VFD Vs. LCD
Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) are thin, low-power display technologies. VFDs typically compete with LCDs for use as small displays on household appliances and computer peripherals.
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Technology
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LCDs create images by polarizing light through liquid crystal pixels. A back light or external light source is necessary to illuminate the image. VFDs produce their own light by firing electrons at patterns of phosphors on the screen, causing them to fluoresce.
Image Versatility
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LCDs can create high-resolution images with a large variety of colors. VFDs are generally limited to a few colors and low-resolution or predefined images, such as preset words or numbers.
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Brightness and Contrast
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VFDs have higher contrast and brightness than LCDs, and are easy to read in all lighting conditions. LCDs can be difficult to read in bright daylight, and those that do not use a back light cannot be seen in the dark.
Viewing Angle
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The polarization of light in LCDs causes picture colors to be distorted or dimmed when not viewed straight on. VFDs can easily be read from any viewing position.
Operating Temperature
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According to the Noritake site, VFDs can operate in temperatures of -40 to 85 degrees Celsius. Noritake states that LCDs operate in the smaller range of 0 to 50 degrees Celsius.
Common Uses
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Digital alarm clocks are a common use of VFDs. LCDs are common as computer monitors, cell phone screens and televisions. VFDs are popular for devices that operate in harsher temperatures or that need to be viewable from anywhere in a room and include devices such as ovens, car stereos, alarm clocks and DVD players.
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References
- Photo Credit digital clock image by JoLin from Fotolia.com
