Created to foment and ease the development of dynamic RGB-LED automotive application solutions, Melexis's ADK81116 application development kit comes with pre-loaded configurable firmware to eliminate the need for firmware development. Offering simplified calibration and configuration with an easy-to-use GUI, the kit includes the necessary wiring harness and power supply, as well as a lighting stripe with 30 RGB LEDs in multiplex mode driven by five MLX81116AAE IC drivers.
The ADK81116 leverages the Melexis Universal Master for configuring and simulating the end application. It includes the latest variant of the company’s 12-channel MLX81116, the MLX81116KLW-AAE-150-RE.
This UART over CAN-FD RGB-LED driver variant has Melexis-developed and -validated configurable firmware that meets automotive standards, offering 16-bit color control with a mixing accuracy of delta u’v’ < 0.01.The preloaded MLX81116KLW-AAE-150-RE can be configured and tested using EEPROM parameters managed through Melexis’s intuitive GUI.
Handling Lighting and LEDs
By eliminating the need for external firmware development and its related expertise, the validation process is reduced as well, in addition to being a significant operational cost reduction. Combining the ADK81116 and the MLX81116KLW-AAE-150-RE variant overcomes a great deal of the typical challenges faced in developing dynamic lighting systems for the automotive industry.
The GUI includes Melexis’ color library, with compensation settings for a wide range of LEDs to ensure the desired color point is achieved. It also reinforces the supply chain by more easily enabling use of LEDs from different manufacturers.
According to Roland Steger, Business Development Manager, “Melexis has addressed the needs of its customers by removing a significant portion of the development effort and moving towards a more standardized workflow. With this application-specific solution, Tiers cut months from their developments. They no longer need any firmware development knowledge and are better positioned to keep pace with the rapidly evolving automotive lighting market."