programmable tft display made in china

LCD manufacturers are mainly located in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan. Almost all the lcd or TFT manufacturers have built or moved their lcd plants to China on the past decades. Top TFT lcd and oled display manufactuers including BOE, COST, Tianma, IVO from China mainland, and Innolux, AUO from Tianwan, but they have established factories in China mainland as well, and other small-middium sizes lcd manufacturers in China.

China flat display revenue has reached to Sixty billion US Dollars from 2020. there are 35 tft lcd lines (higher than 6 generation lines) in China,China is the best place for seeking the lcd manufacturers.

The first half of 2021, BOE revenue has been reached to twenty billion US dollars, increased more than 90% than thesame time of 2020, the main revenue is from TFT LCD, AMoled. BOE flexible amoled screens" output have been reach to 25KK pcs at the first half of 2021.the new display group Micro LED revenue has been increased to 0.25% of the total revenue as well.

Established in 1993 BOE Technology Group Co. Ltd. is the top1 tft lcd manufacturers in China, headquarter in Beijing, China, BOE has 4 lines of G6 AMOLED production lines that can make flexible OLED, BOE is the authorized screen supplier of Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc,the first G10.5 TFT line is made in BOE.BOE main products is in large sizes of tft lcd panel,the maximum lcd sizes what BOE made is up to 110 inch tft panel, 8k resolution. BOE is the bigger supplier for flexible AM OLED in China.

As the market forecast of 2022, iPhone OLED purchasing quantity would reach 223 million pcs, more 40 million than 2021, the main suppliers of iPhone OLED screen are from Samsung display (61%), LG display (25%), BOE (14%). Samsung also plan to purchase 3.5 million pcs AMOLED screen from BOE for their Galaxy"s screen in 2022.

Technology Co., Ltd), established in 2009. CSOT is the company from TCL, CSOT has eight tft LCD panel plants, four tft lcd modules plants in Shenzhen, Wuhan, Huizhou, Suzhou, Guangzhou and in India. CSOTproviding panels and modules for TV and mobile

three decades.Tianma is the leader of small to medium size displays in technologyin China. Tianma have the tft panel factories in Shenzhen, Shanhai, Chendu, Xiamen city, Tianma"s Shenzhen factory could make the monochrome lcd panel and LCD module, TFT LCD module, TFT touch screen module. Tianma is top 1 manufactures in Automotive display screen and LTPS TFT panel.

Panda electronics is established in 1936, located in Nanjing, Jiangshu, China. Panda has a G6 and G8.6 TFT panel lines (bought from Sharp). The TFT panel technologies are mainly from Sharp, but its technology is not compliance to the other tft panels from other tft manufactures, it lead to the capacity efficiency is lower than other tft panel manufacturers. the latest news in 2022, Panda might be bougt to BOE in this year.

Established in 2005, IVO is located in Kunsan,Jiangshu province, China, IVO have more than 3000 employee, 400 R&D employee, IVO have a G-5 tft panel production line, IVO products are including tft panel for notebook, automotive display, smart phone screen. 60% of IVO tft panel is for notebook application (TOP 6 in the worldwide), 23% for smart phone, 11% for automotive.

Innolux"s 14 plants in Taiwan possess a complete range of 3.5G, 4G, 4.5G, 5G, 6G, 7.5G, and 8.5G-8.6G production line in Taiwan and China mainland, offering a full range of large/medium/small LCD panels and touch-control screens.including 4K2K ultra-high resolution, 3D naked eye, IGZO, LTPS, AMOLED, OLED, and touch-control solutions,full range of TFT LCD panel modules and touch panels, including TV panels, desktop monitors, notebook computer panels, small and medium-sized panels, and medical and automotive panels.

AUO is the tft lcd panel manufacturers in Taiwan,AUO has the lcd factories in Tianma and China mainland,AUOOffer the full range of display products with industry-leading display technology,such as 8K4K resolution TFT lcd panel, wide color gamut, high dynamic range, mini LED backlight, ultra high refresh rate, ultra high brightness and low power consumption. AUO is also actively developing curved, super slim, bezel-less, extreme narrow bezel and free-form technologies that boast aesthetic beauty in terms of design.Micro LED, flexible and foldable AMOLED, and fingerprint sensing technologies were also developed for people to enjoy a new smart living experience.

Hannstar was found in 1998 in Taiwan, Hannstar display hasG5.3 TFT-LCD factory in Tainan and the Nanjing LCM/Touch factories, providing various products and focus on the vertical integration of industrial resources, creating new products for future applications and business models.

driver, backlight etc ,then make it to tft lcd module. so its price is also more expensive than many other lcd module manufacturers in China mainland.

Maclight is a China based display company, located in Shenzhen, China. ISO9001 certified, as a company that more than 10 years working experiences in display, Maclight has the good relationship with top tft panel manufacturers, it guarantee that we could provide a long term stable supply in our products, we commit our products with reliable quality and competitive prices.

Maclight products included monochrome lcd, TFT lcd module and OLED display, touch screen module, Maclight is special in custom lcd display, Sunlight readable tft lcd module, tft lcd with capacitive touch screen. Maclight is the leader of round lcd display. Maclight is also the long term supplier for many lcd companies in USA and Europe.

If you want tobuy lcd moduleorbuy tft screenfrom China with good quality and competitive price, Maclight would be a best choice for your glowing business.

Checking a TFT lcd driver is very messy thing especially if its a Chinese manufactured TFT. TFT’s that are supplied by Chinese manufactures are cheap and every body loves to purchase them since they are cheap,but people are unaware of the problems that comes in future when finding the datasheet or specs of the particular TFT they purchased. Chinese manufactures did not supply datasheet of TFT or its driver. The only thing they do is writes about the TFT driver their lcd’s are using on their websites. I also get in trouble when i started with TFT’s because i also purchased a cheap one from aliexpress.com. After so many trials i succeeded in identifying the driver and initializing it. Now i though to write a routine that can identify the driver.

I wrote a simple Arduino Sketch that can easily and correctly identify the TFT Lcd driver. I checked it on 2.4, 3.2 and 3.8 inch 8-bit TFT lcd and it is identifying the drivers correctly. The drivers which i successfully recognized are ILI9325, ILI9328, ILI9341, ILI9335, ST7783, ST7781 and ST7787. It can also recognize other drivers such as ML9863A, ML9480 and ML9445 but i don’t have tft’s that are using this drivers.

The basic idea behind reading the driver is reading the device ID. Since all the drivers have their ID’s present in their register no 0x00, so what i do is read this register and identify which driver tft is using. Reading the register is also a complex task, but i have gone through it many times and i am well aware of how to read register. A simple timing diagram from ST7781 driver explains all. I am using tft in 8-bit interface so i uploaded timing diagram of 8-bit parallel interface. The diagram below is taken from datasheet of ST7781 tft lcd driver.

The most complex tft i came across is from a Chinese manufacturer “mcufriend”. mcufriend website says that they use ILI9341 and ILI9325 drivers for their tft’s. But what i found is strange their tft’s are using ST7781 driver(Device ID=7783). This is really a mesh. I have their 2.4 inch tft which according to their website is using ILI9341 driver but i found ST7783 driver(Device ID=7783). The tft i have is shown below.

Note:On serial monitor driver number will be displayed like if your lcd is using ST7783 controller than on serial monitor 7783 will be displayed or if tft is using ILI9341 than on 9341 will be displayed.

The code works on Arduino uno perfectly but if you are using any other board, than just change the pin numbers according to the board that you are using also check out for the Ports D and B. TFT Data Pin D0 is connected to Port-B Pin#0 and D1 is connected to Port-B Pin#1. TFT Data Pins D2 to D7 are connected to Port-D Pins 2,3,4,5,6,7. So if you are using Arduino mega than check for the Ports D and B and Make connections according to them. Arduino mega is working on ATmega2560 or ATmega1280 Microcontroller and Arduino uno is working on ATmega328p Microcontroller so both platforms have ports on different locations on arduino board so first check them and then make connections. The same process applies to all Arduino boards.

The present invention relates to a probing technique of TFT-LCD (Thin-Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display), and in particular to a pin structure of a probing device for a TFT-LCD substrate.

Liquid crystal display (LCD) has a variety of advantages, such as thin device body, low power consumption, and being free of radiation, and is thus widely used. Most of the LCDs that are currently available in the market are backlighting LCDs, which comprise a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight module. The operation principle of the liquid crystal display panel is that liquid crystal polymer molecules are interposed between two parallel glass substrates and the liquid crystal molecules are controlled to change direction by application of electricity to the glass substrates in order to refract light emitting from the backlight module for generating images.

A liquid crystal display panel is generally composed of an upper substrate (CF, Color Filter), a lower substrate (TFT, Thin Film Transistor), and liquid crystal (LC) interposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and a sealant. A general manufacturing process comprises a front stage of array process (including thin film, yellow light, etching, and film stripping), an intermediate stage of cell process (including bonding TFT substrate and the CF substrate), and a rear stage of assembling process (including mounting drive ICs and printed circuit board). The front stage of array process generally makes the TFT substrate for controlling the movement of liquid crystal molecules. The intermediate stage of cell process generally introduces liquid crystal between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate. The rear stage of assembling process generally mounts the drive ICs and combining the printed circuit board to effect driving the liquid crystal molecules to rotate for displaying images.

The substrates that have received liquid crystal filled therein are irradiated by ultraviolet light (UV1) for alignment in a high voltage activated (HVA) process and are subjected to inspection by automated optical inspection (AOI) to identify the result of alignment. Both UV1 or AOI need a pin of a probe to contact, in a one by one manner, panel inspection signal input pads of the TFT substrate to apply a voltage to the liquid crystal. The probe comprises a block corresponding to the TFT substrate and the block carries a pin that corresponds to the panel inspection signal input pads of the TFT substrate in order to effect application of voltage. The currently used probe can be classified in two types:

(1) Elevating type probe: The probe is first moved to a location below a panel inspection signal input pad of the TFT substrate and then the probe is elevated until the pin contacts the panel inspection signal input pad of the TFT substrate. Afterwards, a voltage is applied to carry out the HVA process and the AOI inspection.

(2) Clamping type probe: The probe first elevated to the level of the TFT substrate and then the probe is moved forward to the location of the panel inspection signal input pad of the TFT substrate. Afterwards, upper and lower portions of the block simultaneously clamp the TFT substrate and the pin contacts the panel inspection signal input pad of the TFT substrate. A voltage is then applied to carry out the HVA process and the AOI inspection.

However, both the elevating type probe and the clamping type probe show the following shortcomings. Each probe can be operated to apply voltage to a specific size of the TFT substrate. Since different TFT substrates have different locations to receive the applied voltage, the makes it necessary for the location of the pin on the associated block to be different. Consequently, array checker facility must change probes for handling different sizes of the TFT substrates and the contact between the pin and the TFT substrate and output of voltage must be re-identified. This is a waste of production line time and causes an increased load to the production line and is susceptible to replacement of incorrect probes. In addition, potential risk of impact may occur in the process of probe replacement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a probing device for a TFT-LCD substrate, which meets the need for inspection of various sizes of the TFT substrate, increases the manufacturing efficiency of a production line, and eliminates the risk of impact currently existing in the replacement of probe.

To achieve the object, the present invention provides a probing device for a TFT-LCD substrate, which comprises a device body, a circuit board mounted on the device body, a plurality of motors mounted on the device body, and a plurality of probe pins respectively mounted to the motors. The motors and the probe pins are arranged in a one-to-one corresponding manner. The circuit board comprises a programmable logic controller and a man-machine interface terminal electrically connected to the programmable logic controller. The plurality of motors and the plurality of probe pins are electrically connected to the programmable logic controller. The plurality of probe pins is set at locations corresponding to locations of panel inspection signal input pads of TFT substrates of various sizes. The programmable logic controller uses the motors to control the elevation and lowering of the probe pins.

The programmable logic controller comprises a central processing unit, a storage unit electrically connected to the central processing unit, a communication port electrically connected to the central processing unit, and a power supply module electrically connected to the central processing unit. The plurality of motors and the plurality of probe pins are electrically connected to the central processing unit. The man-machine interface terminal is electrically connected by the communication port to the programmable logic controller.

The man-machine interface terminal comprises a pushbutton module electrically connected to the central processing unit and a display module electrically connected to the central processing unit. The pushbutton module functions for setting and selecting the motor driving manners. The display module provides assistance to the setting and selecting of the motor driving manners.

The motor driving manners are set up that numbering of the modes is made, according to the motors and the probe pins that correspond to different sizes of the TFT substrate so that the motors and the probe pins that correspond to the same size of the TFT substrate are grouped together as a mode. These modes are numbered by means of menus.

The present invention also provides a probing device for a TFT-LCD substrate, which comprises a device body, a circuit board mounted on the device body, a plurality of motors mounted on the device body, and a plurality of probe pins respectively mounted to the motors, the motors and the probe pins being arranged in a one-to-one corresponding manner, the circuit board comprising a programmable logic controller and a man-machine interface terminal electrically connected to the programmable logic controller, the plurality of motors and the plurality of probe pins being electrically connected to the programmable logic controller, the plurality of probe pins being set at locations corresponding to locations of panel inspection signal input pads of TFT substrates of various sizes, the programmable logic controller using the motors to control the elevation and lowering of the probe pins;

wherein the programmable logic controller comprises a central processing unit, a storage unit electrically connected to the central processing unit, a communication port electrically connected to the central processing unit, and a power supply module electrically connected to the central processing unit, the plurality of motors and the plurality of probe pins being electrically connected to the central processing unit, the man-machine interface terminal being electrically connected by the communication port to the programmable logic controller;

wherein the man-machine interface terminal comprises a pushbutton module electrically connected to the central processing unit and a display module electrically connected to the central processing unit, the pushbutton module functioning for setting and selecting the motor driving manners, the display module providing assistance to the setting and selecting of the motor driving manners;

wherein the motor driving manners are set up that numbering of the modes is made, according to the motors and the probe pins that correspond to different sizes of the TFT substrate so that the motors and the probe pins that correspond to the same size of the TFT substrate are grouped together as a mode, these modes being numbered by means of menus.

The efficacy of the present invention is that the present invention provides a probing device for a TFT-LCD substrate, which uses motors to control and drive probe pins corresponding to a TFT substrate to be inspected to ascend and, after the completion of the inspection, controls the probe pins to descend to finish the inspection of the TFT substrate. This satisfies the need of inspecting TFT substrates of various sizes, saves the time of production line in replacing probes, improves the efficiency of production line, lowers down the manufacturing cost, and eliminates the risk of impacts occurring in the existing process of replacing probe so as to further reduce the manufacturing cost to some extents.

Referring to the FIGURE, the present invention provides a probing device for a TFT-LCD (Thin-Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) substrate, which comprises a device body 2, a circuit board 7 mounted on the device body 2, a plurality of motors 4 mounted on the device body 2, and a plurality of probe pins 6 respectively mounted to the motors 4. The motors 4 and the probe pins 6 are arranged in a one-to-one corresponding manner. The circuit board 7 comprises a programmable logic controller 8 and a man-machine interface terminal 9 electrically connected to the programmable logic controller 8. The plurality of motors 4 and the plurality of probe pins 6 are all electrically connected to the programmable logic controller 8. The plurality of probe pins 4 is set at locations corresponding to the locations of panel inspection signal input pads of TFT substrates of various sizes. The programmable logic controller 8 uses the motors 4 to control the elevation and lowering of the probe pins 6. When the probing device is used to inspect TFT substrates that may of different sizes, corresponding ones of the probe pins 4 are driven to ascend and thus contact the panel inspection signal input pads of the TFT substrate for application of voltage to the liquid crystal.

The programmable logic controller 8 comprises a central processing unit 82, a storage unit 84 electrically connected to the central processing unit 82, a communication port 86 electrically connected to the central processing unit 82, and a power supply module 88 electrically connected to the central processing unit 82. The plurality of motors 4 and the plurality of probe pins 6 are both electrically connected to the central processing unit 82. The man-machine interface terminal 9 is electrically connected by the communication port 86 to the programmable logic controller 8. The storage unit 84 stores the manners of motor driving corresponding to various sizes of the TFT substrate, whereby the man-machine interface terminal 9 may set the motor driving manners and select the motor driving manners corresponding various sizes of the TFT substrate to carry out inspection.

The man-machine interface terminal 9 comprises a pushbutton module 92 electrically connected to the central processing unit 82 and a display module 94 electrically connected to the central processing unit 82. The pushbutton module 92 functions for setting and selecting the motor driving manners. The display module 94 provides assistance to the setting and selecting of the motor driving manners. The selection of the motor driving manners is carried out through a menu. For example, the display module 94 displays a list of menus and the currently selected menu and an operation is carried out through the pushbutton module 92 to complete the selection of a specific motor driving manner.

The motor driving manners are set up by sequentially numbering the plurality of motors 4 and the plurality of probe pins 6, such as being numbered as 1, 2, 3, 4, . . . . The motor 4 and the probe pin 6 mounted on the motor 4 that correspond to the location of the same panel inspection signal input pad are of the same number. Numbering of modes is made, according to the motors 4 and the probe pins 6 that correspond to different sizes of the TFT substrate so that the motors 4 and the probe pins 6 that correspond to the same size of the TFT substrate are grouped together as a mode. These modes are numbered by means of menus, whereby selecting the motor driving manner through the pushbutton module 92 is indeed to select the mode.

(1) numbering the probe pins 6 and the motors 4 in such a way that motor 4 and the probe pin 6 mounted to the motor that correspond to the location of the same panel inspection signal input pad of a TFT substrate are assigned with the same number;

(2) indentifying the locations of the probe pins 6 according to the locations of the panel inspection signal input pads of the TFT substrates of various sizes and grouping the probe pins 6 and the motors 4 associated with the same size of the TFT substrate in a mode;

(4) selecting a menu (namely selecting a motor driving manner) according to the size of the TFT substrate through the pushbutton module and controlling the motors 4 to drive the probe pins 6 to ascend by means of the programmable logic controller so that the corresponding probe pins 4 get contact with the panel inspection signal input pads of the TFT substrate and the probe pins 6 are conducted on to apply voltage to the liquid crystal display panel to complete the inspection.

In summary, the present invention provides a probing device for a TFT-LCD substrate, which uses motors to control and drive probe pins corresponding to a TFT substrate to be inspected to ascend and, after the completion of the inspection, controls the probe pins to descend to finish the inspection of the TFT substrate. This satisfies the need of inspecting TFT substrates of various sizes, saves the time of production line in replacing probes, improves the efficiency of production line, lowers down the manufacturing cost, and eliminates the risk of impacts occurring in the existing process of replacing probe so as to further reduce the manufacturing cost to some extents.