Image source: Shutterstock

Highlights

  • S3930 series addresses noise and sensing challenges in foldable OLED mobile displays
  • Incorporates advanced processing cores and proprietary vector co-processor for ML tasks
  • Enables thinner, larger devices with ultra-narrow bezels and consistent touch response

Synaptics® Incorporated (Nasdaq: SYNA) has introduced its new S3930 series of touch controllers, specifically developed to meet the technical demands of foldable OLED mobile displays. As foldable devices continue to grow in popularity—expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42%—manufacturers face increasing challenges related to responsiveness, display noise, and limited sensing time due to thinner, flexible panel designs.

The S3930 series incorporates advanced innovations to enhance touch performance on larger, thinner OLED screens. These displays typically suffer from high background capacitance and display noise, which can impact user experience. Synaptics' solution includes new filtering and sensing capabilities built around its patented multi-frequency-region parallel sensing (MFRPS) approach. This method, supported by continuous time sensing via a digital analog front-end (dAFE), reduces the number of required sensing bursts, improving signal clarity and energy efficiency.

A major advancement in the S3930 is its processing architecture. The device integrates the E7 microcontroller core from Si-Five and Synaptics’ own Hydra vector co-processor. The E7 supports fast computation for algorithms that remove noise and prevent mistouches, while Hydra is designed to efficiently run machine learning algorithms, especially those involving matrix operations—key in touch pattern recognition.

The controller’s small form factor, at just 5.1 × 6.8 mm, supports compact device designs while ensuring consistent performance even when the screen is folded or bent. It is also compatible with cutting-edge display technologies, including low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) and polarizer-less OLED panels.

By focusing on the unique requirements of foldable mobile devices, Synaptics aims to provide manufacturers with the tools needed to deliver high-performance, responsive touch experiences in increasingly thin and flexible device formats.