Sliding Mode Pulsed Current Averaging IC Drivers for High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes

78753 The primary barrier to the increased market penetration of Solid State Lighting (SSL) in general illumination is its high cost per lumen. Conventional LED drive circuitry is costly and relies on linear controllers that are not optimized for High Brightness LEDs (HB-LEDs). This project will develop new Light Emitting Diode (LED) driver ICs associated with specific (uniquely operated) switching power supplies that optimize performance for HB-LEDs. Nonlinear sliding mode controllers will be developed that can operate on a simplified digital core IC driver that drives the HB-LEDs. The approach will include high performance features, such as power factor correction, yet the algorithms will be able to operate on the digital core without additional A/D or D/A converters or any other external control circuitry. Phase I will involve: (1) an analytic design of the IC Driver; (2) an analytical design of the nonlinear sliding mode controllers; and (3) simulations to verify the effectiveness of the IC Driver/Controller. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The newdrivers should provide improved SSL performance at substantially reduced costs compared to present LED power electronic driver circuits. This should have immediate impact in markets such as automobile brake lights, commercial lighting replacements, as well as the general illumination ¿white¿ LED market.