Abstract
Display technologies have become an indispensable element of modern life, forming the primary communications and information portal for day to day life as well as for industry, entertainment, commerce, health, and security. As such, we are all familiar with the concept and use of a “display,” but the question of what exactly constitutes a display is a question that is not straightforward to address. The Handbook of Visual Display Technology provides a comprehensive reference resource covering all aspects of this technological field, and as an introduction and overview, this chapter presents a summary of the many different aspects of electronic displays: from pixels through device technologies and electronic driving methods to systems engineering. Displays are highly complex systems requiring input from researchers and innovators in material science, manufacturing, electronics, and software as well as optics, vision science, and user interface design. This introduction consequently provides a broad overview of the field for beginners and experienced display professionals and references the other sections of the handbook for those wanting to explore specific topics in more detail.
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Abbreviations
- 3D:
-
Three dimensional
- AM:
-
Active matrix
- ARM:
-
Advanced risk machines (microprocessor)
- CE:
-
Consumer electronics
- ChLCD:
-
Cholesteric LCD
- CRT:
-
Cathode ray tube
- DMD:
-
Digital mirror device
- ECO:
-
Engineering change order notification
- EL:
-
Electroluminescent
- E-Paper:
-
Electronic paper
- FHD:
-
Full high-definition resolution (1,920 × 1,080)
- FLCD:
-
Ferroelectric LCD
- FPD:
-
Flat panel display
- HD:
-
Hard disk
- IF:
-
(Electronic) interface
- ITO:
-
Indium tin oxide
- LCD:
-
Liquid crystal display
- LED:
-
Light-emitting diode
- Lib:
-
Software library
- LTB:
-
Last-/lifetime buy notification
- MEMS:
-
Micro electromechanical system
- MOSFET:
-
Metal oxide field effect transistor
- MUX:
-
Multiplex drive
- OLED:
-
Organic LED
- OS:
-
Operating system
- PC:
-
Personal computer
- PDLC:
-
Polymer-dispersed LCD
- PDP:
-
Plasma display panel
- PM:
-
Passive matrix
- PPI:
-
Pixel per inch
- RAM:
-
Random access memory
- Seg:
-
Segment of a display
- STN:
-
Super twisted nematic LCD
- TCON:
-
Timing controller
- TFT:
-
Thin film transistor
- VFD:
-
Vacuum fluorescent display
Further Reading
Blankenbach K, Gassler G, Koops HWP (2008) Vacuum displays. In: Eichmeier JA, Thumm MK (eds) Vacuum electronics, components and devices. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 85–125
den Boer W. Active matrix LCDs. Newnes/Elsevier, Amsterdam
Lee J-H, Liu DN, Wu S-T (2008) Introduction to flat panel displays. Wiley, New York
MacDonald LW (2012) Display systems: design and applications. Wiley, Chichester
Wu ST, Yang D-K (2014) Fundamentals of liquid crystal devices. Wiley SID, Chichester
Acknowledgment
This opening chapter of this revised edition of the Handbook of Visual Display Technology is dedicated to Mr Chris Williams, UK. His outstanding networking and enthusiasm for displays brought many of these contributing authors together – this Handbook is the result.
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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Blankenbach, K. (2015). What is a Display? An Introduction to Visual Displays and Display Systems. In: Chen, J., Cranton, W., Fihn, M. (eds) Handbook of Visual Display Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35947-7_201-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35947-7_201-1
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35947-7
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