PCF8538 and PCA8538 are optimized to drive high-contrast, high-resolution displays for industrial and automotive applications
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) today announced two new chip-on-glass (COG) LCD segment drivers – the PCF8538 and PCA8538 – specifically designed for driving vertical alignment (VA) displays. Providing high contrast, true black background, a wide viewing angle, and excellent image quality even at extreme temperatures, VA displays offer many advantages, but typically require a higher LCD supply voltage and higher frame frequency compared to conventional twisted nematic (TN) displays.
The PCF8538 and PCA8538 allow an LCD voltage up to 12V with accurate, software-programmable temperature compensation for high and stable contrast over an extended temperature range of -40°C to +105°C. The new COG segment drivers also offer an on-chip oscillator with programmable, calibrated frame frequency in the range of 45 Hz to 300 Hz. The drivers can also be used to drive conventional TN displays with any backlight color.
Both the PCF8538 and PCA8538 are single-chip LCD drivers that generate drive signals for any static or multiplexed LCD with up to 9 backplanes, 102 segments, and graphics of up to 918 display elements. Ideally suited for driving VA displays in harsh environments, the PCA8538 variant is also AEC-Q100-compliant for automotive applications such as climate control units, instrument clusters and car infotainment systems. Evaluation samples and demo boards are available immediately, and a video overview is available here: http://youtu.be/vLAkUK5Mnn4
"Vertical alignment displays are now growing in popularity – not only in automotive LCD applications, but also in home appliances, medical devices and many other consumer and industrial applications where reliable, high-contrast passive LCD displays are required. By designing chip-on-glass LCD segment drivers specifically with VA displays in mind, we have been able to address the requirements of major display module manufacturers and automotive Tier 1 suppliers, while also making it easier for non-automotive OEMs to incorporate VA displays into their designs," said Giovanni Genna, international product marketing manager, NXP Semiconductors. "As the pioneers of chip-on-glass LCD technology, we have worked closely with leading manufacturers for over 25 years to lower costs, simplify PCB layouts, and improve the upgradeability, flexibility and reliability of their LCD displays using COG designs. Bringing accurate, reliable solutions for VA displays to market solutions has been a natural next step, which also builds on our proven track record of delivering over 100 million interface product units to the automotive industry."
