AnalogicTech is moving into LED drivers for TV and monitor backlights.
The announcement comes just one day after market research firm DisplaySearch predicted LEDs will have 56% of the backlight market in 2011, and 78% in 2015 - displacing incumbent fluorescent tubes.
"Our ModularBCD process allow the integration of low voltage digital circuitry with high-voltage analog circuitry. This combination enables the dynamic management of high current, high voltage LED current sinks," said Richard Williams, CEO of AnalogicTech.
The speed of LEDs allows the backlight to be treated as a low-resolution display, modulating intensity according to the image on the LCD.
"The intelligent control of LED current sinks in matrix backlight applications can provide precise brightness of individual segments based on image content and can give the consumer truer blacks and improved contrast for a better viewing experience," said AnalogicTech. "Dynamic LED backlighting also makes it possible to meet the increasingly stringent energy consumption specifications for large panel TVs such as the state of California is considering."
Several products have been announced to start the ball rolling.
Two eight-channel chipsets with integrated boost converters for matrix backlights - AAT2400 + AAT2401 and AAT2402M + AAT2402S.
A single chip 16 channel driver for matrix backlights - AAT2403
Three drivers for edge-lit backlights - AAT2405, AHK2417E and AHK2418E
And a dc-dc boost controller - AAT2404
"These devices use our 'multiple chip voltage feedback' technique that ensures the proper LED supply voltage is simultaneously regulated across up to 256 channels allowing precise control of up to 2560 LEDs for direct or dynamic backlighting solutions, or up to 16 channels for edge lighting," said the firm.