TFT-LCD displays dominate the automotive market as they enter a competitive phase with rivaling technologies. In this phase, they can still be highly competitive by achieving higher efficiencies and higher integration in their design.
In this design solution, we review a typical, non-integrated TFT-LCD display system and compare it to a highly integrated approach highlighting the latter advantages in terms of BOM and PCB size reduction. With a highly integrated approach, the entire power management system can be implemented with just two ICs, achieving higher competitiveness vs. emerging technologies.
It is amazing how much we have come to depend on displays in our automobiles. “I have a beautiful car for you!” a car rental operator told me recently. When we went to the parking lot I noticed that the car was indeed beautiful …. but did not have GPS navigation!
All kinds of horrible scenarios started to materialize in my mind. How in heaven will I even get out of here and find my way around? The operator read my mind: “Never mind,” he said. We went back and he found for me a car with GPS navigation.
Displays are ubiquitous in modern cars, from instrument clusters to center-stacked touchscreens (Figure 1), rear-seat entertainment and more. Today, the automotive display market is dominated by TFT-LCD technologies while the use of OLEDs is expected to play a significant role in the future. In this highly competitive scenario, TFT-LCD displays can greatly benefit from system optimization derived from a higher level of integration of the electronics that power the displays.
This will reduce BOM and PCB size, resulting in significant cost savings and higher competitiveness against emerging technologies. In turn, smaller electronics allow for slimmer form factors or more functionality within the same space.
In this design solution, we first review the challenges of a typical power management TFT-LCD display. Subsequently we will introduce a highly integrated solution that greatly reduces the power management PCB size and BOM.
For details, click https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/design/technical-documents/design-solutions/7/7128.html?intcid=FY20_Q3_JAN_Auto-Display_banner_Blog-1-8-20-SH_Auto-Display_EN.
Hordon Kim, International Editor, hordon@powerelectronics.co.kr
