Mobile CMADS has the same features as the CMADS (current mode advanced differential signaling) interface announced by NEC in March 2001 for large high-resolution panels. It supports data transmission rates up to 350 Mbits/second, which enables a manufacturer to reduce the number of signal lines in a high-resolution panel to about one fourth as many as otherwise required, the companies said. A mobile phone display using a conventional driver with a parallel CMOS interface requires 19 signal lines to connect to a controller, while the Mobile CMADS interface can be connected with four lines, an NEC spokeswoman said.

NEC Electronics engineers said they reduced the power consumption of the mobile version of the interface to one third the level of existing CMADS for large panels, though detailed specifications have not been revealed.

MediaQ is a notable supplier of LCD controllers while NEC focuses on LCD drivers, so the companies' product portfolios compensate each other, the NEC spokeswoman said.

MediaQ supports Mobile CMADS in its MQ1188 controller and will support it in future controllers as well.

NEC Electronics will start sampling driver ICs featuring Mobile CMADS this autumn.