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Selecting the right display size is an important decision when designing an embedded system. Whether the project is an IoT device, control panel, industrial equipment, or a custom electronic product, the display needs to balance usability, available space, power consumption, and overall system requirements.

A display that is too small may make information difficult to read, while an oversized display can increase cost, power consumption, and installation complexity. The best choice depends on how the device will be used and where the display will be installed.

For embedded projects, display size should always be considered together with resolution, viewing distance, interface type, and touch panel requirements.

Small displays are commonly used in compact devices where space is limited. They are suitable for portable equipment, IoT controllers, measurement devices, and handheld systems.

Medium-size displays are often selected for embedded HMI applications because they provide a better balance between screen visibility and system integration. These displays are commonly used in automation equipment, control panels, and smart devices.

Larger displays are useful when users need to view more information at the same time. Applications such as industrial monitoring systems, digital interfaces, and information terminals often require larger screen sizes with higher resolution.

Besides physical size, resolution is another important factor. A larger screen does not always provide a better user experience if the resolution is too low. The relationship between display size and pixel density affects text clarity, graphics quality, and interface usability.

The display interface should also match the embedded hardware platform. Different projects may use interfaces such as:

MIPI DSI

LVDS

HD-MI

eDP

For Raspberry Pi and other embedded platforms, choosing the correct interface can simplify installation and improve system reliability.

Touch panel integration is another consideration for interactive devices. A display with a suitable touch panel can transform a simple screen into a complete user interface for controlling equipment, monitoring data, or operating smart devices.

Environmental conditions should also influence display selection. Projects used in industrial or outdoor environments may require displays with higher brightness, wider temperature ranges, and stronger durability.

A detailed guide about selecting the right display size for embedded systems can be found here:

Embedded display size selection guide

Choosing a display for an embedded project is not only about screen dimensions. The best solution considers the complete system design, including user interaction, hardware compatibility, installation space, and long-term reliability.

Integrating a TFT LCD into an embedded system involves much more than simply connecting a display to a processor. A reliable display solution requires careful planning of the hardware interface, power design, software support, signal integrity, and mechanical integration. Whether you're developing an industrial controller, medical instrument, handheld device, or smart terminal, understanding these fundamentals can significantly reduce development time and improve system reliability.

One of the first decisions is selecting the right display interface. Different embedded platforms support different display standards, and the interface you choose directly affects hardware complexity, image quality, and overall system performance.

For smaller displays, SPI remains a popular option because it requires fewer pins and is relatively easy to implement. However, its bandwidth limits refresh rates and resolution. RGB interfaces offer continuous pixel transmission and are widely used in industrial HMIs where stable image output is essential. LVDS provides excellent signal integrity for larger displays and longer cable lengths, while MIPI DSI has become the preferred solution for many modern ARM-based embedded systems due to its high bandwidth and reduced pin count.

Another important consideration is controller compatibility. Before selecting a TFT LCD, engineers should verify that the embedded processor supports the required timing parameters, color depth, and display resolution. Matching these specifications early in the design process helps avoid costly hardware revisions later.

Power sequencing is another frequently overlooked factor. Most TFT LCD modules require specific startup and shutdown sequences for the logic power, backlight, and display controller. Incorrect sequencing may result in screen flickering, unstable initialization, or even permanent damage to the display. Stable voltage regulation and sufficient current capacity are equally important, particularly for high-brightness displays used in industrial or outdoor environments.

Signal quality becomes increasingly critical as display resolution increases. High-speed interfaces such as LVDS and MIPI DSI require controlled impedance routing, matched differential pairs, and careful PCB layout practices. Long cables, poor grounding, or electromagnetic interference can introduce image artifacts, intermittent flickering, or communication failures. These issues are often much easier to prevent during PCB design than to troubleshoot after production.

Software integration is equally important. The display driver, timing configuration, frame buffer allocation, and graphics library must all work together correctly. Many embedded Linux projects use frameworks such as DRM/KMS or Qt, while microcontroller-based systems often rely on lightweight graphics libraries like LVGL. Selecting the appropriate software stack depends on both hardware resources and application requirements.

Mechanical integration should also be considered from the beginning of the project. Factors such as mounting structure, connector orientation, heat dissipation, and touch panel assembly all influence long-term reliability. For industrial equipment operating continuously, vibration resistance and thermal management are often just as important as electrical performance.

Engineers designing products for outdoor or harsh environments should additionally evaluate display brightness, optical bonding, anti-glare treatment, operating temperature range, and environmental protection. These characteristics often determine whether a product remains readable and reliable throughout its service life.

For readers interested in a more detailed engineering guide covering interface selection, hardware design considerations, and practical integration recommendations, this technical article provides additional information:

How to Integrate a TFT LCD into Embedded Systems

If you’ve ever tried building a home cockpit for Microsoft Flight Simulator or X-Plane, you know that replicating aircraft instruments is an absolute pain.

Most consumer screens we buy off the shelf are 16:9 or 16:10. But look inside a real cockpit—whether it’s a modern Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, an F-16's Multi-Function Display (MFD), or primary flight displays (PFDs). What do you see? Perfectly square or near-square shapes.

For years, home cockpit builders had to use oversized rectangular screens behind a physical bezel cutout, meaning half the screen’s pixels and space were completely wasted. Or worse, forcing a 16:9 output into a square space, resulting in stretched, distorted altimeters and unreadable vector maps.

This is exactly why dedicated square LCD modules have become a total game-changer for flight sim hardware.

The Magic Setup: 10.3-Inch 768x768 Panels

When replica instrument sizing needs to be 1:1 with real-world aviation specs, a 10.3 inch square LCD display with a native 768x768 resolution hits the absolute sweet spot for mid-to-large instrumentation clusters.

Here is why this specific hardware profile matters for simulation accuracy:

No Awkward Scaling: A true 1:1 aspect ratio means software profiles (like Air Manager or popped-out MSFS instrument panels) map perfectly to the active area ($184.32 \times 184.32\text{ mm}$) without weird configuration file hacks.

LVDS Protocol Benefits: Most of these industrial-grade square panels utilize a 20-pin LVDS interface. For sim builders, running LVDS via an HDMI-to-LVDS driver board means incredibly stable signal integrity and high noise immunity—even when surrounded by dozens of custom tactile switches, encoders, and matrix wiring under the dash.

Combatting Cockpit Washout: Standard desktop displays struggle if your room gets direct sunlight. A brightness level of around 500 nits ensures that the digital vector maps, horizon bars, and system schematics remain crisp and fully readable, maintaining that immersive "in the cockpit" feel.

Integrating It into Your Setup

If you're using a single PC setup, the cleanest way to integrate a secondary square panel like this is via an external driver board acting as a dedicated auxiliary monitor. You can pop out your desired instrument gauge from the sim, drag it over to the square display, and mount the physical bezel over it.

For those running independent instrument control networks, combining a single-board computer (like a Raspberry Pi or an industrial x86 board) running custom UI libraries like LVGL allows you to build a completely standalone, lag-free avionics stack.

If you are currently drafting a custom cockpit dashboard blueprint and need precise dimensions or panel specifications, check out the complete hardware datasheet for this 768x768 square LCD module to see how it drops into physical flight sim enclosures.

Modern flight simulator builders are paying more attention to display layout realism, especially for cockpit instrument panels. While traditional widescreen displays work well for outside visuals, many avionics interfaces inside an aircraft cockpit are naturally square or circular — which is why square TFT LCD modules are becoming increasingly popular in aviation simulator projects.

The 8.82-inch 768×768 LVDS TFT LCD display is a good example of a display format that fits aviation HMI applications very well.

Unlike conventional 16:9 screens, a 1:1 square display provides better space utilization for cockpit instruments such as:

Navigation Displays (ND)

Radar interfaces

Engine monitoring systems

HSI indicators

Custom avionics panels

For Boeing 737-style and Airbus A320-style simulator cockpits, square LCD modules can help create a cleaner and more realistic instrument arrangement without wasting screen area. This is especially useful in home cockpit projects where installation space is limited.

Another reason square LCDs are preferred in flight simulators is viewing comfort. Instrument panels are often viewed from different seating angles during operation, so wide viewing angles and stable brightness are important for maintaining readability during long simulation sessions.

The LVDS interface is also commonly chosen in professional simulator systems because it offers stable high-speed signal transmission and reliable image performance, which is important for continuous-use simulator environments.

As flight simulation platforms such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, and Prepar3D continue to evolve, more cockpit builders are looking for compact industrial-grade displays that can replicate real avionics layouts more accurately.

For developers working on custom cockpit projects, square TFT LCD modules provide greater flexibility in dashboard design while improving the overall immersion of the simulator experience.

Over the past few months, we’ve noticed a growing number of requests related to a very specific type of display for simulator hardware projects:

6–7 inch square LCD modules, especially the 6.22-inch 720×720 format.

At first, this seemed unusual because most LCD demand traditionally comes from:

industrial equipment

tablets

consumer electronics

standard widescreen displays

But after looking deeper into the simulator community, the reason became much clearer.

The Rise of Realistic F-16 and F/A-18 Cockpit Builds

Modern flight simulator platforms such as:

DCS World

Falcon BMS

Microsoft Flight Simulator

have created a huge community focused on realistic cockpit replication.

Instead of using a single monitor, many simulator enthusiasts are now building:

full F-16 cockpits

F/A-18 Hornet panels

multi-screen avionics systems

modular MFD setups

These projects are no longer simple gaming setups.

Many builders now care deeply about:

cockpit geometry

real panel spacing

accurate avionics layouts

realistic MFD proportions

And this is exactly where square LCD displays become important.

Why Standard 16:9 Displays Don’t Work Well for MFD Systems

Aircraft such as the:

F-16 Fighting Falcon

F/A-18 Hornet

use multifunction displays (MFD/DDI) that are visually much closer to a square format than a widescreen layout.

However, most available consumer LCDs today are:

16:9

16:10

ultrawide formats

This creates several problems in cockpit builds:

wasted mounting space

inaccurate display proportions

unrealistic panel appearance

UI scaling issues

Because of this, many cockpit builders have started searching for compact square LCD solutions instead of adapting widescreen panels.

Why the 6.22-Inch 720×720 Format Fits Cockpit Simulators So Well

One display format that keeps appearing in simulator hardware discussions is the 6.22-inch 720×720 square LCD.

This size is particularly interesting because it sits very close to the practical dimensions required for:

F-16 MFD panels

F/A-18 DDI systems

radar export displays

navigation screens

embedded cockpit interfaces

Compared to larger monitors, the 6.22-inch format provides:

better cockpit integration

easier panel mounting

more realistic avionics scaling

efficient multi-display layouts

The 720×720 resolution also offers a good balance between:

image clarity

GPU performance

export compatibility

which is important for cockpit systems running multiple independent displays.

Growing Trend Toward Multi-Display Cockpit Systems

Another reason these square LCDs are becoming more popular is the shift toward modular cockpit architecture.

Many advanced simulator setups now use:

separate MFD screens

dedicated radar displays

telemetry interfaces

independent navigation panels

instead of relying on a single large monitor.

As a result, smaller embedded displays are becoming more relevant than traditional desktop monitors in simulator hardware design.

Example of a 6.22-Inch Square LCD Used for Flight Simulator Applications

One example of this type of display is the following 6.22-inch 720×720 square LCD module designed for simulator and embedded display integration:

👉 https://www.aptusdisplay.com/products/6-22-inch-720x720-square-lcd-module-flight-simulator-lcd-display

Main features include:

true 1:1 square aspect ratio

720×720 resolution

IPS wide viewing angle

compact structure

high brightness

LVDS interface

optional HD-MI controller support

This type of display is especially suitable for:

F-16 cockpit MFD systems

F/A-18 simulator panels

DCS export displays

avionics simulation interfaces

custom cockpit hardware projects

The Future of Flight Simulator Display Hardware

As cockpit simulation becomes more realistic, the demand for specialized display formats will likely continue growing.

The increasing interest in 6.22-inch 720×720 square LCDs suggests that simulator builders are moving beyond generic consumer displays and looking for hardware that better matches real avionics systems.

I’ve been working recently with ESP32-S3 based display solutions for HMI and IoT projects, and one type of hardware that keeps coming up in real-world applications is the 4.3-inch LCD touch development board.

These boards are becoming quite popular because they combine a dual-core ESP32-S3 MCU, wireless connectivity (WiFi + Bluetooth), and a capacitive touchscreen into a single embedded platform.

Instead of building separate display + controller + communication modules, everything is integrated into one compact system.

Why ESP32-S3 LCD Boards Are Gaining Attention

From a development perspective, the ESP32-S3 chip is especially interesting because it supports:

2.4GHz WiFi + Bluetooth LE

LVGL GUI framework support

Arduino / ESP-IDF / MicroPython compatibility

Sufficient PSRAM for UI rendering and animation

This makes it suitable for interactive HMI interfaces, smart home controllers, industrial panels, and IoT dashboards.

In practice, most developers use LVGL to build UI layers, which allows smooth widget-based interfaces on relatively low-power hardware.

Common applications include:

Industrial control systems

Smart home control panels

IoT monitoring dashboards

Example of a Real ESP32-S3 LCD Development Board

One example of this category is a 4.3-inch ESP32-S3 LCD Touch Screen Development Board, which integrates:

ESP32-S3 dual-core processor

Capacitive touch TFT display

WiFi + Bluetooth connectivity

LVGL-ready graphics support

Arduino development compatibility

You can find more technical details here:

Why Developers Use This Type of Solution

Compared to traditional embedded setups, these all-in-one display boards reduce development complexity:

Instead of handling:

MCU + LCD driver separately

Touch controller wiring

Communication modules

You get a unified platform that already supports UI development workflows.

This significantly speeds up prototyping for HMI and IoT products.

Typical Development Stack

Most developers working with ESP32-S3 LCD boards usually combine:

Arduino IDE (for quick prototyping)

ESP-IDF (for production-level control)

LVGL (for UI rendering)

FreeRTOS (task management)

This combination allows both rapid development and scalable embedded architecture.

Final Thoughts

ESP32-S3 based LCD touch boards are not just hobbyist tools anymore—they are increasingly used in real commercial embedded systems.

Their main advantage is not just hardware capability, but the reduction of system complexity in UI + connectivity + control integration.

A practical comparison of curved and flat LCD displays in terms of immersion, visual performance, and user experience

As gaming hardware continues to evolve, display technology plays an increasingly important role in shaping the overall user experience. Among the most discussed topics in recent years is the comparison between curved LCD and flat LCD displays.

While both technologies are widely used, their differences go beyond appearance. Understanding how each performs in real-world gaming scenarios can help developers and system integrators make more informed decisions.

Visual Immersion: A Clear Advantage for Curved LCD

One of the most noticeable differences between curved and flat displays is the level of immersion they provide.

Curved LCD screens are designed to align more closely with the natural field of view of the human eye. This allows the edges of the screen to feel more integrated into the viewing experience, rather than appearing distant or disconnected.

In gaming environments, this translates into:

A stronger sense of depth

Better environmental awareness

More engaging visual interaction

Flat LCDs, on the other hand, present content on a single plane. While this works well for many applications, it can feel less immersive, especially on larger screens.

Viewing Angles and Visual Consistency

Flat LCD displays often experience slight color and contrast shifts when viewed from different angles. This is particularly noticeable at the edges of larger screens.

Curved LCDs help mitigate this issue by maintaining a more consistent distance between the viewer’s eyes and all areas of the display. As a result, users benefit from:

More uniform brightness

Stable color performance

Reduced edge distortion

For gaming systems that require high visual accuracy across the entire screen, this consistency can be a significant advantage.

Eye Comfort and Long-Term Use

Extended gaming sessions can lead to eye fatigue, especially when users need to constantly adjust focus across a wide screen.

Curved displays are generally more comfortable for prolonged use because they reduce the need for excessive eye movement. The curvature allows users to scan the screen more naturally, which can help minimize visual strain over time.

Flat displays do not offer this ergonomic benefit, although they remain effective for shorter sessions or smaller screen sizes.

Space Efficiency and Practical Design

Flat LCDs still hold an advantage when it comes to simplicity and space efficiency. They are easier to manufacture, integrate, and mount in a wide range of devices.

Curved LCDs require more precise engineering and are often used in applications where user experience is a priority. However, advancements in manufacturing have made curved panels increasingly accessible.

Today, specialized gaming LCD modules can be designed with customized curvature, size, and resolution, making them suitable for a broader range of gaming hardware.

Performance Factors: Response Time and Brightness

In terms of core performance metrics such as response time, refresh rate, and brightness, both curved and flat LCDs can achieve similar results depending on the panel technology used.

The difference lies more in how these specifications are perceived:

Curved displays can make motion feel smoother due to improved visual continuity

Flat displays provide a more traditional and predictable viewing experience

Ultimately, performance is determined more by the quality of the LCD module itself than by whether the panel is curved or flat.

For developers looking to optimize both performance and design, exploring custom LCD module solutions can provide greater flexibility in achieving the desired balance.

Application Scenarios: Choosing the Right Display

Each display type has its ideal use cases.

Curved LCD is often preferred for:

Immersive gaming systems

Simulation interfaces

Large-format displays

Flat LCD remains a strong choice for:

Compact devices

Cost-sensitive projects

Standard user interfaces

The decision ultimately depends on the priorities of the project—whether the focus is on immersion, cost efficiency, or design simplicity.

Conclusion

Curved and flat LCD displays each offer distinct advantages, and neither is universally better than the other. Curved LCD excels in immersion, visual consistency, and user comfort, making it ideal for modern gaming experiences. Flat LCD, meanwhile, remains a practical and versatile solution for a wide range of applications.