There are many ways to classify 7 segment display, as follows:

• According to the electrode connection method: it can be divided into two types: common anode and common cathode. In the common anode 7 segment display, the anodes of all light-emitting diodes are connected together and connected to the positive power supply, and the corresponding light-emitting tubes are lit by inputting a low level to the cathode; in the common cathode 7 segment display, the cathodes of all light-emitting diodes are connected together and grounded, and the corresponding light-emitting tubes are lit by inputting a high level to the anode.

•  According to the character height: the minimum character height of the stroke display is 1mm, the character height of the monolithic integrated multi-digit digital tube is generally 2-3mm, and other types of segment lcd or stroke displays can reach up to 12.7mm (0.5 inches) or even hundreds of mm. For specific needs, a custom 7 segment display can be designed to match the required character height.

• According to the color: there are several types such as red, orange, yellow, and green. Segment lcd also offers a variety of color options, and custom 7 segment display can be tailored to specific color requirements for different application scenarios.

• According to the structure: there are reflective hood type, single-segment seven-segment type, and monolithic integrated type. The reflective hood type is usually used in occasions where high-brightness display is required; the single-segment seven-segment type is suitable for occasions where the display size is not strictly required; the monolithic integrated type has the advantages of small size and high integration, and is widely used in various electronic devices. Segment lcd often adopts integrated structures, while custom 7 segment display can be designed with special structures according to usage environments.

In addition, according to the display mode, it can be divided into static display and dynamic display. In static display, each segment is driven by an independent power supply, which has stable display but high power consumption and complex control circuit; in dynamic display, all segments share a common power supply, and the display is realized by controlling the order of on and off.

Application scenarios of 7-segment displays

Due to its simple structure, low cost, clear display and low power consumption, 7-segment displays are widely used in scenarios where digital display (some models can display simple letters or symbols) is required. The following are some typical application scenarios:

1. Measuring and measuring equipment

• Electronic scale/weighing scale: Display weight value (such as kilograms, pounds), and some support display of price total.

• Multimeter: Display measurement results such as voltage, current, and resistance, and realize high-precision numerical display with decimal point.

• Thermometer/hygrometer: Display ambient temperature (℃/℉), humidity (%), and some are displayed with positive and negative signs (such as sub-zero temperature).

• Pressure gauge/flow meter: Display industrial parameters such as pressure value (such as MPa, kPa), flow value (such as L/min).

2. Time and timing equipment

• Digital clock/alarm: Display hours, minutes, and seconds (such as electronic table clocks and bedside alarm clocks), and use colon separators to implement time format (such as "12:34").

• Timer/stopwatch: Used in sports competitions, experimental timing and other scenarios, display countdown or cumulative time (such as kitchen timers, sports stopwatches).

• Microwave oven/oven: Display cooking time and remaining time, and use functional symbols to implement simple operation prompts.

3. Electronic instruments and control systems

• Counter/frequency meter: Display the number of pulses and frequency values (such as Hz, kHz), widely used in industrial counting or electronic experiments.

• Tachometer: Displays mechanical rotation speed (such as motor speed "r/min"), commonly used in automobiles, machine tools and other equipment.

• Elevator floor indicator: Displays the current floor number, and some support direction indication (such as "↑" "↓").

• Thermostat: Displays the set temperature and actual temperature, used for temperature control of air conditioners, heaters and other equipment.

4. Consumer electronics and home appliances

• Home appliance control panels: such as washing machines (displaying remaining time, program number), water heaters (displaying water temperature, heating status), rice cookers (displaying cooking time, insulation status).

• Remote controllers/electronic locks: display the entered password, operation mode or power status (such as password input feedback of some smart door locks).

• Power bank/power adapter: display the remaining power percentage, output voltage/current (such as "5V 2A").

5. Transportation and public facilities

• Traffic light countdown timer: displays the remaining time of the red light/green light to assist pedestrians and vehicles in judging the timing of passage.

• Parking timer: displays the remaining parking time and payment amount, commonly seen in roadside parking spaces or parking lots.

• Bus station/subway station: displays the countdown to the station and the line number (such as "Route 302 will arrive in 5 minutes").

6. Industrial and equipment status display

• Production line counter: displays product output and qualified rate, used for production statistics of industrial assembly lines.

• Equipment operation parameter screen: such as generators displaying output power and operating time, and water pumps displaying operating frequency, etc.

• Elevator/machine tool operation panel: displays equipment operation status (such as "running" and "fault code"), parameter setting values.

7. Education and toys

• Electronic teaching tools: such as digital teaching aids (displaying answers to arithmetic problems) and experimental kits (cooperating with single-chip microcomputers to realize digital display teaching).

• Electronic toys: such as digital puzzles and electronic building blocks, displaying scores, level numbers or operation prompts.

Summary

The core advantages of 7-segment displays are low cost, easy drive, and suitable for digital display. Therefore, they occupy an important position in scenarios where the display content complexity is not high (no need to display complex graphics or a lot of text). Although liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and OLEDs are more widely used today, 7-segment displays are still used for a long time in simple digital display scenarios due to their reliability and economy. Want to know more about 7-segment displays, contact us now.