By Alex Pluemer, contributing writer
Texas Instruments Inc. recently launched a new family of LED drivers that are the first in the industry to offer a 29-kHz dimming frequency — a frequency above the range of what can be detected by the human ear — to help developers reduce the noise associated with the dimming lights in human-machine-interface applications like appliances, building automation, and portable electronics.
The LP5018, LP5024, LP5030, and LP5036 drivers all integrate independent color mixing, brightness control, and a power-saving mode to deliver vivid color and reduce system power consumption. An integrated 12-bit pulse-width modulation (PWM) generator delivers smoother color and brightness-level adjustments than standard PWM solutions, said TI, and an integrated power-saving mode lowers power consumption to as little as 0.01 mA (existing solutions typically consume approximately 9 mA in standby modes), which helps improve total system efficiency in standby mode.
Three integrated, programmable banks simplify software coding and the overall design process, and 18-, 24-, 30-, and 36-channel options are available to provide independent color mixing and brightness control.
TI offers a variety of support tools to help developers incorporate the LP50xx family into their designs. Designers can download the LP50xx graphical user interface software to configure the LED drivers, while the LP5024EVM and LP5036EVM evaluation modules help jumpstart their designs.
The LP5018 and LP5024 LED drivers are available now, and pre-production samples of the LP5030 and LP5036 are available now in the TI store.
Each of the devices’ specifications and pricing options are as follows:
| Driver | Channels | Package | Price Per 1,000 Units |
| LP5018 | 18 | 4 × 4 mm QFN | $0.73 |
| LP5024 | 24 | 4 × 4 mm QFN | $0.82 |
| LP5030 | 30 | 5 × 6 mm QFN | $0.97 |
| LP5036 | 36 | 5 × 6 mm QFN | $1.08 |
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