Infineon Technologies AG has recently released a low-cost LED driver IC which offers thermal protection and high output current accuracy for high-power LEDs in general lighting applications.

Specifically designed for high-power LEDs (for example, in the 0.5W, 1W or 3W range), the BCR 450 in combination with an external transistor offers precise current control, thermal protection, and over-voltage and over-current protection functions. By simply changing the external transistor, manufacturers of LED lighting have the flexibility to adapt output currents from 100mA to above 1A.

The new driver IC produces no electromagnetic radiation, thus is ideal for applications sensitive against EMI, such as lighting in transportation vehicles including buses, ships, trains and aircrafts, as well as medical applications with communication bus systems. Except the general lighting systems, it can also be applied in architectural and accent lighting, advertising, strobe lights for emergency vehicles, hazard lights and road safety lights.

Due to a small PCB space, the BCR 450 features an application circuit which is free of inductors, capacitors and free-wheeling diode. The elimination of the electrolytic capacitors ensures a longer lifetime than switch-mode driver solutions. The lifetime of the LED system can also be extended given the elimination of capacitors.

With its output current precision varying only ±10 percent over the entire operating temperature range, the BCR 450 fulfills the homogenous light output requirement which is of crucial importance in the whole LED chain especially in architectural lighting market.

The new BCR 450 LED driver IC has already been produced in volume and is currently available in a small 6-pin SC74 package. The new driver can be bought for between approximately Euro 0.25 and Euro 0.30 per unit in quantities of 50,000 units.