New LED drivers bring high-end lighting technology to mainstream vehicles

Allegro MicroSystems has expanded its automotive lighting portfolio to incorporate two new products for ADAS applications. A unique solution in the market, the A80803 employs multi-topology conversion and patented IP to facilitate smooth high/low/high beam transitions in a single IC. The A80804 linear LED driver offers high power for automotive lighting applications via multiple, independently configurable channels. These products assist designers in reducing the amount of ICs needed to produce safety-enhanced automotive lighting systems, allowing higher performance and more compact designs at lower system cost.

The A80803 is a switch-mode, constant-current controller for high-power LED automotive lighting applications that satisfy numerous common pain points for headlight designers, with innovative features that make it simpler for headlight designers to deliver advanced functionality to mainstream vehicles. The multi-topology single-ended controller design, coupled with wide input/output voltage capability, offers a universal solution for a broad assortment of use cases and/or number of LEDs. Options for SPI-based control or EEPROM-based end-of-line programming for standalone operation extend the range of possibilities still further.

The A80804 is the company's first four-channel linear driver for high-power LEDs. As well as targeted applications such as DRL/position and stop/taillights, it provides lighting designers improved design flexibility for popular features, including sequential turn signals, animation effects, and theatre-style transitions. No switching elements or inductors are needed, and the A80804’s low EMI output serves to achieve CISPR25 Class 5 compliance. It also provides multiple analogue and PWM dimming methods, dual brightness mode operation and is configurable with no need for a microcontroller.

“Today’s high-end and luxury cars have comfort and safety features that take years to make their way into less-expensive mainstream vehicles, mostly due to solution costs,” said Mark Gaboriault, product line director for Regulators and Lighting at Allegro. “The A80803 gives headlight designers a compact, cost-effective solution that automatically manages the electrical transition from low to high beam, without the need for multiple LED drivers and local microcontrollers. It’s a unique offering that will help democratise headlight design and help increase driver safety. Today’s consumer also expects an engaging, personalised driving experience. With the A80804, lighting designers now have a cost-effective way to enable animations and other lighting effects in a way that simplifies the design process while enhancing visibility and driver safety, as well as minimising bills of materials.”