IR's New Protected 600V Lighting IC with PFC Extends Flexibility and Programmability of Advanced Ballast Designs.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- International Rectifier, IR[R] (NYSE:IRF), a world leader in power management technology, today introduced a 600V fully-integrated and protected ballast control IC for advanced linear fluorescent lamp ballasts which incorporate active power factor correction (PFC).

"Today's advanced linear fluorescent ballasts rely on PFC to comply with government regulations. Our new highly-integrated and fully-protected IRS2166D ballast control IC offers designers much of what they need in a small footprint simplifying their design tasks while delivering a high degree of programmability," said Stephane Ernoux, product marketing manager for IR's lighting products.

The new IRS2166D integrates PFC, ballast control and half-bridge driver in a compact monolithic IC. Its PFC circuitry operates in critical conduction mode for a high power factor (PF) of 0.99, low total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than 10 percent, and also precise DC bus regulation within a tolerance of 2.5 percent. Many of the protection features are programmable including those for half-bridge over-current, dead-time and preheat-time, preheat and run frequencies, and lamp end-of-life. Other features include protection from failure of the lamp to strike, filament failures, and DC bus under-voltage reset. Available in 16-lead DIP and SO lead-free packages, the devices provide 50% duty cycle, integrated bootstrap circuitry, a 15.6V Zener diode clamp on Vcc, and typical micro-power startup current of 250 micro amps.

IR's new ballast control IC utilizes IR's advanced high-voltage IC process which incorporates next-generation high-voltage level-shifting and termination technology to deliver superior electrical over-stress protection and higher field reliability.

Data sheets for the devices are available on the Web at http://www.irf.com/whats-new/nr061108.html. The IRPLLNR7 reference design demonstrating the features of the IRS2166D is also available.

Availability and Pricing

All in 10,000 unit quantities, pricing begins at US $1.19 each for the IRS2166DPbF, $1.19 each for the IRS2166DSPbF, and $1.22 each for the IRS2166DSTRPbF. Production orders are available immediately. The devices are RoHS compliant. Prices are subject to change.

About International Rectifier

International Rectifier (NYSE:IRF) is a world leader in power management technology. IR's analog and mixed signal ICs, advanced circuit devices, integrated power systems and components enable high performance computing and reduce energy waste from motors, the world's single largest consumer of electricity. Leading manufacturers of computers, energy efficient appliances, lighting, automobiles, satellites, aircraft and defense systems rely on IR's power management benchmarks to power their next generation products. For more information, go to www.irf.com.

Trademark Notice

IR[R] is a registered trademark of International Rectifier Corporation. All other product names noted herein may be trademarks of their respective holders.