A reader named Dave posted a very well-informed comment that what I’ve been referring to as an anisotropic strip (connecting an LCD to a PCB) is more specifically called an elastomeric connector. I thought it was interesting enough to be worth pulling up into a new post:
The anisotropic strip on the LCD is technically known as an elastromeric connector, but usually referred to as a zebra strip. If you examine it closely under a strong magnifying glass or a low power microscope, you’ll see alternating bands of conductive and insulating material, usually something like graphite loaded rubber for the conductive material and unloaded rubber for the insulating material. The graphite loaded rubber gives that portion of the strip a darker colour. Thus, you have alternating light and dark bands, similar to what a zebra looks like.
Dave
Thanks for the detail!