All posts by: Microtips Technology

Top 4 Automotive Display Trends in 2022

Microtips Technology / / OLED, Industry News, News

The global automotive industry is set to witness the immense change in the manufacturing, sales, and overall business model, owing to the prompt advances in the latest technologies like autonomous driving, augmented reality, and big data.

In today’s cars, there are a growing number of displays. This article explains the most important trends in automotive displays that you must know in 2022.

  1. A Head-Up Display, An Electronic Mirror, And More

Nowadays, electromechanical switches and controls are being increasingly replaced by electronic controls, which include touchscreen displays. Even smaller controls, such as those to control the air conditioning, the position of a car’s exterior mirrors, or the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel, are involved.

In addition to the electronic mirror, there is another new development with cameras and display systems replacing rear-view or exterior mirrors to enhance safety by providing a better viewing angle. Since the protruding mirrors can be eliminated, even fuel savings are possible. The savings may be small for passenger cars, but for trucks and buses, they can be substantial.

  1. OLED Technology Adoption On The Rise

In-vehicle interactions are primarily determined by visualization technologies, with overall automotive navigation and connectivity defining the cars of this generation. As a result, prominent automakers have incorporated interactive displays (those capable of responding to touch and visual stimulation) into their manufacturing processes.

As the most preferred display technology, OLED displays are increasingly chosen by automotive companies such as General Motors, Audi, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz. Some examples include:

One of the unique selling propositions of OLED displays is their improved picture quality, sharpness, and visibility. The global auto sector is highly competitive, so the automotive display market is experiencing sustained growth.

  1. A New Generation Of Chip Solutions

Apart from getting a wide range of innovative chip solutions for processing the video stream and driving the display panels, you can also get accurate solutions for backlighting. Furthermore, you can be ensured that each application connects to high-speed networks while also providing the necessary power, especially for applications that must adhere to very high and constantly expanding safety standards in the automotive industry.

You can get the right system designers with an appropriate software suite to simplify display programming and configuration, especially on safety requirements. In addition, extensive documentation and application notes with design examples and the necessary safety manuals are available.

  1. Changes In Architecture

In the past, most display systems had a System on Chip (SoC) with an integrated GPU next to the display panel. Project and system responsibilities and technical feasibility, security aspects, and commercial aspects played a decisive role.

A fundamental change is occurring in this so-called “distributed architecture.” The trend towards stand-alone displays supports the new domain architecture. Currently, LCDs display graphics and video streams generated by a computing unit, a domain controller, far away in the car, typically under a back seat, rather than by an SoC or GPU within the display system.

Wrapping It Up!

C.A.S.E. (Connectivity, Autonomous, Sharing/Subscription, and Electrification) continues to dominate as digital technologies continue to transform the landscape of mobility and the development processes used in the automotive industry. You should understand and look at how these automotive trends will shape the auto industry in 2022!

Microtips Technology, a significant manufacturer of LCDs in the United States, has developed an LCD with less than an inch of diagonal. This device offers the best user experience and customer requirements for LCDs. We are a supplier of LCD modules with custom LCD, OLED, and capacitive touchscreen products.

DISPLAY

Microtips Technology / / Others

Identifying an energy-efficient display can be critical in industrial use cases and general use cases like households. 

Today, the market is dominated by several dominant technologies; thus, knowing which one is the best depends significantly on energy consumption. 

With the increasing usage of digital screens, energy consumption has become a pressing issue for electronic display users worldwide. Thus, the energy efficiency of display screens becomes a crucial subject of making the lower power consumption energy-saving display design.

Let us now discuss some of the most popular display types that have been in high demand because of their energy-efficient architecture.

  • Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

The term liquid crystal describes a substance that lies in a state between liquid and solid but exhibits the properties of both. Since their first observation in the 19th century, LCD technology has been enjoying various advancements, and currently, it accounts for an enormous share in the entire display market area. 

LCD belongs to a non-emissive display category, and further, you can classify them as Passive matrix (PMLCD) and active matrix (AMLCD). The fundamental difference that exists between these two categories is in the way of addressing pixels for producing different luminance components of an image. 

The power consumption of LCD is directly proportional to the drive frequency (as the frame rate lowers, the power consumption reduces) and the displayed image. 

  • Electronic Paper (E-Paper)

Electronic paper is a vigorous display technology that can rip off the traditional paper. Just as in the case of LCD, e-paper also belongs to the non-emissive display category, and here we do not need any backlight. It is because the ambient light from nature is enough. 

The display comprises millions of microcapsules containing positively charged white and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear liquid, producing the resolution only found in prints. 

Significant characteristics of e-paper include flexibility, reliability, multi-functionality, and ultra-low power consumption. They even lead to zero consumption in the non-updating period. You can find several technologies in small sizes, although there are approaches with A5 size. 

  • Organic Light-Emitting Display (OLED)

OLED or organic light-emitting diode is a light-emitting technology that is made when you place several thin organic films made from carbon and hydrogen between two conductors. They will emit a bright light when the electric current is applied. 

Several OLEDs share specific characteristics like high brightness and contrast, captivating color definition, and quick response time. Because of the self-luminous effect, they offer an enormous view angle of 160 degrees. However, a significant benefit is their low power consumption (proportional to the number of pixels that are turned on, the black dots will not require power), which depends on the present content only because they don’t need a backlight. 

It makes them thinner and efficient. As they are manufactured on a small scale, they are available at a high price. Several studies conclude that while using this technology, the consumption of displays rises strongly as per the size.  

  • Electroluminescent Display (ELD)

Electroluminescent display technology is well-known for taking advantage of the light-emission phenomenon because of the strong electric field. You can find a solid-state thin phosphor film and insulator stack deposited on a glass substrate in the ELD driven by high voltage electronics generating a positive and negative pulse. Plus, they are known for being a cost-efficient light source method leading to low power consumption. 

Electroluminescent technology is well-known for having lower consumption and contrast ratios. It is best to pay attention to the viewing angle values of 180 degrees. 

The prototype values are given when discussing TDEL and AMEL as they are not yet commercialized.

In A Nutshell

When looking at several options within the reflective display, you can find two significant candidates: E-ink display and  LCD. As they all carry different characteristics, you should look at the specific application to understand the power-efficient one. 

Microtips Technology, a US-based electronic display manufacturer, is pioneering the development of capacitive touch panels featured with specialized coatings. They manufacture PCAPs for extensive use cases in different industry domains such as healthcare, education, corporates, banking, and research.

VIEWING MODES IN LCD PANELS

Microtips Technology / / LCD, TFT

The terms reflective, transmissive, and transflective describe how LCD modules illuminate. Compared to emissive display technologies such as OLED displays (organic light-emitting diode) and VFDs (vacuum fluorescent displays), LCDs need an ambient light source like the sun, artificial light, or a merged backlight.

The display type of image will create issues that the engineering and marketing department may need to rectify.

There are three types of modes in LCD, which we shall discuss in this blog post.

1. Reflective LCD

Some displays use ambient lighting instead of backlights. This mode of operation is termed reflective. A mirror is installed behind the liquid crystal layer in this mode, which is either on the LCD cell or the rear polarizer. The ambient light passes through the LCD cell from the front side and gets a reflection by the mirror back to the person who is viewing.

Reflective LCD has the advantage of having lower power consumption and exceptional visibility in direct sunlight. It makes these displays a splendid solution for outdoor daytime applications. For being visible at night or in dark settings, the reflective LCDs need extra lighting. 

2. Transmissive LCD

When the backlight passes via LCD glass, this mode of operation is known as transmissive. LCD glass or the LCD panel might function like an optical switch, where the light can pass through the LCD cell. It depends upon the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules. 

You can switch the orientation on and off by an electrical field. Backlights can produce a good amount of light, which makes the display content too bright. The negative side of using the backlights is that they need a specific amount of energy within an LCD module, majorly because the backlight is required to be every time, even if there is no content on display. 

When there is direct sunlight, the transmissive LCD screens might become washed out if the sunlight may overpower the brightness of the backlight. The backlights that are strong enough for maintaining sufficient contrast in the direct sunlight, like aviation displays, might not be compatible with the needs of portable gadgets. 

3. Transflective LCD

The displays having characteristics of both transmissive and reflective displays are called transflective LCDs. They include an integrated backlight unit and a semi-transparent reflector. The light from the backlight can eventually pass the semi-transparent reflector and then operate in the transmissive mode. 

The ambient light reflects, the display becomes visible in direct sunlight also. In the transmissive mode of operation, the light can pass through the liquid crystal layer one, while in the reflective mode, it passes twice. It is pretty flexible and allows solutions for lower power consumption in bright environments and readability in any circumstance.

Conclusion

When it comes to outdoor applications, a reflective or transflective LCD is best as they are energy efficient. On the other hand, a transmissive or reflective LCD is best for indoor applications as you can view it with them in the dark. 

Microtips, a leading LCD manufacturer company in the United States, has developed its LCD with less than an inch diagonal. They ensure the best user experience and customer requirements in LCD formation. We are an LCD module supplier with custom LCD, OLED, and capacitive touchscreen products.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CAPACITIVE TOUCH PANELS

Microtips Technology / / Uncategorized

Capacitive touch screens rely on electrical charges to operate. When a finger or specialized input device, composed of atoms with positive and negative charges, comes in contact with the display, it detects electrical field disruption and executes the command. Capacitive touch screens are pretty sensitive and are preferred to increase screen contrast and clarity.

Capacitive touchscreens are coated with copper or indium tin oxide, storing electrical charges in an electrostatic grid of wires — thinner than a human hair. Capacitive control displays operate through the changing electric fields and the effect it prostrates on the capacitance.

Based on that, one can logically assume that there is more to know about capacitive touch panels. 

Here, we are deducing prominent features of the capacitive touch panel that make them famous.

• Anti-Glare (AG) – Anti-glare touchscreens form micro surface asperities that enhance the screen visibility under bright light settings or outdoors. It is manufactured with two methods — chemical-based surface treatment and controlled acid etching process.

Anti-Reflective (AR) – Anti-reflective screen minimizes the reflections by using the optical coating to the surface. Through the vacuum evaporation process, it reduces reflection. This method can also improve efficiency in typical imaging systems as less light is lost due to low reflection.

• Anti-Fingerprint (AF) – An anti-fingerprint coating limits scratches to a screen and prevents smudging and fingerprints from being imprinted on the surface. The AF surface makes it possible to quickly wipe up smudge on the touch panel, making it easier to clean and aesthetically pleasing. The AFP coating has a hydrophobic effect, and it reduces friction that improves scratch resistance.

• Wet Functional – Wet functional means that the capacitive touch panel responds to a finger touch even when the screen is wet. Touchscreen working due to the distortion of the electrostatic field may fail to react to wet hands. However, the capacitive touch panel is equipped with a sensor, and it enlightens whether the screen is wet or dry. It simultaneously switches from single finger touch to multi-finger touches according to the damp and dry touch and minimizes false signals.

• Gloved Use – Although capacitive touch panels do not work with the gloves, some are compatible to work with coated gloves. The conductivity in gloves’ coating may affect the electric field on the screen’s surface. Depending upon the fingertip pressure or time, coated gloves can affect screen functionality and responsiveness.

Conclusion

Following this, one can get an idea that capacitive touch panel technology is not as simple as it appears. The effectiveness of capacitive touchscreens varies based on various degrees, such as the thickness of the coating, finger pressure, etc. Thus, one can only determine it after testing.

Microtips Technology, a US-based LCD and touch panel manufacturer, is pioneering the development of capacitive touch panels featured with specialized coatings. They are manufacturing PCAPs for extensive use cases in different industry domains such as healthcare, education, corporates, banking, and research.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MCU INTERFACE

Microtips Technology / / Others

Graphical displays can be more attractive when it comes to creating a flexible user interface. But, they require more CPU time to update the data than other display types, i.e., segmented or character displays.

What we call display interfaces are display controllers that are used to transmit data.

The most popular type of interface used in display modules is the parallel interface. MCU (microcontroller unit) and RGB parallel interface are the two most common types of parallel interface.

Both MCU and RGB parallel interfaces can be used in a variety of applications.

MCU interfaces are available in two standard forms, Intel-8080 and Motorola-6800 series. These interfaces communicate through an integrated display controller and frame buffer.

We know that you might have some bubbling questions by now, such as, what is an Integrated display controller? What is a frame buffer? What do all of them get to do with the MCU interface? What is the difference between RGB and MCU interfaces? 

Let’s explore the answers in the blog post hereon.

Understanding The Mechanism

The frame buffer is the memory space that holds the pixel data being displayed. There are internal frame buffers in smart displays that are stored on RAM. The MCU display interface reads the frame buffer every time to update the display.

The MCU interface progresses through frames at an increased rate to read pixels from the display controller. It can read and write data and display images directly from the internal memory.

MCU supplies both pixel data and timing signals in the display systems.

Difference Between MCU and RGB Display Interface

Unlike the MCU interface, the RGB interface works without the participation of any frame buffer. 

So, which should you choose between MCU and RGB for your displays?

Well, that completely depends on the deployable application of the displays. Different interfaces may exhibit diversified requirements in terms of processing speed and memory space.

Alongside this, there can be differences in pin availability.

Despite needing more pins, higher processing speed, and memory allocation, RGB display interfaces can be deployed easily in high-performance displays.

On the other hand, MCU interfaces use a frame buffer which makes them easily operable without any hampering timing requirements.

In a Nutshell

After a mutual comparison of features and working mechanisms, we can conclude that choosing parallel MCU can be more advantageous for displaying images. These are less expensive and easily controllable.

Microtips Technology, a US-based LCD display manufacturer and distributor with global exposure, has been using both RGB and MCU interfaces in their TFT display panels and touch panel displays. However, most of their deliverables feature MCU interfaces primarily.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GLOBAL CHIP SHORTAGE

Microtips Technology / / Industry News

Did you ever think that there would be a global chip shortage in a period when more than half of the world relies on electronic devices? But, it is there. As the world moves towards getting rid of lock down and other adversities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now confronted by a new crisis.

So, how did it happen?

A chip is the mind of any electronic device. And, the reason for its shortage, soon to be reaching the crisis point, is another example of industrial breakdown.

Apple, one of the world’s largest smart device manufacturers, delayed the launch of the iPhone 12 due to a ‘temporarily constrained’ supply chain.

While most of the business leaders are anticipating the shortage to take years to fulfill the demands, Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls the global shortage of chips a ‘short-term’ problem.

Let us now understand the answers to some burning questions.

Why Is There a Global Chip Shortage?

The global chip shortage is an outcome of an imbalance in the supply chain system. When the production factories and companies locked down, automotive companies pulled back their demands of chips. The chips they had ordered went to other industries. When companies restart their production, they face a slowed-down production of chips.

It did not happen only with the automotive sector but also with smart device manufacturers ever since many people started working from home.

How is Global Chip Shortage Affecting the Economy?

The semiconductor market has grown by leaps and bounds through the years. That is because of the large adoption of electronic pieces of equipment in all industries.

A prolonged shortage of chips is already affecting companies like Apple and Samsung, where they have to delay the release of their new launches.

Prominent car manufacturers including Volkswagen, Ford, Renault, Nissan, and Jaguar Land Rover are facing serious delays in their production and delivery system. These car manufacturers use these chips to build digital speedometers, video monitors, infotainment systems, navigation systems, airbag systems, and other components.

As per a report released by Deloitte, the cost contribution of automotive electronics and semiconductor

content per car has hiked potentially through the years.

Let us have a look at this table here.

The very same reports also indicate the rising revenues of the automotive semiconductor industry staggeringly.

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It becomes evident to witness a significant impact of this global chip shortage on the global economy via industrial sectors such as automotive, smartphones, entertainment, healthcare, and others.

How is Chip Shortage Affecting the LCD Market?

The very first indication of the severe impacts caused by chip shortage is the increasing costs of LCD devices. Companies, where there are devices manufactured using LCDs, are pulling back their production and focusing on alternate products.

Many LCD device manufacturers now have to close down their businesses temporarily.

Some business bodies are appealing to the governments for waiving off some taxes or subsidizing the production of LCDs by the time things get normal in the chip supply system.

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How and When Will the Chip Shortage End?

In March 2021, Intel announced that it would invest 20 billion US dollars in sustaining its focus on product manufacturing. The organization also sighted companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Qualcomm can be future customers. It also cited national security objectives where it indicated that the extension of its facilities would increase America’s competitiveness and also support US government initiatives.

Elon Musk’s anticipation of believing that it is a short-term problem was mainly because many foundries or manufacturing companies have or will soon become online, which will support the supply chain system.

However, some experts believe that it may take at least two years to create a structure that will maintain the high imbalance in the supply-demand ratio today. Many also indicate that things can become under control by Q2 of 2022.

The Final Words

Chip shortage can increase the costs of all electronic equipment in the upcoming times. It is up to both the corporate and the governments to engage in better communication to keep things a bit easier for them.

Leading IC vendors in Taiwan and China are forced to hike the prices in Q4 of 2021 after paying increased costs of foundry and materials. The labor shortage in an age of high demands and low supplies is another challenge faced by electronic component manufacturers.

Amid the crisis, a few manufacturers are trying hard to counter the challenges with a fore thoughtful material management approach.

Microtips Technology, a US-based electronic component manufacturer and distributor, is proactively working with their customers to meet the demands throughout 2022 by;

  • Evaluating demand and lead time
  • Analyzing costs and material availability
  • Investing in the supply chain to secure better pricing and material allocation
  • Redesigning material if needed to source from multiple suppliers
  • Ensuring our customers avoid interruption in their product supply.

THE INTEGRATION OF LVDS IN DIGITAL DISPLAYS

Microtips Technology / / LCD, AMOLED, OLED, TFT

Display interfaces are used to exchange information across different components. It operates over three primary functions, i.e., image decompression, image assembly, and communication to and from the display daemon.

Among the four most particular types of display interfaces are;

  1. LVDS (Low-Voltage Differential Signaling),
  2. eDP (Embedded DisplayPort),
  3. MIPI DSI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface Display Serial Interface),
  4. And, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface).

LVDS signaling is considered ideal for large displays, e.g., TV, laptops, and other computers. Its capability of transferring large pixels in less time makes it a popular and favorable choice for developing PMOLED, AMOLED, TFT, and different types of displays.

LVDS interfaces enable LCDs to send and receive data in the form of pixels. The data is transmitted using voltage differences, causing no interference, and indulging a smooth transfer of power.

With the advent of high-definition displays, there was a need for faster data transmission, which promoted the development of the LVDS interfaces we have today.

It started a revolution of high-speed, flexible, and visually appealing displays that has grown widely in recent years.

How Does It Work?

Signals can be transmitted in three ways;

  1. Single-ended mode,
  2. Common mode,
  3. And differential mode.

In the single-ended mode, data is transmitted through a line connecting the driver to the receiver. In contrast, in the standard manner, the data is transmitted through a single-ended or pair of differential lines. With noise coupled to the near-end or far-end signal source, there can be interferences in the circuits.

The differential mode is created using a pair with opposite polarities bridging the driver, and the receiver hence called differential pair or LVDS.

Advantages of LVDS Interfaces

  1. LVDS is mainly known for its low power consumption in data transmission.
  2. It can be operated at low power (as low as 1.2V).
  3. It has higher data rates than most of its contenders, e.g., RS-422 and RS-485. It can achieve more than 1 GB per second.
  4. It uses single-ended technology and showcases high signal-to-noise ratios.
  5. Low system costs.

LVDS technology showcases a significant application in medical imaging devices such as ultrasound scanners.

Intel is using LVDS in its Cyclone Series Devices that focus on making design faster, cost-efficient, and more marketable with increased high-speed data transfer.

Microtips Technology, a leading LCD manufacturer, based in the USA, has been developing electronic products such as LCD, AMOLED, and PMOLED displays using LVDS technology. It has been reckoned highly for its remarkable developments in manufacturing LVDS-enabled devices.

OLED VS LCD – WHICH IS BETTER?

Microtips Technology / / LCD, OLED

OLED, an acronym for Organic Light Emitting Diode, is often identified as the modern-age display. Many companies are still using LCDs, but the growing demand for OLEDs overshadows the market of LCDs.

Traditional LCDs use CCFL or cold-cathode fluorescent lamps backlight whereas OLEDs use organic material to emit light in different combinations of colors without using any backlight. In LCDs, the light emitted by the LED backlight passes through a layer of crystal material.

In this blog post, we shall compare OLEDs and LCDs based on different parameters.

Comparison Between OLED and LCD

  • Brightness

Since LCDs exhibit full-screen brightness with their LED backlights, they get a competitive edge over OLEDs in this parameter. However, in the modern-age displays, brightness is not given much importance in terms of image clarity and light output.

  • Contrast Ratio

The standard contrast ratio of LCDs of computers may value 1000:1, whereas the contrast ratio of LCD TV displays may go around 4000:1. The contrast ratio of the OLED displays can go as high as 1,000,000:1. The more the contrast ratio is, the better your device’s picture quality will be.

The contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest and darkest visual of a display. Since OLEDs have true black where the pixels turn off when they show black color, which is not the case with LCDs, the OLEDs become a better option for contrast and picture quality.

  • Refresh Rates

The number of times a display presents a new image every second is called refresh rate. The OLEDs switch images far faster than LCDs. Today’s OLED displays have a 120Hz refresh rate far more than the 60Hz refresh rate of traditional LCDs. Despite being ahead of LCD, the OLEDs exhibit motion blur, which is a challenge for aspiring electronic equipment manufacturers of today.

  • Power Consumption

Unlike LCDs that always need the backlight to illuminate their pixels, OLEDs use organic material to emit light and create an image. Having true black is another crucial reason why OLEDs consume less power than the contending LCDs. We can say that it is more about the brightness of the image being displayed. The less the light is emitted, the module will consume less energy. It means if we keep the LED backlight of LCDs low, it is possible to make them more energy-efficient than OLEDs.

  • Viewing Angle

Viewing angle is one of the most crucial parameters where OLEDs win over LCDs. If you sit off-axis in front of an LCD, you may not consider the image in its actual appearance as the visuals would fade away, which is not the case with OLED displays.

Conclusion

In all the parameters we have discussed here, OLEDs seem more advantageous. Moreover, OLEDs are easier to manufacture. Many OLED displays are offering bendable, foldable, and rollable OLED displays. From small-scale applications such as smartwatches to large-scale applications such as smartphones and TV displays, OLEDs are finding across more and more use cases.

Microtips Technology, a US-based OLED and LCD module manufacturer, has launched its range of products having the latest capabilities of OLED.

TOUCH PANELS: RESISTIVE VS CAPACITIVE

Microtips Technology / / Touch Panel, Uncategorized

Touch panels are layered screens allowing users to interact with different devices. These touch panels are available in two types based on their formation and applications: Resistive and Capacitive.

Resistive touch panels, also known as RTP, enable single-touch which means it only accepts input given in the form of pressure by one touch of your finger or stylus, a writing utensil. The composition of RTP includes the layers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) coated with indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and the glass substrate at the top of its structure.

Capacitive touch panel, popularly known as PCAP or PCT or Projected Capacitive Touch Panels, allows multitouch where it takes electrical properties of the human body as the input as multiple points of contact. The composition of PCAP constitutes a projected capacitive touch screen and a flexible printed circuit connecting the touch screen controller laminated by a protective lens.

Market Value

RTPs were used largely before the arrival of PCAPs. However, the applications of RTPs reduced to small-scale applications as smart devices were seeking touch panels that would be of high contrast, more efficient, and multitouch. RTPs are easy to produce and more affordable. Some of the common and well-known applications of RTPs include electrical and mechanical equipment, point-of-sale devices, ATM machines, wearables, and digital cameras.

On the other hand, PCAPs are used in devices with high-performing and clearer screens with increased optical transmissivity and gestures.

Parameter-Based Comparison

PCAPs are dominating the market in all significant factors any aspiring customer would seek in a touch panel today.

Let’s have a quick tabular comparison between the two types of touch panels;

ParameterRTPPCAP
Production ComplexityEasyComparatively complex
Touch-PointSingle-TouchMulti-Touch
DurabilityLowHigh
Cover GlassNot AvailableAvailable
CostLowComparatively High

Microtips Technology, a US-based touch panel manufacturer has developed 4,5 & 8 wire resistive, multipurpose PCAPs, integrated touch panels, and film sensor packages. They have kept their touch panel developments waterproof, of precise experience, and responsive to glove and stylus touch. These touch panels are being adjusted in different fluids i.e. PCAPs in OLED screens.

HDMI VS DISPLAY PORT INTERFACE: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Microtips Technology / / HDMI

When it comes to digital video transmission, there are two interfaces commonly preferred, namely, High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and Display Port (DP). These technologies are rapidly taking over conventional analog interfaces like VGA, GRG, S-Video, etc. Because of their popularity, HDMI cable ports and display ports are pitted against each other. However, these technologies serve several specifications that suit various applications. Therefore, the selection of an appropriate video transmission interface becomes complex. To avoid confusion during the selection, one must get to know about HDMI cable ports and display ports. This post discusses HDMI port and display port interfaces followed by a comparison of their specifications in order to help the selection process.

Get Introduced to HDMI and DP

The following pointers will help you understand the difference between HDMI and DP

  • High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)HDMI is a digital video transmission interface. It was first introduced in 2003 by the collective efforts of a few display manufacturers. It is a proprietary medium that enables audio/video signal transmission of compressed or uncompressed digital data between two or more HDMI- compliant devices. HDMI display module works in compliance with high-bandwidth digital copy protection (HDCP) protocol for encrypted audio or video signal transmission.
  • Display Port (DP)Display port is a digital video transmission standard introduced by Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) in 2006. It was developed for video signal transmission between computers and other display monitors. By using this standard, the operator can connect laptops or PCs to display devices like projectors.Although both of these interfaces are developed and introduced to perform the same task of digital multimedia signal transmission, there are certain factors that help in comparing these two technologies. Let us now compare HDMI cable port and display port interfaces based on different factors.

Comparison between HDMI Cable Port and Display Port Interfaces

HDMI display modules and display port modules are compared to each other on the basis of the following factors.

  • Connectors: The HDMI cables are compatible with five types of HDMI connectors. Out of the five, only three are commonly used. The HDMI connectors are categorized according to the functionality.
    • Type A, HDMI connectors are used for TVs, projectors, etc.
    • Type C, are mini HDMI connectors used for tablets, laptops, etc.
    • Type D, HDMI connectors are micro connectors used for mobile phones and portable devices.
    All these HDMI connectors feature 19 pin construction. Along with these 29 pin HDMI connectors are used for dual-link applications.On the other hand, the display port interface features a 20 pin connector, which is available in two standard sizes. The full-size display port connector is used for computers, and display monitors whereas the mini display port connectors are suitable for small portable video devices.
  • Bandwidth and Resolution: The bandwidth and resolution are the specifications that keep changing across versions. As the technologies keep evolving, the updated versions of HDMI and display port come up with enhanced bandwidth and resolution. Therefore, the comparison must be done with the latest versions only. The latest versions of HDMI and display port feature the same bandwidth of 60Hz for 8K and 120Hz for 4K transmission. However, the HDMI resolution is 720p to 1080p, and the display port has surpassed 1027p to 4320p resolution. Despite the difference in resolutions, the HDMI is implemented in several high-end products from global brands. The resolution of the display port is not adopted by any display manufacturer due to the demand for very high bandwidth to support the resolution.
  • Audio Features: Both HDMI and display port enable transmission of 8 digital audio signals at 12 bit and 192 kHz frequency. However, the HDMI display module features an audio return channel (ARC) that allows the video transmitter and the display unit both to emit audio based on requirements. This helps when the user wants to play display on TV but wants audio from another sound system. The display port does not support ARC which makes the HDMI display module superior in the case of audio units.
  • Transmission Cable Length: Generally, HDMI cables are short due to short distance transmission between a phone and projector, or a video transmitter and a TV. They often are used for up to 2km transmission. However, HDMI signals can transmit over CAT5 or CAT6 cables up to 50 meters, over coax-cable up to 90 meters, and over fiber optics up to 100 meters.On the other hand, the display port cables carry high-resolution signals up to 2 km but further the resolution limits. It can run up to 15 km at low resolution, but it cannot be integrated with Ethernet transmission media as it cannot carry Ethernet data.

Now that the comparison is made, it shall be convenient for you to make a choice between HDMI cable ports and display port interfaces. However, keep in mind that most of the display manufacturers adopt HDMI TFT display interface in their products. Also, the quality of products must be ensured, that is why you must buy from trusted suppliers like Microtips Technology. The company is one of the leading display manufacturers in the US. Their HDMI displays offer a seamless interface and superior display experience.

You can find these displays on the HDMI Displays page. Or, if you know the part number, you can use Microtips Search Assistant to find the product. Alternately, you can also get in touch with the team at Microtips to find the right part to meet your application requirements.

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