IXYS Introduces New LED Driver Family with 40 V Integrated Synchronous Rectifier to drive up to 42 LEDs
Source/Type:  LIGHTimes Online - Press Releases - As issued by company

June 29, 2010... Milpitas, California USA & Biel, Switzerland--IXYS announces today the release of the LDS8710/11, LDS8720/24/26, an innovative inductor-based, high efficiency LED driver family that eliminates the external Schottky diode normally used in the rectification loop. The LDS8711 uses a patent pending SmartOne Wire™ Interface to set maximum LED current in the range from 0.5 to 32 mA in 0.25 mA steps and PWM dimming control and is able to drive a string of 10 WLEDs. The LDS8710 drives a string of 10 LEDs with factory-preset maximum LED current values of 20, 25 and 30 mA with 1% accuracy, and uses PWM dimming to adjust LED brightness. LDS8720/24 and LDS8726 use PWM dimming to adjust the LED brightness and are able to drive 40 LEDs and, respectively, 42 WLEDs at 25 mA current each. Drivers provide full output power from a single-cell Lithium-Ion battery or supply voltage in the range of 2.7 to 5.5 V.

About the LDS8710/11/20/24/26 family

The LDS8710/11 are ideal for (up to 7 inches) LCD display backlight applications such as Smart Phones, Portable Multimedia Devices, E-Books, Personal Navigation Systems, personal medical displays and Digital Photo Frames where battery life, display size, resolution, and brightness are critical.

The LDS8720/24/26 are ideal for (up to 15 inches) LCD display backlight applications such as automotive displays, GPS, NetBooks, laptop PCs, Tablet computers and industrial and medical displays.

Both device families are suitable to drive WLEDs for lighting applications, such as battery powered high intensity flash lights, security lights, automotive lights and home lights.

Coupled with the Zilog micro-controllers and the Zilog motion sensing technology, with these drivers, IXYS provides the whole system solution for automated high effieciency lighting control based on occupancy and as needed.

Each device in the family is a fixed frequency current-mode boost converter with cycle-by-cycle current limit and features a patent pending integrated synchronous rectifier, which eliminates the external Schottky diode and the need for complicated and costly isolation FET. This reduces the bill of material, footprint of the display subsystem, and also simplifies the design-in process and time to market of the end product.

The LDS8710/11/20 are fixed 0.7MHz frequency drivers, while the LDS8724/26 operate at 1 MHz. The devices offer a wide PWM dimming frequency range (100Hz to 10 KHz) and a robust protection system (over-voltage, over-temperature, under-voltage, and over-current), while the shut down current is below 1 microA.

The LDS8710/11 do not need an external current-sense resistor that further simplifies the system while the LDS8720/24/26 require an external current-sense resistor to set LED current. Since these LED driver families operate at a high switching frequency, small, low profile passive components (10 - 33 microH inductors and 1 microF 50V ceramic capacitor) can be used, which further reduces the system’s bill of material cost and allows a thin profile of the backlight unit. The use of integrated synchronous rectifier makes the efficiency dependent upon only one external component parameter - the inductor DCR. The system achieves efficiency higher then 86%.

All devices are available in a tiny 2 x 3 x 0.8 mm 8-pin TDFN package.

Additional product information may be obtained by visiting IXYS website at http://www.ixys.com, or by contacting the company directly.

About IXYS Corporation

IXYS Corporation makes and markets technology-driven products to improve power conversion efficiency, generate solar and wind power, and provide efficient motor control for industrial applications. IXYS offers a diversified product base that addresses worldwide needs for power control, electrical efficiency, renewable energy, telecommunications, medical devices, electronic displays, and RF power.

Safe Harbor Statement

Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including the performance, advantages, rating, availability, reliability, efficiency and suitability of products for various applications, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the results of IXYS to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.

Contacts
IXYS Corporation
Dr. Octav Chirica, 408-457-9000

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