Positive and Negative Mode LCD Display Modules

There are two ‘modes’ for a monochrome LCD Display module: Positive mode LCD and Negative mode LCD.

Positive Mode LCD

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words… so to illustrate the differences between the positive mode LCD and negative mode LCD see the image below.

Positive mode LCD means that the letters/characters are dark colored and the background color is light. This mode of LCD will operate with and without a backlight.

Negative Mode LCD

Negative mode LCD means that the letter/characters are light colored and the background is dark. Negative mode LCD’s must have a backlight ON to operate.

Note: We do not recommend a negative mode monochrome LCD display in a battery application. The backlight can shorten the lifetime of your battery.

We offer three types of monochrome LCD’s: Character LCD, Graphic LCD and Segment (Static) LCD. All three of these displays can operate in both negative and positive mode. Any of the three types of displays above can run in negative mode for TN, STN and FSTN.

Static displays do not normally contain a backlight. If you wish to use this type of display in negative mode, please notify us that you will need a backlight. Many times the backlight for a static display may need to be customized.

Focus displays offers Character LCD modules (aka alphanumeric LCD display or LCD monochrome display) in the following configurations: 8×1 LCD display, 8×2 LCD display, 16×1 LCD display, 16×2 LCD display, 16×4 LCD display, 20×2 LCD display, 20×4 LCD display, 24×2 LCD display, 40×1 LCD display, 40×2 LCD display, 40×4 LCD display.
Focus displays offers Segment LCD Displays (aka static displays glass and numeric LCD displays) in the following configurations: 7 (seven) segment LCD display, 14(fourteen) segment LCD display, 16(sixteen) segment LCD display,
Focus displays offers Monochrome Graphic LCD Displays in the following configurations: 122×32 graphic LCD display, 128×128 graphic LCD display, 128×64 graphic LCD display, 240×64 graphic LCD display.