STMicroelectronics' new touchscreen controller for smartphones enables longer runtime

The FingerTip FTG2-SLP touchscreen controller from STMicroelectronics enables advanced features to support the latest active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays that promise more power-saving and extended runtime in smartphones.

Low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) AMOLED displays, and similar proprietary equivalents, dynamically control the display refresh rate according to usage.

While refreshing more slowly with the less demanding apps and reserving higher refresh rates for tasks like gaming and streaming, the display driver minimizes power consumption and assures great user experiences.

ST’s FingerTip FTG2-SLP controller supports both synchronous and asynchronous display operations. This gives the OEMs the ability to maintain seamless user interactions as the refresh rate changes dynamically. The controller is also ideal for smartphones with flexible AMOLED displays that integrate the touch-sensitive panel directly on the OLED emitter layer for an extremely thin profile.

Based on an Arm® Cortex®-M4 core and integrating large flash memory, the FingerTip FTG2-SLP provides full flexibility to implement advanced touch features. In addition, proprietary hardware and firmware developed by ST and a special hibernation mode ensure extremely low power consumption that further contributes to maximizing battery life.

The chip’s analog front end (AFE) leverages a differential architecture and multiple scanning methods to ensure faultless touch detection. The internal design also ensures very low intrinsic noise, delivering a high signal-to-noise ratio. The report rate of 480Hz captures every touch event even when operating at the display’s highest refresh speed.