What is the difference between LED Character and Numeric displays?

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LED Numeric displays (like your Broadcom HDSP-521A/523A dual-digit seven-segment display) are designed to show only numbers. They use 7 segments to form digits from 0–9, which makes them ideal for counters, clocks, and simple numeric indicators.
LED Character displays can show alphabets, numbers, and symbols because they use dot-matrix or alphanumeric structures, giving them more flexibility.