LED technology and know-how brings light into the darkness - 15 June 2005 - EBV Electrolink

LED technology and know-how brings light into the darkness
15 June 2005, Opto-Electronics

Semiconductor specialist EBV Elektronik, is offering a new service package: 'Automotive Lighting Solutions', for LED technologies. In this package, EBV bundles LED solutions from various semiconductor manufacturers together with comprehensive application know-how and design support.

"With our partners from the semiconductor field, we offer customer-specific solutions dealing with every aspect of LED technology, and provide an advisory service to customers during product development", says Frank-Steffen Russ, Automotive sales manager central Europe at EBV Elektronik. "Apart from providing the correct device, this means that we can also supply IC solutions that provide precision switching of LEDs."

All products and services involved in every aspect of LED technology are incorporated in EBV Eletronik's new 'Automotive Lighting Solutions' service package. With this package, EBV offers a broad spectrum of LED technologies and devices from various semiconductor suppliers such as Agilent, Osram, Fairchild, Intersil, Toshiba and Vishay. In addition, there is comprehensive optical and electrical solution support, including close co-operation with the manufacturers' application labs.

In terms of electrical questions about LED driver solutions, which now go beyond simple series resistance, EBV supports its customers in determining the best technologies and costs for specific applications. As examples, EBV has found optimum solutions for companies such as On Semiconductor and National Semiconductor.

One interesting field within LED applications is colour control loops. For example, the exact colour of RGB-LEDs is determined using Agilent colour sensors, and using this colour, other LED lights can be controlled and adjusted accordingly. Colour control loops can be used, for example, for interior lighting in vehicles, as this enables the co-ordination of different lights on ceilings, fittings or on the seats. It is also possible to adjust the back lighting for different displays using colour control loops. The long-term stability of OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) in display technology is also at an acceptable level for many applications. In this context, EBV, together with Osram, offers appropriate system solutions.

With 'Automotive Lighting Solutions', EBV also offers an efficient and economical LED system for electronic lighting in small quantities. LED technology is of particular interest because of its small size and high energy efficiency. Above all, it is the long service life and higher changeover speed that advances the use of LED technology in the automotive industry.

Whereas incandescent lamps only light up 200 milliseconds after switching, LEDs react to the flow of current at least 1000 times faster. For this reason, red LED light has been used for a long time as CHMSL (centre high mount stop lights). In addition to CHMSL, LED technology is an effective solution for other automobile applications, such as in switch rear lights, display lighting or side marker lights for trucks and cars.