What Do KOE and JDI Rugged TFT Displays Offer Industrial and Defense OEMs?
January 28, 2022
KOE and JDI rugged TFT displays give industrial and defense OEMs high brightness, wide IPS viewing angles, shock and vibration resistance and operating ranges down to -40°C, with no bright pixel defects. The displays first came to us as KOE products and now carry the JDI name. We supply them from Ronkonkoma, New York, and build them into complete display assemblies with matching PCAP touchscreens, cover glass and VacuBond® optical bonding.
Where do KOE displays come from?
Kaohsiung Opto-Electronics (KOE) took over the design, development and production of Hitachi’s small and medium-sized TFT displays in 2012, and continued that line with a wide range of displays built for long-term availability. FORTEC Integrated, our sister company in the FORTEC Group, became an official distributor in November 2020. JDI’s Rugged Plus portfolio now spans 4.2 to 15 inches.
What makes the rugged series rugged?
Depending on the model, the rugged displays combine:
- High resistance to shock and vibration.
- Operating ranges as wide as -40 to +85°C.
- High brightness and IPS wide-angle technology, for readability in bright ambient light and from the side.
- Zero bright dot as standard: no bright pixel defects.
- Reliability test criteria that exceed the industry standard by a factor of two.
- LTPS technology on some models, for extra-low power consumption in mobile devices.
That suits them to automation, digital signage, public transport, agriculture, construction machinery, commercial vehicles and defense. For the design questions behind those environments, see how to design a display for harsh environments.
Which rugged displays are current?
| Display | Size and resolution | Brightness | Operating range |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX13D204VM0BAA | 5 inch, 800 × 480 | 1300 cd/m², 1300:1 | -30 to +85°C |
| TX16D209VM0BAB | 6.4 inch, 1024 × 768 | 1400 cd/m², 1500:1 | -30 to +80°C |
| TX18D200VM0EAA Rev.B | 7 inch, 1920 × 1080 | 1200 cd/m² | -40 to +85°C |
| TX26D208VM0AAA | 10.2 inch, 1920 × 1080 | 1200 cd/m² | -40 to +85°C |
| TX26D206VM0BAA | 10.3 inch bar type, 1920 × 720 | 1200 cd/m² | -40 to +85°C |
The 5-inch TX13D204VM0BAA is one of the brightest displays of its size, readable in strong sunlight, with an 80° viewing angle in every direction. The 6.4-inch TX16D209VM0BAB packs XGA into 15.3 × 11.8 cm, with an integrated LED driver and LVDS interface, and is a good alternative to the discontinued Tianma NL10276BC13-01C. The 10.3-inch TX26D206VM0BAA is a bar-type display that withstands vibration up to 5G, with an 85° viewing angle in every direction and an integrated LED driver and LVDS interface. The original TX18D200VM0EAA is discontinued; the Rev.B above is the version we supply now. More wide-format options are in our post on where bar-type displays fit.
What touch and bonding options fit these displays?
We developed 10-finger PCAP touchscreens that fit the 7-inch and 10.2-inch full HD displays exactly. They run over I²C or USB, with the touch controller integrated on the flex cable (chip-on-flex). Two versions are available: a PCAP touch with a black frame print, and an Infinite Touch design, in which the PCAP touch foil is combined with a protective glass made to your requirements. Our VacuBond process can bond a cover glass or touchscreen to the display, which protects it from dirt and damage, makes it easier to clean, and increases the shock and vibration resistance of the bonded unit.
Can you get these displays for defense programs?
Yes. The rugged series’ shock and vibration resistance, temperature range and long-term availability are what defense programs need, and our defense displays and embedded systems page covers how we support them. In Europe, FORTEC Integrated became JDI Europe’s first Trusted Distributor for defense projects in 2026, which lets it review and evaluate those projects itself instead of waiting for JDI’s compliance checks.
Every display above is available as a plug-and-play kit with our TFT controller boards and all the necessary accessories, or as a customized system integration. Tell us where the display has to work, and we will take it from there. When a part receives an EOL notice, we tell you early and plan with you: a last-time buy to cover remaining builds, or qualifying a replacement before supply runs out.
