What type of display and connector are these?

| May 30, 2026 | Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) | No Comments

Display Type

This is a bare/raw LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) glass panel, which I came across when I opened up a partially defective clock with timer and alarm function. It is just the foundational glass and polarizing layers without the usual printed circuit board (PCB), backlight unit, or metal mounting bezel attached. Mounting was dismantled when I took out this display from the device for inspection.

Connector Type

The transparent ledge extending along the side is not a standard plug-in connector. Instead, it is the contact edge of the glass.

  • ITO Traces: If you look very closely under the right light, this clear edge contains microscopic, transparent conductive traces made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide).
  • The Mating Connector (Zebra Strip): To connect this bare glass to a circuit board, it requires an Elastomeric Connector, most commonly referred to as a Zebra connector or Zebra strip.

How it works:

A Zebra connector is a rubbery strip made of alternating microscopic layers of conductive carbon and insulating silicone. The alternating layers give it the name! To make the electrical connection, the glass edge is mechanically clamped directly over the contact pads of a PCB, with the Zebra strip sandwiched tightly between them.