Backlight Driver Channel Allocation to Reduce PCB Pin Redundancy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Backlight systems with multi-channel backlight driving chips suffer from channel redundancy, leading to increased cost and complexity due to the use of slave devices with the same number of channels, which results in redundant channels and higher PCB pin counts.
Innovation Solution
A backlight driving system employing a master device and slave devices with varying numbers of channels, allowing for parallel, serial bus, or chained serial communication, reducing channel redundancy by enabling compatibility between slave devices with different channel counts, thus optimizing PCB layout and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If slave devices with the same number of channels are used in the backlight driving system, then the system structure is simplified and easier to manufacture, but channel redundancy increases leading to higher cost and device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different slave devices to have different numbers of channels based on their specific position and function in the backlight system. Instead of uniform channel allocation, each slave device is configured with the appropriate number of channels needed for its specific LED module group, eliminating redundancy while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of channel count from a fixed uniform value to a variable value that adapts to different slave devices. The master device dynamically configures each slave device with its specific channel count according to the actual LED module requirements, thereby reducing channel redundancy and optimizing system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If slave devices with the same number of channels are used, then the system is easier to operate and maintain, but the number of PCB pins and output ports increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary channels from each slave device based on actual requirements. By removing redundant channels, the number of required PCB pins and output ports is reduced. Each slave device is configured with precisely the number of channels needed for its specific function, eliminating unnecessary physical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The master device serves multiple functions by dynamically configuring different slave devices with different channel counts. This multi-functional capability allows the system to adapt to various configurations without requiring dedicated hardware for each channel count, thereby reducing the overall number of PCB pins needed.
3Reliability
If uniform channel allocation is used across all slave devices, then the system has better reliability and stability, but channel redundancy leads to increased cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the channel count parameter from a fixed uniform value to a dynamically adjustable value for each slave device. The master device configures each slave device with the optimal channel count based on actual LED module requirements, eliminating redundant channels and reducing cost while maintaining system reliability through proper configuration management.
Solution Approach 2:
Each slave device is configured to operate with the specific number of channels it actually needs, rather than being over-provisioned. This self-service approach ensures that each device operates efficiently with its allocated resources, reducing overall system cost while maintaining reliability through appropriate channel allocation.
Data Source
AI summary
A backlight driving system can include: a master device and n slave devices, where the n slave devices comprise at least one first slave device and at least one second slave device; where the n slave devices are coupled to a same output port of the master device, or the n slave devices are coupled in series, and a same output port of the master device is coupled to a first one of the n slave devices to form a communication link; where each of the at least one first slave devices comprises m driving ports for driving at least one LED module, and each of the at least one second slave devices comprises k driving ports for driving at least one LED module; and where n, m and k are positive integers, and m is not equal to k.