High-brightness LEDs (HBLEDs) are making inroads into more traditional lighting applications that include a dc distribution system

(for example, !-" #$-%& track lights) . HBLEDs are more efficient, and they have a potentially longer lifespan than do halogen or xenon lamps. Because hysteretic controllers are inexpensive, simplify lighting designs, and require no compensation networks, they re well!suited for driving HBLEDs. Hysteretic controllers usually have a pulsewidth! modulator "#$%& input that ena'les a pulse train of varying duty cycle to provide the dimming function. (ne pro'lem, however, in converting a traditional lighting system is that many dimmers provide a )! to )*!+ dc signal rather than a #$% signal. ,lso, to increase the HBLEDs operating lifetimes, a controller should provide temperature'ased current fold'ack. -onverting a dc voltage to a #$% signal is easy. .he #$% signal appears at the output of a comparator when you apply the dc voltage at one input and a triangle wave at the other. Headaches can arise, however, when trying to align the triangle wave with the control voltage. /ou need a linear relationship 'etween duty cycle and control voltage, with a *0 duty cycle at the minimum control voltage and a )**0 duty cycle at the maximum.

.he circuit in 1igure ) includes the hysteretic controller, 2) "%,3)456*&7 related power components7 and a control circuit 'ased on a quad op amp, 26 "L%3869&. 2) drives five HBLEDs from a 69!+ source, using only inductor L),

%(:1E. ;), and catch diode D). , sense resistor "<)& sets the current to *.= ,. 2) turns ;) on whenever the current! sense voltage drops 'elow )>* m+ and turns ;) off when that voltage exceeds 6)* m+. Hysteretic controllers have no clock and require no external compensation. 2) also provides a regulated = + to power the #$% conversion circuitry. 1igure 6 illustrates the currentsense waveform corresponding to a small ?(@A time in the #$% signal. .he difficulty in converting a control voltage to a #$% signal involves setting the triangle wave s peak and valley voltages to closely match the corresponding maximum and minimum values of the control voltage "+ -@.L&. .wo of 26 s op amps generate the triangle wave, which oscillates 'etween an upper voltage level set 'y the <B!<5 divider and a lower voltage level set 'y the divider formed 'y <B and <5 in parallel with <>. 26 s output is a =*0 duty cycle, rail!to! rail square wave. :etting 26'C equal to +--D6 causes 26' s output to integrate the square wave, producing a symmetrical and linear triangle wave. <)* and -9 set the operating frequency. ,chieving * + at the valley of the triangle wave is difficult, 'ecause 26' s output has a worst!case minimum of 4* m+. $e therefore chose a valley of 6=* m+ and a peak of 6 +. Because +-@.L ranges from * to )* +, <)6!<)8 divides +-@.L 'y =. .his limits the reduced control voltage, +<ED, to 6.* + and there'y matches the triangle wave s peak voltage. 26d creates the #$% pulse train 'y comparing the triangle wave to + <ED. .he triangle!wave valley is 6=* m+, so the #$% signal remains at *0 until +-@.L reaches ).6= +. .his action causes a small offset error that s most pronounced at low values of +-@.L, 'ut it also confers an advantage 'y guaranteeing an (11 position. 1igure 8 shows how the triangle wave converts the divided control voltage into a pulse!width!modulated waveform. (p!amp 26c provides the temperature!'ased current fold'ack. .he <9!<=!<4 divider delivers ).= + to 26c s noninverting input, which is almost a diode drop 'elow the triangle wave s peak "6 +&. .hermistor <6 "a resistor with negative temperature coefficient& is nominally )** kE at 6=F-, 'ut its value declines to 88 kE at =*F-. ,t that temperature the <6!<8 divider produces ).= +Ga 'alance point at which 26c s positive, negative, and output terminals are all at ).= +, and Hust a'out to pull +<ED lower, via D6. ,t B*F-, <6 drops to )=.= kE and the op!amp output drops to ).* +, pulling +<ED to a'out ).4 +. .his action achieves the desired current fold'ack 'y limiting the maximum duty cycle at B*F- to 5*0. , simple change of resistor values allows the circuit to accept different +-@.L ranges and to have different temperature! fold'ack characteristics.