SONY ACX320

Digital Camera LCD Product Line
Features Low Power and Digital Interface Support
ACX318/319/320/321/324
Sony has now completely revamped its LCD lineup to respond to the
increasingly rapid growth in the digital camera market.
These displays retain the 100% ratio viewing area and high picture
quality of earlier Sony LCDs and at the same time achieve significantly lower power and digital interface support.
This new product line contributes to increased end product design
efficiency by providing a wide range of drive options and allowing
the use of common drivers.
Extensive Lineup
Low Power
Sony has reduced the supply voltage from
12 V to 8.5 V and achieved significant
power reduction in these LCD panels by
switching from the conventional COM DC
drive to COM AC drive. (See figures 1
and 2.)
Since these products form an extensive
product line in terms of both pixel counts
and screen sizes, they can respond
flexibly to differing end product sizes and
concepts. (See figure 3.) Sony is also
planning to expand this product line even
further.
■
Low-temperature polycrystalline
silicon LCD
■
High color purity
■
Low power
■
Digital interface support
■
Adjustment free (digital interface)
■
Narrow frame, thin form factor
■
Use of the same driver for multiple
panels
■
Ratio viewing area: 100%
Ratio Viewing Area: 100%
In digital cameras it is critically important
both when composing and taking images
as well as when reviewing images to be
able to see the whole image without any
part being left out. All these panels support the implementation of 100% ratio
viewing area displays and viewfinders.
Digital Interface Support
The advantages of switching to digital
include obviating the need for D/A
converters, lower noise, and adjustmentfree manufacturing. Of course, these products also support use with a conventional
analog interface.
V
O
I
C
E
Use of the Same Driver for
Multiple Panels
This extensive lineup allows drive using
the same driver, even for the EVF products. (See figure 4.) The CXM4006 is used
with digital interface applications, and the
CXM3005 is used with analog interface
applications. Sony provides the digital
drive CXM4007 for compatible drive with
EVF units, and since only one driver is
required, power consumption, space, and
costs are reduced.
Thinner Form Factor
Providing a full product line
requires ramping up production
for multiple products at the same
time and thus we had to make unreasonable demands on everyone
involved. While it was difficult to
achieve low-voltage drive without
sacrificing the optical transmittance and narrow frame design
advantages, I am confident we
have created products that will
be more than satisfactory. The
monitor is the face the camera
presents to the user. Give Sony’s
“beautiful faces” a try in your
digital camera products.
Sony has introduced thinner light guide
plates, has actively promoted revised
backlight structures, and has even
introduced glass etching. Thinner form
factors is another area where Sony leads
the industry. (See figure 5.) For example,
the ACX318ELN features a module thickness, including the backlight, of only
2.685 mm, the top level in the industry.
High Color Purity
The color filters are manufactured internally by ST Liquid Crystal Display Corp.,
which manufactures the panels. This allows each color to be designed optimally
for the panel, making high color purity
color reproduction possible.
Narrow Frames
COG-less drive based on low-temperature
polycrystalline silicon fabrication allows
these panels to have extremely narrow
frames. This is a particularly attractive
feature for the design of digital cameras,
in which smaller models with larger LCD
monitors are now desired.
Up/Down and/or Right/Left
Inversion Functions
Since these panels support up/down and/
or right/left inversion functions controlled
with serial signals only, they provide
increased design flexibility in, for
example, digital cameras with a rotating
monitor.
12 V
Black
White
8.5 V
COM DC signal
Black
COM AC signal
White
White
White
Video signal
Video signal
Black
Black
0V
0V
Conventional Drive
Low-Power Drive
*: The figure presents a rough
overview of these signals.
■ Figure 1 Low Power Principles
Power consumption
Under
development
(mW)
(dots)
250
205 mW
235K
200
55
ACX319
ACX330
LCD
150
100 mW
15
100
150
ACX318
ACX320
78K
ACX321
ACX332
1.5 type
1.8 type
85
Conventional
Specifications
Low-Power
Specifications
*: This data does not include the backlight.
■ Figure 2 Power Consumption Comparison (Example)
EVF panel
118K dots
Fck = 27/24 MHz
CXM4006
(Digital interface)
or
CXM3005
(Analog interface)
2.0 type
2.5 type
■ Figure 3 Extensive Lineup
4.0 mm
3.9 mm
235K dots
DSP
ACX324
IC
50
0
118K
• Introduction of thin-form light guides
• Structural analysis of backlight systems
• Glass etching
3.5 mm
LCD panel
2.98 mm
235K dots
3.0 mm
2.685 mm
118K dots
ACX318ELN
2.5 mm
78K dots
*: Sony provides a compatible driver for both EVF and LCD drive.
■ Figure 4 Using the Same Driver
2001
2002
2003
(year)
■ Figure 5 Trend Towards Thinner 1.5-type Panels