An LED driver with inductive boost capabilities, giving system architects additional design options for backlighting applications, has started sampling from Exar Corp.
Housed in a 2.9mm x 2.8mm SOT23-6 package, the SP6699 is suitable for small display/keypad LED lighting applications found in handheld portable devices such as PDAs, cellphones and data collection devices The SP6699 integrates a schottky diode (a switch boost regulator), and is capable of driving up to five series LEDs with four external components.
The SP6699 is compatible with pulse-width modulation dimming up to 1kHz and analog dimming and achieves the shutdown current of 3.2µA. The SP6699 operates from 2.5V all the way up to 16V achieving 84 percent efficiency using a 0.2V feedback to minimize power loss. The 0.2V feedback is ±6 percent accurate over the full operating temperature range. In addition, the SP6699 has over voltage protection to ensure it can not be damaged in the event of an open circuited LED or a shorted feedback resistor.
The LED driver is priced at 59 cents in 1,000 piece quantities. Samples are available now in a -40°C to +85°C temperature range.
