The market has a new automotive LED driver courtesy of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ:CY). The device which is the industry’s first to feature synchronous control enables smaller and more cost-effective headlight systems which in return enhances the performance of the lighting system. Acknowledging the new device, vice president of the Analog Business Unit at Cypress, Kiyoe Nagaya said that it had been necessitated by the fast-growing usage of LED lighting systems in cars. Besides, automotive suppliers are also into reducing the component count which results in lower cost without necessarily affecting performance.
The auto industry is somewhat in a growing race. At the same time, everyone is seeking for ways and means of making processes easier but reliable whereby the usage of LED lighting systems fits in this bill given that they are providing a compact, efficient and headlight solution. Nagaya further confirms that the Automotive LED driver has the support of automotive MCUs and PMICs which propel robust performance even in acute temperatures.
Features of Automotive LED driver
A lot has already been pointed out, the likes of reliability and performance. However, an input voltage range of 4.5-42 V is yet to be mentioned. It plays a vital role in extreme operating conditions for example in the event of a power surge which occasionally happens as a result of automobile battery disconnection.
The LED driver has System Safety Functions the likes of under current detection, over-current and voltage protection. On the side, it has synchronous capabilities that that enhance the elimination of unstable dimming which is caused by the little input of energy. It has a 205 kHz and 2.1 MHz switching frequency which gives a high output current accuracy of +/-2%.
About Cypress and the availability of Automotive LED driver
The device’s’ availability has not been made official yet given that it is still in its sampling stage. However, there is likely production in the fourth quarter of 2016. There is a lot to expect from the automotive industry and more so Cypress, which has collaborations with well-known automotive companies.
The company is positioning itself into bringing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), full-featured touch screens as well as 3-D graphics displays
