Streamlining lighting solution design with a sophisticated system
Contributing to the improvement of road safety and the realization of ideas

ON Semiconductor has launched a new family of LED drivers and controllers for high-end automotive lighting applications.
The new product family is designed for low-power solid-state lighting and consists of a total of four devices, including two LED drivers, NCV7683 and NCV7685, and two current controllers, NCV7691 and NCV7692.

With road safety becoming increasingly important, automakers have moved beyond simple on/off operation to integrate movement and variability within rear combination lamps (RCL), turn signals, fog lights, and other external modulating LED clusters. They have transitioned to sophisticated systems capable of more clearly alerting other road users to danger.

The NCV7685 and NCV7683 have 12 and 8 linear programmable current sources, respectively, and can drive multiple LED strings with up to 100mA per channel. It provides a series of configuration options including daisy chaining, lighting brightness control, current regulation, sequencing functions, and channel combinations.

The NCV7685 incorporates an 8-bit 12C interface with CRC8 error detection for individual output current regulation via pulse width modulation (PWM). It also includes dedicated pins for advanced diagnostics, such as detecting open LED strings or low voltage conditions.

In addition, power can be supplied using a DC/DC controller and an LDO voltage regulator depending on specific design requirements.

The NCV7691 provides a wide current range to drive one or more LED strings using only external NPN bipolar transistors and feedback resistors. It enhances design flexibility by allowing the addition of a single channel to multi-channel systems and supports dimming functions via PWM input.

In addition, it includes open string, short-circuit, and thermal protection functions to ensure the safe and reliable operation of essential lighting. It provides faster response times and enables open load detection with low threshold values.

Jim Alvernaz, Vice President and General Manager of ON Semiconductor’s Automotive Products Business Unit, stated, “We help bring ideas to life with sophisticated lighting drivers and controllers that meet the requirements of both automakers and consumers, including delivering the performance and functionality achievable with LED lighting. LED-based automotive lighting offers not only high safety but also significant opportunities for automotive engineers to enhance corporate image and value.”