Infineon Introduces Innovative LED Drivers Enabling Automotive RGB Ambient Lighting at Lowest Development Effort

The Infineon TLD73xxEK LINLED driver family includes four different members. They vary by output current (up to 48mA, up to 2A) and LIN compliance according to the LIN 2.1 and SAE J2602 standards. Each family member combines logic, memory, LIN interface and a three channel linear current source or three external driver stages in one device. To achieve predefined color points for multiple RGB modules, the integrated memory stores calibration points for up to 16 colors.

”LEDs are replacing traditional bulbs,” says Andreas Doll, Vice President and General Manager, Body Power Automotive at Infineon Technologies. ”Driving this transition, Infineon offers automotive-optimized LED products to enable flicker-free ambient lighting and help car manufactures to produce differentiated products.”

The use of LEDs that mix red, green and blue emitters allows a theoretically unlimited range of color. The challenge is to achieve predefined colors for each RGB module even as environmental conditions change and accounting for variance between each LED. To compensate these variations, Infineon is among the few semiconductor suppliers offering integrated memory to store pre-calibrated data of up to 16 different color points mixed by the three basic colors.

The integrated state machine of the TLD73xxEK products enables smooth color transitioning and theater dimming functionality without the need for further software development by the system supplier. Typically pulse width modulation (PWM) is used to mix the colors, which can cause flickering light output, due to low PWM frequencies. The Infineon TLD73xxEK LINLED driver family uses a proprietary solution for color mixing which allows flicker-free light output as the LEDs are driven with a high frequency signal.

The TLD73xxEK family is suitable for worldwide use, as it includes members with integrated LIN transceiver fulfilling the LIN 2.1 and SAE J2602 standard. Each device can be programmed with a unique LIN address and different modules can be combined in groups, which react simultaneously on the transmitted LIN message.

Availability and packaging

All versions of the TLD73xxEK LINLED family are available in high volume. The devices are shipped in space saving PG-DSO-14 packages with ”exposed Pad” for improved thermal behavior. The TLD7305EK (SAE J2602 compliant) and TLD7306EK (LIN 2.1 compliant) have three linear current sources integrated with each up to 48mA output current to enable a stable current flow through the LED, independent of environmental conditions. The TLD7395EK (SAE J2602 compliant) and TLD7396EK (LIN 2.1 compliant) offer the functionality to control bipolar transistors with external drive capability for increased currents to drive high power LEDs with more than 48mA up to 2A.