LCD Drivers

How does LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) driver work?

LCD is an array of liquid crystal segments. When not in an electrical field, crystals are organized in a random pattern, however, once the electric field is applied, the crystals align to the field. For driving a light through the aligned crystal field a light source is needed.

Passive and Active LCD Displays, what is the difference?

Passive LCD panels or STN LCDs consists of a grid of row and columns electrical signals. There is no charge stored at the segment and it may take multiple passes to correctly align the field to the desired value.

Active LCD drivers or TFT displays columns and rows are multiplexed to many different segments. The charge is stored at the transistor. One pass will set the aligned state of the transistor. A stronger backlight is needed than for a passive display.

Advantages of LCD displays
• LCD displays produce bright images because of their high peak intensity and they are suitable for environments that are brightly lit
• The durability of 50 thousand - 100 thousand hours
• Almost every industry uses them: military, consumer, medical, automotive, industrial and marine

Before you choose an LCD Driver, consider the requirements of your application and which types of displays are available to buy. With the right selection, RS Components can help to create the perfect LCD display module for your product.