LED driver solutions add intelligence to connected lighting

Smart LED Drivers are part of Semiconductor's extensive family of LED drivers designed for lighting applications. At the heart of the device is a high-efficiency step-down LED driver that supports high-bandwidth analog dimming and PWM dimming down to zero current. The driver contains an integrated 3V3 fixed DC-DC converter and a further adjustable DC-DC (2.5 to 24V) that can be used to power system components such as sensing and microcontrollers. Integrating these power schemes into the drive greatly simplifies system design while improving energy efficiency.

Accurate linear dimming enables visible light communication (VLC), enabling the development of light-based indoor positioning systems that can be safely used in many places where RF-based solutions cannot be used (such as hazardous spaces such as mines, or RF-sensitive areas such as hospitals or aircraft) implement. Smart LED drivers are capable of true dimming with 0.1% accuracy, ensuring no ghost light at the lowest dimming settings. It also integrates a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for highly accurate diagnostics, further reducing system complexity. ADCs measure system voltage, current, and temperature to monitor LEDs and overall system energy efficiency, and detect any anomalies. A serial (I?C/SPI) interface makes all diagnostic data available to an external MCU to monitor and control smart lighting systems. The architecture of the smart LED driver ensures excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) performance, which in testing has been shown to be more than 14 dB below the requirements of CISPR15/EN55015.