Try Plug'n'Play TFT Modules DigiWise with HDMI or LVDS Interface

(Martin Brestovič, the product specialist from SOS electronic, prepared the article about the new supplier in our portfolio, DigiWise, and its offer of customized TFT modules and accessories.)

DigiWise – custom solution for every project

DigiWise was founded in Taiwan. It has a strong research and development base with many years of experience in the design and production of displays, backlights, touch panels and their integration into final, easy-to-use HMI modules. The company specializes in the production of TFT displays from 3.5 to 23.8 inches and offers solutions for standard as well as demanding applications.

HDMI vs LVDS interface

LVDS (low voltage differential signalling) or the slightly more commercial HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is currently the most common type of graphic interface in case of embedded PC. When it comes to the principle of data transfer for the display module itself, they are similar since the transfer occurs in differential pairs (Twisted Pair) in both cases, but there are also several differences between them. Very simply, we can say that the LVDS interface is typically used mainly "inside" the devices, while HDMI can also be found in majority of today's commercial products for image and sound transmission.

"From the point of view of common industrial equipment, transmission over LVDS has the advantage of having potentially higher protection against interference (EMI, EMC) than HDMI. However, in practice, this difference is often very small or negligible and thus the biggest factor helping you decide which interface you choose will be the specification of your embedded PC or other device – i.e. what is its standard output graphic interface.” explains Martin Brestovič, product specialist from SOS electronic.

On which devices can we find which graphical interface?

And here we come to an interesting fact - many more commercial embedded PCs often have an HDMI output enabling easy connection, e.g. to ordinary PC monitors and the like.

However, majority of industrial-embedded PCs have LVDS output.

What is the availability of medium-size TFT modules on the market?

TFT modules with HDMI and/or LVDS interfaces can be found on the market in relatively large quantities from various manufacturers. In the industrial segment that most often uses displays with a size of approx. 7" to 15.6" (21"), there is usually a larger offer of displays with the LDVS interface, but customers often come across a relatively large "ISSUE" here. The problem is usually with the availability of suitable connecting LVDS cables. A trivial thing at first glance, but whoever has tried it once knows that manufacturers of TFT modules as well as embedded PCs use a huge number of different, many times hard-to-find connectors, so in the majority of cases it is ultimately necessary to have a custom-made LVDS cable.

Plug’n’play TFT modules with custom-made cable – ready-made solution from DigiWise

However, not all display manufacturers offer custom-made LVDS cables. This is also why we decided to add TFT displays from DigiWise to our product range. The manufacturer is also able to supply sample quantities of custom LVDS cables for your project, at very reasonable prices.

On the other hand, in the case of modules with an HDMI interface, the advantage of DigiWise modules (compared to many other manufacturers of industrial displays) is that they use high-quality "higher standard" HDMI controllers. Thanks to this, in most cases, these TFT modules really work with the "plug'n'play" method, since the embedded PC recognizes the type of the display, its resolution and other parameters for the correct functioning of data transfer and, as a result, for the trouble-free display of content on the display.

Advantages of TFT modules by DigiWise

The advantages of most DigiWise modules include a simple (single DC) power supply, many types in the IPS version (with wide viewing angles) and the possibility to easily adjust the brightness of the backlight from 0 to 100%.

For many industrial applications, several display options can be a great advantage - for example, with a durable so-called anti-vandal glass, UV-blocking layer for permanent use in direct sunlight, brightness up to 2000 cd/m2, water resistance, various versions of mechanical mounting, such as mounting frame, "open frame" and so on.

DigiWise's TFT products have wide viewing angles, a wide temperature range, high contrast and brightness, and the customers can benefit from the company's development capabilities, which result in tailor-made solutions such as signal integration, touch panel lamination or optical glueing.

Availability of TFT modules by DigiWise in SOS electronic’s offer

We have included the most frequently used TFT displays also with suitable HDMI and LVDS cables for embedded PCs, as well as other accessories in our offer and they are immediately available directly from our warehouse. We will be happy to provide other products (document to download) upon request in the shortest possible time and under favourable conditions.