Products, Materials + Tools | Oct 18, 2011

Linear LED Driver from Diodes Inc. Simplifies Low Power LED Control

Integrating a high gain NPN transistor with a 30V rated pre-biased NPN output transistor, the AL5802 linear LED driver from Diodes Incorporated provides a simple, cost effective and low EMI solution for controlling current in up to 9 low power series-connected LEDs. With an open collector output capable of operating between 0.8V to 30V, the SOT26 packaged driver will support 12V and 24V power supplies and deliver LED currents between 20mA to 100mA for LED signs, lamps and automotive interior display applications.

The LED current is set via an external low value resistor, the one additional component required by the driver.  By generating a reference voltage of 0.65V across the resistor, the internal high gain transistor helps minimize power losses and ensures supply voltage headroom.  The negative temperature coefficient of the reference voltage means that LED current is automatically reduced at high temperatures, thereby helping to protect LEDs and improve circuit reliability.

PWM dimming of the LED string is also simple to achieve by either driving the device bias pin with a low impedance voltage source or driving its enable pin with an external open collector NPN transistor or open drain N-Channel MOSFET.  The AL5802’s wide ambient temperature operating range of -40ºC to +125ºC enables it to be circuit mounted very close to the LEDs in space limited lighting applications.

The AL5802 30V linear LED driver from Diodes Incorporated is available for $0.66 USD each in 1k quantities.  Further information is available at www.diodes.com

About Diodes Inc:
Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq: DIOD), a Standard and Poor’s SmallCap 600 and Russell 3000 Index company, is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic, and analog semiconductor markets.  Diodes serves the consumer electronics, computing, communications, industrial, and automotive markets.  Diodes' products include diodes, rectifiers, transistors, MOSFETs, protection devices, functional specific arrays, single gate logic, amplifiers and comparators, Hall-effect and temperature sensors; power management devices, including LED drivers, DC-DC switching and linear voltage regulators, and voltage references along with special function devices, such as USB power switches, load switches, voltage supervisors, and motor controllers.  The Company’s corporate headquarters, logistics center, and Americas’ sales office are located in Plano, Texas.  Design, marketing, and engineering centers are located in Plano; San Jose, California; Taipei, Taiwan; Manchester, England; and Neuhaus, Germany.  The Company’s wafer fabrication facilities are located in Kansas City, Missouri and Manchester, with two manufacturing facilities located in Shanghai, China, another in Neuhaus, and a joint venture facility located in Chengdu, China.  Additional engineering, sales, warehouse, and logistics offices are located in Taipei; Hong Kong; Manchester; and Munich, Germany; with support offices located throughout the world.  For further information, including SEC filings, visit the Company's website at http://www.diodes.com.

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