Flash driver simplifies design of multi-condition LED lighting

Sipex Corp. has released a single-wire, programmable charge pump LED flash driver capable of driving up to 500mA. The SP7686 device simplifies the design of multi-condition LED lighting when used for mobile phone camera flash, torch, pre-flash mode, and any portable LED lighting applications, the company said.

Operating at 2.4MHz switching frequency, SP7686 requires four small external components, reducing the overall solution footprint. The driver features a typical 3.5 sec timeout in flash mode that prevents the LED from over-heating during long operating duty cycles. The programmable LED current also allows designers to reduce currents as the battery gets low to prevent false system resets, extending the battery life.

The family also includes the SP7686A, which eliminates the single-wire interface but provides two separate control pins to enable and Torch/Flash select. The flash current is preset to 400mA, and the torch current is set to 150mA. These LED flash drivers enable a wide range of LED lighting applications with minimum external components required.

SP7686 and SP7686A are available in a Pb-free, thermally enhanced 8-pin 2-by-3mm DFN package and is specified over the -40°C to 85°C temperature range. Pricing begins at Rs.44.12 ($1.25) in 1,000-piece quantities.