DC/DC controller touts 6-100V input voltage

Linear Technology Corp. has unveiled a 100V high-side current sense DC/DC controller designed to regulate a constant-current or constant-voltage. The LT3796 is ideal for driving high brightness (HB) LEDs and its 6-100V input voltage range supports applications such as automotive, industrial and architectural lighting, noted the company.

The LT3796 uses an external N-channel MOSFET and can drive up to 85V of white LEDs from a nominal 12V input, delivering in excess of 50W. The LT3796 is engineered for charging batteries or supercaps at constant current and voltage. It incorporates a high-side current sense, enabling its use in boost, buck, buck-boost or SEPIC and flyback topologies. Additionally, it offers both input and output current limiting and monitoring for added reliability and design flexibility.

The LT3796 can deliver efficiencies of more than 94 percent in boost mode, minimizing the need for external heat sinking. A frequency adjust pin enables the user to program the frequency between 100kHz and 1MHz, optimizing efficiency while minimizing external component size and cost, added Linear Tech. Combined with a thermally enhanced TSSOP-28 package, the LT3796 offers a highly compact HB LED driver or charger solution.

The LT3796 uses True Color PWM dimming that delivers constant LED color with dimming ranges of up to 3,000:1. For less demanding dimming requirements, the CTRL pin can be used to offer a 10:1 analog dimming range. Its fixed frequency, current-mode architecture ensures stable operation over a range of supply and output voltages.

Robust open and short-circuit protection maximize overall system reliability, whereas C/10 detection optimizes both battery and supercap charging designs. Additional features include frequency synchronization, programmable UVLO and a programmable fault restart timer.

The LT3796EFE is available in a thermally enhanced TSSOP-28 package. Pricing starts at $3.45 each. An extended temperature version, or I-grade, the LT3796IFE, is also available, priced starting at $3.86 each. Finally, a high temperature, or H-grade option, is available, the LT3796HFE with pricing starting at $4.11 each. All prices are in 1,000-piece quantities and all versions are available from stock.