Catalyst Launches Alternative to Industry-Standard ’604 LED Driver

Quad-Mode technology delivers the high efficiency levels normally associated with inductor-based LED drivers, while eliminating the associated high-profile inductors and unwanted EMI. Most charge pump LED drivers today offer three modes of operation corresponding to the ratio of the output voltage to the input voltage: 1x, 1.5x and 2x. The Quad-Mode architecture of the CAT3604V adds a fourth mode of operation, 1.33x, to deliver the higher average efficiency, without the need for the additional capacitor required by all existing four-mode charge pumps. The 1.33x fractional operating mode also reduces the input switching currents seen at the battery, minimizing the overall supply noise – a critical parameter in portable devices such as cell phones.

The new CAT3604V is a four-channel charge pump with a PWM dimming interface and channel diagnostics, which include automatic detection for both short and open LED channel conditions to ensure the device maintains the highest efficiency level in all operating modes.

The CAT3604V joins the CAT3636 six-channel, CAT3644 four-channel and CAT3643 three-channel, 1-wire EZDim products in Catalyst’s Quad-Mode family of LED drivers.

The CAT3604V LED driver is priced at $0.48 each in 10,000 piece quantities. Samples and evaluation boards are also available. Projected lead-time for production quantities is currently 6 to 8 weeks ARO.