NOTE: For detailed information on purchasing options, contact your
local Allegro field applications engineer or sales representative.
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. reserves the right to make, from time to time, revisions to the anticipated product life cycle plan
for a product to accommodate changes in production capabilities, alternative product availabilities, or market demand. The
information included herein is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. assumes no respon-
sibility for its use; nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use.
Recommended Substitutions:
For existing customer transition, and for new customers or new appli-
cations, refer to your Allegro sales representative.
White LED Driver Constant Current Step-up Converter
A8431
Date of status change: May 3, 2010
These parts are no longer in production The device should not be
purchased for new design applications. Samples are no longer available.
Discontinued Product
Description
The A8431 is a noninverting boost DC-DC converter that
provides a programmable constant-current output up to 32 V
for driving white LEDs in series.The A8431 also offers an
OVP (overvoltage protection) pin. Driving the LEDs in series
ensures identical currents and uniform brightness. Up to four
white LEDs can be driven at 20 mA from a single cell Li-ion
or a multicell NiMH power source. Up to two parallel strings
of eight white LEDs can be driven at 20 mA by increasing the
supply voltage up to 10 V.
The A8431 incorporates a power switch and a feedback
sense amplifier to provide a solution with minimum external
components. The output current can be set by adjusting a single
external sense resistor and can be varied with a voltage or a
filtered PWM signal when dimming control is required. The
high switching frequency of 1.2 MHz allows the use of small
inductor and capacitor values.
The A8431 is provided in a 0.75 mm nominal height, 6-pin,
2 mm × 3 mm MLP package. It is lead (Pb) free, with 100%
matte tin leadframe plating.
Applications include:
▪ LED backlights
▪ Portable battery-powered equipment
▪ Cellular phones
▪ PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant)
▪ Camcorders, personal stereos, MP3 players, cameras
▪ Mobile GPS systems
26185.301
Features and Benefits
▪ Output voltage up to 32 V (OVP level)
▪ 2.5 to 10 V input
▪ Drives up to 4 LEDs at 20 mA from a 2.5 V supply
▪ Drives up to 5 LEDs at 20 mA from a 3 V supply
▪ 1.2 MHz switching frequency
▪ 300 mA switch current limit
▪ 1 μA shutdown current
▪ OVP pin eliminates the need for an external Zener diode
on the output
White LED Driver Constant Current Step-up Converter
Package: 6-pin MLP/DFN (suffix EH)
Functional Block Diagram
Approximate scale
A8431
VIN
FB
OVP
SW
VREF
1.25 V
OVP
GND
DriverA2 R
S
Q
Ramp
Generator
1.2 MHz
Oscillator
RC
CC
A1
95 mV
Enable
EN
Σ
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
2
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
RθJA = 50 °C/W, measured with 4-layer PCB. Please refer to application note “Package
Thermal Characteristics,“ for thermal performance measurement for 2 x 3 mm MLP
package for additional information.
6
5
1
2
3 4
SW
GND
FB
VIN
OVP
EN
Pin-out Diagram
Selection Guide
Part Number Packing*
A8431EEHTR-T 1500 pieces per 7-in. reel
*Contact Allegro for additional packing options
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Characteristic Symbol Notes Rating Units
SW Pin Voltage VSW –0.3 to 36 V
OVP Pin Voltage VOVP –0.3 to 36 V
Remaining Pin Voltage –0.3 to 10 V
Operating Ambient Temperature TARange E –40 to 85 ºC
Maximum Junction Temperature TJ(max) 150 ºC
Storage Temperature Tstg –55 to 150 ºC
Pin Name Function
1 SW Internal power FET
2 GND Ground
3 FB Feedback input
4 EN Enable input
5 OVP Overvoltage protection
6 VIN Input supply
Terminal List Table
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
3
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Characteristics Symbol Test Conditions Min. Typ. Max. Units
Input Voltage Range VIN 2.5 – 10 V
Supply Current ISUP
Active – 2.5 3.5 mA
Shutdown (EN = 0 V) – 0.1 1 A
Feedback Reference Voltage VFB 86 95 104 mV
Feedback Input Current IFB –2075nA
Switch Current Limit ISWLIM – 300 – mA
Switch Frequency FSW 0.8 1.2 1.6 MHz
Switch Maximum Duty Cycle D 85 90 – %
Switch Saturation Voltage VCE(SAT) – 350 – mV
Switch Leakage Current ISL VSW = 5 V – – 5 A
Enable Input
Input Threshold Low VIL – – 0.4 V
Input Threshold High VIH 1.5 – – V
Input Leakage Leakage IIL ––1A
Overvoltage Protection
Output Overvoltage Rising Limit VOVPR 28 32 35 V
Output Overvoltage Falling Limit VOVPF 27.5 31.5 34.5 V
Output Overvoltage Hysteresis VOVPHYS – 0.5 – V
OVP Pin Resistance ROVP – 1.0 – M
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS at TA = 25°C, VIN = 3 V (unless otherwise noted)
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
4
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Operating Characteristics
Using Typical Application Circuit (Schematic 1)
Quiescent Current versus Input Voltage
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
0246810
V
IN
(V)
Quiescent Current (mA)
Feedback Bias Current versus Temperature
0
5
10
15
20
Temperature (°C)
Feedback Bias Current (nA)
Switch Pin Voltage versus Temperature
0
100
50
150
200
250
300
Temperature (°C)
VCE(SAT) (mV)
Quiescent Current versus Temperature
1.90
1.95
2.00
2.05
2.10
2.15
–50 0 50 100 150
Temperature (°C)
Quiescent Current (mA)
Switching Frequency versus Temperature
1.00
1.05
1.10
1.15
1.20
1.25
Temperature (°C)
Switching Frequency (MHz)
–50 0 50 100 150
–50 0 50 100 150
–50 0 50 100 150
Conversion Efficiency versus Input Voltage
70
65
75
80
85
90
95
2345678910
V
IN
(V)
Conversion Efficiency (%)
3 LEDs
4 LEDs
5 LEDs
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
5
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Functional Description
Schematic 1. Typical application
A8431
1
23
5
6
4
VIN SW
OVP
EN GND FB
Li-ion
2.5V to
4.2V
C1
1.0 F
L1
22 HD1
C2
0.22 F
R1
6.3Ω
Enable
Typical Application
A typical application circuit for the A8431 is provided in
schematic diagram 1. This illustrates a method of driving
three white LEDs in series. The conversion efficiency of this
configuration is shown in chart 1.
Pin Functions
The diagram also shows a method of connecting the individ-
ual pins, whos functions are described as follows:
VIN. Supply to the control circuit. A bypass capacitor, C1, must
be connected from close to this pin to GND.
SW. Low-side switch connection between the inductor, L1,
and ground. Because rapid changes of current occur at this
pin, the traces on the PCB that are connected to this pin should
be minimized. In addition, L1 and the diode D1 should be
connected as close to this pin as possible.
OVP. Overvoltage Protection sense pin to protect the A8431
from excessive voltage on the SW pin. This pin should be
connected to the output capacitor, C2. To disable this feature
connect the pin to ground.
EN. Setting lower than 0.4 V disables the A8431 and puts the
control circuit into the low-power Sleep mode. Greater than
1.5 V fully enables the A8431.
GND. Ground reference connected directly to the ground plane.
The sense resistor, R1, should have a separate connection directly
to this point.
FB. Feedback pin for LED current control. The reference voltage
is 95 mV. The top of R1 is typically connected here.
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
0 5 10 15 20
LED Current (mA)
Efficiency (%)
V
IN
= 3 V
V
IN
= 4 V
Conversion Efficiency versus Current
Chart 1. Conversion efficiency when driving three LEDs
in the typical application circuit.
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
6
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Device Operation
The A8431 uses a constant-frequency, current-mode control
scheme to regulate the current through the load. The load
current produces a voltage across the external sense resistor
(R1 in schematic 1) and the input at the FB pin. This voltage
is then compared to the internal 95 mV reference to produce
an error signal. The switch current is sensed by the internal
sense resistor and compared to the load current error signal.
As the load current increases, the error signal diminishes,
reducing the maximum switch current and thus the current
delivered to the load. As the load current decreases, the
error signal rises, increasing the maximum switch current
and thus increasing the current delivered to the load.
To set the load current, ensure that the required internal
reference value of 95 mV is produced at the desired load. To
do so, select a resistance value for the sense resistor, R1 (Ω),
such that:
R1 = 95 mV ⁄ ILOAD
where ILOAD is the target load current (mA).
The table below shows typical values for R1. Note that the
resistance value is from the standard E96 series.
As load current is reduced, the energy required in the
inductor, L1, diminishes, resulting in the inductor current
dropping to 0 A for low load-current levels. This is known
as Discontinuous mode operation, and results in some low-
frequency ripple. The average load current, however, remains
regulated down to 0 A.
In Discontinuous mode, when the inductor current drops to
0 A, the voltage at the SW pin rings, due to the capacitance
in the resonant LC circuit formed by the inductor and the
capacitance of the switch and the diode. This ringing is
low-frequency and is not harmful. It can be damped with a
resistor across the inductor, but this reduces efficiency and is
not recommended.
Overvoltage Protection
An overvoltage event can occur when the LEDs become
disconnected or fail in an open state. In these cases, the
current flow through the sense resistor, R1, becomes 0 A and
thus the feedback voltage, VFB becomes 0 V. The A8431
compensates by increasing the on time of the switch, which
increases the output voltage.
The A8431 has built-in protection to guard against excessive
voltage on the SW pin. If the output voltage exceeds the
typical level of the Output Overvoltage Rising Limit, VOVPR
,
then the overvoltage protection circuitry shuts off the internal
switch until the output voltage falls below the Output
Overvoltage Falling Limit, VOVPF . At this point, the A8431
operates normally. There is no need for an external Zener
diode for the A8431.
Target Load Current
(ILOAD)
(mA)
Sense Resistor (R1)
()
5 19.1
10 9.53
12 7.87
15 6.34
20 4.75
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
510152025
IOUT (mA)
PD (mW)
Vin = 3V, 3 LED Vin = 5V, 3 LED Vin = 3V, 4 LED Vin = 5V, 4 LED
Power Dissipation versus I
OUT
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
7
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Component Selection
The component values shown in schematic 1 are sufficient
for most applications. To reduce the output ripple, L1 may be
increased, but in most cases this results in excessive board
area and cost.
Inductor Selection. With an internal PWM frequency of
1.2 MHz, the optimal L1 value for most cases is 22 μH.
For worst case conditions (high output voltage and current
and low input voltage), the inductor should be rated at the
switch current limit, ISWLIM. If high temperature operation
is required, a derating factor will have to be considered. In
some cases, where lower inductor currents are expected,
the current rating can be decreased. Several inductor
manufacturers, including: Coilcraft, Murata, Panasonic,
Sumida, Taiyo Yuden, and TDK, have and are developing
suitable small-size inductors.
Diode Selection. The diode should have a low forward
voltage to reduce conduction losses. In addition, it should
have a low capacitance to reduce switching losses. Schottky
diodes can provide both these features, if carefully
selected. The forward voltage drop is a natural advantage
for Schottky diodes, and it reduces as the current rating
increases. However, as the current rating increases, the
diode capacitance also increases. As a result, the optimal
selection is usually the lowest current rating above the circuit
maximum. In this application, a current rating in the range
from 100 mA to 200 mA is usually sufficient.
Capacitor Selection. Because the capacitor values are low,
ceramic capacitors are the best choice for this application.
To reduce performance variation as temperature changes,
low- drift capacitor types, such as X7R and X5R, should
be used. A 1.0 μF capacitor on the VIN pin is suitable for
most applications. In cases where large inductor currents
are switched, a larger capacitor may be needed. The
output capacitor, C2, can be as small as 0.22 μF for most
applications and most input/output voltage ranges. Increasing
the capacitor value on the output aids in increasing the
efficiency of low input voltage/high output voltage
Application Information
Schematic 2. Dimming control with dc voltage
A8431
VIN SW
EN GND FB
Li-ion
2.5 V to
4.2 V
C1
1.0 µF
L1
22 µH D1
C2
0.22 µF
R1
VC
R3
90 kΩ
R2
5 kΩ
Enable
6.3 Ω
1
23
5
6
4
OVP
conditions. Suitable capacitors are available from TDK,
Taiyo Yuden, Murata, Kemet, and AVX.
Dimming Control
LED brightness can be controlled either: (a) by modify-
ing the voltage at the top of R1 to control the LED current,
ILOAD , directly, or (b) by using a PWM signal on the EN pin
to chop the output.
Feedback Modulation. By adding a voltage drop between
the FB pin and R1, as shown in schematic 2, the LED
current, ILOAD , can be made to decrease. As VC (control
voltage) increases, the voltage drop across R2 also increases.
This causes the voltage at FB to increase, and the A8431
reduces ILOAD to compensate. As VC increases further, the
current drops to 0 A, and R2 maintains the full 95 mV on FB.
Reducing VC diminishes the voltage across R2 until, when
VC is at 95 mV, there is no drop across R2 and the current
level is defined by R1. Reducing VC below 95 mV causes
ILOAD to increase further, due to the voltage drop across R2
in the reverse direction. This continues until, when VC is at
0 V, there is approximately 5 mV across R2. At that point,
ILOAD (mA), is defined as:
ILOAD = 100 mV ⁄ R1
where R1 is the resistance of the sense resistor (Ω).
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
8
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Schematic 3. Dimming control with filtered PWM
A843
VIN SW
EN GND FB
Li-ion
2.5 V to
4.2 V
C1
1.0 µF
L1
22 µH D1
C2
0.22 µF
R1
6.3 Ω
VC(PMW)
R3
90 kΩ
R2
5 kΩ
Enable
R4
10 kΩ
C3
100 nF
1
1
23
5
6
4
OVP
Schematic 4. Soft start operation
A843
VIN SW
EN GND FB
Li-ion
2.5V to
4.2V
C1
1.0 µF
L1
22 µH D1
C2
0.22 µF
R1
R3
5 kΩ
R2
1 kΩ
Enable
C3
2.2 nF
6.3 Ω
1
1
23
5
6
4
OVP
PWM Control. The control voltage, VC , also can be
generated by a filtered PWM signal, as shown in schematic
3. In this case, a 0% duty cycle (PWM = 0 V) corresponds
to full brightness and a 100% duty cycle causes the LED
current, ILOAD , to go to 0 A.
By applying a PWM signal directly to the EN pin, the A8431
is turned on or off, and ILOAD is either full (as defined by
R1) or 0 A. By varying the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the
LED brightness can be controlled from off (0% duty cycle)
to full (100% duty cycle). The PWM frequency should be in
the range from 1 kHz to 10 kHz.
Several other schemes are possible, for example, digitally
switching additional resistors across R1 to increase ILOAD .
In this case, R1 would be selected for the minimum desired
brightness.
Start-Up
To provide fast start-up operation, no soft start is
implemented in the control circuit. At power-on, the bypass
capacitor, C1, is discharged, which means that the supply
must provide the in-rush current through the inductor, L1.
This can be reduced by modulating the feedback with a soft-start
circuit as shown in schematic 4. When power is first applied, the
capacitor C3 is discharged and pulls the FB pin high, reducing
the output drive to minimum. As C3 charges, when the bottom
drops below about 0.8 V, the feedback from the sense resistor,
R1, takes over full control of the output current.
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
9
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Parallel LED Strings
The A8431 can be used to power parallel strings of LEDs,
which have the same number of LEDs on each string. It is
important that the voltage drop is the same across all of the
parallel strings, to ensure that all of the LEDs are illuminated
and that the current though each string is equal.
A typical circuit with two parallel strings is shown in
schematic 5. The coversion efficiency of this configuration is
shown in chart 2.
A843
VIN SW
EN GND FB
Li-ion
2.5 V to
4.2 V
C1
1.0 µF
L1
22 µH D1
C2
0.22 µF
R2
6.3 Ω6.3 Ω
R1
Enable
1
1
23
5
6
4
OVP
Conversion Efficiency for Two Parallel Strings
95
65
70
75
80
85
90
2436589710
Input Voltage (V)
Efficiency (%)
Two 3-LED strings
Two 4-LED strings
Two 7-LED strings
Chart 2. Conversion efficiency when driving two parallel strings
of varying lengths
Schematic 5. Parallel strings of LEDs
White LED Driver Constant Current
Step-up Converter
A8431
10
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
115 Northeast Cutoff, Box 15036
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 (508) 853-5000
www.allegromicro.com
Package EH, 6-pin MLP/DFN
1.15
6
6
2
1
21
A
ATerminal #1 mark area
BExposed thermal pad (reference only, terminal #1
identifier appearance at supplier discretion)
All dimensions nominal, not for tooling use
(similar to JEDEC MO-229WCED-1)
Dimensions in millimeters
Exact case and lead configuration at supplier discretion within limits shown
CReference land pattern layout (based on IPC7351)
All pads a minimum of 0.20 mm from all adjacent pads; adjust as
necessary to meet application process requirements and PCB layout
tolerances; when mounting on a multilayer PCB, thermal vias at the
exposed thermal pad land can improve thermal dissipation (reference
EIA/JEDEC Standard JESD51-5)
B
PCB Layout Reference View
1.15
1.15
0.30
1
60.50
1.10
3.00
C
1.15
2.00
3.00
0.75
0.25 0.50
0.55
Copyright ©2003, 2007, Allegro MicroSystems, Inc.
The products described here are manufactured under one or more U.S. patents or U.S. patents pending.
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. reserves the right to make, from time to time, such de par tures from the detail spec i fi ca tions as may be required to per-
mit improvements in the per for mance, reliability, or manufacturability of its products. Before placing an order, the user is cautioned to verify that the
information being relied upon is current.
Allegro’s products are not to be used in life support devices or systems, if a failure of an Allegro product can reasonably be expected to cause the
failure of that life support device or system, or to affect the safety or effectiveness of that device or system.
The in for ma tion in clud ed herein is believed to be ac cu rate and reliable. How ev er, Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. assumes no re spon si bil i ty for its use;
nor for any in fringe ment of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use.
For the latest version of this document, visit our website:
www.allegromicro.com
