Choosing a display interface late in a project is expensive: it fixes your MCU or MPU selection, your PCB stack-up, your cable assembly and your EMC test budget. This guide compares the five interfaces that cover almost every industrial and embedded TFT module, and gives a decision path that starts from resolution and cable length rather than from habit.
| Interface | Typical use | Max practical resolution | Signal lines | Cable length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPI / 8080-8bit | 1–3.5″ HMI, wearables | ~480×320 | 4–13 | <10 cm |
| RGB (parallel TTL) | 3.5–10″ industrial | ~1024×600 | 16–28 | <15 cm |
| LVDS | 7–21.5″ industrial, medical | 1920×1080 and beyond | 4–8 pairs | 1–10 m |
| MIPI DSI | Phone/tablet-class panels, 2–12″ | 2560×1600 | 2–8 lanes | <30 cm |
| eDP | 10–21.5″ high-res panels | 4K | 2–8 lanes | <50 cm |
Note that "maximum resolution" is a practical ceiling set by bandwidth and EMC, not a hard protocol limit.
Required bandwidth ≈ horizontal pixels × vertical pixels × refresh rate × bits per pixel × 1.25 (blanking overhead). A 1024×600 panel at 60 Hz in RGB666 needs roughly 1024×600×60×18×1.25 ≈ 830 Mbps spread over 18 parallel lines — fine. The same panel over a single SPI bus is impossible, which is why SPI tops out at small screens.
If your host is an MCU without an RGB peripheral (STM32F1-class, for example), SPI or a controller-based module with onboard frame buffer is the realistic path. If your host is an application processor (i.MX, RK, Snapdragon, Allwinner), MIPI DSI or LVDS is native and cheaper than adding bridge chips.
LVDS uses differential pairs with low swing (~350 mV), which is why it survives metres of cable and noisy motor environments. It is the default for:
Parallel RGB at the same distance radiates badly and suffers from skew between data lines; keep it on the PCB or on a very short FFC.
DSI delivers high resolution over few lanes with low power, which is why mobile-class panels use it almost exclusively. The trade-offs: the link is differential but low-swing, so practical cable length is well under 30 cm; the lane routing needs controlled impedance and length matching; and debugging requires a protocol-aware tool rather than a logic analyser.
DSI is the right answer when the panel is mounted directly on the mainboard or on a very short FPC — handheld terminals, smart home panels, portable medical devices.
This is the most common real-world situation. An older host with only RGB output driving an LVDS panel, or a modern MPU with DSI driving an eDP panel, needs a bridge IC (SN65DSI-family, LT8918-family, TC3587xx-family and similar). Bridges add cost, power and a firmware bring-up step — but they are usually cheaper than re-spinning the mainboard. We supply matching driver boards and can ship the module with the bridge already integrated.
| Part No. | Size | Resolution | Type | Brightness | Interface | Touch | Op. temp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DS-T185BFHWA-02 | 18.5" | 1920x1080 | IPS | 1500 cd/m² | LVDS 2CHANNEL 30PIN TBD. | — | -30-80 |
| DS-T101BFHA-01 | 10.1" | 1920x1200 | IPS | 1200 cd/m² | LVDS 2CHANNEL 8BIT 45PIN TBD. | — | -20-70 |
| DS-T070BAHA-02 | 7.0" | 1024x600 | IPS | 1000 cd/m² | 8/6 bit LVDS | — | -20-70 |
| DS-T070SWHWA-01 | 7.0" | 800x480 | IPS | 1000 cd/m² | LVDS 6/8bit 20PIN | — | -30-85 |
| DS-T101HIEWA-01 | 10.1" | 1280x800 | IPS | 1000 cd/m² | LVDS 6/8bit 40PIN | — | -30-85 |
| DS-T101HIEWA-03 | 10.1" | 1280x800 | IPS | 1000 cd/m² | LVDS 6/8bit 40PIN | — | -30-80 |
| DS-T104QXHA-03 | 10.4" | 1024x768 | IPS | 1000 cd/m² | LVDS 6/8bit 30PIN TBD. | — | -20-70 |
| DS-T121BIHA-01 | 12.1" | 1280x800 | IPS | 1000 cd/m² | LVDS 8bit 40PIN TBD. | — | -20-70 |
Not directly. You need a bridge: HDMI/DPI-to-LVDS boards exist for Raspberry Pi; for an MCU-class host, choose a module with an integrated controller and an SPI or 8080-parallel interface instead — the cost is far lower than an LVDS bridge.
Neither is universally better. DSI wins on bandwidth per pin and power for short on-board links; LVDS wins on cable length, noise immunity and easy debugging. Choose by distance first, resolution second.
With a good twisted-pair or shielded cable and a decent receiver, 5–10 m at 1080p60 is achievable in industrial practice. Budget for a shielded cable with drain wires tied to chassis ground at one end only.
Yes. For custom ODM projects we integrate the bridge, backlight driver and touch controller onto one board with the panel, so you get a single connector and a single firmware bring-up.
Hardware Integration · DISEA Electronics
Hardware Integration · DISEA Electronics
Hardware Integration · DISEA Electronics
Hardware Integration · DISEA Electronics
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