China IMPRESS is showcasing the world’s top 10 innovative LED driver devices in the past three years to bring important technological lessons for LED driver manufacturers.
As the “heart” of the LED lighting product components, the technical content of the LED driver is directly related to the quality of light brought by the LED lighting source. With the global lighting industry in recent years showing the trend of multi-domain application expansion, LED driver “source” of the industry chain attributes more and more prominent, the global strength of a number of upstream and midstream lighting companies have been through the core components of the lighting technology innovation, to bring the diversified development of the lighting industry power.
Three-channel linear LED driver
Application Area: Automotive Lighting
In June, Diodes Incorporated introduced the AL5873Q, a three-channel linear LED driver designed to simplify taillight cluster design and expand its portfolio of devices supporting automotive exterior lighting.
The AL5873Q features analog and master PWM dimming control and supports pulse width modulation (PWM) frequencies of up to 1 kHz. The PWM dimming function is important for improving current accuracy when driving LEDs at low currents. The current on each channel of the device can be accurate to within ±4% tolerance, enabling better channel-channel matching for post-combination lamps.
Multi-mode intelligent dimming LED driver
Applications: Indoor space lighting for large venues
In June, ON Semiconductor introduced two new devices that improve the performance of connected lighting systems, the NCL31000 and NCL31001 LED drivers, enabling manufacturers to develop LED luminaires with light-based positioning technology and visible light communication. These solutions increase data intelligence and accurate positioning (up to 30 cm) and will revolutionize lighting in many spaces, including supermarkets, warehouses, hospitals, and airports.
More importantly, the NCL31000’s precise linear dimming empowers visible light communication (VLC) and supports the development of light-based indoor positioning systems for many places where RF-based solutions cannot be used (such as hazardous spaces like mines, or RF-sensitive areas like hospitals or aircraft).
The NCL31001, as a companion driver to the NCL31000, can provide the same features as the NCL31000 while creating a solution that supports multi-string lighting applications in combination with the NCL31000, opening up more new business opportunities for intelligent lighting systems.
Solderability side DFN package LED driver
Application areas: general lighting, automotive lighting, etc.
In June 2020, NEXPERIA announced a series of new LED drivers in the space-saving DFN2020D-6 (SOT1118D) package. This is one of the first LED drivers in the global lighting industry to use this beneficial package.
The new DFN2020D-6 LED driver pin size is only 2x2mm, thickness is only 0.65mm and supports NPN and PNP technology. Its output current is up to 250mA (NCR32x type) and the maximum supply voltage is 75V with powerful high thermal power.
Embedded UVC LED Driver Module
Application area: UV disinfection and sterilization
In July 2020, ZETTLER Magnetics USA developed a complete UVC LED embedded solution for home appliance manufacturers. The solution includes the necessary driver/controller circuitry, transformer, and housing to allow the module to be easily embedded in any device.
Through this solution, relevant UVC disinfection sterilization product developers have the necessary functional requirements while also having a cost advantage, helping more UVC disinfection sterilization solutions to be implemented in product application terminals.
Compact High Output Linear LED Driver ICs
Application Area: Automotive Lighting
In June 2020, Rohm Semiconductor (ROHM) announced the development of an ultra-compact, high-output, linear LED driver IC (BD18336NUF-M) that provides stable lighting even when the battery voltage drops on a single chip, making it particularly suitable for various socket-type LED lights in-vehicle systems, such as DRLs (daytime running lights ), navigation lights, rear lights, etc.
Programmable 12-channel RGB-LED driver
Application areas: Home smart lighting, indication lighting for wearable devices, etc.
In April 2019, STMicroelectronics, a merger of Italy’s SGS Microelectronics and France’s Thomson Semiconductor, announced the LED1202, a 12-channel LED driver that prevents distracting flashes in “running lights” or “running lights. “LED animation effects in the distraction of the flash phenomenon, so those smart home devices, wearable devices, and small appliances, human-computer interaction is more smooth and natural.
With 12 output channels, the LED1202 can drive four RGB LED beads with a maximum output current of 20mA per channel, and up to eight LED1202 drivers can be connected together to control larger LED lighting arrays through an innovative synchronization feature. In addition, the LED1202 low-current channel matching is less than 2% (typical) at 2.5mA, which enhances the uniformity of light color with excellent matching. Inter-channel phase shift technology to minimize current ripple, the device can also prevent excessive peak flow demand.
Triple SKU PWX UNV LED driver
Application areas: street lighting, site lighting, etc.
In December 2019, Universal Lighting Technologies, a member of the Panasonic Group in Japan, introduced the 180W PWX UNV LED driver. The device is available with 12Vdc or 24Vdc auxiliary power and is suitable for outdoor lighting applications with onboard sensors or radios, such as streets, roads, and construction sites.
12-bit Integrated PWM RGB LED Driver
Application area: building landscape lighting
In December 2018, Texas Instruments introduced the LP5018, LP5024, LP5030, and LP5036 LED series drivers with integrated independent color mixing, brightness control, and power saving modes. the series devices support smooth, realistic colors and also help lighting products reduce power consumption.
LED Driver for Headlight Troubleshooting
Application area: automotive lighting
In November 2018, Infineon launched its new LED driver LITIX Basic+ with a flexible single LED short-circuit diagnostic function and Active Retry function mode, allowing car drivers to avoid frequent trips to the mechanic’s store.
High-Frequency Switching Regulated LED Driver
Application Area: Automotive Lighting
In October 2018, Allegro MicroSystems, LLC introduced the ALT80802, the latest member of the 62xx/808xx family of lighting LED driver products, to meet the needs of applications such as fog lights, reverse lights, daytime running lights (DRLs), mirror side lights and another automotive lighting.