working of tft display free sample
In this Arduino touch screen tutorial we will learn how to use TFT LCD Touch Screen with Arduino. You can watch the following video or read the written tutorial below.
The third example is a game. Actually it’s a replica of the popular Flappy Bird game for smartphones. We can play the game using the push button or even using the touch screen itself.
As an example I am using a 3.2” TFT Touch Screen in a combination with a TFT LCD Arduino Mega Shield. We need a shield because the TFT Touch screen works at 3.3V and the Arduino Mega outputs are 5 V. For the first example I have the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor, then for the second example an RGB LED with three resistors and a push button for the game example. Also I had to make a custom made pin header like this, by soldering pin headers and bend on of them so I could insert them in between the Arduino Board and the TFT Shield.
Here’s the circuit schematic. We will use the GND pin, the digital pins from 8 to 13, as well as the pin number 14. As the 5V pins are already used by the TFT Screen I will use the pin number 13 as VCC, by setting it right away high in the setup section of code.
As the code is a bit longer and for better understanding I will post the source code of the program in sections with description for each section. And at the end of this article I will post the complete source code.
I will use the UTFT and URTouch libraries made by Henning Karlsen. Here I would like to say thanks to him for the incredible work he has done. The libraries enable really easy use of the TFT Screens, and they work with many different TFT screens sizes, shields and controllers. You can download these libraries from his website, RinkyDinkElectronics.com and also find a lot of demo examples and detailed documentation of how to use them.
After we include the libraries we need to create UTFT and URTouch objects. The parameters of these objects depends on the model of the TFT Screen and Shield and these details can be also found in the documentation of the libraries.
Next we need to define the fonts that are coming with the libraries and also define some variables needed for the program. In the setup section we need to initiate the screen and the touch, define the pin modes for the connected sensor, the led and the button, and initially call the drawHomeSreen() custom function, which will draw the home screen of the program.
So now I will explain how we can make the home screen of the program. With the setBackColor() function we need to set the background color of the text, black one in our case. Then we need to set the color to white, set the big font and using the print() function, we will print the string “Arduino TFT Tutorial” at the center of the screen and 10 pixels down the Y – Axis of the screen. Next we will set the color to red and draw the red line below the text. After that we need to set the color back to white, and print the two other strings, “by HowToMechatronics.com” using the small font and “Select Example” using the big font.
Next is the distance sensor button. First we need to set the color and then using the fillRoundRect() function we will draw the rounded rectangle. Then we will set the color back to white and using the drawRoundRect() function we will draw another rounded rectangle on top of the previous one, but this one will be without a fill so the overall appearance of the button looks like it has a frame. On top of the button we will print the text using the big font and the same background color as the fill of the button. The same procedure goes for the two other buttons.
drawDistanceSensor(); // It is called only once, because in the next iteration of the loop, this above if statement will be false so this funtion won"t be called. This function will draw the graphics of the first example.
So the drawDistanceSensor() custom function needs to be called only once when the button is pressed in order to draw all the graphics of this example in similar way as we described for the home screen. However, the getDistance() custom function needs to be called repeatedly in order to print the latest results of the distance measured by the sensor.
Ok next is the RGB LED Control example. If we press the second button, the drawLedControl() custom function will be called only once for drawing the graphic of that example and the setLedColor() custom function will be repeatedly called. In this function we use the touch screen to set the values of the 3 sliders from 0 to 255. With the if statements we confine the area of each slider and get the X value of the slider. So the values of the X coordinate of each slider are from 38 to 310 pixels and we need to map these values into values from 0 to 255 which will be used as a PWM signal for lighting up the LED. If you need more details how the RGB LED works you can check my particular tutorialfor that. The rest of the code in this custom function is for drawing the sliders. Back in the loop section we only have the back button which also turns off the LED when pressed.
In order the code to work and compile you will have to include an addition “.c” file in the same directory with the Arduino sketch. This file is for the third game example and it’s a bitmap of the bird. For more details how this part of the code work you can check my particular tutorial. Here you can download that file:
drawDistanceSensor(); // It is called only once, because in the next iteration of the loop, this above if statement will be false so this funtion won"t be called. This function will draw the graphics of the first example.
The ST7789 TFT module contains a display controller with the same name: ST7789. It’s a color display that uses SPI interface protocol and requires 3, 4 or 5 control pins, it’s low cost and easy to use. This display is an IPS display, it comes in different sizes (1.3″, 1.54″ …) but all of them should have the same resolution of 240×240 pixel, this means it has 57600 pixels. This module works with 3.3V only and it doesn’t support 5V (not 5V tolerant).
The ST7789 display module shown in project circuit diagram has 7 pins: (from right to left): GND (ground), VCC, SCL (serial clock), SDA (serial data), RES (reset), DC (or D/C: data/command) and BLK (back light).
As mentioned above, the ST7789 TFT display controller works with 3.3V only (power supply and control lines). The display module is supplied with 3.3V (between VCC and GND) which comes from the Arduino board.
To connect the Arduino to the display module, I used voltage divider for each line which means there are 4 voltage dividers. Each voltage divider consists of 2.2k and 3.3k resistors, this drops the 5V into 3V which is sufficient.
The first library is a driver for the ST7789 TFT display which can be installed from Arduino IDE library manager (Sketch —> Include Library —> Manage Libraries …, in the search box write “st7789” and install the one from Adafruit).
In this article, you will learn how to use TFT LCDs by Arduino boards. From basic commands to professional designs and technics are all explained here.
In electronic’s projects, creating an interface between user and system is very important. This interface could be created by displaying useful data, a menu, and ease of access. A beautiful design is also very important.
There are several components to achieve this. LEDs, 7-segments, Character and Graphic displays, and full-color TFT LCDs. The right component for your projects depends on the amount of data to be displayed, type of user interaction, and processor capacity.
TFT LCD is a variant of a liquid-crystal display (LCD) that uses thin-film-transistor (TFT) technology to improve image qualities such as addressability and contrast. A TFT LCD is an active matrix LCD, in contrast to passive matrix LCDs or simple, direct-driven LCDs with a few segments.
In Arduino-based projects, the processor frequency is low. So it is not possible to display complex, high definition images and high-speed motions. Therefore, full-color TFT LCDs can only be used to display simple data and commands.
In this article, we have used libraries and advanced technics to display data, charts, menu, etc. with a professional design. This can move your project presentation to a higher level.
In electronic’s projects, creating an interface between user and system is very important. This interface could be created by displaying useful data, a menu, and ease of access. A beautiful design is also very important.
There are several components to achieve this. LEDs, 7-segments, Character and Graphic displays, and full-color TFT LCDs. The right component for your projects depends on the amount of data to be displayed, type of user interaction, and processor capacity.
TFT LCD is a variant of a liquid-crystal display (LCD) that uses thin-film-transistor (TFT) technology to improve image qualities such as addressability and contrast. A TFT LCD is an active matrix LCD, in contrast to passive matrix LCDs or simple, direct-driven LCDs with a few segments.
In Arduino-based projects, the processor frequency is low. So it is not possible to display complex, high definition images and high-speed motions. Therefore, full-color TFT LCDs can only be used to display simple data and commands.
In this article, we have used libraries and advanced technics to display data, charts, menu, etc. with a professional design. This can move your project presentation to a higher level.
Size of displays affects your project parameters. Bigger Display is not always better. if you want to display high-resolution images and signs, you should choose a big size display with higher resolution. But it decreases the speed of your processing, needs more space and also needs more current to run.
After choosing the right display, It’s time to choose the right controller. If you want to display characters, tests, numbers and static images and the speed of display is not important, the Atmega328 Arduino boards (such as Arduino UNO) are a proper choice. If the size of your code is big, The UNO board may not be enough. You can use Arduino Mega2560 instead. And if you want to show high resolution images and motions with high speed, you should use the ARM core Arduino boards such as Arduino DUE.
In electronics/computer hardware a display driver is usually a semiconductor integrated circuit (but may alternatively comprise a state machine made of discrete logic and other components) which provides an interface function between a microprocessor, microcontroller, ASIC or general-purpose peripheral interface and a particular type of display device, e.g. LCD, LED, OLED, ePaper, CRT, Vacuum fluorescent or Nixie.
The display driver will typically accept commands and data using an industry-standard general-purpose serial or parallel interface, such as TTL, CMOS, RS232, SPI, I2C, etc. and generate signals with suitable voltage, current, timing and demultiplexing to make the display show the desired text or image.
The LCDs manufacturers use different drivers in their products. Some of them are more popular and some of them are very unknown. To run your display easily, you should use Arduino LCDs libraries and add them to your code. Otherwise running the display may be very difficult. There are many free libraries you can find on the internet but the important point about the libraries is their compatibility with the LCD’s driver. The driver of your LCD must be known by your library. In this article, we use the Adafruit GFX library and MCUFRIEND KBV library and example codes. You can download them from the following links.
You must add the library and then upload the code. If it is the first time you run an Arduino board, don’t worry. Just follow these steps:Go to www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software and download the software of your OS. Install the IDE software as instructed.
By these two functions, You can find out the resolution of the display. Just add them to the code and put the outputs in a uint16_t variable. Then read it from the Serial port by Serial.println(); . First add Serial.begin(9600); in setup().
First you should convert your image to hex code. Download the software from the following link. if you don’t want to change the settings of the software, you must invert the color of the image and make the image horizontally mirrored and rotate it 90 degrees counterclockwise. Now add it to the software and convert it. Open the exported file and copy the hex code to Arduino IDE. x and y are locations of the image. sx and sy are sizes of image. you can change the color of the image in the last input.
Upload your image and download the converted file that the UTFT libraries can process. Now copy the hex code to Arduino IDE. x and y are locations of the image. sx and sy are size of the image.
In this template, We converted a .jpg image to .c file and added to the code, wrote a string and used the fade code to display. Then we used scroll code to move the screen left. Download the .h file and add it to the folder of the Arduino sketch.
In this template, We used sin(); and cos(); functions to draw Arcs with our desired thickness and displayed number by text printing function. Then we converted an image to hex code and added them to the code and displayed the image by bitmap function. Then we used draw lines function to change the style of the image. Download the .h file and add it to the folder of the Arduino sketch.
In this template, We created a function which accepts numbers as input and displays them as a pie chart. We just use draw arc and filled circle functions.
In this template, We added a converted image to code and then used two black and white arcs to create the pointer of volumes. Download the .h file and add it to the folder of the Arduino sketch.
In this template, We added a converted image and use the arc and print function to create this gauge. Download the .h file and add it to folder of the Arduino sketch.
while (a < b) { Serial.println(a); j = 80 * (sin(PI * a / 2000)); i = 80 * (cos(PI * a / 2000)); j2 = 50 * (sin(PI * a / 2000)); i2 = 50 * (cos(PI * a / 2000)); tft.drawLine(i2 + 235, j2 + 169, i + 235, j + 169, tft.color565(0, 255, 255)); tft.fillRect(200, 153, 75, 33, 0x0000); tft.setTextSize(3); tft.setTextColor(0xffff); if ((a/20)>99)
while (b < a) { j = 80 * (sin(PI * a / 2000)); i = 80 * (cos(PI * a / 2000)); j2 = 50 * (sin(PI * a / 2000)); i2 = 50 * (cos(PI * a / 2000)); tft.drawLine(i2 + 235, j2 + 169, i + 235, j + 169, tft.color565(0, 0, 0)); tft.fillRect(200, 153, 75, 33, 0x0000); tft.setTextSize(3); tft.setTextColor(0xffff); if ((a/20)>99)
In this template, We display simple images one after each other very fast by bitmap function. So you can make your animation by this trick. Download the .h file and add it to folder of the Arduino sketch.
In this template, We just display some images by RGBbitmap and bitmap functions. Just make a code for touchscreen and use this template. Download the .h file and add it to folder of the Arduino sketch.
The speed of playing all the GIF files are edited and we made them faster or slower for better understanding. The speed of motions depends on the speed of your processor or type of code or size and thickness of elements in the code.
It depends on how many samples of TFT panel you require and whether we have some in stock. If we have some in stock, we can offer one or two samples for free. And if we are out of stock or your required sample needs to be customized, we are afraid that we can not offer the sample free of charge. But the sample fee can be refunded once you place the order. Welcome to contact us!
As an innovative company, Shenzhen LCD Mall Limited consistently supplies clients with the finest oled display. embedded display produced by Shenzhen LCD Mall is very popular in the market. The LED bead of Shenzhen LCD Mall tft lcd uses the high-performance substrate materials such as silicon that has better heat dissipation performance, which ensures this LED lighting can work for a long time. Reducing the reflection of light, it supports out-door applications such as the advertising screen, ATM cash machine, POS cash register, etc. The product is colorfast and will not fade even after multiple times of washings, although it will soften. Its optical bonding improves the contrast ratio by reducing the amount of reflected light, thus improving viewability.
This new library is a standalone library that contains the TFT driver as well as the graphics functions and fonts that were in the GFX library. This library has significant performance improvements when used with an UNO (or ATmega328 based Arduino) and MEGA.
Examples are included with the library, including graphics test programs. The example sketch TFT_Rainbow_one shows different ways of using the font support functions. This library now supports the "print" library so the formatting features of the "print" library can be used, for example to print to the TFT in Hexadecimal, for example:
The larger fonts are now Run Length Encoded (RLE) so that they occupy less FLASH space, this frees up space for the rest of the sketch. A byproduct of the RLE approach is that the font drawing is also speeded up so it is a win-win situation.
To use the F_AS_T performance option the ILI9341 based display must be connected to an MEGA as follows:MEGA +5V to display pin 1 (VCC) and pin 8 (LED) UNO 0V (GND) to display pin 2 (GND)
TFT_ILI9341 library updated on 1st July 2015 to version 12, this latest version is attached here to step 8:Minor bug when rendering letter "T" in font 4 without background fixed
In this guide we’re going to show you how you can use the 1.8 TFT display with the Arduino. You’ll learn how to wire the display, write text, draw shapes and display images on the screen.
The 1.8 TFT is a colorful display with 128 x 160 color pixels. The display can load images from an SD card – it has an SD card slot at the back. The following figure shows the screen front and back view.
This module uses SPI communication – see the wiring below . To control the display we’ll use the TFT library, which is already included with Arduino IDE 1.0.5 and later.
The TFT display communicates with the Arduino via SPI communication, so you need to include the SPI library on your code. We also use the TFT library to write and draw on the display.
In which “Hello, World!” is the text you want to display and the (x, y) coordinate is the location where you want to start display text on the screen.
The 1.8 TFT display can load images from the SD card. To read from the SD card you use the SD library, already included in the Arduino IDE software. Follow the next steps to display an image on the display:
Note: some people find issues with this display when trying to read from the SD card. We don’t know why that happens. In fact, we tested a couple of times and it worked well, and then, when we were about to record to show you the final result, the display didn’t recognized the SD card anymore – we’re not sure if it’s a problem with the SD card holder that doesn’t establish a proper connection with the SD card. However, we are sure these instructions work, because we’ve tested them.
In this guide we’ve shown you how to use the 1.8 TFT display with the Arduino: display text, draw shapes and display images. You can easily add a nice visual interface to your projects using this display.
The TFT LCD screen display, for the general masses, is no longer a difficult noun. And it is another after semiconductor could create a large number of emerging technology products of the business turnover, more because of its features, thin so it than using the application scope of the cathode ray tube (CRT, cathode ray tube) display made by wider. Today, I’m going to talk about how the TFT LCD Touch Screen Display Works.
As I mentioned earlier, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) refer to a bunch produced by using the TFT screen LCD display. Now for LCD displays the name is directed mostly used in notebook computers, or desktop computer applications display. Is the thin film transistor TFT LCD display. Abbreviation of TFT LCD. This kind of display form has two main characteristics, one is a thin film transistor, the other is TFT LCD itself. Let’s talk about the TFT screen itself.
We usually think of substances like water as three states, solid-liquid, and gas. The three states of material actually are for water, for different materials, a different state may exist.
As we want to talk about liquid crystal state is concerned, it is a state between solid and liquid, actually, this kind of state is only part of the material of a kind of phase change process (see figure 1), as long as the material has the above process, namely the state exists between solid and liquid, a physicist called liquid crystal.
This type of TFT LCD screen was first discovered, had been spent more than one hundred years ago. In 1888 AD, the Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer, found in the observation from the plant refined out of benzoic acid cholesterol (cholesteryl benzoate) found that when the melting behavior of the compound heated to 145.5 ℃, Solid can melt, presents a kind of solid phase and liquid phase between the half gonorrhea melt flow of the liquid. This situation will always maintain ℃ temperature rise to 178.5 degrees, to form a clear isotropic liquid (isotropic liquid).
The next year, in 1889, the study of thermodynamic equilibrium and the phase transfer German physicist O.L Ehmann, compounds for a more detailed analysis of this. He found that under the polarizing microscope, half of the viscous liquid gonorrhea liquid compounds with different parts peculiar to the crystal birefringence (birefringence) of the optical properties, namely, optical interphase (optically anisotropic). It will be a name to this as the liquid crystal. Since then, scientists will be the nature of this new discovery, known as the fourth state material – LCD (liquid crystal). It at a specific temperature range can have the characteristics of the liquid and solid at the same time.
General with water, solid lattice in heating because it is over, began to heat and destroy the lattice, when the temperature exceeds melting point will be dissolved into a liquid. And cause the type of liquid crystal is different (see figure 2), when the solid heat does not directly into the liquid, will be dissolved to form a liquid crystal state. When you continue heating, it will only then dissolve into a liquid (isotropic liquid). This is called the secondary dissolution phenomenon.
The liquid crystal state, as the name implies, will be a solid lattice and the liquid. When the liquid crystal was found, because of a lot of more phyletic, In 1922, the results observed by g. Friedel with a polarizing microscope divided liquid crystals into Nematic Smectic and Cholesteric categories. However, if they were classified according to the order of molecular arrangement (see figure 3), they could be divided into the following four categories:
Its structure is composed of TFT LCD molecules stick together, forming a layer structure. It’s every layer of the molecular long axis direction parallel to each other. And the long axis direction for each layer plane is vertical or a tilt Angle. Due to its structure is very similar to crystals, so they are called phase. The order parameter S (the order parameter) tend to be 1. Type in layered crystal layer and interlayer bonding can fracture because of temperature, so the layer and interlayer sliding more easily. But each layer within the molecular bonding is stronger, so it is not easy to be interrupted. Therefore in the context of the monolayer, Its arranged orderly and viscosity is bigger. If we use the macroscopic phenomenon to describe the physical properties of liquid crystal, we can make a group of regional average points as the liquid crystal molecules are pointing in the direction of the arrow (director), which is the direction of a group of liquid crystal molecules regional average. And with lamellar liquid crystal, because of its structure, the TFT LCD molecules will cambium-like so can point to a vector of different classification of the different lamellar liquid crystal again. When the long axis of the liquid crystal molecules are vertical stand, Call it “Sematic A phase.” if stand long axis direction of the TFT LCD molecules have some Angle of tilt (tilt), call it “Sematic C phase”. In A, C and other letters to name, which was discovered in accordance with the order to address, and so on, there should be A “Semantic phase B is.” but later found A deformation phase B is C phase, And the liquid crystal molecules in the structure layer by layer, in addition to each layer of TFT LCD molecules have tilt Angle, the tilt Angle between layer by layer will form a helical structure.
Nematic is a Greek word, the word mean in the thread is the same as in English. Mainly because with the naked eye to observe the liquid crystal, it looks like a silk pattern. The LCD screen molecules on the space of the regular arrangement of one dimension, all rod long axis of the liquid crystal molecules will choose a particular direction (that is, pointing vector) as the main shaft and arranged parallel to each other. And don’t like lamellar liquid crystal has a layered structure. Compared with the layer column type liquid crystal alignment is no order, That is to say, its order parameter S is smaller than the lamellar liquid crystal, and its viscosity is smaller, so it is easier to flow (its flow mainly comes from the free movement of molecules in the long axis direction). Linear liquid crystal is the common TFT LCD display screen TN(Twisted nematic) type liquid crystal.
Most of the sources of the name, because are generated by the derivative of the cholesterol. But some without cholesterol structure of LCD screen with this liquid crystal phase. This kind of liquid crystal as shown in figure 5, if it is a layer of a layer to separate, would very much like a linear LCD screen. But look at the Z-axis, may find it pointing in the direction of the arrow will with layers and layers of different distribution, like a spiraling when the pointing vector rotate 360 degrees for molecular layer thickness is called a pitch. Because of its every layer like linear LCD, so also known as Chiral nematic phase. In terms of cholesterol crystal, and pointing in the direction vector of the vertical distribution of LCD screen molecules, due to the different point to vector, will have the different optical or electrical differences, thus has produced different features.
If we are according to the molecular weight of high and low points can be divided into liquid crystal polymer (polymer liquid crystal, the polymer in many of the liquid crystal molecules) and low molecular liquid crystal. This kind of classification of TFT LCD belongs to the application of the low molecular liquid crystal. If the reasons for the formation of liquid crystal state, because it can be divided into type temperature formation of liquid crystal state to a liquid crystal (thermotropic), and because of the concentration and the formation of a liquid crystal state type lyotropic liquid crystal (lyotropic).
In the classification of the mentioned before, Lamellar liquid crystal and liquid crystal of the linear type liquid crystal to cause the more common, as the temperature changes and form liquid crystal state. For the lyotropic liquid crystal, we need to consider the situation of molecules dissolved in a solvent. When the concentration is low, the molecular and mixed and disorderly, which are distributed in the solvent of the isotropic solution, but when higher concentration is greater than a certain critical concentration, because the molecule has no enough space to form mixed and disorderly, the distribution of molecular began to gather to form part of the rules, To reduce the space of the block. Therefore form different sex (anisotropic).
The solution so types lyotropic TFT screen molecules in the appropriate solvents reaches a certain critical concentration, the formation of liquid crystal state. Type lyotropic liquid crystal is one of the best examples that is soap. When soap bubbles in the water will not be at once into a liquid, and the bubble in the water for a long time, after the formation of white matter, is its liquid crystal state.
Due to the structure of the liquid crystal molecules for different parties (Anisotropic), so caused by the photoelectric effect will vary because of a different direction, in short, that is, the liquid crystal molecules in the dielectric coefficient and refractive index, and so on photoelectric properties have different sex, so we can use these properties to change the intensity of the incident light, so that the formation of gray-scale, to apply on the display component. We’ll discuss below, is one of the characteristics of liquid crystal belongs to the optical and electrical related, about the following items:
Our dielectric coefficient can be separated into two directions respectively is epsilon / / (and point to parallel component) and epsilon coming (a component perpendicular to the pointing vector). When the epsilon / / > epsilon coming then called the dielectric coefficient of different parts of LCD, can be used in parallel coordination. And epsilon / / < epsilon is called the dielectric coefficient of the different part coming negative type of TFT screen, only can be used in vertical coordination will need the photoelectric effect. When the applied electric field, the liquid crystal molecules will vary with dielectric coefficient is positive or negative, To determine whether the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is parallel or perpendicular to the electric field, to determine whether the light penetrates. Now on most commonly used type TN LCD TFT LCD that belongs to the dielectric coefficient are type liquid crystal. When the dielectric coefficient of square difference Δ epsilon (= epsilon / / – epsilon) comes, the greater the LCD of the critical voltage (threshold voltage) will be smaller. So the LCD can be in the low voltage operation.
Liquid crystal molecules are also known as heterotropic crystals because they are mostly formed from rod-like or saucer-like molecules, and thus have different physical properties that are parallel to or perpendicular to the long axis of the molecule. Like the dielectric perp, the refractive index is also divided into vectors perpendicular to and parallel to the vector, namely, n // and n perpendicular to each other.
In addition, for uniaxial crystal, there are two different definitions of refraction coefficient, one is no, which refers to the refraction coefficient of ordinary ray, so it is shortened to no, and ordinary ray refers to the electric field component of its light wave is perpendicular to the optical axis, and the other is ne, which refers to the refraction coefficient of extraordinary ray. The extraordinary ray is referred to as the light of the electric field component parallel to the optical axis. At the same time, it defines the birefringence (birefringence) Δ n = no-no for the above two refractive index differences.
In accordance with the described above, the lamellar liquid crystal, linear liquid crystal, and LCD screen for cholesterol levels, because of its long liquid crystal molecules like a stick, so point to the direction of the vector and the molecular long axis parallel. To be defined with reference to the refraction coefficient of a single optical axis crystal, it will have two refractive indexes, respectively is perpendicular to the direction of the long axis of the liquid crystal n coming (= ne) and parallel to the long axis of the liquid crystal direction n / / (= no), so when the incident light liquid crystal, will be affected by two refractive indexes, cause in the vertical long axis of the liquid crystal and LCD long axis parallel to the direction of the speed of light will be different.
If with the molecular long axis parallel to the direction of light speed, when less than perpendicular to the speed of the molecular long axis direction, which means that parallel the molecular long axis direction of refractive index is greater than the vertical direction of the refractive index (because the refractive index is inversely proportional to the speed of light), is the one – no > 0. So the birefringence Δ n > 0, we think that it is called optics is a type of LCD, and lamellar liquid crystal and LCD are all belong to the optical is almost linear LCD. If the light of the parallel to the direction of the long axis was faster, On behalf of the flat to the governor of the axis of the refractive index is less than the vertical direction, so the birefringence Δ n < 0. We call it is the optical negative type of LCD. The cholesterol liquid crystal optical negative type of LCD.
For example, the elastic constant (kappa 11, kappa 22, kappa 33) contains the three most important constants: kappa 11 is the elastic constant at splay, kappa 22 is the elastic constant at the twist. Kappa 33 refers to predominating the elastic constants of bending (bend). The other as the coefficient of viscosity (viscosity coefficients and eta), will affect the rotational speed of the liquid crystal molecules with reaction time (response time), its value as small as possible. But this feature is affected by temperature is the largest. In addition to magnetic susceptibility (magnetic susceptibility), but also because of liquid crystals of different sex, Divided into c / / c coming. And the difference of magnetic susceptibility is defined as Δ c = c / / – c coming. In addition to the conductance coefficient (conductivity), and so on the photoelectric properties. Liquid crystal properties of the most important are the dielectric coefficient and refractive index of liquid crystal. The dielectric coefficient is determined liquid crystal under the influence of the electric field to the characteristics of the liquid crystal molecules, while the refractive index is liquid crystal in the light of its important parameters influencing the light path. The LCD is in using the liquid crystal itself of these features, the appropriate use of voltage, to control the rotation of the TFT LCD molecules, in turn, affect the direction of the light, to form different grayscale, a tool for displaying images. Of course, LCD itself is not alone as the monitor, also need other materials to help, Below, we will introduce the composition of various materials and operating principle of TFT LCD display.
I remember in high school physics class, when to teach the relevant physical properties of light, to do a lot of physical experiments, the purpose is to prove that light is a wave. And the marching direction of light waves, and the electric field and magnetic field perpendicular to each other. Light itself of the electric field and magnetic field component at the same time also is perpendicular to each other. That is to say with the electric field and magnetic field component direction, each other is two parallel to each other. (see figure 7) and the role of the polarizing film is like a fence, usually will be cut off a component perpendicular to the fence, With a fence parallel component only permitted through. So if we picked up a piece of the light polarization slabs, feel like wearing sunglasses, the light became dark. But if the two pieces of polarizing film ideas together, it won’t be the same. When you rotate the two pieces of the relative Angle of the polarizing film, you will find that as the relative Angle is different, the brightness of the light will be more and darker. When two polaroids fence Angle perpendicular to each other, Light was completely failing. (see figure 8) and a liquid crystal display is to use this feature. Use upper and lower two pieces of fences between perpendicular slant plate, filled with liquid crystal, recycle electric field control liquid crystal rotation, to change the direction of light, so that different electric field sizes, can form different gray-scale brightness.
The upper and lower two layers of glass are mainly to grip the LCD with. Below the glass layer with Thin film transistor (thin film transistor, TFT screen), while the layer above the glass with a Color filter (Color filter). If you notice (see figure 3), these two pieces of glass are in contact with the side of the LCD screen, not smooth, but with jagged grooves. The main purpose of the groove with the hope of a long rod, liquid crystal molecules will line up along the grooves. In this way, Liquid crystal molecules are arranged neatly. Because if it is smooth and flat, the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules will not neat, causing light scattering, forming a light-leaking phenomenon. In fact, this is just a theory that told us to put the glass and LCD interface, complete processing so that the arrangement of liquid crystal has a certain order. But in the actual manufacturing process, and can not be with such a groove, the distribution of glass is made usually in glass coating on the surface layer of the PI (polyimide), and then a cloth to do the action of friction (rubbing), In order to make the surface molecules of PI no longer be scattered and arranged in a fixed and uniform direction, this layer of PI is called the coordination membrane, and its function is just like the grooves in the glass in FIG. 3, which provides the interface conditions for the uniform arrangement of liquid crystal molecules and allows the liquid crystals to be arranged in a predetermined order.
We can know from figure 10, when there is no applied voltage between the upper and lower two pieces of glass, the arrangement of LCD will be in accordance with the match to the membrane of the upper and lower two pieces of glass. For TN type of LCD, and match to the film’s point of view of the poor to 90 degrees. (see figure 9) so the liquid crystal molecules are arranged by the up and down automatically rotate 90 degrees when the incident light passes through the upper polarizing film, the polarization of light waves will only order direction. Through the liquid crystal molecules, the liquid crystal molecules rotate for 90 degrees, so when the waves reach the lower polarizing film, the polarization direction of the light just turned 90 degrees. The polarizing film of the lower and upper polarizing film, 90 – degree Angle is just the differences. (see figure 9) so can smoothly through the light, but if we applied voltage between the upper and lower two pieces of glass, because the type TN LCD for the dielectric coefficient of different sex more positive type of LCD (epsilon / / > epsilon coming, represent the parallel direction of the dielectric coefficient is larger than the dielectric coefficient of the vertical direction, so when the liquid crystal molecules are influenced by an electric field, will tend to be parallel to the orientation of the electric field direction.), so we can see from figure 10, At this time, the polarized light wave passing through the upper polarizer will not change the polarization direction when passing through the liquid crystal molecule, so it cannot pass through the lower polarizer.
The so-called NW (Normally white), is to point to when we don’t apply voltage on the LCD screen panel, we can see the panel is pervious to light, also is bright, so-called Normally white. But on the other hand, when we don’t apply voltage on the LCD panel if the panel is not pervious to light, the look is black, it’s called NB (Normally black). We have just mentioned in figure 9 and figure 10 all belongs to the configuration of NW, also we can know from figure 11, For type TN LCD, located in the upper and lower glass is perpendicular to the membrane, and the difference between NB and NW just lies in the relative position of the polarizing film is different. For NB, the fluctuation of the polarizing film polarity is parallel to each other. So when the NB no applied voltage, the light will be because the polarity of the LCD to rotate 90 degrees to be pervious to light. Why there are NW and NB these two kinds of a different configuration of the polarizing film? Mainly for different applications. Commonly used in a desktop computer or notebook computer, most of the NW configuration. That’s because, if you notice, generally the use of computer software environment, you will find that most of the entire screen is a bright spot, that is to say, computer software for the application of white background and black text. Since on the point of the majority, using NW is more convenient, of course. Also because the NW window does not need to add the voltage, the average will compare to save electricity. In turn, said that the application of the NB environment mostly belongs to the screen for the application of black.
The STN LCD and TN LCD are very similar in structure, the main difference between TN LCD, the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules, the rotation angle from top to bottom. A total of 90 degrees and type the STN LCD liquid crystal molecules are arranged, the rotation angle will be greater than 180 degrees, usually is 270 degrees. (see figure 12) because of its rotation Angle is different, its characteristics different. We from figure 13 TN type and type the STN LCD voltage of the transmittance curve can know, when the voltage is low, the light penetration rate is very high. With a high voltage, the light of the penetration rate is very low. So they belong to the Normal White polaroids configuration. When the voltage in the middle position, the change of type TN LCD curve is flat, and the change of the STN LCD type curve is steep. So in TN type LCD, when transmittance change from 90% to 10%, corresponding to the voltage difference is larger than the STN LCD. We mentioned before, in the liquid crystal display, The different characteristics of TN and STN will result in TN type LCD, which has more grayscale changes than STN type LCD, so generally TN type LCD has 6~8 bits of changes. It is 64 ~ 256 gray-scale changes. Type the STN LCD for a maximum of 4 bits are only 16 orders of gray-scale changes. In addition, the STN type and TN LCD has a different place is the reaction time (response time) general type the STN LCD it’s response time to type in more than 100 ms and TN LCD its response time is 30 ~ 50 ms as shown in the image change quickly for the STN LCD type ghosting effect phenomenon is easy to happen.
TFT LCD Chinese translation of the name is called a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, from the beginning, we mentioned LCD voltage control is needed to produce gray. And the use of a thin-film transistor to generate the voltage, to control the transition of liquid crystal display, is called a TFT LCD. From the point of the cross-section structure of figure 8, between upper and lower two layers of glass, with LCD, will form a parallel plate capacitor, we call it the CLC (capacitor of liquid crystal). Its size is about 0.1 m3, But on the practical application, the capacitance and unable to keep the voltage to the next time to update the data in the picture.
That is to say, when TFT is good to the capacitor charging power, it is impossible to maintain voltage, until the next TFT this point charge again. (in general of 60 Hz screen update frequency, need time to keep about 16 ms.) as a result, there were changes in voltage, displayed gray scale is not correct. Therefore generally on the design of the panel, we will add a storage capacitor CS (storage capacitor is about 0.5 pF). So charged electric voltage can keep until the next update screen. But the right, long on the glass TFT itself, just use a transistor to make the switch. Its main work is to determine the LCD source voltage on the driver whether to charge to this point. As for this point more charge to high voltage, so as to show how the gray-scale. It is outside of the LCD source driver.
If you have a chance, take a magnifying glass, close to the LCD screen. You will find that as shown in figure 9 shows. We know that red, blue and green, are the so-called primary colors. That is to say, using the three kinds of color, can produce a variety of different colors. In a lot of flat-panel displays, this principle is used to show the color. We put the RGB 3 kinds of color, is divided into independent three points, each has different gray-scale changes, then the three neighboring RGB display point, as the basic unit of a display, Pixel is that this a pixel, and can have different color changes. Then for a need for a 1024 * 768 resolution display screen, we just let the composition of the flat panel display with 1024 * 768 pixels, can show a picture of the right. In figure 9, each point between the Black part of RGB is called the Black matrix. We can find that looking back on it in figure 8Black matrix is mainly used to cover do not intend to previous to light part. Such as some ITOs walk the line, or Cr/Al walk the line or are part of a TFT. This is why we in figure 9, the highlight of each RGB, it seems, is not a rectangle, and also on the top left corner is a piece of black matrix cover part, this part of a black missing Angle is the location of the TFT.
Figure 9 shows the common arrangement of color filters. Stripe is most commonly used in OA products, such as laptops, desktop computers, etc. Why is stripe used in this application? More often than not, the reason is now software is the Windows interface. That is to say, we can see the screen content, is composed of a pile of boxes of various sizes. The strips, just can make the edge of the box, look more straight, and there won’t be a straight line, look have the feeling of burrs or serrated. But if it is applied in the AV products, just not the same. Probably because the TV signal is a character, the character of the line is not straight, the contour is a mostly irregular curve. So in the beginning, the Use Mosaic arrangement used in AV products is (Mosaic, or called arranged diagonally). But the latest AV products, more have been improved to use triangle arrangement (triangle, or known as the delta). In addition to the above arrangement, still have a kind of arrangement, which is called a square arrangement. It is not the same as the first few, it is not three-point to as a pixel, but with four points as a pixel. And just four points are combined to form a square.
The CRT screen, it is using a high-speed electron gun that emits electrons, hits the phosphors on the silver screen, so as to produce the light, to show the picture. LCD itself, however, can only control the brightness of the light through, no glowing function itself. Therefore, a liquid crystal display must be combined with a backplate, to provide high brightness, brightness, and uniform distribution of the light source. We can see in figure 14, of the backplate of the main parts are CCFL (cold cathode tube), reflex plate, guide plate, prism sheet, Diffuser plate, and so on. Tubes are the main light-emitting parts, by a light guide, everywhere. The light distribution and baffle will be limited only to the TFT LCD light direction. Finally, by prism sheet and help diffuser, the light evenly distributed to all areas, provide TFT LCD a bright light. While TFT LCD is borrowed by the rotation of the voltage-controlled liquid crystal, control through the brightness of the light, so as to form different grayscale.
Another box in figure 14 glue and spacer structure of two kinds of ingredients. The box adhesive USES is to make the LCD panel in the upper and lower two layers of glass, to be able to stick close and to provide a panel of LCD screen molecules, cut off from the outside world, so the box plastic as its name suggests, is around and around in the panel to the liquid crystal molecules box limited to within a panel. The spacer is mainly provided two-layer glass support, it must be distributed evenly on the glass, or a part but uneven distribution cause spacer gathered together, it will block the light, It is also unable to maintain the appropriate gap between the upper and lower glass, which will lead to uneven distribution of electric field and affect the performance of the crystal grayscale.
A very important specification of LCD is brightness, and the most important factor to determine the brightness is the opening rate. What is the opening rate? Is simple light can pass through the effective area proportion. 17, let’s look at the picture to the left of figure 17 is an LCD display from directly above or below the past structure. When the light is emitted through the backplate, not all of the light can be through the panel, like for LCD source driver chip and the gate driver chip signal line, and TFT itself, the stored voltage is the use of storage capacity, etc. These places besides incomplete pervious to light, but also because the light through these places is not under voltage control, to display the correct gray-scale, so have to use the black matrix to cover, in order to avoid interference to other correct brightness of the light area. So the effective area of the previous to light, it’s just like figure 17 shows area on the right. This piece of the effective area of the previous to light and the ratio of the total area is called the opening rate.
When the light is emitted from the backlight plate, it will pass through the polarizer, glass, LCD screen, color filter, etc. It is assumed that the penetration rate of each part is as follows:
Color filter:27%(assume that the material itself has a penetration rate of 80%, but since the filter itself is painted with color, only light waves of that color can be allowed to pass through. For RGB primary colors, only one of the three colors can be allowed to pass through. Therefore, only one-third of the brightness is left.
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The TFT LCD screen display, for the general masses, is no longer a difficult noun. And it is another after semiconductor could create a large number of emerging technology products of the business turnover, more because of its features, thin so it than using the application scope of the cathode ray tube (CRT, cathode ray tube) display made by wider. Today, I’m going to talk about how the TFT LCD Touch Screen Display Works.
As I mentioned earlier, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) refer to a bunch produced by using the TFT screen LCD display. Now for LCD displays the name is directed mostly used in notebook computers, or desktop computer applications display. Is the thin film transistor TFT LCD display. Abbreviation of TFT LCD. This kind of display form has two main characteristics, one is a thin film transistor, the other is TFT LCD itself. Let’s talk about the TFT screen itself.
We usually think of substances like water as three states, solid-liquid, and gas. The three states of material actually are for water, for different materials, a different state may exist.
As we want to talk about liquid crystal state is concerned, it is a state between solid and liquid, actually, this kind of state is only part of the material of a kind of phase change process (see figure 1), as long as the material has the above process, namely the state exists between solid and liquid, a physicist called liquid crystal.
This type of TFT LCD screen was first discovered, had been spent more than one hundred years ago. In 1888 AD, the Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer, found in the observation from the plant refined out of benzoic acid cholesterol (cholesteryl benzoate) found that when the melting behavior of the compound heated to 145.5 ℃, Solid can melt, presents a kind of solid phase and liquid phase between the half gonorrhea melt flow of the liquid. This situation will always maintain ℃ temperature rise to 178.5 degrees, to form a clear isotropic liquid (isotropic liquid).
The next year, in 1889, the study of thermodynamic equilibrium and the phase transfer German physicist O.L Ehmann, compounds for a more detailed analysis of this. He found that under the polarizing microscope, half of the viscous liquid gonorrhea liquid compounds with different parts peculiar to the crystal birefringence (birefringence) of the optical properties, namely, optical interphase (optically anisotropic). It will be a name to this as the liquid crystal. Since then, scientists will be the nature of this new discovery, known as the fourth state material – LCD (liquid crystal). It at a specific temperature range can have the characteristics of the liquid and solid at the same time.
General with water, solid lattice in heating because it is over, began to heat and destroy the lattice, when the temperature exceeds melting point will be dissolved into a liquid. And cause the type of liquid crystal is different (see figure 2), when the solid heat does not directly into the liquid, will be dissolved to form a liquid crystal state. When you continue heating, it will only then dissolve into a liquid (isotropic liquid). This is called the secondary dissolution phenomenon.
The liquid crystal state, as the name implies, will be a solid lattice and the liquid. When the liquid crystal was found, because of a lot of more phyletic, In 1922, the results observed by g. Friedel with a polarizing microscope divided liquid crystals into Nematic Smectic and Cholesteric categories. However, if they were classified according to the order of molecular arrangement (see figure 3), they could be divided into the following four categories:
Its structure is composed of TFT LCD molecules stick together, forming a layer structure. It’s every layer of the molecular long axis direction parallel to each other. And the long axis direction for each layer plane is vertical or a tilt Angle. Due to its structure is very similar to crystals, so they are called phase. The order parameter S (the order parameter) tend to be 1. Type in layered crystal layer and interlayer bonding can fracture because of temperature, so the layer and interlayer sliding more easily. But each layer within the molecular bonding is stronger, so it is not easy to be interrupted. Therefore in the context of the monolayer, Its arranged orderly and viscosity is bigger. If we use the macroscopic phenomenon to describe the physical properties of liquid crystal, we can make a group of regional average points as the liquid crystal molecules are pointing in the direction of the arrow (director), which is the direction of a group of liquid crystal molecules regional average. And with lamellar liquid crystal, because of its structure, the TFT LCD molecules will cambium-like so can point to a vector of different classification of the different lamellar liquid crystal again. When the long axis of the liquid crystal molecules are vertical stand, Call it “Sematic A phase.” if stand long axis direction of the TFT LCD molecules have some Angle of tilt (tilt), call it “Sematic C phase”. In A, C and other letters to name, which was discovered in accordance with the order to address, and so on, there should be A “Semantic phase B is.” but later found A deformation phase B is C phase, And the liquid crystal molecules in the structure layer by layer, in addition to each layer of TFT LCD molecules have tilt Angle, the tilt Angle between layer by layer will form a helical structure.
Nematic is a Greek word, the word mean in the thread is the same as in English. Mainly because with the naked eye to observe the liquid crystal, it looks like a silk pattern. The LCD screen molecules on the space of the regular arrangement of one dimension, all rod long axis of the liquid crystal molecules will choose a particular direction (that is, pointing vector) as the main shaft and arranged parallel to each other. And don’t like lamellar liquid crystal has a layered structure. Compared with the layer column type liquid crystal alignment is no order, That is to say, its order parameter S is smaller than the lamellar liquid crystal, and its viscosity is smaller, so it is easier to flow (its flow mainly comes from the free movement of molecules in the long axis direction). Linear liquid crystal is the common TFT LCD display screen TN(Twisted nematic) type liquid crystal.
Most of the sources of the name, because are generated by the derivative of the cholesterol. But some without cholesterol structure of LCD screen with this liquid crystal phase. This kind of liquid crystal as shown in figure 5, if it is a layer of a layer to separate, would very much like a linear LCD screen. But look at the Z-axis, may find it pointing in the direction of the arrow will with layers and layers of different distribution, like a spiraling when the pointing vector rotate 360 degrees for molecular layer thickness is called a pitch. Because of its every layer like linear LCD, so also known as Chiral nematic phase. In terms of cholesterol crystal, and pointing in the direction vector of the vertical distribution of LCD screen molecules, due to the different point to vector, will have the different optical or electrical differences, thus has produced different features.
If we are according to the molecular weight of high and low points can be divided into liquid crystal polymer (polymer liquid crystal, the polymer in many of the liquid crystal molecules) and low molecular liquid crystal. This kind of classification of TFT LCD belongs to the application of the low molecular liquid crystal. If the reasons for the formation of liquid crystal state, because it can be divided into type temperature formation of liquid crystal state to a liquid crystal (thermotropic), and because of the concentration and the formation of a liquid crystal state type lyotropic liquid crystal (lyotropic).
In the classification of the mentioned before, Lamellar liquid crystal and liquid crystal of the linear type liquid crystal to cause the more common, as the temperature changes and form liquid crystal state. For the lyotropic liquid crystal, we need to consider the situation of molecules dissolved in a solvent. When the concentration is low, the molecular and mixed and disorderly, which are distributed in the solvent of the isotropic solution, but when higher concentration is greater than a certain critical concentration, because the molecule has no enough space to form mixed and disorderly, the distribution of molecular began to gather to form part of the rules, To reduce the space of the block. Therefore form different sex (anisotropic).
The solution so types lyotropic TFT screen molecules in the appropriate solvents reaches a certain critical concentration, the formation of liquid crystal state. Type lyotropic liquid crystal is one of the best examples that is soap. When soap bubbles in the water will not be at once into a liquid, and the bubble in the water for a long time, after the formation of white matter, is its liquid crystal state.
Due to the structure of the liquid crystal molecules for different parties (Anisotropic), so caused by the photoelectric effect will vary because of a different direction, in short, that is, the liquid crystal molecules in the dielectric coefficient and refractive index, and so on photoelectric properties have different sex, so we can use these properties to change the intensity of the incident light, so that the formation of gray-scale, to apply on the display component. We’ll discuss below, is one of the characteristics of liquid crystal belongs to the optical and electrical related, about the following items:
Our dielectric coefficient can be separated into two directions respectively is epsilon / / (and point to parallel component) and epsilon coming (a component perpendicular to the pointing vector). When the epsilon / / > epsilon coming then called the dielectric coefficient of different parts of LCD, can be used in parallel coordination. And epsilon / / < epsilon is called the dielectric coefficient of the different part coming negative type of TFT screen, only can be used in vertical coordination will need the photoelectric effect. When the applied electric field, the liquid crystal molecules will vary with dielectric coefficient is positive or negative, To determine whether the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is parallel or perpendicular to the electric field, to determine whether the light penetrates. Now on most commonly used type TN LCD TFT LCD that belongs to the dielectric coefficient are type liquid crystal. When the dielectric coefficient of square difference Δ epsilon (= epsilon / / – epsilon) comes, the greater the LCD of the critical voltage (threshold voltage) will be smaller. So the LCD can be in the low voltage operation.
Liquid crystal molecules are also known as heterotropic crystals because they are mostly formed from rod-like or saucer-like molecules, and thus have different physical properties that are parallel to or perpendicular to the long axis of the molecule. Like the dielectric perp, the refractive index is also divided into vectors perpendicular to and parallel to the vector, namely, n // and n perpendicular to each other.
In addition, for uniaxial crystal, there are two different definitions of refraction coefficient, one is no, which refers to the refraction coefficient of ordinary ray, so it is shortened to no, and ordinary ray refers to the electric field component of its light wave is perpendicular to the optical axis, and the other is ne, which refers to the refraction coefficient of extraordinary ray. The extraordinary ray is referred to as the light of the electric field component parallel to the optical axis. At the same time, it defines the birefringence (birefringence) Δ n = no-no for the above two refractive index differences.
In accordance with the described above, the lamellar liquid crystal, linear liquid crystal, and LCD screen for cholesterol levels, because of its long liquid crystal molecules like a stick, so point to the direction of the vector and the molecular long axis parallel. To be defined with reference to the refraction coefficient of a single optical axis crystal, it will have two refractive indexes, respectively is perpendicular to the direction