Supercapacitor-optimised flash drivers launched

Cap-XX has announced the availability of supercapacitor-optimised LED flash drivers from several companies to facilitate design of high-power LED flash units for camera phones and digital cameras.

Analogictech's AAT1282, and ON Semiconductor's CAT3224 and NCP5680 supercapacitor-optimised LED flash drivers team with a thin, prismatic supercapacitor to drive high-current white LEDs (WLEDs) in a thin-form solution that provides comparable light energy to a bulky xenon flash.

The LED flash drivers integrate all circuitry required to charge the supercapacitor, manage in-rush current and control LED current, therefore saving development time, board space and component cost.

Both Seoul Semiconductor and ON Semiconductor have created LED flash module reference designs that demonstrate the thin-form Briteflash solution.

This offers a more integrated approach to incorporating Briteflash into small mobile handsets and digital cameras.

More supercapacitor-optimised LED flash drivers are in late-stage development at other power management integrated circuit (PMIC) companies, Cap-XX has reported.

To produce high-resolution pictures in low-light conditions, cameras of five or more megapixels require a high-intensity flash.

Today's WLEDs can deliver such light energy, but need up to 400 per cent more power than a battery can provide.

To support the battery, a thin supercapacitor can drive the LED flash to full intensity while also handling other peak-power needs - zoom, auto-focus, audio, video, wireless transmissions, GPS readings and RF amplification - without compromising the slimline design.

Cap-XX developed the Briteflash Power Architecture to give designers a thin-form LED flash solution that delivers light energy that exceeds standard battery-powered LED flash.

Briteflash combines an LED flash driver IC, supercapacitor, battery and WLEDs.

The flash driver's boost converter charges the supercapacitor to 5.5V, which then delivers high-peak current to drive the LED flash.

The battery only supplies average power, and recharges the supercapacitor between flashes.

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