Boost LED drivers are often used to drive LEDs in series. If an LED fails while open,overvoltage protection (OVP) is necessary to avoid the damage to a boost integrated circuit (IC) or output capacitor. This application report presents the solutions to increase the TPS61043 LED driver OVP threshold.
Abstract: How smart is your LED lighting system? While LED lighting holds the promise of reducingenergy consumption and maintenance costs, smart LED lighting designs improve system performance in
Linear Technology’s high performance battery management ICsenable long battery life and run time, while providing precision charging control, constantstatus monitoring and stringent battery protection. Our proprietary design techniques seamlesslymanage multiple input sources while providing small solution footprints, faster charging and100% standalone operation. Battery and circuit protection features enable improved thermalperformance and high reliability operation.
Linear Technology offers a variety of devices that simplifyconverting power from a USB cable, but the LTC®3455represents the highest level of functional integration yet. The LTC3455 seamlessly manages power flowbetween an AC adapter, USB cable and Li-ion battery,while complying with USB power standards, all from a4mm × 4mm QFN package. In addtion, two high efficiencysynchronous buck converters generate low voltage railswhich most USB-powered peripherals require. TheLTC3455 also provides power-on reset signals for themicroprocessor, a Hot SwapTM output for poweringmemory cards as well as an uncommitted gain blocksuitable for use as a low-battery comparator or an LDOcontroller. The PCB real estate required for the entire USBpower control circuit and two DC/DC converters is only225mm2.
While simplicity and high effi ciency (for cool running) areno longer optional features in isolated power supplies, itis traditionally diffi cult to achieve both. Achieving higheffi ciency often requires the use of advanced topologiesand home-brewed secondary synchronous rectifi cationschemes once reserved only for higher power applications.This only adds to the parts count and to the designcomplexity associated with the reference and optocouplercircuits typically used to maintain isolation. Fortunately, abreakthrough IC makes it possible to achieve both high efficiency and simplicity in a synchronous fl yback topology.The LT®3825 simplifi es and improves the performance oflow voltage, high current fl yback supplies by providingprecise synchronous rectifi er timing and eliminating theneed for optocoupler feedback while maintaining excellentregulation and superior loop response.
Low power standby requirements are typically associatedwith battery-powered systems. Automotive systems,for example, commonly require power supplies tomaintain output voltage regulation even under no-loadconditions—while drawing minimal quiescent current topreserve battery life. Rising energy costs, however, haveextended the need for low current standby operation toline-powered systems, such as small plugged-in appliancesfor home and business.
As the performance of many handheld devices approachesthat of laptop computers, design complexity also increases.Chief among them is thermal management—how doyou meet increasing performance demands while keepinga compact and small product cool in the user’s hand?For instance, as battery capacities inevitably increase,charge currents will also increase to maintain or improvetheir charge times. Traditional linear regulator-based batterychargers will not be able to meet the charge currentand effi ciency demands necessary to allow a product torun cool. What is needed is a switching-based chargerthat takes just about the same amount of space as a linearsolution—but without the heat.
The LTC®3569 is a compact power solution for handhelddevices. Its tiny 3mm × 3mm QFN package includesthree buck regulators with individually programmableoutput voltages. One regulator supports load currentsup to 1200mA, while the other two support currents to600mA. Two regulators can be paralleled for increasedload capability. Each current-mode regulator is internallycompensated with excellent load and line regulation. Acomplete 2- or 3-output solution requires a minimumof external passive components.
Once relegated to the hinterlands of low cost indicatorlights, the LED is again in the spotlight of the lightingworld. LED lighting is now ubiquitous, from car headlightsto USB-powered lava lamps. Car headlights exemplifyapplications that capitalize on the LED’s clear advantages—unwavering high quality light output, tough-assteelrobustness, inherent high effi ciency—while a USBlava lamp exemplifi es applications where only LEDs work.Despite these clear advantages, their requirement forregulated voltage and current make LED driver circuitsmore complex than the venerable light bulb, but some newdevices are closing the gap. For instance, the LTM®8040μModule™ LED driver integrates all the driver circuitryinto a single package, allowing designers to refocus theirtime and effort on the details of lighting design criticalto a product’s success.
