Austriamicrosystems has announced the AS1130, a dot-matrix LED driver (channels vs. PCB space). The AS1130 drives 132 LEDs and requires 5 mm² PCB space. Using a 12x11 cross-plexed technique, austriamicrosystems’ AS1130 LED driver is targeted for dot-matrix displays in mobile phones, toys, small LED displays in personal electronics, but also non-battery powered household goods, indoor public information displays, and industrial applications such as power meters.

The AS1130 drives 132 LEDs, each with an 8-bit dimming control and no external resistor required. Additionally, an 8-bit analog current control allows fine tuning of each current source to compensate for different brightness of different colors, or to adjust the white balance on RGB LEDs. The AS1130 incorporates 36 frames of memory for small animations or for use as a buffer. The AS1130 can also extend battery life by controlling an external power supply which is required when LEDs need a higher voltage than the battery can supply, allowing continuous operation even under low battery voltage conditions.

The AS1130 is also available in a gull winged SSOP-28 package. Only 12 lines are required to drive all 132 LEDs. This is accomplished with austriamicrosystems’ multiplexing technique called cross-plexing. It reduces line count on the PCB as well as pins on the connectors, saving space & costs. The AS1130 operates over a temperature range of -40 to +85°C and a wide 2.7 to 5.5 V power supply range.