Maxim's new 2 LED drivers

Recently, Maxim Integrated Products, Inc (NASDAQ: MXIM) announced the MAX25610A and MAX25610B LED drivers to provide a simpler, more efficient high-brightness LED (HBLED) driver solution for high-performance automotive lighting designers. Synchronous buck, buck-boost LED drivers/DC-DC converters provide a complete solution with industry-leading EMI performance without compromising efficiency and size. These ICs can directly drive up to eight HBLEDs from a car battery, integrating many external components inside the chip, saving bill of materials (BOM) cost and space, making them ideal for automotive lighting systems as well as industrial and commercial lighting applications.

As the automotive industry transitions toward LED lighting, designers are facing challenges such as increasing efficiency, simplifying design, and reducing system cost, while meeting stringent EMI requirements. Traditionally, designers want to pass EMI standards and must use multiple components in their systems. In order to achieve performance improvements, designers often need to make concessions in terms of space and system efficiency, while solving the problem of heat dissipation and high cost.

The MAX25610A/B LED driver combines small size, high efficiency, and excellent EMI performance to easily solve all of these problems. These ICs support wide-voltage inputs, reducing design complexity and bill of materials (BOM) costs and increasing power efficiency. The IC accepts 5V to 36V wide-voltage inputs for buck-boost LED driver applications and up to 90% for buck-boost mode. These LED drivers integrate internal current sensing and high- and low-side switching MOSFETs to reduce solution size and cost. The driver provides programmable PWM dimming for precise dimming control without the use of a microcontroller. In addition, the MAX25610B supports operation at a 2.2MHz switching frequency to help achieve a more compact solution.

Key advantages of the MAX25610A/B

High efficiency: up to 90% efficiency, while the efficiency of standard buck-boost LED drivers is approximately 85%

Industry-leading EMI performance: Helps designers validate with CISPR 25 EMI specifications

Small size: Integrated two MOSFETs (high and low side switches) in a 5mm x 5mm TQFN package

Flexibility: configurable in buck, buck-boost, and boost modes, supporting multiple LEDs and topologies for high-performance external and headlamp lighting applications

Maxim also offers the MAX25600, a 60V synchronous rectification, high-voltage, 4-way switch buck-boost LED controller that seamlessly switches between buck, buck-boost, and boost modes. The IC is ideal for driving variable LED loads for automotive, commercial and industrial lighting applications.

Evaluation

· “With the emergence of newer and more powerful technologies in the market, the automotive industry is moving toward the era of full LED lighting,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Kevin Mak. “Under this lighting revolution, automotive system suppliers are working hard to solve this problem. The high cost and design complexity issues that Maxim's latest advanced power management technology helps automakers address critical design challenges."

· Maxim's MAX25610A/B provides automotive lighting designers with a simple, efficient, noise-resistant driver to cover a wide range of LED voltage and power supply options.” Yin Wu, Business Manager, Maxim Integrated Automotive Products, said: “This series combines all the advantages of a compact solution, enabling designers to add more high-performance LEDs to their systems while enabling greater flexibility and reducing space and cost.”

Supply and price

· The MAX25610A/B reference price is $2.10 (1000 sheets, FOB USA) and can be purchased through Maxim's official website and franchisees.

· The reference price of the MAX25600 is $2.95 (1000 sheets, FOB USA), which can be purchased through Maxim's official website and franchisees.

· Provides the MAX25610EVKIT# evaluation board for $100

· Provides the MAX25600EVKIT# evaluation board for $150