Bar type TFT LCD modules from 2.86" to 12.3" with ultra-wide aspect ratios and resolutions up to 1920x720. Find out how bar displays work, how to choose an interface and where an elongated display makes the difference in product design.
A bar TFT display, also called a bar LCD or stretched display, is a full colour active matrix LCD with a long, narrow active area. Where a standard TFT has a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio, bar displays run from around 2.5:1 to more than 5:1, so a single module can show status, controls and graphics along a slim strip of panel space where a conventional screen would be too tall to fit.
As the authorised distributor for Winstar Display Corporation we offer bar type TFT LCD modules from 2.86" to 12.3" with resolutions up to 1920x720. Most models use IPS panels for wide viewing angles, with SPI+RGB, RGB, MIPI DSI, LVDS or HDMI interfaces, high brightness options up to 1000 cd/m² and optional projected capacitive touch (PCAP) with optical bonding.
Sizes from 2.86" to 12.3"
Resolutions from 480x128 to 1920x720
IPS wide viewing angle on most models
SPI+RGB, RGB, MIPI DSI, LVDS and HDMI interfaces
High brightness options up to 1000 cd/m²
Optional PCAP touch with optical bonding
Electrically, a bar TFT works like any other TFT LCD. A driver IC scans the rows and columns of the panel and your graphics are written into a frame buffer. What changes is the shape: an 8.8" bar display has the same diagonal as a small tablet, but at 480x1920 it is four times as long as it is tall.
Many bar panels are scanned along their long edge, which is why resolutions are often written as 480x1920 or 280x1424 rather than the other way round. To the driver the display is a tall, narrow portrait screen; mounted in landscape, your software simply rotates the graphics by 90°. The datasheet for each model confirms its native orientation.
Simplified illustration: a bar display packs a wide interface into a slim strip, and portrait-scanned panels are rotated in software
Why designers choose a bar display for products where a conventional screen would be too tall
A long, slim active area fits rack panels, 1U server fronts, dashboards and shelf edges where a 16:9 display simply would not fit.
Show status, controls, media and messages side by side on a single module, replacing several small displays or indicator panels.
Most models use IPS panels, with 80° viewing angles in every direction on many, so a long display reads evenly from end to end and from the side.
Versions from 800 to 1000 cd/m² keep graphics readable in bright retail, vehicle and outdoor-facing installations.
Optional PCAP touch, with optical bonding on selected models for improved contrast and durability.
From SPI+RGB and RGB for microcontrollers, through MIPI DSI and LVDS for application processors, to an 8.8" HDMI model with its own control board.
The right interface depends on resolution, cable length and the processor in your design. Smaller bar displays use SPI+RGB or a parallel RGB bus, well supported by microcontrollers with an LCD controller. Higher resolution models use MIPI DSI or LVDS to connect to an application processor, with LVDS also suited to longer cable runs. For the quickest route to a working display, the HDMI model plugs straight into a PC or single board computer.
Our engineers can help match a display and interface to your host system and arrange samples.
| Interface | Typical Displays | Best Suited To |
|---|---|---|
| SPI + RGB | 2.86" 376x960 | MCUs with an LCD controller, compact designs |
| 24-bit RGB | 4.6" 800x320 (ST7262) | MCUs and MPUs with a parallel RGB bus |
| MIPI DSI | 7.0" 280x1424 (4-lane) | Application processors, high resolution |
| LVDS | 6.75", 12.3" 1920x720 | Larger displays, longer cable runs |
| HDMI (DVI) | 8.8" 480x1920 with control board | PCs and single board computers |
Compare our bar display modules by size, resolution, interface and touch option
| Model | Size | Resolution | Interface | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WFN0286A2S0WADNA000 | 2.86" | 376x960 | SPI+RGB | IPS, high brightness, PCAP |
| WF39BTLASDNN0 | 3.9" | 480x128 | Contact us for full specification | |
| WFN0460B2S0YADNC000 | 4.6" | 800x320 | 24-bit RGB | IPS, 850 cd/m² |
| WF52ATZASDNG0 | 5.2" | 480x128 | Contact us | O-Film, 5-point PCAP |
| WFN0520A2T0YADNN000 | 5.2" | 480x128 | Contact us | IPS, 500 cd/m², 85° viewing angles |
| WFN0520A2S0YADNC000 | 5.2" | 480x128 | Contact us | IPS, PCAP |
| WF0675ATYAB6LNN0 | 6.75" | Contact us | LVDS | NV3051F-L driver IC |
| WF70C9SYAB4MNN0 | 7.0" | 280x1424 | Contact us | IPS, 1000 cd/m² |
| WF70C9SYAB4MNC1B | 7.0" | 280x1424 | 4-lane MIPI DSI | IPS, PCAP, optical bonding, fits 1U chassis |
| WF88BTYA8MNG10 | 8.8" | 480x1920 | Contact us | PCAP |
| WF88BTYF8MHG1V | 8.8" | 480x1920 | HDMI (DVI) | Integrated control board |
| WL0F00088000BGXAANA00 | 8.8" | STM32N657 Edge AI development board | IPS touch display, camera interfaces | |
| WFN1025A2S0WALNA000 | 10.25" | 1920x720 | Contact us | IPS, PCAP, optical bonding |
| WF123ETWAYLNN0 | 12.3" | 1920x720 | 8-bit D-LVDS | IPS, 800 cd/m², ultra-wide temperature |
| WF123BSWAYLNB0 | 12.3" | 1920x720 | 2-channel LVDS | IPS, high brightness, PCAP |
Full specifications are available on each product's datasheet. View Bar TFT Displays →
Bar TFT modules suit any device that calls for a long, slim display area
Status and control displays on 1U and 2U server fronts, network and test equipment.
Dashboards, instrument clusters and control panels where space is long but shallow.
Train carriage and onboard displays for route, stop and service information.
Shelf-edge, point of purchase and advertising displays in bright retail spaces.
Control panels, instrumentation, pro audio and mixing equipment with strip-style interfaces.
Medical monitoring systems, intercoms and security equipment needing a compact, readable display.
Our engineering team can help specify or develop a custom solution for your exact requirements.
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