LP55231
www.ti.com.cn
ZHCSD18A –MARCH 2013–REVISED OCTOBER 2014
7.3 Feature Description
7.3.1 Programming
The LP55231 provides flexibility and programmability for dimming and sequencing control. Each LED can be
controlled directly and independently through the serial bus, or LED drivers can be grouped together for pre-
programmed flashing patterns.
The LP55231 has three independent program execution engines, so it is possible to form three independently
programmable LED banks. LED drivers can be grouped based on their function so that, for example, the first
bank of drivers can be assigned to the keypad illumination, the second bank to the “funlights”, and the third group
to the indicator LED(s).
Each bank can contain 1 to 9 LED driver outputs. Instructions for program execution engines are stored in the
program memory. The total amount of the program memory is 96 instructions, and the user can allocate the
memory as required by the engines.
7.3.2 LED Error Detection
The LP55231 has built-in LED error detection. Error detection does not only detect open and short circuit, but
provides an opportunity to measure the V
F
s of the LEDs. The test event is activated by a serial interface write,
and the result can be read through the serial interface during the next cycle. This feature can also be addressed
to measure the voltage on the VDD, VOUT, and INT pins. Typical example usage includes monitoring battery
voltage or using INT pin as a light sensor interface.
7.3.3 Energy Efficiency
When charge-pump automatic mode selection is enabled, the LP55231 monitors the voltage over the drivers of
D1 to D6 so that the device can select the best charge-pump gain and maintain good efficiency over the whole
operating voltage range. The red LED element of an RGB LED typically has a forward voltage of about 2 V. For
that reason, the outputs D7, D8, and D9 are internally powered by VDD, since battery voltage is high enough to
drive red LEDs over the whole operating voltage range. This allows the driving of three RGB LEDs with good
efficiency because the red LEDs don't load the charge pump. LP55231 is able to automatically enter power-save
mode when LED outputs are not active, thus lowering idle current consumption down to 10 µA (typ.). Also, during
the "down time" of the PWM cycle (constant current output status is low), additional power savings can be
achieved when the PWM Powersave feature is enabled.
7.3.4 Temperature Compensation
The luminance of an LED is typically a function of its temperature even though the current flowing through the
LED remains constant. Since luminance is temperature dependent, many LED applications require some form of
temperature compensation to decrease luminance and color purity variations due to temperature changes. The
LP55231 has a built-in temperature-sensing element, and PWM duty cycle of the LED drivers changes linearly in
relationship to changes in temperature. User can select the slope of the graph (31 slopes) based on the LED
characteristics (see Figure 13). This compensation can be done either constantly, or only right after the device
wakes up from powersave mode, to avoid error due to self-heating of the device. Linear compensation is
considered to be practical and accurate enough for most LED applications.
Compensation is effective over the temperature range −40°C to 90°C.
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