Maxim to demo real-time power efficiency inside LED ballast with Teridian energy-measurement SoC

SUNNYVALE, USA: Next week at LIGHTFAIR International in Philadelphia, Teridian Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Maxim Integrated Products, will demonstrate both AC- and DC-power measurement suitable for high-power LED-lighting ballasts. Using the Teridian/Maxim 78M6613 energy-measurement system-on-chip (SoC), the demo, located at Maxim's booth #3351, will validate the interoperability of various components to create a ballast capable of measuring its own power efficiency.

Targeted for applications such as warehouse, architectural, garage, parking lot, street, and highway lighting, the demo will feature a lighting ballast that has both Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) and Zigbee controls. Using the 78M6613 enables high-measurement accuracy (+/- 3 percent) without needing to calibrate the ballast. It also provides a simple, configurable interface that remains independent of regression testing done on the communications firmware to resolve network interoperability and user application issues.

"Monitoring and verification is essential feedback for any energy-management system, but energy measurement is not a core competency for most lighting manufacturers," said Jay Cormier, Maxim Integrated Products Director, Teridian/Maxim Business Management, Energy Measurement & Communications. "As our demonstration will show, a remotely controlled LED-lighting ballast can be easily upgraded to include real-time energy-efficiency measurement without increasing the number of electronic components or incurring the manufacturing costs of calibration."

Inside the lighting ballast of the luminaire, the 78M6613 replaces a microcontroller unit that receives DALI commands and controls dimming, and adds functionality for accurate power-consumption management. The device also provides digital information to assist with diagnostics.

The 78M6613 is the industry's first SoC energy-measurement solution for AC and DC power that enables the capture and reporting of real-time energy data. This provides the ability to quantify where energy is needed, used and stranded. With an embedded analog front-end and compute engine, small footprint and embedded firmware, the 78M6613 features best-in-class accuracy of +/- 0.5 percent over a 2000:1 dynamic range.

The SoC also provides powerful tools for self-calibration to help facilitate rapid design time and optimal manufacturing costs. It includes the full range of AC-power diagnostics—including power, power factor, voltage current, voltage sag and dip—and eliminates the need for external components.