A segmented liquid-crystal display (segmented LCD) is a type of

liquid-crystal display A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other Electro-optic modulator, electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers to display information. Liq ...

commonly used for showing numerical or limited character information, primarily in devices like

calculators An electronic calculator is typically a portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics. The first solid-state electronic calculator was created in the early 1960s. Pocket-siz ...

and

digital watch A watch is a timepiece carried or worn by a person. It is designed to maintain a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or another type of ...

es. Segmented LCDs often display information in a one-line format. They can have 7-segment digits, or 14- or 16-segment characters. Segments can be arbitrary shapes and sizes. Segmented LCDs were built into the

Game & Watch is a series of handheld electronic games developed by Nintendo. Designed by Gunpei Yokoi, the first game, ''Ball'' was released in 1980 and the original production run of the devices continued until 1991. The name Game & Watch reflects thei ...

series of handheld electronic games. HP produced segmented LCDs for the

HP-41C The HP-41C series are programmable, expandable, continuous memory handheld RPN calculators made by Hewlett-Packard from 1979 to 1990. The original model, HP-41C, was the first of its kind to offer alphanumeric display capabilities. Later came ...

series of calculators. __TOC__

Construction

8- and 16-segment LCDs are made as a stack of two glass sheets, each patterned with transparent

electrode An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or a gas). In electrochemical cells, electrodes are essential parts that can consist of a varie ...

s, typically using indium tin oxide (ITO). Liquid crystal is filled between the two sheets. Typically, the rear glass is all one common electrode.

Layers

History

The first liquid crystal display was developed by a team of engineers led by George Heilmeier.

References

{{improve categories, date=January 2025 Liquid crystal displays