LED drivers control the amount of current and voltage supplied to light emitting diodes (LEDs). An LED driver IC is an integrated circuit (IC) that provides brightness control and backlighting color control. They are usually found in an LED driver circuit, which can be used to test an LED in order to maintain brightness and increase LED life.
White LED drivers provide white light for backlighting and offers very low noise with efficiencies as high as 90%.
LED PWM drivers can be programmed through an I2C compatible interface for applications which require color, pattern and intensity programmability control.
RGB LED drivers - all of the functions are controlled by software through the SPI interface and internal registers.
Constant current LED drivers feature internal circuitry that monitors the loop current of each LED and automatically adjusts the generated output DC voltage to the minimum value required to produce highest forward voltage.
7 segment LED drivers are LED display drivers that use a combinational logic circuit which accepts a 4-bit BCD input and generates seven output signals to control seven individual display segments.
CUI VLED15 LED Drivers. Video Credit: Digi-Key Corporation
Adjustable output current
An LED PWM driver can have a drive current per channel of 42 mA and shut down current of 1.5 µA. An RGB LED driver may include a PWM dimmer that controls each color LED.
A constant current LED driver has a charge pump that allows LED drivers to generate a regulated output current from a battery when the input voltage is between 2.4 V and 5.5 V.
Constant Current Driver Specifications
Precise brightness control
A 7 segment led driver often includes an input latch which can display and hold digits at the time a new count accumulates in the background.
LED drivers are designed and manufactured to meet most industry specifications. Specialized products are commonly available. For example, an LED display driver has one pin that provides continuous brightness control by setting a reference current through a variable resistor.
Typically, an LED display driver is TTL compatible, provides wide power supply operation, and can handle 15mA current.
TTL is an acronym for transistor-transistor logic. In terms of applications, some LED drivers are used in portable devices such as cell phones, digital cameras, digital clocks, and counters. Other LED drivers are used in DVD and MP3 players.
NEMA SSL 1 - Electronic drivers for led devices, arrays, or systems.
UL 2749 OUTLINE - Outline of investigation for seasonal use led drivers and non-integral led lighting strings.
Read user Insights about LED Drivers