NXP: Future focus on non-dimming and high-power lighting market

Because of the high cost, LED lighting has been used in places such as medical and hotel that require 24-hour lighting and long-time lighting such as street lamps. Other areas have not been able to enter due to price. However, this year and next year may be a turning point.

“The LED lighting price reduction in 2012 is very fast, which makes LED lighting rapidly entering various application areas.” At the 2012 Hong Kong Autumn Lighting Fair, Wang Xiaobin, Marketing Director of NXP Greater China lighting products, analyzed that “ We have discovered a new trend, that is, non-dimmable LED lighting products are very popular with Asians, including developed countries such as Japan and South Korea also favor non-dimming products, this may be related to the use of habits.Europe and the United States prefer to dimming Lighting."

This is good news for the LED industry, because at present, the price of non-dimmable ICs is about half that of dimmable ICs, and IC is still the most important part of the cost of the entire LED lamps. Wang Yongbin then added: "The other trend we have discovered is that after the series of LED ball guns and lamps, LED lamps and lanterns will begin to become mainstream demand in the coming years." So, next year, NXP and other LED semiconductor solutions provide The business will focus on the non-dimming and high-power lighting market because of the huge growth potential in Asia.

In addition to the above trends, Wang Yongbin also revealed that current lighting manufacturers are highly demanding on power factors, because many countries including China have specifically required certain lighting FPs to be greater than 0.9, and will subsidize products that meet the standards. "For example, in China's energy-saving and public-benefit project bidding, two points are added for products with an FP greater than 0.9, and the Chinese government will also issue a supplement. In the European Energy Star, there is also a requirement that when the power is greater than 25W, FP must be greater than 0.9." He pointed out that some IC manufacturers to achieve high power factor in the program to achieve control from the outside, which will increase the cost, and NXP can be implemented from the chip, not only to facilitate the design, but also reduce costs . "For example, SSL2109A controller, due to the use of a dedicated circuit, can achieve FP greater than 0.9, less peripheral, simple and convenient design." He cited.

The same product series SSL21081(A)/83(A) for another non-dimmable integrated high-voltage MOSFET has a high degree of integration and requires only 14 external components. The overall cost is lower. With the integrated MOSFET, the efficiency can be improved. More than 95%. However, the current FP of this program can only be greater than 0.7. "SSL21081(A)/83(A) achieves 5% current accuracy control and 95% efficiency output. Complete protection functions and built-in flexible and reliable features ensure the lowest system component cost and are welcomed by users in Asia. Will be the flagship product for the next two years." He explained that not all IC companies can integrate high-voltage MOSFETs into controllers. NXP's high-voltage SOI insulation technology allows it to dissipate heat well, thus integrating high-voltage MOSFETs for efficient lighting. . For some companies integrated 750V MOSFETs, and NXP only integrates 600V MOSFETs, Wang Yongbin explained that from the current and the near future, the integrated 600VMOSFET is sufficient, and more brought about is waste and increased costs.

For the current market, single-level and secondary LED driver architecture confrontation, Wang Yongbin said that NXP is a single-level architecture defender. The main reasons are as follows: First, NXP has a long period of accumulation and advantages in a single stage; Second, a single-stage controller can integrate high-voltage MOSFETs; Third, single-stage easy-to-use, convenient design, customers only need two weeks The R&D success; Fourthly, there is a cost advantage at the current single-level, and the two-level BOM is about 10-15% more expensive than the single-level BOM.

Finally, some lighting manufacturers have their own vertical integration of R&D-driven ICs/components. Wang Yongbin thinks this is only a temporary phenomenon and will not become mainstream. “It is still very difficult for companies that make lamps to do electronic parts. In the future, it will still be specialized in division of labor. The part that drives will be independent.” He personally thinks.