Marvell's breakthrough deep dimming LED driver IC accelerates mass adoption of energy efficient LED retrofit bulbs

SANTA CLARA, USA: Marvell announced the Marvell 88EM8183 deep dimming single-stage AC/DC LED driver integrated circuit (IC). The 88EM8183 LED driver IC delivers the highest dimmer compatibility and lowest component count in the industry, while providing superior light quality and dimming performance comparable to incandescent bulbs.

To ensure the dimming compatibility of the 88EM8183 IC, Marvell engineering worked closely with Lutron, the industry leader in lighting controls, testing various dimmers from Lutron including the C·L series dimmer, which is rated for LED as well as traditional lamps.

Leveraging Marvell's unique mixed-signal architecture and advanced dimming control technology, the highly integrated 88EM8183 LED driver IC is designed to achieve smooth deep dimming as low as 1 percent LED current, a significant performance improvement compared to competitive LED driver solutions that typically achieve 10 to 20 percent dimming, which the human eye does not perceive as a significant drop in light level.

The 88EM8183 IC is also designed to be compatible with more than 100 different types of (TRIAC) wall box dimmers from various manufacturers around the world, providing consumers an out-of-the-box dimming experience that exceeds that of previous solutions, and provides an exceptional LED dimming experience. Additionally, the 88EM8183 IC reduces the number of components needed for LED drivers by more than half, dramatically shrinking needed board space, allowing OEMs and ODMs to bring LED lighting to all kinds of lamp form-factors, including A19, PAR, BR, GU10 and Candle, without compromising dimming performance.

"As consumers replace legacy lighting solutions such as incandescent bulbs with energy saving LEDs, they expect the same or better lighting experience. Unfortunately, they often discover issues with dimming capability, resulting in the perception that the LED lamps are barely dimming, or flickering when dimmed. Many LED bulbs are also not compatible with existing wall dimmers already installed in homes," said Kishore Manghnani, VP of Green Energy Products at Marvell Semiconductor.

"Marvell's new 88EM8183 deep dimming LED driver IC offers OEMs and ODMs the most compatible dimming solution with the vast majority of dimmers on the market, and also superior light quality, decreasing consumer dissatisfaction and returns."

Moreover, the 88EM8183 IC supports universal AC input and a wide range of LED output wattages from a few watts up to 100 watts. This capability allows lighting OEMs and ODMs to dramatically reduce design efforts and improve operational efficiency by taking a product platform approach, which reduces the number of LED lamp SKUs and streamlines inventory management.