Our Educational Primer Series presents a deep dive into the technical elements that bring together the world of 4D Systems and what we have to offer. You’ll find that this information series, developed with our experts and engineers, is the perfect place to power up your knowledge and take your understanding of our hardware and software to the next level. As always, feel free to reach out and get in touch. The best learning is interactive and we’d love to hear from you.

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How Does an LCD Work?

LCD screens are ubiquitous in a wide range of applications, from the giant high-definition screens you would find at a cricket stadium to the smaller displays you’d find in some of your personal gadgets such as digital watches, smartphones and laptop monitors. LCD technology also lies behind the displays of calculators, digital cameras, notification panels and many other electronic devices.

So what is an LCD? What are the components you’d find inside an LCD screen? How does an LCD work?

Let’s take a closer look.

What is an LCD?

The acronym, LCD, stands for Liquid Crystal Display. Liquid crystal, as the name suggests, is an organic substance that has two states – a liquid form and a crystal molecular form.

Friedrich Reinitzer, an Austrian botanist, first discovered liquid crystals in 1888. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, liquid crystal was only used for research purposes and in experiments. An American company, RCA Corporation, discovered that liquid crystals had electro-optical effects, i.e. when exposed to an electrical field, the liquid crystal could change from transparent to visible light to partially opaque. RCA recognised this value of liquid crystal and made the first experimental LCD in 1968. Since then, LCD manufacturers have found ways to improve the quality of LCD screens.

Basic Structure of an LCD

An LCD comprises of several layers. Starting from back to front, the parts of an LCD include the following layers:

• Reflective mirror
• Polarising film
• Glass filter
• Negative electrode plane
• Liquid crystal substance
• Positive electrode plane
• Glass filter
• Polarising film
• Display glass

The two layers of flexible polarising filters are set at a 90-degree angle to each other with a layer of liquid crystal solution lodged in between. The two glass sheets come with thin grids of transparent electrodes placed on their inside faces. Also, on the inner side of both the glass filters, a special polymer that creates microscopic grooves is applied. The grooves are aligned in the same direction as that of the polarising film. Once a coating of liquid crystals is added onto one of the filters, the grooves will cause the first layer of molecules to align with the filter’s orientation. Simultaneously, all the layers of the LCD components will twist and align until the uppermost layer is at a 90-degree angle to the bottom layer.

An LCD does not produce any illumination on its own and depends on an external source for light. If there is an external light source, it passes through the first filter, as it is polarised. The light then passes through each layer and is guided on to the next with the help of molecules. When the light passes through the liquid crystal layer, the molecules tend to change the light’s plane of vibration to match their own angle. As the light passes through the liquid crystal layer, it vibrates at the same angle as the final layer of molecules. If the angle of the final layer matches with the second polarised glass filter, then the light will pass through.

How Does an LCD Work?

When there is no current, the liquid crystal molecules are aligned parallel with the glass surface. The light entering through the front of the LCD hits the reflective mirror and bounces right back out. However, when a voltage is applied between the electrode planes, the liquid crystals tend to untwist and change their direction and turn vertical to the glass surface. This blocks the light coming through the layers that makes that area darker than the surrounding areas.

When the light passes through both filters, the screen looks lighter in colour, i.e. in different levels of grey. The motion of liquid crystal molecules together with the direction of the two polarisation filters can control the quantity of light transmission. This is the principle on which an LCD works.

For an LCD to produce a coloured image, coloured filters are used to generate red, green and blue pixels. A coloured dye is used in the liquid crystal and the liquid crystal molecule becomes a sub-pixel either generating red, green or blue light. Three of these sub-pixels together make a pixel and millions of pixels together form an image. Controlling the liquid crystals with voltage adjusts the colour and brightness of the image.

LCDs come with many advantages and are the preferred display medium for many applications. This is because LCDs produce a sharp image, use less power which translates to lower cost and less heat, can be made into larger sizes, is compact and thin, and more importantly, have a flat-screen.

There could be other technologies set to become the next big thing in displays, but for now, LCDs are here to stay.

To see the extensive range of screens from 4D Systems, visit:  www.4dsystems.com.au/products/

Our Educational Primer Series presents a deep dive into the technical elements that bring together the world of 4D Systems and what we have to offer. You’ll find that this information series, developed with our experts and engineers, is the perfect place to power up your knowledge and take your understanding of our hardware and software to the next level. As always, feel free to reach out and get in touch. The best learning is interactive and we’d love to hear from you.

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What Does TFT Mean?

While buying a television, computer or a mobile, you would have come across the term TFT and wondered what it really meant. Simply put, TFT stands for “Thin Film Transistor”.

It is a type of LCD flat-panel display screen, wherein each pixel is controlled by one to four transistors. Also known as active-matrix LCDs, TFT technology offers the best resolution of all the flat-panel techniques. However, that makes it one of the most expensive ones too.

TFT Explained

TFT transistors are normally used in high-quality flat-panel LCDs. Such displays come with at least one transistor for each pixel on the screen. This makes it possible for the electrical current that illuminates the display to be turned on and off quicker. This, in turn, results in brighter display and smoother motions. LCDs with TFT technology are active-matrix displays and are higher-quality than the older passive-matrix displays. Active matrix simply means that every pixel is attached to an individual transistor and capacitor.

So, the next time you see a label TFT AM LCD monitor at your local computer store, don’t be baffled. It simply means that the monitor comes with a “thin-film transistor active-matrix liquid crystal display”. In other words, it is an excellent flat-screen monitor. Good colours make everything look brighter and more appealing.

Pros and Cons

The advent of LCDs made viewing a better experience than ever. Soon, a world of high-end colour LCD Modules became the preferred choice. But thanks to the technological evolution of embedded devices, more and more sophisticated products and designs came into being.

Design is no longer about what things look like and feel like. Design is more about how it works. As such, the TFT LCD modules on our TV, computer monitors, kindles, mobile phone and navigation systems are all excellent designs. They are not only highly effective but also add to the look and feel of the devices.

The major advantages of TFT LCD are as follows:

Because of the construction of TFT structures with pixel-like materials, they do not consume too much energy, to begin with. When compared with the CRT monitor, the TFT monitor consumes far less power and is therefore a preferred choice.

The images displayed on a TFT display do not rely on scanning the electron beams. Hence they are flicker-free and offer a crisp image, with no geometric distortion.

the physical design of TFT display is in such a manner that they save a lot of space. The devices can be placed anywhere in the office or home even if there is very little space available.

As there are individual transmitters and conductors, the response time is much faster than that of the normal LCD or CRT displays. There is virtually no delay in turning on the screen, which makes it preferable to other types of displays.

thanks to the quality of pictures displayed and the absence of any rays emitting from the screen, viewing is rather pleasant and strain-free for the eyes.

However, it also has some disadvantages such as:

A TFT LCD screen may cost a little more than a regular monochrome display, thanks to its design features.

TFT screen offers the best viewing experience right at the front. Any change in the angle of view could mean a distorted view. Still, TFT displays are far superior in quality than the older versions and would be expected to improve in the future.

Other Developments

Technology is ever-changing. So it is no wonder TFT is also undergoing frequent changes. For instance, now you have IPS. It stands for In-Plane Switching and is a further improvement on TFT LCDs.

In the case of IPS, the manner in which the crystals are electrically excited on them is different. Also, the orientation of the crystal array is rotated. As a result of this change in orientation, the viewing angles are improved, along with the contrast ratio and colour reproduction.

Although energy consumption is low compared to TFT LCDs, and they are better than TFT LCDs, they are more expensive. But IPS TFT LCD technology is now widely used for high-performance computers, laptops, tablets, and smart phones.

Conclusion

TFT displays come with a lot of advantages such as a high contrast ratio and low production cost, thus lowering
the price of your device. On the other hand, they do not offer good viewing angles and impressive colour
reproduction if not viewed from the front.

Yet, thanks to ongoing innovations and research, it might not be too long before these problems are sorted out
and you can get a great viewing experience from all angles.

To see the extensive range of screens from 4D Systems, visit: www.4dsystems.com.au/products/

Our Educational Primer Series presents a deep dive into the technical elements that bring together the world of 4D Systems and what we have to offer. Beginning with Intelligent Display 101, you’ll find that this information series, developed with our experts and engineers, is the perfect place to power up your knowledge and take your understanding of our hardware and software to the next level. As always, feel free to reach out and get in touch. The best learning is interactive and we’d love to hear from you.

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Intelligent display 101

Gone are those days when displays were simple tools to show you something. Whether it is the displays of your mobile, TV, tablet or other devices, they have come a long way from the static black and white days. Now you have a wide range of displays – often intelligent and facilitating a human-machine interface.

What is an intelligent display?

For the uninitiated, the term intelligent display might mean something very sophisticated and complex. However, the term represents ready-to-be-installed & EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) pre-qualified display modules that enable you to quickly and easily add graphics combined with a touchscreen human-machine interface to your devices.

Intelligent Display is often provided as an add-on to your main application and is connected to your main board via a serial connection (such as RS232, CAN2.0B, USB). It is normally steered through a set of control commands that are integrated into the main code of your device.

Why choose an intelligent display?

Touch has become a global interface for multimedia devices across the world, and there is an increased demand for larger touchscreens, especially in the corporate sector. More people are introduced to the touch interfaces, thanks to its availability on their personal devices, at the shopping centre information displays, in educational institutions and so on. These touch screen displays have become so common now that you can see them almost everywhere – in ATMs, interactive kiosks at museums and public transportation centres, advertising boards and more.

Businesses have realised that it is here to stay and are now investing in associated technology more than ever. Hence, both business and individual users expect to be offered interactive touchscreens by the supplier unprompted – intelligent display is slowly becoming the norm and not an exception. To think only a few years ago, the process of installation of interactive displays took a lot of work convincing the user about the benefits and ease of use.

One of the major advantages of intelligent displays is the ability to interact with laptops, tablets, phones and other displays. In short, the interactive collaborative technology helped to improve communication and engagement between man and the machine. As a result, not only phones but also homes and offices are turning smart. Many businesses find that intelligent displays are great tools to communicate with their customers and clients.

Advantages of intelligent displays?

Intelligent displays come with a lot of benefits. Some of them are:

With intelligent displays, it is possible to change the display to suit any user. For instance, the font/picture size can be adequately increased if the user has a problem seeing small fonts. Likewise, the volume can be increased or decreased to suit the listener so that he can enjoy the content in the best manner.

Pinch-zoom and other features such as swiping with two or more fingers to capture a screenshot, make it easier to handle the devices.

it is very easy to use an intelligent display unit – often touch or swipe will be enough to get things done. With the introduction of new technology, even voice commands can be used to activate them.

if we take the case of intelligent advertisement display boards, they can be highly customised. For instance, if a board is displaying ads of clothes, it can be programmed in a way that if someone passes by it, it displays ads specifically targeted to the person.

Likewise, the boards are highly customisable to suit the needs of the user. For instance, a display board in a school can be enlarged to use in a large seminar hall or used as a display unit on usual school days.

Needless to say, the greatest advantage of an intelligent display is its interactive feature. The end-user is, in fact, able to communicate with the machine and get the information needed easily. Interactive kiosks in an art gallery or a museum are great examples of this. With the help of these display units, a visitor can even see the minute details of the exhibit.

As technology grows, it will be possible to do more tasks by a mere touch on your screen. In the coming future, even a gesture of your hand or fingers without actually touching the screen could activate the screen. It is likely that more devices will offer touch facility – laptops and desktops are now offering the feature and it has made life easier than ever. So, it would be safe to presume that Intelligent Display is here to stay and grow further.

To see the extensive range of screens from 4D Systems, visit: www.4dsystems.com.au/products/

For the past 15 years, 4D Systems has been regarded as one of the top providers of state-of-the-art intelligent display and graphics processors. Much of this comes from our flexibility to jump on new and intriguing projects, whether it’s for a multinational, an engineering firm or even a hobbyist.

So why do our customers continue to choose 4D over our competitors? Here are some reasons why we’re the ideal partner for your next project.

We are always on the cusp of the most innovative technologies

We are never content to rest on our laurels, and we are constantly searching for projects where we can apply our technical knowledge across new industries.

Recent 4D Systems projects span a diversity of sectors, from healthcare to sports racing, solar power. More recently, we partnered with CEiiA to support their creation of The Atena – an Invasive Medical Ventilator to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to that, our gen4-4DCAPE-50CT-SB LCD display unit was used in a ready-to-drive, single-seat formula vehicle for the international Formula Student design project, and our hardware and software even contributed to the Técnico Solar Boat, a fully solar-powered racing vessel.

On the hobbyist front we even turbocharged model-making project to build a scale model of the EVA Pod from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

We’re different from other technology providers

What we are perhaps best known for among our customers is our ability to tailor-make solutions to match a project’s needs – however technical or particular they may be. Customers come to us with a problem and we design a solution.

We are also committed to innovation, and our reputation as a leading provider with world-class manufacturing facilities speaks for itself. But none of this would matter if we weren’t able to turn around products efficiently. Our speed from ideation to development to production is second-to-none, and it sets us apart from the competition.

Finally, we are a lifetime partner, committed to providing support and technical solutions beyond our initial interactions. We’re redefining what customers expect from a technology provider – as one of our happy clients told us: “The relationship didn’t end once we had the hardware – that meant a lot.”

You can read more about what our clients have to say about 4D Systems here.

We create market-leading products

In addition to engaging with a variety of clients to build custom display solutions, you can also purchase a wide selection of enterprise-grade hardware, software, accessories and end-of-life products.

Our range includes intelligent (gen4-HMI, uLCD, uOLED, etc.) and primary (Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone) display modules, building-automation displays for both corporate and residential property, camera and audio hardware, and much more. Best of all, we cater to all budgets.

If you don’t find the product you’re looking for, simply reach out to the 4D team and we will custom-build the technology you need.

We provide top-class technical support

At 4D Systems, we take pride in our deep technical knowledge to provide ongoing support to clients. In addition to offering an accessible Codebase to help inspire your latest projects, you can read regularly updated App Notes, interact with staff on our 4D Systems Forum, and find answers to all your questions through our dedicated Helpdesk.

We value each and every project and can provide the support you need over its entire lifecycle.

Do you have a project that needs the expertise of intelligent display specialists? Contact the team at 4D Systems today or call (02) 9625 9714. You can also follow our latest projects here.