Catalyst Announces New 7W Buck LED Driver in TSOT-23 Package
Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. announced its new buck converter in a TSOT-23 package optimized for driving high-brightness, 350mA LEDs at up 94% efficiency. The first device in a new family of buck converters, the CAT4201 incorporates Catalyst’s patent-pending switching control algorithm. This new architecture is said to reduce system complexity, improve efficiency and allow an external RSET control resistor to preset a regulated LED current up to 350mA from supplies as high as 24V, to provide better inductor control and eliminate the need for a dedicated heat sink.
The CAT4201 buck converter offers a simpler and significantly smaller alternative to linear regulators for driving high-brightness LEDs in step-down applications, eliminating the need for heatsinks. Additionally, built-in load dump protection allows transients of 40V to be safely handled, fully optimizing the CAT4201 for automotive indicator and illumination lighting applications, including turn signal, brake and map reading lights.
Traditionally, LEDs from 12 or 24V buses have been driven by linear regulators, which generate a significant amount of heat, resulting in the need for a dedicated heat sink and, therefore, a very large TO263 package. The patent-pending switching architecture of the CAT4201 lets designers easily control the average current with a single external resistor. This results in extremely low internal power dissipation allowing the CAT4201 to be housed in a tiny, 5-lead TSOT-23 package without the need for a dedicated heat sink. Additionally, the device is compatible with switching frequencies up to 1MHz, making it suitable for applications requiring small-footprint, low-cost external inductors.
