Three-in-one graphics chip dumps frame buffer memory

The FT801 combines display, audio, and touch operations into a single chip, providing an optimised solution that reduces power, board area, and Bill of Material (BOM) costs. It targets intelligent QVGA and WQVGA displays with a maximum 512x512 resolution. EVE's object-oriented approach renders display images in a line-by-line manner with resolution of 1/16th of a pixel, eliminating the expense of traditional frame buffer memory. The device supports a 262K color palette with 24‑bit quality.

It supports capacitive touch screens with up to five touches with gesture detection. Up to 255 touch tags are detected in hardware. A low bandwidth serial interface allows access to any microcontroller, allowing for lower cost microcontrollers to be used in the design.

Functionality sets new industry benchmarks, supporting 4-wire resistive touch sensing with built-in intelligent touch detection and an embedded audio processor that allows midi-like sounds, combined with pulse code modulation (PCM) for audio playback. The combination of display, audio, and touch on a single-chip solution enables engineers to produce GUIs that deliver compelling user experiences.        

To support and enhance FTDI's Embedded Video Engine, Mouser Electronics is also stocking development boards for use with the FT801, including the VM800BU development module that comes with an integrated touch screen LCD display, on board audio power amplifier, and a small speaker.

The module interfaces to a host PC by a USB port, which interfaces to the onboard FTDI FT232H bridge chip.