Smallest Pico-Projector Reference Design Draws Just 2 W

Santa Cruz, California, U.S.: Intersil’s Pico-qHD is the industry’s smallest production-ready LED-based liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) pico-projector solution, according to the company. The reference design can be used for embedded or accessory pico projectors. It includes an optical engine, hardware, firmware, and customisable design files.

The design uses Micron’s E330 qHD optical engine in combination with Intersil’s ISL97901 buck-boost RGGB LED driver, which has been customised for pico projectors (see the figure). Micron’s optical engine occupies just 5.5 cm3 and is 7 mm high, a boon for embedded applications. It also draws only 1 W.

The ISL97901 can drive either RGB or RGGB LEDs and has a 2.0-mA resolution to provide a consistent white balance. The Pico-qHD reference design also includes Intersil’s TW8835 LCD video processor, ISL9307 power management IC, ISL9110 buck-boost converter, ISL9230 battery charger, and, as an option, the ISL58333 opto-electronic IC (OEIC) sensor for automatic white balance control.

Built on an inexpensive 1.7- by 2-in. printed-circuit board (PCB), the Pico-qHD is designed to meet the low-cost requirements of the handheld consumer electronics sector. This footprint can be reduced to less than 1 by 1.5 in. for deeply embedded applications, according to Intersil. Total power consumption of the system is under 2 W. No active cooling is required.

Intersil

Micron