 High-Input-Voltage, Linear 100 mA HB LED Driver Provides Fault Output and Multichip Interoperability for Automotive Lighting
Maxim Integrated Products has released the MAX16839, a low-cost, high-input-voltage linear HB LED driver capable of delivering up to 100 mA. This device minimizes external component count by integrating a pass element and fault detection. In addition, it allows interoperability of multiple drivers in multi-string applications. With its wide input-voltage range (5 V to 40 V), the MAX16839 provides a cost-effective solution for automotive tail-light, side-lamp, and turn-signal applications.
Due to its onboard pass transistor and wide input-voltage range, the MAX16839 is able to maintain a constant LED current, even when the battery voltage changes. The device can sustain load-dump events up to 45 V and keep the LED current constant during them. In addition to improving light quality, this capability protects the LEDs from the stress of load dumps, thereby extending battery life.
The MAX16839 includes a fault-detection output that is triggered if an LED fails and opens the circuit. This feature can also be configured in multistring/multichip applications so that if one LED string fails, all the others turn off as well. The fault condition is latched so that the other LED strings do not blink when one fails. This unique capability enables system designers to meet the fault-detection requirements for automotive turn-signal light applications, while minimizing both component count and cost.
The MAX16839 is available in thermally enhanced 8-pin SO and 6-pin TDFN packages and is fully specified to operate over the -40°C to 125°C automotive temperature range. Prices start at $0.73 (1,000-up, FOB USA).
 Allegro MicroSystems Introduces New Off-Line LED Driver IC Series
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. has introduced a new off-line LED driver IC series targeted at the residential and commercial lighting markets. The LC5205D and LC5210D devices include both a main controller integrated circuit (MIC) and a power MOSFET. The high voltage capability allows direct connection to a wide range of supply voltages ranging from 25 to 400 V (recommended).
The controller chip and N-MOSFET are both housed in an 8-pin DIP package, which enables a small driver board design. The controller chip utilizes the proprietary high voltage BCD process of which the low operating current and high voltage capability allow direct connection of the supply voltage pin to the high voltage supply source, unlike other low voltage controller chip solutions. Allegro’s solution reduces the component count and improves the overall reliability of the design.
In addition to these key features, over-current and thermal shutdown protections secure the LED driver design’s reliability. The package is a standard 8-pin DIP, with pin 7 removed for greater creepage distance from the supply pin. The LC5205D is priced at $0.95 and the LC5210D is priced at $1.15 both in quantities of 1,000. Both devices have an 8 week typical lead time to market.
 Deco Lighting Introduces Signature Series
Elegant area luminaire features futuristic styling with the green technology benefits of LED lighting. The SIG3-LED luminaire from Deco Lighting adds a distinctive signature design to corporate plazas, convention and shopping centers, parking lots, parks and airports. The LED source provides improved energy efficiency and 50,000 hour life for extraordinary operational and maintenance cost savings versus conventional HID lighting.
Aspheric design optics deliver widespread, smooth 360° transverse illumination. No upward glare for neighborhood friendly, Dark Sky compliant lighting. Precision die-cast aluminum and polycarbonate housing for durability and weather resistance. High density, impact resistant tempered glass lens. High quality round steel pole. Standard gray and black finish. The SIG3-LED luminaire is available in 28, 61 and 86 watt models and a choice of warm or cool color temperatures.
Arrow Electronics, Cree and National Semiconductor Team Up to Deliver ‛Flicker-Free’ LED Driver Board Reference Design
Arrow Electronics, Inc. has teamed with Cree and National Semiconductor Corp. to deliver a reference design for a flicker-free, wide-dimming-range LED driver board. The new reference design allows engineers to rapidly develop an LED lighting solution, featuring white LEDs on a programmable board that meets the Energy Star power requirements.
The reference design specifies Cree’s XLamp LED package, with the brightness of four LEDs in a single chipset. The chipset offers added convenience and cost savings by reducing the number of LEDs and optics required. The reference design also includes National’s LM3445 TRIAC dimmable LED driver, which delivers a flicker-free, wide 100:1 dimming range. Customers designing the LED driver board are fully supported by Arrow’s in-depth technical expertise and comprehensive services and solutions.
“Working with partners like National and Cree, Arrow continually identifies new, intelligent lighting solutions that provide greater flexibility, enhanced convenience and cost savings,“ said Dan Gatza, director of Arrow Electronics’ lighting segment. “This LED driver board reference design is a complete solution with innovative features, ideal for a range of commercial, residential and industrial lighting applications.”
Visit www.arrownac.com/flickerfree to download the reference design and register for a free live demonstration of the LED driver board.
 Drive up to Eight Channels of Ten 100 mA LEDs with 3000:1 True Color PWM Dimming
Linear Technology has released the LT3760, an eight-channel LED driver, utilizing a step-up DC/DC controller capable of driving up to a 45 V string of 100 mA LEDs per channel. Its internal 60 V, 1MHz DC/DC boost mode controller is designed to operate as a constant current LED driver for up to 80 white LEDs. From a 12 V input, the LT3760 can drive eight channels, each with up to ten 100mA white LEDs in series while delivering efficiencies exceeding 92 percent. Its multichannel capability makes it well suited for medium and large-sized TFT-LCD backlighting applications. Its input voltage range of 6 V to 40 V makes it well suited for automotive, avionic, HDTV and industrial display applications.
The LT3760 offers ±2.0 percent (±0.7 percent typical) LED current matching to ensure uniform brightness of the display. Dimming ratios as high as 3,000:1 can be attained by using True Color PWM dimming. A programmable 100 kHz to 1 MHz fixed frequency operation and current mode architecture offers stable operation over a wide range of supply and output voltages while minimizing the size of the external components. Additionally, the switching frequency is synchronizable to an external clock. Its thermally enhanced TSSOP-28 package offers a highly compact solution footprint for most LED backlighting applications.
The LT3760 uses an external N-Channel MOSFET switch to provide a boost mode constant current source. However, even when VIN exceeds VOUT, the LT3760 will continue to accurately regulate the LED current. The internal boost controller uses an adaptive feedback loop to drive up to eight channels of ten 100 mA LEDs to regulate the output voltage slightly higher than the required LED voltage to ensure maximum efficiency. If any of the LED strings experience an open circuit, the LT3760 will continue to regulate the existing strings and signal the FAULT alert pin. If higher current LEDs are required, multiple strings can be combined, enabling the LT3760 to drive up to four channels of ten 200 mA LEDs or two channels of ten 400 mA LEDs. Additional features include programmable LED current derating based on junction temperature and LED temperature and programmable output voltage limiting when all LED strings are disconnected.
The LT3760EFE is available in a thermally enhanced 28-lead TSSOP package and is priced at $4.25 each in 1,000 piece quantities. An industrial grade version, the LT3760IFE is tested and guaranteed to operate from a -40ºC to 125ºC operating junction temperature and is priced at $5.00 each in 1,000-piece quantities. All versions are available from stock.
 LEDnovation Introduces A19 LED Lamp for 100 W Incandescent and CFL Replacements
LEDnovation, Inc. has released a new addition to its line of state-of-the-art EnhanceLite LED replacement lamps. The 9.8 W A19 Design White lamp delivers a high lumen output for an LED replacement lamp and is targeted at 100 W Incandescent and CFL replacement applications.
The A19 LED lamp is semi directional and is equivalent to a 100 W incandescent lamp while consuming only 9.8 watts for a 90 percent reduction in energy consumption. It has a total efficacy of 84 lumens per watt, delivering 830 lumens meaning light output does not have to be sacrificed for dramatic power reduction.
“This latest lamp in the EnhanceLite LED series exemplifies our commitment to developing LED retrofit lamps that deliver dramatic energy reduction without compromising on light output or quality of light,” said Israel J. Morejon, president and CEO of LEDnovation, Inc. “We have quickly set the standard for LED replacement lamps and look to continue this trend with additional product releases over the next few months.”
All EnhanceLite lamps are optimized for downlight applications and are quickly becoming the preferred solution in downlight cans for general illumination. All EnhanceLite A19 LED lamps are tested and certified to UL1993, CSA 84 and UL8750. In addition, the EnhanceLite series is designed to surpass the Energy Star Integral LED Replacement Lamp specification scheduled to go into effect on August 31, 2010.
This product is targeted at downlight and other indoor general lighting applications in the commercial and industrial markets. This next generation lamp is part of the EnhanceLite series of LED lamps. All lamps are manufactured and designed in the USA.
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Energy-Efficient Lighting Lifecycle – White Paper
LED Lighting: More energy-efficient than CFL?
Energy-efficient lighting is a hot topic in today’s discussions on climate change, sustainable energy policy and energy efficiency. Lighting consumes 22 percent of the electricity used in the United States, and therefore offers a large opportunity for savings. But, which energy-efficient lighting technology is the best choice?
In this paper:
- Life-cycle analysis (LCA) of energy-efficient lighting highlights that the usage phase of the lights dominates the lifetime energy consumption.
- Comparison of lighting efficiency needs to consider the applications, not simply the light sources.
- Today, LED lighting is the most efficient choice for a number of high-volume lighting applications.
- LED performance has improved rapidly and is expected to continue to outperform compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) technology by ever-widening margins.
- LED lighting does not contain harmful materials such as mercury.
Download white paper here.
LED vs. Fluorescent Lighting
Are LEDs set to take over the hazardous area lighting market?
Recent developments in LED lighting technology have increased functionality and reduced “whole-life” costs through their greater power efficiency and the reduced need for maintenance. This makes them more suitable to use in hazardous areas.
Marc Fernandez, a market research analyst with IMS Research (www.imsresearch.com), comments in a report on hazardous area equipment “In the past, LED lighting has been seen as an expensive alternative to fluorescent lighting, but with recent developments many lighting manufacturers and suppliers are increasingly considering it. It is thought a ‘greener’ option; as there is less maintenance required, and is more power-efficient than fluorescent lighting.”
Fernandez continues, “Growth in its use in the hazardous area equipment market will be driven by the increasing adoption of maintenance-free lighting, and by the replacement of existing lighting with new forms of luminaries. A survey of end users of hazardous area equipment carried out by IMS Research shows that a large proportion of respondents intended to increase their usage of LED lighting in three years. Whilst this take-up of LED lighting is significant, it should be noted that a larger proportion of respondents still currently used and planned to use fluorescent lighting. This suggests that LED technology still has a long way to go against its established competitor.”
 NEMO Project: 11 Partners Conduct Research on New OLED Materials
Merck KGaA and DELO Industrial Adhesives have launched a project called "New materials for OLEDs from solutions" (NEMO) together with renowned partners from industry and science. The objective of this project, which is being co-funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is to develop innovative, soluble materials for use in large-area OLED components for devices such as televisions, electronic traffic signs or lighting systems. The total budget amounts to around $46 million.
“OLEDs have tremendous future potential as a cost- and energy-efficient lighting technology,” said Dr. Udo Heider, vice president responsible for the OLED unit at Merck. “We want to provide industry with customized OLED materials, thus enabling cost-effective manufacturing processes from the liquid phase.”
The NEMO project, which is being funded until the end of July 2012, involves four industrial companies and seven academic partners. Merck, with its experience in the field of OLEDs and in other display technologies, is leading the consortium. The three other participating companies are DELO Industrie Klebstoffe GmbH & Co. KGaA (Windach near Munich), H.C. Starck Clevios GmbH (Leverkusen) and Ormecon GmbH (Amersbek near Hamburg). The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (Potsdam) is taking part in NEMO as an independent research organization. The University of Tuebingen and the University of Regensburg are both represented with two chairs each. Further university partners are Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Potsdam.
The costs of the NEMO project are expected to total $45.6 million. Within the scope of the promotion program called “Material Innovations for Industry and Society,” the BMBF is providing funding of around $23 million. The industrial companies will finance the remaining expenses on their own. The project is thus one of the flagship projects of the BMBF promotional initiative “Organic Light-Emitting Diodes – Phase II.”
An OLED is a solid-state semiconductor device composed of thin films of organic molecules that create light when electrical current is applied. The main difference to inorganic light diodes (LEDs) is their lower current density and laminar light density and the fact that no crystalline materials are required. OLEDs are already being used in small-surface displays, for instances in cell phones and MP3 players. OLEDs emit light of different colors when electrical current is applied. They consume little energy and offer sharp images from every viewing angle. By using ultra-thin luminescent layers, OLED technology makes it possible to produce unique, large-surface homogeneous lighting surfaces with a total layer thickness of just a few millimeters. Compared to the vacuum evaporation process used today, these new materials should significantly improve scalability and coating efficiency in particular. To this end, the NEMO project partners are focusing on soluble phosphorescent materials for red, green and blue applications. In order to develop marketable solutions quickly, different injection, transport and electrode materials as well as adhesives are being researched, evaluated and tested in parallel for their performance.
 US Department of Energy to Fund Innovative OLED Lighting Developed by DuPont
DuPont has been awarded a $2.25 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for a two-year project to develop a solid-state lighting source using low-cost OLED solution-processing manufacturing techniques.
The project will leverage DuPont’s experience in OLED development for displays, while tailoring the technology to the unique requirements for solid-state lighting, an advanced technology that can significantly reduce energy consumption compared with incandescent and fluorescent lamps. Solution-processing is a cost-effective technique for the manufacture of OLEDs due to its lower capital investment, reduced fixed costs and efficient use of materials. The benefits are seen through manufacturing large areas at low cost while delivering completely new, highly efficient lighting concepts.
“The DOE is pleased to support DuPont in its work to further advance the science in OLED solid-state lighting, and play an important role in eventually commercializing the technology,” said James Brodrick, lighting program manager, US Department of Energy. “We have made a long-term commitment to advance the development and introduction of energy-efficient white lighting sources for general illumination.”
“We appreciate the DOE’s support for our research program to develop low-cost, energy-efficient OLED lighting solutions that have the potential to transform the lighting market,” said William F. Feehery, global business director, DuPont OLEDs. “DuPont has extensive experience in development of cost-effective solution processing for OLEDs used in displays. Through our collaboration with DOE, we will leverage our resources and minimize the need to develop new processing techniques to speed the development of solid-state OLED lighting.”
According to the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance, more than 20 percent of US electrical energy in 2009 is used for lighting. The US domestic market for lamps, ballasts, lighting fixtures and lighting controls is $15 billion and $75 billion, globally. Solid-state lighting technologies, which include OLEDs, have the potential to save 348 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity by 2030 compared with traditional light sources.
Compared to LEDs, which are small point sources manufactured on relatively small semiconductor wafers, OLEDs have a surface area light source which can be made on large sheets of glass or in a roll-to-roll process, allowing significant economies in manufacturing. Also, OLED lighting can use less energy and provide the same quality of light or better.
Honeywell to Provide Lighting to Mexico's Volaris Airlines
Honeywell’s LED technology upgrade has been selected by Volaris Airlines for their Airbus A320 navigation wingtip lighting.
Honeywell’s LED wingtip navigation lighting lasts up to 40 times longer than current halogen technology, resulting in significantly lower maintenance costs for airline operators. The drop-in replacement for the existing lighting does not require any aircraft modification and does not add additional weight, unlike other available lighting.
“This upgrade saves operators in downtime and maintenance, since the lifespan increases from 500 hours to 20,000 hours with LED,” said Jeff Johnston, vice president of Platform Components. “Volaris benefits from fewer lamp changes, lower spares inventory and lower labor costs.”
Volaris will retrofit wingtip lighting on 20 Airbus A320 aircraft beginning in December 2009, with completion scheduled by early 2010. After December 2009, Honeywell LED lighting will be standard on new production Airbus A320 aircraft.
 Infinity Group Portfolio Company Power Paper and GE Collaborate to Develop Self–Powered OLED Lighting
Power Paper, an Infinity Group portfolio company, and GE Global Research, the technology development arm for the General Electric Company, have signed an agreement to jointly develop self–powered OLED lighting devices. Using low–cost, high–volume manufacturing processes, these devices could be deployed in a wide variety of environments from military ships to night–time jogging vests. The collaboration is supported by an Israel–US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD Foundation) program.
GE is globally recognized as a pioneer in the electric lighting industry and continues to lead the way in bringing new, innovative lighting technologies to market. Power Paper develops and licenses micro–power clean technology based on an innovative paper–thin, flexible, safe, environment–friendly, printable battery.
John Ouseph, GE Commercial & Industrial Business Programs Manager at GE said, “Our goal is to design lighting products that are less intrusive, have greater flexibility, and can be easily installed or modified based on changes in the application. We will build a product that costs less, consumes less energy with improved reliability and resists vibration and shock. Mobile, remote–powered light strips are a natural extension of GE's lighting portfolio, and Power Paper is uniquely positioned to supply thin film, flexible batteries for this application.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the collaboration will combine Power Paper's novel thin–film batteries and GE's OLED technology. The goal of the GE–Power Paper– BIRD project is to develop a first generation of self–powered OLED lighting products and identify next generation technologies with enhanced capabilities. The length of the program is 12 months. The general illumination market is estimated at $2.5 billion.
“It is a fabulous opportunity to work with GE and the BIRD Foundation, and we are enthusiastic about the project at hand,” said Mr. Zvika Nitzan, CTO of Power Paper. “It is important to note that Power Paper batteries do not contain caustic chemicals, and cannot overheat, explode, or cause burns or electrical shock. They are non–toxic and non–flammable and can therefore be freely shipped, stored, and disposed of after use. The batteries contain no heavy metals, such as mercury, lead or cadmium, commonly found in conventional batteries, making them suitable for disposable applications. Power Paper design and printing processes allow the ability to control shape and size of the battery according to the device needs. The bottom line: our batteries help to prevent accidents, reduce shipping costs, and enable our partners to create differentiated products.”
The potential applications for lighting devices that are thin, flexible, lightweight and mobile are virtually unlimited. When the lights go out from a power outage, imagine strips of light that illuminate hallways and emergency pathways and even light a whole room in a house. Another example: military and camping enthusiasts could stick strips of OLED lighting inside their tents without the need for bulky and noisy generators.
 Marktech Launches a New Web Site with the Addition of Optrans Photo Sensors and Custom Opto Assembly Services
Marktech Optoelectronics has launched a new Web site devoted to LEDs, LED drivers, photo sensors and LED and opto assemblies. The latest version of Marktech’s Web site features an easy-to-use data base of LEDs from Toshiba and Cree and LED Drivers from Toshiba. In addition Marktech is featuring an all new line of Photo sensors products from Optrans Corp of Kawasaki-shi, Japan.
Considered one of the largest catalogs of LEDs and Constant Current LED Drivers detailed on the Web, visitors to the site simply select a product category, and then drill down to a complete listing of products carried. Products can also be viewed by color wavelength or you can navigate to a complete listing of PDF Specs. On-line sample ordering is also available to streamline the sampling process and expedite sample turnaround times.
The LED and opto assembly section details a comprehensive range of engineering and manufacturing services that can simplify LED product development and provide meaningful time and cost savings to any OEM customer. Marktech’s vertically-integrated services provide customers with a total design, manufacturing, and logistics solution that can move a product from its initial design through volume production, test and distribution. These integrated services allow Marktech to design, build, and ship a complete product efficiently, effectively and at a greater cost savings to its customers.
Marktech’s Web site represents a continuing effort to provide customers with an easy-to-use Web experience by organizing content to provide the best information as quickly and simply as possible.
26 Million LED LCD TVs Expected in 2010
Displaybank, a global authority in market research and consulting for the display and solar industries, has announced that LED backlit Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TV (LED LCD TV) market is expected to grow to $26 million units in 2010 to comprise 16 percent of all LCD TV market that will mark the beginning of LED LCD TV era. LED LCD TV market that recorded 3.1M unit shipments in 2009 is expected to grow to $26 million by 2010 and $129 million by 2013 to comprise 61.5 percent of all LCD TV market. These and other findings are disclosed in Displaybank’s newly updated LED LCD TV Maker’s Roadmap and Market Forecast, which covers TV makers product roadmap as well as market forecast for LED LCD TVs.
In 2009, TV makers showed two-way competition between direct-type models that allows better picture quality and edge-type models that allow slimmer product. Consumers largely chose slimmer edge-type models and many TV makers have launched edge-lit LED LCD TV actively from the second half of 2009. Continuing this trend, edge-type LED LCD TV is expected to comprise 82 percent of all LED LCD TV and continue to show strength in 2010.
Rambus Acquires Patented Innovations and Technology from Global Lighting Technologies
Rambus, Inc. has acquired technology and a portfolio of advanced lighting and optoelectronics patents from Global Lighting Technologies Inc. (GLT). These patented innovations, which include MicroLens light distribution technology, broaden Rambus’ solutions for computing and consumer electronics. As part of this agreement, Rambus will pay GLT $26 million.
In addition, it is expected that 12 people will join Rambus from GLT including Jeff Parker, GLT’s co-founder, former CEO and principal inventor. Most of those joining from GLT will form a new Lighting Technology Division led by Parker. He and his engineering team will continue the development of Rambus’ newly acquired innovations and provide complete lighting solutions for customers based on this breakthrough technology. Also joining Rambus is Chris Pickett, formerly GLT’s president of the Licensing Division and general counsel, who will serve as a senior licensing executive for the new Lighting Technology Division.
A key application area for the acquired innovations is LED backlighting of liquid crystal displays (LCD). LED backlighting solutions are increasingly pervasive in LCD displays for computers, mobile phones, gaming systems and HDTVs, offering advantages in image quality, power efficiency and reliability. These newly acquired innovations enable cost-effective and ultra-thin form factor LCD displays. They are also important for new applications such as advanced LED-based general lighting solutions.
“Adding these breakthrough innovations to our portfolio advances our mission of enriching the consumer experience of electronic systems,” said Harold Hughes, president and CEO of Rambus. “Through the work of Jeff Parker and his team, we will continue to enhance the display of games, movies and images on computers and consumer electronic products.”
“Rambus’ long history of creating and licensing leadership solutions makes it the ideal home for this advanced lighting and optoelectronics technology,” said Jeff Parker, senior vice president Lighting Technology Division of Rambus. “There are tremendous business and technical synergies created by this acquisition. Rambus’ extensive system and integration expertise greatly complements our new LED-based solutions for bright, thin and vibrant displays.”
Lighting Partners with One Million Lights to Help Illuminate Developing World Countries
Lunera Lighting, a Silicon Valley company that designs, manufactures, and markets next-generation digital LED lighting, has announced its partnership with One Million Lights, a non-profit. Lunera engineers are working closely with OML to design and distribute LED lights for its philanthropic program.
An estimated 1.6-billion people live a life without electric lighting. They must often get by with inadequate illumination that is provided by an unhealthy, polluting, and costly kerosene lamp.
“Lunera has initiated, a ‘one-plus-one’, time-and-space program to help One Million Lights achieve its ambitious and important goal,” stated Michael Lesyna, CEO of Lunera Lighting. “Every Lunera employee donates one hour a month to OML projects. In addition, one percent of the total floor space in our Redwood City, California facility is dedicated specifically for usage by One Million Lights. These two initiatives provide OML with no-cost manpower while significantly lowering their overhead costs.”
The World Health Organization states 300 lux of lighting enables an individual to read without eye strain, however typical kerosene lamps used in impoverished communities only provide 10 lux of light. Imagine trying to read a book, or study school work using a paltry 10-lux of light. That is exactly what people in many third-world countries have to do on a daily basis. One Million Lights, a part of the non-profit World of Color, has set out to improve the daily lives of both children and adults in poor rural areas by distributing solar-powered LED lights to schools and homes around the globe.
Both Lunera and One Million Lights share the idea that good lighting makes a difference in people’s lives. In the case of children in developing nations, lighting improves literacy, extends hours dedicated to education, and makes school more enjoyable.
As its name implies, One Million Lights is dedicated to distributing 1,000,000 lights to underdeveloped areas around the world. Among other things, this will improve the opportunity for children in rural communities to study and learn. The organization arranges the donation of a solar-powered LED lights that are eco-friendly, robust, and built specifically for rugged conditions, such as those found in rural, developing nations.
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How to Dim a WLED Backlight Driver
ISA 2010
