ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS

General

With the introduction of digital signal-processing technology, it has become possible for
drastic changes to both quantitative and qualitative data display methods. This
technology has enabled the simplification of many flight deck-instrument layouts,
allowing the replacement of complex analogue instruments with state of the art digital
instrumentation. This "Glass Cockpit" concept has allowed many instruments to be
replaced by one TV type display that can display a large and varied range of information
as required.

There are three different methods for displaying digital data, these are:

1. Light-Emitting Diodes (LED).

2. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

3. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT).

Display Configurations

Displays of LED and LCD types are usually limited to the application in which a single
register of alphanumeric values is required, and are based on the seven segment or the
dot matrix configuration. CRT type displays have a wider use and can display
navigation, engine performance and system status information. Table 1 shows the
different applications for electronic displays.
Display Type Application
Light-Emitting Diode Digital counter displays of engine performance.
Liquid Crystal Display Monitoring indicators; Radio frequency selector
indicators; Distance Measuring indicators; Control
display units of Inertial Navigation Systems, etc.
Cathode Ray Tube Weather radar indicators; display of navigational
data; engine performance data; system status;
Electronic Display Applications
Table1
 An LED consists of a junction diode made from the semiconductor compound
gallium arsenide phosphide. It emits light when forward biased, the colour
of the light emitted is in direct proportion to the current flow. Light emission
in the red, orange, green and yellow regions of the spectrum is obtained
depending on the composition and impurity content of the compound.

When a P-N junction is forward biased, electrons move across the junction
from the n- type side to the p-type side where they recombine with holes
near the junction. The same occurs with holes going across the junction from
the p-type side. Eveiy recombination results in the release of a certain
amount of energy, causing, in most semiconductors, a temperature rise. In
gallium arsenide phosphide some of the energy is emitted as light which gets
out of the LED because the junction is formed veiy close to the surface of the
material.
In applying this to aircraft displays either the segment LED or dot matrix
configurations may be used. In the 7-segment display for numerical
indication (figure 2) each segment is an LED mounted within a reflective
cavity with a plastic overlay. Depending on which segments are energised,
the display lights up the numbers 0 to 9. Note that the number 8
uses all segments of the display. The display typically uses a 5V supply.

Note:
An LED will emit light when it is forward biased.
For the display of alphanumeric higher and lower case data a seven segment
display has insufficient segments and a 13 or 16 segment display system is
used. This arrangement (figures 4 and 5) allows for the full range of higher
and lower case letters as well as all the numbers to be displayed.
In a dot matrix display each dot making up the number characters is an
individual LED.
The size of the matrix determines how many LED’s are used. For instance,
a. matrix of 4 columns and 7 rows uses 20 individual LED’s, while figure 6
shows a 5 column, 9 row matrix.
Note:
A dot matrix/LED construction is 4x7 or a 5x7 rolling end display.
A segmented configuration for the display of alphanumeric date
requires 16 segments to display the full range of capital letters and
numerals.

LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS (LCDs)

Liquid crystals are organic (carbon) compounds, which exhibit both solid and
liquid properties. A ‘cell’ with transparent metallic conductors called
electrodes, on opposite faces, containing a liquid crystal (esters and
biphenyls), and on which light falls, goes 'dark’ when a voltage is applied
across the electrodes, this is caused by molecular arrangement within the
liquid crystal.
The pattern of the conducting electrodes on a seven segment LCD for
producing the numbers 0 to 9 is shown in figure 8. Only the liquid ciystal
under those electrodes to which the voltage is applied goes 'dark’. The
display has a silvered background, which reflects back incident-light and it is
against this continuously visible background (except in darkness when it has
to be illuminated) that the numbers show up the dark segment.
Note:
An LCD display has three colours only.
The supply to an LCD is AC.

Note:
LCD screens are driven by ac voltage.
A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) has the advantage over a CRT
because it requires no cooling.
An LED display is monochrome only.
An LCD which is back lit is multicoloured.
A backlighted LCD has only 3 colours.
An LCD display uses type of power supply continuous AC.
At low ambient temperatures, an LCD screen is slower to update as
data changes.

CATHODE RAY TUBES (CRTs)

Before we look at the colour CRT it would be useful to look at the basic
principles of an ordinary black and white CRT.
It is an evacuated glass tube that is designed in such a way that electrons
are caused to move along the tube and deflected so as to write across a
fluorescent screen, similar to a pencil drawing lines one below the other
across the width of a piece of paper.
Once the last line is drawn at the bottom of the screen, the electron beam
starts again back at the top. The markings (lines) it has made on the screen
will last for a short while as the inner part of the screen is fluorescent.
Figure 10 shows a working cross-section of a CRT with electrostatic
deflection and a voltage divider which provides appropriate voltages from a
voltage supply.
The heater (H), is an electrically heated tungsten wire inside the cathode
(C). It is insulated from the hollow cylindrical nickel cathode, and when a
current is passed through the heater, it raises the temperature of the
cathode to a point where the electrons become agitated and the cathode
emits electrons (thermionic emission).
The negatively charged electrons are attracted to and accelerated towards
the anodes Ai and A2 (these are usually cylinders with holes at either end
and are positive with respect to the cathode A2 more so than Ai). The
electrons are attracted to the anodes, and because of their acceleration the
electrons move through the centre of the anodes to impinge on the screen.

The grid G, also a hollow cylinder, has a negative voltage which can be
varied by Ri.
Varying Ri can make the voltage on the grid more or less negative to the
cathode thus controlling the amount of electrons and thus the brilliance of
the display. Focusing is achieved by altering R2 , thus altering the voltage
between Ai and A2 . When the electrons strike the screen S, which is coated
with a phosphor coating, it causes the phosphor to luminesce and give a
spot of light on the screen.
There is a return path for the electrons from the screen to the cathode,
otherwise unwanted negative charge would build up on the screen. This does
not happen because when struck by electrons, the screen emits secondary
electrons, these are attracted to and collected by a conductive coating
(graphite) on the inside of the tube and returned to
the cathode via the power supply.
To trace out a display it is necessary for the spot to be deflected horizontally
and vertically . In figure 10 the Electrostatic Deflection System is shown as
two sets of plates Yi and Y2 (vertical deflection) and Xi and X2 (horizontally
deflection).
Deflection SystemsThe deflection system described above is the Electrostatic
Deflection System (using plates), another system uses coils and is called the
Electromagnetic Deflection System.
Figure 11 shows the location of the electromagnetic deflection coils. The
coils are placed around the neck of the tube and will deflect the beam
according to the polarity generated.
Reversal of polarity causes movement in the opposite direction.
The coils on the top and bottom of the neck, when polarised, will deflect the
beam horizontally, and those fitted either side of the neck, when polarised,
will deflect the beam vertically. Note that coil function is 90° different from
that of the plates in the electrostatic system.

Scanning
To produce a picture on the screen it is scanned with the beam from left to
right and from top to bottom, similar to how a book is read. The left to right
sweep is controlled by a time-base circuit consisting of an amplifier and
relaxation oscillator. The time-base applies a varying signal to the X plates
(electrostatic deflection system) or coils at the top and bottom (electro
magnetic deflection system) and the signal to be screened is applied
to the Y plates (electrostatic) and coils on the side (electromagnetic).
Time-base Deflection in an Electrostatic CRT
The time-base generator’s function is to make the spot sweep across the
screen at a steady speed to the right hand side and then made to ‘fly back’
to the left hand side and start out again across the screen.
The time-base generator produces a saw-tooth or ramp waveform (figure
15). The voltage on the X plates is made to rise evenly and then fall rapidly
back to its starting value (flyback). This will trace out a straight line (figure
16).
If a signal, such as a sine wave, is applied to the Y plates and is
synchronised with the time-base generator output then the spot will trace
out the waveform applied to the Y plates as it sweeps across the screen as
shown in figure 17.
Time-base Deflection For a Magnetic CRT
As mentioned earlier, in a magnetic CRT the spot is deflected by magnetic
fields which are produced by currents flowing through deflection coils. To
produce a horizontal trace the time base is applied to the X coils (top and
bottom).
The current through the coils must be made to vary in a linear manner. If we
were to apply a saw-tooth voltage to the coils the inductance of the coils
would oppose the change.
in the current and this would give a non-linear change in current.
 So a voltage waveform has to be applied to the coils to produce a current
through the coils that rises linearly. This waveform turns out to be a form of
a trapezoid waveform as shown in figure 19.

Circular Time-base
We have seen how a horizontal time-base trace may be produced in
electrostatic and electromagnetic CRTs. There are occasions when other
forms of time-base traces are required - for example a circular time-base.
If a sine wave voltage of the required frequency is applied to R and C
connected in series, and Vc is applied to the X plates and V r is applied to
the Y plates. Vc and V r are 90° out of phase, their frequency is the same
and if Xc equals R their amplitude is the same, a circular time base results.
A similar arrangement may be used for magnetic CRTs. With this time-base
the spot moves at a constant speed so that its motion represents a true time
base againstwhich radar ranges may be measured.

Note:
The inside of a CRT consists of a phosphor coating and rare mercury
gas.
CRT horizontal beam control is achieved by a sawtooth wave.
In a CRT, if the magnetic field is parallel to the Y plates, what will be
the direction of the electron beam movement vertical.
The effects of the X and Y plates on a CRT are Y plates move the
beam vertically, X plates move the beam horizontal.
The frequency creates the raster effect on a CRT is 50/60 Hz .
The sweep waveform used on a electromagnetic CRT is trapezoidal .
Magnetic deflection on a CRT is achieved by a trapezoidal waveform.
To counter the impedence effect of the coils in an electromagnetic
controlled CRT take trapezoid .
The timebase in a CRT consists of an amplifier and an oscillator.
The raster effect on a CRT creates sawtooth frequency.
To display a circle on a CRT you use 2 sine waves 90 degrees out of
phase.
To deflect the beam of a CRT horizontally, coils are placed on the
neck of the tube top and bottom.
The resistance of the magnetic coils of a C.R.T. Is offset by using
trapezoidal voltage.
If the magnetic deflection plates produce a magnetic field which is
parallel to the horizontal then the trace is deflected in vertical axis/
The waveform to the coil of a CRT is trapezoidal.
A CRT is electromagnetic.
Colour CRT shadowmask screen resolution is 84 triads.
Electronic CRT beam display is used typically in weather radar
indicators.
In a colour cathode ray tube the phosphor arranged in the tube A
single phosphor layer containing red, green and blue.

Principle of the Colour CRT

These are widely used in aircraft flight deck displays - particularly for the
larger aircraft though some feeder type aircraft use a ‘green screen’ flight
deck. Unlike the black and white CRT the colour CRT has three electron
guns.

Note: Primary colours of a CRT are red, green and blue

The CRT has 3 electron guns each dedicated to a colour - red, green
or blue.

By independent control of the three guns and their beam currents other
colours may be generated. If only the red, green, or blue colour is required
then, as the scanning is so fast, the viewer would see a completely red, blue
or green screen.
If all three guns are operating with an equal mix of red, green and blue this
would give a white trace, if only red and blue were emitting the mix would
be a mauve trace. If the green gun electron beam and red gun electron
beam current was higher than the blue then a yellowish trace would appear.
So by controlling the intensity of the three electron beams various colours
may be obtained.
More details on the colour CRT can be found in the Electronic Flight
Instrument Systems (EFIS) section in this module.
Display Technologies Compared
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
Plus Features
Well proved technology.
High resolution and contrast.
Wide range of colours.
High brightness.
Wide viewing angle.
Low cost.
Potential for 'thin’ display units.
Minus Features
Heavy & bulky.
High voltage.
High power consumption.
High temperature.
Sensitive to external electromagnetic effects.
Affected by bright light.
Vulnerable to shock, vibration & catastrophic failure.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

Plus Features
High display brightness.
Wide viewing angle.
Well proved technology.
Extensive application.
Low voltage operation.
Minus Features
High power demand.
Low resolution.
Not yet suitable for large arrays.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCDs)

Plus Features
Low voltage and power.
High resolution.
High contrast in high ambient light.
Non catastrophic failure.
Minus Features
Slow response at low temperature.
Has to be backlit in low ambient light.
Narrow viewing angle.
Limited display size.
High cost and circuit complexity for full colour.