12-channel LED driver eases thermal management in automotive exterior lighting
The new NEX13120PC-Q100 from Nexperia saves power thanks to its low forward voltage drop. This reduces the operating temperature of the LED driver, and lowers the requirement for cooling devices.
Nexperia has launched a 12-channel, 40 V, high-side LED driver IC which offers excellent thermal performance in automotive exterior lighting applications, including rear lights and headlights.
The AEC-Q100 Grade 1 qualified NEX13120PC-Q100 features a low forward voltage drop of 600 mV at a drive current of 100 mA. This voltage drop is 200 mV lower than that of competing LED drivers in the same test conditions, and helps to save power and reduce the chip operating temperature.
Each channel in the NEX13120PC-Q100 can supply up to 100 mA of output current, individually programmable at 8-bit resolution. This capability supports dynamic animation effects. The channels can also be connected in parallel for applications with higher current requirements. The PWM dimming frequency can be programmed to frequencies between 50 Hz and 23.4 kHz.
Long-distance off-board communication at data rates up to 2 Mbits/s is supported by a UART-over-CAN digital interface, which can support up to 27 node addresses. A wide range of protection features include:
- LED open circuit
- Short to ground
- Single LED short-circuit detection
- Programmable under-voltage detection
- Fault indicator on FLT pin
- Over-temperature protection
In addition, a configurable watchdog automatically places the device in a fail-safe state if connection to the CAN bus is lost.
Having launched the NEX13120PC-Q100, Nexperia soon plans to release the NEX13120FPC-Q100. This LED driver is identical to the NEX13120PC-Q100, but adds chip-level functional safety features. It is for use in automotive lighting designs which meet the ASIL-B level requirements of the ISO 26262 standard for functionally safe automotive lighting, including tail, brake, signal, and in-cabin illumination applications. The NEX13120FPC-Q100 addresses the demand from automotive manufacturers for ICs that can help systems to achieve ASIL-B compliance early in the design cycle.
Both LED drivers are supplied in a thermally enhanced 24-pin HTSSOP24 package.