Electronic devices today are very often equipped with displays that provide the user with specific information, directions or instructions for action. They come in many types, meaning the messages also take a different form – text or graphics. Depending on their type, LCDs display information in text and image form. Graphic LCDs are by far the more technologically advanced.
Operating principle of LCD displays
The displays operate based on liquid crystal technology. The crystal structure is characterised by dispersed particles. These exhibit the ability to move between successive layers of the display due to the generated electric field. This is how the image on the LCD is formed. For this to happen, however, the light has to travel a long way, passing through a polariser and a transparent electrode. Finally, it is directed onto the surface of the liquid crystal. The light then enters the analyser, passing another electrode in the process, to eventually reach the RGB filters. Only then is it possible to display a specific message in graphic or text form.
What is the difference between a graphic display and an alphanumeric display?
There are two basic types of LCDs. Alphanumeric is designed to display numerical messages. It is usually characterised by a limited number of characters and does not contain many segments. This is a simpler version of the LCD display. The individual elements have a designated place where they can be displayed. The significant advantage of alphanumeric displays is that they are easy to operate and control. They have found their use in simple circuits and small devices.
The displayed message looks completely different in graphic LCDs. In this case, each pixel is a separate segment. Such a display is ideal for generating more complex characters and images. This is because the characters are formed by adjacent pixels. If the image is to be more detailed, it is simply assigned more pixels. This cannot be achieved in alphanumeric LCD displays.
Clear and easy to read thanks to graphic LCD displays
Increasingly, graphic LCDs are now used as an alternative to simple and less sophisticated alphanumeric displays. This is due to the possibility of easily conveying sometimes difficult information. Special characters and graphics can appear on such a display. It is also designed to emit complex animations. Companies can place their logo on them, which they do with their devices as one form of advertising.
Graphic LCDs have found their way into many areas. They work very well in devices for operating systems. They are also used in gaming platforms and GPS and allow the realisation of very ambitious projects.
Adapting the graphic LCD to its intended use is essential, and Orient Display offers great possibilities in this regard. It offers various types of graphic LCDs, which come in smaller and larger sizes. In addition, there is the possibility of customised designs. Various controllers are used, as well as technologies. They can have LED, CCFL and EL backlighting or be without backlighting. LCD graphic displays are, therefore, very versatile and offer great opportunities for many projects.
Displaying information on screens today is how a device communicates with a person. The aim is to make them easier to use but also to make them safer. Messages can be of various forms and natures. Graphic ones are one of the most readable and easiest to interpret today.