While automakers are developing more innovative smart cockpit designs that feature large displays and emerging technologies like Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) and microLEDs and are blending functionality with brand identity, these developments pose significant challenges for the integration of capacitive touch sensing, especially with the thinner stack-up and an increasing number of touch electrodes.
To address this, these new touchscreen controller families feature up to 112 reconfigurable touch channels - or 162 equivalent touch channels in ultra-wide mode - enabling the support of large, curved and free-form touch displays up to 20 inches in 16:9 format and 34 inches in 7:1 format.
Large thin displays, such as on-cell OLED, embed touch electrodes with higher capacitive loads and stronger coupling of display noise, increasing the risk of false or missed touch detections. As part of the maXTouch touchscreen controller family, the devices employ Microchip’s proprietary Smart Mutual touch acquisition method and algorithms to increase the touch Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) by up to +15 dB compared to the previous generation.
The ATMXT3072M1 and ATMXT2496M1 controllers are designed to be compliant with ASIL-A and B standards and are developed according to Microchip's ISO26262 Functional Safety Management System, which is certified by TÜV Rheinland. Failure Modes, Effects and Diagnostic Analysis (FMEDA) and safety manuals are also available to help customers achieve certification for their systems' touch functionality more efficiently and cost-effectively.
The touch controllers’ firmware is upgradable by the automobile’s main computer system and can be verified using the integrated firmware authentication feature, which implements the SHA-512 cryptographic hash function. This cybersecurity function enables reliable Over-the-Air (OTA) updates in compliance with ISO 21434:2021 standards.
To limit eyes-off-road time and promote safer driving, the Euro NCAP tests in 2026 will likely encourage manufacturers to use separate physical controls for basic functions. Microchip's Knob-on-Display (KoD) technology allows for the addition of intuitive physical knobs on the touchscreen, improving safety while preserving the sleek look of modern vehicle displays.
In addition, implementing haptic feedback on the touchscreen is a recognised method for reducing driver distraction. The maXTouch M1 Generation touchscreen controller features dedicated functions, such as the Shape Event Trigger combined with automated pattern Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), to achieve ultra-low-latency haptic control. This innovation transfers the decision-making and generation of haptic waveforms from the main application host processor to the touchscreen controller.
