TI technology drives dashboards for Ford Steve Bush Ford subsidiary Visteon has designed a reconfigurable concept car dashboard that uses Texas Instruments' (TI) Digital Micromirror Device (DMD). The dashboard is 350 x 85mm and can display traditional mechanical instruments, user customised instruments and even navigational data. Visteon has selected the TI part despite strong competition from LCD colour-shutter technology from various manufacturers.
"We are using the DMD because of its resolution, fill-factor and temperature performance. The high fill-factor, which is over 90 per cent, means that there are no difficult issues if we want to increase screen size," said Alex Calton, product marketeer at Visteon. Poor yield of the DMD has been rumoured to be a problem for TI. Does getting hold of the devices worry Calton? "No," she said. "If we sell the product concept to a customer, TI
will be able to produce the devices." Another feature Visteon is promoting is a "baby-watch function" to keep an eye on the kids in the rear seat - which can only be used when stationary. It is also developing a 350 x 255mm unit for centre console use.