Glossary of Display Terms
A comprehensive reference of display technology terms used across the industry. Whether you are an engineer specifying a display or a procurement professional evaluating sourcing options, this glossary provides clear definitions for the terminology you will encounter.
A
AD Board
A/D or ADC converters must be used to process, store, or transport virtually any analog signal in digital form. TV tuner cards, for example, use fast video analog-to-digital converters. On-chip 8, 10, 12, or 16 bit analog-to-digital converters are common in microcontrollers. ADC converters are integral to current music reproduction technology.
AG Coating
Anti-Glare (AG) coating is the most common type of protective coating on an LCD screen. This matte coating is non-reflective, diffusing rather than reflecting ambient light. The matte coating is achieved by coarsening the outer polarizing layer through mechanical or chemical processes.
Air Bonding
Air Gap Bonding is the most common method for touch panel attachment. An adhesive is applied between the display and touch panel using the inactive area around the perimeter. This results in an air gap between the touch panel substrate and the display. Manufacturing yield is very high (98%+), making this the most cost-effective solution.
AMOLED
An AMOLED (Active-Matrix OLED) is a TFT display that contains a storage capacitor which maintains the line pixels lit all the time. AMOLEDs consume less power than PMOLEDs, have faster refresh rates and allow building larger displays with higher resolutions.
AR Coating
An Antireflective or Anti-reflection (AR) coating is applied to the surface of lenses and other optical elements to reduce reflection. Many coatings consist of transparent thin film structures with alternating layers of contrasting refractive index, producing destructive interference in reflected beams.
AV
Audiovisual (AV) means possessing both a sound and a visual component. Audiovisual service providers frequently offer web streaming, video conferencing and live broadcast services.
B
Backlight
A backlight is a form of illumination used in LCDs. As LCDs do not produce light themselves, they need illumination to produce a visible image. LED backlighting comes in two varieties: white LED and RGB LED. Most LED backlights are edge-lit — LEDs placed at the edges of a lightguide which distributes light behind the panel.
Bezel
The bezel is the outside frame of a display or computing device. This is important for evaluating the overall perimeter of the device. Newer designs have extremely narrow bezels, allowing for more screen area — an increasingly important design factor.
Brightness
The measurement of light output given in nits or candelas per square meter (cd/m2). One nit equals one cd/m2. Typical ratings range from 250-350 cd/m2 for general-purpose monitors. A typical LCD backlight starts at ~3,000 cd/m2 but only 5-10% reaches the viewer (150-300 cd/m2) after passing through all layers.
C
CG
Continuous Grain (CG) silicon is a next-generation technology, a variant of LTPS (Low-Temperature PolySilicon) using laser annealing. CG-silicon has 3x the carrier mobility of LTPS and 600x the performance of amorphous silicon, enabling high resolution displays in small formats.
COB
Chip On Board — the most common way of packaging the drive circuit IC of an LCD module. The IC is attached directly to a specified location on the PCB, with electrodes connected by aluminum wire.
COF
Chip On Film — specifically designed for connecting displays (TFT and LCD panels) to a PCB. The device IC chip is mounted on a rigid and flexible PCB, then bonded to the display panel using ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film).
COG
Chip-on-Glass — LCD driver ICs are mounted directly on the display glass for significant system cost reduction. COG is a reliable and well-established technology, often used in automobile and medical displays.
Color Gamut
The gamut of a device is the portion of the color space that can be represented or reproduced. LCD screens with certain LED or wide-gamut CCFL backlights yield a more comprehensive gamut than CRTs. IPS and Patterned Vertical Alignment screens have wider color spans than Twisted Nematic.
Connection PIN Assignment
A pinout is a cross-reference between the contacts (pins) of a connector or component and their functions. Pinouts are a vital reference when building and testing connectors, cables, and adapters.
Connector Type
Connectors consist of plugs (male-ended) and jacks (female-ended). Common types include terminal blocks, posts, plug and socket connectors, blade connectors, USB connectors, and power connectors.
Contrast Ratio
The ratio of luminance of the brightest color (white) to the darkest color (black) a display can produce. A high contrast ratio is desired. There is no standardized measurement method, so ratings from different manufacturers may not be comparable.
CTP
Capacitive Touchscreen Panel — consists of an insulator (glass) coated with a transparent conductor (ITO). Touching the surface distorts the electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance.
D
DC-DC
A DC-to-DC converter converts direct current from one voltage level to another. Important in portable electronics which often contain sub-circuits with different voltage requirements.
Display
An electronic visual display device. Modern monitors typically use TFT-LCD thin panels, while older monitors used cathode ray tubes (CRT). Touch screens allow both input and output through the display interface.
DITO/SITO
DITO (Double-Sided Indium Tin Oxide) places X and Y touch electrodes on opposite sides of a substrate. SITO (Single-Sided) patterns both on the same side using conductive bridges. DITO provides excellent resolution at lower cost.
DP
Data Processing — electronic data processing controlled by computer programs that convert user input data into organized information. Also refers to the IT industry.
DVI
Digital Visual Interface — a video display interface that transmits uncompressed digital video. Can be configured as DVI-D (digital only), DVI-A (analog only), or DVI-I (digital and analog). Compatible with VGA and HDMI.
E
EMI Requirement
Electro Magnetic Interference — disturbance that affects an electrical circuit due to electromagnetic induction or radiation. In the U.S., EMI guidelines are handled by the FCC (CFR section 47). Military standards (MIL-STD-461E, MIL-STD-464) are significantly more stringent.
ESD Requirement
Electrostatic Discharge — the sudden flow of electricity between charged objects. Can cause device failures or degradation affecting long-term reliability. The ESD Association (ESDA) standards are the most comprehensive industry-accepted standards for ESD control.
F
FPC
Flexible Printed Circuits — made with photolithographic technology. Used as connectors where flexibility and space savings are needed. In LCD fabrication, FPCs connect the display panel to driver electronics.
Frontlight
A means of illuminating a display from the front, improving performance in poor lighting. Unlike backlights, frontlights are placed in front of the LCD. A light source is typically placed around the perimeter.
FSTN
Film-compensated STN — a passive matrix LCD technology using a film compensating layer between the STN display and rear polarizer for added sharpness and contrast.
G
Gesture
Touch gesture interaction allows multi-touch operations — pinch to zoom, swipe, rotate, and tap. Projected capacitive touchscreens enable these advanced interactions in smartphones, tablets, and industrial HMI applications.
GF/GFF/GG
Capacitive touch substrate structures. Glass-Glass (GG) forms X and Y electrodes on opposite sides of a glass substrate. Glass-Film (GF/GFF) designs use film substrates for lighter weight and lower capital cost. GG is suited for mass production with better appearance.
H
HC Coating
Hard Coating — HC-2G is a next-generation coating based on nano particles that chemically bonds with glass surfaces, filling microscopic holes for a highly smooth, anti-static surface. Ideal for medical environments where contamination is likely.
I
Interface
A way two separate components of a system exchange information — between software, hardware, peripheral devices, or humans. UI refers to User Interface; modern display software has a GUI (Graphical User Interface).
Interface Bridge
USB ICs that eliminate software complexity and driver compatibility issues, providing turnkey solutions for adding USB and HID connectivity to applications such as medical devices, smartphones, and industrial control systems.
IPS
In-Plane Switching — an LCD technology designed to solve the main limitations of TN displays: restricted viewing angles and low-quality color reproduction. Molecules are switched parallel to the glass plates. Widely used in TVs, tablets, and smartphones.
L
LCD
Liquid-Crystal Display — a flat panel display using the light modulating properties of liquid crystals. Each pixel consists of liquid crystals aligned between two transparent electrodes and two polarizing filters. Low power consumption makes LCDs ideal for battery-powered portable equipment.
LED
Light-Emitting Diode — a semiconductor light source. In display technology, LEDs are primarily used as backlights for LCD panels. In OLEDs, the electroluminescent material is an organic compound, enabling thin, low-cost displays with wide viewing angles.
LED Driving
LED drivers provide direct current control, high efficiency, PWM dimming, over-voltage protection, and load disconnect. Constant current drivers are recommended to eliminate light output variation and lifetime issues.
Lifetime
LCD backlights average ~60,000 hours (~41 years at 30 hours/week). Heat and high contrast settings reduce lifespan. For OLEDs, blue OLEDs have ~14,000 hours to half brightness. LCD/LED technology is rated for 25,000-40,000 hours.
M
Mask Printing
At the PCB level, photolithographic reproduction of circuit patterns onto copper-clad boards. At the IC level, photolithography patterns thin films using a photomask and photoresist. PCBs can be single-sided, double-sided, or multi-layer.
Multi-Touch Screen
Projected capacitive touchscreens that recognize multiple simultaneous contact points. Made of a matrix of rows and columns of conductive material (ITO) on glass. Voltage creates an electrostatic field; touching distorts the field at that point.
N
Nano Bonding
Reactive bonding using nanoscale multilayer systems as an intermediate layer. The self-propagating exothermic reaction provides local heat to bond solder films, allowing temperature-sensitive components to be bonded without thermal damage.
O
OCA
Optically Clear Adhesive — used in optical bonding to bond touch panels to LCD displays and protective covers. Eliminates the air gap, improving contrast ratio by reducing reflections. Also improves durability against scratches and condensation.
OCR
Optical Character Recognition — mechanical or electronic conversion of images of text into machine-encoded text. Uses pattern matching or feature extraction algorithms.
OLED
Organic Light-Emitting Diode — sandwiches carbon-based films between two charged electrodes. Unlike LCDs, OLEDs are emissive — they emit light rather than modulate it. Brighter, thinner, faster, lighter than LCDs. Two main types: PMOLED and AMOLED.
On Cell
On-Cell Touch (OCT) permits the projected capacitive (PCAP) touch sensor layer to be built into the LCD structure. Touch functionality is embedded within the display itself rather than as a separate component.
Optical Bonding
Eliminates the air gap between display and cover glass using OCA or LOCA adhesive. Improves optical performance (reduced reflections, higher contrast), durability (scratch resistance, condensation resistance), and enables wider operating temperature ranges.
P
PCBA
Printed Circuit Board Assembly — the process of soldering or assembling electronic components to a PCB. Common methods include SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and through-hole technology.
PMOLED
Passive-Matrix OLED — uses a passive-matrix driving scheme where rows and columns of electrodes are activated sequentially. Simpler and more cost-effective than AMOLEDs for small displays.
Polarizer
An optical filter that lets light waves of a specific polarization pass while blocking others. In LCDs, two perpendicular polarizing filters sandwich the liquid crystal layer, selectively allowing or blocking backlight to form images.
Port
A physical interface for connecting devices. In display technology, common ports include HDMI, DVI, VGA, DisplayPort, USB, and various serial communication interfaces.
R
Reflective
A reflective LCD uses ambient light reflected from a mirror-like surface behind the liquid crystal layer. No backlight needed, resulting in very low power consumption. Used in calculators, watches, and outdoor instruments.
Resolution
The number of pixels that make up the display image, expressed as width x height (e.g., 1920x1080). Higher resolution means finer detail. Common resolutions: HD (1280x720), Full HD (1920x1080), 4K (3840x2160).
RTP
Resistive Touch Panel — uses two conductive layers separated by a gap. When pressed, layers make contact and position is calculated. Works with any input (finger, stylus, glove). Widely used in industrial and medical applications.
S
Sensor
In touch technology, a sensor is the transparent conductive layer that detects touch input, using ITO, metal mesh, silver nanowire, or other conductive materials patterned on glass or film substrates.
Single-Touch Point
A system that detects only one point of contact at a time. Surface capacitive and resistive touch technologies typically support single-touch, while PCAP supports multi-touch.
SMT
Surface Mount Technology — soldering electronic components directly onto the PCB surface. SMT components are smaller than through-hole equivalents, enabling higher component density.
STN
Super-Twisted Nematic — a passive matrix LCD technology with improved viewing angles and contrast over TN. Liquid crystal molecules are twisted 180-270 degrees (vs 90 for TN).
S-Video
Separate Video — an analog video signal carrying luma (brightness) and chroma (color) as two separate signals. Provides better image quality than composite video.
T
TAB
Tape Automated Bonding — mounting IC chips to a flexible tape for connection to a PCB or display panel. One of several IC mounting options alongside COB, COG, and COF.
TFT
Thin Film Transistor — enhances LCD operation by placing a high-speed transistor at each pixel, eliminating image blurring and enabling thinner designs with improved viewing angles. Found in mobile devices, medical devices, instrumentation, aircraft, and TVs.
TN
Twisted Nematic — the most basic and cost-effective LCD technology. Liquid crystal molecules twist 90 degrees between glass substrates. Offers fast response times at lowest cost, but limited viewing angles compared to IPS or MVA.
Transreflective
A transflective LCD combines transmissive and reflective properties. Uses backlight for indoor viewing and reflects ambient light for outdoor visibility. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments.
Transmissive
A transmissive LCD relies entirely on a backlight. Light passes through the liquid crystal layer from back to front. Offers the brightest images but requires continuous backlight power.
Transmittance
The percentage of light that passes through a material. Higher transmittance means more backlight reaches the viewer. Touch panels, cover glass, and coatings all affect overall display transmittance.
U
USB
Universal Serial Bus — in display technology, commonly used for touch panel data communication and providing power to small display modules.
V
VA
Vertical Alignment — an LCD technology where liquid crystal molecules align vertically when no voltage is applied. Offers high contrast ratios and wide viewing angles with better black levels than TN.
VATN
Vertical Alignment Twisted Nematic — combines VA with TN technology. Offers high contrast, wide viewing angles, and excellent readability. Often used in automotive, appliance, and instrumentation applications.
VGA
Video Graphics Array — an analog video display standard introduced by IBM in 1987 with original resolution of 640x480. Also refers to the 15-pin D-subminiature connector used to connect displays.
Viewing Angle
The maximum angle at which a display can be viewed with acceptable performance. Varies by technology: TN has the most limited angles, while IPS and VA offer wider angles (typically 170-178 degrees).