New Industry Products

ON Semi Introduces New Linear Constant Current Regulators For LEDs

May 25, 2009 by Jeff Shepard

ON Semiconductor introduced a new series of two-terminal linear constant current regulators ideal for driving current in automotive, industrial signage and architectural LED lighting applications. The new constant current regulators operate over a wide range of input voltages and are said to provide engineers a simple and cost-effective solution for regulating current in their applications without compromising on performance.

"ON Semiconductor continues to deliver a wide array of LED driving solutions for a broad range of applications," said Dan Huettl, Director and General Manager for ON Semiconductor’s Small Signal Division. "The new constant current regulator solution does not require any external components, reduces inventory cost and offers our customers an extremely simple, economical and yet robust device to easily incorporate in their lighting designs."

The new series of constant current regulators are based on patent-pending self biased transistor technology and are targeted for a broad range of LED application with varying input voltage. By regulating the voltage over the wide range, the devices ensure constant brightness over the operating voltage range. The series is designed with a negative temperature coefficient to protect LEDs from thermal runaway at extreme voltage and operating temperatures.

The NSI45 series of constant current regulators are offered in 20, 25 and 30mA device options available in a SOD-123 package and in a SOT-223 package. These devices are available in ±)10% and ±15% steady state regulated current (Ireg) tolerance. The series is rated at 45V with operating temperature range of -40 to 85°C and maximum junction temperature of 150°C. The SOD-123 package is 3.7 x 1.6 x 1.2mm surface mount package and can dissipate 230mW of power at 85°C with 500mm/ 1 ounce copper on the board. The SOT-223 is 7.0 x 6.5 x 1.6mm surface mount package, dissipates 630mW of power at 85°C with 500mm/ 1 ounce copper on the board and is well suited for extreme thermal operating environments. The devices are qualified to stringent automotive standard of AEC101. In addition, these devices are lead-free RoHS compliant and use halogen-free mold compound.

The NSI45 in SOD-123 package is priced at $0.0545 per unit in 10,000 quantities. The NSI450 in SOT-223 package is priced at $0.090 per unit in 10,000 quantities.