NCV7430
www.onsemi.com
32
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
High Current LEDs
The NCV7430 is designed to drive RGB LEDs up to
currents of 30 mA per channel. The system capability can be
increased to drive higher current LEDs by configuring the
device with an external PNP transistor as shown in
Figure 12. In this setup, all the LED current is external to the
device. Output current is limited by the base drive to the PNP
(30 mA) and the beta of the PNP. Operation is controlled by
the external feedback provided by R3 through R2 to the
device pin LEDxR.
VBB ANODE
LEDxC
LEDxR
1.2ohm
10 ohm
10 ohm
NJVMJD253T4G
GND
NCV7430
R1
R2
R3
Figure 12. Using the NCV7430 with Higher Current
LEDs
Temperature Correction
Light output from LEDs change with temperature. As
temperature increases, light output goes down. The
magnitude of change typically depends on the type of LEDs
which are used. Red LEDs are typically manufactured using
AlInGaP while green and blue LEDs are typically
manufactured using AlInGaN. These processing differences
result in the red LED temperature sensitivity being much
more sensitive than the green or blue LEDs. As a result, the
green and blue LEDs do not require any corrective
adjustments while the red LEDs require the drive current to
be increased as temperature goes up to keep a constant light
output.
Temperature correction can be implemented using the
current programming pin, LED1R by using a programming
network comprised of a resistor in series with a schottky
diode in parallel with another resistor as shown in Figure 13.
R
redled
sets the nominal LED current and the Schottky diode
with the series resistor (R1) sets the temperature behavior.
The NCV7430 uses a bandgap referenced circuit for
creating the programming reference voltage on the LEDxR
pins. The bandgap reference voltage targets to maintain a
zero TC voltage.
If the system design is able to correlate the red LED
temperature to the NCV7430 IC temperature, there is a
potential to create a compensation for these thermal effects.
Starting with the zero temperature coefficient reference
voltage on the LED1R pin, we can break up the voltage into
two components by mandating a negative temperature
coefficient associated with one component, and leave a
positive temperature coefficient associated with the other
component. This is done by adding a schottky diode in series
with the programming resistor on the LED1R pin. The
negative temperature coefficient of the schottky diode
creates an overall positive temperature coefficient on the
resistor in series. The system designer should consider the
resulting positive voltage temperature coefficient with the
discrete resistor temperature coefficient to obtain the desired
temperature performance. Note, a schottky diode is required
over p−n junction diodes due to the low voltage on the
LED1R pin (325 mV [typ]).
Figure 13. External Temperature Compensation
VBB ANODE
LED3R
GND
NCV7430
D1 D2
D3
D4
LED1C
LED2C
LED3C
LED2R
LED1R
R1* R
redled
* R3*
10 W
R4*
10 W
*R3, R4 = 10 W for 30 mA LED current.
R1, R
redled
values dependent on application.
R1, D4 set the LED current temperature coefficient.