Maxim’s Compact LED Drivers Provide Complete Solutions with High Efficiency and Low EMI

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Designers of high-performance automotive lighting applications now have a simpler, more efficient method for driving high-brightness LEDs (HBLEDs) with the MAX25610A and MAX25610B LED drivers from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. The synchronous buck, buck-boost LED drivers/DC-DC converters offer a complete solution that features industry-leading EMI performance, without compromising on efficiency and size. These ICs drive up to eight HBLEDs directly from the automotive battery and integrate many external components to save on bill of materials (BOM) costs and space, making them excellent solutions for automotive lighting systems as well as industrial and commercial lighting applications.

As the automotive industry accelerates its transition to all-LED lighting, designers face new challenges in improving efficiency, simplifying designs and reducing system costs, while passing strict EMI requirements. Traditionally, designers had to employ multiple components in their systems in order to pass EMI specifications. To achieve performance gains, they would often have to compromise on space and system efficiency while also addressing thermal issues and high costs.

The MAX25610A/B LED drivers address all these concerns by combining solution size, high efficiency and EMI performance into a single package. These ICs meet the wide range of voltage requirements and can decrease design complexity, lower bill-of-material (BOM) costs and improve power efficiency. They offer a wide input voltage range from 5V to 36V in buck-boost LED driver applications with up to 90 percent efficiency in buck-boost mode. These LED drivers have an internal current sense option and integrated high- and low-side switching MOSFETs to reduce solution space and cost. They offer programmable on-chip PWM dimming, which allows for fine dimming control without having to use a separate microcontroller. Additionally, the MAX25610B features a 2.2MHz switching frequency option allowing for an even more compact solution.

Key Advantages of the MAX25610A/B

• High Efficiency: Delivers up to 90 percent efficiency compared to a standard buck-boost LED driver, which provides ~85 percent efficiency
• Industry-Leading EMI Performance: Enables designers to pass CISPR 25 EMI specification
• Small Size: Integrates two MOSFETs (high- and low-side switching) and is available in a 5mm x 5mm TQFN
• Flexibility: Enables configuration of buck, buck-boost and boost modes to support a wide variety of LEDs and topologies in high-performance exterior and front lighting

Maxim now also offers the MAX25600, a 60V, synchronous, high-voltage, four-switch buck-boost LED controller that shifts seamlessly between buck, buck-boost and boost modes. This IC is ideal for driving changing LED loads in high-power automotive, commercial and industrial lighting applications.

Commentary

• “The automotive industry is witnessing a robust transition to all-LED lighting as new and more powerful technology gets introduced,” said Kevin Mak, analyst at Strategy Analytics. “Automotive system suppliers are grappling with high costs and design complexity issues driven by this transition toward more eye-catching lighting features. Maxim has introduced advanced power management technology that addresses some key challenges for carmakers.”
• “Maxim designed the MAX25610A/B to provide automotive lighting designers a simple, efficient and noise-tolerant driver to cover a wide variety of LED voltages and power topology choices,” said Yin Wu, business manager for the Automotive Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. “The ability to have all of these benefits in such a compact solution encourages designers to add more high-performance LEDs into systems while taking advantage of greater flexibility and reduced space and cost.”

About Maxim Integrated

Maxim Integrated develops innovative analog and mixed-signal products and technologies to make systems smaller and smarter, with enhanced security and increased energy efficiency. We are empowering design innovation for our automotive, industrial, healthcare, mobile consumer and cloud data center customers to deliver industry-leading solutions that help change the world.