NXP Enables Deep Dimming of Compact Fluorescents Down to Two Percent

“The UBA2026x and UBA2027x families represent a significant lead ahead for compact fluorescent lighting. By directly addressing the issues that have previously discouraged the uptake of dimmable CFLs, such as flicker and slow warm-up times, we are helping to deliver both a better lighting experience for the consumer and a more attractive retail proposition for stores. Energy-efficient bulbs have long been viewed as delivering inferior performance compared to incandescents – these new ICs will enable manufacturers and retailers to change that perception once and for all,” said Ryan Zahn, general manager, lighting solutions product line, NXP Semiconductors.

The NXP UBA2026x and UBA2027x driver ICs are being adopted by leading manufacturers such as Ningbo Baishi, which announced EU Stage 5 CFL qualification for non-dimmable compact fluorescents in a separate news release today.

Breakthrough in Deep Dimming of CFLs

The UBA2027x family consists of a range of simple, compact solutions suitable for retrofit CFL designs, emulating a natural dimming curve using logarithmic correction, together with an adjustable minimum deep dimming level down to 2% while remaining flicker-free. The UBA2026x family provides an easy-to-use “step-dimmable” solution, which enables dimming in four defined steps by simply toggling the standard on-off switch.

Accelerating Warm-Up Times

Both the UBA2026x and UBA2027x devices also feature a unique boost function which addresses the problem of bulbs taking an excessive length of time to achieve full brightness. By increasing power for up to three minutes after the bulb is switched on, the warm-up time to full brightness can be accelerated by a factor of five – a key feature enabling manufacturers to meet or exceed the latest Super CFL specifications, as well as forthcoming requirements for ENERGY STAR® and the EU Ecodesign regulations.

Dimmer Compatibility and Longer Lifetimes

Dimmer compatibility has been an ongoing issue for bulb manufacturers, with consumers quickly finding that certain CFLs won’t work with existing wall switches. The UBA2026x and UBA2027x family of devices from NXP has been designed to work with the broadest range of available dimmer switch solutions, including triac- or transistor-based wall dimmers. Lamps based on these ICs can reach lifetimes well above standard CFL expectations, with over 15,000 hours of use and up to 100,000 on/off switching cycles.

Both the UBA2026x and UBA2027x families are available immediately, and include dedicated devices for 120V and 230V supplies. These ICs come in an SO20 package and incorporate half-bridge MOSFETs, offering very high integration for bulbs up to 18 W. Each family is also available in an SO16 package, allowing makers to add two external NMOS power FETs for greater design flexibility or higher bulb powers.