Introducing a new smart LED driver IC for ambient lighting in passenger vehicles.

With enhancing the end-user experience becoming an ever more important focus for automotive manufacturers, ambient LED lighting has become a key design feature. Well-known OEMs now utilise ambient lighting extensively across their latest models to provide striking visual distinction, and maintaining a reliable supply chain is paramount.

LED driver manufacturer Melexis has extended its LIN RGB family with a new third-generation smart LED driver IC, the MLX81123. Built on the success of its predecessor, the MLX81113, the controller is designed to deliver cost-effective performance and reliability in small package.

“Ambient lighting has transitioned from an aesthetic option in high-end vehicles to a fundamental automotive feature, providing a new landscape for customisation and visual differentiation,” says Michael Bender, Product Line Manager of Embedded Lighting at Melexis. “This creates additional demand for automotive LED controllers. Our second-generation LIN RGB IC controllers have seen incredible success. The third-generation MLX81123 takes existing strengths, miniaturises the solution and adds production capabilities. We deliver an unrivalled feature set at a price point that enables a roll-out across vehicle ranges from luxury to entry-level models.”

KEY FEATURES
The new MLX81123 features a small outline integrated circuit (SOIC8) and a small DFN-8 3x3mm packaging to enable the use of light in any location of the car, whereas before there were limitations due to space constraints. Manufactured using cutting-edge silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, the controller’s miniaturisation allows for an increased number of ICs per wafer, delivering not only one of the smallest RGB LIN IC controllers on the market but also a significant increase in production output volume – ready to fulfil the demands of the growing automotive ambient lighting market.

With common software design and pin-to-pin compatibility with the MLX81113, the MLX81123 can be easily integrated into existing designs, and replacement of current chips with the new controller is often possible without a full development cycle. The controller delivers RGB according to LIN 2.x and SAE J2602. For safety applications, it supports integration up to ASIL B under ISO 26262.

The controller’s advanced 16-bit microcontroller unit (MCU) is equipped with 2KB RAM, 32KB of application-usable flash, and a system ROM with a bootloader and LIN driver. A built-in 512 B EEPROM allows for effective configuration, such as LED calibration coefficients, which are needed to ensure uniform cabin brightness and colour representation.

The MLX81123’s LIN system includes a transceiver and protocol handler, which facilitate the seamless connection between RGB ambient modules and the pre-existing network of the vehicle. Featuring four high-voltage I/O with free configurable current sources up to 60mA, the controller can support RGB and white LEDs from a wide range of suppliers, allowing for greater procurement flexibility. Meanwhile, the IC’s independent 16-bit PWM output provides precise colour and brightness control of any connected LEDs, meeting the demands of a variety of vehicle ambient applications suchas door trim, accent, and interior cabin lights.

In sleep mode, the MLX81123 exhibits a typical standby current consumption of just 25µA and features a 28V jump start, as well as battery monitoring with over and under-voltage detection. The operating temperature is a wide -40°C to 125°C with a built-in temperature sensor for thermal monitoring, ideal for even the most demanding automotive environments.

TrendForce 2024 Global Automotive LED Market- Lighting and Display Product Trend
Release Date:
1. PDF (180 Pages)- 30 June 2024
2. EXCEL- 30 June 2024 and 31 December 2024
Languages: Traditional Chinese / English