With its 10.4-inch and 12.1-inch TFT LCDs, LQ104V1DG61 and LQ121S1DG61, Sharp Microelectronics Europe presents the first displays in its Strong2 series of products. These modules have been designed for industrial automation applications, in particular, but also for use in outdoor sales or information terminals, where displays have to meet the highest demands in terms of reliability, clarity and legibility.

For an optimum view

In the LCDs, Sharp achieves the high contrast ratio of 600:1 at the preferred viewing angle by optimising the pathway of the pixels' voltage potential while the equipment is on. Additionally, the overall improvement in brightness of the display is made possible by using glasses with improved transmission coefficients, new backlighting lamps and optimised coating on the backlight mounts to attain higher light-emitting efficiency. Overall these improvements increase the brightness of the display to 450 cd/m².

High stress and temperature resistance

The modules are considerably more shock-resistant than traditional displays. New materials and a redesigned housing for the LC display have been deployed specifically to absorb jolts and vibrations. In contrast to other displays, the electronics "float" freely within the housing, rather than being firmly fixed to the frame. In addition, plastic buffers used as insulating material provide protection for the glass from both sides. The housing for the backlight was also optimised in order to give better protection to the lighting elements. As a result, most shocks are now absorbed directly by the housing and the insulating material. In vibration tests, the new, heavy-duty TFTs can withstand accelerations of up to 19.6 m/s² in the 57 - 500 kHz range while the equipment is on or off. In the standard shock test, the displays can withstand jolts with acceleration rates of up to 490 m/s², when turned off. When used outdoors in particular, but also in industrial environments, displays are subjected to sharp variations in temperature due to process or waste heat. Thanks to improved polarisers and RGB filters that allow a temperature range of -30 to +80 °C in both the on and off modes, the modules are also able to cope with these temperature fluctuations.

Samples of the LQ121S1DG61 and LQ104V1DG61 are now available worldwide. High-volume production is scheduled for Q1 of 2006.