With the proliferation of devices
being deployed to harsh environments,
commercial off-theshelf
(COTS) parts are needed to keep up
with the demand. And since LCDs can be
found in just about every new design, it
would be nice to have a controller that
could handle the environment without
batting a logic bit.
That's why Digital View added two
models to its Harsh Environment (HE)
series of COTS LCD controller boards.The HE-1400 and HE-1600 are specifically
designed to comply with the strict
standards required to operate in harsh
environments, such as those encountered
in typical military and rugged
industrial application deployments.
The HE-1400 and HE-1600 comply
with the European Union's Restrictions
on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and
operate from â??40°C to 80°C. They also
feature Mil-Spec silicon resin conformal
coatings, wide-tolerance power supplies
(12 V dc ±25%), lowmass
tantalum capacitors
for shock and vibration
tolerance, and a
calculated mean time between
failures (MTBF) of more than
150,000 hours (see the figure).
The HE-1400 board has a small
footprint of 4.2 by 3.6 in. and an integrated
controller with digital visual
interface (DVI) and alpha red green
blue (ARGB) inputs. It supports both
low-voltage differential signaling
(LVDS) and transistor-transistor logic
(TTL) in either 4:3 format at up to
SXGA resolution or 16:9 format at up
to WXGA resolution.
The HE-1600 series targets TFT panels
with up to UXGA resolution by providing
direct analog and digital connections via
a fully buffered multi-sync interface controller.
It can also speak DVI, dual VGA,
Composite, S-Video, and Component
Video in both 4:3 and 16:9 formats. Also,
it provides Digital View's proprietary serial
port protocol, enabling all controller
functions and parameters to be controlled
via a built-in RS232 serial port.
Several available accessories make the
controllers compatible with a range of
applications, such as an audio amplifier,
inverter interface board, on-screen display
(OSD) button board, OSD membrane kits,
and infrared remote control.
If you aren't quite satisfied with the
standard offerings, the company can create
custom hardware and software variations.
It offers documentation control,
revision histories, and extended product
lifetime programs with end-of-life management
to prevent obsolescence as well.
The HE-1400 costs $110 and the HE-
1600 is $180, both in 1000-piece quantities.
Both products are available via
Digital View's distributors and come
standard with a three-year warranty.
Digital View Group
www.digitalview.com