Classification
Electronic visual displays present visual information according to the electrical input signal (analog or digital) either by emitting light (then they are called active displays) or, alternatively, by modulating available light during the process of reflection or transmission (light modulators are called passive displays).
| Electronic visual displays | ||
| Active displays | Passive displays | |
|---|---|---|
| present visual information by emitting light | present visual information by modulating light | |
| Effect | Liquid crystal display (LCD) + backlight (this combination is considered an active display) |
LCD |
| Example | LCD TV screen, LCD computer monitor | LCD watch (reflective) see LCD classification |
| Effect | Cathodoluminescence | Electrophoresis also see Electronic paper |
| Example | Cathode ray tube (CRT) Field emission display (FED) Vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) Surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED) |
Research & manufacturing: E Ink electronic paper displays SiPix Microcup Electronic Paper |
| Effect | Electroluminescence | Electrochromism |
| Example | (thin or thick film) electro-luminescence (EL) (inorganic or organic) light emitting diode (LED, OLED) gas discharge display (Nixie tube) |
Research & manufacturing: ntera NanoChromics Technology |
| Effect | Photoluminescence | Electrowetting |
| Example | Plasma display panel (PDP) | Research & manufacturing: Liquavista |
| Effect | Incandescence |
Electromechanical modulation |
| Example | Numitron, a 7-segment numerical display tube Numitron website | flap display flip-disk display digital micromirror device (DMD) Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) FTIR (unipixel) telescopic pixel display |
Read more about this topic: Electronic Visual Display