U.S.-based microdisplay specialists Compound Photonics (CP) have launched a digital backplane which enables Micro LED technology for high definition microdisplay subsystem integration.
CP reëngineered their market-ready LCoS backplane technology into an innovative constant current drive configuration for µLED pixels based on a ~3 μm pixel, 1080p display format. The technology can be integrated with µLED displays to accelerate the manufacturing process by bonding the devices to a backplane driven by CP’s NOVA display drive architecture. The subsystems meet AR requirements for compactness, optical performance, and brightness with high frame rate, low latency, and low power consumption.
CP collaborated with µLED AR display specialist Plessey and revealed their co-developed 0.26-inch integrated µLED display module for AR/MR applications this past February. CP’s Electrical and Software Engineering VP Ian Kyles says the custom, constant current pixel circuit design “provides greater tolerance to forward voltage variation and IR drops in the Micro LED array resulting in a previously unattainable level of uniformity. It additionally features globally on-the-fly programmable pixel current control that greatly increases the system bandwidth, enabling higher frame rates while maintaining full bit depth”. The backplane has additional steering pixels beyond its native 2048 × 1080 resolution to enhance alignment and integration of the display within the optical system.