ABSTRACT
An LCD consists of a special fluid sandwiched between two sheets of glass. There is a backplane, which is a transparent electrode coating the inner surface of the rear glass. Normally the liquid is clear. Regions of it appear black when an alternating voltage is applied between the backplane and the pattern of transparent electrodes that is plated on to the inner surfaces of the front glass. LCDs are usually made with several digits and decimal points. Often there are extra symbols and words to suit the LCD for special applications. The digital multimeter shown on p. 16 has an LCD. There are hundreds of other applications for LCDs, including pocket calculators, kitchen scales, microwave ovens and CD players. Colour LCDs are used in mobile phones, digital cameras, and computer monitors.
