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Can You Get a Round or Custom-Shaped TFT Display?
December 7, 2018
Yes. A TFT display no longer has to be rectangular: Tianma makes freeform displays in almost any outline, including round, oval, polygonal and trapezoidal shapes, and even displays with a hole in the middle. Round displays are also available as standard parts, such as Tianma’s 3.3-inch TM033XDHG01-00. We supply them from Ronkonkoma, New York, and build them into a complete display assembly with cover glass, touch and the controller that drives them.
Why choose a custom-shaped display?
A custom shape lets the display follow the function of the device instead of forcing the device around a rectangle. Tianma’s design motto for these displays is “form follows function”. The applications are broad: special medical and industrial devices, mobile equipment and automotive designs, wherever a standard rectangular display does not fit the product or the way it is used.
How are freeform TFT displays made?
Tianma developed new processes to produce them, including embedding the gate drivers individually and cutting the glass with extremely accurate laser techniques. The result is a display with very narrow borders and a high contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 for detailed graphics. On request, the displays come with an integrated PCAP touchscreen.
What does the round Tianma TM033XDHG01-00 offer?
The TM033XDHG01-00 is a round 3.3-inch display with a 60 mm diameter active area and 320 × 320 pixels. Its 750 cd/m² brightness and -20 to +70°C operating range suit it to a wide range of applications, including rough outdoor use. With a MIPI interface and a height of only 2.66 mm, it fits compact devices. The display frame is angular rather than round, which gives a defined reference point for easy installation, and a customized protective glass on top turns it into a distinctive front for the product.
It is built for series production: the minimum order quantity is 1,890 pieces, with a minimum lot size of 315 pieces.
Are there other round displays with touch?
Yes. Two round displays from Disea come with an integrated capacitive touchscreen:
| Display | Size and resolution | Brightness | Interface | Operating range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZW-T334TOS-01CP | 3.34 inch, 320 × 320 | 550 cd/m² | MIPI | -20 to +70°C |
| ZW-T034TQH-04CP-B | 3.4 inch, 800 × 800 | 350 cd/m² | HDMI | -20 to +70°C |
More on the manufacturer is in our post on Disea TFT displays, and all our round and other non-rectangular displays are on the special formats page.
How do you drive a small round MIPI display?
Most small round displays use a MIPI interface, which industrial computers rarely provide. For the ZW-T334TOS-01CP, our PrismaMIPI-LVDS controller can be adapted on a project basis so the display runs from an LVDS source. Our post on integrating small MIPI displays covers the options, and when special format displays make sense covers the design decision.
Tell us the shape your device needs and where it has to work, and we will take it from there: the display, the cover glass, the touch and the electronics, as one assembly. Where a design calls for capabilities beyond our own, we draw on the FORTEC Group and deliver it as one project.
