Solomon Systech Limited has announced the launch of SSD2211, a liquid crystal display, or LCD, driver supporting full high-definition, or FHD, a-Si and IGZO panel technologies. The core display spec of mid-range and high-end smartphones has now been shifting to FHD, which is one of the high volume resolutions expected in 2016, and the share of FHD smartphones worldwide is expected to continue to grow in 2016. FHD resolution SSD2211 supports the high performance yet cost-effective a-Si and IGZO technologies which can now achieve 400ppi for a 5.5" display panel.

IGZO is even anticipated as the next technology of choice for mobile displays, as it enables relatively lower power consumption and narrow bezel design. Moreover, a-Si and IGZO production line has adequate capacity to meet the expected high volume FHD mobile display demand in 2016. SSD2211 is set apart from other FHD driver ICs as it has adopted the innovative 'On-chip Distributed Power Supply Architecture', which is specially designed for power-hungry digital core inside the TFT driver IC.

It features fast response and load balancing nature which can support abrupt rise in load current without the need of any external capacitor. This scalable distributed architecture effectively addresses drastic loading profiles at different points of the digital core caused by undesirable physical layout shape, which is common in nowadays' TFT driver ICs. The unique bistable feature of IGZO facilitates the retaining of display quality with low frequency operation.

SSD2211 can help largely reduce the power consumption of IGZO panels from the average frame frequency of 60Hz for ordinary application to as low as 1Hz without sacrificing the display quality. In the case of driving an average frame frequency of 30Hz, SSD2211 enables IGZO panels to reduce the average display power consumption by 25%. This 'frame skipping' function on IGZO panel is extremely important for high-end smartphones with high power consumption applications.

Besides, SSD2211 has a small amplitude interface (MIPI-DSI) to transfer mass data at high speed and to support low-power operation. With SSD2211, images are displayed by the newly developed Display Enhancement Engine, which enables enhancement of color, contrast, sharpness and sunlight readability, while the color correction function makes the images as vivid and clear as those adopting high cost AMOLED and LTPS displays. The high electronic mobility of IGZO also helps reduce TFT cell size, thereby increases the light transmission rate, making the display looks much brighter and sharper.

SSD2211 is highly integrated with a competitive die size. Not only that it integrates the advanced GIP circuit to reduce the number of gate control signal, it also operates with a 4 lane MIPI-DSI that requires only 4 pairs of data lane and 1 pair of clock lane to achieve high speed data transfer of 4 Gbps/4 channels, which largely reduces pin count from the controller. The compact design of SSD2211 together with the high electronic mobility feature of IGZO panels enable modules with narrow bezel design.