Standard vs custom lcd display，which one is better
How to choose between standard lcd display and custom lcd display is an inevitable problem when you plan a new project, brightness, contrast, size, resolution, interface and touch screen are all important factors, in addition, there are factors such as budget and schedule. Harmony Optoelectronics summarizes some tips about custom display modules to help you make a decision.
Custom tft display includes many parts, and all requirements different from standard display modules are classified as customization, including: display FPC, polarizer, backlight unit, touch screen, interface converter and lcd panel, etc.
Custom lcd polarizer
The easiest is to customize the lcd polarizer film, you can choose lcd polarizer film type, thickness, surface roughness, resistance value and polarization angle (polarization angle is very important for customers who have requirements for sunglasses, if the polarization angle does not match, then you will not be able to see to anything), polarizers are less noticeable accessories, but they also play an important role in tft display.
Custom lcd display FPC
The customization of lcd display FPC is a project that costs less but can achieve great benefits. The price varies according to different requirements. The minimum tooling costs of 300 US dollars can customize a lcd display FPC you need. You can define the shape and electronic circuit arrangement, silk screen printing and whether to add electromagnetic shielding film, etc., make the display module more suitable for your project. The customization cycle of display FPC is more than 2 weeks.
Custom backlight unit
The backlight unit is an important part of the tft display. The lcd panel itself does not emit light, but the lighting provided by the backlight unit. Therefore, the backlight unit determines the optical indicators such as brightness, color, and color gamut of the lcd display. The sunlight readable display used in high-brightness environments such as outdoors is realized by increasing the brightness of the backlight unit. The structure of the Backlight unit is relatively complicated: bezel, plastic frame, light guide plate, FPC and various optical film materials. Tooling costs range from USD 2,500-8,000 depending on customization requirements. The customization cycle of the Backlight unit is relatively long, especially when it comes to the plastic frame and light guide plate. It needs to be adjusted several times according to the effect, and it takes at least one month.
Custom touch screen
Touch screen is an important part of human-computer interaction, and capacitive touch screen and resistive touch screen are mainly used now. The customization of touch screen involves cover lens (materials such as glass or acrylic), touch sensor (sensor film and sensor glass), touch FPC and plastic component. The cycle of touch screen customization takes 4 weeks. According to different requirements, Tooling costs range from 1,000-5,000 US dollars.
Custom interface converter
Interface converter can convert different display interfaces, such as HDMI to MIPI, MIPI to RGB, etc., interface converter allows you to use any display on your familiar device. You can also increase the clock signal, expand the IO port, step-up and step-down circuit, backlight control circuit, etc. Interface converter can help you to move forward the project quickly, regardless of the match between the lcd display and your device. The customization cycle of Converter takes 5 weeks, and the tooling costs range from 800-2,000 US dollars.
Custom lcd panel
Customized lcd panel is the most expensive item in the customized lcd display, and almost all parameters such as resolution, size and display mode of the lcd panel can be customized. But the price of custom lcd panel is more expensive. lcd panel is divided into active matrix lcd panel and passive matrix lcd panel.
the tooling cost of passive matrix lcd panel is from 3000-120,000 dollars.
the tooling cost of an active matrix lcd panel ranges from $120,000-5000,000.
Unless the project can ship more than 800,000 pieces per year or because of the long-term supply stability of the product, Whatever the reason, custom LCD panels are worth careful consideration. not only is the cost high, but it also takes 3-5 months. in most usage scenarios, the combination of standard active matrix (that is the existing standard lcd panel) and custom-designed display FPC, backlight unit, backlight and interface converter is the optimal solution.
So what are the advantages of custom lcd display?
1. Customized lcd display are more suitable for your project
Customized lcd display can perfectly match the needs of your project and application, which is well understood, and all customizations are carried out according to your requirements.
2. Customized lcd display saves cost.
Custom lcd display can save costs, yes you heard that right, as there may be components on a standard display module that you don’t need, or you alter the design of an existing project to use a standard display module. The main cost of custom display modules is tooling cost, but if your project shipments reach 10,000, the cost allocated to each display module is very low. For example, a custom capacitive touch screen needs 1,000 US dollars, then the cost allocated to each piece is 0.1 USD, lower cost sharing for larger orders.
3.Custom display module lead times faster than expected.
Lead time is very important to the schedule of the project, in fact, the lead time of custom design may be shorter than you think. Harmony Optoelectronics can usually complete all the designs and provide drawings within two weeks after getting the initial RFQ, and provide sample custom lcd display within 4-5 weeks after getting the confirmation.
If it is a solution using standard active matrix lcd, custom FPC, backlight unit and touch screen, Harmony Optoelectronics can provide modified standard lcd display for you to verify the prototype design. The modified standard lcd display will adjust the order of the pins of the interface of the display module, so there is no guarantee that every project will be available.
How Harmony Optoelectronics provides services
Harmony Optoelectronics specializes in semi-custom and fully custom lcd displays designed from scratch. No matter what environment your display module is used in, Harmony Optoelectronics has just the right customized solution to meet your needs.
