Negative grid addressing for polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal devices
Abstract
Variable opacity smart glass technologies, particularly electrically switchable polymer-dispersed liquid-crystals (PDLC), are emerging as a field with many potential applications. This article lays out an algorithm for addressing a grid of PDLC tiles that can be used to locally block out any given location. This has potential for use in a new form of “smart” windshield. Due to the nature of the liquid crystal dipoles that are found within PDLC films, a negative addressing method that exploits the switching speed discrepancy of PDLC is discussed to circumvent the issue of inadvertently blocking out complete rows and columns on the grid. The process by which this is applied is further extended to use of more complicated algorithms; namely, 4-tile squares, 2 similar location tiles sharing an x or y coordinate, and 2 location tiles that are unrelated in location. The algorithms are tested at slow speed using a basic light-emitting diode (LED) setup and at full driving speed as measured by an oscilloscope. An effective manual method of testing the PDLC switching algorithm is also illustrated. Finally, limitations of the methods discussed and further ideas for module improvements were also outlined.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
