Programmable light emitting diode (LED) driver technique based upon a prefix signal
View Patent ↗Provided is a light emitting diode (LED) driver. The LED driver includes a microcontroller for setting a level of an output current of the driver. The driver is configured to receive a prefix as an input, the prefix instructing the microcontroller to enter a programming mode. The microcontroller is responsive to a level signal representative of the level of the output current during the programming mode.
1. A light emitting diode (LED) driver, comprising:
a microcontroller for setting a level of an output current of the driver;
wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive, within a programming cycle, an instruction signal including (i) a non-analog prefix signal segment instructing the microcontroller to enter an output current programming mode and (ii) an analog programming signal segment in sequence after the prefix signal segment; and
wherein the analog programming signal segment is configured to set a level of the output current responsive to a magnitude of a voltage of the analog programming signal segment.
2. The LED driver of claim 1 , wherein the analog programming signal segment signal instructs the microcontroller to set the output current at the level.
3. The LED driver of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller receives the analog programming signal segment within a predetermined amount of time after receiving the prefix signal segment.
4. The LED driver of claim 3 , wherein the amount of time is programmable.
5. A method of programming a light emitting diode (LED) driver including a microcontroller configured to set a level of an output current of the driver, the method comprising:
receiving within a programming cycle, in the microcontroller, an instruction signal including (i) a non-analog prefix signal segment instructing the microcontroller to enter an output current programming mode and (ii) an analog programming signal segment in sequence after the prefix signal segment;
wherein the analog programming signal segment is configured to set a level of the output current responsive to a magnitude of the voltage of the analog programming signal segment.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the analog programming signal segment instructs the microcontroller to set the output current level.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the microcontroller receives the analog programming segment signal within a predetermined amount of time after the prefix signal segment.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the amount of time is programmable.
9. A tangible computer readable media storing instructions wherein said instructions when executed are configured to execute processes within a computer system, with a method comprising:
receiving within a programming cycle, in the microcontroller, an instruction signal including (i) a non-analog prefix signal segment instructing the microcontroller to enter an output current programming mode and (ii) an analog programming signal segment in sequence after the prefix signal segment;
wherein the analog programming signal segment is configured to set a level of the output current responsive to a magnitude of the analog programming signal segment.
10. The tangible computer readable media of claim 9 , wherein the analog programming signal segment instructs the microcontroller to set the output current level.
11. The tangible computer readable computer media of claim 10 , wherein the microcontroller receives the analog programming signal segment within a predetermined amount of time after the prefix signal segment.
12. The tangible computer readable media of claim 11 , wherein the amount of time is programmable.
13. The tangible computer readable media of claim 5 , wherein the analog programming signal segment is appended to the prefix signal segment.