SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire) -- Leadis Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: LDIS) announced a new agreement with Immersion Corp. (NASDAQ: IMMR) to enable rapid implementation of high-quality haptic feedback in capacitive touch enabled devices ranging from portable devices, such as mobile phones and personal navigation devices, to non-mobile products, such as multi-function printers and white goods. Leadis also introduced the LDS6018 and LDS6048 capacitive controllers, two new TouchSense-ready members of the PureTouch family.
Under the agreement, Leadis receives a license for Immersion's proprietary TouchSense Player and Haptics Effect Library which will extend to customers purchasing Leadis' haptic driver integrated capacitive touch controllers. Combining software and hardware into a single offering allows end-product manufacturers to quickly incorporate a standard library of tactile feedback effects for capacitive touch inputs. Optional professional service packages will also be offered for customers desiring custom effects or optimization for non-standard implementations.
The previously announced LDS6010 (touch controller with integrated TouchSense-ready haptic driver) and LDS6040 (touch controller with integrated TouchSense-ready haptic driver and keypad LED drivers) will support portable implementations requiring up to 3.6V direct drive voltage. The newly announced LDS6018 and LDS6048 will support non-mobile applications requiring more powerful actuators and higher direct drive voltages up to 5.5V. Both LDS6018 and LDS6048 contain 15 sensor input channels and an integrated TouchSense-ready haptic driver, with the LDS6048 adding keypad LED driver functionality on eight of the 15 sensor inputs.
"The addition of tactile feedback to touch controls significantly enhances the user experience, and Immersion is clearly the leader in haptics technology," said Alvin Wong, Vice President and General Manager for Touch at Leadis Technology. "Combining Immersions' haptic playback software, effects library, and technology license with our TouchSense-certified touch controller provides our customers with a proven and highly scalable solution to achieve best-in-class haptics and a truly compelling user experience."
"We believe this agreement will provide a valuable channel to extend Immersion's reach and accelerate adoption of our proprietary touch feedback technology," said Craig Vachon, senior vice president and general manager of Immersion's Touch line of business. "Leadis is the first touch controller manufacturer to integrate a TouchSense-certified haptic driver, and we're pleased to extend our relationship with this new agreement."
About the LDS6018 and LDS6048
The LDS6018 is a programmable touch controller with integrated TouchSense-ready haptic driver for use with capacitive sensor arrays implementing touch-based input controls including sliders, scroll wheels, and buttons. The LDS6048 offers the same functionality as the LDS6018, with the addition of integrated keypad LED driver functionality. Both devices feature 15 sensor inputs, fast update rates of 2 ms per sensor input, and on-chip automatic calibration logic to continuously monitor the environment and adjust ambient baseline levels for increased touch accuracy.
Eight of the 15 sensor inputs on the LDS6048 are configurable as LED drivers capable of driving up to 8 mA of current, with >60 mA available for a single LED by combining multiple LED drivers together. Automatic LED activation upon a valid touch is achieved by associating an LED driver to a sensor input. A full array of dimming options is also supported.
The LDS6018 and LDS6048 offer extremely low power consumption without the introduction of touch latencies. Each device consumes less than 150µW of power (typical) in full power mode (touch sensor power consumption, haptics driver in shutdown). Both devices are packaged in 5 mm x 5 mm 40-lead TQFN packages with maximum thickness of 0.8 mm.
About Leadis Technology, Inc.
Leadis Technology, Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, designs, develops and markets analog and mixed-signal semiconductors that enable and enhance the features and capabilities of portable and consumer electronics devices. Leadis' product offerings include color display drivers, which are critical components of displays used in mobile consumer electronic devices; LED drivers, which provide controlled levels of current required to drive light emitting diodes in diverse applications including mobile backlight units; power management ICs including LDOs, LDO controllers, shunt references, thermal switches, current regulators, and battery charger controllers; and touch controller ICs, which enable highly reliable touch-based input controls and attractive industrial design options for both mobile and non-mobile applications.