Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Volume 2

Chapter 25. vacuum-fluorescent display

light source, indicator, or display

multi-source or panel

vacuum fluorescent

The term vacuum-fluorescent display is seldom hyphenated, but the first two words are hyphenated here as they constitute an adjectival phrase. The acronym VFD is becoming increasingly popular, although it is ambiguous, being also used to identify a variable frequency drive. In both instances, the acronym is printed without periods between the letters.

The entry in this encyclopedia dealing with fluorescent lights does not include VFDs, because their purpose and design are very different. A VFD is an informational display, often showing numerals and letters, while a fluorescent light merely illuminates a room or work area. Although ...