Analog Devices and AUO Partner on Widescreen Automotive Displays

AUO Corp. will use Analog Devices Inc.’s (ADI) matrix LED display driver technology in its automotive widescreen display portfolio. This industry-first technology enables local dimming, significantly improving power consumption by a minimum of 50% and supporting functional safety requirements.

To deliver a more immersive experience, vehicles are incorporating widescreen displays throughout the cabin. Increased automation and autonomy are pushing the requirements of these displays from a typical infotainment hub to a safety center with visuals surrounding the vehicle. Furthermore, the automotive industry is accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, where power consumption is important.

To meet these requirements, ADI has developed a unique approach called local dimming that drives LEDs behind the screen in the car display unit. Developed through a proprietary power process technology, the driver integrates all external switching positive channel field effect transistors (PFETs), enables high resolution and high contrast ratio for large automotive displays, improved diagnostics of LEDs, and reduces ghost images. The system reduces power consumption by a minimum of 50% compared to the traditional edge lit display. ADI’s power portfolio is ASIL-B to D rated, a critical consideration for many automotive manufacturers that require functional safety features to ensure reliable operation within the vehicle.

ADI aims to enhance the in-cabin experience by enabling energy-efficient widescreens capable of local dimming through proprietary power management and processing solutions, as well as high resolution displays through Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) serializer and deserializer (SerDes) connectivity solutions.

“To help us maintain our leadership position in the market as one of the world’s top automotive display manufacturers catering to some of the largest OEMs, ADI’s local dimming automotive display drivers deliver the power efficiency consistent with the quality standard of the AUO brand,” said Simon Hsu, Head of Automotive Business Unit at AUO. “AUO AmLED displays feature power savings, excellent sunlight readability and high contrast ratio, which greatly upgrade driving safety and in-cabin entertainment experience. In response to the trend of smart mobility, AUO continues to advance display technology, and we look forward to further collaborations with the ADI team.”

“The future of the automotive experience is to bring consumer features into the vehicle,” said Patrick Morgan, Corporate Vice President of Automotive Electrification and Sustainable Energy at Analog Devices. “Through this collaboration, our technology and leadership for high performance automotive power enables bringing the next wave of widescreen displays into the market with significantly improved power consumption and full functional safety capabilities.”

AUO uses the MAX25500 4 x 24 automotive LED matrix driver for its local-dimming automotive displays. It is available now and is part of ADI’s family of automotive local dimming display drivers.