Samsung Develops Display Driver IC Chip Samsung Electronics has developed a display driver integrated circuit (IC) chip optimized for third-generation mobile handset displays. The world's largest memory chipmaker said yesterday that it has developed a one-chip display driver IC optimized for Quarter Video Graphics Array (QVGA), highest picture quality of 320 x 240 resolution, for third-generation mobile handsets. Previous color displays for existing mobile handsets support 160 x 120 picture resolution. By incorporating Qualcomm's Mobile Display Digital Interface (MDDI) serial interface technology, Samsung has reduced the number of wires within the new S6D0142 display driver IC chip that interconnect Qualcomm's Mobile Station Modem (TM) chipsets with the LCD display from some 40 to four. The MDDI standard, a high-speed serial interconnection technology developed by Qualcomm, increases reliability and reduces power consumption in clamshell and slide mobile phones by greatly decreasing the number of wires. In addition to the built-in MDDI display interface, the S6D0142 incorporates the following features of five independent chips into a single chip - a timing controller, a source driver, a gate driver, a power supply IC and 1.3-megabit static random access memory (SRAM). Samsung expects to cut down production cost of the display driver chip thanks to the simplified chip design and minimized product size, which has been halved from size of existing products. The world's third-largest cellular phone maker added that the new chip would enable it to develop smaller mobile handset designs. "With mobile devices supporting a variety of multimedia functions and delivering an increased amount of text and visual data, the need for high-speed serial interface is on the rise," said Kim Jin-tae, vice president of Display Driver Development Team at Samsung Electronics' System LSI (Large Scale IC) division. "We've taken the next step in the evolution of MDDI enabled integrated circuit chips. Development of the new chip will consolidate Samsung Electronics' lead in the global display driver IC market," Kim said. Samsung Electronics said the S6D0142 would be available for domestic customers by third quarter of 2005 and available to worldwide manufacturers by first quarter next year. Lotte Canon to enlarge business scope into solution market Through the company's CBSF 2005 in Seoul (Canon Business Solution Forum 2005 in Seoul), which was held to acquaint its customers with a new concept solution MEAP (Multifunctional Embedded Application Platform), Lotte Canon announced MEAP device to be able to carry out diverse application programs without PC. The company is being watched with keen interest in that Lotte Canon launched out into market scope enlargement from existing hardware-centered business to solution business, proclaiming the company's transformation into a business solution special firm. For further details, call (82-2)3450-0700.