New resin boards for tri-colour e-paper displays

Pervasive Displays (PDi), a supplier of e-paper displays (EPDs), has unveiled a new range of rugged tri-colour displays, aimed at the fast-growing market for portable equipment.

Designed to address the desire to deploy technology in situations where impacts are common, means individual components must be robust. Pervasive Displays’ line of rugged black, white and red displays – the 3.7-inch, 4.2-inch, 4.37-inch and 7.4-inch models – include a resin board attached to the glass substrate to protect the screen from breaking when bumped, dropped or knocked.

Wearable technology, logistics container labels, or tags on moving equipment or products are all prone to impacts. Where a conventional glass display could shatter in these situations, this new range has been designed to resist the impact by being up to 50% stronger, helping ensure the screen remains readable. As a result, these EPDs open up new opportunities for designers to incorporate displays where these would previously have been impractical or impossible.

The displays’ ruggedness adds to the already-attractive characteristics of EPDs for use in challenging and/or remote conditions. The way EPDs display text and images, using physical ink particles that reflect ambient light, means they remain readable even in bright sunlight or other harsh lighting conditions. Their near-180° viewing angle further enhances their readability. Moreover, their low energy demands mean they don’t require mains power, and are instead able to run for months or even years using a small coin cell battery.

The rugged displays’ high pixel density (ranging from 117 to 130 dpi, depending on the screen size), state-of-the-art driving waveform and ability to render both text and images in red, white and black, mean product designers can display rich, sharp and detailed information to users.