How to Specify a Custom Segment LCD Display
Segment glass is fully custom by definition - there is no catalogue part to point at, only a layout you design and we tool. That makes the specification step more important than for any other product family on this site: the fewer parameters left open, the fewer rounds it takes to get to a firm quotation.
Written by the Junxian applications engineering team. Figures quoted for “our models” are calculated from the 103 models on this site that carry a full parameter set, so they change when the catalogue changes.
What we need before we can quote
Five things, in the order they actually get asked for:
- The segment layout - which icons and digit groups are on, and where. A rough sketch with dimensions is enough for a first quote; a vector drawing is what tooling is cut from.
- Viewing direction - 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock. This decides which way the contrast looks best from, and it is the one parameter buyers most often specify backwards on a first try.
- Glass mode - TN, HTN or VATN (see below).
- Connection method - zebra strip, pin connector or direct solder tabs, decided by how the glass mounts into your enclosure.
- Drive method - a driver IC on an FPC, or bare glass driven by your own MCU segment driver pins. Bare glass needs a duty ratio decision; see below.
TN, HTN or VATN for a segment display
All three are passive (unlit unless you add a backlight) glass modes, and the choice is mostly about contrast and viewing angle at the temperature the display actually runs at:
| Mode | Contrast | Viewing angle | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| TN | Good at room temperature, fades in cold or heat | Narrower | Indoor meters and appliances at a stable temperature |
| HTN | Better contrast across a wider temperature range than TN | Moderate | Instruments that see some temperature swing |
| VATN | Best contrast and viewing angle of the three | Widest | Outdoor or wide-temperature instruments where legibility cannot slip |
Our full glass-mode comparison for active displays goes deeper on the optics if you want the underlying reason; for segment glass the practical answer is: TN unless the display runs outdoors or across a wide temperature range, in which case specify VATN.
Reflective, transmissive or transflective
Most segment displays are reflective - no backlight, read by ambient light, lowest power - which is why they dominate battery and outdoor metering. Transflective adds a backlight option for low-light use without losing daylight readability; fully transmissive (backlight-only) is rare on segment glass and mostly used indoors. Tell us the lighting conditions the display actually works in and we will recommend the mode, not just quote what was asked for.
Static drive vs multiplexed: what a duty ratio is
A segment display is not powered like a TFT - each segment is switched by an AC waveform, and how many segments share one drive line is the duty ratio (for example 1/4 or 1/16). A lower duty ratio (fewer segments per line, more drive lines) gives better contrast and simpler timing but needs more pins; a higher duty ratio needs fewer pins but softens contrast and gets pickier about bias voltage. If you are driving the glass directly from your own MCU rather than through our driver IC, the duty ratio is a decision we make together during layout, not something to guess at before the enquiry.
Development process and timing
Segment tooling follows the same six-stage process as any custom glass project - see our full custom development guide for the stage-by-stage timing and what is billed as NRE versus per-piece. What is specific to segment glass: the layout drawing is the long-lead item, not the tooling itself, so a clean drawing on day one is the single biggest thing that shortens the schedule.
A copy-paste specification checklist
Send these seven lines with your first enquiry and we can return a firm quotation in one round:
| Segment layout | Sketch or vector drawing, with icon/digit positions dimensioned |
|---|---|
| Viewing direction | 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock |
| Glass mode | TN, HTN or VATN (or "recommend one" plus your operating environment) |
| Connection | Zebra strip, pin connector or solder tabs |
| Drive | Driver IC on FPC, or bare glass with your own MCU segment driver |
| Operating environment | Indoor stable, or the temperature range and lighting condition if not |
| Annual quantity | First order and forecast, to size the tooling MOQ against |
Related guides
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Questions engineers ask us about this
Can you make a segment display from just a sketch?
Yes for a first quotation - a dimensioned sketch is enough to price the tooling and confirm feasibility. A vector drawing is what the actual tooling gets cut from, so we will ask for one before production artwork is finalised.
What is the MOQ for a custom segment display?
Segment glass needs new tooling, so it falls under our custom tier - 1,000 pcs. Samples are available before that commitment; ask about sample tooling if you need parts before the full production MOQ.
Can an existing segment display be modified instead of tooled from scratch?
Sometimes - if your layout is close to a pattern we have already tooled, adding or removing a small number of segments can reuse part of the existing tooling instead of cutting a new mask from zero. Send the existing drawing or part and we will say honestly whether that applies to your layout.
Do you supply the driver IC or just the glass?
Both - either bare glass for you to drive with your own MCU segment driver pins, or the glass bonded to an FPC with a driver IC and a simple interface. Tell us which you want; it changes the connection method and the duty ratio decision.
Need a quote or a datasheet?
Send us size, resolution, interface and annual quantity. Our engineers reply within one working day. Sample MOQ 5 pcs, lead time 10-20 days.