Melexis shares programmable LED control across 16 RGB pixels
Illustrative image: Manuel Pappacena on Unsplash
Melexis has introduced the MLX81132, a programmable automotive lighting driver that can control up to 48 individual LEDs or 16 RGB pixels from one IC. Samples are available now, with the device intended for animated lighting distributed across dashboards, doors and other cabin surfaces. [1]
Its 24 channels supply a controlled current to the LEDs, with two-way multiplexing extending the number of light sources each IC can address. Processing is shared across those pixels through an integrated 16-bit MCU, which has 64 KB of flash and 8 KB of RAM for lighting functions and colour calculations. That architecture reduces the amount of driver intelligence repeated at each RGB pixel. [1][2]
The driver operates from 5 V and provides configurable LED currents up to 80 mA, with 16-bit PWM controlling colour and intensity. Individual channels can be diagnosed for open circuits, shorts and temperature conditions, while calibration information can be held locally and used for temperature compensation. Those functions address the differences between LEDs as well as the visual effects being requested by the vehicle. [2]
MeLiBu 2.0 provides the communications link, using a physical layer compatible with CAN FD and adjustable data rates up to 4 Mbit/s. The product supports gateway and bus extension operation, together with automatic addressing for production configuration. Melexis packages the device in a QFN with 40 connections, measuring 5 × 5 mm and using wettable flanks. [2] MeLiBu was developed to carry coordinated lighting commands across distributed nodes without requiring a complete redesign of the body controller each time the lighting arrangement changes. Its differential bus can connect separate segments around a vehicle, while local driver control handles the individual LEDs. Melexis positions the combination between slower lighting networks and the cost of distributing more elaborate control electronics throughout the cabin. [3]
MLX81132 is specified as an ASIL B safety element out of context, with the product information also listing AEC-Q100 qualification. Its role in a finished safety function still depends on the surrounding system and the assumptions attached to that integration. [2]
The company describes MLX81132 as the first member of a new generation of MeLiBu drivers, with further devices for exterior lighting and applications that do not require user programming planned to follow. [1]
