FAIRCHILD AN-5053

www.fairchildsemi.com
Application Note AN-5053
Devices with a Synchronous Pixel
Interface
Introduction
Synchronous RGB Display
Interface with No Frame Buffer
A synchronous pixel interface format is typically made up of
n-bits of color data, VSYNC and HSYNC frame and line
synchronization signals, and a free-running pixel clock that
runs continuously while the display is being updated. Pixel
interfaces can be RGB, YUV, or other formats. For the
purpose of simplicity, this application note typically refers to
an RGB interface, but the information is equally applicable
to other formats.
A standard RGB interface sends data synchronously from
the display interface to the actual display. Data runs
continuously with one word of data being sent with each
pixel clock. A standard RGB interface consists of a bank of
data signals used to represent the desired color DATA[0:n], a
vertical synchronization signal (VSYNC), a horizontal synchroni-zation signal (HSYNC), and a pixel clock. From the
FIN224AC serializer perspective, the DATA, VSYNC, and
HSYNC signals are all considered data inputs and all are
treated identically. For a 16-bit data interface, an additional
four-control signals could also be sent across the interface.
When operating in this mode, the LCD interface pixel clock
input is used as both the reference clock (CKREF) input and
the data strobe (STROBE) input. The CKREF signal is used
as the reference signal for the FIN224AC internal PLL. The
STROBE signal is used to latch data into the serializer and
initiate the serialization sequence.
Standard 16- and 18-bit RGB display interfaces can be
readily serialized and deserialized through use of the
FIN224AC. For 8- and 10-bit RGB and YUV interfaces, the
FIN212AC would be a more optimal solution. The
FIN224AC has been designed to work synchronously over
an input pixel clock frequency range of 2MHz to 26MHz.
The FIN212AC can operate between 5MHz and 40MHz.
Lower frequencies of operation can be done by over sampling the data or
running in a PLL-bypass mode. Bursting data through the
device is also supported. Each of these methods of transferring data is explained below. For simplification purposes,
only the FIN224AC is referenced, though the discussion is
applicable to the FIN212AC, with minor differences.
Figure 1 shows a simple schematic representation of a RGB
data interface. Assuming that there are two bits reserved for
vertical synchronization and two bits for horizontal synchronization and that the display is being refreshed 60 times per second, the required input clock rate is 4.675MHz (242x322x60).
Each frame of data requires 16.67ms to be sent.
µSerDes Serializer
J5
J4
J3
F3
J2
J1
F2
F1
E2
E1
D2
D1
C2
B1
B2
A1
C3
A2
B3
A3
C4
A4
B4
A5
J6
F5
F6
DIRI
S2
S1
DP24
DP23
DP22
DP21
DP20
DP19
DP18
DP17
DP16
DP15
DP14
DP13
DP12
DP11
DP10
DP9
DP8
DP7
DP6
DP5
DP4
DP3
DP2
DP1
FIN224AC
U22
CKREF
STROBE
S2
S1
DIRI
TP5
CKP
B5
A6
DIRO
CKP
DSO+/DSIDSO-/DSI+
CKSOCKSO+
CKSICKSI+
B6
B6
VDDA
VDDS
VDDP
STROBE
CKREF
DIRO
C1
D6
D5
D5
D6
C6
C5
E6
E5
E6
E5
C6
C5
2.8V
D4
E3
LCD_ENABLE_M
LCD_VSYNC_M
LCD_HSYNC_M
LCD17_M
LCD16_M
LCD15_M
LCD14_M
LCD13_M
LCD12_M
LCD
LCD11_M
LCD10_M
Controller
LCD9_M
Out
LCD8_M
LCD7_M
LCD6_M
LCD5_M
LCD4_M
LCD3_M
LCD2_M
LCD1_M
LCD0_M
F6
F5
J6
µSerDes DeSerializer
FIN224AC
F4
E4
D3
C6
CKSICKSI+
CKSOCKSO+
2.8V
1.8V
1nF
DSO-/DSI+
DSO+/DSI-
C3
.01µF
F4
E4
D3
2.8V
C12
.01µF
C11
C10
2.2µF 1nF
VDDA
VDDS
VDDP
GND
GND
GPIO_MODE
A6
B5
U20
DP24
DP23
DP22
DP21
DP20
DP19
DP18
DP17
DP16
DP15
DP14
DP13
DP12
DP11
DP10
DP9
DP8
DP7
DP6
DP5
DP4
DP3
DP2
DP1
E3
D4
PIXCLK_M
VDDP
GND
GND
TP6
Assumptions:
1) 18-bit Unidirectional RGB Application
2) Mode 2 Operation (5Mhz to 15Mhz CKREF)
3) VDDP= (1.65V to 3.6V)
Firgure 1.16-Bit RGD LCD Display Interface
Rev. 1.3.4 • 8/22/07
tm
C1
J5
J4
J3
F3
J2
J1
F2
F1
E2
E1
D2
D1
C2
B1
B2
A1
C3
A2
B3
A3
C4
A4
B4
A5
PIXCLK_S
LCD_ENABLE_S
LCD_VSYNC_S
LCD_HSYNC_S
LCD17_S
LCD16_S
LCD15_S
LCD14_S
LCD13_S
LCD12_S
LCD11_S
LCD10_S
LCD9_S
LCD8_S
LCD7_S
LCD6_S
LCD5_S
LCD4_S
LCD3_S
LCD2_S
LCD1_S
LCD0_S
LCD
Display
In
AN-5053
Using Fairchild µSerDes™ Devices with a Synchronous Pixel Interface
These three control pins are all that need to be specified to
control the basic features of the FIN224AC device. For the
deserializer to operate, mode 1, 2, or 3 must be selected.
No difference in deserializer functionality is observed based
on the mode of operation.
The S2 and S1 pins specify the mode of the PLL for a given
input clock frequency, as shown in Table 1. The DIRI pin is
used to specify whether the FIN224AC operates as a serializer or a deserializer, as shown in Table 2.
Table 1. Frequency Mode Selection of FIN224AC
Mode
Number
S2
S1
0
0
0
x
Power-Down Mode
0
1
1
22-Bit Serializer 2MHz to 5MHz CKREF
0
1
0
22-Bit Deserializer
1
0
1
22-Bit Serializer 5MHz to 15MHz CKREF
1
0
0
22-Bit Deserializer
1
2
3
DIRI
Description
1
1
1
22-Bit Serializer 10MHz to 26MHz CKREF (Divide by 2 Serial Data)
(Note: FIN224C required for RGB applications)
1
1
0
22-Bit Deserializer
Table 2. Serializer/Deserializer Mode
DIRI
Comments
0
Deserializer
1
Serializer
Powering Up the FIN224AC as a
Serializer
nal used for powering down the system. One such configuration is shown in Figure 1.
The following are the recommended steps in powering up
the FIN224AC:
Initial state: DIRI hardwired to a logic HIGH.
S2 = S1 = 0
Step 3: Start CKREF and wait for the PLL to lock, then
apply STROBE signal.
The PLL does not start up until at least two rising edge
transitions on CKREF have occurred. Data is not transferred
to the serial port until the STROBE signal transitions HIGH.
If the STROBE signal begins transitioning prior to the PLL
being locked, data transfers should be considered invalid.
Step 1: Powering up the device.
The FIN224AC has three power supplies. VDDP is the parallel interface voltage and should match the parallel voltage of
the device to which it is connected. VDDP can be any voltage
between 1.65V and 3.6V. VDDS is the voltage for the serial
I/O and the majority of the digital core logic. VDDA is the
supply voltage for the PLL and the bandgap circuitry. VDDS
and VDDA should be the same voltage level.
Step 4: Begin valid data transfers.
Once the PLL is locked, a valid word is transferred on each
rising edge transition of STROBE.
At this point, the serializer is putting out valid data words as
long as the STROBE signal is transitioning. One data word
is sent for each STROBE signal. The CKREF signal must be
a steady repetitive signal for the PLL to continue operating
and to remain locked. Figure 2 shows what the DSO and
CKSO output waveforms look like when the serializer is
sending out correct data.
Step 2: Configure the appropriate S1 and S2 pins HIGH.
When S1 and S2 are in the low state, the device is reset and
powered down. It is strongly recommended that the device
be reset prior to operation. The appropriate PLL dividers and
enable circuitry is enabled upon transition to the appropriate
mode. For simplicity of system design, it is recommended
that the appropriate S1 and S2 pins be connected to the sigDPI[1:24]
WORD n-1
WORD n
WORD n+1
CKREF/STROBE
DSO
b24 b25 b26
b1
b2
b3
b4
b22 b23 b24 b25 b26
b1
b2
b3
b4
B5
CKS0
WORD n-2
WORD n-1
Figure 2.Serial Input and Output Waveform
Rev. 1.3.4 • 8/22/07
2
WORD n
AN-5053
Using Fairchild µSerDes™ Devices with a Synchronous Pixel Interface
Powering Up the FIN224AC as a
Deserializer
same frequency as the CKREF. This mode is nearly identical
to the standard RGB interface, except that the STROBE signal is not hardwired to the CKREF signal. No specific phase
alignment between CKREF and STROBE is required. The
internal working of the serializer handles synchronizing the
STROBE signal with the internal bit clock generated by the
PLL. Other than the separation of the CKREF and STROBE
signal, no difference is required in connecting the
FIN224AC as a serializer. The deserializer hook-up can be
100% identical to that of the RGB mode.
Initial State: DIRI hardwired as a logic LOW.
S2 = S1 = 0.
Step 1: Powering up the device.
The FIN224AC has three power supplies. VDDP is the parallel interface voltage and should match the parallel voltage of
the display interface. If the device that is being driven is
over-voltage tolerant, VDDP can be greater than the voltage
of the display if desired. VDDP can be any voltage between
1.65V and 3.6V. VDDS is the voltage for the serial I/O and
the majority of the digital core logic. VDDA supplies power
to the bandgap and internal current sources needed for the
serial I/Os. Since the PLL is inactive, the PLL is not drawing
current. VDDS and VDDA should be the same voltage level.
The second mode of operation is when CKREF is operating
at a faster frequency than the STROBE. This mode does
not result in the loss of any data provided that:
ƒCKREF ≥ 26/23 x ƒSTROBE.
For the FIN212AC, ƒCKREF ≥ 14/11 x ƒSTROBE.
Step 2: Configure the appropriate S1 and S2 pins HIGH.
When operating in this mode, the average deserializer output
period is equal to 1/ƒSTROBE. The given period of any cycle
can vary by 1/13 x tCKREF relative to the previous or subsequent period. The frequency of this bit slip is dependent
upon the relative magnitude of the differences in the ƒCKREF
and ƒSTROBE. Because the interface is buffered, this should
not cause any issues with the data displayed on the LCD.
When S1 and S2 are in the low state, the device is reset and
powered down. It is strongly recommended that the device
be reset prior to operation. The specific values of the S1 and
S2 signals are not critical for deserializer operation. Any
mode other than MODE 0 is valid for deserializer mode. It is
recommended that the values of S1 and S2 be set the same as
that of the serializer.
PLL-Bypass Mode
These two steps are all that is required to ensure correct
operation of the deserializer. As long as the serializer is
putting out correct data and clock, the deserializer is operating. The deserializer only outputs a valid word if the serializer has received a STROBE signal.
If desired, the PLL can be bypassed and a bit-clock can be
provided directly to the FIN224AC by connecting a clock
source directly to the CKSI signal. Figure 4 illustrates connecting the FIN224AC in PLL-bypass mode. Upon powerup or when coming out of reset mode, the FIN224AC
assumes that the CKSI signal is the source of the bit-clock
for the serializer. If the CKREF signal transitions two times,
the bit-clock source changes to the output of the PLL and the
CKSI source is locked out from operating as the bit-clock
source until the next reset or power-up condition occurs.
For proper operation of the PLL-bypass mode, the CKREF
signal should be grounded.
RGB Display Interface with
Buffering
Some LCD display interfaces have a memory buffer that
allows data to be burst at a much greater rate than required
by the display refresh rate. The FIN224AC can handle this
method of transfer by allowing separate control of the
CKREF signal and the STROBE signal. The CKREF signal
must continually run for the PLL to remain locked. The
STROBE signal, however, only needs to be sent when DATA
needs to be sent. If no STROBE signal is received, no word
is serialized or sent across the serial interface. The serial
interface has been designed to ensure that the deserializer
never loses a word by sending a word boundary indicator
embedded in the data and clock stream. An advantage of this
approach is that the serializer and deserializer can be disabled
during the non-data period. This conserves dynamic power
in a portion of the serializer and serial I/Os.
This mode of operation can be useful when operating below
the minimum frequency of the PLL. If multiple devices are
being used in parallel, a single clock source can be used to
drive both of the devices.
When operating in this mode, all of the modes previously
described in the previous sections can still operate. The bitclock frequency provided must be 13x (7x for the
FIN212AC) the STROBE frequency for a standard RGB
interface. The maximum frequency of bit-clock operation
remains 390MHz for the FIN224AC but there is no longer a
minimum input frequency restriction.
Two modes of operation need to be considered when working with a buffered interface. The first strobes the data at the
Rev. 1.3.4 • 8/22/07
3
AN-5053
Using Fairchild µSerDes™ Devices with a Synchronous Pixel Interface
Source Synchronous Data Transfers
Powering Up and Powering Down
the FIN224AC
The serial interface transfers data using an edge-aligned,
double-data rate clock. The clock signal is aligned to the
trailing edge of the data. This allows for a maximum set-up
time of approximately one data bit and 0ns hold time. By
utilizing a double-data rate clock, the maximum frequency is
half that of a standard source synchronous data transfer.
Data bits are transferred in on both edges of the serial clock.
Odd data bits are transferred on the falling edge of the clock
and even data bits are transferred on the rising edge. The
deserializer internally slightly skews the data so it is
appropriately captured.
Initially at power-up, the S1 and S2 signals should both be at
logic level “0.” The three supplies (VDDP , VDDS, VDDA)
may be powered up in any order. After the supplies are stable, the proper mode can be applied to the circuit. When in
MODE 0 (S1 = S2 = “0”), all internal circuitry is shut off.
The parallel inputs are gated off so as to not burn any power
even if the signal connected to it is floating. The parallel outputs are 3-STATED and the serial input and outputs are disabled. Additionally all analog circuitry is disabled. MODE 0
should be used for completely powering down the device.
For maximum frequency of operation, the alignment of
the clock and data signals must be maintained. The skew
between the clock and the data signals output by the serializer are typically less than 100ps. Serial interface signal
routes need to be the same length so that no significant
additional skew is introduced. For operation below the maximum frequency, trace and cable lengths can be mismatched.
The longer signal path should always be data. Delaying the
data provides more hold time to the signal. For extremely
noisy environments or environments where there is a high
amount of ISI, this can be used to improve BER if any
problems are observed.
A partial power-down of the serializer is possible by stopping the CKREF signal. For this to work, the PLL must have
already been running. Once the CKREF is removed, an
internal-state machine detects the lack of CKREF transitions
and shuts down the PLL and serial I/O. CKREF can be
stopped either HIGH or LOW. The only circuit that remains
operational is the bandgap. Leaving the bandgap enable
facilitates the PLL starting up gain.
Once CKREF is restarted, the PLL must go through a lock
sequence prior to application of STROBE. The lock
sequence takes approximately 1000 clock cycles. This time
is significantly less than a single frame of display data. The
CKREF signal should only be stopped if the re-lock time is
not an issue
.
Serializer
Deserializer
VDDA
VDDP
LCD IFACE
Baseband
Processor
VDDA
VDDS
VDDS
FIN24C
Pixel Clock
VSYNC
HSYNC
DATA(15:0)
FIN24C
2
CKREF CKSO
STROBE
DP[17]
VDDP
2
DS
DP[16]
CKSI
DS
CKP
DP[17]
DP[16]
DP[1:15]
DP[1:15]
GPIO
VDDP
PWRDWN
DIRI
DIRI
S1
S2
Bit Clock
Reference
S1
S2
CKSI
2
Figure 3.16-Bit RGB PLL-Bypass Mode
Rev. 1.3.4 • 8/22/07
4
Pixel Clock
VSYNC
HSYNC
DATA(15:0)
LCD
Display
AN-5053
Using Fairchild µSerDes™ Devices with a Synchronous Pixel Interface
Related Datasheets
FIN212AC
FIN24AC
FIN224AC
FIN224C
FIN324C
µSerDes™ is a trademark of Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation.
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PRODUCTS HEREIN TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY, FUNCTION, OR DESIGN. FAIRCHILD DOES NOT ASSUME ANY
LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF THE APPLICATION OR USE OF ANY PRODUCT OR CIRCUIT DESCRIBED HEREIN; NEITHER
DOES IT CONVEY ANY LICENSE UNDER ITS PATENT RIGHTS, NOR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.
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FAIRCHILD’S PRODUCTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN LIFE SUPPORT DEVICES
OR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR
CORPORATION. As used herein:
1. Life support devices or systems are devices or systems
which, (a) are intended for surgical implant into the body,
or (b) support or sustain life, or (c) whose failure to perform
when properly used in accordance with instructions for use
provided in the labeling, can be reasonably expected to
result in significant injury to the user.
® 2004 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation •
Rev. 1.3.4
2. A critical component is any component of a life support
device or system whose failure to perform can be
reasonably expected to cause the failure of the life support
device or system, or to affect its safety or effectiveness.
www.fairchildsemi.com
8/22/07