New Industry Products

New Boost Controller IC Offers 94 Percent Efficiency

September 13, 2001 by Jeff Shepard

Zetex Inc. (Hauppauge, NY) introduced the ZXSC300 dc/dc boost controller IC, which provides a programmable constant current drive for white LEDs and is claimed to easily attain a conversion efficiency of 94 percent. According to Zetex, the combination of the ZXSC300 with an FMMT617 low saturation voltage transistor allows easily configured drive of single or multiple white LEDs, connected in series or parallel, from a wide range of input voltages.

The IC maintains its high conversion efficiency as the cell voltage reduces to as low as 0.8V, maximizing battery life. The ZXSC300/FMMT617 combination can be configured for a number of options, including maximum battery life or maximum LED brightness.

The controller IC is suited for use in a broad range of portable equipment using white LEDs in backlighting and illumination roles, including mobile phones, PDAs and flashlights. The device is priced at $0.37 each in 1,000 pieces.