Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation announced its new LCD HP (high-performance) per-pin digitizer and comparator module. Developed for use with the T6391 display driver test system, the LCD HP module features two key performance improvements.
First, it improves measurement precision 5x compared to the previous module, making it ideally suited to accommodate the testing demands of advanced display driver ICs (DDICs) for high-end smartphones and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) applications. Second, it can handle high-voltage testing up to ±40V, enabling the module to address the high-reliability testing demands of brand-new automotive DDICs.
Display panels used in devices such as OLEDs for smartphones and AR/VR glasses require very high gradation. In turn, the DDICs for these displays need to subdivide the output voltage into finer, more narrow steps, so high-precision voltage measurement is needed to test them. The higher the gradation, the more precise the voltage measurement must be.
At the same time, DDICs for the automotive market have typically contained separate chips for the source and gate drivers and the timing and touch controllers. Now that these functions will all be integrated into a single chip, demand for a tester capable of testing all device functionality in one insertion is growing rapidly.
“This is an exciting time for the display market and, by extension, for the test industry,” said Toshiaki Adachi, Advantest senior vice president, SoC Test Business Unit. “As the market for metaverse devices grows, adoption of OLED display panels is expected to escalate, while the shift to EVs calls for automotive displays that centralize cockpit clusters, infotainment and other display functions. All of this technology development is placing new, more stringent requirements on test and measurement. Our T6391 tester and new LCD HP module will lead the way in addressing these demands.”
The LCD HP module achieves noise reduction and uniform measurement accuracy between channels in the test system to enable high-precision measurement. It covers test requirements of new advanced DDICs for high-end smartphone and AR/VR applications, enabling the tester to support high-gradation testing with measurement accuracy of ±200mV. In addition, by supporting high-voltage testing up to ±40V with certain loads, the module enables functional testing of automotive DDICs that reflect their actual operations.
The T6391 LCD HP module is highly compatible with existing modules, enabling fast, easy integration with the customer’s test setup. Currently in evaluation with a leading display IC provider, the new module is expected to be available for customer purchase in the second quarter of 2023. To learn more about the LCD HP module and Advantest’s full line of test and measurement offerings, please visit the company in booth 1549 during SEMICON Japan 2022, December 14-16, at Tokyo Big Sight.
