SINGLE DIGIT LCD, 2.21" CHARACTER

As another reviewer noted, this is a static drive display and pretty easy to interface. You do want to make sure you drive it in opposite directions for equal amounts of time to avoid damaging the electrodes.

I'm driving mine directly with a 5v MCU. A timer triggers an interrupt every 1/60 second. For one 1/60 second interval, the lit segments are set high and the common is set low. During the next 1/60 second interval, it's reversed - lit segments are driven low and the common is high. Easy, and it draws only microamps of current.

These are static displays. What this means is that if you connect the common pin to ground and then briefly touch each of the segment lines with a 5V supply the segment will darken. The segment will remain darkened for several seconds before the charge disipates and the digit fades. To refresh the display connect the common pin to 5V and ground the segments you want to select. Swapping the polarity preserves the liquid crystal.

Now the cool thing. CAT# EL-15 is a ***PERFECT*** fit as a backlight for the display, it is the exact size to fit with no cutting. With the backlight off you can view this in full sunlight. With the backlight on it is visible in the dark. This works because the reflective back layer of the LCD is not fully silvered.

Since these are static displays they will make a great battery powered clock, the segments need to refreshed once a second and the EL backlight can be used at night.