The new wide-format driver IC adds to the PenTile RGBW drivers already being produced in standard-format qVGA and VGA resolutions, expanding driver solutions for manufacturers needing to increase brightness and manage power consumption of mobile display panels in a variety of resolutions. PenTile RGBW technology can double screen brightness or reduce power consumption by 50 percent, making it ideal for supporting third-generation (3G) data-centric devices, which require higher-resolution, higher-brightness displays that use substantially more power than current products.
Tomato LSI will produce the world's first commercially available three-chip PenTile RGBW driver for amorphous silicon TFT widescreen VGA display panels up to 5-inches diagonal. The three-chip solution combines a pair of column drivers with a single row driver to meet the wide-format panel size. TLSI is already producing PenTile RGBW VGA drivers targeted toward high-resolution displays and can now apply their capabilities to support 3G mobile display opportunities where a widescreen version is needed for improved mobile video players, ultra-portable PCs, global positioning satellite devices, and next-generation cell phones. The driver will support 800 x 480 format and 8-bit color. Samples are available now, with commercial production expected by Q3 2007.
Supporting Widescreen and 3G Convergence
According to display market analyst DisplaySearch, liquid crystal displays in all sizes and markets are moving toward a wide aspect ratio standard; small screens are no exception. The wide format is better suited for video because it comes closer to simulating the realism of a widescreen theater. In certain applications such as web browsing and mapping, widescreen formats limit the amount of horizontal scrolling, or even eliminate scrolling altogether, greatly enriching the user experience.
Adoption rates of next-generation mobile content and applications are constrained by brightness and resolution levels of portable displays and battery life. In addition to having a growing need for high-resolution screens, data-centric applications like video, games, and web browsers require displays with a minimum of 400 cd/m2 of brightness-twice that of legacy mobile screens. There is more always-on content, such as video, text messaging, and maps. This need to increase brightness, resolution, and the long amount of time that a display is illuminated significantly degrades battery life. Drivers integrated with PenTile RGBW technology can help mobile displays better manage their power and brightness levels, even at high resolution.
"Tomato LSI's decision to add a solution for a wide VGA PenTile RGBW driver represents an investment being made in infrastructure to improve power management and brightness of handheld products like mobile phones, especially within the widescreen arena, which is crucial for enabling the future of multimedia," said Joel Pollack, president and chief executive officer of Clairvoyante. "This will further encourage the adoption of new generations of wide-format, full-featured mobile products with better viewability and longer-lasting battery life."
