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LEDs Array Reference Board Design

Application Note

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Last Updated: 07/02/2008

Pages: 18

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AN2141 Application note
LED array reference design board
Introduction
New high brightness LED (HB LED) applications such as displays, information panels, signs, traffic signals, automotive lighting and advertising are becoming more and more popular. For these applications new HB LED drivers with constant current outputs have been designed. The constant LED current guarantees the same brightness for all LEDs and provides a cost advantage in lighting system solutions, as there is no need for external resistors for each individual LED. This document describes a simple design solution to drive an array of high brightness LEDs, using the STP16CP05 and the STP16CPS05 LED drivers. Two reference design (one with 80 LEDs and another with 32 LEDs) are proposed to provide a solution for driving high brightness LED arrays. The first has an array of 80 blue HB LEDs arranged in a 5 x 16 matrix. This matrix of LEDs is driven by five 16-channel STP16CPS05 drivers, with which it is possible to implement short, moving text. Also, all of the LEDs in the display can be turned on simultaneously using a switch, in order to demonstrate the uniformity in the brightness of the LEDs, which is achieved by applying the same sink current to all channels. The second reference design is a smaller 4 x 8 LED matrix driven by the STP16CP05 and the STP16CPS05, and includes a DC-DC converter for supply voltages varying from 5 V up to 35 V. For this new 32 LED array reference design, an evaluation board using OSRAM LEDs is available through order code STEVALILL003V2. The new STP16CP05, STP08CP05 and STP16CPS05 LED drivers are monolithic, low voltage 8-bit or 16-bit shift registers designed for driving LED and LED panel displays. Thanks to these drivers the output LED current is constant and can be very precisely set using just one external resistor to control the light intensity of the LEDs. The STPxxCx05 guarantees up to 20 V output driving capability, allowing designers to connect more LEDs in series. The high 30 MHz clock frequency also satisfies the system requirement of high volume data transmission. Both designs are controlled by the ST7Lite09 microcontroller, which provides full text motion control, brightness regulation through PWM and control of text speed. A 3.3 V supply voltage for the microcontroller and the drivers is provided by a linear voltage regulator (the LE33 or L78L33). The STP16CPS05 LED driver employs auto power saving to reduce power consumption.

January 2008

Rev 3

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Contents

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Contents
1 2 3 4 5 Block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Timing diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Reducing power dissipation on the chip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Common drain outputs configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 LED array reference designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.1 80 LED array reference design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.1.1 5.1.2 Application schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Bill of material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

5.2

32 LED array reference design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5.2.1 5.2.2 Application schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Bill of material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

6 7 8

The STP16CP05 vs. the STP16CPS05 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 References and related materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Revision history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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List of figures

List of figures
Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. Figure 7. Figure 8. Figure 9. Block diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Timing diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 General configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Configuration with resistors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Common drain outputs configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 80 LED array reference design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Application schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 32 LED array reference design board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Application schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Block diagram

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1

Block diagram
The block diagram of the LED array reference design board is shown in Figure 1. The diagram shows a universal STMicroelectronics system solution for driving an LED array. The number of LEDs can be increased by adding additional drivers in cascade. The input voltage is connected to the anodes of all of the HB LEDs. The input voltage value is very important due to the power dissipation in the drivers. A detailed explanation is described in Section 3: Reducing power dissipation on the chip. The LED cathodes are connected to ground through constant current sinks. The value of the constant current is set by only one external resistor. The DC-DC converter is represented by a simple linear controller (LE33 or L78L33) and provides 3.3 V supply voltage to the microcontroller and the LED drivers. The DC-DC SMPS (switch mode power supply), using the L5970D step-down converter, is designed to increase the efficiency, performance and supply voltage range (5 V up to 35 V). A detailed description of the SMPS design can be found in the L5970D device datasheet. The control unit in this application is a microcontroller which sends data through the serial peripheral interface (SPI) to the shift registers. The data are shifted bit by bit to the next driver with the falling edge of the clock frequency (the maximum communication frequency for this driver is 30 MHz). The control panel consists of the switch and two potentiometers. The switch changes the modes and the potentiometers allow the changing of the brightness and the text speed (blinking speed). Figure 1.
Block diagram

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Timing diagram

2

Timing diagram
The typical timing diagram is shown in Figure 2. The DATA, CLOCK and LATCH waveforms are shown. The data are changed with the falling edge of the clock frequency. For example, in Figure 2 one byte (01101001) can be seen. When all data are written to the drivers through the SPI, the microcontroller sets the latch input terminal (LE) pin to "log 1" and rewrites the data to the storage registers. In the next step the LE pin is grounded and thus the following data can be transmitted to the shift registers without changes in the output stage. The data in the storage registers are converted to the output constant current stages by the output enable (EO) pin. Thanks to the output enable pin, the brightness can be regulated through the PWM signal. Both LED array reference designs have adjustable delay time via potentiometer after implementation of the "latch signal". Thanks to this feature the blinking speed can be regulated (time between sending data packets is changed). Figure 2.
Timing diagram

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Reducing power dissipation on the chip

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Reducing power dissipation on the chip
One of the most important considerations in this application is the calculation of the maximum power dissipation on the driver chip. The maximum power consumption can be calculated with the ambient temperature and the thermal resistance of the chip. The thermal resistance depends on the type of package and can be found together with the maximum allowed junction temperature in the datasheet for the device. The maximum allowable power consumption of this device is calculated as follows: Equation 1
T m a x Ta P d m a x = ----j---------------------Rt h j a

Pdmax - maximum power dissipation [W] Ta - ambient temperature [C] Tjmax - maximum junction temperature [C] Rthja - thermal resistance junction to ambient [C/W]

The maximum forward current for each type of LED is provided in the datasheet and must not be exceeded. Each output channel of the driver operates as a linear current sink. As the sink current for each output of LED driver is set as constant by an external resistor, the power dissipation of the chip depends on the value of LED supply voltage (Vc) minus the forward voltage drop of the LEDs. To optimize the power dissipation of the chip, it is recommended to use the lowest possible supply voltage for the LEDs. An example of how to calculate the power dissipation of the chip is shown in Figure 3. The equation for this basic connection is: Equation 2
#outputs

Pt o t = Ic Uc + I

( V c ni VF )

i=1

Ptot - power dissipation of chip [W] Ic - supply current for driver [A] Uc - supply voltage for driver [V] I - constant LED current set by external resistor [A] #outputs - number of outputs Vc - LED supply voltage [V] ni - number of serial connected LED for each output VF - LED forward voltage [V]

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AN2141 Figure 3.
General configuration
STP16CPS05

Reducing power dissipation on the chip

When only one LED is connected to each output (the most common configuration used in LED array reference boards) the equation can be simplified as follows: Equation 3
P t o t = I c U c #outputs I ( V c V F )

As previously stated, only the LED supply voltage Vc is variable. Thus the correct choice is an LED supply voltage Vc about 0.5 V higher than VF or n*VF for n LEDs connected in series. If a PWM signal controls the brightness of the LEDs, the total power dissipation on the chip is calculated as: Equation 4
P t o t = I c U c #outputs I ( V c V F ) D

where D is the duty cycle. If there is no possibility to obtain the proper value of the LED supply voltage in an application, an external resistor R in series with each LED must be connected to limit the power dissipation on the chip as shown in Figure 4. The power dissipation on the chip is consequently decreased as follows: Equation 5
P t o t = I c U c #outputs I ( V c ( V F I R ) )

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Reducing power dissipation on the chip Figure 4. Configuration with resistors

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Common drain outputs configuration

4

Common drain outputs configuration
As mentioned above, the STPxxCx05 is focused on driving high brightness LEDs. The maximum forward current of HB LEDs can vary from 20 mA to several hundred mA. A typical current value for super HB LEDs is 350 mA. Thanks to the common drain configuration the outputs can be connected together as shown in Figure 5. This increases the performance and current capability of the driver. This configuration enables the driving of several types of HB LEDs even with the limited current-per-output. Figure 5. Common drain outputs configuration

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LED array reference designs

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5

LED array reference designs
Two LED array reference designs have been developed: one with 80 LEDs using the STP16CPS05 LED driver, and another with 32 LEDs using the STP16CP05 and STP16CPS05 LED drivers. In the following sections these two designs and their differences are briefly described.

5.1

80 LED array reference design
An example of the 80 LED array reference design proposal (no evaluation board is currently available for this design) is shown in Figure 6. Its block schematic description is provided in Section 1: Block diagram. The only simplification in this reference design is that it does not include an SMPS DC-DC converter. Therefore the supply voltage should be in the range of 4 V to 5 V. Figure 6. 80 LED array reference design

5.1.1

Application schematic
A detailed application schematic of this design is shown in Figure 7. Five STP16CPS05 LED drivers with 16 outputs are controlled by the ST7Lite09 microcontroller. The microcontroller provides the clock frequency (SCK pin), the serial data (MOSI pin), the PWM signal (PWM pin) and the latch signal (PA0 pin). The clock frequency in this application is 633 KHz and the PWM signal for brightness regulation is 619 Hz. Resistors R1 to R5 (one for each driver) set the constant current for all outputs. Their value is 1.3 k and they set the constant sink current to approximately 10 mA (for more information, please refer to the STP16CP05 and STP16CPS05 datasheets). The analog voltage values from the trimmers R6 and R8 are measured and converted by the microcontroller's ADC to the digital reference signal. The microcontroller sets the PWM signal for brightness and the data time delay for text speed control accordingly.

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LED array reference designs

5.1.2

Bill of material
Table 1.
Item 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Bill of material
Quantity 8 1 1 80 5 1 1 5 3 1 1 1 Reference C1, C2, C3 C4 C5 C7, C8, C9 C6 C10 D1 - D80 J1, J2, J3, J4, J5 J6 J7 R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 R6, R7, R8 SW1 U1 U2 Part 100 nF 10 F 2.2 F LED STP16CPS05 ICP Connector 1k3 10 k SW push button ST7Lite09 LE33/SO

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LED array reference designs Figure 7. Application schematic

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STP16CPS05

STP16CPS0 5

STP16CPS0 5

STP16CPS05

STP16CPS05

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LED array reference designs

5.2

32 LED array reference design
The 32 LED array reference design board is shown in Figure 8 and its block schematic description corresponds to Section 1: Block diagram. All components are placed on the top side of the board. This board includes an SMPS DC-DC converter using the L5970D stepdown switching regulator for input voltages from 5 V to 35 V. The order code for this reference design board is STEVAL-ILL003V2. Figure 8. 32 LED array reference design board

5.2.1

Application schematic
The detailed application schematic of this design is shown in Figure 9. Two LED drivers (STP16CP05 and STP16CPS05) with 16 outputs each are controlled by one ST7Lite09 microcontroller. Resistors R1 and R2 (one for each driver) set the constant current for all outputs. Their value is 1.2 k and they set the constant sink current to 16 mA for each output (for more information, please refer to the STP16CP05 and STP16CPS05 datasheets). Six blinking modes are programmed in this application. The first switches the entire display ON/OFF. The second is a "harmonic" lighting effect, as the light is moved from the margin to the center of the display and back. During the third mode the numbers from one to nine are moved on the display. The fourth and fifth modes are implemented to show differences between the STP16CP05 and the STP16CPS05 LED drivers (as described below). Since the constant current LED drivers are used in this design, the brightness for each LED must be the same. Therefore, during the sixth mode, all LEDs are simply turned ON for LED brightness checking. All features and functions (communication, brightness regulation, blinking speed regulation, etc.) are similar to the 80 LED array reference design board, with exception of the addition of an SMPS DC-DC converter. Its output voltage is 4 V and its maximum current is 1 A (L5970D device). For more details on this converter design, please refer to the L5970D datasheet. The clock frequency in this application is 83.6 KHz and the PWM signal for brightness regulation is 654 Hz.

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LED array reference designs

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5.2.2
Table 2.
Item 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Qty 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 32 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

Bill of material
Bill of material
Reference CONNECTOR1 C1,C2,C3,C5,C6 C4 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 D1 - D32 D33 D34 IO1 I02 IO3 IO4 IO5 J1,J2,J3,J4 J5 L1 P1,P2 R1,R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 S1 Part ICC 100 nF 10 nF 220 pF 22 nF 10 F/35 V 100 F/16 V 220 F/16 V OSRAM SMD blue LED SMD green LED STPS340U ST7LITE09 STP16CP05 STP16CPS05 78L33 L5970D CON1 CON3 33 H 10 k 1K2 10 k 560 6k8 3k 4k7 Switch Description Programming connector SMD cap. 0805 SMD cap. 0805 SMD cap. 0805 SMD cap. 0805 SMD tantal. cap. SMD tantal. cap. Electrolytic cap. LB T68C-P2S1-35 Green SMD LED Schottky diode Microcontroller LED driver LED driver Voltage regulator DC-DC converter Not connected Input connector Inductor Potentiometer SMD 1206 resistor SMD 1206 resistor SMD 1206 resistor SMD 1206 resistor SMD 1206 resistor SMD 1206 resistor Button Coilcraft - DO3316P-333 STPS340U ST7FLite09Y0M6 STP16CP05MTR STP16CPS05MTR L78L33ACD L5970D OSRAM - Q65110A1978 Order code

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AN2141 Figure 9. Application schematic

LED array reference designs

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The STP16CP05 vs. the STP16CPS05

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6

The STP16CP05 vs. the STP16CPS05
The STP16CPS05 LED driver includes an additional feature called "auto power saving", which minimizes the quiescent current if no active data is detected on the latches, and automatically powers-up the device at the first active data latched. The fourth and fifth blinking modes are designed on the 32 LED reference design board STEVAL-ILL003V2 to measure the supply current for the STP16CP05 and STP16CPS05, when no active data is detected and when active data is latched. Table 3 shows that the STP16CPS05 has much lower current (0.067 mA) than the STP16CP05 (3.11 mA) if no active data is detected. Therefore for large panels it is possible to save a significant amount of energy using the STP16CPS05 LED drivers with the auto power saving feature. Table 3. Current consumption for the STP16CP05 and STP16CPS05 measured on the STEVAL-ILL003V2
Data status Active data is detected (all outputs are turned ON) No active data is detected (all outputs are turned OFF) STP16CP05 3.03 mA 3.11 mA STP16CPS05 3.07 mA 0.067 mA

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References and related materials

7

References and related materials
1. 2. 3. STP16CP05 and STP16CPS05 datasheets ST7Lite0 datasheet L5970D datasheet

8

Revision history
Table 4.
Date 28-Apr-2005 17-Nov-2005

Document revision history
Revision 1 2 Initial release. Added information about new LED driver STP16CP596. Modified Table 2 and Figure 9. Document reformatted. Replaced references to part numbers STP16CP596, STP16CL596 and STP08CL596 throughout the document with the new, improved devices STP16CP05, STP16CPS05 and STP08CP05, respectively. Added Section 6: The STP16CP05 vs. the STP16CPS05. Added the order code for the 32 LED reference design board STEVAL-ILL003V2. Clarified that no board is commercially available for the 80 LED reference design in Section 5: LED array reference designs Changes

22-Jan-2008

3

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