Allegro MicroSystems Europe has announced two new single-IC switching regulators that provide constant-current output to drive high-power LEDs in automotive applications. These devices are the industry’s first to allow LED dimming without the need for local microcontroller or timer-based or PWM dimming control.
Allegro’s A6214 and A6216 devices integrate a high-side N-channel DMOS switch for DC-to-DC step-down (buck) conversion. A true average current is output using a cycle-by-cycle, controlled on-time method. Combined with automotive-grade quality and feature-rich functionality, a host of safety and robust protection features makes the A6214 and A6216 devices ideal for automotive lighting where high quality and reliability are essential.