Calibrator Chip automates flicker detection and adjustment.
Press Release Summary:
Featuring I2C serial interface, Model STVM100 facilitates removal of flicker from TFT LCD panels during manufacture. Vcom calibrator chip enables adjustment to be automated through use of Auto Flicker Detection solution, and can be designed-in to TV set, allowing manufacturing adjustment to be made through I2C interface. Available in 8-pin, 3 x 3 mm TDFN8 or TSSOP8 packages, chip provides 128 steps of Vcom adjustment, with 3 external resistors determining highest/lowest values.
Original Press Release:
STMicroelectronics Automates Removal of TFT-LCD Panel Flicker with Introduction of Vcom Calibrator Chip
Calibrator chip is first to offer automatic flicker detection and adjustment
Geneva, October 5, 2007 - STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), an industry leader in high-performance analog and mixed-signal products, today announced a programmable Vcom calibrator chip, with I2C serial interface, that simplifies the process of removing flicker from TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD panels during manufacture. The new STVM100 enables the adjustment to be automated through use with ST's proprietary Auto Flicker Detection solution, along with reducing labor cost and increasing product reliability by eliminating the need for mechanical potentiometers.
TFT-LCD panels have an inherent flicker that is eliminated in production by accurate adjustment of Vcom ('common voltage', around the midpoint of the AVDD). Instead of using a traditional potentiometer, the STVM100 Vcom Calibrator can be designed-in to the TV set, allowing this manufacturing adjustment to be made through the I2C interface, either through an operator control or as part of an automated process.
Once the desired Vcom setting is found, its value can be stored in the internal EEPROM of the STVM100. This ensures the TV can recall the calibration value automatically whenever the TV is turned on. The EEPROM can be programmed repeatedly, giving LCD manufacturers the flexibility to calibrate the display panel as many times as the production process requires.
The chip provides 128 steps of Vcom adjustment, with three external resistors determining the highest and lowest values. It is available now in volume, in 8-pin 3 x 3mm TDFN8 or 3 x 3mm TSSOP8 packages, priced at $1.09 in quantities of 1,000.
About STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2006, the Company's net revenues were $9.85 billion and net earnings were $782 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
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