STMicroelectronics announced its first highly-integrated light and color-sensing IC intended for a wide range of optical feedback and sensing applications, including mobile phones, notebook PCs, and LCD TVs. The new VM6101 is the first product in the market to offer both color and ambient light sensing, with an embedded system interface that needs no external components – a cost-saving feature for manufacturers. The VM6101 is ideal for automatic LCD backlight control (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) or white LED). Backlight control for LCDs, whether in mobile phones and other portable consumer devices, or in flat-panel TVs can dramatically enhance the consumer experience, while reducing power consumption and preserving battery life. Current discrete solutions are expensive and cumbersome to integrate. With new VM6101 device, ST is offering a level of integration and versatility never seen before in the light sensing market.
The STMicroelectronics VM6101 measures Yellow, Red, Green, and Blue components separately on a single chip, which also includes all system components and uses an industry-standard communication bus for data readout and device setup – all at an attractively low price.
