uSupply Custom LCD

[max_torque]

Because you will be able to intuitively know if it's a max or min by it's position, rather than actually have to read the text!

Like on an analogue meter.  If the needle is hard over to the rhs of the gauge, it's bad, you don't need to actually read what the needle is pointing too!  On a mono colour display, simple physical positioning for intuition makes a big difference ime

[mikeselectricstuff]

It only makes sense to use an antique fixed-segment LCD if you know you will not face any market competition.  It's a hobby project in that case, not a commercial one.

..or you care about power consumption.
Or long-term security of supply
Or cost.
Or sunlight readability.

I'm skeptical about the middle two, certainly.  When you design something with a weird part -- and a custom LCD is certainly a "weird part" -- you are at the mercy of your supplier, specifically future changes to their minimums and lead times.

Worst case you can take your design to another supplier, with suitable MOQ/leadtimes.
Custom glass is cheap once tooled, so you can afford to keep a decent amount of stock

Cost-wise, the best way to attack that problem is just to assume that you'll have to hit alibaba.com every so often to find the next big load of surplus panels that someone's dumping on the market. 

And have to redesign due to a different connector or pinout or flex length. If you can still even get the same size and mechanical mounting detail. And take pot luck on quality.

Power consumption... well, it's a power supply, isn't it?

A battery powered one.

[KE5FX]

A battery powered one.

Might be a good application for E-ink, if factors like battery life and readability in sunlight are important.  There are usually plenty of surplus panels on the market. 

Something like this could be a great fit, if the pricing isn't too far out of line.  (Also, you couldn't backlight it if you wanted to, which isn't ideal.) 

Maybe I've missed it -- has anyone posted any actual quotes for custom LCD pricing in the thread?

Edit: hmm, 15 second full refresh time seems a bit excessive.

[mikeselectricstuff]

A battery powered one.

Might be a good application for E-ink, if factors like battery life and readability in sunlight are important.  There are usually plenty of surplus panels on the market. 

Probably not - E-ink is slow, but also has the risk that something's gone wrong/crashed, and the display is still showing 3v when the PSU is outputting 24V.
Basing a production design on surplus parts is also very risky, unless they are so cheap you can buy a reasonable lifetime's worth of stock.

[EEVblog]

It only makes sense to use an antique fixed-segment LCD if you know you will not face any market competition.  It's a hobby project in that case, not a commercial one.

..or you care about power consumption.
Or long-term security of supply
Or cost.
Or sunlight readability.

I'm skeptical about the middle two, certainly.  When you design something with a weird part -- and a custom LCD is certainly a "weird part" -- you are at the mercy of your supplier, specifically future changes to their minimums and lead times.

Worst case you can take your design to another supplier, with suitable MOQ/leadtimes.
Custom glass is cheap once tooled, so you can afford to keep a decent amount of stock

Yes. If the product for example starts selling well in the thousands then you can likely comfortably buy 10k or more stock giving you plenty of time to move the design files to another supplier if needed.

Cost-wise, the best way to attack that problem is just to assume that you'll have to hit alibaba.com every so often to find the next big load of surplus panels that someone's dumping on the market. 

And have to redesign due to a different connector or pinout or flex length. If you can still even get the same size and mechanical mounting detail. And take pot luck on quality.

Yes. All those things factor in. The time and effort and doing that is at least equivalent if not more than simply giving the design files to another LCD manufacturer. Several if you aren't happy with the quality  you get the first time.

[EEVblog]

It only makes sense to use an antique fixed-segment LCD if you know you will not face any market competition.  It's a hobby project in that case, not a commercial one.

Actually this is an EEVBlog project.  The revenue from the video discussing the making of the custom LCD will probably cover the cost. I'm looking forward to seeing the video.

I'm afraid not.
You can argue that my time is "free", but David2 who is doing the bulk of the grunt work is paid real full time engineering wages.
A video with say 50k views only bring in about $75-$100 in ad revenue tops. Even if I did 10 videos on it, it wouldn't pay the wages even up on until this point, and we are hardly into it.

[gamalot]

A few weeks ago I received my custom LCD display and a back-light panel, The LCD display is COG and has only 5 pins on it. 

[Dubbie]

Cool

How many did you get and what was the setup + unit cost?

[EEVblog]

It only makes sense to use an antique fixed-segment LCD if you know you will not face any market competition.  It's a hobby project in that case, not a commercial one.

I think the dot matrix display on this product will make it look more "hobby". A nice clear custom LCD to me has the vibe of "professional design" rather than just "oh, it's an Alibaba matrix display in a box.
And the most important thing, I like segment LCD's and as a bonus it will make an interesting video of the process of doing it.

[gamalot]

I can't remember exactly, the unit price of the LCD is about 20 something, the back-light is about 10 something, CNY.

I think they are cheap enough, the only problem is they asked for a minimum order quantity, which was 6,000 pcs.

[StillTrying]

Latest version:

I quite like that latest version, but no obvious way to indicate when you're viewing/checking Vin or Vbat.

[EEVblog]

I can't remember exactly, the unit price of the LCD is about 20 something, the back-light is about 10 something, CNY.
I think they are cheap enough, the only problem is they asked for a minimum order quantity, which was 6,000 pcs.

Did you order the 6000 or just get samples after paying the tooling?

[KE5FX]

I think the dot matrix display on this product will make it look more "hobby". A nice clear custom LCD to me has the vibe of "professional design" rather than just "oh, it's an Alibaba matrix display in a box.

That obviously wasn't true for the 3446x DMMs.  It's the content and presentation that count, not the choice of display components.... except that one of those component options constrains the content and presentation severely, compared to the other.

Many good ideas have been posted by various people in this thread, none of which can be implemented once you hit 'Send' on the email containing your LCD design files.  That would bug me.

And the most important thing, I like segment LCD's and as a bonus it will make an interesting video of the process of doing it.

That's the only reason that matters, of course.

[EEVblog]

That obviously wasn't true for the 3446x DMMs.  It's the content and presentation that count, not the choice of display components.... except that one of those component options constrains the content and presentation severely, compared to the other.
Many good ideas have been posted by various people in this thread, none of which can be implemented once you hit 'Send' on the email containing your LCD design files.  That would bug me.

Lucky it's not your design and you don't have to worry about it.

[free_electron]

the current display is shared with the power display.
i don't like too much numbers at once.

CC constant current mode
CV constant voltage mode
OV : overvoltage tripped

when rotary dial is turned the appropriate field changes , after 2 seconds : display live value

A 'Set V , Set C , Set OVP button allow you to enter what you want to alter
a FUNC button cycles between Amp / Watt / Joule

The circles around 1 2 3 show you what memory recall is in effect.

Take a look at the U8001 frontpanel from agilent. simplicity and functionality

and i don't like square displays.

[EEVblog]

and i don't like square displays.

Sorry, it's going to be square. It suits the form factor of the packaging.
Bare in mind this product might be entirely different to what some people are expecting.

[Dubbie]

Bare in mind this product might be entirely different to what some people are expecting.

It's a power supply wristwatch!

[xani]

Well it would help if we knew anything aside from what we can guess from front panel

That obviously wasn't true for the 3446x DMMs.  It's the content and presentation that count, not the choice of display components.... except that one of those component options constrains the content and presentation severely, compared to the other.

You can get away with paying few bucks more for screen in ~$1k design than in $50-100 one. Also already mentioned https://www.crowdsupply.com/envox/eez-h24005 and chinese $20 power modules already do that

Take a look at the U8001 frontpanel from agilent. simplicity and functionality

It's just personal preference. For example from my perspective U8001 form factor is utter crap because I prefer tall power supplies over wide, because when you have more than one of them cables do not cover one another

And the knob placement... if you stack one on top of another you have to either route wires away from top unit to the right, or will have to turn the bottom unit knob via wires hanging from the top one  and they left a ton of empty space too, they could fit few direct memory buttons, even my korad have those 

[EEVblog]

Well it would help if we knew anything aside from what we can guess from front panel

Sorry, secret squirrel. It would just lead to an infinite amount more endless debate.

[Towger]

Extra clues on The Amp Hour!

[NivagSwerdna]

I'm afraid not.

That's a shame.  I must have extrapolated too far.  Fair enough

...but David2 ... is paid real full time engineering wages.

Paid! What's the world coming to! 

[VEGETA]

...but David2 ... is paid real full time engineering wages.

I thought the design is ready but needs modifications. Will it be different than the one described in the videos?

[gamalot]

I can't remember exactly, the unit price of the LCD is about 20 something, the back-light is about 10 something, CNY.
I think they are cheap enough, the only problem is they asked for a minimum order quantity, which was 6,000 pcs.

Did you order the 6000 or just get samples after paying the tooling?

I have just talked to my brother (he ordered those LCD and back-light panels), the truth is:

We've paid 6,000CNY for the samples, the unit price is well be about 16CNY/set (LCD + back-light panel) at minimum order quantity of 3,000 sets.

[EEVblog]

I thought the design is ready but needs modifications. Will it be different than the one described in the videos?

Yes, entirely new design.

[VEGETA]

I thought the design is ready but needs modifications. Will it be different than the one described in the videos?

Yes, entirely new design.

Did you change the main power regulating circuit (LT3080/81 + op-amp loops)? or the changes are done in other places?

Maybe you used a transistor instead of a ready-to-use regulator?

That would make a pretty nice video!