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Improving handheld video quality
:: 04 July, 2007
National Semiconductor has launched a series of devices aimed at improving the quality of video on handheld terminals, from mobile phones to personal media players.
It is focussing on half VGA and VGA screens with a new serial bridge for its open standard Mobile Pixel Link (MPL) family.
This is a serialiser/deserialiser format that replaces wide signal busses with a four wire single ended current mode link that is more immune to noise and EMI than other approaches.
The device, the LM2512, also includes a colour correction look up table that allows screens from different suppliers to be used in the handsets without changing the design of the electronics. It also includes a dithering function to allow 24bit video to be displayed on 18bit displays, maintaining the quality of the display while reducing the complexity and cost of the electronics, says Jim Schuessler, displays specialist at Nat Semi.
News Inside News :
Seven new display, audio and power management products from National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE:NSM) enable energy-efficient video in handheld devices such as mobile phones, portable media players and new converged devices that feature phone and media playback functions. The new products perform the “magic” of converting digital data into captivating real-world sights and sounds in the critical subsystems that enable video playback.
Enhancing the Display:
The display is the centerpiece of the video experience. National’s low-power Mobile Pixel Link (MPL) family of products stream large quantities of data (seen by the user as images, video and graphics) to the display while maximizing battery life. MPL serializes the data to reduce the wire count, which decreases the size of the connector and flexible printed circuit board (flex). MPL reduces electro-magnetic interference (EMI), and its power consumption is roughly half that of competing products. In addition, MPL handles the voltage-level translation between the host and the display, eliminating the need for an external level shifter.
The newest member of National’s MPL family, the LM2512 is a high-speed serial host device that supports a video mode interface bridge between the processor and the display. Offered in a 49-bump UFBGA package, the LM2512 is highly programmable, with a unique built-in look-up table that allows for color correction, enabling the designer to optimize the viewing experience in displays offered from multiple manufacturers. The LM2512 also includes a dithering function, which allows 24-bit video to be displayed with high quality on 18-bit displays, preserving the lower power consumption associated with 6-bit RGB data converters.
National’s new FPD95120, a high-performance Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon (LTPS) display driver, is the narrowest glass-mounted device available for half-VGA format. Just 0.9 millimeters wide, the FPD95120 lets manufacturers maximize the active area of the display glass. The highly integrated driver provides an MPL deserializer, a high-efficiency inductive DC-DC switcher and random access memory (RAM) to enable standby, low-power display capabilities. It also features EEPROM that allows the same device to be used across multiple display manufacturers by storing module calibration data to match color and flicker parameters and the capability to program unique product identification.
Improving Display Backlighting and Color
To optimize the display, backlighting is critical. National’s new RGB LED drivers provide better colors on the display and lower power consumption compared to white LEDs. Available in a 25-bump micro SMD package, the LP5520 offers a small and simple solution without the need for optical feedback, producing a true white light over a wide temperature range while improving the color gamut from 70 percent up to 100 percent of the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard. In adaptive mode, the circuitry in the driver automatically adjusts the output voltage for the lowest possible power consumption. The LP5521, LP5522 and LP55281 color management products feature an assortment of low-power color LED drivers for a variety of handheld lighting applications.
Generating High-Quality Audio:
Superior audio makes a great display even better. National’s new LM49100 audio subsystem allows routing of mono voice or stereo music signals to a mono speaker driver or stereo ground-referenced headphone amplifiers (or both) through simple selection of pre-set modes. In addition, it provides layout flexibility through its headphone ground-sensing function. The noise rejection improvement provided by this feature allows designers room to move in space-constrained systems. To maximize battery life, the LM49100 consumes the industry’s lowest quiescent current of devices in its class -- less than 5 mA, with all channels active.
Available now and offered in a 25-ball micro
Powering Digital Processors
Before video can be displayed, it must be decoded and processed by the application processor. Video processing consumes substantial energy, a major factor limiting battery life on mobile terminals. National’s innovative PowerWise® technology enables intelligent energy management of the processor using adaptive voltage scaling (AVS). Using National’s PowerWise intellectual property integrated onto the processor along with compatible power management ICs such as the LP5552 reduces energy consumption up to 70 percent, extending the life of the battery.
National’s LP5552 is an advanced power management IC that supports AVS to enable the processor to adaptively adjust its supply voltage to the minimum level needed, greatly reducing its energy consumption. Offered in a 36-bump micro SMD package, the LP5552 includes two 800 mA buck regulators and five low-dropout regulators (LDOs).
For powering baseband functions, National offers the highly integrated LP3919 power management IC. Offered in a 49-bump micro SMD package, the LP3919 is the smallest integrated power management IC on the market that features high-efficiency switching regulators, LDOs and a battery charger. The LP3919 powers the baseband processor as well as other support circuitry in the system.
Supporting Increased Storage:
The digital core processes data received from non-volatile storage, such as a secure digital card, FLASH or a micro hard drive. Each of these sources presents a unique energy consumption challenge in handheld devices.
To power a micro-hard drive, National’s new LM3668 buck-boost regulator provides a 3.3V output voltage to power the driver motor. The LM3668 offers greater than 90 percent efficiency in buck and boost modes, which is essential for driving high-power applications. The Li-Ion battery in handheld devices discharges from levels above 3.3V to below 3.3V; however, the LM3668 creates seamless transition between buck and boost operation to provide a stable output for error-free operation. In addition, the stable output coupled with the high efficiency allows this device to be used as a pre-regulator for high-voltage applications in handheld devices. The 12-pin LLP® package combined with tiny external components provides a very small solution size.
Another storage technique is high-capacity (secure digital) SD memory, which requires logic level shifting power, electro-static discharge (ESD) protection and EMI filtering. National’s secure digital (miniSD/SD) card interface IC, the LP3929, is the industry’s first to provide a robust interface to the outside world by combining level-shifter, power supply, EMI filtering and 15 kV of ESD protection into one device. The small 2 mm x 2 mm, 24-bump micro SMD package and feature set free handset designers from mechanical constraints as they move toward smaller, more innovative designs.
Powering the Wireless Link:
The demand to share video wirelessly is increasing, but sending data wirelessly consumes significant battery power. National’s new LM3207 DC-DC power supply, optimized for 3G RF power amplifiers, dynamically reduces energy consumption of the power amplifier by tightly regulating the RF power amplifier supply voltage to the lowest possible level while maintaining linearity in the power amplifier.
Engineering Better Systems:
Whether for listening to high-fidelity audio, watching high-resolution video or capturing and sharing multimedia files, National provides all the differentiating analog technology handheld devices need to minimize energy consumption and enhance users' experiences with longer battery life, better sound, sharper display images, smaller form factors, whiter lighting and streamlined interfaces. Working closely with customers and partners, National is continuing to define new architectures and standards, such as the PowerWise® and Mobile Pixel Link technologies, that create unique features for portable devices.
About National Semiconductor:
National Semiconductor, the industry's premier analog company, creates high-value analog devices and subsystems. National's leading-edge products include power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers, interface products and data conversion solutions. National's key analog markets include wireless handsets, displays and a variety of broad electronics markets, including medical, automotive, industrial, and test and measurement applications.
Headquartered :
Santa Clara, Calif.
information is available at www.national.com.
Release link: http://www.national.com/news/item/0,1735,1265,00.html
Tags: National Semiconductor , quality of video , half VGA , Mobile Pixel Link (MPL) , serialiser , deserialiser , signal , four wire , EMI , LM2512 , 24bit video , Seven new display , power management , handheld devices , level shifter , FPD95120 , Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon (LTPS) , adaptive voltage scaling , AVS , electro-static discharge , ,
