LED module interface chip and LED display system

Abstract

The application discloses an LED module interface chip and an LED display system. The LED module interface chip comprises a signal conversion module, a receiving control module, a storage module and a sending control module. The signal conversion module converts received differential signals into global timing signals and data signals. The receiving control module is connected with the signal conversion module and is used for generating row encoding signals and display data signals according to the global timing signals and the data signals. The storage module is used for storing correction coefficients of the LED module. The display data signals generate RGB data signals, clock signals, latch signals and line change signals based on the correction coefficients. The sending control module is used for collecting temperature and / or voltage information of the LED module and feeding back the information to an upper computer via the signal conversion module. The LED module interface chip is arranged on the LED module. The LED module interface chip communicates with the upper computer through differential signals and converts the differential signals into TTL signals to provide the receiving card of the LED module. Through the design, long-distance high-speed reliable transmission is realized while the existing LED module is compatible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of display technology, and more specifically, to an LED module interface chip and an LED display system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of LED display technology, LED displays, with their advantages of high brightness, long lifespan, frameless design, and flexible size splicing, have gradually been accepted by the market and are widely used in conference rooms, entrance screens, monitoring rooms, urban transportation, and large-scale event venues. As the LED industry develops, the resolution of LED displays is increasing, the spacing between pixels is decreasing, and the number of chips on a single LED module (lightbox) is constantly increasing, including interface chips, driver chips, line control chips, and decoding chips. The increased resolution leads to higher demands on the communication speed of LED modules; however, as the communication speed increases, the reliability of communication decreases.

[0003] In existing LED displays, the receiving card transmits data to the LED module via TTL signals through ribbon cables. This transmission distance is short and susceptible to interference. The ribbon cable contains multiple lines, and parasitic capacitance between these lines can cause signal distortion. As the signal frequency increases, its impact on the signal becomes more significant, potentially leading to signal errors, display anomalies, and other problems. Ribbon cable transmission also occupies multiple ports on the receiving card, consuming significant resources and increasing the risk of poor contact at individual ports, resulting in signal loss.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution to improve the reliability and stability of communication between the receiver card and the LED module in order to meet its requirements for large data volume and high-speed communication. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an LED module interface chip and an LED display system, which aims to improve the stability of data communication, pre-store the calibration data of the LED module, enhance its ease of use, and achieve long-distance high-speed transmission while being compatible with existing LED modules.

[0006] According to one aspect of this utility model, an LED module interface chip is provided, comprising: a signal conversion module for converting received differential signals into global timing signals and data signals; a receiving control module connected to the signal conversion module for generating line encoding signals and display data signals based on the global timing signals and data signals; and a storage module for storing correction coefficients of the LED module, wherein the display data signals generate RGB data signals, clock signals, latch signals, and line feed signals based on the correction coefficients; wherein the LED module interface chip is disposed on the LED module, and the LED module interface chip communicates with a host computer through differential signals and converts the differential signals into TTL signals to provide to the receiving card of the LED module.

[0007] The aforementioned LED module interface chip also includes a transmission control module, used to collect temperature and / or voltage information of the LED module and transmit it back to the host computer via the signal conversion module.

[0008] The aforementioned LED module interface chip also includes an input / output control module. The input / output control module is connected to the GPIO interface. The input / output control module configures the GPIO interface as an input as needed to receive the bad pixel signal returned by the driver chip, and serializes it before transmitting it to the receiving card.

[0009] Optionally, the receiving control module includes a decoding unit, a buffer unit, and a decoding unit. The receiving control module parses and decodes the data signal according to the global timing signal to generate a line encoding signal and a display data signal.

[0010] Optionally, it also includes an SPI interface, which is used to connect an external memory chip to expand the storage capacity.

[0011] Optionally, the transmission control module includes a temperature detection unit and a voltage detection unit, which acquire the temperature signal and voltage signal of the LED module through an ADC interface, respectively.

[0012] In the aforementioned LED module interface chip, the input / output control module switches the output channel to the input channel in inspection mode to collect fault information returned by the driver chip.

[0013] Optionally, it also includes a status indicator interface, which is used to connect a light-emitting diode to display the working status of the LED module interface chip.

[0014] The aforementioned LED module interface chip includes any one of QFN package, DFN package, and LGA package.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, an LED display system is provided, comprising: a host computer; the aforementioned LED module interface chip, wherein the LED module interface chip communicates with the host computer via differential signals; and an LED module for displaying images, wherein the LED module has a receiving card and a display array, and the receiving card receives signals from the LED module interface chip to drive the corresponding display array to display images.

[0016] The LED module interface chip and LED display system provided in this embodiment of the invention can replace the dozens of ribbon cables used in the traditional connection between the LED module and the host computer for transmitting TTL signals with one or two pairs of differential signal lines. This not only enables high-speed point-to-point serial communication transmission, significantly reducing the impact of parasitic capacitance and electromagnetic interference on signals over long transmission distances, increasing reliable communication distance, and improving communication speed, but also includes a storage module that can store the correction coefficients of the corresponding LED module. Furthermore, it can sample the temperature and voltage data of the LED module via an ADC, and switch output and input via GPIO to read back bad pixel information, enabling LED module inspection. The LED module interface chip of this application can directly output TTL signals such as RGBdata, DCLK, LE, and row decoding compatible with existing driver chips, replacing the original multi-ribbon cable communication scheme without modifying the original LED module, thus solving the pain points of high-speed, long-distance, and high-reliability TTL signal communication.

[0017] Furthermore, in an LED display system, the LED module interface chip can be located near the interface of the LED module. For example, it can be mounted on the edge of the LED module or on a small circuit board using a QFN package, avoiding the complex connection of multiple rows of wires and making the wiring simpler. The LED module interface chip provided by this utility model can also be externally connected to Flash memory via an SPI interface to expand the storage space, and can be configured with GPIO direction to realize point inspection and bad pixel feedback. The solution of this application can be adapted to various load application scenarios. It has simple connection, strong stability, and can realize long-distance high-speed stable communication, which is especially suitable for scenarios with a large number of LED modules. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This diagram shows the structure of the LED module interface chip according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2This diagram shows the connection schematic of the LED module interface chip according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This diagram shows the connection schematic of the LED module interface chip according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the application of the LED module interface chip according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings. However, the present application may be implemented in different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0024] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0025] In the description of this application, the words "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. "And / or" in this document describes an association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. "Connection" describes a connection relationship between related objects. For example, A and B are connected, which can indicate a direct connection between A and B, or an indirect connection between A and B through other devices / units / modules. "Multiple" refers to two or more. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that "first," "second," etc., do not necessarily imply differences.

[0026] Furthermore, the same reference numerals in the figures denote the same or similar structures, thus repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. That is, the various parts in this specification are described using a combination of parallel and progressive methods, with each part focusing on its differences from the others. Similar or identical parts can be referred to interchangeably. Terms expressing position and direction described in this application are illustrative based on the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the scope of protection of this application. The accompanying drawings in this application are for illustrating relative positional relationships only and do not represent actual scale.

[0027] This application describes many specific details of the present invention, such as the specific structure, dimensions, connection relationships, and techniques of the modules, in order to provide a clearer understanding of the present invention. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, the present invention may be implemented without following these specific details.

[0028] This utility model can be presented in various forms, some of which will be described below.

[0029] Figure 1This diagram illustrates the structure of an LED module interface chip according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The LED module interface chip 100 includes: a signal conversion module 110, a receiving control module 120, a storage module 130, a transmitting control module 140, and an input / output control module 150. The signal conversion module 110, for example, converts LVDS differential signals transmitted from RXn+ and RXn- into a global timing signal GCLK and a data signal Data, and provides them to the receiving control module 120. The receiving control module 120 includes a decoding unit 121, a buffer unit 122, and a decoding unit 123. The receiving control module 120 generates corresponding row encoding signals A, B, C, D, E, etc., and corresponding display data based on the global timing signal GCLK and the data signal Data. The storage module 130, for example, pre-stores the corresponding LED module correction coefficients. The display data generates RGB data, DCLK, ROW, LE, etc., signals required by the driver chip based on these correction coefficients. The LED module interface chip 100 also includes, for example, an IIC interface, through which IIC signals can be transmitted to the receiving control module 120. The LED module interface chip 100 also includes, for example, an ADC interface. The ADC interface is used to acquire ADC signals, which can reflect information such as the temperature and voltage of the LED module. The transmission control module 140 has a temperature detection unit 141 and a voltage detection unit 142. The transmission control module 140 analyzes the ADC signals to obtain the temperature and voltage information of the LED module and provides it to the signal conversion module 110. The signal conversion module 110 converts it into LVDS differential signals of TXn+ and TXn- before transmitting it to the host computer, thereby enabling functions such as temperature and voltage detection and inspection of the LED module. Furthermore, the LED module interface chip 100 also includes a GPIO interface, which is connected to the input / output control module 150 and can be configured as an input or output mode to meet different modes or specific requirements.

[0030] The LED module interface chip 100 of this application, for example, adopts a QFN package. It can output the TTL signal required by traditional LED modules, has strong compatibility, and can be placed close to the LED module access end. It can achieve P2P signal communication with the host computer without modifying the original LED module, meeting the requirements of long-distance, high-speed, and stable communication. Furthermore, it can also acquire signals through an ADC interface, obtain data such as temperature and voltage of the LED module, and transmit them back to the host computer, realizing temperature and voltage detection. Furthermore, the LED module interface chip 100 also has a GPIO interface. For bad pixel data of the LED module, the LED module interface chip 100 can support input channel conversion to input, receive the signal returned by the driver chip, convert it from parallel to series, and provide it as a high-speed signal to the receiving card.

[0031] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the connection of the LED module interface chip according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen from the diagram, the LED module interface chip 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention can be disposed on the LED module 10, for example, and communicate with the host computer 20 via the connection of the LED module interface chip 100. Specifically, LVDS differential signaling can be used to achieve high-speed, stable, long-distance communication. The LED module interface chip 100 may also include a storage module 130, which stores parameters such as the correction coefficients of the corresponding LED module 10. The data stored in the storage module 130 can be used to perform display correction on the LED module 10 to meet the corresponding display requirements. The host computer 20 is connected to an LED receiver card via the LED module interface chip 100. The LED receiver card includes, for example, a driver chip 11 and a horizontal output transistor 12, and is connected to the display array 13 of the LED module 10. The LED module interface chip 100 provides RGB data, DCLK, ROW, and LE signals to the driver chip 11 of the LED module 10. The driver chip generates corresponding drive signals Row-1, Row-2...Row-(n-1), Row-n based on the above signals and provides them to the display array 13 to drive the display array 13 to display the image. The LED module interface chip 100 also provides line encoding signals A, B, C, D, and E to the line encoder 12 of the LED module 10. The line encoder 12 generates corresponding decoding signals Line-1, Line-2...Line(n-1), Line-n based on the line encoding signals A, B, C, D, and E and provides them to the display array 13 to drive the display array 13 to perform operations such as line breaks.

[0032] Figure 3 The diagram shows the connection of the LED module interface chip according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment. If it is not necessary to detect the temperature, voltage, etc. of the LED module 10, the connection between the host computer 20 and the LED module interface chip 100 can be further simplified, and the TX line for transmitting data from the LED module interface chip 100 to the host computer 20 can be eliminated.

[0033] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the application of the LED module interface chip according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] In this third embodiment, when the size of the storage module 130 within the LED module interface chip 100 is insufficient to meet the requirements, the LED module interface chip 100 can expand its storage space by connecting an external Flash memory chip through its SPI interface. The LED module 10 also includes a voltage detection module and / or a temperature detection module. The detected information is transmitted to the ADC interface of the LED module interface chip 100 via an ADC signal. The voltage and / or temperature information of the LED module 10 can be obtained through the corresponding voltage detection unit 142 and / or temperature detection unit 141, thereby enabling the host computer to detect the voltage and / or temperature of the LED module 10. Furthermore, the LED module interface chip 100 also includes an LED interface, which can be connected to a light-emitting diode as an indicator light, visually displaying the working status of the LED module interface chip 100 through flashing, constant light, and off states. In this third embodiment, the driver chip 11 includes, for example, a decoding unit. This decoding unit can generate corresponding decoding signals based on the row encoding signals A, B, C, D, and E, and provide the decoding signals to the display array. LED module interface chip 100 Figure 1 The GPIO port shown is used, for example, to output RGB data signals, which are transmitted to the driver chip 11 through buffer Buffer1; DCLK, LE, GCLK and A, B, C, D, E signals are transmitted to the driver chip 11 through buffer Buffer2. Furthermore, in order to realize the detection of bad pixel data in LED module 10, buffer Buffer3 is also provided. The LED module is connected to the GPIO port of LED module interface chip 100 through driver chip 11 and buffer Buffer3. Specifically, buffers Buffer1 and Buffer3 are both connected to the GPIO ports of the LED module interface chip 100. Another interface of the LED module interface chip 100 controls buffers Buffer1 and Buffer3 through an enable signal 245_OE. When the LED module 10 needs to be inspected, buffer Buffer1 is turned off and buffer Buffer3 is turned on through the enable signal 245_OE. Correspondingly, the GPIO port of the LED module interface chip 100 changes from sending RGB data signals to receiving inspection signals returned by the driver chip 11 to obtain information such as bad pixel data and layout of the LED module 10. When displaying normally, buffer Buffer1 is turned on and buffer Buffer3 is turned off through the enable signal 245_OE, and the GPIO port of the LED module interface chip 100 sends RGB data signals to the driver chip 11.

[0035] The LED module interface chip and LED display system provided in this embodiment of the invention can replace the dozens of ribbon cables used in the traditional connection between the LED module and the host computer for transmitting TTL signals with one or two pairs of differential signal lines. This not only enables high-speed point-to-point serial communication transmission, significantly reducing the impact of parasitic capacitance and electromagnetic interference on signals over long transmission distances, increasing reliable communication distance, and improving communication speed, but also includes a storage module that can store the correction coefficients of the corresponding LED module. Furthermore, it can sample the temperature and voltage data of the LED module via an ADC, and switch output and input via GPIO to read back bad pixel information, enabling LED module inspection. The LED module interface chip of this application can directly output TTL signals such as RGBdata, DCLK, LE, and row decoding compatible with existing driver chips, replacing the original multi-ribbon cable communication scheme without modifying the original LED module, thus solving the pain points of high-speed, long-distance, and high-reliability TTL signal communication.

[0036] Furthermore, in an LED display system, the LED module interface chip can be located near the interface of the LED module. For example, it can be mounted on the edge of the LED module or on a small circuit board using a QFN package, avoiding the complex connection of multiple rows of wires and making the wiring simpler. The LED module interface chip provided by this utility model can also be externally connected to Flash memory via an SPI interface to expand the storage space, and can be configured with GPIO direction to realize point inspection and bad pixel feedback. The solution of this application can be adapted to various load application scenarios. It has simple connection, strong stability, and can realize long-distance high-speed stable communication, which is especially suitable for scenarios with a large number of LED modules.

[0037] The embodiments of this utility model described above are examples of specific examples, and do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the utility model to only specific embodiments. Obviously, many modifications and variations can be made based on the above description. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of this utility model, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to make good use of this utility model and its modifications. The scope of protection of this utility model should be determined by the scope defined in the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An LED module interface chip, characterized in that, include: The signal conversion module is used to convert the received differential signal into a global timing signal and a data signal; A receiving control module, connected to the signal conversion module, is used to generate a row encoding signal and a display data signal based on the global timing signal and the data signal; The storage module is used to store the correction coefficients of the LED module. The display data signal generates RGB data signal, clock signal, latch signal and line feed signal based on the correction coefficients. The LED module interface chip is located on the LED module. The LED module interface chip communicates with the host computer through differential signals and converts the differential signals into TTL signals to provide to the LED module's receiving card.

2. The LED module interface chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The transmission control module is used to collect temperature and / or voltage information of the LED module and transmit it back to the host computer via the signal conversion module.

3. The LED module interface chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an input / output control module, which is connected to the GPIO interface. The input / output control module configures the GPIO interface as an input as needed to receive the bad pixel signal returned by the driver chip, and serializes it before transmitting it to the receiving card.

4. The LED module interface chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving control module includes a decoding unit, a buffer unit, and a decoding unit. The receiving control module parses and decodes the data signal according to the global timing signal to generate a line encoding signal and a display data signal.

5. The LED module interface chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an SPI interface, which is used to connect external memory chips to expand storage capacity.

6. The LED module interface chip according to claim 2, characterized in that, The transmission control module includes a temperature detection unit and a voltage detection unit, which acquire the temperature signal and voltage signal of the LED module through the ADC interface, respectively.

7. The LED module interface chip according to claim 3, characterized in that, In inspection mode, the input / output control module switches the output channel to the input channel to collect fault information returned by the driver chip.

8. The LED module interface chip according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a status indicator interface, which is used to connect to a light-emitting diode to display the working status of the LED module interface chip.

9. The LED module interface chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LED module interface chip includes any one of QFN package, DFN package, and LGA package.

10. An LED display system, characterized in that, include: Host computer; The LED module interface chip as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the LED module interface chip communicates with the host computer via differential signals; An LED module is used for displaying images. The LED module has a receiver card and a display array. The receiver card receives signals from the LED module interface chip to drive the corresponding display array to display the image.

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