Quote:
Originally Posted by LDBoblo
Mirasol does not, as far as I know, retain an image in the complete absence of power (it requires a tiny voltage to maintain the mirror positions), but it is capable of high refresh rates.
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As far as I can tell (and this comes from googling, not inside knowledge) the mirasol displays
are bistable. Although it seems that maybe they are just "bistable-ish"-- possibly needing a much lower refresh rate than LCD, but not actually zero-power stable like EPDs. From
the web site:
"One of the key advantages of the mirasol® display’s design is its bistable nature, which allows for near-zero power usage in situations where the display image is unchanged. IMOD elements, which make up the IMOD pixels, possess electro-mechanical memory called hysteresis. The hysteresis effect works somewhat like the pull top on an aluminum can. Once the reflective membrane has been pulled down, it requires less energy to hold it than was exerted in pulling it down. This bistability not only allows mirasol displays to replace the non-linearity of an active matrix device, it can also act as a real memory element. The bistability of mirasol displays comes from the inherent hysteresis derived from the technology’s electro-mechanical properties - the inherent imbalance between the linear restorative forces of the mechanical membrane and the non-linear forces of the applied electric field."
(And it isn't actually "mirrors" in the same way as in one of
these.)