eNewsletter

October 2007

Seoul Semiconductor Unveils LED at 420 Lumens, 4 Times Brighter than Conventional LEDs

Seoul Semiconductor’s new high-performance single LEDs (left) delivers higher brightness of 420 lm compared to conventional LEDs of comparable sizes like the Z-power P4 LED series (right) that delivers 100 lm.

Seoul Semiconductor’s R&D team has achieved the industry's highest brightness single LED at 400 lumens. Seoul Semiconductor's high performance LED is significantly brighter than conventional single LED which can only emit up to 100 lumens. Seoul Semiconductor's high performance LED is the next-generation lighting source and is expected to accelerate the conversion of conventional lighting to LEDs.

The higher brightness and successful miniaturization of Seoul Semiconductor's latest LED technology translates to substantial cost savings for customers. Seoul Semiconductor's single package product emitting up to 420 lumens at 600 mA at maximum and 350 lumens at average, is the world highest brightness among conventional LEDs at the level of 8 watt. The size is ultra slim, similar to that of a single LED package emitting 100 lumens. In addition, the brightness of Seoul Semiconductor's new product at 420 lumens is comparable to that of more than four conventional LEDs. The new LED technology's ultra-compact size coupled with the higher performance at 420 lumens gives engineers greater design flexibility and substantially lowers the cost of the application. By contrast conventional LED severely limits the design options available to engineers as more units are required to attain the same level of performance.

"The competition in the LED industry is heating up as customers increasingly demand brighter and smaller products," said Yanghee Han, vice president of sales and marketing at Seoul Semiconductor. "Seoul Semiconductor's high performance LED technology at 420 lumens enables the company to not only satisfy the high expectations of the marketplace but it also opens up a new market where conventional LEDs are excluded due to its inherent performance limitations."

Seoul Semiconductor's high performance LED can be used for universal applications such as general residential lighting, automotive headlights, architectural lighting, headlight for task, streetlight, torch lighting, camping lighting and signage lighting. The higher performance, compact architecture and cost advantages afforded by Seoul Semiconductor's new LED technology will enable the company to penetrate markets that are inaccessible and beyond the reach of conventional LEDs. This suggests that the application area for the technology is unlimited. Seoul Semiconductor is planning to commercialize this new product by the fourth quarter 2007. 

AnalogicTech Announces New Family of High-current Flash LED Drivers for High-end Cell Phones

Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc. (AnalogicTech), a developer of power management semiconductors for mobile consumer electronic devices, has released the first in a new family of flash LED products capable of driving either two LEDs up to 500 mA or a single LED up to 1A. Designed to be used with newer-generation, high-current/high-brightness flash LEDs in mobile phones with video recording, the AAT1270 step-up current regulator delivers the high current levels needed to support flash lighting for higher resolution CCD imagers in a single 3 by 3-mm STDFN package.

“As high-performance mobile phone manufacturers integrate finer resolution CCD imagers into their devices for improved picture quality, they need flash units capable of generating enough light to make full use of the imager’s resolution,” said Phil Dewsbury, product line director for AnalogicTech. “Until now they have had to use multiple lower-current, charge-pump-based or more expensive boost converter drivers and multiple lower-current LEDs to meet these high-intensity light requirements. The AAT1270 is capable of delivering the same level of light, as well as support torch or movie-mode capabilities, at lower cost and in a smaller and lower profile package than the more expensive, discrete solutions.”

The dual-channel AAT1270 uses a high efficiency dc/dc boost converter with small magnetics. It does not require an external Schottky diode. The device’s high 2 MHz switching speed and low input current ripple permit the use of a low-profile (0.9 mm high) 1µH inductor. Operating off a single-cell Lithium-ion power source, the AAT1270 extends battery life by operating at efficiency levels of up to 85 percent.

The AAT1270 offers designers highly flexible control of flash and movie-mode operation. Full-scale flash LED current is set with a single external resistor. The default current for movie-mode applications is set at a current ratio of 7.3:1. Additionally, the movie-mode current is programmable to 15 other ratios via AnalogicTech’s proprietary single-wire S 2Cwire serial interface.

To protect against thermal damage to the flash LEDs, the AAT1270 features a user-programmable safety timer that can be used to terminate a flash event after a prescribed length of time. A separate flash enable pin can be used to initiate both the flash/strobe operation and the safety timer. The AAT1270 also features an asynchronous flash inhibit pin which reduces flash current to movie mode level during periods of high battery demand.

To protect the device, the AAT1270 adds over-voltage, short-circuit and over-temperature protection. Built-in circuitry prevents excessive in-rush current during startup. An automatic shutdown current feature reduces quiescent current to < 1.0 µA.

The AAT1270 is qualified across the –40°C to 85°C temperature range and comes in a Pb-free, 3 by 3-mm, 14-pin STDFN package. It sells for $1.42 in 1,000-unit quantities.

Diodes, Inc.,a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete and analog semiconductor markets, has released the AP3152. The AP3152 is Diodes’ first high efficiency charge pump white LED (WLED) driver for small-sized LCD display panels found in cellular phones, PDAs, smart phones, MP3/MP4 players and many other portable electronic devices.

The AP3152 features a patent pending serial digital interface (SDI) that offers designers three modes of operation to manage each LED channel’s brightness with incomparable flexibility and accuracy. With the SDI control, the internal switching frequency of the AP3152 can be set to 1.2 MHz, 0.6 MHz or 1.8 MHz to maximize efficiency and to match outputs of LED system requirements in portable devices. The AP3152 drives up to four channels of white LEDs and can control the brightness intensity of each channel. This product is well suited for a broad range of small LCD backlighting display applications that require two, three, or four white LEDs with high-precision current matching, such as cell phones and PDAs.

“The AP3152’s unique SDI control feature and ultra-thin DFN package provides Diodes a significant advantage in the small compact LCD market,” said Mark King, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing of Diodes, Inc. “This product is the first of a new series that will address the portable display market, which complements our existing analog power, hall sensors and discrete product solutions and expands our opportunity to capture increased share in this growing market.”

The AP3152 has an ultra-thin DFN package with a maximum height of 0.6 mm, which makes it suitable for integration into thin and compact LCD display panels where space and height are at a premium. The AP3152 includes additional features such as Soft Start for start-up or mode switching, Spread Spectrum Control that can significantly reduce the effects of EMI to the system, short circuit protection, over voltage protection and under voltage lockout. The AP3152 is available in a 12-pin DFN3030-12 package and is fully RoHS compliant, including Green Molding compound. The AP3152 supports an industrial temperature range of –40°C to 85°C.

Dialight Lumidrives Launches New Colourdriver For High Power LEDs

Dialight Lumidrives has launched Colourdriver XP, its new LED driver aimed at meeting the needs of high power LEDs. It provides LED users in the architectural, entertainment and leisure industries with more choice and flexibility over the control of color changing LEDs than ever before.

Colourdriver XP meets the needs of high power LEDs like Luxeon K2 and provides high power operation up to 1,000 mA together with the option of a white or amber mix in addition to the three standard RGB channels. Colourdriver XP is therefore well suited for both interior and exterior use, including downlighting, floodlighting, linear wall washes and landscaping.

Control options now available for the first time include Dali, DMX or even power line control with remote device management (RDM).

The heart of the new system is the power supply module that can be used as a stand alone driver in itself, with a power handling capacity up to 160 watts or 32 Luxeon K2s operating at 1 amp. Users can then select from a range of control and connection options to suit the installation or product requirements-the most sophisticated control option being power line control with RDM.

Additional benefits include a choice of mains input connectors to suit user applications, including IEC, GST-18 or hardwiring. Output connector options cover RJ45, Molex, XLR or cage clamps. A number of housing options are also available including IP rated, interior rated or OEM chassis.

Colourdriver XP has selectable drive currents of up to 1,000 mA per channel and a universal mains input voltage of 85 to 265 VAC.

“Colourdriver XP is a highly flexible driver serving the needs of many markets. Uses focused on exterior applications can use an IP rated enclosure and connectors with the powerline control module,” said Gordon Routledge, Dialight Lumidrives’ managing director. “Within the entertainment field users can take the power module and wire loom out to their own control module and connectors mounted outside the fixture. Users in bars, health clubs and other interior locations can simply focus on the lowest cost options and choose RJ45 wiring connectors and cable terminations.”

New CAP-XX High-Temperature Supercapacitors Pack Pulse Power in a Thin, Environmentally-Robust Package

CAP-XX Limited, a producer in ultra-thin supercapacitors that boost power delivery in mobile devices to enable new functionality and extend battery life, has expanded its product line with the high temperature HS and HW series supercapacitors.

The HS and HW supercapacitors feature a higher-boiling-point electrolyte that extends operating and storage temperature from 75°C to 85°C, and operating voltage from 4.5 V to 5.5 V. These supercapacitors work reliably in devices where nearby components can get very hot, such as RF Power Amplifiers, which can reach 120°C during transmission, as well as in devices that are exposed to environmental high temperatures, such as a mobile phone left on the dashboard of a car in direct sunlight, or in the engine compartment in an automotive application.

The new supercapacitors offer long-life performance at up to 2.75 V in single-cell versions and 5.5 V in dual-cell versions with the two cells connected in series.

All devices operate from –40°C to 85°C.

“These ruggedized supercapacitors support the most environmentally-demanding, power-hungry mobile phone applications,” said Anthony Kongats, CEO of CAP-XX. “The higher voltage enables high-power LED

flash for better pictures and can double audio power for richer-sounding music. The new high-temperature threshold assures reliability, even in a phone left in a car on a hot day.”

According to Stuart Robinson, director of handset component technologies for Strategy Analytics, “Consumers want their cellphones to be as good as their digital still cameras and produce clear pictures even in low light. We estimate that over the next three years high-powered LED flash in cellphones will grow at an annual average rate of 155 percent and will be in over 70 percent of all camera phones by 2010. CAP-XX supercapacitors are a technology enabler for this market. We have seen them power multiple high-current LEDs to full light intensity, producing clear pictures in low light from up to 3 meters away. I expect their new higher-voltage models will make the results even better.”

Supercapacitors deliver 100 times the power of batteries and store 10,000 times more energy than conventional capacitors. They store electrical energy during periods of low-load power, and then release it in quick “bursts” during peak-power events, supplementing power from the source and smoothing out voltage fluctuations.

CAP-XX supercapacitors benefit from a unique nanotechnology construction that packs the highest energy and power densities into thin, lightweight, prismatic packages that will fit into slim portable devices. They store charge on nanoporous carbon electrodes on aluminum foil, arranged in multiple layers and connected in parallel to minimize the resistance and maximize the capacitance of the device.

The HW series features a small 28.5 by 17 mm footprint and combines high capacitance (C up to 0.4 Farad at 5.5 V) with low equivalent-series-resistance (ESR as low as 100 milliohm at 5.5 V) in a thin (0.9 to 2.90 mm) package. The HS series features a small 39 by 17 mm footprint and combines high C (up to 0.7 Farad) with very low ESR (as low as 55 milliohm at 5.5 V) in the same thin (0.9 to 2.90 mm) package. The low-profile prismatic packages may be soldered or ultrasonic welded to pads on a PCB.

Pulse current for a single pulse is 20 A, RMS current is 4 A. The new supercapacitors have power densities as high as 71.5 KW/litre and energy densities up to 5.5 KJ/litre (or 1.5Wh/litre).

Prices start at less than $2.00 each in production quantities.

PRG Embraces "Tour-Friendly" LED Lighting Solution

Reflecting ever-increasing use of LED sources to light sets and stages around the world, Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions, the new entity formed by Philips' acquisition of Color Kinetics, has adopted a new tour-friendly lighting system, ColorBlast 12 TR, Production Resource Group (PRG). To provide a one-stop solution for its customers, PRG also purchased the complementary power/data supply, PDS-750 TR, designed by City Theatrical, Inc. specifically to withstand the rigors of the touring world.

To date, the integrated LED lighting system has already been supplied for the concert tours and corporate events of Aerosmith, Gwen Stefani and Astra Zenica, and television productions including 1 vs. 100, the Daytime Emmy Awards, and the presidential candidate debates.

From Cirque du Soleil, to Broadway, to numerous concert tours and events, ColorBlast has long been a favorite among the rental and event production markets for its ease of control and ability to produce millions of saturated colors without gels or filters. Recognizing the taxing nature of temporary and touring stage applications, Color Kinetics introduced ColorBlast 12 TR, which boasts the same capabilities but with rental-friendly features such as a replaceable lens, protective face cover, standard XLR connectors and a housing that easily accommodates various truss clamps.

Similarly, City Theatrical developed PDS-750 TR with live entertainment lighting in mind. The easily connectable, multi-output device is available in a variety of configurations, including one with City Theatrical's WDS Wireless Data SystemT receivers built in for wireless operation. Both ColorBlast 12 TR and PDS-750 TR are compatible with industry-standard DMX control systems.

Intelligent LED lighting technology is increasingly penetrating the entertainment and event production markets, particularly in color lighting applications. Unlike conventional sources, LED lighting products require no gels, filters or mechanical scrollers to generate color and dynamic effects. Their long source life and rugged physical nature translate to minimal replacement, and their low power draw allows for easy installation without complex electrical requirements. They emit little heat, and can be used in tight spaces or within set elements, near performers, and in other areas where conventional light sources are impractical.

Air Mobility Battlelab’s ‘Brighteye’ Initiative Demonstrated, Proven Capable

The USAF Air Mobility Battlelab, or AMB, recently demonstrated the capabilities of the BrightEye Portable Solid-State LED Lighting System – an AMB initiative. The BrightEye is an advanced, portable, battery-powered, visible and covert lighting system developed by Cyberlux Corp. to address the rapid deployment lighting needs within the US Armed Forces. Initially considered for expeditionary open-the-airbase lighting, the AMB unveiled the system may also be used for aircraft maintenance, expeditionary airbase force protection, general mission lighting and other high-intensity tactical lighting applications.

According to the AMB mission statement, the AMB continuously seeks and rapidly demonstrates innovative ideas to improve the ability of mobility air forces to execute their core competencies. For its demonstration periods, the BrightEye was evaluated at both Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and Fort Dix, N.J. Air Mobility Command expeditionary support equipment subject-matter experts participated in several scenarios to showcase BrightEye capabilities.

Master Sgt. Gordon Mossman, from AMC’s Expeditionary Mobility Operations Division at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., said, “The system would add very portable long-lasting light and an infrared capability that’s not present at this time.” The BrightEye uses solid-state semiconductors that consume 75-percent less energy than incandescent lighting elements and are projected to last for more than 20 years as compared to 750 hours for conventional bulbs. Using rechargeable battery technology could also save an estimated 63 percent in daily portable-lighting operating costs and could also reduce the Air Force’s reliance on host nation resources.

Feedback from the field demonstrations show the current portable generator powered lighting options do not provide the absolute portability required for AMC’s evolving expeditionary mission. Their bulky size, noise and energy consumption reduce AMC’s ability to efficiently and expeditiously deploy support forces globally in any environment.

Research also showed the Bright Eye is 97 percent smaller and weighs 94 percent less than the current diesel-powered incandescent lighting system. Its small size, weight and added infrared capability can “enhance AMC’s ability to project air and space power” across all spectrums of expeditionary operations by minimizing the support footprint, maximizing the available aircraft cargo floor area and reducing the amount of airlift needed for rapid force projection.

Overall, the Air Mobility Battlelab demonstrated a unique system capable of providing expeditionary forces across all armed services versatile, economical and portable lighting equipment.

Cree, Inc. has demonstrated light output of more than 1,000 lumens – an amount equivalent t o the output level of a standard household light bulb – from a single R&D LED. Cree’s achievement demonstrates continued leadership in the development of LEDs that can make traditional light bulbs obsolete.

A single-die LED, driven at four amps, produced 1,050 lumens in cool white and 760 lumens in a warm-white version. Efficacy of the cool-white LED was 72 lumens per watt and 52 lumens per watt from the warm-white device. Both LED versions operated at substantially higher efficacy levels than those of today’s conventional light bulbs. Historically, Cree’s R&D demonstrations generally have been commercialized within 12 to 24 months.

“Cree’s XLamp LEDs are the best-performing commercially available LEDs, but we won’t be satisfied until light bulbs are obsolete,” said John Edmond, Cree co-founder and director of advanced optoelectronics. “We’ve worked 20 years to achieve lighting-class LED performance, and we still have plenty of ways to advance the technology further.”

The LED Journal Knowledge Center is a place you will find the latest information and resources for the magnetics industry including white papers, webinars, archived articles, market reports, training courses, standards/regulations, industry links, literature & books, R&D and a calendar of events. Check back often as we are continually updating the content.

Red, Green and Blue LED based Whit e Light Generation: Issues and Control
Advance Transformer

October 2007

10/3-5/07
SID Mobile Displays Conference
San Diego, CA
www.sidhottopics.org

10/11 - 10/12
Annual Symp. On Vehicle Displays
Dearborn, MI
www.sidchapters.org

10/24-26/07
LEDs 2007
San Diego, CA
www.intertechusa.com

10/30 - 11/1
SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress and Expo
Rosemont, IL
www.sae.org/events/cve/

LDI 2007
November 12-18, 2007
Orlando, FL

LDI Has All the Answers You Need:

For professionals who work with production technologies in any “live””application including theater, concerts, film, corporate presentations, nightclubs, themed events, architecture LDI has been the only comprehensive source of information for 20 years. For additional details or to register online go to www.ldishow.com.

Don’t miss IntertechPira’s 3rd annual conference devoted exclusively to the digital signage industry!

Plan now to join over 100 colleagues and business partners at Power Signs 2007. This 3rd annual meeting will bring together leading suppliers, system designers and installers, network operators, advertising executives, media directors and planners, investors, and entrepreneurs. By attending, you’ll meet the industry’s leaders and get updated on the most current issues, trends, and applications for both indoor and outdoor digital signage markets. 

Chaired by Lyle Bunn of Alchemy, the conference will feature 16 presentations from companies including Clear Channel Outdoor, Panasonic, Nike, and Arbitron Out-of-Home. There will also be an expert panel, an exhibit area displaying the latest products and technologies, and plentiful networking opportunities. Plus, you won’t want to miss the preconference seminar: Digital Signage: Industry Fundamentals & Technology Considerations in Measuring Effectiveness – a three-hour intensive workshop being held the morning of December 4 th.

Sign up by phone +207-781-9631, by fax +207-781-2150, or by email mrobert@intertechusa.com. For more information or to register online, please visit our website: www.intertechusa.com/powersigns.

Intelligent Automotive Lighting
January 28 – 31, 2008
Frankfurt, Germany

IQPCs  8th International Flagship Event

Intelligent Automotive Lighting

• Advanced Automotive LED Front Lighting
• Innovative Interior Lighting for Customer Well-Being
• Application Solutions for  OLEDs and EL-Foils

28th – 31st January 2008, Sheraton Towers Hotel,
Frankfurt, Germany

20 high-level speakers from companies and institutions such as FIAT, Ford, Siemens VDO, Global Light, Goodrich Lighting, Visteon, Faurecia and many more will report about first-hand experiences and latest developments:

• Add value through the implementation of innovative active front lighting systems for enhanced traffic safety
• Provide enhanced perception at night by learning about innovative night vision systems
• Master challenges for OLED displays and EL-Foils to benefit from new interior design opportunities

For further information, please visit: www.iqpc.com/de/lighting

To Register:

Fax: +49 (0) 30 20 91 33 12
Post: IQpC Gesellschaft für
Management Konferenzen mbh
Friedrichstraße 94
D-10117 Berlin, Germany
Online: www.iqpc.com/de/lighting
Email: info@iqpc.de