STMicroelectronics Announces Automotive LED Driver
July 05, 2021
News
STMicroelectronics’ ALED6000 single-chip automotive LED driver with integrated DC/DC converter is a low-BoM (Bill of Materials) solution designed to provide design flexibility and keep the lighting intensity consistent as electrical conditions within the vehicle fluctuate.
Suitable for exterior lighting such as daytime running lights, headlights, rear lights, stop lights, and turn signals, as well as interior lighting, the ALED6000 drives a single string of LEDs at up to 3A and has a wide input-voltage range of 4.5V to 61V.
The ALED6000 implements digital dimming and has a dedicated pin to apply the PWM control signal. There is also an Enable pin and a Sync pin that ensures low noise in multi-device applications. The output current is accurate within 3.2% and is monitored with a sense resistor that has a typical voltage drop of 250mV. The quiescent current is low, at 2.4mA in operation and 11µA in shutdown. Also featuring a VBIAS auxiliary-input pin and pulse-skipping operation at light load, the ALED6000 is designed to offer efficiency across the load range.
The on-chip converter allows buck, buck/boost, and floating-boost topologies, providing flexibility to power LED strings that require a voltage above or below the input voltage, while also handling supply fluctuations. In addition, the converter can operate in low-dropout mode with close-to 100% duty cycle if the input voltage falls near or below the programmed output.
In the event of over-current, the ALED6000 invokes pulse-by-pulse protection to limit the output current at the preset maximum. There is also programmable soft-start circuitry to limit inrush current and thermal protection with auto-recovery. Both the output-current limit and converter switching frequency can be selected using external components, allowing the inductor to be optimized for energy efficiency, fast dynamic response, small size, and low output ripple in conjunction with a low-ESR capacitor.
AEC-Q100 qualified, the ALED6000 automotive LED driver is in production now in the HTSSOP16 package, priced from $2.25 for orders of 1000 pieces. Designers can jump-start their projects using the STEVAL-ILL089V1 evaluation kit.
For more information, visit: www.st.com/buck-current-regulators
Tiera Oliver is the assistant managing editor at Embedded Computing Design. She is responsible for web content editing, product news, and story development. She also manages, edits, and develops content for ECD podcasts, including Embedded Insiders.
She utilizes her expertise in journalism and content management to oversee editorial content, coordinate with editors, and ensure high-quality output across web, print, and multimedia platforms. She manages diverse projects, assists in the production of digital magazines, and hosts company podcasts by conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders to deliver engaging and insightful discussions.
Tiera attended Northern Arizona University, where she received her bachelor's in journalism and political science. She was also a news reporter for the student-led newspaper, The Lumberjack.
