Quick answer
Customers come to us with a liquid crystal dashboard and two problems: it looks flat, and the RGB LCD panel tooling is expensive. A custom LED display answers both. They also provide a cost-down solution compared to RGB LCD panels, particularly regarding tooling fees. These applications include upgrades like from Gogoro 2 to Gogoro 2 Plus.
Table of Contents
Why Custom LED Displays Are a Good LCD Replacement: LED Display & LCD display Case Studies
The most common LED display application was in white goods or laboratory instruments to show simple characters like numbers and icons. It’s rare to have articles for other uncommon LED applications. OPTO PLUS presents two LED display applications:
- A Single color TN-LCD (twisted nematic liquid crystal Display) upgrade solution for LED Display.
- An RGB TFT LCD panel or RGB IPS LCD panel cost down solution for LED Display
We have collected two custom LED display case studies for the readers. We hope these cases inspire you for your own product design ideas.
A Single-color TN-LCD Display Upgrade Solution for LED Displays.
Custom LED displays could upgrade the traditional TN-LCD (twisted nematic liquid crystal) dashboards to RGB and multi-color dashboards to provide a better visual experience. An example of this is the dashboard upgrade from Gogoro 2 (TN-LCD Display) to Gogoro 2 Plus (RGB LED Display).
An RGB TFT LCD panel or RGB IPS LCD panel cost-down solution for LED Display
Custom LED displays can be a cost-down solution for RGB LCD displays. The tooling fee for LED displays with custom shapes is much less than that for RGB LCD displays. The price difference between Aeon AI-1 Comfort and Aeon AI-1 Comfort+ can serve as a reference for cost-down solutions.
AI-1 comfort /AI-1 comfort+ press conference
(Introduce dashboard start at 44:13)
The tooling cost behind the cost-down
Most replacement projects stop at the same question: how much is the tooling fee? We prefer to answer with real numbers. The one-time tooling fee for a fully custom LED display is typically USD 3,000 to 10,000, depending on the size, the circuit, and the mechanical complexity. A modified-standard design, which keeps an existing package and changes the color, circuit, or pin-out, costs about 10–20 % of the full tooling fee. The MOQ is usually 3,000 to 10,000 pieces and is confirmed case by case.
After tooling, there is no recurring license fee and no panel supply contract. This is an important difference from sourcing small-size RGB TFT panels, where panel generations reach end-of-life and the supply terms can change every year.
When should you replace an LCD with an LED display?
| Item | Custom LED display | Small-size LCD (TN / TFT) |
|---|---|---|
| Display content | Fixed icons, digits, and threshold colors | Free graphics and video |
| Sunlight readability | Self-emitting, high contrast | Needs backlight; harder to read in sunlight |
| Operating temperature | −40 to +85 °C for standard products | Usually narrower; slow response at low temperature |
| Aging behavior | Gradual brightness decay | Backlight decay plus polarizer aging |
| Supply risk | Tooling is yours; long-term supply | Panel end-of-life risk |
| One-time cost | Tooling USD 3,000–10,000 (modified-standard about 10–20 %) | Low; panels are off the shelf |
| When LCD is the better choice | — | Dynamic graphics, multi-language UI, or integrated touch on a small budget |
If your screen shows the same icons and digits through the whole product life, an LED display usually gives better readability and a simpler supply chain at a lower total cost.
How to start an evaluation
Send us four things: (1) a photo or drawing of the current LCD screen with all segments lit, (2) the outline dimensions and mounting method, (3) the yearly volume, and (4) the supply voltage with the MCU interface. We will reply with the standard, modified-standard, and full-custom options, together with an indicative tooling fee. Customer designs stay confidential unless the customer approves disclosure, the same as the two cases in this article.
Conclusion
Two custom LED display examples mentioned above. Whether you want to reduce costs or improve the visual experience, LED displays can be an option to consider. OPTO PLUS LED Corp. is a professional custom LED display company. We have been helping our customers design and manufacture their custom LED displays since 2009. If you need engineering support for a custom LED design service, please contact Sales@opledtw.com for more information.
FAQ
Custom LED displays can replace LCD displays in two main scenarios:
As an upgrade option: Custom LED displays have high saturation and brightness, making them an excellent upgrade for monochrome LCD displays to enhance the product’s visual experience. For example, the Taiwanese electric scooter brand Gogoro upgraded from the monochrome LCD dashboard on the Gogoro 2 to a multi-color custom LED dashboard on the Gogoro 2 Plus.
As a cost-saving option: A custom LED display can serve as a cost-down alternative to a full-color LCD display while still maintaining a good visual experience. This is especially true for displays with irregular shapes, where the development costs for irregular LCDs are significantly higher than for LED displays. For instance, the Taiwanese motorcycle manufacturer Aeon Motor (宏佳騰) offered a model in its Ai-1 series with an LED dashboard, providing consumers with a different choice.
Opto Plus has at least 10 custom LED display designs enter mass production each year. They offer custom LED display services and are happy to provide recommendations.
If you are considering using a custom LED display in your product, you can refer to the Opto Plus custom LED display information or contact their sales team directly for advice.
Q: What volume justifies the tooling fee?
With modified-standard tooling at about 10–20 % of full custom and MOQ starting near 3,000 pieces, a project of a few thousand pieces per year is usually enough to evaluate. A fully custom design fits products with a multi-year life cycle. The exact numbers come from the quotation.
Q: Can an LED display fit the same window as my current LCD?
Yes. The TN-LCD upgrade case in this article kept the same window and the same mounting, and improved the sunlight readability.
Related RGB LED Design Resources
Continue with these closely related resources to verify selection, circuit, and application requirements.
- LCD or LED Display ?｜Elevator Sign Display.
- Arduino Compatible RGB 7-segment display new products released!
- RGB/Dual color/ Single color LED Ring Display new product release！
- What is RGB SMD LED? | SMD LED Packaging | Full Series RGB LED Comparison Table
Both cases above went through our custom LED display service. The service page lists what can be customised, the tooling and sampling schedule, and how MOQ is quoted case by case: custom LED display service.