ON Semiconductor adds intelligence to LED drivers for connected lighting
Two LED drivers from ON Semiconductor, the NCL31000 and NCL31001, allow OEMs to enhance connected lighting systems.
Manufacturers can use the LED drivers to develop LED luminaires with light-based positioning technology and visible light communication (VLC). By adding data intelligence and accurate positioning (up to 300mm), the LED drivers will add intelligence to lighting in supermarkets, warehouses, hospitals, and airports, says ON Semiconductor.
The NCL31000 is designed specifically for luminaire applications. At the heart of the device is an energy efficient buck LED driver that supports both high bandwidth analogue dimming and PWM dimming down to zero current. The driver includes an integrated 3V3 fixed DC/DC converter and a further adjustable DC/DC (2.5 to 24V), which can be used to power system components such as sensing devices and the microcontroller. Integrating these power solutions in the driver dramatically simplifies system design while boosting efficiency, says ON Semiconductor.
The linear dimming enables VLC, to develop indoor light-based positioning systems that can be safely implemented in many locations where RF-based solutions cannot be used. These can be in hazardous spaces such as mines, or RF sensitive areas such as in hospitals or on board aircraft. The ability to dim to true dark with an accuracy of 0.1 per cent ensures that there is no ghost light at the lowest dim settings. Diagnostics integrate a 10-bit ADC to further reduce system complexity, explains ON Semiconductor. The ADC measures system voltages, currents and temperature to monitor LED and overall system efficiency, and detect any anomalies. A serial (I2C / SPI) interface makes all diagnostic data available to an external microcontroller that can monitor and control the intelligent lighting system. The architecture of the NCL31000 is claimed to deliver EMI that is at least 14dB below the requirements of CISPR15 / EN55015.
The second introduction, the NCL31001 is a companion driver to the NCL31000. It supports multi-string lighting applications, including those with colour control. It has the same features as the NCL31000 except for the DC/DC converters.
