Date: 18/04/2012

100V current sense DC/DC controller "LT3796" from Linear

Linear Technology has announced the LT3796, a 100V, current sense DC/DC controller to regulate a constant current or constant voltage that is ideal for driving high brightness (HB) LEDs.

The LT3796 needs 6V to 100V input voltage range. The component uses an external N-channel MOSFET and can drive up to 85V of white LEDs from a nominal 12V input, delivering in excess of 50 Watts. The LT3796 incorporates a high-side current sense, enabling its use in boost, buck, buck-boost or SEPIC and flyback topologies. Additionally, it offers both input and output current limiting and monitoring. The LT3796 can deliver efficiencies of over 94% in boost mode, minimizing the need for external heat sinking. A frequency adjust pin enables the user to program the frequency between 100kHz and 1MHz. Combined with a thermally enhanced TSSOP-28 package, the LT3796 offers a highly compact HB LED driver or charger solution.

The component finds use in automotive, industrial and architectural lighting. The LT3796 is suitable for charging batteries or supercapacitors at constant current and voltage.

The LT3796 uses true color PWM dimming, which delivers constant LED color with dimming ranges of up to 3,000:1. For less demanding dimming requirements, the CTRL pin can be used to offer a 10:1 analog dimming range. Open and short-circuit protection maximize overall system reliability, whereas C/10 detection optimizes both battery and supercap charging designs. Additional features include frequency synchronization, programmable UVLO and a programmable fault restart timer.

The LT3796EFE is available in a thermally enhanced TSSOP-28 package.

The price starts at $3.45 for each piece.
The extended temperate version, or I-grade, the LT3796IFE, is also available with a price starting at $3.86 each.
A high temperature, or H-grade, the LT3796HFE is available at a price of $4.11 each.
All prices are in 1,000-piece quantities and all versions are available from stock.

For more information, visit www.linear.com/product/LT3796