There are different manufactures of Controller Drivers such as Sitronix, Epson and Sunplus.

The Controller/Driver has three main functions.

1. RAM

• This is the memory built into the controller driver that helps to drive the LCD.

2. Character Generator

• This is a library that converts the customer’s data to letters, numbers and Punctuation marks.
• The character generator is different for each language.
• The SPLC7066U controller driver can supply up to 240 character fonts.

3. Liquid Crystal Driver

• This drives each segment (dot)

The Sitronix C/D ST7066U has the ability to drive 640 segments. If you need to drive more than 640 segments, then you will need to add on an additional ‘segment driver’. The Sitronix version of the segment driver is the ST7063C and ST7065.

What is a segment?

A 16×1 character display can display one row of 16 characters. Each one of these ‘16’ characters is made up of ‘dots’ or segments. Each of these characters can be 5×8 (5 dots along the horizontal and 8 dots up and down). There are also characters that have 5×11 dots and 10×10 dots.

Below is a drawing of a 16×1 Character display that has a 5×8 character size.

Each of the 5×8 character has 40 dots or segments (5 x 8 =40). Therefore a 16×1 character display has 16 characters with each character having 40 dots. This means that the 16×1 display has (16 [characters] x 40 [dots]) = 640 dots or segments.

One controller driver can handle all the functions of 640 segments. This is equivalent to a 16×1 character display, an 8×2 LCD or 8×1 Character display.

If you need a larger display such as a 16×2 or 20×2 you would add a segment driver such as the ST7063C. There is no need for another controller. Each display only needs one controller but can contain many additional segment drivers.

The segment driver does not have the ability to supply RAM and the character generator. The sole purpose of the segment driver is to drive the segments.

Below is a break down of how many controller drivers and segment drivers are needed for a character display. This is for monochrome LCD modules.

A 16×1 requires one ST7066.
A 16×2 requires one ST7066 and one ST7065 (segment driver)
A 20×2 requires one ST7066 and one ST7063 (segment driver)
A 16×4 requires one ST7066 and two ST7063 and one ST7065
A 20×4 requires one ST7066 and two ST7063’s.
A 40×2 requires one ST7066 and two ST7063’s.
A 40×4 requires one ST7066 and four ST7063’s.

The Focus Display standard offering of Alphanumeric and Numeric LCD Displays includes:
8 x 1 LCD Display, 8 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 1 LCD Display, 16 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 4 LCD Display, 20 x 2 LCD Display, 20 x 4 LCD Display, 24 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 1 LCD Display, 40 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 4 LCD Display,

Static displays, also called segment LCD or glass liquid crystal displays do not come with an on-board Controller Driver. The customer needs to supply the segment driver on their product.

The Focus Display standard offering of LCD modules includes:
LCD segment display, 7(seven) segment LCD display, 14(fourteen) segment LCD display, and 16 (sixteen) segment LCD displays.

When the supplier of a Controller Driver discontinues their current product, the monochrome LCD module manufactures are forced to switch to an equivalent. When this happens we highly suggest the customer test a sample of the new controller/driver before ordering production quantities. Our estimate is that a customer can swap between different controller drivers 99% of the time without having to modify or change their firmware. However, there is a 1% failure rate.

Some Controller Driver manufactures include Sunplus, Sitronix, Samsung, and Epson.

At the current time we use the SPLC780D (Sunplus) or the ST7066 (Sitronix) controller driver on all our Alphanumeric (Character) LCD Displays.

Our Standard list of Character displays includes 8 x 1 LCD Display, 8 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 1 LCD Display, 16 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 4 LCD Display, 20 x 2 LCD Display, 20 x 4 LCD Display, 24 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 1 LCD Display, 40 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 4 LCD Display,

Static displays do not come with the controller driver on board. The customer supplies the driver on their printed circuit board. Our Standard list of segment displays (glass liquid crystal displays) include 7(seven) segment LCD display, 14(fourteen) segment LCD display, and 16 (sixteen) segment LCD displays.

The majority of our LCD modules have the options of TN, STN, and FSTN. Backlight options include EL and LED (transflective and transmissive).

TN LCD’s will operate to -30 C. STN LCD’s will operate to -20 C. At this temperature it may require 5 seconds or more for the display to respond.

To improve (reduce) response time of a liquid crystal display it may become necessary to add a heater.

Focus Displays does not carry LCD module heaters. One source is http://www.conflux.se/index.html

All Focus Display monochrome LCD modules can be purchased in TN, STN or FSTN.

We carry sample stock on many popular size Character displays. This includes 8 x 1 LCD Display, 8 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 1 LCD Display, 16 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 4 LCD Display, 20 x 2 LCD Display, 20 x 4 LCD Display, 24 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 1 LCD Display, 40 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 4 LCD Display,

We carry sample inventory on Static or glass displays. This is for any number of segments including led segment display, 7 segment LCD display, 7 segment displays, 14 segment LCD display, 16 segment LCD displays.

We offer Alphanumeric and Numeric LCD Displays to help you find replacement LCD modules for manufactures that have discontinued production.

Custom LCD Display Design and Engineering is available for custom LCD displays.

A service we offer to our customers is to order the MOQ for you and then spread out your deliveries over a 12 month period. One advantage of this is that we can bring in your displays early and then ship them out to you on your schedule.

Character LCD:
Character displays are also known as alphanumeric LCD displays or numeric LCD displays. These are the more standard type of an LCD display module. As a general rule the character display manufacturers ask for 500 liquid crystal displays per order.

These include 8 x 1 LCD Display, 8 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 1 LCD Display, 16 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 4 LCD Display, 20 x 2 LCD Display, 20 x 4 LCD Display, 24 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 1 LCD Display, 40 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 4 LCD

Graphic LCD:
Graphic displays are also known as monochrome LCD displays. As a general rule the graphic display manufacturers request a 500 MOQ. These include FSTN, STN and TN. The MOQ is the same for no backlight as it is for LED backlight and EL backlight.

Custom LCD:
It is not uncommon to have a large minimum order for a custom LCD display module that is a replacement LCD display or to replace a discontinued LCD monochrome display.

Segment LCD:
Segment displays are also known as static displays or glass displays. At this time the MOQ for most static/segment displays is 2,500. The factory will build as few as 1,000 at a time, but the LCD cost per display will increase.

These include all types of segment displays such as 7 (seven) segment LCD display, 14 (fourteen) segment LCD display, 16 (sixteen) segment LCD display

What happens to LCD’s when they become cold?

Liquid crystal displays are just like their name… they contain a liquid between two layers of glass. Liquids begin to freeze as the temperature drops. As the display freezes their response time slows down. In other words, it takes longer for the numbers and letters on the display to change (Turn ON or Turn OFF).

Above is a graph showing the response time of a display at -30°C (-22°F).

The best way I can think to explain this is a ceiling fan. When you turn off the ceiling fan the blades continue to turn for a few minutes, even though the power if OFF. When you turn ON a ceiling fan the blades will be at full speed in a shorter period of time. At most the blades will be at their max speed within 30 seconds. When talking about an LCD, we talk about when the display is ON (the characters can be seen) or OFF (the characters cannot be seen).

On the graph above there are two measurements. The left side is how dark the letters are; the larger the number the darker the letter. Along the bottom of the graph is the amount of time it takes to go from ON to OFF, or to go from OFF to ON. (Note: 1000mS is the same as 1 second).

Line ‘A’ displays the amount of time it takes for a character or segment on the display to turn OFF. That is, once you turn OFF the segment, how long does it take before it disappears? The graph above shows that the character actually ‘disappears’ 3500 milliseconds (3.5 seconds) after the display is turned OFF.

Line ‘B’ displays the amount of time it takes for the character or segment to turn ON. In the above graph the segment is only 55% ‘ON’ at 8000 milliseconds (8 seconds). That means the character is only ½ (half) ON. It will look grey and not very dark. It requires more time for the display to turn ON than to turn OFF… just the opposite of a ceiling fan.

We do not recommend operating our wide temperature (extended temperature) displays below -20°C (-4°F). This is true for all segment displays (static displays or glass displays), 7 (seven) segment, 14 (fourteen) segment and 16 (sixteen) segment LCD’s.

Alphanumeric LCD displays such as: 8×1 LCD Display, 8×2 LCD Display, 16×1 LCD Display, 16×2 LCD Display, 16×4 LCD Display, 20×2 LCD Display, 20×4 LCD Display, 24×2 LCD Display, 40×1 LCD Display, 40×2 LCD Display, 40×4 LCD Display will react the same way.

We offer three options.

1. F.O.B Origin: This term means that the customer is responsible for the international and domestic shipping on the product from the origin (China, Taiwan or some other origination point) to their dock.
2. F.O.B Ship point: This means that the customer is responsible for the shipping from our (Focus) warehouse in Mesa, AZ to their dock.
3. F.O.B Destination: This means that Focus is responsible for all shipping costs from the manufacturer to the end customer’s dock.

So what is the best option?  At Focus Display Solutions we recommend option 2, FOB ship point. This allows the customer to ship from AZ to their location on either their UPS, Fed Ex account or on the focus UPS account.

Our character and static LCD display modules are not as large as TFT liquid crystal displays.

Segment displays (static displays or glass displays), 7 (seven) segment, 14 (fourteen) segment and 16 (sixteen) segments are smaller and less expensive to ship then Alphanumeric LCD displays (aka: Character LCD’s).

The smaller character displays such as 8×1 LCD display, 8×2 LCD display, 16×1 LCD display, 16×2 LCD display, 16×4 LCD display are less expensive to ship than the 20×2 LCD display, 20×4 LCD display, 24×2 LCD display, 40×1 LCD display, 40×2 LCD display, 40×4 LCD display.

We are constantly driven to manufacture Character, Graphic and Static (Segment) LCD Displays that take up less room and meets RoHS standards in a shorter amount of time.

The push to design products to use less power is not new. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is pushing to have the US meet new power saving requirements. The goal is to minimize the amount of power necessary when a product such as a cell phone is in ‘sleep mode’. See http://www.acoel.org/2009/02/articles/energy/climate/united-states-needs-to-get-on-board-in-2009-with-the-onewatt-initiative/

At Focus Display Solutions we are expanding our Character and Static LCD display modules to operate at 3.3V instead of the standard 5V. This is true for both our custom (engineered and designed) LCD display and standard LCD monochrome display.

Every Segment Display, 7 (seven) segment, 14 (fourteen) segment and 16 (sixteen) segment has the option of both 3.3 volt and 4.7 volt. All three options of segment displays (STN, TN and FSTN) are available. See http://focuslcd.com/static.php for more details.

We also offer Alphanumeric LCD displays, also known as Character LCD’s, in both 4.7 volt and 3.3 volt. The most common of these are 8 x 1 LCD Display, 8 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 1 LCD Display, 16 x 2 LCD Display, 16 x 4 LCD Display, 20 x 2 LCD Display, 20 x 4 LCD Display, 24 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 1 LCD Display, 40 x 2 LCD Display, 40 x 4 LCD Display,

All of our Numeric LCD Displays are monochrome.

Many suppliers do not want to carry excess inventory. It was not good business sense to tie up your cash and hope someone will come along and purchase your product. But this is changing.

The style is changing. Why?

1. Lead times on segment displays, character and alphanumeric LCD’s have increased in the last few months. Customers (OEM’s) need inventory in a week or two, not 12 to 16 weeks after they place their purchase order.
2. Many LCD suppliers are discontinuing their LCD displays. This is true for 16×1, 16×2, 20×2, 8×1, 8×2, 20×4 LCD displays. We receive calls for CCFL and EL backlights often. There is still a demand for 7 (seven) segment, 14(fourteen) segment, and 16(sixteen) segment static displays. It seems that many suppliers are scaling back on monochrome displays.
3. Earning interest on cash in the bank is at an all time low.

Please call us if you need a replacement STN, FSTN or TN character LCD.

Our goal is to recommend a standard display whenever possible; not a custom Liquid crystal display.  If this will not work, we are able to suggest alternatives.  Sometimes the customer needs a custom LCD with tooling to replace a module that has been discontinued.  Below are a few guidelines.

1. If the customer pays for the tooling/ engineering (NRE), then the customer owns that LCD display. module In other words we cannot sell that display to any other customer without the permission of that customer.
2. When the customer has approved the drawing of the display, we will then request samples. As a general rule, when the customer pays for the LCD tooling, we supply 5 samples at no cost.
3. The cost of freight to bring in the custom lcd module samples is included in the tooling cost. This is for the first shipment only.
4. The tooling fees for static, glass or segment displays are lower then for a character LCD module (alphanumeric LCD display module).
5. The use of TN, STN or FSTN does not affect the tooling fee for the custom display, but this will affect the unit cost.

Here is a link showing the process for a custom display.

One example of this is when one supplier dropped the price by 35% when the customer increased the quantity from 10K to 50K displays. As it turned out the supplier quoted the 10K units to be manufactured in China and the 50K quantity to be manufactured in Cambodia.

A supplier could send you a sample from a factory in one country and then ship you samples from a different factory. This could cause problems later if there are any differences between the sample and production lcd module units.

The next time you receive a quote with a very large price break in character LCD modules, segment displays, and monochrome graphic LCD’s, make sure that the units will be produced by the same manufacture as the sample you receive.