Where to source LCD module - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Wilson__
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 01:46:56 pm
content: While the top 10 distributors can sell you practically any chip, some popular parts are stocked to million pieces, they seem not stocking LCD module. Why? Screen are practically on many/most end products.Any good andreliable sourcesyou know for small batch of color LCD module, 320x240 pixels, ST7789 chip, SPI 4 wires with proper documentation and factory data sheet? ebay has many no-brand boards (meeting those specification) that are good for hobby but not for serious paid work.EDIT: add photoMany thanks

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 02:11:25 pm
content: https://www.tme.eu/en/details/dem240320e1tth-pw/tft-displays/display-elektronik/dem-240320e1-tth-pw/https://www.lcsc.com/search?q=st7789&s_z=n_st7789

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 02:24:05 pm
content: I think the simple answer is because there are too many, they change too often and in volume the manufacturers murder their margins they are super happy to work direct or have specialist distribution.So you find Midas/Winstar/Raystar etc on Farnell/RS/RapidBut if you want a good price, or more than 10 or an alphanumeric display with 6-o-clock viewing angle not 12 you have to go the the representative. Odds are high at this point you will get told 12-14 weeks... but that really depends on how common your requirement is and the price could easily be a 1/3 of the best Farnell would manage. These routes also open up new options, we wanted a high contrast low bleed alphanumeric display recently but didn't have the budget for OLED, by the agent talking to the factory we got an unlisted VATN display essentially custom for usPlus opto for WinstarMidas for midas (shock)Solsta for RaystarEasby for Raystar and some others not on the line card.sadly plenty of others

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 02:34:23 pm
content: I've bought lots of displays from here, they've been great for quantities from singles to thousands:https://www.buydisplay.com/

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 02:37:50 pm
content: Quote from: ajb on April 23, 2025, 02:34:23 pmUs too, very efficient. Not to the extent we've tested how they sort something going wrong tho' and unlike choosing a UK distributor - no credit account.

author: Wilson__
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 02:51:56 pm
content: Which factories are making TFT colour display in China? I search Chinese web for "top starred supplier". Web page blog was 10 years old and missing one word in the title bar of factory name. Are sellers and mass-volume factory buyers all know each other and no web advertisement needed???

author: Wilson__
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 03:07:43 pm
content: Quote from: SMTech on April 23, 2025, 02:24:05 pmHow viewing angle works for modern LCD graphical display (says 240x320 pixels)?I read some spec says same LCD and be software setup for landscape or portrait. I looked at my phone and VA computer monitor. They are wide angle viewing. My old TV are a bit faded color when you are 30 degrees off centre. My egg timer mono segment display are narrow angle viewing.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 03:11:44 pm
content: Quote from: ajb on April 23, 2025, 02:34:23 pmwe used some 7" from then and we had to test run them all for a while to sort out those (quite a few of them) that quickly got burn in and fading colors

author: Fire Doger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 03:27:04 pm
content: The best place to find tft manufacturers from east is at embedded world in Germany.Online search won't give you much results, even their printed catalogs doesn't have all their products.You can find a list of exhibitors here:https://www.embedded-world.de/en/exhibitors-products/find-exhibitorsTo choose LCD we send mass email to everyone, we collect datasheets and we get samples for a model that is available to most of them without customization.If the quality is good on 2-3 manufacturers it's a pass.*You should also ask if they are tier 1 manufacturer or they only do the assembly.But 320x240 is jellybean, everyone will have a couple variants with that resolution.

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 03:45:59 pm
content: Quote from: Wilson__ on April 23, 2025, 03:07:43 pmWe buy more character LCDs than graphical TFT's of the type you are looking for which is where this applies* but you should find a significant suppplier/manufacturer overlap and other more applicable features come into play instead like colours, brightness, response, backlight leakage, burn in or ghosting. For Char displays the various types change the performance drastically, certain backlight, displaymode and polarisation combinations don't work.*A HiFi unit for example is probably lower than the user, so 6-o-clock polarisation looks like hot garbage. An industrial control is probably right in front of you and it doesn't matter. An industrial end user, just wants a readable display.. a consumer has been spoilt by how good their phone is and wants a modern high contrast, high res, low leakage display even if they barely look at it.

author: Wilson__
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 06:33:43 pm
content: Quote from: SMTech on April 23, 2025, 03:45:59 pmThose are consumers. They feel good when others look at it and admire the things cost like a very old car

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2025, 07:17:11 pm
content: I just linked to a display today ... 320x240 display with that controller, over 1000 pcs :https://www.lcsc.com/product-detail/LCD-Screen_HS-HS20HS072RX_C5329582.htmlit's only i2c though.You can go browsehttps://www.lcsc.com/products/LCD-Screen_11142.htmland see what other displays are available

author: Wilson__
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2025, 06:03:04 am
content: Quote from: mariush on April 23, 2025, 07:17:11 pmThe HS brand seems the 'only' brand in low (compare to chip in 10k, 100k and a few millions) stock in LCSC. May you share how is the 1000 pcs have been going? Are you just received them for initial test or they have been running fine on manufactured products and have been running in the field with low failure rate.

author: Wilson__
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2025, 06:21:14 am
content: 1. Looking at data sheets for 320 x 240 "LCD, driver-chip and backlight assembly", seem ST7789xxx (xxx is about half dozen variants) is very common. ILI9xxx is also popular and slightly more expensive.Any experience on difference of these two chips?2. Any idea on the "LCD panel" manufacturer? Who is good, fair and room-for-improvement?Is it true that there is no "really bad" LCD manufacturers due to mass-market force will drive them out?TFThttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCDis making transistors on glass. Does it meant there is a minimum technical threshold or else yield rate will be low and drive "really bad" manufacturers out of the market?

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2025, 07:35:52 am
content: https://www.buydisplay.com/parts in stock, ebay store for 1 off, support, long term availability.They made me a custom captouch glass front only $200 NRE. This was a couple years ago.

author: Wilson__
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 27, 2025, 10:32:24 pm
content: For 2 to 2.4 inches 320 x 240 TFT LCD colour screen, are they all made in China nowadays?Any idea on names ofactual manufacturing companies? Yes, there are a lot of distributor and reseller.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 29, 2025, 01:04:03 am
content: You can find some manufacturers listed on LCSC, eg:https://www.lcsc.com/brand-detail/13150.html?s_z=n_lcdProbably a ton of shops exist. For the small displays most is China, but Taiwan and Japan would still make some.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_flat_panel_display_manufacturers