Texas Instruments announced new DLP chips with significantly more resolution and performance.
The two new TI DLP chips offer improved resolution and speed. The DLP6500 offers standard HD resolution, 1920×1080 pixels, while the new chip, the DLP9000 provides an array of 2560×1600 pixels, or 4,096,000 (4M) pixels.
The chips and their associated controllers making up the chipset provide a large array of digitally controlled micro mirrors to selectively reflect incoming light, typically made for video projectors. However, TI says these chipsets were designed for “3D printing, 3D machine vision and lithography applications.”
DLP chips are commonly used by many 3D printers to selectively shine UV light on curable resin. The new chips imply future 3D printers using more advanced DLP projectors will produce up to 2560×1600 voxels per layer, increasing the ability to produce finely detailed objects. There may be speed increases available as well.
The new chipsets are now available “in volume”, so we expect projector manufacturers to get on it and produce high-res projectors. Once those are available, expect to see them appear in high-res 3D printers, too.
