In this article I have explained a simple 1 amp constant current LED driver circuit using the IC MBI6651 from MACROBLOCK. The IC has been specifically designed for operating high power LEDs safely by providing a constant current output. The circuit includes very few external components and therefore becomes very easy to assemble at home.
About the IC MBI6651
The IC MBI6651 is a high efficiency, step down DC to DC converter chip capable of driving high power LEDs at a safe 1 Amp constant current.
The IC requires just four passive external components for making it functional.
The output current of the IC can be externally set by selecting the appropriate resistor value.
The IC also features a PWM controlled dimming control of the connected LEDs.
Some of the other outstanding features of this IC includes UVLO meaning under voltage lockout, over temperature shut down, LED open circuit protection and LED short circuit protection, all these ensure complete safety to the IC from wrongly configured output loads.
Typical Application Areas of this device are:
Automotive decoration and illumination
LED flood lights using high intensity, high power LED.
The IC also can be used as a constant current source in particular circuit applications.
Setting the output Current
The output current of the IC is fixed through an external resistor Rsen. The output current Iout and the adjustment resistor Rsen has the following relation:
Given Vsen=0.1V
Rsen=(Vsen/Iout)=(0.1V/Iout)
Where Rsen is the value of the external resistor. This resistor is connected across the pin outs SEN and Vsen of the IC.
The optimum current with Rsen 0.1 Ohms is 1000 mA or 1 Amp.
Optimizing External Component Selection
Inductor: Two issues specify the inductor type, the switching frequency and the ripple current. The involved calculation can be written as:
L1>{Vin - Vout - Vsen - (Rds(on) * Iout)} * D/fsw * delta.IL
where, Rds(on) is the on-resistance of the IC's internal MOSFET. The value is typically around 0.45 at 12V
D is the duty cycle of the IC, given as D = Vout/Vin
fsw is the switching frequency of the IC
While designing the inductor for the given circuit, along with the inductance the saturation current must also be taken into account,because these are two basic factors which typically affects the overall performance of the circuit.
The rule of thumb, the saturation current of the inductor should be selected 1.5 times greater than the LED current.
Moreover, selecting high values for the inductance provides better line and load regulation.
Selecting the Schottky diode
The diode D1 shown in the circuit diagram basically acts as the flywheel diode for nullifying the inductor back emf during the periods when the LED is switched OFF.
The diode must be selected with the following couple of important characteristics:
It should have a low forward voltage rating and maximum possible reverse voltage tolerance.
Selecting the capacitor
The general rule is always to select a capacitor value with a voltage tolerance 1.5 times higher than the supply voltage.
Preferably, a tantalum capacitor should be selected because these have high capacitance and low ESR characteristics.
The proposed circuit of 1 Amp constant current LED driver circuit is given below:
The basic operating parameters are given below:
Pin Out Specs:
Courtesy: https://www.homemade-circuits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mbi6651.pdf
