Custom Segment LCD (7, 14, And 16 Segment Displays)
Custom Segment Liquid Crystal Displays are seen in products that measure the PH level of swimming pools, monitors used to measure specific gases in a mine, or in thermometers used to see if a child is running a fever. They are one of the oldest display technologies, but still one of the most popular.
Segment Liquid Crystal Displays
Segment LCDs, also called static displays or glass-only displays, are constructed of two pieces of ITO (Indium tin oxide) glass with a twisted nematic fluid sandwiched in between. A static display is a segment display with one pin for every one segment.
These displays are still one of the most popular technologies in use and the majority of them are custom. Many people think the process of designing a custom segment liquid crystal display is complicated and too complex to be understood except for a few experienced people. But after designing custom LCDs for over 14 years, it can be said that just about anyone can select the best options for their product.
In other words, you don’t have to be an engineer, or have a PHD from MIT to design a custom LCD for your application. So instead of offering a list of technical terms and equations, these are the different options available.
What Are The Advantages Of Segment Displays?
Although Segment displays are an older technology, it is still one of the most popular. After all, they cannot display all the colors of a TFT or OLED like what can be seen on a cell phone and tablet.
Why?
Below are key reasons why people keep designing these LCD displays into new products.
Lowest Piece Price
The unit price of a segment display can range from less than $0.50/piece to $15/piece depending on quantity, size of glass, and other variables.
Lowest Tooling Fee
The tooling fee for a custom display is the lowest of all the technologies and allows the customer to receive a LCD that is manufactured to the exact dimensions requested, including custom icons and segments.
Royal Display offers a one-time NRE (Non-recurring engineering) or tooling fee. This includes all design, technical support, and samples.
Low Power Consumption
Segment displays require less power than other display technology such as TFT, OLED, and UWVD. This makes these LCDs ideal for applications that are battery powered or solar powered. They require the lowest power to drive, an estimated 2uA per centimeter squared. Glass only displays (no backlight and no controller) require an estimated 10% of the power that is required for a LED backlight. In other words, a static display without a backlight will draw around 1mA; the same display with a LED backlight will demand from 10mA up to 25mA. Most displays can be driven at 3.3V or 5V since microprocessors can operate at both voltages. 3.3V is becoming more popular since two double ‘AA’ batteries can produce between 3.0V and 3.3V.
