iWatt driver powers 32 strings of LEDs for TVs

MANHASSET, NY -- iWatt, Inc., has expanded its family of dc/dc LED backlight drivers with its iW7032 which can power up to 32 parallel strings of LEDs.

The mixed-signal IC features iWatt’s digital adaptive switching technology with integrated MOSFETs. Adaptive switching reduces thermal overhead and power consumption, while the integrated MOSFETs reduce component count, form factors and costs for dynamic backlighting. iWatta targets the chip for mainstream direct or segment-edge-dimmed TVs.

With high voltage support (up to 56V) and adaptive switching to overcome thermal problems, the iW7032 is capable of driving up to 32 parallel strings, numbering 15 LEDs per string, to power 480 total LEDs from one IC.

iWatt’s proprietary digital adaptive switching technology senses the mismatch of the varying forward voltages (Vf) of the multiple strings of LEDs and adjusts appropriately for each string. This reduces the wasted power by up to 90 percent. iWatt projects it saves 2-5W per IC.

The iW7032 features an integrated MOSFET for each string of LEDs which can reduce driver printed-circuit-board form factors by up to 50 percent compared to solutions relying on external MOSFETS, according to the company.

iWatt projects LED TV manufacturers can save $1 to $3 in bill-of-material (BOM) costs for each iW7032 used. A typical 46-in. direct-lit LED TV might use two to four iW7032 drivers, saving the manufacturer up to $12.

"By overcoming the thermal problems of driving large numbers of LEDs together, our engineers have made a large contribution towards cutting costs for the dynamic backlighting industry," said Gyan Tiwary, senior vice president and general manager of the DC/DC group at iWatt.
 
The iW7032 comes in 64-pin QFP package with an exposed pad for optimum reliability. Samples are available at $3.80 in 1000-piece quantities.

One of the first sets to incorporate iWatt’s new driver is a new Chinese name brand 52-in 3-D LED TV with local dimming, according to iWatt.

Privately-held iWatt, Inc. is a power control IC company that designs, develops, and markets semiconductor products for the communication and consumer market segments. It is backed by VantagePoint Capital Partners and Sigma Partners, two leading CleanTech investors, and Horizon Ventures.