Dr. Kuo's Column

Topco Scientific Co. Ltd. (Topco) (TAIEX: 5434), the industry leader in integrated services of semiconductor and photoelectric materials, collaborates with SCIVAX, the Japanese nanoimprint manufacturing company, to introduce LiDAR technology. They showcase a comprehensive LiDAR solution at TAITRONICS x AIoT Taiwan 2024 on the 1F of the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1, from October 23 to October 25, demonstrating the tremendous potential across various sectors such as factory automation, consumer electronics, automotive electronics, gaming, and entertainment.

In recent years, the demand for 3D sensing has rapidly increased in areas such as smart home appliances, gaming, factory automation, mobile devices, and automobiles. Computing depth information from image data is the foundation of 3D sensing technology. The proprietary technology showcased this time is the original design of SCIVAX, utilizing optical elements produced by the leading-edge “nanoimprint manufacturing technology”, which enables a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) light source to generate controllable light-dot distribution. Ardisia® provides precise measurements for long-distance sensing through multiple dot distributions, while Platanus® makes a line or block pattern used for accurate short-distance sensing. At this electronics exhibition, solid-state sensors assembled from these elements achieve large-scale, high-precision 3D image analysis using multi-light source scanning.

3D sensing technology is rapidly advancing in applications such as autonomous driving, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). SCIVAX’s core expertise, nanoimprint manufacturing technology, uses molds with concave-convex structure to transfer patterns onto various resin-coated substrates such as silicon, glass, and compound semiconductor, significantly reducing the mass production costs of 3D sensing elements.

Light Sensing Technology Introduced to Enhance Visual Entertainment Experience

Topco showcases the “Time-of-Flight (ToF) Demo Kit” and “REAL AVATAR Demo Kit” at the exhibition, offering cutting-edge sensing technology solutions. The ToF Demo Kit combining a ToF camera and its in-house TX module enables real-time 3D imaging of full VGA. The system can be directly connected to PC for visualization and data access. It is absolutely a plug-and-play platform that perfectly fits for customization and simplifies the proof-of-concept process, significantly enhancing the R&D efficiency.

The REAL AVATAR demo kit can deliver high-resolution XR experiences without wearing VR glasses or 3D glasses. Through 3D images taken with ToF camera being composited to 2D images, users can enjoy high-resolution and vivid 3D viewing with the naked eye, applicable to the entertainment, gaming, and advertising sectors. This technology provides users with a more immersive experience, allowing consumers to naturally perceive realistic 3D images and enhancing the overall user experience.

Low-Latency Wireless Video Streaming Codec Chip – Delivering HDMI-Equivalent High Video Quality

In addition to introducing sensing technology, Topco has collaborated with ViShare on “4K/60 HDR Video Codec Chip”, which delivers low-latency, high-stability, and high-resolution wireless transmission that is on a par with directly displaying via a HDMI cable. It eliminates the challenges of transmission distance and space without compromising on latency, transmission stability, and original video quality. The end-to-end wireless transmission time for 4K video has been reduced to 16 ms, making it imperceptible to the human eye. Apart from consumer electronics and in-vehicle infotainment system, it could also be widely applied to cloud gaming, cloud computers, unmanned aerial vehicles, remote-controlled robots, and AR/VR devices.

At the largest AIoT exhibition in Taiwan, Topco also showcases a variety of advanced optoelectronic products, including the COB (Chip on Board) LED display cabinet and floor screen that are high-resolution, energy-saving, environmentally friendly, dustproof, waterproof, anti-static, thin, and lightweight, the LED display driver chip with enhanced performance, reduced costs, and support for Ethernet port, HDMI, and Type C output, and the microcontroller units (MCUs) that integrate chips and algorithms, covering from reference solutions to system design. Topco will continue to collaborate with its clients closely to develop new products and technologies and actively participate in international semiconductor exhibitions in Taiwan, the United States, and Japan to expand global presence and capture new business opportunities.

▍Topco Participates in the TAITRONICS x AIoT Taiwan 2024

◆Time: 10:00-17:00, October 23-25, 2024
◆Location: Booth #J0327a, 1F, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 (No. 1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang Dist., Taipei City)
◆Product: SCIVAX solid-state sensor demo kit, ToF demo kit, REAL AVATAR demo kit, 4K/60 HDR Video Codec Chip, 32-bit MCUs, COB（Chip on Board）LED Display Cabinet and Floor Screen, LED Display Driver IC and LED Display Controller IC