LED driver IC design house Macroblock has unveiled new-generation driver ICs used in mini LED backlighting and fine-pitch mini LED displays, according to the company.
Although BOM (bill of materials) cost for mini LED backlighting is 20-30% higher than that for regular LED one, Apple's initiative in adoption will trigger demand for mini LED backlighting which is expected to take off in the second half of 2021, Macroblock chairman Yang Li-chang said.
A mini LED-backlit tablet or notebook uses over 10,000 mini LED chips, and more than 30 static driver ICs with 16 output channels are need to drive more than 400 local dimming zones, Macroblock noted. However, only two MBI6322, a Macroblock-designed new-generation mini LED backlighting driver IC supporting 16-scan design, are needed to be used to reach the same display effects, leading to large reduction in the number of used components and simplification of PCB layout, the company indicated.
For a 32-inch mini LED-backlit gaming LCD monitor, six MBI6322 driver ICs are needed as compared with 36 static driver ICs, Macroblock said.
For use in 138-inch fine-pitch 8K mini LED displays with 0.4mm pitch, the newly designed driver IC MBI5864 supports 64-scan design at minimum current of 0.1mA and can reach 16-bit gray scale and a refresh rate of 3,840Hz. However, fine-pitch mini LED displays entail smaller pitches and require higher precision in marking than mini LED backlighting and thus are more difficult to reach the same yield rates, Macroblock indicated.
Application of fine-pitch mini LED displays is evolving from mere display to part of scene setting, with such displays widely used in stage design and exhibition at museums and even replacing green screens to become backdrops in movie. A 6m-high fine-pitch 4K mini LED display used in backdrops of movie is equipped with 48,600 driver ICs.
The MBI5268 is a driver IC supporting 128-scan design for use in fine-pitch LED displays. As a 128-scan driver IC can drive double pixels as compared with a 64-scan one, 50% fewer MBI5268 driver ICs are needed to be used. Besides, use of the MBI5268 leads to simplification of PCB layout and lower SMT risks. With its new-generation driver ICs, Macroblock is boosting reduction in pitch for indoor fine-pitch LED displays toward below 2mm.
Article translated by Adam Hwang
