Evaluation Boards - LED Drivers

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
SP7600EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7600	2
XRP7618EVB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR XRP7618	6
XRP7613EVB MaxLinear	BOARD EVAL FOR XRP7613	5
SP7685EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7665	0
SP6699EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP6699	0
XRP7620EVB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR XRP7620	0
SP7619EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7619	0
SP7120BEB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7120	0
SP7122AEB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7122A	0
XRP7603EVB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR XRP7603	0
SP6137LEDEB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP6137LED	0
SP7121EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7121	0
SP6682EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP6682	0
SP6683UEB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP6683	0
XRP6840EVB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR XRP6840	0
XRP7604EVB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR XRP7604	0
SP7616EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7616	0
SP6648LEDEB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP6648LED	0
SP6686EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP6686	0
SP7648EB MaxLinear	EVAL BOARD FOR SP7648	0

Evaluation Boards - LED Drivers

1. Overview

Evaluation Boards for LED Drivers are specialized hardware platforms designed to test, validate, and develop lighting control systems. These boards provide engineers with a controlled environment to assess driver performance, thermal management, and compatibility with various LED configurations. As solid-state lighting dominates modern applications, these evaluation tools accelerate innovation in energy efficiency, smart lighting, and dynamic color control across industries.

2. Major Types & Functional Classification

Type	Functional Features	Application Examples
Constant Current Drivers	Maintain stable output current regardless of voltage fluctuations	High-brightness LED streetlights, industrial lighting
Constant Voltage Drivers	Provide fixed voltage with variable current control	LED strips, automotive interior lighting
PWM Dimming Controllers	Use pulse-width modulation for precise brightness control	Architectural lighting, display backlighting
Digital Addressable Controllers	Support protocols like DALI, DMX512 for individual LED control	Smart building systems, stage lighting

3. Structure & Composition

Typical evaluation boards integrate:

PCB substrate with thermal vias for heat dissipation
LED array interfaces (commonly 1 N or matrix configurations)
Driver ICs with protection circuits (overvoltage, overtemperature)
Power management modules (AC/DC, DC/DC converters)
Communication interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART)
Onboard sensors for light output measurement
Debugging headers (JTAG, SWD) for firmware development

4. Key Technical Specifications

Parameter	Importance
Output Current Range (mA)	Determines LED brightness capability
Voltage Compliance Range (V)	Affects compatibility with different LED strings
Dimming Resolution (bits)	Defines granularity of light control
Switching Frequency (kHz)	Influences EMI and efficiency
Thermal Shutdown Threshold ( C)	Ensures reliability under stress conditions
Communication Protocol Support	Enables system integration capabilities

5. Application Fields

Primary industries include:

General Lighting: Smart home systems, commercial lighting
Automotive: Adaptive front-lighting systems, interior ambiance
Industrial: Machine vision systems, hazardous area lighting
Consumer Electronics: TV backlighting, gaming peripherals
Medical: Surgical lighting, phototherapy devices

6. Leading Manufacturers & Products

Manufacturer	Representative Product	Key Features
TI (Texas Instruments)	LM3466EVM	Constant current driver with thermal fold-back
STMicroelectronics	STEVAL-ILL011V1	Digital dimming with 16-bit resolution
ON Semiconductor	NCL30160LEDGEVB	PWM dimming down to 0.1%
Microchip	CL88EVB	High-voltage AC/DC conversion
NXP Semiconductors	PCA9901BDB	DALI protocol support

7. Selection Guidelines

Key considerations:

Match output specifications to target LED requirements
Verify dimming method compatibility (PWM vs analog)
Assess communication protocol needs (e.g., Bluetooth mesh)
Evaluate thermal management capabilities
Check software ecosystem maturity
Consider cost vs feature balance

8. Industry Trends

Future development focuses on:

Higher integration with MCU and wireless SoC solutions
Adaptive control using AI/ML algorithms
Advancements in GaN/SiC semiconductor integration
Expansion of IoT-enabled lighting systems
Standardization of energy efficiency regulations (e.g., DOE)