23-03-2021 | Bridgetek | Design & Manufacture
To help with the initial development and prototyping of HMIs based on its object-oriented graphic controller ICs, Bridgetek has released the ME817EV evaluation board. Featuring the company’s BT817 EVE device, it enables engineers to experiment with the newest generation of EVE technology and get a thorough understanding of the breadth of its capabilities. Due to the higher resolutions and large format displays that the solution supports, more compelling and functionality-rich HMIs can be produced, with better visual clarity and enhanced video playback capabilities.
Measuring 165mm x 100mm, the unit offers all the required attributes for beginning development work relating to the audio, graphics and touch elements of the HMI. As well as audio amplification and multi-stage audio filtering features, it provides an LED driver which can be utilised to modify the display backlighting. Also included is a touch controller that supports five simultaneous touchpoints, as well as 16MB of onboard flash memory resource for storing unicode fonts, image libraries, and more.
The device can interface with large scale, high-resolution display modules. For 1280x800 pixel displays, it can connect via a 40-pin LVDS interface, while for 1024x600 displays, a 50-pin RGB interface can be employed. Capacitive touchscreens can be connected using a 10-pin or 6-pin FPC connector. The board can be powered by a 5V supply utilising the SPI host connector or through the USB Type-C port.
Bridgetek founder and CEO Fred Dart explained: “We have already seen a great deal of commercial traction for our fourth generation EVE chips, across a broad spectrum of industry sectors. It is clear that there is a real need for a more streamlined approach to larger format HMI construction. By providing this evaluation platform, we are making the whole project development process a lot quicker and easier for engineers to complete, with much better end results being derived too.”
