Feb 23 2010
Micrel Inc., (NASDAQ: MCRL), an industry leader in analog, high bandwidth communications and Ethernet IC solutions, today rolled out the MIC3201, a new Step-Down High Brightness LED (HBLED) driver with high-side current sense.
This device is the first in a new series of high brightness LED drivers targeting MR-16 lamps and other general illumination applications. This device reduces the size, complexity and cost of the driver solutions for various lighting applications. The MIC3201 is currently available in volume quantities, with pricing starting at $1.11 for 1K quantities.
"With the ever increasing concern regarding carbon emissions and energy costs, high-efficiency lighting has become one of the highest growth segments of the electronics market," noted Doyle Slack, senior marketing director of Analog Power, Linear and RF at Micrel. "Micrel's LED driver products provide the performance, flexibility and ease-of-use required by LED lighting system designers to meet these challenges."
The MIC3201 is capable of driving up to four, 1A HBLEDs in series at more than 90 percent efficiency with +/-5 percent current accuracy from input voltages of 4.5V to 20V. With its hysteretic control architecture and high-side current sense scheme, the MIC3201 is well positioned to provide constant current with changes in input voltage and output load. The MIC3201 operating frequency is adjustable up to 1MHz to allow flexibility in the design. The MIC3201 features a dedicated PWM dimming pin, an enable pin for very low power shutdown, over temperature protection and UVLO. The MIC3201 has an internal power switch and requires no external compensation. In addition to enhanced power driving capability/reliability, the MIC3201 comes in an exposed pad SOIC-8L package.