Cover Story
If It’s Not “Wall Mountable,” It’s Not a TV
Flat panel televisions have been the center of attention these last few years. But development concepts have changed. How flat will TVs get? TVs without cables? This article examines the technology that will bring about the “wall-mountable” television.
Overview
Thinner, no wires—bring on “layout free” design!
Flat panel televisions have been the center of attention in recent years.While certainly flatter than conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions, various obstacles mean they have had very little effect on our lifestyles.However, flat-panel TVs are about to adopt a “layout free” design.Progress in thin technology and wireless technology is forcing the evolution of flat panel TVs into wall-mountable TVs.The landscape of your living room is going to change dramatically.
Thin Technology
A step towards the wall-mountable TV—sub-20mm TVs targeted by 2010
The development of thinner displays is gathering speed as a step in the direction of wall-mountable televisions.Thinner backlights and power circuit boards will make possible an LCD TV about 35mm thick by 2008 and less than 20mm by 2010.Meanwhile, the size of organic electroluminescent (EL) TVs, known for their for thinness, is growing in an attempt to secure the prime spot in the living room.A TV with a 40-inch display ought to appear by 2010.The era of wall-mountable TVs is just around the corner.
Looking inside an LCD TV
The thinnest LCD television on the market in November 2007 is the AQUOS G-Series produced by Sharp Corp. What exactly is inside this LCD TV, which is only 81mm thick at its thinnest point? We disassembled the 32-inch model to take a look. Inside were signal processing, power and inverter circuits providing insight into Sharp’s efforts to realize thinner profiles, cut costs and improve performance.
Wireless Transmission
Cable-free wall-mountable TV—transmitting high definition data with wireless technology
Televisions are thinner, lighter and can be hung up on the wall, but true “layout free” design would mean there were no cables sprouting out the bottom. Development of a wireless technology that could get rid of television cables is well underway. Wireless LAN, ultra wideband (UWB) and millimeter wave technologies are leading candidates. Compatible transceiver ICs are becoming available and wireless transmission of uncompressed HDTV data is no longer just a dream.
Special Feature
Technology Developed from the Web Threatens H.264
Device manufacturers can no longer deny the existence of video sharing Internet services such as Nico Nico Douga and YouTube, which have attracted a multitude of users. In addition to standardized technologies they have developed themselves, these manufacturers will have to make their products compatible with new technologies that have effectively become the standard through Internet services.
Special Feature
HDDs Move into the Terabyte Age
Hard disk drive (HDD) capacity will likely grow to around six times current levels by 2012.In the last few years capacity has doubled every two years.Five years from now, a single 2.5-inch disk will boast a capacity of one terabyte.A sixfold rise in capacity is in the cards given the commercialization prospects for technology that raises surface recording density to more than one terabit per square inch.Discrete Track Recording disks will be introduced as a new type of HDD media.
Special Feature
40th Tokyo Motor Show: Kind Automobiles Are Made by Electronics
The drawbacks of automobiles have been the subject of scrutiny in recent years, such as the impact of large-scale consumption of fossil fuels on global warming and the numerous traffic accidents caused by drunk driving . . The 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007, held from October 26 to November 11, was an opportunity for automakers to unveil numerous cars designed to be friendly to both the environment and people. Some notable displays in the auto parts exhibit were camera systems and image recognition technology used to improve safety. Also on display were a range of new input system technologies for car navigation devices that employ infrared or finger vein authentication sensors.
Guest Paper
The IGBT Technology for Hybrid Automobiles Increases Current Density by Two-Sided Cooling
Fuji Electric Device Technology Co., Ltd. has commercialized an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power semiconductor device with enhanced output power density characteristics of the Lexus LS600h and LS600hL.These are hybrid vehicles designed by Toyota Motor Corp. that are more powerful than conventional hybrids.The IGBT is employed for Denso Corp. power control units used in the hybrid systems of these models.Improvements to output power density were achieved through Fuji Electric Device Technology’s development of a new IGBT compatible with a Denso-devised cooling configuration that improves heat dissipation of the PCU by cooling both top and bottom surfaces of the power device.In this article, Fuji Electric Device Technology developers introduce the IGBT, related manufacturing technology, and the Denso PCU that cools both surfaces of a semiconductor device.
Documentary
A Patent Battle on EnemyTerritory (Part 1): A Climate Brought about by a Railroad Company
Tutorial
Avoiding Solder Defects through Thermal Design (Part 1): Suppress Stress Based on the Characteristics of Solder
One factor in the large incidence of soldering defects is the use of lead-free solders, which are harder than conventional eutectic solders and therefore less able to mitigate stress. To fundamentally prevent defects occurring, stress applied to solders needs to be reduced. Thermal design is effective in that considerations are made regarding the heat that generates stress.
Tutorial
Introduction to Mobile Power Electronics (Part 14): Adapting Preceding By-Wire Technology from Aircraft to Automobiles
Aircraft already utilize “by-wire” technologies that coordinate power transmission electronically rather than mechanically. Now, automakers are trying to apply this technology. If they succeed, automobile design will undergo a radical transformation. In this installment, we take a look at by-wire technologies used in aircraft and outline the challenges involved in applying them to automobiles.
Keyword
Component-embedded Circuit Board
Key Person
Saki Corporation, Yoshihiro Akiyama: “It’s about ‘Being Profitable.’”
NE Interview
Chumby Industries, Inc., CEO and Founder, Stephen Tomlin: “Open Source Techniques Can Be Applied to Consumer Electronics”
Tutorial
Avoiding Solder Defects through Thermal Design (Part 1): Suppress Stress Based on the Characteristics of Solder
One factor in the large incidence of soldering defects is the use of lead-free solders, which are harder than conventional eutectic solders and therefore less able to mitigate stress. To fundamentally prevent defects occurring, stress applied to solders needs to be reduced. Thermal design is effective in that considerations are made regarding the heat that generates stress.
Tutorial
Introduction to Mobile Power Electronics (Part 14): Adapting Preceding By-Wire Technology from Aircraft to Automobiles
Aircraft already utilize “by-wire” technologies that coordinate power transmission electronically rather than mechanically. Now, automakers are trying to apply this technology. If they succeed, automobile design will undergo a radical transformation. In this installment, we take a look at by-wire technologies used in aircraft and outline the challenges involved in applying them to automobiles.
Watcher / Samsung
Cool-headed and Tough Investment Is Continuing for 10th Generation Mass Production after 2010
News
- Looking to Open Up Mobile Phones, Google Assembles 34 Companies to Develop Platform Software
- Honda Shows a Demonstration Test of ITS Using Wireless Communications
- Sony’s Holographic Recording Technology Aiming at 1 Terabit per Square Inch
- NEC and Matsushita Develop Technology for Performing Validation with C Language Programming Based Model Checking
