Analog Devices adds new model to LED driver line

By Brian Santo, contributing writer

Analog Devices has added a new model to its Power by Linear line of LED driver modules, this one supporting a wider range of output voltages and providing a higher maximum drive current. It is also configurable for different operation modes.

 The LTM8005 boost DC/DC µModule regulator includes a DC/DC controller, power switch, Schottky diode, and current sense resistor.

It has an input voltage range of 5 V to 38 V. Other devices in the Power by Linear line can operate at lower minimum input voltages (either 3 V or 4 V), but they all also topped out at 36 V or lower.

The LTM8005 can also deliver up to 1.6 A of regulated current. Similar devices from ADI were capable of supplying currents of no more than 1 A.

The module has an external inductor, which the company said enables the LTM8005 to configure in different operation modes including boost, buck-boost, buck, and single-ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC) topologies with a coupled inductor. That makes the device capable of serving a variety of use cases.

Boost (or step-up) LED drivers provide current control of multiple LEDs and support for high-brightness LED lighting, large-format LED backlighting, camera-enabled smart devices, and related applications, noted ADI. Buck (or step-down) LED drivers are suited for applications in which the input voltage is above the LED voltage, as in many automotive or industrial applications, according to the company. The SEPIC regulator topology is typically used when the LED driver might be powered from a source that can be higher or lower than the LED voltage; SEPIC regulators can buck or boost as the input voltage changes. These are often in applications in which the input is a battery. Under these circumstances, said ADI, the driver must be as efficient as possible.

The E and I grades of the LTM8005 operate from −40°C to 125°C. The company said that there is also a high reliability model — the H-grade version — which guarantees operation from −40°C to 150°C. “The wide input voltage range and 150°C operation make this µModule LED driver ideal for automotive and industrial lighting applications,” said the company.

The operating frequency of the device is adjustable from 100 kHz to 1 MHz, and built-in spread-spectrum frequency modulation improves electromagnetic compatibility performance.

Brightness of the LEDs can be controlled by the analog CTRL pin and by PWM dimming with a range up to 3,000:1, said ADI. The LTM8005 provides safety features such as output disconnect short-circuit protection, open LED protection, programmable input current limit, and input and output current reporting.

The LTM8005 module comes in a BGA package that measures 9 × 11.25 × 2.22 mm, which makes it a bit shorter and slightly thinner than other similar LED drivers from ADI. Available now, pricing starts at $9.95 each in quantities of 1,000.