This automotive-qualified AEC-Q100 Grade 1 certified unit, rated to operate at an ambient temperature of 125°C, meets the requirements of next-generation automotive designs while saving energy and space, and reducing overall system cost. The AL5873Q can drive up to 250mA per channel and is set by two reference resistors connected to the REF1 and REF 2 pins of the driver IC. Supporting two different LED current levels simplifies the lighting system even more – since the same LEDs can be used for the tail and brake lights of the rear light cluster. This significantly reduces bill of materials (BOM) costs.
The AL5873Q features analog and primary PWM dimming control and supports PWM frequencies up to 1kHz. PWM dimming is extremely important to improve current accuracy when driving LEDs at low current levels. The current on each channel is regulated to within ±4% tolerance, allowing for better channel-to-channel matching results for rear light combinations. If no PWM signal is detected, the AL5873Q will enter standby mode to save power.
The AL5873Q has built-in protection, its bidirectional (input/output) fault pin flags any fault, and allows up to four devices to have their fault pins tied together to collectively report any faults found. In its protection function, the internal junction temperature monitoring circuit reduces the LED current if its specified threshold temperature is exceeded. In addition to this thermal foldback, there are thermal shutdown and LED string open/short protection mechanisms, as well as features such as input undervoltage lockout. It is packaged in a compact 16-pin TSSOP package, supports PPAP files, and is manufactured in an IATF 16949 certified production facility.
