Introducing a Smarter Low-Power LCD Design for Small Home Appliances

In the ever-evolving world of smart appliances, power efficiency and user experience are equally vital. We’re excited to introduce our innovative dual-layer LCD solution, designed specifically for small home appliance applications that demand both high-resolution visuals and ultra-low-power standby modes.

The Architecture: Two Displays in One Panel

Our LCD module integrates two independent layers:

Upper Layer: Segment-type SVTN (VA panel)

Lower Layer: High-resolution IPS panel

This unique structure allows the device to switch seamlessly between high-performance display and low-power standby mode:

IPS Display (Active Mode):
When the device is in use, the vibrant IPS panel delivers a crisp, detailed user interface.

SVTN (VA) Display (Standby Mode):
When idle, the device shifts to the VA segment display. This layer consumes extremely low power, and can still display dynamic information like time, temperature, or status updates. To further reduce energy use, the backlight can be dimmed without losing visibility.

Why Not Use RAM-LCD ICs Instead?

While an alternative solution is to use a RAM-integrated LCD driver IC, that approach has several limitations:

1. Static-only content unless the MCU frequently wakes up—leading to more power consumption.
2. Software complexity increases significantly with real-time content.
3. Higher BOM cost due to limited IC availability and premium pricing.

In contrast, our SVTN (VA) -based design is:

1. Software-friendly: Minimal MCU involvement needed.
2. Cost-effective: SVTN (VA) segments are simpler to drive, and component selection is broader.
3. Power-efficient with dynamic capability.

Application Scenarios

Smart kettles, cookers, and humidifiers

IoT-enabled thermostats or timers

Battery-powered home gadgets requiring long standby time

Have you ever heard of in-cell touchscreen technology? If not, you might be wondering what it means.

In this blog, we will take a closer look at in-cell technology while revealing how it works and the benefits it offers.

From smartphones and tablets to human machine interfaces (HMI) and more, many touchscreens are now designed with in-cell technology.

In-Cell Technology in the display industry refers to a touchscreen integration method where the touch sensors are embedded directly into the LCD or OLED display layer, eliminating the need for a separate touch layer.

Display technology has evolved rapidly in recent years. GFF,  On-cell, and TDDI/IN-CELL technologies are among the most significant innovations. These technologies have reshaped the design and performance of touchscreens in various devices, including consumer electronics and industrial systems.

For more information about TDDI , please refer below link in Orient Display Blogs section:

https://www.orientdisplay.com/introduction-to-embedded-touch-display-driver-chip-tddi/

Advantages & Benefits of In-cell Technology

1. Slimmer, Lighter Design:  Since the touch sensors are integrated into the display pixels, there is no need for additional touch panel, hence able to reducing overall thickness.  In-cell technology allows for thinner displays, ideal for compact devices.
2. Better Display Quality: With fewer layers, less reflection, more light passes through, improved brightness/contrast.

3. Improved Touch Sensitivity & Accuracy: Direct integration reduces signal interference, leading to faster and more precise touch response.
4. Cost-Efficiency: In-cell displays are cost-effective, as they reduce the need for multiple components.
5. Reduce the weight of a touchscreen:  Touchscreens with both a display layer and a digitizer layer weigh more than those with a single and integrated layer. It’s not a substantial difference, but the use of in-cell technology can lower the weight of a touchscreen nonetheless.
6. Size and Resolution Orient Display developed, as below chart, size range from 1.9” to 12.1”, more sizes coming, pls contact with Orient Display support engineers

In-cell technologies offer thinner designs, faster touch response times, and better durability. As the demand for more compact and efficient devices continues to grow, we believe the In-cell technologies will play a crucial role in shaping the future of display and touch solutions. Understanding these innovations gives us a glimpse into the future of display technology and how it will impact various industries.

Arduino

Arduino-Compatible Boards

These work with the Arduino IDE and libraries:

1. Seeeduino (by Seeed Studio)
   • Fully Arduino-compatible; often more compact or cheaper.
   • Versions like Seeeduino Lotus include Grove ports for easy sensor integration.
2. SparkFun RedBoard
   • Same ATmega328P chip as Arduino Uno.
   • Designed for better USB compatibility and robustness.
3. Adafruit Metro
   • Arduino Uno-compatible.
   • Comes in ATmega328 or M0/M4 (more powerful ARM) variants.
4. Elegoo Uno / Mega / Nano
   • Cheaper clones of Arduino boards.
   • Great for beginners or bulk classroom use.

More Powerful Microcontrollers

These offer more processing power or features:

5. Raspberry Pi Pico / Pico W
   • Based on the RP2040 chip (dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+).
   • Programmable in MicroPython, C/C++, or via Arduino IDE (with configuration).
6. Teensy (by PJRC)
   • Very powerful (Cortex-M4 or M7); supports audio, real-time control.
   • Arduino IDE compatible via Teensyduino add-on.
7. ESP8266 / ESP32 (by Espressif)
   • Built-in Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth for ESP32).
   • Compatible with Arduino IDE and great for IoT.

Industrial / Educational Boards

These are designed for durability, education, or expanded use cases:

8. Micro:bit (BBC)
   • ARM Cortex-M0/M4; ideal for education.
   • Has built-in sensors, LEDs, Bluetooth.
9. STM32 Nucleo Boards
   • Based on STM32 ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers.
   • Arduino pin compatibility + STM32Cube ecosystem.
10. Particle Photon / Argon

• Focused on cloud-connected IoT.
• Works with Particle Cloud and supports Arduino-like development.

Raspberry Pi

Direct Raspberry Pi Alternatives

1. Banana Pi Series (e.g., BPI-M5, BPI-M2 Pro)
   • ARM-based; similar form factor and GPIO layout.
   • Often more RAM or better I/O, but software support can lag.
2. Orange Pi Series (e.g., Orange Pi 5, Orange Pi Zero 2)
   • Powerful Rockchip/Allwinner-based boards.
   • Great specs for the price, but less mature OS/software support.
3. Rock Pi Series (by Radxa) (e.g., Rock Pi 4, Rock Pi 5)
   • Rockchip RK3399 or RK3588-based (much more powerful than Pi 4).
   • Good performance and better AI acceleration than Raspberry Pi.
4. Odroid Series (by Hardkernel) (e.g., Odroid-C4, Odroid-N2+, Odroid-XU4)
   • ARM Cortex-A73/A55 or Exynos-based.
   • Powerful, with good Linux support and active community.
5. Libre Computer Boards (e.g., Le Potato, Tritium)
   • Raspberry Pi-compatible form factor.
   • Mainline Linux kernel support; focused on open-source.

More Powerful SBCs (Edge AI / Desktop Replacement)

6. NVIDIA Jetson Series (e.g., Jetson Nano, Jetson Orin Nano)

• Built for AI and computer vision (CUDA/GPU acceleration).
• Ideal for robotics and ML projects.

7. BeagleBone Black / AI-64

• More focused on real-time control and I/O (PRUs).
• BeagleBone AI-64 competes with Jetson and Pi 5 in power.

8. UP Board Series (by AAEON)

• Intel x86-based SBCs.
• Suitable for industrial, Windows/Linux desktop, or edge AI.

Ultra-Compact Boards (Raspberry Pi Zero Competitors)

9. NanoPi Series (by FriendlyELEC) (e.g., NanoPi Neo, NanoPi R5S)
   • Tiny, affordable, with various performance levels.
   • Great for headless IoT and embedded projects.
10. LattePanda Series

• Intel Atom/x86 SBC with optional Arduino co-processor.
• Unique combo of PC power and microcontroller I/O.

STM32

Some microcontroller families that compete directly with STM32 (by STMicroelectronics), offering similar or better features depending on the application:

ARM Cortex-M Competitors

1. NXP LPC Series (LPC800 / LPC1100 / LPC54000, etc.)

• ARM Cortex-M0/M3/M4/M33 cores.
• Known for low power and good USB support.
• Strong IDE support via MCUXpresso.

2. Renesas RA and RX Series

• RA: ARM Cortex-M (RA2, RA4, RA6 with M23/M33).
• RX: Proprietary 32-bit core, high performance, low power.
• Industrial reliability and long-term availability.

3. Nordic Semiconductor nRF52 / nRF53 Series

• ARM Cortex-M4/M33 with integrated Bluetooth Low Energy.
• Excellent for low-power wireless applications.

4. Texas Instruments MSP432 / Tiva C Series

• MSP432: ARM Cortex-M4F, low power, high precision ADCs.
• Tiva C: ARM Cortex-M4, general purpose.

5. Silicon Labs EFM32 Gecko Series

• ARM Cortex-M0+/M3/M4.
• Extremely low power (Energy Micro acquisition).
• Great for battery-powered devices.

IoT-Focused Chips with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth

6. Espressif ESP32 / ESP32-S3 / ESP32-C6

• Dual-core or single-core RISC-V/ARM variants.
• Built-in Wi-Fi + BLE.
• Low cost, Arduino and MicroPython support.

7. Raspberry Pi RP2040

• Dual-core Cortex-M0+ (not STM32 level in raw power).
• PIO (Programmable IO) is unique.
• Popular due to price and community support.

Higher-End SoCs (for more powerful tasks)

8. NXP i.MX RT Series (“crossover” MCUs)

• ARM Cortex-M7 running up to 600 MHz.
• Bridges gap between MCU and MPU (e.g., STM32H7 vs. i.MX RT1060).

9. Microchip SAM E / D / L Series (formerly Atmel)

• ARM Cortex-M0+/M4/M7 variants.
• Good IDE (MPLAB X), integrates well with peripherals and TrustZone.

Software used in Embedded System

Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS)

These are used where timing precision and low latency are crucial (e.g., robotics, medical, automotive):

Embedded Linux Distributions

Used for more powerful processors (e.g., ARM Cortex-A, x86) in applications like edge computing, gateways, and media devices:

Bare-Metal / SDKs / HALs

For ultra-low-latency and simplicity (no OS):

IDEs and Toolchains

IoT Focused Software

Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) for IoT

Embedded Linux for Edge IoT & Gateways

For more capable IoT devices (e.g., gateways, smart hubs):

SDKs / Frameworks / Middleware

IoT Cloud Integration (Optional Middleware)

Recommendations by IoT Device Type

Check out our Embedded Product in stock here!

1. The Concept of E-paper

E-paper can maintain its display even when powered off, possessing a certain memory capacity and most functionalities of traditional paper. The base material of e-paper is primarily polyester compounds, coated with circuits on the surface. Changes in the external electric field control the movement of electronic capsules within the circuit to alter text and images. E-paper features low power consumption and flexibility, providing delicate display quality, a wide viewing angle, and excellent visibility under sunlight without any blind spots.

In 1999, E Ink Corporation first introduced a display using electronic ink. In 2007, Amazon released the first-generation Kindle e-reader, equipped with a 6-inch, 4-level e-ink display. From the classic black-and-white e-ink display to today, it has evolved to achieve full-color display capabilities with eight primary colors. Compared to traditional displays, e-ink screens have a bistable characteristic, meaning they only consume power when the pixel colors change. The screen can retain images even after the power is turned off. Moreover, as a display technology, e-ink screens can mimic the visual experience of printing and writing on paper.

2. Display Principles of E-paper

There are several technological approaches for e-paper, including Electrophoretic Display Technology (EPD), Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Display (Ch-LCD), Bistable Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Technology (Bi-TNLCD), Electro-Wetting Display Technology (EWD), Electrofluidic Display Technology (EFD), and Interferometric Modulator Technology (iMod). Among these, electrophoretic display technology is the most representative, having been in mass production for many years with mature processes, low cost, high performance, and closest resemblance to traditional paper.

Electrophoretic display technology is one of the earliest developed paper-like display technologies. Its basic principle involves using an external electric field to control the movement of charged particles within a liquid. When these particles move to a specific position, they display different colors.

Electrophoretic ink technology, commonly known as electronic ink, involves applying electronic ink onto a layer of plastic film, then overlaying it with a thin-film transistor (TFT) circuit. Controlled by a driving IC, this arrangement forms pixel graphics, creating Electronic Paper Displays (EPD). Unlike typical flat-panel displays that use light emission to produce images, electronic ink screens primarily employ electrophoretic display technology. They rely on reflecting ambient light for image display, making reading more comfortable. Moreover, the displayed images remain clear even under direct sunlight, with a very wide viewing angle, theoretically up to 180 degrees.

3. Construction of E-paper

Electronic Paper Displays (EPD) typically consist of anti-glare glass, a front light source, touch functionality, electronic ink film, a TFT backplane, a controller, and a power manager, among other components. The electronic ink film is usually composed of millions of microcapsules. These microcapsules contain black and white particles that are charged either positively or negatively. They move in response to changes in the electric field, allowing specific areas to appear black or white, thus forming the corresponding pixel graphics.

The core substance developed by E Ink Holdings for their microcapsule electronic ink technology is electronic ink, which mainly consists of two parts: black dye and white charged titanium dioxide electrophoretic particles.

The electronic particles are suspended in the dye, arranged uniformly and move randomly. They are encapsulated by a transparent shell. Under the influence of an external electric field, the white particles can sense the charge and move in different directions. The side where white particles accumulate can display white, while the opposite side shows the color of the dye, that is, black. E-paper uses this principle to achieve color transitions for text and images.

4. E-paper Materials

• Substrate Materials: E-paper substrates are typically made of plastic (such as polyester film) or glass. Plastic substrates have the advantage of being lightweight and flexible, making them suitable for creating bendable e-paper. Glass substrates, on the other hand, provide better protection and durability.
• Microcapsule Materials: Microcapsules are the core components of e-paper and are usually made of polymer materials. Each microcapsule contains black and white particles, which are typically made from materials such as carbon black or white titanium dioxide. The size of microcapsules generally ranges from a few microns to several tens of microns.
• Conductive Materials: The transparent electrodes of e-paper typically use indium tin oxide (ITO) or other conductive materials. These materials not only possess good conductivity but also high transparency, effectively conducting electricity without affecting the display quality.
• Ink Materials: The pigment particles used in electronic ink are usually made from inorganic or organic materials, offering good dispersibility and stability to ensure the clarity and longevity of displayed images.
• Protective Film: To enhance the durability of e-paper, a protective film is often applied to the surface. This film helps prevent scratches and external damage, thereby extending the lifespan of the e-paper.

5. E-paper Manufacturing Process

The technology of electrophoretic ink, commonly known as electronic ink, is central to the manufacturing process of e-paper. This process involves coating a layer of electronic ink onto a plastic film. A thin-film transistor (TFT) circuit is then laminated onto this coated film. Controlled by a driver IC, this arrangement facilitates the formation of pixel graphics, which are the building blocks of the Electronic Paper Displays (EPD). This method allows for precise control and manipulation of the ink particles within the microcapsules, enabling the display to show images and text by rearranging these particles under electrical influence.

To control production costs and considering the characteristics of electrophoretic display materials, current microcapsule electrophoretic display films are produced using a roll-to-roll coating method. This process allows for the rapid production of display materials that meet the requirements of product applications. The mentioned image would typically show the roll of film material as it is processed in this continuous manufacturing method.

6. Advantages and Disadvantages of E-paper

·       Advantages

• • Low Energy Consumption: E-paper consumes very low power, typically only using electricity when refreshing the display, thus using almost no power in standby mode.
  • Good Readability: Due to its reflective display nature, e-paper maintains good readability under strong light, similar to that of traditional paper.
  • Lightweight and Flexible: The lightness and flexibility of e-paper make it suitable for various portable devices and flexible displays.
  • Eye Comfort: E-paper reduces glare and blue light radiation, making it more comfortable for long reading sessions.

·       Disadvantages

• • Cost: The production cost of e-paper is relatively high, which limits its proliferation in some low-end markets. However, the yield of electrophoretic display technology, especially microcapsule display technology, is expected to improve annually due to its simple manufacturing process and roll-to-roll coating method similar to paper production. As production volumes and yields increase, the cost of e-paper displays is expected to decrease annually. Like other electronics, the price of e-paper displays will likely continue to fall, leading to various emerging applications as costs decrease.
  • Slow Refresh Rate: E-paper has a relatively slow refresh rate, making it unsuitable for displaying dynamic videos or rapidly changing content. To meet the performance requirements of bistability, e-paper display technology sacrifices response speed, with update times taking several hundred milliseconds, which is insufficient for video applications. With technological advancements, faster responding e-paper materials have emerged, and response times have been reduced to tens of milliseconds, with potential for further improvements to meet customer demands in the future.
  • Full Colorization: Most e-paper display technologies are primarily monochrome, and color e-paper has higher costs and technical challenges. Currently, color electrophoretic display e-paper can be achieved in two ways: one using a color filter over black and white e-paper, and the other using colored particles or dyes, with samples already produced. However, because it relies on reflected light for imaging, e-paper screens appear somewhat dim compared to the brightness and color accuracy of LCD screens. Thus, colorization is a revolutionary breakthrough for e-paper technology, with significant resources being devoted to research and development, promising the future availability of color e-paper displays.
  • Durability: While e-paper is relatively durable, its performance may be impacted under extreme conditions (such as high temperatures and humidity). Unlike conventional readers who might not expect to roll up a book, the primary purpose of using flexible e-paper displays is not to be rollable but to be portable and impact-resistant. Flexible e-paper displays can opt for plastic substrates as backplanes. E-paper with plastic substrates is about 80% lighter than those made with glass materials and only about 0.3 mm thick, meeting the demands for lightweight, thin, and impact-resistant features. However, the biggest challenge for plastic substrates is their heat resistance and chemical stability, requiring ongoing improvements in substrate materials.

7. Applications of E-paper

• E-book Readers: E-paper is most famously used in e-book readers, such as Amazon’s Kindle. Due to its paper-like reading experience, e-paper allows users to read for long periods without significant eye fatigue.

• Billboards and Information Displays: Many businesses and public spaces are beginning to use e-paper for billboards and information display systems. E-paper’s clarity in sunlight and low energy consumption make it ideal for displaying information over extended periods.

• Smart Labels: In retail and logistics, e-paper labels (such as electronic shelf labels) are widely used. They can be updated in real-time with price and product information, reducing the costs associated with manual updates.
• Wearable Devices: Some smartwatches and fitness trackers have started incorporating e-paper display technology to enhance battery life and improve readability under various lighting conditions.

• Educational Devices: E-paper technology is gradually being adopted in the education sector, for example in electronic exam papers and learning tablets, offering a more flexible and environmentally friendly way of learning.

Check out our E-paper products in stock here!

E-Paper