Teardown: BMW's New Head-up Display

BMW’s new head-up display (HUD) is an optional feature that projects driving-related information onto the windshield. Information includes telephone contacts and music playlists. The HUD's virtual screen appears to float about six feet in front of the driver and above the hood. Continental's white LEDs project the entire color spectrum from the image generated on a TFT display to offer greater contrast as well as render features such as night-view displays. The new image-generation unit has just 15 LEDs, contributing to reduced power consumption by the new HUD to around one third of the previous version, which required 128 LEDs to generate images.

Summary Points:

Built-by Continental AG in Germany

Japan Display ACX416AKN-E LCD

15x Ultra High Intensity White / Red LED

Fujitsu MB88F332DA Graphics Display Controller

DC Gear Motor for Position Adjustment

Target Market Automotive OEM

Total Cost $141.86

Released N/A (Direct Materials and Manufacturing)

Pricing N/A

Availability Automotive OEMs

Total cost (direct materials and manufacturing): $141.86

Major Components:

- LCD Display Unit, 1.8" Diagonal, 480 x 240 Pixels, 40.8mm x 20.4mm Viewable Area, 85um x 85um Pixel Size - MFG: JAPAN DISPLAY INC - MPN: ACX416AKN-E - (Qty: 1)

- Enclosure, Main, Housing, Die-Cast / Machined Aluminum Alloy - (Qty: 1)

- Concave Mirror, Injection Molded Polycarbonate, Silver Painted, Coated, w/ 3 Silicon Rubber Bumpers & White Paper Label - (Qty: 1)

- Graphics Display Controller, 83.3MHz CPU, 136KB SRAM / 160KB NOR Flash, 12-Channel ADC, Up to 1280x480 Pixels Resolution, 0.18um, w/ I2C & 6 Stepper Motor Controllers - MFG: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LTD - MPN: MB88F332DA - (Qty: 1)

- High Intensity White / Red - (Qty: 15)

- 6-Layer, FR4, Lead-Free - MFG: WUS PRINTED CIRCUIT CO LTD - (Qty: 1)

- DC Gear Motor, DC Brussless Motor w/ Integral Gear Box - (Qty: 1)

- Enclosure, Main, Projection Window Frame, Injection Molded Polycarbonate - (Qty: 1)

- Concave Mirror Housing, Injection Molded PPS, Galss Filled, Mineral Filled - (Qty: 1)

- Flat Mirror Housing, Injection Molded PPS, Galss Fiber / Mineral Dust Filled - (Qty: 1)

Device Overview

Source: IHS