LED drive IC into a cost-effective innovation phase

With the gradual recovery of the LED industry in 2013, LED lighting in commercial areas, outdoor lighting and other fields are showing a momentum of development. On the further application of LED lighting in driving IC, light source, lighting design, packaging etc. the main link, many industry manufacturers will be more energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions, the first place better placed on the development of technology.

In mid 2013, recalling the first half of the LED lighting market, whether it is LED or straight tube type lamp and other products, the prices are at a rate of about 20% in rapid decline, especially in the field of commercial lighting, LED lamps, the price has been the first to achieve the "sweet spot", which also stimulated the LED lighting penetration efforts in commercial lighting market this year. In the face of a new round of growth opportunities in the market, it is urgent for LED lighting solutions to further improve the overall efficiency of the light, while enhancing cost-effectiveness, in order to adapt to the wider application of LED lighting in a wide range of applications.

Especially in the core of LED lighting power supply - driven IC, while the average price of LED lamps continued to decline in recent years, but the cost of the drive down the space is not large, this situation is expected to change in the near future. According to IMS Research, to 2013, driven IC still occupy 40% of the manufacturing cost of LED lighting, but with the decrease of the whole lamp price and the components of the technology upgrade, LED is expected to drive the cost ratio in 2015 will decline 36%.

Smith pointed out that the drive to reduce the cost of IC is improved by this requires manufacturers to represent the general trend, manufacturing process, driving scheme innovation, and keep up with the latest development trend of lighting power supply design, to develop cost-effective drive to keep the cost curve. For example, at present a more obvious trend of the market is: different types of LED lamps including candle lamp, A19 lamp, GU10 lamp, PAR30/38, began to use more and more non isolated power supply topology (especially in small and medium power lighting applications). Compared with the design of isolated power supply, non isolated topology design and circuit board configuration, simple circuit board size is small, the efficiency is higher, so the manufacturing cost (Cost), space (Space) and performance (Efficiency) has an obvious advantage, the development trend of this product in Europe and other major LED lighting applications market has been widely recognized.

Under this trend, Smith believes that as the market in cost, size and energy efficiency has put forward higher requirements on the drive power LED lighting, LED IC will also be driven towards a higher degree of integration direction, function in component / internal integration more (such as dimming / non dimming, etc.) as the design may simplify manufacturers brought in the periphery during development (such as heat) and ultimately help improve the wiring cost, drive power price.