SOC for TFT panels

Growing demand for TFT-LCDs continues to drive the development of new panel structures. In close collaboration with semiconductor suppliers, displays manufacturers strive to produce more compact and cheaper devices by increasing the electronic integration, reducing the components count and developing new packaging methods.

Together with a major panel manufacturer, Advanced Silicon has designed an ASIC which combines on a single chip several TFT-LCD control functions previously realized by two or more ICs.

The ASTLC5501A is a mixed-mode system-on-chip that includes the panel controller, a configurable source driver, the greyscale voltage generator and a DC/DC controller to produce the power supply for the panel's backlight. It is dedicated to small-sized TFT panels to be used in digital still cameras and analog video cameras with up to 262k colour resolution.

The ASTLC5501A is a versatile circuit. Its source driver is capable of driving 64 gray levels in normal operation or 256 gray levels when the dithering function is enabled. The number of output channels is selectable: 288 or 240 channels, and cascade operation is possible. As for the timing controller, it supports 9 different data timings up to 27MHz. The ASTLC5501A has a built-in PWM controller that can drive an external transistor to generate a high-voltage supply for the backlight. Also included is a level shifter that provides a toggling voltage for the common electrode.

If this product corresponds to your needs, we encourage you to enquire about our custom development services for your specific application. Contact us!