21st November 2006

Auto Industry First: LED for Resistor Drive Applications


Philips Lumileds announced its new SnapLED 150 LEDs which are specifically designed, qualified, tested and binned for use in automotive dual drive-current applications such as rear combination lamps that provide both stop light and tail light functionality. The company says that SnapLED 150 parts simplify the engineering process and remove the need for more costly pulse-width modulation (PWM) circuits and eliminate the “flicker” that can be seen in some lamps when this type of circuit is employed.

The visual difference between a tail lamp and stop lamp is a direct result of the current applied to the LED—the lower the current, the less light output. Technology advancements in the LED die and package for SnapLED 150 deliver stability at very low currents, as low as 5mA, and improved lifetime at all drive currents.

“We have never accepted that the technology hurdles preventing resistor drive circuits for RCL applications could not be solved,” said Jason Posselt, Automotive Marketing Manager at Philips Lumileds. “The new SnapLED 150 products enable resistor drive circuits and fundamentally improve the engineering process and lower costs for rear combination lamps. Coupled with SnapLED’s unique clinch technology that enables dimensional design, SnapLED 150 will lead where lower system costs, high performance and design flexibility are critical.” Continued technology innovation and improvements as well as a dual-current complex binning structure developed by Philips Lumileds for the SnapLED 150 program will further stimulate LED implementation in the automotive rear combination lamp market.

The automotive industry currently manufactures approximately 4 million vehicles per year that utilize Philips Lumileds’ SnapLED in rear combination lamps—a number that’s expected to grow substantially as system costs decrease and LEDs are implemented in more cars and trucks.

Luxeon LEDs Light Up Queen’s 80th Birthday
Earlier this year, Philips was invited to create a new permanent lighting installation to illuminate the façade of Buckingham Palace. Designed as part of the Queen’s 80th birthday celebrations, the work was carried out in conjunction with English Heritage and Westminster City Council, and had to take into account aesthetic, environmental and energy efficient considerations in the final design scheme.

The solution also had to avoid any nighttime light pollution since the Palace is located between two royal parks and the surrounding area is relatively dark. And the system definitely could not ‘overflow’ into the living quarters of those inside the Palace.

Philips settled on its LEDline2 product and installed 45 modules with warm white Luxeon LEDs along the upper and lower levels of the façade. Not only does the LEDline 2’s slim profile blend smoothly into the surroundings, but it also projects precisely controlled washes of light just where they are needed. Equally important is the fact that LEDs are extremely energy efficient and have a standard lifetime of 50,000 hours; approximately 25 years. And because they require very little maintenance, they can be installed and left to run without frequent visits from service engineers. This is in complete contrast to traditional lighting technologies, which usually have to be replaced every four to five years, and whose operating costs are enormous when compared to those of the new LED technology.

All in all, it provides a solution that was simple to install and operate, whose design met all the needs of the palace, and whose energy savings truly make sense in today’s environmentally conscious world.

There has been other interesting Philips-related news in the past fortnight. Royal Philips Electronics NV reached an agreement to acquire Partners in Lighting (PLI), the leading European manufacturer of home luminaires. Following that, it said it has no plans to restructure Partners in Lighting.

Plus, EU regulators gave Royal Philips Electronics NV the go-ahead for its billion Euro (US$1.26bn) purchase of major supplier, US-based magnet maker Intermagnetics General Corp., to augment its medical equipment unit.

An affiliate of Highlink Technology, part of the United Microelectronics group, UPEC Electronics signed a contract with Royal Philips Electronics to supply LED modules for TV backlighting.

Finally, Philips Lighting has been recognized by the EPA as the first company in the US to launch a company-wide effort towards meeting the EPA's National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) waste minimization standards. As a new partner in the national program, Philips Lighting has committed to reducing the amount of mercury used in the manufacturing of their fluorescent lamps by 780 pounds by the end of 2007.

Web: http://www.newscenter.philips.com