Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) has been developing its leading-edge LCD technology since 1968, for a wide range of applications including portable computing as well as industrial factory automation equipment, point-of-sale, kiosk, automotive PC, navigation, wireless, amusement and entertainment. Toshiba’s award-winning low temperature polysilicon (LTPS) technology has enabled innovative products in cell phones, electronic books, notebook and tablet PCs and is now incorporating this LTPS technology into their new lineup of Industrial display products.
TMD has recently announced the development of a new color active-matrix thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) module lineup for industrial applications. The new display modules incorporate LTPS along with light-emitting diode (LED) backlighting systems offering a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)1 of 100,000 hours. The modules are designed to satisfy the requirements of a broad range of industrial applications, such as test and measurement equipment, medical equipment, mobile computing devices and more, utilizing the latest LED backlight technology. The series includes eight new LCD products, available in four screen sizes (5.7-inch, 8.4-inch, 10.4-inch, and 12.1-inch).
Compared to CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamp) backlit displays, LED-backlit displays feature superior characteristics such as lower electromagnetic noise and lower power consumption, and offer a wider adjustable luminance range. Also, the new LED-backlit displays do not require the high-voltage and high-frequency circuits needed to control luminance in CCFL-backlit displays, thus enabling a higher level of flexibility in system design in terms of safety, electromagnetic interference (EMI) compensation, and system architecture.
In 2008, ahead of all other competitors, TMD started volume production of a new series of industrial TFT LCD panels that incorporated an LED backlight system with 70,000 hours MTBF at ordinary room temperatures (25°C). This year, in a new development, TMD has succeeded in implementing LED backlight systems with an MTBF of 100,000 hours at ordinary room temperatures (25°C). The innovative backlight system achieves increased longevity through design optimization for heat dissipation and luminous efficiency. TMD expects to start volume production of the new LCD display lineup in the very near future.
This MTBF of 100,000 hours fulfills typical product longevity requirements for industrial applications with frequent or continuous operation. The modules have been designed with a replaceable backlight assembly and have integrated the LED driver circuitry into the electrical interface for the displays. This will help to simplify design-in time and cost.
All of these displays also utilize Low Temperature Poly Silicon (LTPS) substrates which offer compelling characteristics for the Industrial markets. LTPS technology enables LCDs that are significantly thinner and lighter in weight than previous generations, and offers high-resolution capability for unmatched brilliance and clarity. In addition, LTPS technology dramatically reduces energy consumption for lower operating costs and longer operating life in battery-operated devices.
Part Numbers and Scheduled Mass Production schedules for these new products are as follows.
Please contact your local Avnet or Toshiba sales representative for more information including pricing, datasheets, demos & availability.
1The MTBF (Mean Time between Failures) is not a guarantee or estimate of product life; it is a statistical value related to mean failure rates for a large number of products which may not accurately reflect actual operation. Actual operating life of the product may not resemble the MTBF.
*In April 2009, Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Group when Toshiba acquired Panasonic’s shares from a joint venture, and in May changed the company name to Toshiba Mobile Display Co., Ltd. (TMD).
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