Use of controls escalates in LED lighting despite lack of standards (MAGAZINE) 04 Feb 12
Lighting companies are moving forward with adaptive-control technology that can save significant energy especially when combined with inherently-efficient LED sources, explains MAURY WRIGHT. However, no standards exist that would allow interoperable use of luminaires, sensors, and controllers from different vendors. |
Low-voltage LED lamps present unique driver challenge (MAGAZINE) 01 Feb 12
MR16 sockets present a significant retrofit-lamp opportunity for LEDs, explains KAMAL NAJMI, but installed transformers complicate the design of a drop-in SSL replacement. |
Marvell announces smart LED lighting platform at CES 09 Jan 12
Marvell's lighting-control platform matches LED driver and ZigBee wireless ICs for network control of various light sources, and the CES demonstration will include a wireless gateway and control software running on a wireless tablet PC. |
Cooper SSL helps City Furniture achieve LEED Silver in superstore 13 Dec 11
Cooper Lighting has supplied indoor and outdoor LED lighting for City Furniture's new 94,000-square-foot superstore delivering an energy reduction of 60% and LEED Silver compliance. |
EDITORIAL DIGEST: Drivers & Control for LED Lighting 01 Dec 11
Our latest Editorial Digest contains a series of articles addressing drivers, dimming and control systems for LED lighting applications. |
Analog technique simplifies LED dimming in portable applications (MAGAZINE) 29 Nov 11
Products ranging from mobile handsets to LED flashlights require SSL dimming control, explains CHRISTOPHER GLASER, and analog implementations can offer better efficiency than PWM dimming in such products. |
Matching driver design with LED backlight scheme optimizes energy savings (MAGAZINE) 29 Nov 11
LED backlighting is a requisite for TVs to meet more demanding Energy Star requirements, explains GYAN TIWARY, and matching the driver design to the backlight implementation delivers maximum energy savings. |
LED drivers represent a critical but confusing market (MAGAZINE) 28 Nov 11
The LED driver market is characterized by complex and dynamic design issues, volatile pricing, varying degrees of integration and customization, and confusing terminology. TOM HAUSKEN makes sense of it all. |
MaxLite announces support for Redwood Systems SSL-control platform 21 Nov 11
MaxLite has announced plans to offer versions of its LED-based MaxLED luminaires that are compatible with the DC-powered Redwood Systems networked lighting platform. |
Driving alternate banks of LEDs improves efficacy (MAGAZINE) 19 Oct 11
A power-management technique that alternately lights one bank of LEDs at a time can deliver greater efficacy for displays and lighting, as EZANA HAILE describes. |
Austriamicrosystems launches drivers for LED displays and camera flash 19 Oct 11
Austriamicrosystems targets large-scale indoor/outdoor LED displays, mall dot-matrix displays, and camera flash applications with three driver IC announcements. |
STMicroelectronics and Semtech introduce LED backlight drivers 18 Oct 11
STMicroelectronics targets handheld mobile devices while Semtech targets tablets and small notebook PCs. |
TI and Maxim target retrofit lamps with LED drivers 11 Oct 11
Texas Instruments has launched the LM3448 targeting 2-8W lamps and the TPS92070 targeting 6-20W lamps, while Maxim has introduced an SSL driver for global usage. |
Texas Instruments closes the acquisition of National Semiconductor 27 Sep 11
National Semiconductor will be integrated as a unit of Texas Instruments' analog business and the combination establishes a clear leader in the LED-driver-IC segment. |
Xeralux lights waste facility, Digital Lumens lights warehouses 13 Sep 11
Xeralux high-bay SSL luminaires with Cree LEDs have reduced energy usage in a California waste-collection facility while Digital Lumens has announced its latest installation in three Interstate Warehousing facilities. |
Brighter LEDs can simplify driver designs (MAGAZINE) 12 Sep 11
LED vendors are producing components that can operate at higher drive currents and produce more lumens, and system designers can move to a simpler two-stage driver as the number of LEDs in a fixture is reduced, explains BERNIE WEIR. |
Acuity Brands buys lighting-control specialist Horizon Control 16 Aug 11
Acuity will add to its long list of lighting brands with the cash acquisition of Horizon Control, a company that has focused on PC-based lighting-control systems. |
Inovus Solar installs on-grid solar LED area lights 25 Jul 11
Solar panels integrated on LED area-light poles feed power onto the grid during daytime peak electrical usage to compound the energy savings of SSL technology. |
LED lighting and control systems evolve for optimal efficacy (MAGAZINE) 18 Jul 11
New SSL system designs and control architectures will allow LED-based lighting to better realize the efficacy potential of the technology, explains JOE DENICHOLAS. |
Wired and wireless interfaces convey dimming settings to luminaires (MAGAZINE) 18 Jul 11
Wireless networks such as Zigbee, wired digital standards such as DALI and DMX, and analog 0-10V dimming can all contribute to energy efficiency and better lighting, says DAVID COOPER. |
LED drivers and light sensors enable compelling displays 05 Jul 11
TAOS has released light and proximity sensors while Supertex and iWatt have launched new drivers to enable compelling LED-backlit displays. |
LED driver IC market benefits from sales of LED TVs and lamps 27 Jun 11
Strategies Unlimited says that the market for LED driver ICs will grow at a CAGR of 12% between 2010 and 2015, driven by the demand for LED TV backlights and replacement LED lamps. |
National Semi and Micrel introduce linear LED drivers 14 Jun 11
National Semiconductor’s LM3466 driver targets LED-based street lights while Micrel targets architectural and landscape lighting applications with the MIC4801/4802. |
LED lighting must work with legacy dimming technologies (MAGAZINE) 31 May 11
To achieve broad market success, LED lighting manufacturers must deliver products that offer dimming capability that is at least equivalent to incandescent lighting, and SSL luminaire design must support legacy dimming controls, explains DAVID COOPER. |
LSG plans intelligent LED lamp for Android @ Home 10 May 11
Google has announced a new home-automation and control platform called Android @ Home and Lighting Science Group plans to deliver a compatible wirelessly-controllable LED lamp by the end of the year. |
Designing reliable LED power supplies requires careful attention to detail (MAGAZINE) 26 Apr 11
The use of quality components, proper component derating and tightly-controlled manufacturing processes all contribute to the design of LED power supplies for long life and high reliability, explains DAVID COOPER. |
Texas Instruments to acquire National Semiconductor 05 Apr 11
Assuming a successful review by global regulatory bodies, the acquisition will combine two of the major players in the LED driver IC market. |
Digital Lumens supplies LED lighting systems for 7 Americold warehouses 29 Mar 11
Groom Energy has installed Digital Lumens systems in three Americold facilities and will bring SSL technology to four more cold-storage warehouses. |
SIL delivers LED driver advancements and enabling technology demos 01 Mar 11
Major IC makers including Texas Instruments, NXP, Marvell, On Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, and Microsemi announced new SSL driver technologies at Strategies in Light, and complementary enabling technology was prevalent on the exhibit floor. |
Wireless networks enable city-wide control of LED street-light installations (MAGAZINE) 10 Feb 11
Municipalities can add a wireless system to LED street-light deployments and implement remote power-monitoring and control functions including dimming, says MAURY WRIGHT. |
Daintree launches inter-operability program for wireless lighting controls 07 Feb 11
Lighting products from Daintree's partners can be used on intelligent lighting networks managed centrally and wirelessly by the company’s ControlScope software platform. |
Tyco launches modular SSL system product family 31 Jan 11
Tyco’s Nevalo SSL family of products includes LED modules, drivers, cabling, optics, and thermal components that luminaire makers can combine, yielding products in form factors such as downlights and spot lights. |
WEBCAST: GreenPoint® Design Simulation Tool for LED Drivers 13 Jan 11
Watch this demo of the interactive GreenPoint design simulation tool that accelerates the design of solid-state lighting solutions. |
SAP installs LED lighting system from Redwood at Palo Alto campus 14 Dec 10
An LED-based lighting system will reduce energy usage and operational costs for software company SAP, but it was not the most effective green technology that the company installed. |
Carmanah deal to buy Lightech is off 22 Nov 10
Carmanah has pulled the plug on its deal to acquire LED driver maker Lightech, for reasons that remain unclear. |
Thermal protection in LED driver circuits boosts reliability (MAGAZINE) 04 Nov 10
Despite an efficiency advantage over other light sources, LEDs can still suffer reliability issues if all parts of the lighting system, including the driver, aren’t properly protected from over-temperature situations, says Steve Roberts. |
Network layers pave the way to adaptive lighting controls (MAGAZINE) 03 Nov 10
Adaptive lighting control systems will be key to maximizing the energy efficiency of SSL, and network technology will form the foundation for such intelligent lighting systems, says Maury Wright. |
Carmanah acquires LED driver company Lightech 01 Oct 10
The acquisition of Israel-based LED driver manufacturer Lightech Electronic Industries Ltd. will allow Carmanah to offer driver components and systems to key lighting customers. |
WEBCAST: Low-cost alternative solution for driving LEDs in a 24-inch T8 tube light 01 Oct 10
This webcast, available on demand now, compares results from alternative driver options for an LED-based T8 tube replacement light. |
LED driver lifetime and reliability hold the key to success in LED lighting projects (MAGAZINE) 20 Sep 10
Product lifetime and reliability are two very different but related concepts. Understanding the issues relating to both parameters is a critical aspect of designing a product that will perform as expected in the field, explain George Mao and Marshall Miles. |
Daintree announces lighting-control platform and first partnership 14 Sep 10
Daintree Networks launches the ControlScope lighting control platform for SSL and other energy-efficient lighting options and partners with Easylite. |
National Semiconductor launches Webench design tool for LEDs 30 Aug 10
Webench LED Architect enables SSL designers to evaluate and optimize LED-based designs generating both performance and cost comparisons. |
TECH NOTE: Lighting controls offer a reasonable first step toward improving energy efficiency 30 Jul 10
Evaluation of thirteen of the leading lighting control vendors for commercial offices indicates that solutions can reduce electricity consumption by 35-55%, however payback can range from 2-10 years say David Raezer and Romahlo Wilson. |
VIDEO: Introducing LinkSwitch-PH and LinkSwitch-PL 16 Jun 10
LinkSwitch-PH simplifies offline LED driver designs requiring flicker-free TRIAC dimming, high power factor, and high efficiency. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: A three-stage power supply efficiently drives multiple LED strings (MAGAZINE) 14 Jun 10
A PFC stage, an inverted constant-current buck regulator, and a downstream DC/DC transformer circuit can drive LEDs with better than 90% efficiency says JAMES ALIBERTI. |
Cleantech reports lighting controls energy savings 24 May 10
Research reveals that lighting control schemes can reduce commercial building energy consumption 35% – 55 %, and technologies such as LED lighting could add to the savings. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Intelligent LED drivers combine a constant-current source with sensing and control capabilities (MAGAZINE) 24 Apr 10
Roll your own intelligent LED driver for maximum functionality and to establish your own intellectual property base for future products writes STUART WOODROW. |
Semiconductor vendors show LED focus with new driver ICs at APEC 23 Feb 10
APEC LED-driver-IC announcements highlight PFC and efficiency, along with TRIAC dimming capabilities and single-stage power supplies. |
IC vendors tout LED backlight and luminaire drivers at Strategies in Light 22 Feb 10
Power and analog semiconductor specialists see market opportunity in supplying constant-current driver ICs for LED lighting. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Coordinated schemes provide circuit protection for LED lighting (MAGAZINE) 06 Feb 10
Utilizing a coordinated circuit protection scheme based on several device types can help designers reduce component count, provide a safe and reliable product, comply with regulatory agency requirements, and reduce warranty and repair costs, writes FARAZ HASAN. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Flexible drivers enable dynamic color-changing lighting projects (MAGAZINE) 03 Feb 10
The use of intelligent and flexible drivers allows OEMs to respond quickly to special project requirements, says GORDON ROUTLEDGE. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Putting the Smart Phone in control - Using apps in embedded systems to control LED lighting (MAGAZINE) 19 Nov 09
An iPhone app has been developed to control a low-cost, two-wire, low-voltage LED color lighting system in the home, explains CARL MATTHEWS. |
China celebrates 60th National Day with LEDs 16 Nov 09
Beijing Leyard Co. and GULX Tech Co. provided spectacular LED displays, which made use of Macroblock drivers, for China’s 60th National Day. |
NXP unveils lifetime results for LED drivers
16 Nov 09
NXP is carrying out an accelerated lifetime test of its SSL2101 LED drivers, which have so far surpassed 7,000 hours with zero failures. |
Driver design plays key role in meeting customer demands for LED lighting (MAGAZINE) 03 Aug 09
LED drivers are critical elements in LED lighting control systems, and require care in their design and selection so that the final product meets customer expectations, writes Tom Shearer. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Hybrid control techniques drive different LED applications (MAGAZINE) 03 Aug 09
The different demands of LED lighting and automotive applications require hybrid control methods to take advantage of the strengths of hysteretic and current-mode control, writes James Patterson. |
TridonicAtco and Dialog Semiconductor develop lighting-control ICs 20 Jul 09
The two companies will establish a joint development centre to develop integrated circuits that are essential for energy-efficient lighting. |
Dimmable GU10 LED lamp seeks approval
08 Jun 09
The UK Energy Saving Trust has received a submission from Elight for its dimmable GU10 lamp. |
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Advances in TRIAC dimmable drivers open way for lamp subsidies 30 May 09
Resonant asymmetric inductive supply (RAIS) technology provides LED lamps with a high degree of functionality across different dimmer types together with added driver efficiency. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Optimized control schemes improve LED driver performance (MAGAZINE) 30 May 09
A simplified control scheme built around an optimized HB-LED driver results in rapid start-up for good dynamic brightness control and other advantages, writes Peter Tod. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Controlling consumers' expectations of LED lighting: why dimming is so important (MAGAZINE) 24 Apr 09
Manufacturers of LED lighting products need to consider the control options for their products and understand the applications in which their products will be used, say Chris Salvestrini and Amanda Beebe. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Avoiding thermal runaway when driving multiple LED strings (MAGAZINE)
20 Apr 09
A current mirror and monitor can save a parallel string from failure.
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COMPANY PROFILE: Endicott Research Group, Inc. 27 Mar 09
ERG's core focus - power conversion and control – ranges from LED drivers for LCD backlights to new LED driver solutions for offline and DC-powered SSL applications. |
COMPANY PROFILE: RECOM Power Inc. 01 Mar 09
The company’s core focus – development & design, production and marketing of power converters – spans three continents, ensuring close proximity to its customer base. |
DC power distribution favors LED lighting (MAGAZINE) 18 Feb 09
A low-voltage DC power standard could accelerate the conversion to LED lighting and create an enabling infrastructure for the workplace, writes Brian Patterson and Paula Ziegenbein. |
LED DESIGN FORUM: Driver IC design ensures optimum performance of LED backlighting (MAGAZINE)
18 Feb 09
LED backlight drivers are the “wizards behind the curtain” that ensure a display’s visual performance will remain as specified regardless of the operating conditions, says Michael Jennings.
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Freescale and Samsung collaborate on LED backlights 10 Nov 08
Freescale expects that its LED driver ICs will complement Samsung’s advanced LED backlighting technology. |
TECH NOTES: Vicor's flexible, accurate & efficient power solutions for LED backlighting applications 20 Oct 08
V•I Chips enable high-current, low-voltage distribution inside displays |
Prize-winning LED lamps demand high-efficiency LED drivers 25 Jun 08
The race to build replacement LED lamps for the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize will require the development of advanced LED drivers, according to Doug Bailey.
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Diodes Incorporated closes acquisition of Zetex plc 13 Jun 08
The UK-based manufacturer of LED driver ICs has been bought by a Texas-based semiconductor manufacturer. |
Lynk Labs adds Cree to AC LED technology supplier network 23 May 08
LynkLabs is now incorporating Cree XLamp LEDs in to its new range of GeoLite linear AC LED systems. |
An alternate way of driving LEDs
14 May 08
Several lighting manufacturers have recently incorporated AC-driven LEDs into their lighting fixtures. Tim Whitaker looks at this emerging technology. |
Constant power LED driver architecture reduces cost for offline LED ballasts 13 May 08
In his fourth article on ballasts, Iain Mosely describes how the constant power operation inherent in a peak-current-controlled discontinuous mode flyback converter can deliver good drive characteristics for LED applications. |
Pulse-driven LEDs have higher apparent brightness 05 May 08
Human perception studies by a Japanese university indicate that pulse-driven LEDs appear up to twice as bright. |
Driver ICs for HB LEDs: a large and growing market 13 Mar 08
The total market for HB LED driver ICs is forecast to grow to more than $1.9 billion in 2011, according to Vrinda Bhandarkar and Bob Steele of Strategies Unlimited. |
Catalyst granted patent on switching architecture for LED lighting
22 Feb 08
A new patent should enable a simpler, smaller, more cost-effective and far more power-efficient "green" LED driver alternative to linear regulators. |
Microsemi driver technology improves LED backlights 04 Jan 08
At the 2008 International CES this week, Microsemi will unveil a new driver technology controlling large clusters of LEDs in LCD backlights. |
HB LED driver IC market to exceed $1.9 billion in 2011
07 Dec 07
The latest LED market report from Strategies Unlimited predicts strong growth in the driver IC market driven by general illumination, signs and displays, and automotive applications. |
Boost converter LED drive systems for emergency backup lighting 06 Dec 07
In the third in a series of articles on power converters, Iain Mosely describes how the Boost converter switching topology can be used to drive LED systems for emergency backup lighting. |
TECH NOTES: Programmable analog for high power LED color mixing applications 20 Nov 07
Designers of systems that utilize LED color-mixing would be well served to understand the advantages offered by programmable analog ICs, according to Gavin Hesse and Patrick Prendergast of Cypress Semiconductor. |
Macroblock expects to launch Initial Public Offering 29 Oct 07
Macroblock, a mixed-signal IC company focused on the LED industry, expects to launch an IPO on October 29, 2007. |
Buck converter LED drive systems for automotive applications 17 Oct 07
In this second of a series of articles on power converters, Iain Mosely describes how the Buck converter switching topology can be used to drive LEDs efficiently in demanding automotive applications. |
Switched-mode power converters drive LEDs more efficiently 30 Aug 07
Several different power converter topologies can be employed, depending on the circumstances, to provide efficient control of LED systems, writes Iain Moseley. |
Driving LED lamps – some simple design guidelines 13 Aug 07
LEDs can easily be integrated into a circuit design provided that certain design rules are observed, writes Julian Cooper. |
Make sure the LED luminaire you choose is a "Sleeping Beauty" 30 Jul 07
Some LED luminaires draw current even when there is no emission, which reduces efficiency and negates one advantage of the technology, reports Brian Owen. |
LED lighting control device operates with DMX fixtures 18 Jul 07
LUX Italia has developed a sophisticated and user-friendly lighting control device that uses DMX to operate multiple LED fixtures. |
Power Vector, MC Lights contribute to Harbinger LED project 26 Jun 07
Artist Adrian Gollner has used LEDs to realize a lighting project that responds to wind speed, on top of a condominium in Toronto. |
Cypress EZ-Color controllers assist LED lighting designs 18 Jun 07
EZ-Color microcontrollers from Cypress can be programmed without coding using a software interface tool, and use a new signal modulation technology. |
Supercapacitors brighten prospects for power LED flash in camera phones 27 Feb 07
The combination of power LEDs and supercapacitors could provide the crucial breakthrough that will enable high quality LED flash in camera phones, with low current draw and small form factors. |
Power Integrations design kit enables EMC-compliant LED lightbulbs 22 Feb 07
An ultra-small power supply unit is designed to fit into an LED lightbulb socket, and enables LED lightbulbs to meet EMC requirements. |
