glass plate, they generate an electric field essentially parallel to this plate. The diagram is not to scale: the LC layer is only a few micrometers thick and so is very small compared with the distance between the electrodes.

Unlike TN LCDs, IPS panels do not lighten or show tailing when touched. This is important for touch-screen devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers.

Toward the end of 2010 Samsung Electronics introduced Super PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching) with the intent of providing an alternative to the popular IPS technology which is primarily manufactured by LG Display. It is an "IPS-type" panel technology, and is very similar in performance features, specs and characteristics to LG Display"s offering. Samsung adopted PLS panels instead of AMOLED panels, because in the past AMOLED panels had difficulties in realizing full HD resolution on mobile devices. PLS technology was Samsung"s wide-viewing angle LCD technology, similar to LG Display"s IPS technology.

In 2012 AU Optronics began investment in their own IPS-type technology, dubbed AHVA. This should not be confused with their long standing AMVA technology (which is a VA-type technology). Performance and specs remained very similar to LG Display"s IPS and Samsung"s PLS offerings. The first 144 Hz compatible IPS-type panels were produced in late 2014 (used first in early 2015) by AUO, beating Samsung and LG Display to providing high refresh rate IPS-type panels.

"TFT Technology: Enhancing the viewing angle". Riverdi (TFT Module Manufacturer). Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016. However, [twisted nematic] suffers from the phenomenon called gray scale inversion. This means that the display has one viewing side in which the image colors suddenly change after exceeding the specified viewing angle. (see image Inversion Effect) External link in |quote= (help)

Baker, Simon (30 April 2011). "Panel Technologies: TN Film, MVA, PVA and IPS Explained". Tftcentral.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2012.

Ivankov, Alex (1 September 2016). "Advantages and disadvantages of IPS screen technology". Version Daily. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.

"Samsung PLS improves on IPS displays like iPad"s, costs less". electronista.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.

When it comes to choosing the right panel type of your LCD monitor, the options are seemingly endless. We’ve discussed the differences between AMOLED and LCD displays as well as the different types of touchscreen monitors that are commonly used for various devices and their benefits. Now it’s time to learn about the different features and specifications of PLS and IPS panels so you can decide which one is the most suitable choice for your specific personal or professional applications.

PLS stands for plane to line switching. Also referred to as Super PLS Panel, this technology boasts superior technological advancements such as a multitude of brightness setting options, crystal-clear image quality, and adjustable viewing angles without breaking the bank.

IPS stands for in-plane switching. It’s one of the most commonly used monitors for LCD displays and it consists of two glass panels that hold a layer of liquid crystals in between them. The liquid crystals become animated and perform predetermined actions such as moving in a specific direction or displaying certain colours when they’re charged with an electric current. These actions result in the high-quality images that appear on your television, laptop, or smartphone screen.

Both LCD monitor panel types have their advantages and disadvantages for various types of applications. Finding out how they work will help you determine which one is the best choice for your needs.

As mentioned, IPS LCD monitors contain hundreds of liquid crystals that are situated between two glass sheets in a parallel formation. As electric currents run through the liquid crystals when the screen is turned on, they become animated and move in different directions and backlighting passes through them. This is what produces the crystal-clear and instantaneous images you see on the screen. The excellent viewing angles are the result of the horizontal movements of the liquid crystals inside the panel.

PLS panels for LCD monitors have been on the market for over a decade and have proven to be a worthy adversary for their IPS predecessors. Although the technology is the same for the most part, IPS does offer some minor improvements. The main difference is that IPS panels offer more optimized liquid molecular alignment, which makes for a slightly better viewing experience. Hence, PLS screens offer 15% more brightness than IPS panel types.

From an aesthetic and logistical standpoint, PLS panel types are also thinner than IPS due to the fact that the glass sheets that hold the liquid crystals in place are positioned much lower in the screen configuration.

When it comes to comparing and contrasting the differences between IPS and PLS LCD monitor panel types, the competition is pretty stiff. Both monitors are fairly similar with the exception that PLS is meant to be an improvement on the previous technology. Here are the key factors that should be considered when deciding which one is the best monitor panel for LCD industrial displays.

PLS monitors offer superior viewing angles when compared to IPS displays. Unlike IPS displays, PLS monitors don’t have any noticeable colour distortions and they have significantly lower production costs.

Unfortunately, PLS and IPS monitors both have a fairly slow response time (the amount of time it takes for liquid crystals to shift from one colour or shade to another). For this reason, neither one is the ideal choice for gaming purposes, but they’re both suitable for graphic design projects that focus more on colour distribution and accuracy than response time.

PLS panel types have been proven to have superior colour distribution and accuracy compared to IPS panel types. PLS displays have a far more expansive colour gamut that’s ideal for users who require the most natural-looking images and colour options.

Backlight bleed occurs when the lights from the back of the screen leak through the edges, which results in uneven lighting or glow. This is a fairly common shortcoming of IPS screens when the brightness is adjusted to a particularly high level and can make for a poor viewing experience. PLS panel types don’t have this problem and offer even lighting regardless of the brightness settings.

The answer is inconclusive. Both IPS and PLS monitor types certainly have their advantages. Although PLS is slightly better in terms of backlighting and faster response times, the margins for improvement are fairly tight. It really just depends on what your preferences are as well as the applications that the monitors are being used for.

Nauticomp Inc.is one of the leading manufacturers and distributors of sophisticated state-of-the-art LCD displays and monitors in North America. Contact us to learn about our various products or to place an order.

One of the most important aspects of any display you can understand is the panel technology being used. Specifications alone won’t give you the full picture of a displays performance, and we all know that manufacturers can exaggerate specs on paper to suit their marketing. With an understanding of the panel technology being used you will get a feel for the overall performance characteristics of the display and how it should perform in real terms. Our extensive panel search database helps you identify the panel technology (and manufacturer and part number where known) of many screens in the market. This article which follows will help you understand what the different panel technologies can offer you. A lot of manufacturers now list the panel technology as well in their specs, something which wasn’t included a in the past.

TN Film panels are the mostly widely used in the desktop display market and have been for many years since LCD monitors became mainstream. Smaller sized screens (15″, 17″ and 19″) are almost exclusively limited to this technology in fact and it has also extended into larger screen sizes over the last 7 years or so, now being a popular choice in the 20 – 28″ bracket as well. The TN Film panels are made by many different manufacturers, with the big names all having a share in the market (Samsung, LG.Display, AU Optronics) and being backed up by the other companies including most notably Innolux and Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT). You may see different generations of TN Film being discussed, but over the years the performance characteristics have remained similar overall.

TN Film has always been so widely used because it is comparatively cheap to produce panels based on this technology. As such, manufacturers have been able to keep costs of their displays down by using these panels. This is also the primary reason for the technology to be introduced into the larger screen sizes, where the production costs allow manufacturers to drive down retail costs for their screens and compete for new end-users.

The other main reason for using TN Film is that it is fundamentally a responsive technology in terms of pixel latency, something which has always been a key consideration for LCD buyers. It has long been the choice for gaming screens and response times have long been, and still are today, the lowest out of all the technologies overall. Response times typically reach a limit of around 5ms at the ISO quoted black > white > black transition, and as low as 1ms across grey to grey transitions where Response Time Compensation (overdrive) is used. TN Film has also been incorporated into true 120Hz+ refresh rate desktop displays, pairing low response times with high refresh rates for even better moving picture and gaming experiences, improved frame rates and adding 3D stereoscopic content support. Modern 120Hz+ refresh rate screens normally also support NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 and their LightBoost system which brings about another advantage for gaming. You can use the LightBoost strobed backlight system in 2D gaming to greatly reduce the perceived motion blur which is a significant benefit. Some screens even include a native blur reduction mode instead of having to rely on LightBoost ‘hacks’, providing better support for strobing backlights and improving gaming experiences when it comes to perceived motion blur. As a result, TN Film is still the choice for gamer screens because of the low response times and 120Hz+ refresh rate support.

The main problem with TN Film technology is that viewing angles are pretty restrictive, especially vertically, and this is evident by a characteristic severe darkening of the image if you look at the screen from below. Contrast and colour tone shifts can be evident with even a slight movement off-centre, and this is perhaps the main drawback in modern TN Film panels. Some TN Film panels are better than others and there have been improvements over the years to some degree, but they are still far more restrictive with fields of view than other panel technologies. The commonly quoted 170/160 viewing angles are an unfair indication of the actual real-life performance really, especially when you consider the vertical contrast shifts. Where viewing angles are quoted by a manufacturer as 160/160 or 170/160 that is a clear sign that the panel technology will be TN Film incidentally.

Movie playback is often hampered by ‘noise’ and artifacts, especially where overdrive is used. Black depth was traditionally quite poor on TN Film matrices due to the crystal alignment, however, in recent years, black depth has improved somewhat and is generally very good on modern screens, often surpassing IPS based screens and able to commonly reach contrast ratios of ~1000:1. TN Film is normally only a true 6-bit colour panel technology, but is able to offer a 16.7 million colour depth thanks to dithering and Frame Rate Control methods (6-bit + FRC). Some true 8-bit panels have become available in recent years (2014 onwards) but given the decent implementation of FRC on other 6-bit+FRC panels, the real-life difference is not something to concern yourself with too much.

Most TN Film panels are produced with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, although some larger sizes have become available with higher resolutions. A new generation of Quad HD 2560 x 1440 27″ TN Film panels emerged in 2014. We’ve also seen the introduction of 28″ Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution TN Film panels become available, and adopted in many of the lower cost “4k” models in the market. Where used, the Anti-Glare (AG) coating used on most TN Film panels is moderately grainy – not as grainy as some older IPS panel coatings, but not as light as modern IPS, VA or equivalents. Also at the time of writing there are no ultra-wide (21:9 aspect ratio) or curved format TN Film panels in production.

VA technology was first developed by Fujitsu in 1996. However the limited viewing angles were its main disadvantage, and so further investment focused on addressing this problem. It was eventually solved by dividing each pixel into domains which worked synchronously. This lead the birth of the following technologies:

MVA technology, was later developed by Fujitsu in 1998 as a compromise between TN Film and IPS technologies. On the one hand, MVA provided a full response time of 25 milliseconds (that was impossible at the time with IPS, and not easily achievable with TN), and on the other hand, MVA matrices had wide viewing angles of 160 – 170 degrees, and thus could better compete with IPS in that parameter. The viewing angles were also good in the vertical field (an area where TN panels suffer a great deal) as well as the horizontal field. MVA technology also provided high contrast ratios and good black depth, which IPS and TN Film couldn’t quite meet at the time.

In MVA panels, the crystals in the domains are oriented differently, so if one domain lets light pass through, the neighboring domain will have the crystals at an angle and will shutter the light (of course, save for the display of white color, in which case all the crystals are placed almost in parallel to the matrix plane).

As MVA developed over the years the problem became that the response times were not as good as TN film panels and was very difficult to improve. Sadly, the response time grows dramatically when there’s a smaller difference between the pixel’s initial and final states (i.e. the more common grey to grey transitions). Thus, such matrices were unsuitable for dynamic games. With the introduction of RTC and overdrive technologies, the manufacturers launched a new breed of MVA discussed in the following sections.

Premium MVA (P-MVA) panels were produced by AU Optronics, and Super MVA (S-MVA) panels by Chi Mei Optoelectronics (now Innolux) and Fujitsu from 1998 onwards. AU Optronics have since entered a more recent generation referred to as AMVA (see the next section) and S-MVA panels are rarely used in mainstream monitors nowadays. When they were launched they were able to offer improved response times across grey to grey (G2G) transitions which is a great improvement in the MVA market. While responsiveness was still not as fast as TN Film panels using similar RTC technologies, the improvement was obvious and quite drastic. This was really the first time that MVA matrices could be considered for gaming, and arrived at the time when overdrive was being more widely implemented in the market.

While some improvements have been made, the color-reproduction properties of these modern MVA technologies can still be problematic in some situations. Such panels give you vivid and bright colors, but due to the peculiarities of the domain technology many subtle color tones (dark tones often) are lost when you are looking at the screen strictly perpendicularly. When you deflect your line of sight just a little, the colors are all there again. This is a characteristic “VA panel contrast shift” (sometimes referred to as ‘black crush’ due to the loss of detail in dark colours) and some users pick up on this and might find it distracting. Thus, MVA matrices are somewhere between IPS and TN technologies as concerns color rendering and viewing angles. On the one hand, they are better than TN matrices in this respect, but on the other hand the above-described shortcoming prevents them from challenging IPS matrices, especially for colour critical work.

Traditionally MVA panels offered 8-Bit colour depth (a true 16.7 million colours) which is still common place today. We have yet to see any new breed of 10-bit capable MVA panel even using Frame Rate Control (8-bit + FRC). Black depth is a strong point of these P-MVA /S-MVA panels, being able to produce good static contrast ratios as a result of around 1000 – 1200:1 in practice. Certainly surpassing IPS matrices of the time as well as most TN Film panels. This has improved since with more recent AMVA panels to 3000 – 5000:1 (see next section).

MVA panels also offer some comparatively good movie playback with noise and artifacts quite low compared with other technologies. The application of overdrive doesn’t help in this area, but MVA panels are pretty much the only ones which haven’t suffered greatly in movie playback as a result. Many of the MVA panels are still pretty good in this area, sadly something which overdriven TN Film, IPS and PVA panels can’t offer. While CMO are still manufacturing some S-MVA matrices, AU Optronics no longer produce P-MVA panels and instead produce their newer generation of MVA, called AMVA (see below).

AU Optronics have more recently (around 2005) been working on their latest generation of MVA panel technology, termed ‘Advanced Multi Domain Vertical Alignment’ (AMVA). This is still produced today although a lot of their focus has moved to the similarly named, and not to be confused AHVA (Advanced Hyper Viewing Angle, IPS-type) technology. Compared with older MVA generations, AMVA is designed to offer improved performance including reduced colour washout, and the aim to conquer the significant problem of colour distortion with traditional wide viewing angle technology. This technology creates more domains than conventional multi-domain vertical alignment (MVA) LCD’s and reduces the variation of transmittance in oblique angles. It helps improve colour washout and provides better image quality in oblique angles than conventional VA LCD’s. Also, it has been widely recognized worldwide that AMVA technology is one of the few ways to provide optimized image quality through multiple domains.

AMVA provides an extra-high contrast ratio of greater than 1200:1, reaching 5000:1 in manufacturer specs at the time of writing for desktop monitor panels by optimized colour-resist implementation and a new pixel design and combining the panels with W-LED backlighting units. In practice the contrast ratio is typically nearer to 3000:1 from what we’ve seen, but still far beyond IPS and TN Film matrices. The result is a more comfortable viewing experience for the consumer, even on dimmer images. This is one of the main improvements with modern AMVA panels certainly, and remains way above what competing panel technologies can offer.

AMVA still has some limitations however in practice, still suffering from the off-centre contrast shift you see from VA matrices. Viewing angles are therefore not as wide as IPS technology and the technology is often dismissed for colour critical work as a result. As well as this off-centre contrast shift, the wide viewing angles often show more colour and contrast shift than competing IPS-type panels, although some recent AMVA panel generations have shown improvements here (see BenQ GW2760HS for instance with new “Color Shift-free” technology). Responsiveness is better than older MVA offerings certainly, but remains behind TN Film and IPS/PLS in practice. The Anti-Glare (AG) coating used on most panels is light, and sometimes even appears “semi glossy” and so does not produce a grainy image.

At the time of writing AMVA panels are typically offered with an HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, although some are available in sizes up to 32″ maximum, at a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (Quad HD). At this time there are no native 120Hz+ AMVA panels from AU Optronics in production although at one point AUO were looking into them. Also at the time of writing there are no ultra wide (21:9 aspect ratio) or curved format MVA-type panels in production.

AUO developed a series of vertical-alignment (VA) technologies over the years. This is specifically for the TV market although a lot of the changes experienced through these generations applies to monitor panels as well over the years. Most recently, the company developed its AMVA5 technology not only to improve the contrast ratio, but also to enable a liquid crystal transmission improvement of 30% compared to AMVA1 in 2005. This was accomplished by effectively improving the LC disclination line using newly developed polymer-stabilized vertical-alignment (PSA) technology. PSA is a process used to improve cell transmittance, helping to improve brightness, contrast ratio and liquid crystal switching speeds.

We have included this technology in this section as it is a modern technology still produced by Sharp as opposed to the older generations of MVA discussed above. Sharp are not a major panel manufacturer in the desktop space, but during 2013 began to invest in new and interesting panels using their MVA technology. Of note is their 23.5″ sized MVA panel which was used in the Eizo Foris FG2421 display. This is the first MVA panel to offer a native 120Hz refresh rate, making it an attractive option for gamers. Response times had been boosted significantly on the most part, bringing this MVA technology in line with modern IPS-type panels when it comes to pixel latency. The 120Hz support finally allowed for improved frame rates and motion smoothness from VA technology, helping to rival the wide range of 120Hz+ TN Film panels on the market.

Of particular note also are the excellent contrast ratios of this technology, reaching up to an excellent 5000:1 in practice, not just on paper. Viewing angles are certainly better than TN Film and so overall these MVA panels can offer an attractive all-round option for gaming, without some of the draw-backs of the TN Film panels. Viewing angles are not as wide as IPS panel types and there is still some noticeable gamma shift at wider angles, and the characteristic VA off-centre contrast shift still exists.

PVA was developed by Samsung as an alternative to MVA in the late 1990’s. The parameters and the development methods for PVA and MVA are so different that PVA can be truly regarded as an independent technology, although it is still a ‘Vertical Alignment’ technology type and has many similar characteristics. PVA is a Samsung only technology.

The liquid crystals in a PVA matrix have the same structure as in a MVA matrix – domains with varying orientation of the crystals allow keeping the same color, almost irrespective of the user’s line of sight and viewing angle. Viewing angles are not perfect though, as like with MVA matrices when you are looking straight at the screen, the matrix “loses” some shades, which return after you deflect your line of sight from the perpendicular a little. This ‘off-centre’ contrast shift, or ‘black crush’ as it is sometimes called is the reason why some colour enthusiasts prefer IPS-type displays. The overall viewing angles are also not as wide as IPS-type panels, showing more obvious colour and contrast shifts as you change your line or sight.

There was the same problem with traditional PVA matrices as with MVA offerings – their response time grew considerably when there’s a smaller difference between the initial and final states of the pixel. Again, PVA panels were not nearly as responsive as TN Film panels. With the introduction of MagicSpeed (Samsung’s overdrive / RTC) with later generations (see below), response times have been greatly improved and are comparable to MVA panels in this regard on similarly spec-ed panels. They still remain behind TN Film panels in gaming use, but the overdrive really has helped improve in this area. There are no PVA panels supporting native 120Hz+ refresh rates and Samsung have no plans to produce any at this time. In fact Samsung’s investment in PVA seems to have been cut back significantly in favour of their IPS-like PLS technology.

The contrast ratio of PVA matrices is a strong point, as it is with MVA. Older PVA panels offered contrast ratios of 1000 – 1200:1 typically, but remained true to their spec in many cases. As such at the time of their main production they were better than TN Film, IPS and even MVA in this regard.  Movie playback is perhaps one area which is a weak point for PVA, especially on Samsung’s overdriven panels. Noise and artifacts are common unfortunately and the panels lose out to MVA in this regard. Most PVA panels were true 8-bit modules, although some generations (see below) began to use 6-bit+FRC instead. There are no 10-bit supporting PVA panels available, either native 10-bit or 8-bit+FRC. Panel coating is generally light on PVA panels, quite similar to a lot of MVA panels.

The introduction of overdrive to PVA panels lead to the next generation of Super Patterned Vertical Alignment (S-PVA) technology in 2004. Like P-MVA panels were to MVA, these are really just an extension of the existing PVA technology, but with the MagicSpeed (overdrive) technology, they have managed to make them more suitable for gaming than the older panels. One other difference is that the liquid crystal cell structure is a boomerang shape, splitting each sub pixel into two different sections with each aligned in opposite directions. This is said to help improve viewing angles and colour reproduction when viewed from the side. Limitations still exist with S-PVA and they don’t offer as wide viewing angles as IPS-type panels, and still suffer from the off-centre contrast shift we’ve described. Most S-PVA panels offered a true 8-bit colour depth, but some did feature Frame Rate Control (FRC) to boost a 6-bit panel (6-bit+FRC).

In late 2009 Samsung started to produce their latest generation of so called “cPVA” panels. These new panels featured a simpler sub-pixel structure in comparison with S-PVA, but allowed Samsung to produce the panels at a lower cost, and drive down the retail cost of their new screens. It’s unclear what the “c” stands for. This is a similar approach to e-IPS which we discuss a little later on.

In practice, cPVA do not look any worse than S-PVA panels and in fact offer even better contrast ratios in early cPVA panel tests. Other performance characteristics including the off-centre contrast shift remained the same as S-PVA panels. Some cPVA panels are in fact using Frame Rate Control to produce their 16.7m colour depth (6-bit+FRC) as opposed to true 8-bit panels. See this news piece for more information about these 6-bit + AFRC cPVA panels.

There is very little official information about this technology but some Samsung monitors started to be labelled as having an A-PVA panel around 2012 onwards. We suspect that nothing has really changed from S-PVA / cPVA panels, but that the term “Advanced” has been added in to try and distinguish the new models, and perhaps compete with LG.Display’s successful IPS technology and AU Optronics AMVA technology where they have also added the word “Advanced” for their latest generations (see AMVA and AH-IPS).

During 2014 Samsung started to label their PVA panels as SVA, although the definition is currently unknown. In fact these are probably the only remaining mass-produced PVA panels on the market. Little information is available regarding any possible changes although we expect some improvements to response times and contrast ratios. We believe PSA has been used for these panels as well, much like AU Optronics have used it for their more recent AMVA generations. PSA is a process used to improve cell transmittance, helping to improve brightness, contrast ratio and liquid crystal switching speeds.

At the time of writing we have only seen this term used for their latest curved VA panels, so it may be something linked to that format. Contrast ratios of 3000:1 are now quoted for modern VA panels like this. Resolutions are offered at 1920 x 1080 and also 3440 x 1440 in ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio and curved formats. High refresh rate support is not offered at the moment so PVA variants are limited to 60Hz maximum.

In Plane Switching (IPS – also known as ‘Super TFT’) technology was developed by Hitachi in 1996 to try and solve the two main limitations of TN Film matrices at the time, those being small viewing angles and low-quality color reproduction. The name In-Plane Switching comes from the crystals in the cells of the IPS panel lying always in the same plane and being always parallel to the panel’s plane (if we don’t take into account the minor interference from the electrodes). When voltage is applied to a cell, the crystals of that cell all make a 90-degrees turn. By the way, an IPS panel lets the backlight pass through in its active state and shutters it in its passive state (when no voltage is applied), so if a thin-film transistor crashes, the corresponding pixel will always remain black, unlike with TN matrices.

IPS matrices differ from TN Film panels not only in the structure of the crystals, but also in the placement of the electrodes – both electrodes are on one wafer and take more space than electrodes of TN matrices. This leads to a lower contrast and brightness of the matrix. IPS was adopted for colour professional displays due to its wide viewing angles, good colour reproduction and stable image quality. However, response times were very slow originally, making IPS unsuitable for dynamic content.

The original IPS technology became a foundation for several improvements: Super-IPS (S-IPS), Dual Domain IPS (DD-IPS), and Advanced Coplanar Electrode (ACE). The latter two technologies belong to IBM (DD-IPS) and Samsung (ACE) and are in fact unavailable in shops. The manufacture of ACE panels is halted, while DD-IPS panels are coming from IDTech, the joint venture of IBM and Chi Mei Optoelectronics – these expensive models with high resolutions occupy their own niche, which but slightly overlaps with the common consumer market. NEC is also manufacturing IPS panels under such brands as A-SFT, A-AFT, SA-SFT and SA-AFT, but they are in fact nothing more than variations and further developments of the S-IPS technology.

In 1998 production started for Super-IPS panels, and were mostly produced by LG.Philips (now LG.Display). They have gone through several generations since their inception. Initially S-IPS built upon the strengths of IPS by employing an advanced “multi-domain” liquid crystal alignmentt. The term S-IPS is actually still widely used in modern screens, but technically there may be subtle differences making them S-IPS, e-IPS, H-IPS, or p-IPS (etc) generations for example. See the following sections for more information.

Since their initial production in 1998 S-IPS panels have gained the widest recognition, mostly due to the efforts of LG.Philips LCD (now known as LG.Display), who were outputting rather inexpensive and high-quality 19″ – 30″ matrices. The response time was among the serious drawbacks of the IPS technology – first panels were as slow as 60ms on the “official” black-to-white-to-back transitions (and even slower on grey-to-grey ones!) Fortunately, the engineers dragged the full response time down to 25 ms and then 16ms later, and this total is equally divided between pixel rise and pixel fall times. Moreover, the response time doesn’t greatly grow up on black-to-gray transitions compared to the specification, so some older S-IPS matrices at the time could challenge TN Film panels in this parameter.

The IPS technology has always been at the top end when it comes to colour reproduction and viewing angles. Colour accuracy has always been a strong point, and even in modern displays the IPS matrices can surpass the performance of TN Film and VA equivalents. The viewing angles are a key part in this, since IPS matrices are free of the off-centre contrast shift that you can see from VA type panels. This is the reason why IPS is generally considered the preferred choice for colour critical work and professional colour displays, combining the excellent colour accuracy with truly wide viewing angles (178/178). S-IPS panels can show a purple colour when viewing dark images from a wide angle.

One main problem of the S-IPS technology traditionally was the low contrast ratio. Black depth was often a problem with S-IPS panels and contrast ratios of 500 – 600:1 were common for the early S-IPS offerings. However, these have been improved significantly, and contrast ratios are now much better as a result with modern IPS generations (see following sections). One other area which remains problematic for modern IPS panels is movie playback, again with noise being present, and only accentuated by the heavy application of overdrive technologies. S-IPS panels are sometimes criticized for their Anti-Glare (AG) coating, which can appear quite grainy and dirty looking, especially when viewing white/light backgrounds in office applications. Again that has been improved significantly in recent generations.

Moving Picture Image Sticking (MPIS) – S-IPS panels do not show any image sticking when touching a moving image. On the other hand severe image sticking happens in VA panel and lasts after the image is changed for a short time.

Sometimes you will see these terms being used, but S-IPS is still widely used as an umbrella for modern IPS panels. In 2002 Advanced Super IPS (AS-IPS) boosted the amount of light transmitted from the backlighting by around 30% compared with the standard Super IPS technology developed in 1998. This did help boost contrast ratios somewhat, but they could still not compete with VA panel types. In 2005 with the introduction of RTC technologies (Overdrive Circuitry – ODC) and dynamic contrast ratios, LG.Display started to produce their so called “Enhanced IPS” (E-IPS, not to be confused with e-IPS) panels. Pixel response times were reduced across G2G transitions to as low as 5ms on paper.

Enhanced S-IPS builds on S-IPS technology by providing the same 178° viewing angle from above and below and to the sides, and greatly improves the off-axis viewing experience by delivering crisp images with minimal colour shift, even when viewed from off-axis angles such as 45°. You will rarely see this E-IPS term being used to be honest. You may also occasionally see the name “Advanced S-IPS” (AS-IPS) being used, but this was just a name given specifically by NEC to the E-IPS panel developed and used in their very popular NEC 20WGX2 screen, released in 2006. The AS-IPS name was also (confusingly) used by Hitachi in some of their earlier IPS generations as shown below, back in 2002.

Above: Evolution of IPS as detailed by Hitachi Displays: “IPS technology was unveiled by Hitachi, Ltd. in 1995, and put to practical use in 1996. Since then, it has evolved into Super-IPS, Advanced-Super IPS, and IPS-Pro.”

In 2006 – 2007 LG.Display IPS panels have altered the pixel layout giving rise to ‘Horizontal-IPS’ (H-IPS) panels. In simple terms, the manufacturer has reportedly reduced the electrode width to reduce light leakage, and this has in turn created a new pixel structure. This structure features vertically aligned sub-pixels in straight lines as opposed to the arrow shape of older S-IPS panels.

In practice, it can be quite hard to spot the difference, but close examination can reveal a less ‘sparkly’ appearance and a slightly improved contrast ratio. Some users find a difference in text appearance as well relating to this new pixel structure but text remains clear and sharp. H-IPS will also often show a white glow from a wide angle when viewing black images, as opposed to the purple tint from S-IPS matrices. This is actually more noticeable than the S-IPS purple tint and is referred to as “IPS glow”. Some IPS panels in high end displays are coupled with an Advanced True Wide (A-TW) polarizer which helps improve blacks from wide viewing angles, and reduces some of the pale glow you can normally see. However, this A-TW polarizer is not included in every model featuring H-IPS and this should not be confused. It is very rarely used nowadays unfortunately. H-IPS panels from around this time are sometimes criticized for their Anti-Glare (AG) coating, which can appear quite grainy and dirty looking, especially when viewing white backgrounds in office applications.

Close inspection of modern IPS panels can show this new H-IPS pixel structure, although not all manufacturers refer to their models as featuring an H-IPS panel. Indeed, LG.Display don’t really make reference to this H-IPS version, although from a technical point of view, most modern IPS panels are H-IPS in format. As an example of someone who has referred to this new generation, NEC have used the H-IPS name in their panel specs for models such as the LCD2690WXUi2 and LCD3090WUXi screens.

The following technical report has feedback from the LG.Philips LCD laboratory workers: “Wedesigned a new pixel layout to improve the aperture ratioof IPS mode TFT-LCD (H-IPS). This H-IPS pixel layout design has reducedthe width of side common electrode used to minimize thecross talk and light leakage which is induced by interferencebetween data bus line and side common electrode of conventionalIPS mode. The side common electrodes of a pixel canbe reduced by horizontal layout of inter-digital electrode pattern whereconventional IPS pixel designs have vertical layout of inter-digital electrodes.We realized 15 inch XGA TFT LCD of H-IPS structurewhich has aperture ratio as much as 1.2 times ofcorresponding conventional IPS pixel design.” ©2004 Society for Information Display.

During 2009 LG.Display began to develop a new generation of e-IPS (it is unclear what the “e” actually stands for) panels which is a sub-category of H-IPS. They simplified the sub-pixel structure in comparison with H-IPS (similar to cPVA vs. S-PVA) and increased the transparency of the matrix by producing a wider aperture for light transmission. In doing so, they have managed to reduce production costs significantly by integrating the panels with lower cost, lower power backlight units. This allowed LG.Display to compete with the low cost TN Film panels and Samsung’s new cPVA generation. Because transparency is increased, they are able to reduce backlight intensity as you need less light to achieve the same luminance now.

The drawback of e-IPS in comparison with S-IPS is that the viewing angles are slightly smaller. When you take a look at an e-IPS matrix from a side, the image will lose its contrast as black turns into grey. On the other hand, there is no tonal shift (as with TN and cPVA matrixes) and the viewing angles, especially vertical ones, are still much larger than with TN Film. Many e-IPS panels are actually 6-bit + AFRC modules (as opposed to true 8-bit) which might explain how the costs are kept very low in some cases, although in practice the FRC algorithm is very well implemented and you are unlikely to see any obvious side affects. Like H-IPS panels from years prior, e-IPS panels are sometimes criticized for their Anti-Glare (AG) coating, which can appear quite grainy and dirty looking, especially when viewing white backgrounds in office applications.

Although it’s unknown what the “e” stands for here, it’s likely that it means “economic” or similar, since these new panels are all about trying to keep production and retail costs low. With lower retail costs there is of course an added risk of inter-panel variance, which may lead to some quality control issues in some models.

These are new names which some manufacturers seem to promote a little around 2009 – 2010. It has been stated that these ‘new’ panels offer improved energy efficiency, but it’s unclear what the new letters stand for. Perhaps the ‘UH-IPS’ stands for ‘Ultra Horizontal-IPS’? It certainly seems these are just slightly updated versions of H-IPS panels as was e-IPS. It’s possible as well that UH-IPS is just the same thing as e-IPS, with different manufacturers using different terminology to try and separate their displays. We suspect that UH-IPS is either the same thing as e-IPS, or a sub-category of that development, which in turn is a sub-category of H-IPS.

Some spec sheets from LG.Display give some clues as to the differences. The lines separating the sub-pixels are smaller than with H-IPS and therefore the UH-IPS technology has an 18% higher aperture ratio. The drive for increased LCD panel transmissivity is not for the purpose specifically of increasing on screen brightness, but rather to maintain brightness and reduce backlight lamps, inverters, and optical films in order to lower panel costs. LG have used this terminology with some of their LED backlight monitors.

This was a new name which NEC introduced in early 2010 with their new PA series of screens. Thankfully they’ve been kind enough to tell us what the ‘p’ stands for in their marketing, giving rise to the generation of ‘Performance IPS’ panels. This new panel name is being used in the new 24″ – 30″ sized screens (PA241W, PA271W and PA301W). In fact the p-IPS name is just a sub-category of H-IPS technology, being created as a way for NEC to distinguish their new “10-bit” models from the rest of their range. In addition, when you look into the details of it the panels are actually an 8-bit module with 10-bit receiver, giving you an 8-bit + FRC module. This is capable of producing a 1.07 billion colour palette (10-bit) through FRC technology but it is not a true 10-bit colour depth.

There are very few true 10-bit panels out there in the market, although a 24″ 10-bit module was features in the HP LP2480zx for instance, but at a much higher cost. Some other high end models use true 10-bit panels as well, but you need to be a little wary of manufacturers specified 10-bit figures as they are not always 100% accurate.

It’s all very well saying a panel is capable of 10-bit colour depth (1.07 billion colour palette) as opposed to an 8-bit colour depth (16.7 million colours), but you need to take into account whether this is practically useable and whether you’re ever going to truly use that colour depth. Apart from the requirements of your application, operating system, graphics card and software, one more pertinent limitation is from a display point of view, where there must be an interface which can support 10-bit colour depth. At the moment DisplayPort and Dual-link DVI are the only options which can. A full 10-bit work flow is still extremely uncommon in the current market.

Regardless of whether you have a true10-bit colour depth being displayed, a screen with 10-bit capabilities still has its advantages. The monitor should still be capable of scaling the colours well, even from 24-bit sources. Most of these 10-bit panels will also be coupled with extended internal processing which will help improve accuracy and these are better translated onto a 10-bit panel than they would be onto an 8-bit panel, giving less deviation and less chance of banding issues.

This term was introduced by LG.Display in 2011 and primarily used when talking about their smaller panels, used in tablets and mobile devices. The term “Retina” (introduced by Apple) has also been used to describe these new panels, offering increased resolution and PPI. That seemed to be the main focus of AH-IPS panels when first introduced although they also offered an increased aperture size, allowing for greater light transmission and lower power consumption as a result. In the desktop monitor market the term “AH-IPS” has been used by several manufacturers in an effort to try and distinguish their new models, when in fact many could equally be described as H-IPS or e-IPS. With the high resolution aspect in mind, the modern 27″ 2560 x 1440 IPS panels could sensibly be referred to as AH-IPS and the term has been used for some of the very recent panels. In fact there have been a couple of other changes in IPS based screens at around the same time (2012) with the introduction of wide gamut GB-r-LED backlighting, and the change in the Anti-Glare (AG) coating being used. With older S-IPS / H-IPS panels often being criticised for their grainy AG coating, this new lighter coating offers improved picture quality and sharpness.

The term AH-IPS seems to be widely used now in 2014/2015 for modern IPS panels, and with the arrival of other ultra-high res panels we expect it to be used for some time. Performance characteristics remain very similar to older H-IPS and e-IPS panel generations overall. Response times are generally very good nowadays, with quoted specs as low as 5ms G2G common. They aren’t quite as fast as modern TN Film panels still in most cases. Only very recently (2015) have high refresh rate IPS-type panels been introduced, although not by LG.Display (see AHVA section). At the time of writing there is no native support for 120Hz+ refresh rates at this time from LG.Display manufactured IPS-variants. Some Korean manufactured displays featuring IPS panels are capable of being “over-clocked” to 100Hz+ but this is not officially supported by the panel, and can really vary from one screen to another. Furthermore, response times are not adequate to provide optimum gaming experience in most cases, despite the improved refresh rate.

Contrast ratios were typically around 700 – 800:1 in practice up until a couple of years ago, but some can reach up to around 1000:1 – 1100:1 in the better cases nowadays. They are still not capable of challenging VA-type matrices in this area. Viewing angles are still wider than those offered by VA and TN Film panels, with a more stable image and less contrast/colour shift across the panel. They are also free from the off-centre contrast shift issue seen on VA panels. When viewed from an angle, dark content can show a pale / white glow which some user find distracting. This so-called “IPS glow” can be problematic on larger screen sizes, especially when working in darker environments or with a lot of dark content. It is often mistaken for backlight bleed, when in fact the glow changes as you change your line of sight or move further away from the screen.

LG.Display’s IPS panels are available in a wide variety of sizes and resolutions, including panels with Ultra HD (3840 x 2160), 4k (4096 x 2160) and even 5k (5120 x 2880) resolutions. A lot of their current focus seems to be on ultra-high DPI screens like this, and they are also investing in ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio and curved format displays in various sizes, up to 34″.

PLS was introduced by Samsung at the end of 2010 and designed to compete with LG.Display’s long-established and very popular IPS technology. It is an IPS-type technology and for all intents and purposes can be considered IPS, just being manufactured by another company. Samsung claimed they had reduced production costs compared with IPS by about 15% and so were making a play at the market of IPS panels when it was launched. At the time it was also being dubbed “S-PLS” (Super-PLS) but that name seemed to be dropped quite quickly in favour of just “PLS”. It wasn’t until mid 2011 that the first PLS displays started to appear, fittingly they were manufactured by Samsung themselves. The Samsung S27A850D was the first of its kind and its overall performance certainly reminded users of IPS panels.

Response times are very comparable to IPS matrices, with 5ms G2G being the current lowest spec on paper. There is currently no support for refresh rates above 60Hz from Samsung PLS panels, although there are some Korean manufactured screens which can be over-clocked to 100Hz refresh rates. This is not natively or officially supported though. Contrast ratios are typically around 700 – 900:1 in practice, although can reach up to 1000:1 in some cases as per their spec. Viewing angles are very comparable to IPS as well with wide fields of view and freedom from the off-centre contrast shifts you see from VA panels. From a wide angle dark content has a pale / white glow to it like modern IPS panels, again leading to a fair amount of so-called “PLS-glow” which can be distracting to some users. AG coating is also light, much like the light coating used on modern AH-IPS panels from LG.Display.

All in all, PLS is very comparable in practice to IPS. It should be noted that some display manufacturers market their screens as using an IPS panel, whereas underneath the hood the panel is actually a Samsung PLS matrix. Testament to how close these technologies are really considered although somewhat mis-leading. Samsung have largely moved away from their focus on PVA panels and are concentrating on PLS (and TN Film still) now instead. At the time of writing PLS panels are typically available in sizes between 23 and 27″ with resolutions up to 2560 x 1440. They do also have a 31.5″ panel with Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 available which is currently their largest. They do not currently manufacturer any ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio of curved format panels.

In 2012 some PLS based screens started to be marketed using the “AD-PLS” name. It is unclear what is supposed to have changed, if anything, with these recent panel variants. We suspect this is just a marketing name designed to keep up with LG.Display’s change to the “Advanced High-Performance IPS (AH-IPS)” name from the same time. Performance characteristics remain as described in the PLS section above.

Again like Samsung’s PLS technology, AU Optronics have invested in their own IPS-type technology since 2012, dubbed AHVA. This technology is designed by AU Optronics as another alternative to IPS. Confusingly the AHVA name makes it sound like it’s a VA-type panel, which AU Optronics have been manufacturing for many years. It should not be confused with AMVA which is their current “true” VA technology produced. The BenQ BL2710PT was the first display featuring this new technology and gave us some insight into the performance characteristics of AHVA, confirming how closely it resembled an LG.Display IPS panel.

Response time specs reach as low as 4ms G2G on paper but in reality the matrix does not perform any better than the faster IPS or PLS panel versions. Contrast ratios can reach up to the advertised 1000:1 and viewing angles are also very comparable to IPS. There is no off-centre contrast shift like you see on normal VA panels, but a pale glow is visible on dark content from an angle like with IPS/PLS. The AG coating is very light, often semi-glossy.

In very recent times (2015) AU Optronics have been the first to release official high refresh rate (144Hz) IPS-type panels, through their AHVA technology. The first display to use one of these panels was the Acer Predator XB270HU which was impressive when it came to refresh rate support and response times. We expect further panels to emerge at a later date with 120Hz+ refresh rates which can only be a good thing when it comes to gaming. With the addition of this high refresh rate we also saw the first inclusion of a blur reduction backlight (from the NVIDIA ULMB mode) on an IPS-type panel. Again a positive sign when it comes to the gaming future of IPS-type panels.

AU Optronics have invested in various panel sizes for AHVA ranging from 23.8″ up to 32″ in size. They offer resolutions also up to Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 currently, but lacking 4k or 5k support. They are currently investigating a 27″ curved AHVA panel with 2560 x 1440 resolution but it has yet to be released, and if it does make it to production would be the first AHVA panel with a curved format offered. They have yet to investigate 21:9 aspect ratio ultra-wide panels though.

In general, IPS, PLS, and VA panels will maintain outstanding image quality and low color degradation no matter where in the room you’re viewing from. A huge boon.

Remember the hype surrounding the final season of Game of Thrones? Now, do you remember the battle with the White Walkers? More specifically, howdark the episode was? If you couldn’t see very well, chances are you weren’t using a VA panel.

VA panels are known to deliver the deepest blacks and richest all-around tones, thanks to their high contrast ratios. This is also why they’re commonly found in television sets. That said, IPS panels come in close behind with contrast ratios of roughly 1000:1.

Due to the comparatively simple nature of TN liquid crystal technology, most TN displays boast low response times between 5ms and 1ms. This allows games to transition from scene-to-scene with very little lag and virtually zero ghosting.

TN panels also feature the highest refresh rates, which is how many times per second a display can re-render a scene (critical for reaching maximum FPS).

High response times and refresh rates are a huge boon for gaming, where split second decisions can make or break a game. As such, TN panels are the optimal choice for PC gamers looking to maximize their competitive advantage.

Given their inexpensive manufacturing costs, TN panels are the most affordable type on our list. In price-ascending order, they’re followed by VA panels, PLS panels, and IPS panels.

Do note, however, that different display models offer different features. High-end TN panels can easily cost more than an entry-level IPS. It depends on the specifications, manufacturer, and various other factors.

Choosing the best panel type ultimately comes down to personal needs and preference. That said, we hope these guidelines help. Your perfect display is out there.

IPS (In-Plane Switching) lcd is still a type of TFT LCD, IPS TFT is also called SFT LCD (supper fine tft ),different to regular tft in TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, theIPS LCD liquid crystal elements inside the tft lcd cell, they are arrayed in plane inside the lcd cell when power off, so the light can not transmit it via theIPS lcdwhen power off, When power on, the liquid crystal elements inside the IPS tft would switch in a small angle, then the light would go through the IPS lcd display, then the display on since light go through the IPS display, the switching angle is related to the input power, the switch angle is related to the input power value of IPS LCD, the more switch angle, the more light would transmit the IPS LCD, we call it negative display mode.

The regular tft lcd, it is a-si TN (Twisted Nematic) tft lcd, its liquid crystal elements are arrayed in vertical type, the light could transmit the regularTFT LCDwhen power off. When power on, the liquid crystal twist in some angle, then it block the light transmit the tft lcd, then make the display elements display on by this way, the liquid crystal twist angle is also related to the input power, the more twist angle, the more light would be blocked by the tft lcd, it is tft lcd working mode.

A TFT lcd display is vivid and colorful than a common monochrome lcd display. TFT refreshes more quickly response than a monochrome LCD display and shows motion more smoothly. TFT displays use more electricity in driving than monochrome LCD screens, so they not only cost more in the first place, but they are also more expensive to drive tft lcd screen.The two most common types of TFT LCDs are IPS and TN displays.

PLS LCD used in Samsung phones is generally considered to be better than IPS, because it offers more brightness, better viewing angles, better image quality and lower production costs.

PLS (Plane to Line Switching) and IPS (In-Plane Switching) - are both types of LCD display, using a backlight. PLS was introduced by Samsung as an improved type of LCD display.

Amoled displays are better than PLS LCD, because of used technology. You can find Amoled displays in more expensive phones and PLS LCD in cheaper phones.

The Samsung SyncMaster S24C650BW AD-PLS panels deliver 178-degree viewing angles for a wide point of view at a cost-competitive price point. Enjoy outstanding image quality with a sharp, clear picture even when viewed from off angles for greater convenience and versatility.

IET PLS Series - The World"s Only Programmable Inductance Decade BoxA broad range of laboratory grade programmable inductance decade boxes for applications requiring a programmable impedance unit controlled manually and by a computer via an IEEE-488, RS-232 interface.

The PLS Series is a broad line of high precision programmable decade inductors. They provide straight inductance in a wide selection of ranges, tolerances and

The PLS Series is a precision substituter with excellent characteristics of stability, temperature coefficient, and power coefficient. High dynamic ranges are available, starting as low as 1 µH and extending for as many as 10 decades. These features combined with a low virtually constant residual impedance make for very versatile instruments.

The PLS Series programmable inductance box features two optional special settings, an “open circuit” and a “short circuit”. These modes are useful for obtaining reproducible transitions between settings, i.e. break-before-make or to short between settings. The “short circuit” setting also provides a reduced zero setting impedance.

Operation is both local using convenient direct reading front panel thumbwheel switches, and remote with optional parallel RS-232 Serial or IEEE-488 interfaces.

The PLS Series employs very low inductance relays. High quality gold plated tellurium copper five-way binding posts serve to minimize the thermal emf effects which would artificially reflect a change in dc resistance measurements. All other conductors within the instrument, as well as the solder employed, contain no metals or junctions that could contribute to thermal emf problems.

With low resolutions and high dynamic ranges, the PLS Series may be used for exacting precision measurement applications requiring high accuracy, good stability, and low zero impedance. They are suited for automatic and manual calibration and testing, simulation of programmable loads, and many other laboratory and industrial applications.

The PLS Series offers an optional digital display to indicate the control command. The unit may be rack mounted to serve as a component in measurement and control systems.

DRIVERS - TEST KEYBOARDTo aid the user in operating the PRS/PCS/PLS, Two “Keyboard” Controller programs - the easiest way to control GPIB or RS232 devices without writing a program - are available from IET. This Keyboard programs automatically finds your device at start-up and it lets you enter just the data that you want to send to the device. This program works with ICS, Measurement Computing and National Instruments controllers.

For GPIB IEEE-488.1 and IEEE-488.2 interfaceDownload Find Listeners button to confirm that the PLS unit is recognized. Other instruments may also be recognized at this time.

Enter and set the Addressto the PLS address. Use the window to send acommand stringto the PLS, where the command string is constructed as described in the operating manual. A command string might be, for example:

SOURce:DATA inductance stringFor Serial RS-232 interface:Download:ICS_Serkybd_Install.zipUnzip the file and follow instructions to install. Open the application. Initialize the COM PORT and use the Device Command window to send acommand stringto the PLS, where the command string is constructed as described in the operating manual. A command string might be, for example:

First, to be clear, there is no “best” panel type out of these, as all have their respective advantages and disadvantages over the others. The information here pertains to general characteristics, as even pa