Marvell Introduces First Single Chip Dual-String Dimmable LED Lighting Controller Family
Marvell announced what it says is the world’s first dual-string smart LED controller chip, the 88EM8801, which uses the company’s unique power technology to enable superior lighting performance. Using high-levels of integration and advanced mixed-signal technology, Marvell is able to pack high-end lighting features into a single chip that would otherwise require multiple driver chips, a micro-controller and many discrete components to implement.
The on-chip intelligent digital controls and ultra-small form factor of the Marvell® new 88EM8801 chip enables customers to introduce superior lighting features and controls into mainstream professional and consumer lighting products, such as down lights, Zhaga-compliant LED modules, PAR lamps, AR lamps, A19 lamps and MR bulbs.
The 88EM8801 is the first offering in the new Marvell 8800 LED lighting controller family, which offers intelligent digital controls to drastically reduce system design complexity and the engineering effort required to implement high-end lighting features. The unique current tuning capability of the new 8800 series enables the use of loosely binned, lower-cost LEDs to deliver uniform light output and constant color temperature during the manufacturing process and throughout the long lifespan of the LED lamps themselves. Additionally, the 8800 family leverages intelligent pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming controller circuitry and other digital controls to achieve deep dimming levels up to 0.1%.
In addition to reducing the size, design complexity and cost of LED power electronics, the intelligence of the 88EM8801 chip significantly enhances light quality while reducing LED component expenses, which accounts for up to 60% of the total cost of typical LED light bulbs. Leveraging Marvell’s dual-string driver technology, the 88EM8801 offers an unparalleled solution for mixing and controlling different color LED strings to achieve high color rendering index (CRI) and high lumens per watt. Lastly, the 8801 solution delivers up to 95% efficiency while providing an on-chip communication interface for wireless lighting controls.
"Marvell’s new 8800 LED driver family will significantly diminish the cost of implementing high-quality LED technology in professional and consumer lighting, accelerating the mass market adoption of sustainable LED solutions," said Kishore Manghnani, Vice President of Green Technology Products Group at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. "The 88EM8801 is the first LED driver chip of its kind to handle dual-string LEDs with unique differentiating features, enabling superior lighting products that are currently unaffordable for the general consumer market."
Marvell is currently sampling the 88EM8801 and the evaluation boards to key OEMs.
