Infineon Technologies AG has introduced a family of switch-mode LED driver ICs for a broad range of general lighting applications.

The LED drivers combine thermal protection with output currents that range from 350mA up to several amps. The range has an integrated power stage, or can be used with an external power MOSFET, and achieve up to 98 percent efficiency, Infineon said. Applications range from MR16 halogen replacement to residential and commercial lighting, and street lighting.

The drivers include support for both the analog and pulse width modulation methods of dimming and over-current and thermal protection. The ILD family operates from a range of input voltages from 4.5V to 40V or 42V and Infineon can supply demonstration boards, application notes and an on-line design tool that can be used for bill of materials generation.

Pricing is typically below $1 for 10,000 pieces, Infineon (Munich, Germany) said.

In the global market, some 227 million LED driver ICs for lighting are expected to ship in 2011, Infineon said. The world market for LED driver ICs for lighting is growing from $114.7 million in 2011 up to $585.4 million in 2015, a compound annual growth rate of more than 50 percent, the company added.