Power Analog Microelectronics LED Driver With Integrated 3A Power MOSFET Drives Up To 72 White LEDs
Power Analog Microelectronics (PAM) announced what is described as the industry’s first monolithic, fully integrated Power MOSFET, high-voltage LED driver capable of driving up to 6-strings of LEDs and delivering up to 7W of output power. The circuit is based on the high voltage Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) Technology developed at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC).
First in the high-voltage family series of LED driver products, the PAM2846 is a high-efficiency driver for White LED with six string current regulation designed for large LCDs that employ an array of LEDs as a back light source. The PAM2846 is claimed to be the first of its kind in the industry to integrate a 3A Power MOSFET with a current mode step-up converter that drives six parallel strings of LEDs connected in multiple series of up to 72 (6 x 12) White LEDs. With built-in string-current-control circuits, the PAM2846 achieves +/-3% regulation accuracy between strings that ensures even brightness for all LEDs. The PAM2846 has a wide +4.5 to +26V input voltage range, and provides a fixed (20mA) or adjustable (5mA to 30mA) full scale LED current.
The PAM2846 includes multiple features to protect the regulator from fault conditions. Separate feedback loops limit the output voltage if one or more LEDs fail open or short. The regulator features cycle-by-cycle current limit to provide consistent operation and soft start capability. Other features include programmable dimming control through direct PWM or analog dimming, wide (10,000:1) PWM dimming range with no color shift, and thermal shut down protection.
Manufactured at TSMC in its advanced BCD technology and with PAM’s patent pending proprietary architecture, the PAM2846 is housed in a 16-pin QFN (4mm x 4mm) package and is ideal for slim LED displays from 7-inch up to 15-inch panel sizes, including applications such as notebook PC, portable-DVD, LCD monitors, avionic and automotive displays.
"We are excited at being able to deliver the industry’s first 7W LED Driver capable of driving up to 72 LEDs. By integrating the switching device we truly reduce the external component count and lower the overall system cost for LCD systems", said Johnston Chen, President and CEO of PAM. "This marks the official entry of the company into the multiple string, high power LED driver market, an area that is poised for rapid growth worldwide. With its unique patent-pending architecture, PAM will play an active role in leading this market where high-efficiency is critical for environmentally friendly energy saving LED applications."
The PAM2846 is now available in volume production.
