The PowerPSoC family of integrated embedded power controllers from Cypress Semiconductor represents the industry’s first single-chip solution for controlling and driving high-power LEDs, according to the company. The devices integrate four constant-current regulators and four 32-V MOSFETs with the Cypress PSoC programmable system-on-a-chip, which includes a microcontroller, programmable analog and digital blocks, and memory.
This integration provides customers with a single-chip solution for high-quality LED-based lighting products and extends into other embedded applications such as white goods and industrial control. The result is end systems with fewer components, faster design cycles, lower power consumption, and higher reliability.
The PowerPSoC companion software, the PSoC Designer development tool, enables designers to quickly and efficiently program the controllers for different lighting and power options. It also allows changes late in the design cycle without having to change the circuit-board layout.
The PowerPSoC offers up to four integrated, independently operated 32-V/1-A MOSFETs that can drive high-power LEDs up to 1 A. Up to four programmable hysteretic controllers provide controlled current output. Also, up to four low-side gate drivers with programmable drive strength provide the ability to support voltages above 32 V with external MOSFETs.
Furthermore, a switching frequency that ranges up to 2 MHz allows smaller, less expensive inductors. Floating load buck, floating load buck-boost, and boost converter topologies enable flexibility for applications’ different voltage requirements. An auxiliary power regulator offers the ability to power the chip from a single power supply. And, the PowerPSoC provides 16-bit dimming for lighting applications that require high-resolution dimming.
The PSoC architecture includes eight programmable digital blocks for functions such as timers, counters, pulse-width modulators (PWMs), and UARTs; six programmable analog blocks for functions such as amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), filters, and comparators; 16k of flash memory; and an 8-bit microcontroller.
Six devices in the PowerPSoC family are available today. Also, the CY3268 demonstration kit drives four LEDs in a small form factor (2.5 by 3.5 in.) with basic reprogramming/debugging capability. It costs $60. The CY3267 PowerPSoC evaluation kit is available for customer prototyping as well. It offers a modular approach with interface for daughter cards to support multiple applications, multiple protocols (DMX512 and DALI), and customer-specific daughter cards. It costs $175.
Cypress Semiconductor
www.cypress.com/go/pr/PowerPSoC
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