austriamicrosystems announces new high-precision LED driver ICs with lowest power consumption for next-generation TVs

UNTERPREMSTAETTEN, AUSTRIA: austriamicrosystems has announced two new LED driver ICs that ensure the brightest and most brilliant video images.

With the AS3695A -- a 16-channel white LED driver for direct lighting -- and the AS3695C -- a 16-channel white LED controller for edge lighting -- austriamicrosystems extends its portfolio of LED BLU (backlight unit) drivers and controllers for the latest generation of LCD TVs.

Both ICs feature power management and boast the best available accuracy. Outstanding driver accuracy of +/-0.5 percent guarantees exact brightness and color matching and channel-to-channel current matching is +/-0.2 percent, resulting in high lighting contrast ratios for the best possible picture quality and 3D effects.

In addition, the high precision AS3695A and AS3695C include novel power feedback regulation for controlling external power supplies for the highest system efficiency and reduced power in LED backlit LCD TVs.

“austriamicrosystems is well known for producing the best ICs for driving LED backlighting systems,” stated Markus Luidolt Marketing Manager Panel Lighting at austriamicrosystems. “Because of their outstanding performance, our drivers have been designed into many top TV brands all over the world. This early market dominance has helped us to better understand direct and edge type TVs and has resulted in this next generation of LED drivers.”

The devices are programmable via a SPI (serial peripheral interface) port and provide built-in safety features, including thermal shutdown and open and short LED detection. Other features include linear current setting using a 10-bit DAC, output slew rate programmability, H-Sync and V-Sync inputs to synchronize with a TV, direct PWM mode, undervoltage auto-turnoff, overvoltage auto-turnoff, temperature shutdown and fault interrupt output.

Samples are available now. The 1,000 piece price for the AS3695A QFN is $2.10. The AS3695C QFN and AS3695C LQFP are $2.20 and $2.70, respectively.