A car's instrument cluster houses the various displays and indicators that enable a driver to operate the vehicle. Among these are several gauges – often a speedometer, odometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge, fuel gauge, etc. – as well as various indicators for system malfunctions and warnings. Instrument clusters provide drivers with a centralized and easily viewable location for displaying all critical system information.
Automotive LED backlighting presents a somewhat unique set of design constraints and challenges. Instrument clusters require a certain amount of illumination to be clearly readable, and, as ambient lighting conditions change, the brightness of the backlight must be adjusted to compensate. It is essential that the dimming range of an LED/LED driver system is sufficiently wide to accomplish this. In addition to being compact and cost-efficient, LED driver ICs must withstand the harsh thermal, chemical, and electrical conditions of an automotive environment. Reliable current regulation over a range of environmental circumstances is critical for maintaining uniform brightness across the panel and for protecting the long operating life of an LED backlight.
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