Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) of Norwood, Massachusetts USA, a producer of semiconductors for signal-processing applications, has introduced its new white LED charge-pump backlight driver - ADP8870.

ADI notes that the ADP8870 can lowers the power consumption of battery-operated handheld devices by up to 45 percent without compromising viewing quality.

The ADP8870 combines three key functions: a programmable backlight LED charge-pump driver with inputs for a photo transistor to automatically control the LED brightness and a PWM (pulse-width modulation) input to manage the scale of the output current.

ADI points out that this combination of features significantly reduces power use by automatically changing the current intensity based on the ambient lighting levels and the white content of the displayed image. By performing this function automatically, the ADP8870 eliminates the need for a processor to monitor the phototransistor, further reducing power requirements and simplifying the portable backlight design.

According to Dan Swan, product line director, Power Regulator Products, Analog Devices, the ADP8870 employs ambient light sensing and content-adaptive backlight control techniques that will extend battery life by optimizing the main and sub display and QWERTY keypad lighting.

The ADP8870 controls up to seven LEDs either grouped together for backlight control or used independently for keypad illumination, indicator lighting or fun lighting1. The fading of each LED is programmable allowing the designer to customize the fade-in, fade-out, dim and off times.

ADP8870 WLED Backlight Driver Key Features and Benefits:

    * PWM input feature enables content adaptive backlight control
    * Photo diode input feature enables automatic ambient light sensing
    * Interrupt output feature maximizes power savings by limiting processor involvement
    * Programmable lighting transition points and hysteresis are simplified via an I2C-compatible interface
    * Sophisticated fading and dimming options enhance media viewing

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