• Expanded power efficiency and cost of ownership reductions with low leakage bypass ICs
• Fault management chips for LED lighting, such as safety signage, automotive lamps, and street/traffic lighting

October 30, 2012, Seoul – STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor company in various electronic device applications, has launched a new fault management chip, LBP01. This product provides superior product reliability and lifespan for LED lighting in key applications such as automotive lamps, streetlights, and emergency lamps.

The LBP01 chip is installed in lamps composed of multiple individual channels, each containing several LEDs. Without the LBP01, the failure of a single LED would cause the entire channel to malfunction, resulting in reduced overall lighting output and the need for immediate product replacement. The LBP01 helps bypass the faulty LED, allowing the lamp to continue emitting light at near-maximum levels. This not only improves performance and safety but can also provide significant cost savings for lamp managers. For instance, the cost of replacing a single streetlight can reach up to $700 for a city operator.

LBP01 offers several significant advantages over competing products. Because a single bypass can be applied to two LEDs, designers can reduce component costs. Competing products typically can only bypass one LED. Additionally, it features a built-in surge protection device to prevent LED failure.

The market size for safety LED signage and lamps, including automotive lamps and streetlights, is expected to exceed $5 billion by 2015. In addition, this product can also help extend the lifespan of LED backlights in LCD panels for various applications. To maximize design utility, ST offers the LBP01 in two package types. If you wish to replace other competing products, you can choose the 3.95 x 5.6 mm SMB package, and for creating smaller solutions, you can choose the 3 x 3.05 mm SOT23-5 package.

Key Features of LBP01:
• 100 nA leakage current
• Can be used with up to 1A LED channel current
• Built-in surge protection meeting IEC 61000-4-2 (8 kV & 15 kV) & IEC 61000-4-5 (1 kV, 24 A)
• Compatible with DC and PWM drive waveforms
• Unidirectional (LBP01-0803SC5) and bidirectional (LBP01-0810B) products available

LBP01 is currently in production, and prices start at $0.19 for the SC23-5 package and $0.21 for the SMB package for orders of 1,000 units. Separate pricing conditions are available for bulk orders.