LED driver targets automotive lighting

Diodes Inc. has introduced a new automotive-compliant, three-channel linear LED driver that enables users to independently control the brightness and color of its three channels. Qualified to AEC-Q100, these devices target multiple interior and exterior lighting applications in electric vehicles (EV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

The demand for multi-channel LED drivers is driven by human-centric automotive design, which allows users to easily change the interior lighting colors, Diodes said. In addition, these drives help increase safety levels by simultaneously enabling animated turning-indicator signals and exterior grill lighting for different road conditions, the company added.

(Source: Diodes Inc.)

Key features of the AL1783Q LED driver include LED current settings by an external REF pin, independent dimming controls for each channel and pulse width modulation (PWM) for LED dimming. It also provides multiple fault detection features including undervoltage lockout (UVLO) and overvoltage protection (OVP), as well as the ability to detect LED open and short circuit conditions.

As the automotive industry moves towards higher voltage rails to power vehicle subsystems with battery voltages increasing up to 48 V, the AL1783Q has been designed to operate from a 55-V rail. This provides an advantage over other LED drivers, which typically only operate up to 40 V, and enables the AL1783Q to support increasing LED chain voltages, Diodes said.

The LED driver also delivers up to 66% more current per channel (250 mA compared with a standard 150mA), which provides greater flexibility to support higher LED current ranges in a wider range of lighting applications. The current in each of the three channels can be set using individual resistors.

The AL1783Q is housed in a thermally efficient TSSOP-16EP (5.1 × 6.6 mm) package that has an exposed cooling pad for higher heat dissipation. Pricing is $0.43 in quantities of 2,500.