A cost-effective alternative to TFT displays

The PMVA technology features a negative transmissive display, which offers a very black contrast ratio, and typically comes with a white LED backlight, though other colours are available on request. Colour content can be added via silk screen printing for fixed colour content, or an LED array which offers a greater choice of backlit colour combinations.

The PMVA is a high performance product with good all-round viewing angles, a high contrast ratio and can operate in temperatures ranging from -10 to +80°C. It has an operating life of 100,000 hours MTBF and interface to the PCB can be achieved via flexible printed circuit (FPC) or metal pins.

"The addition of graphics to PMVA display technology really opens up opportunities for OEMs. The ability to add graphics dynamically means that they can utilise PMVA as a standard technology across their range but still produce custom solutions for different markets or applications: an example of this would be designing and programming the displays for different language requirements. This can also result in economies of scale. Programming this type of display is simpler and less time consuming when compared with TFTs and this assists in reducing time to market for new products. The versatility of this product makes it ideal for a wide variety of market applications,” commented: Clive Dickinson, Business Manager, Optoelectronics, GTK.