Melexis has enhanced the design of creative and animated automotive lighting by introducing the MLX81118 multi-channel LIN RGB LED controller with 24 LED driver outputs. It also offers a new dual-input voltage feature that significantly reduces LED power consumption for LIN applications. In addition, it is capable of driving up to eight RGB channels, reducing BOM and simplifying the design of interior and exterior lighting at the tip.
The device has a total of 24 outputs, each output up to 60mA, the device can drive 8 RGB channels. Independent PWM control that can be configured with up to 16 bit resolution enables the controller to provide any color point and brightness level. The company has expanded its LIN RGB LED controller family by releasing multi-channel devices for ambient lighting and animated lighting applications in the LIN ecosystem.
Unlike the MLX81113, which is primarily used for classic ambient lighting functions, the new device is ideal for many applications where multiple RGB leds must be controlled by a LIN node within one or more modules, for example, in door trim or dashboard applications. Multi-channel support shows that the device is also ideal for light animation control LIN. The device complements the company's MLX81115 and MLX81113 to meet a variety of applications.
Built-in direct and indirect temperature monitoring allows temperature compensation for all channels to ensure stable color spots over the full temperature operating range, from -40℃ to 125C.
"MLX81118 enables trend setting style by providing the highly flexible control required for creative effects. By supporting the output of eight RGB channels, as well as precise control over color and brightness, designers can take advantage of new features to increase personalization and enhance security." Says Michael Bender, product line manager at Melexis LIN. "At the same time, we added features to improve reliability, simplify thermal management, maximize temperature stability and ultimately deliver an exceptional user experience."
A full toolchain including evaluation boards, online emulators, and C compiler packages is available to help speed up application development. Basic software is also provided, including LIN drivers, color mixing, math libraries, and IC initialization routines.
