Texas Instruments’ tiny TI DLP controllers enable 4K UHD projectors

Texas Instruments introduced new digital light processing (DLP) controllers that are 90% smaller than the previous generation and will enable 4K ultra-high-definition projectors.

The displayer controllers enable the smallest, fastest and lowest-power 4K ultra-high-definition
(UHD) projectors ever. These are the kind of technical advances that can make consumer enthusiasts and gamers happy.

Measuring just 9 millimeters on a side, the width of the DLP chips are on a side are about the width of a pencil eraser, and they’re about as thick as a fingernail. DLP chips like this have eight million tiny digital micromirror devices (DMD) which are micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), which are like tiny 3D mechanical devices etched into silicon. In this case, these MEMS are tiny mirrors that can tilt back and forth. A mirror can shine light into your eye or not, and that creates projected images you can see.

TI’s DLPC8445 display controller is the smallest of its kind while enabling a diagonal projector display of 100 inches or more in vivid image quality with ultra-low latency. When combined with TI’s compatible digital micromirror device, the DLP472TP, and power-management integrated circuit (PMIC) driver, the DLPA3085, TI’s new controller enables designers to replicate the display experiences of high-end televisions and gaming monitors in the form of a compact projector.

The DLPs have tiny aluminum mirrors that are five microns square, or about a 20th of the size of a human hair in thickness. The mirrors sit on top of a bank of SRAM memory chips. The mirrors can move back and forth in microseconds.

TI has led this business for years, and its strategy is to try to grow the entire market. That’s why the company is hoping gamers will take to the projectors, which can display the image on a wall without the need for a big-screen TV, which draw a lot of power. By contrast, the portable projectors can be battery operated and you can take them on the go.

“When you take a controller that’s 90% smaller, you free up that that footprint on a board and maybe you’re able to shrink it, or maybe you’re able to put some other active components on it,” said Jeff Marsh, vice president of the DLP business unit at TI, in an interview with GamesBeat. “You drive down your system cost and system size and increase your brightness level. That’s always the game we play. We want to be smaller, less expensive, brighter and higher resolution.”

Over time, the company hopes to take “screen” sizes up from 100 inches to 140 inches with 4K UHD resolution, and in the future it could move up to faster refresh rates of 120 hertz or 144 hertz.

“We always talk about the experience that you get with projection, the immersive experience that you get with a big image size,” Marsh said. “And there is a social aspect too of family gatherings or friends to watch content, watch a movie or play a game together.”

Marsh started out working as an engineer for TI in the DLP product group in the 1990s, a decade after some of the research started. He has worked on DLP products for his whole career. And for the last four years, he has run the business.

“It’s a really exciting place to work with a lot of great innovations going on,” Marsh said. “I started in 1996 and we just went to production that year.”

“We designed this new controller to have the most advanced features and capabilities for projection and especially for gaming,” Marsh said. “This DLP 8445 will be our first offering with variable refresh rate, sub millisecond latency, 240 hertz or 60 hertz at 4K with this controller, but quickly moving towards 120 hertz and 144 hertz.

The previous DLP component came out in 2021. Now the company has moved to an advanced technology node.

“The biggest deal here is the technology. We knew that we would have to invest in more state of the art technology because a lot of this controller is made up of memory,” Marsh said.

“Immersive display entertainment is now sought out by everyday consumers, not just movie enthusiasts and gamers,” said Marsh. “Where consumers once needed a big TV or monitor for a crisp and clear display, they can now use a lifestyle or gaming projector and transform a wall into the screen size of their choosing with 4K UHD quality. Our new controller is the latest example of how TI DLP technology is helping engineers develop epic displays for entertainment that can be taken anywhere.”

Bring big-screen gaming and projection anywhere

Lifestyle and gaming projectors are growing in popularity as consumers seek immersive experiences with their content, from movies and games to TV shows. With TI’s new DLPC8445 controller and DLP472TP DMD, designers can deliver displays that achieve submillisecond display latency, matching or exceeding the world’s most high-end gaming monitors and reducing lag time for gamers.

Integration of variable refresh rate (VRR) support, a first for a DLP chipset, will enable better displays for gamers by allowing designers to easily sync frame rates and eliminate lagging, image tearing and stuttering.

Advanced image-correction capabilities dynamically adjust for surface imperfections, making it possible for consumers to conveniently take their gaming and viewing experience anywhere. It is also the first DLP controller designed for laser-illuminated battery-powered projectors.

To learn more, see the technical article, “Big-screen gaming anywhere: designing portable 4K UHD gaming projectors up to 240Hz.”

For over 25 years, TI DLP technology has impacted how people experience content, delivering high-resolution display and advanced light control solutions to enable vivid, crisp image quality from movie theaters to your homes and even on the go. Prices start at $60 in 1,000-unit quantities.