Active Area: The area of the display or touch panel that is useful for touch or viewing.
Active Matrix: A display where each pixel is driven by a thin film transistor (TFT) deposited in the glass.
Analog to Digital Controller: A controller which converts an analog signal to a digital signal thus providing the input to the display in a digital format.
Analog Resistive Touch Panel: This touch panel is comprised of two transparent resistive layers, separated by small spacers. Touching the screen causes the two layers to come in contact and form a switch closure. By measuring the voltage gradient in the horizontal and vertical axis, position can be determined.
Analog RGB: Separate Red, green, and blue video signals used in conjunction with composite sync or separate horizontal and vertical sync.
Analog Signal: A signal that travels continuously. An analog signal may be either direct or alternating current
Backlight: A light that is placed behind the display to make the display readable in poor lighting conditions.
Bezel: Secures the LCD to the printed circuit board. Can be plastic or metal.
Bias Voltage: A voltage applied to a circuit or device to establish a reference level or operating point of the device during testing.
CCFL: “Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light”. A type of fluorescent backlight used in flat panel displays.
CCFT: “Cold Cathode Fluorescent Tube”. Same as CCFL.
Character Display: A display that is used to display letters, numbers, and symbols only. Typically described as “Number of lines by number of characters”.
COB: “Chip on Board”. The LCD driver is formatted into an area of the PCB.
COG: “Chip on Glass”. The LCD driver format is actually mounted on the surface of the LCD Glass.
COF: “Chip on Flex”. The LCD driver is incorporated into a flex connector, which is attached to the contact edge of the LCD glass.
Colors: 3-Bit = 512 colors
4-Bit = 4096 colors
6-Bit = 262K colors
8-Bit = 16M colors
Contrast Ratio: The ratio of the luminance in the light state to that of the dark side.
Controller: An IC, usually mounted in the graphics board, that takes the microprocessor output and tells the display which pixels to light up to produce the image requested.
Digital: A digital signal is one that varies in discrete steps. The signal does not vary smoothly but instead jumps from one level to the next with a sharp discontinuity.
Driver: Voltage IC mounted on the display, which provides the voltage to each row and column (do not confuse with the controller IC).
DSTN: “Double Supertwist Nematic “ Display. A technology that uses a second LCD layer to correct the color shift in STN display and so produces a black and white image.
Dual Scan: A technique used in passive color and monochrome displays, which effectively divides the screen in half, which doubles the duty cycle in order to increase performance.
Edge Lighting: A backlight in which the tube(s) are located at the side of the display and uses a scattering sheet to get even lighting across the display, which allows for thinner displays.
EL backlight: A type of backlight using electroluminescent material. The thinnest available backlight. Electroluminescent can also be a type of display.
FRM:Frame rate modulation.
FSTN: “Film Super Twist Nematic” display
Graphic Display: A display made up of an array of pixel elements. Can be used to display graphics, pictures and text.
Heat Seal: A flat, flexible, adhesive connector which is bonded to the contact edge of the glass by heat.
Input Bias Current: The current that flows at the input due to internal circuitry and bias voltage.
Input/Output: The process of transferring data to and from a computer controlled system using its communication channels, operator interface devices, data acquisition devices, or control interfaces.
IR Touch Panel: Infrared light emitting diodes and detectors are positioned along the screen edges to create a grid of light. A finger or stylus interrupts the light beams and position is determined on the grid.
Liquid Crystal: A liquid in which the molecules are arranged in a regular pattern. Usually used in LCD displays.
LVDS: Low Voltage Differential Signal
NTSC: “National Television Standard Committee”. International television standard which uses 525 lines per frame at 60Hz field rate.
PAL: “Phase Alternation Line”. International television standard which uses 625 lines per frame at 50Hz field rate.
Passive: A technique by which each row and column of the display are multiplexed or addressed in turn (also can be referred to as Duty Type).
Pixel: An individual dot on the display.
Plasma Display: A type of display produced by an electrical discharge that produces a red or white glowing image. Color filters are added to the white image o produce full color.
Reflective: A display that relies on the reflecting ambient light to provide the image. Good in bright lighting or outside.
Response time: Total delay time (Td off) and rise time (Tr).
Segment: A single active area in the segmented displays (as opposed to the background area).
SVGA Resolution: 800x600 pixel count
SHA: Super High Aperture
Touch Panel Controller: The hardware element that translates the information between the touch panel and the host system.
Touchscreen: A transparent glass or hard plastic sheet that mounts over the display viewing area and allows users to make a choice and input via touching the screen.
TFT: “Thin Film Transistor”. Usually refers to an active matrix display in which each pixel is driven by a thin film transistor deposited in the glass.
TN: “Twisted Nematic”. A type of LCD material. Primarily used in character modules.
Transflective: A cross between transmissive and reflective. Can be used as a reflective display in bright lighting or with a backlight in dim lighting.
Transmissive: A display that uses a backlight shining through the LCD to produce the image. Good in regular or dim lighting. Not for use in sunshine.
TSTN: “Triple Super Twist Nematic”. Sharp name for film compensated super twist display which uses a retardation film to correct the color shift in STN displays, and so produces a black and white image.
VGA Resolution: 640x480 pixel count.
Viewing Angle: The angle over which the display can be seen.
Viewing Area: The part of the display that can be seen inside the bezel.
VFD: “Vacuum Fluorescent Display”.
XGA Resolution: 1024x768 pixel count.