TFT-screen

TFT displays are commonly used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and TVs, as well as in specialized devices like ATMs, payment terminals, and advertising screens. These displays offer attractive interfaces and animations, and by incorporating touch controls, they provide a user-friendly experience, especially for individuals accustomed to touch screen devices.

TFT displays are based on thin film transistors that adjust transparency based on applied voltage. They require backlight lamps or LEDs placed under the pixels for image visibility. Brighter backlighting improves display readability in bright light but leads to higher energy consumption. OLED displays represent the next stage of development, with pixels that glow and eliminate the need for a backlight, resulting in thinner, more energy-efficient displays with enhanced contrast. However, for the purpose of connecting the display to a controller and outputting information, there is no difference between TFT and OLED displays, making TFT displays more affordable and common for hobbyist devices.

The key parameters of a TFT display include size, resolution, and the number of displayed colors. The size is typically indicated as a diagonal measurement in inches. Resolution determines image quality and is specified by the number of pixels horizontally and vertically. Displays with higher resolutions offer greater pixel density, resulting in smoother, high-quality images, but they require more resources and consume more power. The number of colors displayed is another important parameter. While modern displays mostly support over 2 million colors, for simple applications, 65,000 colors are usually sufficient.

For controlling individual pixels on a high-resolution display, substantial computing power and digital inputs are required. Color TFT displays are equipped with their own controller to generate and display images, while the control controller transmits general information about what to display. The most common connection interface for TFT displays is SPI, and libraries exist for each type of display controller to facilitate integration into programs.

In summary, TFT displays simplify user interaction and enable the creation of flexible, user-friendly control interfaces. Therefore, they are a practical choice for projects of medium to large complexity.