Catalyst Unveils New Linear-Based LED Driver

Catalyst Semiconductor (News - Alert) has introduced a new linear-based LED driver, CAT4101. The new LED driver is an addition to the company’s constant-current and LDD (low dropout driver) product portfolio, which can drive long strings of LEDs and as well provide a high-current solution for a wide-array of LED applications.

 

Catalyst claims that the new LED driver provides a simple solution for automotive, architectural, landscape and general LED lighting.

 

For those who are not familiar with LED drivers, they boost a low-level DC battery voltage to the high voltage that is required to drive high-brightness LEDs. These LED drivers are used for backlighting of LCD displays in PDAs, MP3 players, cell phones, GPS terminals and digital cameras.

 

The CAT4101’s linear-based feature avoids inclusion of an inductor in it, thereby eliminating noise produced by it. This simplifies the design of the driver with less component count.

 

The LED pin on the CAT4101 is compatible with high-voltages up to 25V, thereby allowing the driver to drive long strings of up to 10 LEDs that can be adjusted to 1 ampere current. The LED current can be set via an external resistor which is connected to the RSET pin on the device.

 

The CAT4101 also provides high-speed and high-resolution PWM (pulse width modulation) dimming, which is an “instant-on” PWM control mode. The device as well has thermal shutdown protection that becomes active whenever the die temperature exceeds 150ºC, which means the device goes to thermal shutdown protection mode in the event of an over-temperature fault condition.

 

Other key features of the product include: 1A constant-current sink with high accuracy; low dropout voltage drive of 500mV/1A; 5-lead TO-263 packaging that provides high thermal dissipation.

 

Santa Clara, California-based Catalyst Semiconductor designs and markets analog, mixed-signal and non-volatile memory products. It also provides digitally programmable potentiometers (DPP), white and color LED drivers, DC/DC converters, LDO regulators, voltage supervisors, bus expanders, serial and parallel EEPROMs, Flash and NVRAM.

 

Catalyst’s products feature Quantum Charge Programmable Technology with low power and smaller die size.

 

The company claims that all its products are available in "green". The products are lead and halogen free versions with full RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) compliance.