Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

TOPIC 2

ELECTRONIC DISPLAY

INTRODUCTION

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

The data contained in a digital device has to be

presented to the user in a way that can be easily
understood.
This could be done by numbered lights, punched as
holes on paper, printed by a typewriter.
There are 3 types of display used in modern aircraft :
- Cathode Ray Tubes
- Light Emitting Diodes
- Liquid Crystal Display
The differences between them in terms of weight,
reliability, power consumption and others.
2

CRT

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

The cathode ray tube (CRT), is an evacuated glass

envelope containing an electron gun (a source of
electrons) and a fluorescent screen, usually with internal
or external means to accelerate and deflect the
electrons.
When electrons strike the fluorescent screen, light is
emitted.
The electron beam is deflected and modulated in a way
which causes it to display an image on the screen.
The image may represent electrical waveforms
(oscilloscope), pictures (Television, computer monitor)
and echoes of aircraft detected by radar.
The generation of an image on a CRT by deflecting an
electron beam requires the use of an evacuated glass
envelope which is large, deep, heavy, and relatively
3
fragile.

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

General Description

Consist of :
Evacuated Glass Envelope (Screen)
Electron Gun
Beam Focusing
Beam Deflecting

Electron Gun
4

CRT CONTSRUCTION

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Cathode ray tube employing electromagnetic focus and deflection

5

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Screen
Inside surface is coated with crystalline solid material
known as phosphor.
Electron Gun
An indirectly heated cathode biased negatively wrt
screen to produce electron.
A cylindrical grid which maintained at a negative
potential, to control the current thus modulate the
beam passing through.
2 or 3 anode. Positive potential with respect to the
cathode. To accelerate the electrons. Also provide
means of focusing.
6

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

DEFLECTION SYSTEM

To deflect the electrons in order to provide

a trace out of display or to scan the
display.
Two types of deflection system :
Electrostatic deflection
Consists of 1 set of horizontal deflection plates and
1 set of vertical deflection plates (Oscilloscope).

Electromagnetic deflection
Using magnetic field to produce deflection instead
of electrical field (television and other large CRTs).
7

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

BASIC OPERATION OF
MONOCROMATIC CRT

BASIC OPERATION OF
MONOCROMATIC CRT

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Electron gun produce electron and create

electron beam.
Accelerate by means of anodes and high
positive voltage applied to the conductive
coating.
The beams deflected by deflecting system top to
bottom and side to side..

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

In absence of input signal, deflection system

produces a set of white line on screen.
When input available, the signal applied to the
control grid via amplifier.
Control grid modulates the intensity of the
electron beam base on input signal to produce
area on the screen.

10

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

BASIC OPERATION-SCANNING
There are 3 main scanning methods used
in CRTs display :
Raster Scanning
Interlace
Stroke

11

RASTER SCANNING

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

A high frequency sawtooth wave is applied to the

horizontal deflection system.
At the same time, a relatively low frequency
sawtooth wave is applied to the vertical deflection
system.
So the electron beam will deflected rapidly across
the CRT from left to the right and top to bottom.
At the end of horizontal sweep, the beam moved
rapidly back to the left hand side (flyback) of CRT
and start the process again.
During flyback, the grid shut the beam off.
12

RASTER SCANNING

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

13

INTERLACE SCANNING
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

MODIFIED SYSTEM OF RASTER SCANNING USED TO

IMPROVE DEFINITION WITHOUT INCREASING THE
SCANNING RATE.
THE LINES OF ODD AND EVEN NUMBERED FIELDS FALL
BETWEEN ONE ANOTHER.
THIS IS ACHIEVED BY DOUBLING THE FREQUENCY OF
THE VERTICAL SAWTOOTH WAVE WHILE KEEPING THE
HORIZONTAL WAVE THE SAME.

14

INTERLACE SCANNING

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

15

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

STROKE SCANNING

HIGH FREQUENCY TRIANGULAR WAVE APPLIED TO THE

HORIZONTAL DEFLECTION SYSTEM.
RELATIVELY LOW FREQUENCY STEP PULSE WAVE IS
APPLIED TO THE VERTICAL DEFLECTION SYSTEM.
THE BEAM WILL BE DEFLECTED RAPIDLY ON THE
HORIZONTAL MAKING LINE (STROKE).
AT THE END OF THE HORIZONTAL LINE, THE VERTICAL WAVE
WILL CAUSE THE BEAM TO STEP DOWN THE SCREEN
(PULSE).
THE PROCESS WILL REPEATED UNTIL THE BEAM REACHES
THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE SCREEN AND
THEN FLYBACK TO THE TOP.
THE PROCESS WILL BEGIN AGAIN.
16

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

STROKE SCANNING

17

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

COLOUR CRT

COLOUR CRT HAS 3 ELECTRON GUNS.

SCREEN IS COATED WITH 3 DIFFERENT KIND OF
PHOSPHOR, WHICH WILL LUMINESCE IN EACH OF 3
PRIMARY COLOURS RED, GREEN AND BLUE.
THE COLOUR LUMINESCE IS CORRESPOND TO
WHICH THE ELECTRON EMITTED FORM.
OTHER COLOUR CAN BE DISPLAY BY MIXING AND
CONTROLLING THE BEAM CURRENT OF EACH
ELECTRON GUN.

18

COLOUR CRT

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

19

COLOUR CRT

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

COLOUR CRT HAS 3 ELECTRON GUNS

20

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

SCREEN FORMAT

THE VIDEO DATA RECEIVED FROM RADAR ANNTENA IS

CONVENTIONALLY IN WHAT TERMED RHO-THETA (figure a)
CORRESPONDING TO THE SWEEP OF THE ANTENNA.
IN EARLIER TYPE OF MONOCHROME INDOCATORS THE
INDICATOR ITSELF CORRESPOND TO THIS RHO-THETA
SWEEP.
IN CRT DISPLAYS THAT ADOPT RASTER, INTERLACE OR
STROKE PULSE, THE DISPLAY IS IN X-Y (RECTANGULAR)
FORM (figure b).
IN CRT, THE RECEIVED STILL IN RHO-THETA (POLAR COORDINATE) FORM, THUS CONVERTED INTO X-Y FORM.
21

SCREEN FORMAT

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

22

LCD

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

For the recent cockpits of aircraft, the conventional CRT

display have been being placed by Liquid Crystal Display
(LCD) panels.
The LCD panels are superior to CRT display units with
regards to space, viewability both in sunlight and at
night, weight, reliability, power consumption and others.
The construction of LCD panels used for aircraft is
basically the same as those for LCDs used in personal
computers and others, but the LCDs for aircraft are
subjected to severer environments as to temperature,
barometrics pressure, vibration and impact.
Moreover, they are also required to demonstrate display
performance specific to the cockpits of aircraft.
23

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Example of LCD display

24

CHARACTERISTICS

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Operate from low voltage (3 to 15 Vrms), low

frequency ( 25 60Hz) AC signal.
Often used is 7-segment display format for
numerical readouts.
Slower than LED, but draw much less current.
Often used in battery operated device.
Passive device does not emit light so required
an external light.
25

LCD

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

26

LCD-OPERATION

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

WHEN NO CURRENT PASSING THROUGH A LCD, THE

MOLECULES IN THE SUBSTANCE ARE STABLE, SO THE
DEVICE IS TRANSPARENT.
IF A CURRENT PASS THROUGH A LCD, BETWEEN THE
SEGMENT AND BACKPLANE, THE MOLECULES IN THE
MATERIAL VIBRATE CAUSING IT BECOME OPAQUE.
THE LCD IS NORMALLY SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO PIECES
OF GLASS. THE BOTTOM PIECE OF GLASS HAS A MIRRORED
UPPER SURFACE, SO ANY LIGHT SHONE WILL REFLECTED
BACK, EXCEPT WHERE THE LCD IS OPAQUE, THUS
DISPLAYING NUMBER.

27

LCD OPERATION

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

28

LED

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

One of most common displays used in digital systems.

The LED is based on the semiconductor diode.
As an electron moves across forward bias junction it will
give off its energy as it falls into a hole.
This energy is given off in form of heat for germanium
and silicon but in form of light for gallium arsenide
phosphide.
LEDs present many advantages including lower energy
consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness,
smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and
reliability. However, they are relatively expensive and
require more precise current and heat management than
traditional light sources.
29

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Red, green and blue LEDs

30

ADVANTAGES

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

lower energy consumption

longer lifetime
improved robustness
smaller size
faster switching
greater durability
Greater reliability

31

LED

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

32

How does it work?

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

P-n junction

Electrical
Contacts

A typical LED needs a p-n junction

There are a lot of electrons and holes at
the junction due to excitations
Electrons from n need to be injected to p
to promote recombination
Junction is biased to produce even more
e-h and to inject electrons from n to p for
recombination to happen

Recombination
produces light!!

33

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

APPLICATION OF LED

CAN BE USED TO INDICATE IF A

CIRCUIT IS OPERATING BY USING AN
OPEN CATHODE NAND GATE TO
SUPPLY THE EARTH FOR A LED.
CAN BE USED TO DISPLAY
NUMERICAL IN WHICH INDIVIDUAL
LEDs ARE USED IN COLUMNS TO
DISPLAY MULTI DIGIT NUMBER.
34

APPLICATION OF LED

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

35

Applications of LEDs
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

36