austriamicrosystems AG (Graz, Austria) presented its new AS1101 low-dropout LED driver for parallel connected LEDs. With analog and pulse-width modulation (PWM) brightness control, the AS1101 can drive two high-current LEDs with up to 80 mA per LED – making it suitable for applications that require higher current. The AS1101 features enable shutdown control with the supply current dropping to less than 1 µA.
The AS1101 driver is designed for an ultra-low voltage drop of less than 150 mV, and is suited to connect directly to lithium-ion batteries. No dc-dc converter is required, thus eliminating switching noise. For maximum ease of use the LED current is programmable using an external resistor. The IC is suited for backlighting of small displays, as well as lighting management for battery-powered audio devices such as MP3 and CD players, mobile and cordless phones, PDAs, portable DVD players and consumer electronics that require high-efficiency lighting control for LED backlighting
The AS1101 is available in an SC70-6 package and is pin-to-pin compatible to the FAN5614 from Fairchild Semiconductor.
