Sharp has expanded its portfolio of TFT LCDs with LED backlighting fully graded for industrial applications. The newest member in its product line is the 5.7-inch display type LQ057Q3DG01 including touchscreen. With the series model, the resistive touchscreen is built directly into the frame of the LCD module and bonded to the LCD panel without any air gap. The advantages are, on the one hand, the optical characteristics: with 320 cd/m2 the new 5.7-inch module delivers plenty of brightness with a contrast ratio of 500:1 when compared to other touchscreens.

With a 13.8 millimetre installation depth the touchscreen display is only 1.4 millimetres thicker than the version (LQ057Q3DG02) without touch capability. Thanks to the resistive technology, the touchscreen can be operated not only with bare hands, but also with gloves and pens. A decisive advantage for low-temperature applications, e.g. as mobile test and measurement equipment for outdoor use. Additional target applications include, among others, control units for construction, agricultural, and forestry machinery, industrial facilities as well as diagnostic and monitoring systems in the medical sector and rescue services.

As such the LQ057Q3DG01 is characterised by high mechanical resilience and above all, a broad operating temperature range which spans -30°C to +70°C. Conventional touchscreen displays generally are only specified for an operating temperature from 0°C to approximately 50°C. By means of direct thermal coupling of the LED backlighting with the mechanical parts of the display the waste heat from the backlight is systematically conducted to the back of the LCD module where it can be easily released into the surrounding area. As a result, the LQ057Q3DG01, as do all displays with an LED backlight from Sharp, combines the resilience needed for industrial applications with the advantages of an LED backlight.

In comparison to the CCFL backlight variants, this includes, among other things, the prompt response characteristics of the LEDs even at very low temperatures, the excellent dimming capability across the entire brightness range of the LEDs and the absence of a high-voltage inverter. Samples of the LQ057Q3DG01 are already available in Europe. Mass production is due to start in Q2 2009.

Specifications