Himax Commences World’s First Mass Production of LTDI Automotive Display Solution for NEVs

Groundbreaking Technology Embraced by Global Leading Panel Makers. Propels Display Panel Standard for Premium NEVs to New Heights

TAINAN, Taiwan, Oct. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax” or “Company”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced that mass production of its LTDI (Large Touch and Display Driver Integration) automotive display solution, HX83180 series, for leading vendors’ latest NEV models, commenced during the third quarter of 2023. LTDI design is particularly suitable for prevailing NEVs, known for their stylish smart cabins that feature large-sized display, panoramic view, free-form, curved design and in-cell touch functions. The Company has received a proliferation of inquiries regarding its LTDI solution which is now universally adopted by panel makers across the board.

The advancement of electric and autonomous vehicles has shifted the focus of the automotive industry from traditional metrics of engine efficiency and horsepower to prioritizing battery longevity and user-friendly interior cabin design. With the introduction of innovative display technology, car manufacturers have redefined the functionality of dashboards and central consoles, transforming them into an integrated, panoramic cockpit display with touch features. This transformative approach provides a consumer-electronics-inspired human-machine interface, delivering a futuristic and high-tech driving experience.

Himax is a pioneer in the industry, introducing the world-first LTDI technology back in 2021 meticulously designed to support such seamless, integrated large touch display panels, usually larger than 30 inches in size or spinning pillar-to-pillar across the entire width of the cockpit. Notably, Himax’s proprietary LTDI technology boasts the following features:

• Provides flexible design for various size / resolution / touch density: Outstanding capability to cascade up to 28 chips in series for a single, gigantic cockpit display in diverse sizes and resolutions up to 12K1K.
• Enables one-piece seamless panel design: Supports slim form, narrow bezel, curved shape with excellent display performance. LTDI makes possible the seamless one-piece molding of large-sized panels, a substantial improvement over conventional panels which are composed of tiled small displays.
• Employs distributed microprocessor architecture to shorten development time and save cost: Featuring state-of-the-art architecture that not only integrates display driver and touch sensor, but also adopts proprietary distributed touch microprocessors architecture significantly reducing development time and cost.
• Complies with leading automotive standards: Conforms to automotive AEC-Q100 reliability specifications and the latest automotive ISO 26262 functional safety requirements.

Himax’s cutting edge LTDI technology was first showcased at CES 2022 by a leading panel customer for its 30-inch panoramic view, in-cell touch display that provides seamless, intuitive and advanced tactile experience for future generation smart cabins. After its debut, customer inquiries and adoptions increased rapidly. Currently, two large touch display integrated panels with sizes of 35.6” and 44.8” have commenced mass production and are slated to be incorporated in the launch of new energy vehicles this season. In addition to the first generation LTDI with COF design, Himax also released a chip with COG design that can support even more channels and has gained several design-ins with global panel makers.