National Semiconductor - 65 MHz, 24-Bit Colour SerDes Family for Infotainment Displays

National Semiconductor has introduced serializer and deserializer (SerDes) chipsets capable of driving high-resolution, 24-bit colour flat-panel displays with a 65 MHz clock. The two new additions to National’s FPD-Link II SerDes chipset family deliver a scalable pixel clock range (5 MHz to 65 MHz), enabling a modular platform for low-resolution (WQVGA) through high-resolution (XGA) infotainment displays. The higher resolution XGA display offers consumers an enhanced video experience, while the SerDes chipsets support an automobile manufacturer’s vehicle portfolio, from luxury to base models.

The new additions to National’s FPD-Link II SerDes chipset family include the DS90UR905Q serializer and DS90UR906Q deserializer, which use a low-voltage CMOS (LVCMOS) parallel interface, and the DS90UR907Q serializer and DS90UR908Q deserializer, which use a low-voltage differential signalling (LVDS) interface. The chipsets connect the graphics host processor with central information displays, rear seat displays, console displays and instrument panel displays. Having a choice in SerDes input and output interfaces allows the designer to select from a wide array of video sources and display panels. National’s FPD-Link II chipsets provide an efficient and cost-effective way to serially route video content beyond 10 meters to single or multiple displays in the driver and passenger compartments.

To protect adjacent circuitry from electromagnetic interference (EMI), the DS90UR90xQ family features a serial-output voltage-level selection for minimum differential voltage swing and user-selectable de-emphasis to further reduce differential voltage swing. The chipsets also mitigate EMI with spread-spectrum clocking (SSC) support from the serializer input to the deserializer output. The SerDes’ EMI performance ensures there is no interference with the automobile-control system electronics.

The DS90UR905Q and DS90UR907Q serializers embed the clock, randomize, balance, and scramble the data payload, level shift the wide parallel video bus and serialize it to a single pair. Both serializers operate at speeds of 140 Mbps to 1.8 Gbps and support 18-bits per pixel (bpp) and 24-bpp colour displays. They operate with either a 1.8V or 3.3V I/Os and feature integrated termination resistors to save board space and reduce cost.

The DS90UR905Q and DS90UR907Q serializers are AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualified for operation between -40 degrees C and 105 degrees C. They also include a built-in self test (BIST) mode for factory test, system start up and diagnostics. Both devices are backward-compatible with previous generation FPD-Link II deserializers. The DS90UR905Q is offered in a 48-pin LLP® package and the DS90UR907Q is supplied in a 36-pin LLP package.The DS90UR906Q and DS90UR908Q deserializers recover the RGB data and control signals and extract the clock from the serial stream. They include complementary features to their companion serializers, and are also AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualified for operation between -40 degrees C and 105 degrees C. Both devices are backward-compatible with previous generation FPD-Link II serializers. The DS90UR906Q and DS90UR908Q are offered in 60-pin and 48-pin LLP packages, respectively.