National Semiconductor Corp hopes to reduce costs and increase standardization in the flat panel display industry with its new FPD connection standard. The Open Low Voltage Differential Signaling Display Interface v0.95, or OpenLDI, defines how an FPD connects to the display driver in a laptop computer. LDI is based around the FPD-Link, which is used in Super Video Graphics Array (SVGA) and Extended Graphics Array (XGA)-compliant notebook computers today.
OpenLDI is being backed by SGI, Samsung, Sharp, 3M and AMP. The specification has also had input from the Japanese Electronic Industry Development Association, which helped to standardize the PC card in 1991. Companies currently use proprietary methods to link their displays with laptops. Agreeing on an open standard would drive down costs and enable laptop manufacturers to use more than one supplier of FPDs, according to a spokesperson from Nat Semi. Major flat panel manufacturers, such as LG Electronics and NEC Corp, are not backing the spec but the spokesperson said that it was hoped that more companies would get behind the specification as it gained momentum.
