Electronica 2008 - Read our full show coverage from Munich
National Semiconductor has targeted solar power and LED lighting with the addition of six new PowerWise reference designs, announced on the first day of Electronica.
The reference file kits, which include applicable design schematic, bill of materials (BOM), board layout, firmware, design documentation and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) source code, address photovoltaic cell design.
It will compensate for variations in temperature and the amount of sunlight, maintaining the most efficient conversion throughout changing conditions. The two-stage design monitors the solar panel voltages using a SEPIC design that provides the output voltage and tracks the input solar panel voltage over temperature, while the second stage takes the output of the first stage and boosts the input voltage.
There is also be a reference design for the replacement of backlight cold-cathode fluorescent (CCFL) tubes with strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Using a 3-channel, constant-current LED driver with two strings of six series-connected LEDs, the design configures the LED driver as a boost converter to generate 21V to 27V output voltage with a 12V power source.
A third reference design automatically adjusts display brightness for changing ambient light conditions to provide a more viewable display with better contrast. The pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming technique of National’s LED driver dims or brightens the display backlight in response to ambient light condition.
In a seperate move National described its collaboration with distributor Avnet to develop a comprehensive reference design for Xilinx Spartan-3 field-programmable gate arrays.
See also: Electronics Weekly's roundup of content related to LEDs, with a special focus on both white LEDs and coloured LEDs:
LED technology - White LEDs
LED technology - Coloured LEDs
LED technology - LEDs general
LED technology - LEDs Lighting
See also: The Electronics Weekly focus on solar cells, presenting a roundup of content related to photovoltaic technologies, converting light sources to energy.