DGAP-News: Dialog Semiconductor Plc.: DIALOG SEMICONDUCTOR LED DRIVER BRINGS MOOD ENHANCING AMBIANCE TO PRICE-SENSITIVE SSL BULBS


DGAP-News: Dialog Semiconductor Plc. / Key word(s):
Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous
Dialog Semiconductor Plc.: DIALOG SEMICONDUCTOR LED DRIVER BRINGS MOOD
ENHANCING AMBIANCE TO PRICE-SENSITIVE SSL BULBS

31.03.2014 / 08:00

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iW3640 simple 2-channel colour mixing eliminates cost of MCU and power
supply; Temperature derating ensures predictable operating life

London, UK, 31 March 2014 - Dialog Semiconductor plc (FWB: DLG), a provider
of highly integrated power management, audio, AC/DC and short-range
wireless technologies, today introduced its iW3640 solid state lighting
(SSL) LED driver, designed to bring  mood-enhancing ambiance to
price-sensitive SSL bulbs. The iW3640 2-channel, 25W SSL LED driver offers
a simple, low-cost, dimmable colour-mixing solution to achieve warm
incandescent-like dimming while eliminating the need for a microcontroller
and dedicated power supply. This reduces the bill of materials (BOM) cost
for 75W to 150W-equivalent A19 SSL and PAR bulbs, as well as 20W to 45W
commercial dimmable external lighting ballasts.

While typical LED bulbs retain the same harsh white colour as they dim, the
dual driver output of the iW3640 lets designers use amber LEDs in parallel
with the main white LEDs allowing LED bulbs to gain warmth as they dim.
Dialog's patented, built-in digital dimming technology detects the dimmer
type and phase - automatically adjusting LED colour mixing in step with
light intensity to provide smooth dimming that closely matches the warmth
and ambiance of a traditional dimmable incandescent bulb. The result is a
much more intimate LED lighting experience in residential and commercial
settings, where lighting plays an important role in setting the mood.

By integrating the driver for a second string of LEDs and using the digital
engine to control transitions, the iW3640 eliminates the cost of the
external MCU and dedicated power supply required by conventional warm
dimming techniques.

"Lighting ambiance is important and users are disappointed when their LED
bulbs do not dim with the same warmth they are accustomed to with
incandescent bulbs," said Mark Tyndall, Senior VP Corporate Development and
Strategy, General Manager of the Power Conversion Business Group at Dialog.
"Producing LED bulbs that dim in a similar way to incandescent bulbs
usually requires a more complex and expensive design. The iW3640 offers the
simplest two-colour mixing topology to easily solve the problem of harsh
white LED dimming with a much lower overall BOM cost."

Dialog's digital dimming technology allows the iW3640 to work with
virtually all phase-cut wall dimmers, including leading-edge dimmers
(R-type or R-L type) and trailing-edge dimmers (R-C type), as well as
digital dimmers. The iW3640 adjusts light temperature from bright white
down to warm amber, with flicker-free dimming down to 1% of initial
brightness. As the driver detects increased dimming angles, the duty cycle
of the secondary LED string is also increased, creating more warmth as the
design goes deeper into dimming. Additionally, cycle-by-cycle waveform
analysis technology facilitates fast dimmer setting response.

The iW3640 addresses bulb overheating issues by including an
over-temperature protection (OTP) derating function that monitors the
temperature inside the sealed SSL bulb. The OTP feature is configured via
an NTC resistor and when thermal conditions in the bulb reach the
temperature pre-set by the designer, the iW3640 automatically reduces the
current drive to the LEDs in small, imperceptible increments, then
seamlessly restores brightness as temperature falls, with no need for a
full shutdown. This allows the electrolytic capacitors in the LED circuit
to operate within the maximum lifetime of the SSL bulb, resulting in a
predictable bulb operating life, and helping to ensure the long-term
reliability and safety consumers expect from LED replacement bulbs.
Additional iW3640 safety features include LED open/short circuit,
over-current, current sense resistor short-circuit, and input over-voltage
protection.

The iW3640 two-stage AC/DC SSL LED driver meets global regulations for
power quality and efficiency, including the European Union IEC61000-3-2
standard, with a high power factor of >0.95, low total harmonic distortion
< 15%, and low ripple voltage < 20%. It is compatible with the Zhaga(1)
hot-plug LED module for LED light interchangeability and the configurable
dimming curves are compliant with the NEMA SSL 6(2) dimming standard.

iW3640 SSL LED Driver Key Features

  - 2-channel, sunset dimming SSL LED driver: 25W output power

  - Low BOM cost - no external MCU or power supply; PrimAccurate(TM)
    control eliminates secondary-side regulator or optical feedback
    isolator

  - NTC-based LED over-temperature protection derating

  - High power factor (PF) > 0.95, low total harmonic distortion (THD) <
    15%

  - Phase-cut dimming with wide dimmer compatibility, automatic detection
    of dimmer type

  - Wide dimming range: 1% to 100%

  - Meets global energy standards, including European Union IEC61000-3-2

  - NEMA SSL 6 compliant

  - Zhaga hot-plug compliant 

Packaging, Pricing, Availability

The iW3640 is available now in production quantities. It comes in a
standard, 14-lead SOIC package and is priced at US $0.94 each in 1000-piece
quantities. Product brief is available:  iW3640 Product Brief.

‒ ENDS ‒

PrimAccurate is a trademark of iWatt Inc., an affiliated company of Dialog
Semiconductor plc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.

(1) The Zhaga Consortium: http://www.zhagastandard.org/

(2) National Electric Manufacturers Association standard - NEMA SSL 6:
http://www.nema.org/Standards/Pages/Solid-State-Lighting-for-Incandescent-
Replacement-Dimming.aspx

Note to Editors:   
Downloadable iW3640 product photos:  

High Resolution:
http://iwatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/3640-iWatt-300dpi.jpg

Low Resolution:
http://iwatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/3640-iWatt-130dpi.jpg

iW3640 video: click here 

Company Contact:
Lauren Ofstedahl
Dialog Semiconductor
Phone: +1 (408) 845-8518
lauren.ofstedahl@diasemi.com
Web: www.dialog-semiconductor.com
Twitter: @DialogSemi

Sherry Hill
Dialog Semiconductor
Power Conversion Business Group
Phone: +1 (408) 628-6521
sherry.hill@diasemi.com

Media Contact:
Lauren Ginsberg
Racepoint Global
Phone: +1 (617) 624-3254
lginsberg@racepointglobal.com


About Dialog Semiconductor
Dialog Semiconductor creates highly integrated, mixed-signal integrated
circuits (ICs), optimised for personal portable, low energy short-range
wireless, LED solid state lighting and automotive applications. The company
provides flexible and dynamic support, world-class innovation and the
assurance of dealing with an established business partner.

With its focus and expertise in energy-efficient system power management
and a technology portfolio that also includes audio, short-range wireless,
AC/DC power conversion and multi-touch, Dialog brings decades of experience
to the rapid development of ICs for personal portable and digital consumer
applications, including smartphones, tablets, Ultrabooks(TM) and emerging
wearable type devices.

Dialog's power management processor companion chips increase the
performance of portable devices by extending battery lifetime, enabling
faster charging and enhancing the consumer's experience. With world-class
manufacturing partners, Dialog operates a fabless business model.

Dialog Semiconductor plc is headquartered in London with a global sales,
R&D and marketing organisation. In 2013, it had approximately $910 million
in revenue and was one of the fastest growing European public semiconductor
companies. It currently has approximately 1,100 employees worldwide. The
company is listed on the Frankfurt (FWB: DLG) stock exchange (Regulated
Market, Prime Standard, ISIN GB0059822006) and is a member of the German
TecDax index. It also has convertible bonds listed on the Euro MTF Market
on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange (ISIN XS0757015606).


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Language:    English                                               
Company:     Dialog Semiconductor Plc.                             
             Tower Bridge House, St. Katharine's Way               
             E1W 1AA London                                        
             United Kingdom                                        
Phone:       +49 7021 805-412                                      
Fax:         +49 7021 805-200                                      
E-mail:      jose.cano@diasemi.com                                 
Internet:    www.diasemi.com                                       
ISIN:        GB0059822006, XS0757015606                            
WKN:         927200                                                
Indices:     TecDAX                                                
Listed:      Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard);      
             Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München,  
             Stuttgart                                             
 
 
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