Display plays begin with Hong Kong research

FPGAs are commonplace in video processing platforms these days, but we’ve been expecting them to show up the display-control segments of higher-end digital television platforms as well. Some of the first examples may be showing up, as evidenced by Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute’s (ASTRI) use of the Xilinx Spartan-3A for dynamic LED backlighting control.

ASTRI is using the platform as a means of demonstrating the use of LEDs in LCDs for greater contrast and for lowering power consumption. C.J. Tsai, director of the LED program at ASTRI, said that FPGAs carry the advantage of being able to tailor the characteristics of LED control for the power and performance of particular customers.