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good signal quality on the display. This is especially important for applications where difficult electromagnetic conditions prevail. If this requirement is not relevant, the display can also be supplied via the TTL Interface Format. At resolutions of 4K, the Quad LVDS
Pixel Mode is used to minimise the emission of display signals. With this method, the bus width to the display is quadrupled, thereby obtaining a quarter of the display cycle. In combined displays with applications of reduced resolution, it is also possible to supply two displays with graphical content. Because the remote display controller has two different hardware units, different display timings can therefore be defined both for the resolution and the refresh rate. The generation of timing signals for the
display can either be handled by conventional synchronisation signals, or by addressing the row and column drivers of the timing controller (TCON). The integrated TCON provides for up to 12 signals per display output. This direct addressing is necessary with mini-LVDS display interfaces because no further external control logic is available on the display side. In order to achieve the best possible
display quality, it is necessary to react to the brightness sensors on the display: adjusting the backlight of the display hardware is imperative. Regulating the brightness on the display in strong sunlight or dimming the brightness during a night drive can be performed directly on the display. Pulse-width- modulated signals (PWMs) are adjusted to obtain the desired lighting intensity. 16 of these PWM signals can be connected to the display. Sequences for the system configuration
of the interfaces or to store start-up screens can be saved in the built-in Flash memory and RAM. Graphics are built line-by-line using a line-buffer principle, which greatly reduces system costs by eliminating the need for an external frame buffer module or a broad memory interface on the board. After being overlaid with the received
video image of the APIX link, the multi- layered image is transferred to the display and subsequently output. 2D graphics are stored in the internal memory and prepared for the display output with the help of a 2D engine. If the application requires the use of
larger images, additional external memory can be connected via a high- speed SPI interface or hardware- supported RLE (Run Length Encoding) compression can be activated. The 2D engine is the IP SEERIS, an in-house
make fault detection in different image sources feasible. Other features include the presentation of specific content upon signal loss, as well as, of course, multi- level secured stream communication using the graphic creation unit. It goes without saying that there are also self- diagnosis features and measures for the monitoring of operating voltage, cycle supply and chip temperature, in addition to other parameters that could lead to faults in the event of divergence.
development by Socionext Europe. Due to the better availability of high-
quality automotive panels, the primary driver information is increasingly being replaced by displays. The demands on safety features are thereby increased, because corrupt representations or even frozen displays represent a high risk of accidents. It is important in this context that certain displays must always be reliable, such as check control messages, gear selection indicators and reversing cameras. In addition, the entire chain must be secured and there may not be any gaps in the security concept. If there is an error in the display system, the system must automatically recognise the error and respond accordingly. To support these requirements, the new SC1701 Display Controller series includes several new features. One such example is Freeze Detection, which uses an invisible frame counter to detect whether camera images are frozen. Furthermore, display contents can be checked with single bit accuracy for correctness immediately before the display output thanks to a completely new signature unit. Several detection areas are possible, and masking and adjustable tolerances
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING The advent of autonomous driving in the next few years will change the display landscape but also entertainment provision since the driver will become a passenger on long motorway journeys, meaning other applications will be present on the central display system. It is therefore important to ensure the necessary copy-protection measures in entertainment applications, which take the form of HDCP in the SC1701. Of course, autonomously driven vehicles will certainly give rise to new display concepts that do not exist today, or exist only as a concept. A flexible architecture is then all the more important so the components of this display controller family can be adapted. The development system will be
available Q3 2018 offering users the opportunity to test the remote display controller and to then develop their first prototypes. The kit is the realisation of an embedded system and can be integrated into the initial hardware. In addition, the board can be used as a template for in-house developments.
Socionext Europe
www.eu.socionext.com T: 01628 504600
THE SOCIONEXT SC1701 AUTOMOTIVE DISPLAY CONTROLLER
The Socionext SC1701 display controller series are components that are designed specifically for automotive remote display applications. Their function is to receive and process video and control signals via the integrated APIX receiver and to act as a communication and video bridge to the displays and connected peripheral devices. In the currently featured 3rd generation, the APIX3
interface licensed by Inova Semiconductor is used with up to 12 GB/s link bandwidth. The components from previous generations, which are already in series production, are today used in numerous
applications of several vehicle manufacturers in central displays, head-up displays, instrument clusters and rear-seat monitors.
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ELECTRONICS | JUNE 2018
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