Greetings all,
I am working on a project, and what I'd really like to have is a custom LCD display. Basically, a strip 2"x12" with maybe 10 large segments of shapes I define. Has to be individual segments, not a matrix display. No backlighting or fancy stuff necessary.
I noticed a thread on this topic (home-made LCD) from July 2000, but it didn't have any real leads. Does anyone know if it is feasible to make your own small, low-resolution, custom segment LCD?
Thanks in advance!
Jeremy
It will probably cost you more in the long run than buying one off the shelf. You can get an LCD module in just about any configuration and mount it to your own display board that has any other custom features you want. If you don't need anything extra, you can attach a connector directly to the display.
Since you want to define your own shapes, look for one that lets you map or replace the character memory. The individual characters are undoubtedly made up of bit map blocks arranged in a table.
Sounds to me as if you're rather looking for a graphic dot matrix display. Can be LCD, but cann be e.g. OLED technology, too.
I'm using a display with 256x64 pixel display, no blocks, just plain pixel area in OLED (Organic LED)
Controlled by TWI or I2C.
Costs are almost nothing. Somewehere round 6$.
There are many manufacturers out there, my one is Univision Technology Inc. (Taiwan). But I'm sure there is a local distributor/reseller available.
HTH, Heinz
It's not really feasible at low quantities. Above quantities of 3 or 5k it start to makes sense (but not necessarily for the humongously big panel you're looking for!). All the LCD houses are in the far east now and turnaround times for prototypes are typically several weeks with costs for a (much smaller 2 or 3 aq in) prototype in the $10K range.
It is rather reasonable to make LED or incadescent-illuminated panels of this size in small quantity. 3M sells light-diffusing stuff like used in signs, and combined with masking made with transparency material on a laserprinter or a negative you take to have litho'd at a local graphics art house you can do really professional looking stuff in small quantities).
Tim.
That figure sounds a bit on the high side - from what my customers tell me about $1-2k base cost is closer for a simple display of that sort of size (no fancy glass shapes, exotic interconnect etc. ).
Yes. There used to be companies offering very small runs, using a different prcess to print the conductors onto the glass. Some research may still find them. These were suitable for very small runs, but with lower accuracies, and a slightly higher failure rate. The process was I think, based on an inkjet system. A name like 'Dimatix', rings a bell, and a search may find the process. This allowed even 'one off' LCD's, and the costs were tiny (less than $100). Unfortunately, the lower cost now, and easier availability of matrix LCDs, has in part 'killed' this part of the marketplace. While all the larger quantities are now made in Asia, some smaller run companies do still exist in the Western world, and some of the companies from places like Hong Kong, will do fast, and suprisingly cheap services.
Best Wishes
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