glossary

CGRAM

CGRAM stands for Character Generator RAM. Character LCDs include a fixed CGROM to define the bulk of the characters they display. However, since the CGROM cannot be changed the designers also included the CGRAM — a small number of characters (typically 8) that can be redefined at run-time. These eight characters are usually mapped to …

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CGROM

CGROM stands for Character Generator ROM. The CGROM stores the font that is displayed on a character LCD. When you tell a character LCD to display the letter ‘A’, it needs to know which dots to turn on so that we see an ‘A’. This information is stored in the CGROM. By definition, (since it is …

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CRC

CRC stands for cyclic redundancy check and is a method of error detection in data transfer. CRC works by appending a number of bits to the end of a data packet. When the data packet is received, a CRC value is calculated based on the received data and compared to the received CRC value. If …

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CSP

CSP stands for Chip Scale Package. A CSP is a very small electronic device package: one that similar in size to the integrated circuit — the “chip” — that it contains.   Editor

daylight readable

A daylight readable display is usable in bright indirect light. For a TFT, daylight readable tends to mean the backlight is at least 500 nits. Of course, transflective and reflective displays do not need strong backlights to be daylight readable. Daylight readable displays include sunlight readable displays, though not all daylight readable displays will be …

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DDRAM

DDRAM stands for Display Data RAM. The Display Data RAM holds the letters that get shown on the LCD of a character LCD module. For instance the letter ‘A’ is stored in its ASCII equivalent 65DEC (0x41HEX) in the DDRAM. So a 20×2 character LCD would have enough DDRAM to store 40 letters. The value …

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duty cycle

The duty cycle, also known as a duty ratio or multiplex rate, is the fraction of total time that each row of the LCD is addressed. Quick Explanation A pixel or segment in an LCD is turned on by an AC voltage applied to it. On a very simple display, such as a 7-segment display, …

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EEPROM

EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. An EEPROM is a type of non-volatile memory that can be erased and rewritten while the chip is in-place in a system. KelseyKelsey is an engineer at Crystalfontz. She graduated from Gonzaga University with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Kelsey’s roles at Crystalfontz include customer support, documentation, …

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Electrophoretic Display (ED)

Electrophoresis is defined1 as The migration of electrically charged molecules through a fluid or gel under the influence of an electric field.” electro2– Latinized form of Greek elektro- refers to an electrical charge -phoresis3 – From Greek phorēsīs being carried, from pherein to bear An Electrophoretic Display (or ED for short) is also known as ePaper. The …

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ESD

ESD stands for ElectroStatic Discharge. Objects can have an electrical charge built up on them — this is called an electrostatic charge. Remember scuffing your feet on the carpet then zapping your friend? The scuffing builds up an electrostatic charge on your body. The zap is the electrostatic discharge (ESD). The integrated circuits used in …

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