4D Insights

For over 15 years, 4D Systems has stood as a pioneering provider of intelligent display and graphics solutions, well-regarded for its agility in embracing diverse projects across industries. Our clientele, spanning multinationals, engineering firms, to hobbyists, repeatedly choose 4D for its relentless pursuit of innovative technologies. With projects extending from healthcare to solar power and motorsports, our expertise manifests in real-world applications like the Atena Medical Ventilator and Formula Student design project. Known for custom-tailoring solutions, swift transition from ideation to production, and lifetime partnership, we at 4D Systems continue to redefine industry standards in delivering tailored, innovative, and efficient technology solutions.

Over the last decade, the surge in consumer electronics has been propelled by advancements in 3D printing and online design communities, simplifying prototype creation for both professionals and novices. While bringing a product to market was once a daunting task, crowdfunding platforms now provide a new avenue for financing and market validation. Single Board Computers (SBCs) like Raspberry Pi have catalyzed this innovation, offering a cost-effective, flexible solution for product development. This technological democratisation has led to a boom in product innovation, exemplified by varied applications ranging from basic IoT devices to complex industrial automation systems.

The rapid adoption of Full Colour Graphics Displays with Touch in embedded designs across consumer and industrial sectors has been significantly propelled by the smartphone and tablet surge over the past decade. This trend challenges designers to choose between intricate discrete designs or utilizing ready-to-run modules like 4D Systems' gen4-HMI Display Modules. While discrete designs offer detailed control, they require extensive development, contrasting modular solutions which significantly hasten development with pre-built drivers and graphical interfaces, offering a swift, adaptable, and cost-effective route to meeting the escalating demand for intuitive, attractive touch displays.

In modern embedded designs, interactive displays are pivotal, thanks to early smartphone innovations. Designers choose between creating from scratch or utilizing off-the-shelf modules like 4D Systems' gen4-uLCD-43DCT-CLB. These modules, pre-equipped with drivers and graphical interfaces, significantly simplify design processes and hasten market entry. By handling display tasks, they enable the use of cost-effective MCUs, presenting an appealing choice over discrete design, especially in rapid consumer markets where a quick market entry could denote success.