Philips 140S1M Electronic User's Manual

Also see for 140S: Electronic user's manual User manual Specification sheet Specification sheet

Contents

RETURN TO TOP OF THE PAGELCD Panel TechnologyQ: What is Liquid Crystal Display?A: A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is an optical device that is commonly used to display ASCIIcharacters and images on digital items such as watches, calculators, portable game consoles etc.LCD is the technology used for displays in notebook and other small computers. Like light-emittingdiode and gas-plasma technologies, LCD allows displays to be much thinner than cathode ray tube(CRT) technology. LCD consumes much less power than LED and gas-display displays becausethey work on the principle of blocking light rather than emitting it.Q: How are LCDs made?A: LCDs are created from two glass plates separated from each other at a distance of a fewmicrons. Plates are filled with liquid crystal, then seals together. The top plate is colored with a RGBpattern to make the color filter. Then polarizers are glued to both plates. This combination issometimes called "glass" or "cell." The LCD cell is assembled into a "module" by adding thebacklight, driver electronics and frame.Q: What is polarization ?A: Polarization is basically directing light to shine in one direction. Light is electromagnetic wave.Electric and magnetic fields oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the propagation of the lightbeam. The direction of these fields is called "polarization direction." Normal or non-polarized lighthas fields in several directions; polarized light has a field in only one direction.Q: What differentiates passive matrix LCDs from active matrix LCDs?A: An LCD is made with either a passive matrix or an active matrix display grid. An active matrix hasa transistor located at each pixel intersection, requiring less current to control the luminance of apixel. For this reason, the current in an active matrix display can be switched on and off morefrequently, improving the screen refresh time (your mouse pointer will appear to move moresmoothly across the screen, for example). The passive matrix LCD has a grid of conductors withpixels located at each intersection in the grid.FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)file:///D|/Philips LCD/english/140S/SAFETY/SAF_FAQ.HTM (6 of 9) [1/20/2001 3:03:26 PM]