Microchip Single-Chip Controller Drives Amazing Automotive Touch Screens as Large as 40 Inches

The pace of advancement in automotive display technology is evident in the announcement of Microchip Technology’s new MXT2912TD-UW single-chip automotive touchscreen controller for large, very wide aspect-ratio displays as large as 40 inches.

Just two years ago the company introduced a similar chip for display screens half that size, as described in the video below.

The installation of larger and more abundant displays in automotive cockpits is driving the need for multiple touch controllers, but the MXT2912TD-UW reduces the need for multiple touch controllers within a vehicle’s human-machine interface (HMI) display. 

Drivers are accustomed to the snappy response and crisp graphics provided by the smartphones and they’ve been disappointed by the sluggishness of many automotive systems. Microchip pledges that the MXT2912TD-UW provides the highest report rate for wide displays and is independent of the display resolution to help provide a smartphone-grade experience. 

Additionally, Microchip’s maXTouch family of chips has intrinsic signal-to-noise ratio that enables detection and tracking of multi-finger thick gloves through a wide variety of overlays, even when fingers or surfaces are wet or moist. And it ignores water on the screen, so it isn’t detected as a false-touch event. 

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MXT2912TD-UW provides adaptive touch utilizing self-capacitance and mutual-capacitance measurements, so all touches are recognized, and false touch detections are avoided.

Importantly, Microchip meets the suitable standards for electromagnetic interference (CISPR-25) and self-diagnostics (ISO26262).