The new iW3606 and iW3608 single-stage, solid state lighting (SSL) LED drivers from iWatt feature a wide, flicker-free dimming range from 100% all the way down to 1% of measured light, to closely match the dimming performance of incandescent bulbs. This enables the smooth, “natural” dimming, with no light drop-out at the low end of the dimming range and virtually no dead travel where the light turns off before the dimmer control reaches the bottom of its travel. The very low internal power consumption of the iW3606 and iW3608 allows them to start at a very low dimming level of <5% of light output. This virtually eliminates pop-on, a phenomenon where the light does not turn on at low dimmer levels and as the dimmer level is raised, the light suddenly turns on. This also helps eliminate popcorning effects, in which various bulbs in multiple-light installations on the same dimmer circuit can turn on at different dimmer setting thresholds.

 

The lifetime of many of the components in an LED driver circuit, especially electrolytic capacitors, degrades as temperatures increase, potentially reducing overall bulb lifetime to less than 2,000 hours, well under the 30,000 to 50,000 hours expected for SSL bulbs. The new drivers’ on-chip over-temperature protection monitors the temperature inside the sealed SSL bulb and when thermal conditions reach a point set by the system designer, the LED drivers automatically reduce the current drive to the LEDs, lowering the power dissipation and resulting in cooler overall operation, helping to ensure a predictable and safer bulb operating life.

 

The configurable dimming curves of both parts are compliant with the NEMA SSL 6 ming standard. Both devices also use the manufacturer’s patented digital dimming technology with its embedded intelligence that detects dimmer characteristics to provide wide dimmer compatibility, including leading edge (TRIAC), trailing edge and non-traditional R, R-C and R-L types, with automatic dimmer detection.