Maxim’s Automotive LED Controller Eliminates Trade-Off Between Fast Response Time and Low EMI for Exterior Lighting and Improved Safety Applications

The MAX20078 synchronous buck, high-brightness LED controller from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM) is the only product available which provides both fast response time and low electromagnetic interference (EMI) for exterior LED lighting and improved safety applications. Ideal for matrix lighting designs, the LED controller allows designers to achieve high performance, ease of design, and fast time-to-market.

In advanced lighting applications such as matrix lighting, LED drivers and controllers have challenges when switching LEDs at high speeds which can cause overshoots and undershoots in current. These applications are not easy to design, as they require numerous LEDs located in a densely-concentrated area and EMI can be especially difficult to eliminate. Automakers spend time, money, and effort trying to achieve low EMI as they experiment with different layouts and filtering methods.

The MAX20078 provides ultra-fast response times enabling smoother transient responses. While eliminating the need for external compensation components, it also offers a wide dimming ratio and features both integrated fault protection and monitoring circuitry. The MAX20078 allows for fast LED switching and low EMI so that designers no longer need to sacrifice one for the other. These benefits, along with simplified design and flexible switching frequencies, allow designers to achieve faster time-to-market.

Key Advantages

• High Performance: Ultra-fast response times enable advanced lighting designs
• Ease of design: Low EMI; no compensation components required; can be programmed using switching frequencies from 100kHz up to 1MHz
• Fast time-to-market: Integration of components and programmable switching frequency for a simple, flexible design

Commentary

“We are enabling our customers to create faster, brighter, and more stylish lighting with our latest products,” said Yin Wu, Business Manager, Automotive, Maxim Integrated. “The MAX20078 LED controller is a testament to our continued innovation, as it is the only solution in the market that combines the speed of a hysteretic buck controller with the low switching noise of a fixed-frequency buck controller.”

Availability and Pricing

• Pricing for MAX20078 and MAX20078EVKIT evaluation kit available upon request
• Find more information about MAX20078: https://www.maximintegrated.com/MAX20078
• Learn more about Maxim’s power management and lighting solutions: https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/markets/automotive/power-lighting.html
• Download a hi-res image of MAX20078: https://bit.ly/MAX20078_Image
• Download a block diagram of MAX20078: https://bit.ly/MAX20078_Block_Diagram