Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced the HD66352 256-grayscale TFT LCD 
driver for XGA*1 and SXGA*2-size large-screen, high-definition TFT LCD panels.  
The HD66352 incorporates a Full-R DAC*3, generating output grayscale voltage 
levels by resistances (R) only, in DAC circuit for the LCD drive voltage generation.  
Sample shipments will begin in February 2000 in Japan.

Notebook PCs and space-saving desktop PCs and monitors equipped with a TFT LCD 
panel are coming into increasingly wide use, bringing a growing demand for XGA- 
and SXGA-size larger screens and higher definition.  In line with this trend, we can 
expect to see an increasing demand for LCD drivers to drive the data lines of high-
definition TFT LCD panels.  There is also a growing demand for 256-grayscale, up 
from 64-grayscale, together with higher speed and lower power consumption.

Following on from the earlier release of the HD66350 256-grayscale TFT LCD driver 
for XGA- and SXGA-size color TFT LCD panels, featuring 65 MHz operation and a 
15 V LCD drive voltage, Hitachi is now enhancing its 256-grayscale TFT LCD driver 
lineup with the release of the HD66352, providing high-speed data capture at 70 MHz 
operation and a 10 V LCD drive voltage.

The HD66352 incorporates a Full-R DAC, comprising resistances only, in its DAC 
circuit for LCD drive voltage generation.  Hitachi DAC circuits have previously 
included capacitors, necessitating discharge control for the accumulated charges.  A 
Full-R DAC, however, has no capacitors and so requires no control time, enabling the 
rise time of DAC output waveform to be cut to approximately 60% that of the 
previous Hitachi model.  As a result, the rise time of LCD drive output signal is also 
faster, making it possible to achieve uniform display on large-screen, high-definition 
panels.

The HD66352 generates output voltages for 256-grayscales, using 8 bits of digital 
data per pixel, and achieves a finer gamma-characteristic*4 than with 64-grayscales, 
providing better color reproduction and enabling a maximum 16.77-million-color 
display to be attained.  In addition, the use of Hitachi's proprietary offset cancellation 
method holds drive voltage dispersion down to +/-2 mV, providing a uniform, high-
quality panel display.

The operating voltage of the internal circuits has been reduced to 2.3 V, and a CMOS 
interface capable of operating at 2.3 V is used for external circuits such as the LCD 
drive timing controller, enabling low-voltage, low-power-consumption operation to be 
achieved for the entire system.

The HD66352 has 384 display drive outputs, enabling the data line drive of LCD 
panel to be handled by eight chips for an XGA display, and ten for SXGA.  A TCP*5 
package is used, employing 50 um pitch technology for the inner leads.

Hitachi will continue to enhance its product lineup to keep pace with future trends in 
TFT LCD panels.

Notes:	1. XGA (Extended Graphics Array): A display definition standard.  XGA
	   is a trademark of IBM Corporation.  The display size is 1,024 x 768 dots.
	2. SXGA (Super Extended Graphics Array): A display definition standard.     
           The display size is 1,280 x 1,024 dots.
	3. Full-R DAC: A DAC (digital-to-analog converter) which generates output 
           grayscale voltage levels by resistances (R) only.
	4. Gamma-characteristic: A non-linear characteristic representing the output 
           voltage corresponding to input code data of the DAC circuit that generates
           LCD drive voltages.  This generally denotes a characteristic of      
           photosensitive material or an imaging device relating to camera, television,
           or similar images.
	5. TCP (Tape Carrier Package): A package mounted on a thin-film tape,   
           allowing ultra-thin type mounting (1 mm or less).

< Typical Applications >
TFT LCD panels (notebook PCs, space-saving desktop PCs, monitors)

< Prices in Japan >   (For Reference Only) 
 Product Code		Sample Price (Yen)	
 HD66352		1,300			


< Specifications >
Item					Specification				
Function				256-grayscale TFT data line driver	
Power supply voltage			2.3 to 3.6 V (logic)
					7.0 to 10.0 V (analog)			
Operating temperature			-30 to +75 degrees Celsius		
Package					457-pin TCP				
Data input				48-bit digital input (8 bits x 6 pixels)
Display drive outputs			384 outputs				
Output voltage accuracy			+/-2 mV					
Clock frequency				70 MHz (Vcc = 3.0 to 3.6 V)
					45 MHz (Vcc = 2.3 to 3.0 V)		
Other functions				Offset cancellation
					Dot inversion drive
					N-line inversion drive
					Data inversion function