DALLAS DS3984

Rev 0; 4/05
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
The DS3984 is a 4-channel controller for cold-cathode
fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) used to backlight liquid
crystal displays (LCDs) in TV and PC monitor applications. The DS3984 supports configurations of 1 to 4
lamps, and multiple DS3984 controllers can be cascaded to support applications requiring more than 4 lamps.
Applications
♦ High-Density CCFL Controller for LCD TV and PC
Monitor Backlights
♦ Can Be Easily Cascaded to Support More Than
4 Lamps
♦ Minimal External Components
♦ Analog Brightness Control
♦ Per-Channel Lamp Control Ensures Equal
Brightness Among Lamps and Maximizes Lamp
Life
LCD Televisions
LCD PC Monitors
Ordering Information
PART
Features
TEMP RANGE
PIN-PACKAGE
DS3984T
-40°C to +85°C
32 TQFP
DS3984T+
-40°C to +85°C
32 TQFP
DS3984Z
-40°C to +85°C
28 SO.300
DS3984Z+
-40°C to +85°C
28 SO.300
+Denotes lead-free package.
Pin Configurations
♦ Gate Driver Phasing Minimizes DC Supply Current
Surges
♦ Per-Channel Lamp Fault Monitoring for Lamp
Open, Lamp Overcurrent, Failure to Strike, and
Overvoltage Conditions
♦ Accurate (±5%) Independent On-Board Oscillators
for Lamp Frequency (40kHz to 80kHz) and DPWM
Burst Dimming Frequency (22.5Hz to 440Hz)
♦ Can Be Synchronized to External Sources for the
Lamp and DPWM Frequencies
♦ <10% to 100% Dimming Range
TOP VIEW
LOSC 1
28 LSYNC
A0 2
27 FAULT
PSYNC 3
26 SCL
POSC 4
25 SDA
♦ Programmable Soft-Start Minimizes Audible
Transformer Noise
♦ I2C-Compatible Serial Port and On-Board
Nonvolatile (NV) Memory Allow Device
Customization
23 LCM4
♦ 8-Byte NV User Memory for Storage of Serial
Numbers and Date Codes
GA1 7
22 GB4
♦ 4.5V to 5.5V Single-Supply Operation
GB1 8
21 GA4
♦ -40°C to +85°C Temperature Range
LCM1 9
20 OVD3
OVD1 10
19 LCM3
♦ 32-Lead TQFP (7mm x 7mm) Package or
28-Pin SO (300 mils) Package
BRIGHT 5
SVM 6
24 OVD4
DS3984
GA2 11
18 GB3
GB2 12
17 GA3
LCM2 13
16 VCC
OVD2 14
15 GND
28-SO-300
I2C is a trademark of Philips Corp. Purchase of I2C components from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., or one of its sublicensed Associated Companies, conveys a license under the
Philips I2C Patent Rights to use these components in an I2C
system, provided that the system conforms to the I2C Standard
Specification as defined by Philips.
Pin Configurations continued at end of data sheet.
Typical Operating Circuit appears at end of data sheet.
______________________________________________ Maxim Integrated Products
For pricing, delivery, and ordering information, please contact Maxim/Dallas Direct! at
1-888-629-4642, or visit Maxim’s website at www.maxim-ic.com.
1
DS3984
General Description
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS
Voltage on VCC, SDA, and SCL
Relative to Ground.............................................-0.5V to +6.0V
Voltage on Leads Other than VCC,
SDA, and SCL…………………………..-0.5V to (VCC + 0.5V),
not to exceed +6.0V
Operating Temperature Range ...........................-40°C to +85°C
EEPROM Programming Temperature Range .........0°C to +70°C
Storage Temperature Range .............................-55°C to +125°C
Soldering Temperature...................See J-STD-020 Specification
Stresses beyond those listed under “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional
operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated in the operational sections of the specifications is not implied. Exposure to
absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.
RECOMMENDED OPERATING CONDITIONS
(TA = -40°C to +85°C.)
PARAMETER
SYMBOL
MAX
UNITS
4.5
5.5
V
VIH
0.7 x
VCC
VCC +
0.3
V
VIL
-0.3
0.3 x
VCC
V
VSVM
-0.3
VCC +
0.3
V
VBRIGHT
-0.3
VCC +
0.3
V
Supply Voltage
VCC
Input Logic 1
Input Logic 0
SVM Voltage Range
BRIGHT Voltage Range
CONDITIONS
(Note 1)
MIN
TYP
LCM Voltage Range
VLCM
(Note 2)
-0.3
VCC +
0.3
V
OVD Voltage Range
VOVD
(Note 2)
-0.3
VCC +
0.3
V
20
nC
TYP
MAX
UNITS
12
16
mA
-1.0
+1.0
µA
-1.0
+1.0
µA
Gate-Driver Output Charge
Loading
QG
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(VCC = +4.5V to +5.5V, TA = -40°C to +85°C.)
PARAMETER
Supply Current
Input Leakage (Digital Pins)
Output Leakage (SDA, FAULT)
SYMBOL
ICC
CONDITIONS
IL
ILO
MIN
GA, GB loaded with 600pF,
4 channels active
High impedance
VOL1
IOL1 = 3mA
0.4
VOL2
IOL2 = 6mA
0.6
Low-Level Output Voltage
(PSYNC, LSYNC)
VOL3
IOL3 = 4mA
0.4
V
Low-Level Output Voltage
(GA, GB)
VOL4
IOL4 = 4mA
0.4
V
High-Level Output Voltage
(PSYNC, LSYNC)
VOH1
IOH1 = -1mA
Low-Level Output Voltage
(SDA, Fault)
2
_____________________________________________________________________
VCC - 0.4
V
V
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
(VCC = +4.5V to +5.5V, TA = -40°C to +85°C.)
PARAMETER
High-Level Output Voltage
(GA, GB)
SYMBOL
VOH2
UVLO Threshold—VCC Rising
VUVLOR
UVLO Threshold—VCC Falling
VUVLOF
UVLO Hysteresis
VUVLOH
SVM Threshold
VSVMT
SVM Hysteresis
VSVMH
CONDITIONS
IOH2 = -1mA
MIN
TYP
MAX
VCC - 0.4
V
4.3
3.7
V
V
100
1.8
UNITS
2.0
mV
2.2
V
50
mV
LCM and OVD Source Current
4
µA
LCM and OVD Sink Current
4
µA
LCM and OVD DC Bias Voltage
VDCB
1.35
V
LCM and OVD Input Resistance
RDCB
50
kΩ
Lamp Off Threshold
VLOT
(Note 3)
0.3
0.4
0.5
V
Lamp Overcurrent Threshold
VLOC
(Note 3)
1.8
2.0
2.2
V
Lamp Regulation Threshold
VLRT
(Note 3)
0.9
1.0
1.1
V
OVD Threshold
VOVDT
(Note 3)
0.9
1.0
1.1
V
Lamp Frequency Range
fLF:OSC
40
80
kHz
Lamp Frequency Source
Frequency Tolerance
fLFS:TOL
-5
+5
%
LOSC resistor ±2% over temperature
Lamp Frequency Receiver
Duty Cycle
fLFR:DUTY
40
60
%
DPWM Frequency Range
fD:OSC
22.5
440.0
Hz
DPWM Source Frequency
Tolerance
fDSR:TOL
-5
+5
%
DPWM Receiver Duty Cycle
fDFE:DUTY
40
60
%
DPWM Receiver
Frequency Range
fDR:OSC
22.5
440.0
Hz
DPWM Receiver
Minimum Pulse Width
tDR:MIN
BRIGHT Voltage—Minimum
Brightness
VBMIN
BRIGHT Voltage—Maximum
Brightness
VBMAX
Gate-Driver Output Rise/Fall Time
GAn and GBn Duty Cycle
tR/tF
POSC resistor ±2% over temperature
(Note 4)
25
µs
0.5
2.0
V
V
CL = 600pF
100
ns
(Note 5)
44
%
_____________________________________________________________________
3
DS3984
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
I2C AC ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (See Figure 9)
(VCC = +4.5V to +5.5V, timing referenced to VIL(MAX) and VIH(MIN), TA = -40°C to +85°C.)
PARAMETER
SYMBOL
SCL Clock Frequency
fSCL
Bus Free Time Between Stop and
Start Conditions
tBUF
Hold Time (Repeated) Start
Condition
tHD:STA
CONDITIONS
(Note 6)
MIN
TYP
0
(Note 7)
MAX
UNITS
400
kHz
1.3
µs
0.6
µs
Low Period of SCL
tLOW
1.3
µs
High Period of SCL
tHIGH
0.6
µs
Data Hold Time
tHD:DAT
0
Data Setup Time
tSU:DAT
100
0.9
µs
ns
Start Setup Time
tSU:STA
0.6
µs
SDA and SCL Rise Time
tR
(Note 8)
20 +
0.1CB
300
ns
SDA and SCL Fall Time
tF
(Note 8)
20 +
0.1CB
300
ns
Stop Setup Time
tSU:STO
0.6
SDA and SCL Capacitive
Loading
CB
(Note 8)
EEPROM Write Time
tW
(Note 9)
µs
400
pF
20
30
ms
TYP
MAX
UNITS
NONVOLATILE MEMORY CHARACTERISTICS
(VCC = +4.5V to +5.5V)
PARAMETER
EEPROM Write Cycles
SYMBOL
CONDITIONS
+70°C (Note 10)
MIN
50,000
Cycles
Note 1: All voltages are referenced to ground, unless otherwise noted. Currents into the IC are positive, out of the IC negative.
Note 2: During fault conditions, the AC-coupled feedback values are allowed to be outside the Absolute Max Rating of the LCM or
OVD pin for up to 1 second.
Note 3: Voltage with respect to VDCB.
Note 4: This is the minimum pulse width guaranteed to generate an output burst, which will generate the DS3984’s minimum burst
duty cycle. This duty cycle may be greater than the duty cycle of the PSYNC input. Once the duty cycle of the PSYNC
input is greater than the DS3984’s minimum duty cycle, the output’s duty cycle will track the PSYNC’s duty cycle. Leaving
PSYNC low (0% duty cycle) disables the GAn and GBn outputs in DPWM Slave mode.
Note 5: This is the maximum lamp frequency duty cycle that will be generated at any of the GAn or GBn outputs.
Note 6: I2C interface timing shown is for fast-mode (400kHz) operation. This device is also backward compatible with I2C standard-mode timing.
Note 7: After this period, the first clock pulse can be generated.
Note 8: CB—total capacitance allowed on one bus line in picofarads.
Note 9: EEPROM write time applies to all the EEPROM memory. EEPROM write begins after a stop condition occurs.
Note 10: Guaranteed by design.
4
_____________________________________________________________________
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
ACTIVE SUPPLY CURRENT
vs. SUPPLY VOLTAGE
DPWM = 100%
10
DPWM = 50%
9
8
7
VCC = 4.5V
12.5
12.0
11.5
11.0
10.5
10.0
DPWM = 10%
6
fLF:OSC = 71kHz
9.5
SVM = 0V
5
4.7
4.9
5.1
5.3
5.5
-40
-15
3
10
2
LAMP FREQUENCY
1
0
-1
DPWM FREQUENCY
-2
-3
DPWM = 100%
GATE QC = 3.5nC
9.0
-4
35
60
-40
85
-15
10
35
60
TEMPERATURE (°C)
TYPICAL OPERATION AT 12V
TYPICAL OPERATION AT 15V
TYPICAL OPERATION AT 18V
10µs
5.0V GA
10µs
5.0V GA
10µs
5.0V GB
10µs
5.0V GB
10µs
5.0V GB
10µs
2.0V LCM
10µs
2.0V LCM
10µs
2.0V LCM
10µs
2.0V OVD
10µs
2.0V OVD
10µs
2.0V OVD
TYPICAL STARTUP WITH SVM
DS3984 toc07
2ms
2.0V SVM
BURST DIMMING AT 150Hz AND 10%
1ms
5.0V GA
2ms
5.0V GB
1ms
5.0V GB
2ms
2.0V LCM
1ms
2.0V LCM
2ms
2.0V OVD
1ms
2.0V OVD
DS3984 toc08
10µs
5.0V GA
85
DS3984 toc06
TEMPERATURE (°C)
DS3984 toc05
SUPPLY VOLTAGE (V)
DS3984 toc04
4.5
DS3984 toc03
VCC = 5.0V
4
FREQUENCY CHANGE (%)
11
13.5
13.0
GATE QC = 3.5nC
SUPPLY CURRENT (mA)
SUPPLY CURRENT (mA)
12
VCC = 5.5V
DS3984 toc02
fLF:OSC = 71kHz
13
14.0
DS3984 toc01
14
INTERNAL FREQUENCY CHANGE
vs. TEMPERATURE
ACTIVE SUPPLY CURRENT
vs. TEMPERATURE
_____________________________________________________________________
5
DS3984
Typical Operating Characteristics
(VCC = +5.0V, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
(VCC = +5.0V, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
SOFT-START AT VINV = 18V
1ms
5.0V GB
50µs
5.0V GB
1ms
5.0V GB
1ms
2.0V LCM
50µs
2.0V LCM
1ms
2.0V LCM
1ms
2.0V OVD
50µs
2.0V OVD
1ms
2.0V OVD
LAMP STRIKE WITH OPEN LAMP
AUTORETRY DISABLED
50ms
5.0V GA
STAGGERED BURST DIMMING START
DS3984 toc13
LAMP STRIKE WITH OPEN LAMP
AUTORETRY ENABLED
50ms
5.0V GA
0.2ms
5.0V GA1
0.2ms
5.0V GA2
50ms
5.0V GB
50ms
5.0V GB
50ms
2.0V LCM
50ms
2.0V LCM
0.2ms
5.0V GA3
50ms
2.0V OVD
0.2ms
5.0V GA4
50ms
2.0V OVD
LAMP-OUT (LAMP OPENED)
AUTORETRY DISABLED
6
LAMP-OUT (LAMP OPENED)
AUTORETRY ENABLED
DS3984 toc15
0.5ms
5.0V GA
DS3984 toc11
1ms
5.0V GA
DS3988 toc14
50µs
5.0V GA
50ms
5.0V GA
0.5ms
5.0V GB
50ms
5.0V GB
0.5ms
2.0V LCM
50ms
2.0V LCM
0.5ms
2.0V OVD
50ms
2.0V OVD
_____________________________________________________________________
DS3984 toc16
1ms
5.0V GA
LAMP STRIKE—EXPANDED VIEW
DS3984 toc10
DS3984 toc09
BURST DIMMING AT 150Hz AND 50%
DS3984 toc12
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
NAME
PINS BY CHANNEL (n = 1–4) [TQFP/SO]
DESCRIPTION
CH 1
CH 2
CH 3
CH 4
GAn
5/7
10/11
17/17
21/21
MOSFET A Gate Drive. Connect directly to logic-level mode
n-channel MOSFET. Leave open if channel is unused.
GBn
6/8
11/12
18/18
22/22
MOSFET B Gate Drive. Connect directly to logic-level mode
n-channel MOSFET. Leave open if channel is unused.
LCMn
7/9
12/13
19/19
23/23
Lamp Current Monitor Input. Lamp current is monitored by measuring a
voltage across a resistor placed in series with the low-voltage side of the
lamp. Leave open if channel is unused.
OVDn
8/10
13/14
20/20
24/24
Overvoltage Detection. Lamp voltage is monitored through a capacitordivider placed on the high-voltage side of the transformer. Leave open if
channel is unused.
NAME
PIN
DESCRIPTION
TQFP
SO
GND
1, 9,
14, 16
15
Ground Connection
VCC
2, 15
16
Power-Supply Connection
BRIGHT
3
5
Analog Brightness Control Input. Used to control DPWM dimming. Ground when using a PWM
signal at PSYNC to control brightness.
SVM
4
6
Supply Voltage Monitor Input. Used to monitor the inverter voltage for undervoltage conditions.
SDA
25
25
Serial Data Input/Output. I2C bidirectional data pin, which requires a pullup resistor to realize high
logic levels.
SCL
26
26
Serial Clock Input. I2C clock input.
FAULT
27
27
Fault Output. Active-low, open-drain, requires external pullup resistor to realize high logic levels.
28
Lamp Frequency Input/Output. This pin is the input for an externally sourced lamp frequency
when the DS3984 is configured as a lamp frequency receiver. If the DS3984 is configured as a
lamp frequency source (i.e., the lamp frequency is generated internally), the frequency is output
on this pin for use by other lamp frequency receiver DS3984s.
LSYNC
28
LOSC
29
1
Lamp Oscillator Resistor Adjust. A resistor to ground on this lead sets the frequency of the lamp.
A0
30
2
Address Select Input. Determines the DS3984’s I2C slave address.
PSYNC
31
3
DPWM Input/Output. This pin is the input for an externally generated DPWM signal when the
DS3984 is configured as a DPWM receiver. If the DS3984 is configured as a DPWM source (i.e.,
the DPWM signal is generated internally), the DPWM signal is output on this pin for use by other
DPWM receiver DS3984s.
POSC
32
4
DPWM Oscillator Resistor Adjust. A resistor to ground on this lead sets the frequency of the
DPWM oscillator (dimming clock). This lead can optionally accept a 22.5Hz to 440Hz clock as the
source timing for the internal DPWM signal.
_____________________________________________________________________
7
DS3984
Pin Description
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
DS3984
Functional Diagram
EEPROM
I2C DEVICE
CONFIGURATION
PORT
SDA
SCL
A0
I2CCOMPATIBLE
INTERFACE
UVLO
CONTROL REGISTERS
8-BYTE USER MEMORY
VCC
[4.5V TO 5.5V]
SYSTEM
ENABLE/POR
2.0V
SVM
SUPPLY VOLTAGE
MONITOR
DS3984
FAULT
CHANNEL FAULT
FAULT
HANDLING
LFSS BIT AT
CR1.2
LOSC
LCMn
LAMP CURRENT
MONITOR
40kHz TO 80kHz
LAMP FREQUENCY
INPUT/OUTPUT LSYNC
EXTERNAL RESISTOR
LAMP FREQUENCY SET
CHANNEL ENABLE
x512
PLL
4-PHASE
GENERATOR
FOUR
INDEPENDENT
CCFL
CONTROLLERS
40kHz TO 80kHz
OSCILLATOR (±5%)
DPSS BIT
AT CR1.3
DPWM SIGNAL
INPUT/OUTPUT PSYNC
MUX
RGSO BIT
AT CR1.4
0
1
MOSFET
GATE
GBn DRIVERS
GAn
1
ANALOG BRIGHTNESS
CONTROL BRIGHT
MUX
DPSS BIT
AT CR1.3
DPWM
SIGNAL
0
POSC
1
22.5Hz TO 440Hz
OSCILLATOR (±5%)
8
OVDn
OVERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
[20.48MHz TO 40.96MHz]
0
EXTERNAL RESISTOR
DPWM FREQUENCY SET/
DPWM CLOCK INPUT
[40kHz
TO 80kHz]
MUX
POSCS BIT
AT CR1.1
RAMP
GENERATOR
22.5Hz TO 440Hz
_____________________________________________________________________
GND
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
DS3984
1 OF 4 CHANNELS
LAMP OUT
400mV
CHANNEL ENABLE
CHANNEL FAULT
LAMP OVERCURRENT
LSE BIT AT CR1.0
DPWM SIGNAL
512 x LAMP FREQUENCY
[20.48MHz TO 40.96MHz]
DS3984
256 LAMP CYCLE
INTEGRATOR
PEAK
DETECT/
HOLD
LCM
LAMP CURRENT
MONITOR
PEAK
DETECT
OVD
OVERVOLTAGE
DETECTION
2.0V
LAMP REGULATION
DIGITAL
CCFL
CONTROLLER
1.0V
256 LAMP CYCLE
INTEGRATOR
PHASED LAMP FREQUENCY
[40kHz TO 80kHz]
OVERVOLTAGE
1.0V
GATE
DRIVERS
GA
GB
MOSFET
GATE
DRIVERS
Figure 1. Per Channel Logic Diagram
Detailed Description
The DS3984 uses a push-pull drive scheme to convert
a DC voltage (5V to 24V) to the high-voltage (600VRMS
to 1200VRMS) AC waveform that is required to power
the CCFLs. The push-pull drive scheme uses a minimal
number of external components, which reduces
assembly cost and makes the printed circuit board (PC
board) design easy to implement. The push-pull drive
scheme also provides an efficient DC-to-AC conversion
and produces near-sinusoidal waveforms.
Each DS3984 channel drives two logic-level n-channel
MOSFETs that are connected between the ends of a
step-up transformer and ground (see Figure 1 and the
Typical Operating Circuit). The transformer has a center
tap on the primary side that is connected to a DC voltage
supply. The DS3984 alternately turns on the two
MOSFETs to create the high-voltage AC waveform on the
secondary side. By varying the duration of the MOSFET
turn-on times, the controller is able to accurately control
the amount of current flowing through the CCFL.
A resistor in series with the CCFL’s ground connection
enables current monitoring. The voltage across this
resistor is fed to the lamp current monitor (LCM) input
on the DS3984. The DS3984 compares the peak resistor
voltage against an internal reference voltage to determine the duty cycle for the MOSFET gates. Each CCFL
receives independent current monitoring and control,
which results in equal brightness across all of the lamps
and maximizes the lamp’s brightness and lifetime.
EEPROM Registers and I2C-Compatible
Serial Interface
The DS3984 uses an I2C-compatible serial interface for
communication with the on-board EEPROM configuration registers and user memory. The configuration registers—four Soft-Start Profile registers (SSP1/2/3/4) and
two Control Registers (CR1/2)—allow the user to customize many DS3984 parameters such as the soft-start
ramp rate, the lamp and dimming frequency sources,
fault-monitoring options, and channel enabling/disabling.
The eight bytes of nonvolatile user memory can be used
to store manufacturing data such as date codes, serial
numbers, or product identification numbers.
The device is shipped from the factory with the configuration registers programmed to a set of default
configuration parameters. To inquire about custom
factory programming, please send an email to
[email protected].
_____________________________________________________________________
9
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
Channel Phasing
lamp frequency (40kHz to 80kHz) as shown in Figure 6.
This part of the cycle is called the “burst” period
because of the lamp frequency burst that occurs during this time. During the low period of the DPWM cycle,
the controller disables the MOSFET gate drivers so the
lamps are not driven. This causes the current to stop
flowing in the lamps, but the time is short enough to keep
the lamps from de-ionizing. Dimming is increased/
decreased by adjusting (i.e., modulating) the duty cycle
of the DPWM signal.
The DS3984 can generate its own DPWM signal internally
(set DPSS = 0 in CR1), which can then be sourced to
other DS3984s if required, or the DPWM signal can be
supplied from an external source (set DPSS = 1 in CR1).
The lamp-frequency MOSFET gate turn-on times are
equally phased among the four channels during the
burst period. This reduces the inrush current that would
result from all lamps switching simultaneously, and
hence eases the design requirements for the DC supply. Figure 2 details how the four channels are phased.
Note that it is the lamp frequency signals that are
phased, NOT the DPWM signals.
Lamp Dimming Control (DPWM)
The DS3984 uses a digital pulse-width modulated
(DPWM) signal (22.5Hz to 440Hz) to provide efficient
and precise lamp dimming. During the high period of
the DPWM cycle, the lamps are driven at the selected
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
CHANNEL
SEQUENCE
GA1
GB1
VARIABLE
MOSFET
GATE DUTY
CYCLE
GA2
GB2
GA3
GB3
GA4
GB4
MOSFET GATEDRIVE SIGNALS AT
LAMP FREQUENCY
Figure 2. Channel Phasing Detail
10
____________________________________________________________________
DIMMING CLOCK (DPWM)
FREQUENCY
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
2.0V
ANALOG DIMMING
CONTROL VOLTAGE
0.5V
DPWM
SIGNAL
BRIGHT
PSYNC (OUTPUT)
EXTERNAL DIMMING CLOCK
2.0V
ANALOG DIMMING
CONTROL VOLTAGE
0.5V
DPWM
SIGNAL
22.5Hz TO 440Hz
BRIGHT
PSYNC (OUTPUT)
22.5Hz TO 440Hz
POSC
RESISTOR TO SET THE
DIMMING FREQUENCY
POSC
EXTERNAL
DIMMING CLOCK
22.5Hz to 440Hz
Figure 3. DPWM Source Configuration Options
BRIGHT
DPWM
SIGNAL
PSYNC (OUTPUT)
22.5Hz TO 440Hz
POSC
Figure 4. The DPWM Receiver Configuration
To generate the DPWM signal internally, the DS3984
requires a clock (referred to as the dimming clock) to
set the DPWM frequency. The user can supply the dimming clock by setting POSCS = 1 in CR1 and applying
an external 22.5Hz to 440Hz signal at the POSC pin, or
DS3984’s clock can be generated by the DS3984’s
oscillator (set POSCS = 0 in CR1), in which case the
frequency is set by an external resistor at the POSC
pin. These two dimming clock options are shown in
Figure 3. Regardless of whether the dimming clock is
generated internally or sourced externally, the POSC1
and POSC2 bits in CR2 must be set to match the
desired dimming clock frequency.
When the DPWM signal is generated internally, its duty
cycle (and, thus, the lamp brightness) is controlled by a
user-applied analog voltage at the BRIGHT input. A
BRIGHT voltage less than 0.5V will cause the DS3984 to
operate with the minimum burst duty cycle, providing
the lowest brightness setting, while any voltage greater
than 2.0V will cause a 100% burst duty cycle (i.e., lamps
always being driven), which provides the maximum
brightness. For voltages between 0.5V and 2V the duty
cycle will vary linearly between the minimum and 100%.
The internally generated DPWM signal is available at
the PSYNC I/O pin (set RGSO = 0 in CR1) for sourcing
to other DS3984s, if any, in the circuit. This allows all
DS3984s in the system to be synchronized to the same
DPWM signal. The DS3984 that is generating the
DPWM signal for other DS3984s in the system is
referred to as the DPWM source.
When the DPWM signal is provided by an external
source, either from the PSYNC pin of another DS3984 or
from some other user-generated source, it is input into the
PSYNC I/O pin of the DS3984. In this mode, the BRIGHT
and POSC inputs are disabled and should be grounded
(see Figure 4). When multiple DS3984s are used in a
design, DS3984s configured to use externally generated
DPWM signals are referred to as DPWM receivers.
Lamp Frequency Configuration
The DS3984 can generate its own lamp frequency clock
internally (set LFSS = 0 in CR1), which can then be
sourced to other DS3984s if required, or the lamp clock
can be supplied from an external source (set LFSS = 1 in
CR1). When the lamp clock is internally generated, the
frequency (40kHz to 80kHz) is set by an external resistor
at the LOSC. In this case, the DS3984 can act as a lamp
frequency source because the lamp clock is output at
the LSYNC I/O pin for synchronizing any other DS3984s
configured as lamp frequency receivers.
The DS3984 acts as a lamp frequency receiver when
the lamp clock is supplied externally. In this case, a
40kHz to 80kHz clock must be supplied at the LSYNC
I/O. The external clock can originate from the LSYNC
I/O of a DS3984 configured as a lamp frequency
source or from some other source.
____________________________________________________________________
11
DS3984
RESISTOR-SET DIMMING CLOCK
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
ANALOG
BRIGHTNESS
2.0V
0.5V
ANALOG
BRIGHTNESS
BRIGHT
PSYNC
RESISTOR-SET
DIMMING
FREQUENCY
LSYNC
POSC
RESISTOR-SET
LAMP FREQUENCY
2.0V
0.5V
DS3984
LAMP FREQUENCY SOURCE
DPWM SOURCE
LAMP CLOCK
(40kHz TO 80kHz)
LSYNC
POSC
RESISTOR-SET
DIMMING FREQUENCY
LOSC
ANALOG
BRIGHTNESS
0.5V
2.0V
BRIGHT
RESISTOR-SET
LAMP FREQUENCY
PSYNC
DS3984
LSYNC LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
POSC
DPWM RECEIVER
LOSC
LOSC
ANALOG
BRIGHTNESS
0.5V
BRIGHT
LSYNC
POSC
DS3984
LAMP FREQUENCY SOURCE
DPWM SOURCE
LOSC
2.0V
LAMP CLOCK
(40kHz TO 80kHz)
DIMMING CLOCK
(22.5Hz TO 440Hz)
LSYNC
POSC
DS3984
LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
DPWM SOURCE
LOSC
PSYNC
DS3984
DS3984
LSYNC LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
POSC
DPWM RECEIVER
LSYNC LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
POSC
DPWM RECEIVER
LOSC
LOSC
DPWM SIGNAL
(22.5Hz TO 440Hz)
BRIGHT
PSYNC
LSYNC
POSC
RESISTOR-SET
LAMP FREQUENCY
BRIGHT
PSYNC
BRIGHT
BRIGHT
PSYNC
DPWM SIGNAL
(22.5Hz TO 440Hz)
DS3984
LSYNC LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
POSC
DPWM RECEIVER
PSYNC
DIMMING CLOCK
(22.5Hz TO 440Hz)
DS3984
LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
DPWM SOURCE
LOSC
BRIGHT
PSYNC
BRIGHT
PSYNC
DS3984
LAMP FREQUENCY SOURCE
DPWM RECEIVER
LAMP CLOCK
(40kHz TO 80kHz)
LSYNC
POSC
DS3984
LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
DPWM RECEIVER
LOSC
LOSC
BRIGHT
BRIGHT
PSYNC
BRIGHT
PSYNC
PSYNC
DS3984
DS3984
LSYNC LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
POSC
DPWM RECEIVER
LSYNC LAMP FREQUENCY RECEIVER
POSC
DPWM RECEIVER
LOSC
LOSC
Figure 5. Frequency Configuration Options for Designs Using Multiple DS3984s
Configuring Systems with
Multiple DS3984s
The source and receiver options for the lamp frequency
clock and DPWM signal allow multiple DS3984s to be
synchronized in systems requiring more than 4 lamps.
The lamp and dimming clocks can either be generated
12
on board the DS3984 using external resistors to set the
frequency, or they can be sourced by the host system
to synchronize the DS3984 to other system resources.
Figure 5 shows various multiple DS3984 configurations
that allow both lamp and/or DPWM synchronization for
all DS3984s in the system.
____________________________________________________________________
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
DS3984
DPWM SIGNAL
22.5Hz TO 440Hz
LAMP CURRENT
SOFT-START
SOFT-START (EXPANDED)
LAMP CYCLE
GA_n/GB_n
MOSFET GATE DRIVERS
SOFT-START PROFILE REGISTER
1
2
3
4
SSP1. 4-7
SSP1. 0-3
5
6
SSP2. 0-3
7
8
SSP2. 4-7
9
10
SSP3. 0-3
11
12
SSP3. 4-7
13
14
SSP4. 0-3
15
16
SSP4. 4-7
PROGRAMMABLE SOFT-START PROFILE WITH INCREASING MOSFET PULSE WIDTHS OVER
A 16 LAMP CYCLE PERIOD RESULTS IN A LINEAR RAMP IN LAMP CURRENT.
LAMP CURRENT
Figure 6. Digital PWM Dimming and Soft-Start
DPWM Soft-Start
At the beginning of each lamp burst, the DS3984 provides a soft-start that slowly increases the MOSFET
gate-driver duty cycle (see Figure 6). This minimizes
the possibility of audible transformer noise that could
result from current surges in the transformer primary.
The soft-start length is fixed at 16 lamp cycles, but the
soft-start ramp profile is programmable through the four
Soft-Start Profile registers (SSP1/2/3/4) and can be
adjusted to match the application. There are seven different driver duty cycles to select from to customize the
soft-start ramp (see Table 1). The available duty cycles
range from 0% to 19% in ~3% increments. In addition,
the MOSFET duty cycle from the last lamp cycle of the
previous burst can be used as part of the soft-start
ramp by using the Most Recent Value duty-cycle code.
Each programmed MOSFET gate duty cycle repeats
twice to make up the 16 soft-start lamp cycles.
____________________________________________________________________
13
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
Setting the Lamp and Dimming Clock (DPWM)
Frequencies Using External Resistors
Both the lamp and dimming clock frequencies can be
set using external resistors. The resistance required for
either frequency can be determined using the following
formula:
ROSC =
VINV
DS3984
R2
K
fOSC
SVM
R1
where K = 1600kΩ•kHz for lamp frequency calculations. When calculating the resistor value for the dimming clock frequency, K will be one of four values as
determined by the desired frequency and the POSCR0
and POSCR1 bit settings as shown in the Control
Register 2 (CR2) Table 4 in the Detailed Register
Descriptions section.
Example: Selecting the resistor values to configure a
DS3984 to have a 50kHz lamp frequency and a 160Hz
dimming clock frequency:
For this configuration, POSCR0 and POSCR1 must be
programmed to 1 and 0, respectively, to select 90Hz to
220Hz as the dimming clock frequency range. This sets
K for the dimming clock resistor (RPOSC) calculation to
4kΩ•kHz. For the lamp frequency resistor (RLOSC) calculation, K = 1600kΩ•kHz, which allows the lamp frequency K value regardless of the frequency. The
formula above can now be used to calculate the resistor values for RLOSC and RPOSC as follows:
1600kΩ • kHz
= 32kΩ,
50kHz
4kΩ • kHz
= 25.0kΩ
RPOSC =
0.160kHz
RLOSC =
2.0V
EXAMPLE: R1 = 10kΩ, R2 = 40kΩ SETS AN SVM TRIP POINT OF 10V
Figure 7. Setting the SVM Threshold Voltage
problems. Proper use of the SVM can prevent these
problems. If desired, the SVM can be disabled by connecting the SVM pin to VCC.
 R + R2 
VTRIP = 2.0  1

 R1 
The VCC monitor is used as a 5V supply undervoltage
lockout (UVLO) that prevents operation when the DS3984
does not have adequate voltage for its analog circuitry to
operate or to drive the external MOSFETs. The VCC monitor features hysteresis to prevent VCC noise from causing
spurious operation when VCC is near the trip point. This
monitor cannot be disabled by any means.
Fault Monitoring
Supply Monitoring
The DS3984 monitors both the transformer’s DC supply
and its own VCC supply to ensure that both voltage levels are adequate for proper operation.
The inverter’s transformer supply (VINV) is monitored
using an external resistor-divider that is the input into a
comparator (see Figure 7) with a 2V threshold. Using
the equation below to determine the resistor values, the
supply voltage monitor (SVM) trip point (VTRIP) can be
customized to shut off the inverter when the transformer’s input voltage drops below any specified value.
Operating with the transformer’s supply at too low of a
level can prevent the inverter from reaching the strike
voltage and could potentially cause numerous other
14
The DS3984 provides extensive fault monitoring for
each channel. It can detect open-lamp, lamp overcurrent, failure to strike, and overvoltage conditions. The
DS3984 can be configured to disable all channels if
one or more channels enter a Fault State, or it can be
configured to disable only the channel where the fault
occurred. Once a Fault State has been entered, the
FAULT output is asserted and the channel(s) remain
disabled until either the DS3984 is power-cycled or the
inverter’s DC supply is power-cycled. The DS3984 can
also be configured to automatically attempt to clear a
detected fault (except lamp overcurrent) by restriking the
lamp, as explained in Step 4. Configuration bits for the
fault monitoring options are located in CR1 and CR2.
____________________________________________________________________
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
1) Supply Check—The lamps will not turn on unless the
DS3984 supply voltage is ≥4.5V and the voltage at
the supply voltage monitor (SVM) input is ≥2V.
2) Strike Lamp—When both the DS3984 and the DC
inverter supplies are above the minimum values, the
DS3984 will attempt to strike each enabled lamp for
768 lamp cycles [1 lamp cycle (seconds) = 1/lamp
frequency (Hertz)]. If the lamp doesn’t strike during
that time, the DS3984 will go into a fault-handling
stage (step 4). The DS3984 detects that the lamp
has struck by measuring the current flow through
the lamp. Also, if an overvoltage event is detected
during the strike attempt, the DS3984 will disable
the MOSFET gate drivers and go to the fault-handling stage. If a lamp overcurrent is detected, the
DS3984 will immediately enter a Fault State.
3) Run Lamp—Once the lamp is struck, the DS3984
adjusts the MOSFET gate duty cycle to optimize the
lamp current. The lamp current sampling rate is userselectable with the LSR0 and LSR1 bits in CR2. If the
lamp current ever drops below the Open Lamp reference point for 256 lamp cycles, the lamp is considered extinguished. If this occurs or if an overvoltage
event is detected while the lamp is running, the
DS3984 will disable the MOSFET gate drivers and
go to the fault-handling stage. If a lamp overcurrent
is detected, the DS3984 will immediately enter a
Fault State.
4) Fault Handling—The DS3984 can be configured to
automatically restrike the lamp(s) in an attempt to
clear the detected fault condition (except for lamp
overcurrent faults). The automatic retry will make up
to 15 restrike attempts before entering a Fault State.
Between each of the 15 retries, the controller will
wait 1024 lamp cycles. If after any of the retries the
fault has cleared, normal operation will resume. In
the case of a lamp overcurrent fault, the DS3984 will
skip the automatic retry even if it is enabled and will
immediately enter a Fault State.
FAULT STATE
[ACTIVATE FAULT OUTPUT]
FAULT-HANDLING STAGE 4
1
DEVICE AND INVERTER
SUPPLIES ABOVE
MINIMUM LEVEL?
YES
YES
RESET FAULT COUNTER
AND FAULT OUTPUT
FAULT WAIT
[1024 LAMP CYCLES]
NO
NO
YES
FAULT COUNTER = 15?
AUTORETRY ENABLED?
[ARD BIT AT CR1.5]
INCREMENT FAULT
COUNTER
2
FAULT
FAULT
STRIKE LAMP
LAMP STRIKE TIMEOUT
[LAMP OUT FOR 768
LAMP CYCLES]
FAULT
OVERVOLTAGE
[256 LAMP CYCLES]
LAMP
OVERCURRENT
[INSTANTANEOUS
RESPONSE IF ENABLED
WITH THE LOC BIT AT
CR1.0]
LAMP STRIKES
CORRECTLY
FAULT
FAULT
RUN LAMP
FAULT
LAMP EXTINGUISHED
[LAMP OUT FOR 256
LAMP CYCLES]
3
MOSFET GATE DRIVERS ENABLED
Figure 8. Fault-Handling Flow Chart
____________________________________________________________________
15
DS3984
Figure 8 shows a flowchart of how the DS3984 controls
and monitors each lamp. The steps are as follows:
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
Detailed Register Descriptions
The DS3984’s Register Map is shown in Table 1.
Detailed register and bit descriptions follow in the subsequent tables.
Soft-Start Profile (SSPx) Registers—Each of the four
soft-start profile registers (SSP1–4) contains two 4-bit
codes that determine the MOSFET’s duty cycle (MDC)
for two clock cycles each (see Figure 6) at the beginning of each DPWM burst. Table 2 shows the duty
cycles that correspond to each code. Selecting the
Most Recent Value instructs the DS3984 to use the
MOSFET duty cycle that was used for the last lamp
cycle of the previous burst.
Table 2. MOSFET Duty Cycle (MDC)
Codes for Soft-Start Settings
MDC CODE (BINARY)*
MOSFET DUTY CYCLE
X000
Fixed at 0%
X001
Fixed at 3%
X010
Fixed at 6%
X011
Fixed at 9%
X100
Fixed at 13%
X101
Fixed at 16%
X110
Fixed at 19%
X111
Most Recent Value
*The most significant bit of each MDC code is ignored.
Table 1. Register Map
BYTE
ADDRESS
BYTE
NAME
FACTORY
DEFAULT*
BIT 7
BIT 6
BIT 5
BIT 4
BIT 3
BIT 1
BIT 0
F0h
SSP1
21h
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 3, 4
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 1, 2
F1h
SSP2
43h
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 7, 8
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 5, 6
F2h
SSP3
65h
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 11, 12
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 9, 10
F3h
SSP4
77h
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 15, 16
MDC code for soft-start lamp cycles 13, 14
F4h
CR1
00h
DPD
FRS
ARD
RGSO
DPSS
LFSS
POSCS
LOC
F5h
CR2
08h
LD2
LD1
LD0
LSR1
LSR0
POSCR1
POSCR0
UMWP
F6h
CR3
00h
F7h
F8-FFh
Reserved
User
Memory
Do not modify. If it has been modified, restore to all zeros.
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
00h
EE
EE
EE
EE
EE
EE
EE
EE
*All the configuration settings are saved in nonvolatile (EEPROM) memory.
16
BIT 2
____________________________________________________________________
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
DS3984
Table 3. Control Register 1 (CR1)
BIT
0
1
NAME
LOC
FUNCTION
Lamp Overcurrent.
0 = Lamp overcurrent detection disabled.
1 = Lamp overcurrent detection enabled.
Note: Gate duty cycle changes during soft-start larger than 5% can cause false LOC fault.
POSC Select. See POSCR0 and POSCR1 bits in Control Register 2 to select the oscillator range.
POSCS 0 = Connect POSC to ground with a resistor to set the dimming frequency.
1 = Connect POSC to an external 22.5Hz to 440Hz dimming clock to set the dimming frequency.
2
LFSS
Lamp Frequency Source Select.
0 = Lamp frequency source mode. The lamp frequency is generated internally and sourced at the LSYNC
output for use by lamp frequency receivers.
1 = Lamp frequency receiver mode. The lamp frequency must be provided at the LSYNC input.
3
DPSS
DPWM Signal Source Select.
0 = DPWM source mode. DPWM signal is generated internally, and can be output at PSYNC pin (see RGSO bit).
1 = DPWM receiver mode. DPWM signal is generated externally and supplied at the PSYNC input.
4
RGSO
Ramp Generator Source Option.
0 = Sources DPWM at the PSYNC output.
1 = Sources the internal ramp generator at PSYNC output.
5
ARD
Autoretry Disable.
0 = Autoretry function enabled.
1 = Autoretry function disabled.
6
FRS
Fault Response Select.
0 = Disable only the malfunctioning channel.
1 = Disable all channels upon fault detection at any channel.
7
DPD
DPWM Disable.
0 = DPWM function enabled.
1 = DPWM function disabled. DPWM set to 100% duty cycle.
____________________________________________________________________
17
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
Table 4. Control Register 2 (CR2)
BIT
NAME
0
UMWP
1
POSCR0
2
POSCR1
FUNCTION
User Memory Write Protect.
0 = User Memory Write Access Blocked
1 = User Memory Write Access Permitted
DPWM Oscillator Range Select. When using an external source for the dimming clock, these bits must
be set to match the external oscillator’s frequency. When using a resistor to set the dimming
frequency, these bits plus the external resistor control the frequency.
POSCR1
POSCR0
DIMMING CLOCK (DPWM)
FREQUENCY RANGE (Hz)
K
(kΩ-kHz)
0
0
22.5 to 55.0
1
0
1
45 to 110
2
1
0
90 to 220
4
1
1
180 to 440
8
Lamp Sample Rate Select. Determines the feedback sample rate of the LCM inputs.
3
4
LSR0
LSR1
LSR1
LSR0
SELECTED LAMP
SAMPLE RATE
EXAMPLE SAMPLE RATE
IF LAMP FREQUENCY IS
50kHz
0
0
4 Lamp Frequency Cycles
12500Hz
0
1
8 Lamp Frequency Cycles
6250Hz
1
0
16 Lamp Frequency Cycles
3125Hz
1
1
32 Lamp Frequency Cycles
1563Hz
Lamp Disable. Used to disable channels if all 4 are not required for an application.
5
18
LD0
6
LD1
7
Reserved
LD1
LD0
0
0
CHANNELS DISABLED
All Channels Enabled
NUMBER OF ACTIVE
LAMP CHANNELS
4
0
1
4
3
1
0
2/4
2
1
1
1/2/4
1
Reserved. Should be set to zero.
____________________________________________________________________
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
Master Device: The master device controls the slave
devices on the bus. The master device generates SCL
clock pulses, start, and stop conditions.
Slave Devices: Slave devices send and receive data
at the master’s request.
Bus Idle or Not Busy: Time between stop and start
conditions when both SDA and SCL are inactive and in
their logic-high states.
Start Condition: A start condition is generated by the
master to initiate a new data transfer with a slave.
Transitioning SDA from high to low while SCL remains
high generates a start condition. See the timing diagram for applicable timing.
Stop Condition: A stop condition is generated by the
master to end a data transfer with a slave. Transitioning
SDA from low to high while SCL remains high generates a stop condition. See the timing diagram for
applicable timing.
Repeated Start Condition: The master can use a
repeated start condition at the end of one data transfer
to indicate that it will immediately initiate a new data
transfer following the current one. Repeated starts are
commonly used during read operations to identify a
specific memory address to begin a data transfer. A
repeated start condition is issued identically to a nor-
mal start condition. See the timing diagram for applicable timing.
Bit Write: Transitions of SDA must occur during the low
state of SCL. The data on SDA must remain valid and
unchanged during the entire high pulse of SCL plus the
setup and hold time requirements (see Figure 9). Data is
shifted into the device during the rising edge of the SCL.
Bit Read: At the end of a write operation, the master
must release the SDA bus line for the proper amount of
setup time (see Figure 9) before the next rising edge of
SCL during a bit read. The device shifts out each bit of
data on SDA at the falling edge of the previous SCL
pulse and the data bit is valid at the rising edge of the
current SCL pulse. Remember that the master generates all SCL clock pulses including when it is reading
bits from the slave.
Acknowledgement (ACK and NACK): An acknowledgement (ACK) or not acknowledge (NACK) is always
the 9th bit transmitted during a byte transfer. The
device receiving data (the master during a read or the
slave during a write operation) performs an ACK by
transmitting a zero during the 9th bit. A device performs a NACK by transmitting a one during the 9th bit.
Timing (Figure 9) for the ACK and NACK is identical to
all other bit writes. An ACK is the acknowledgment that
the device is properly receiving data. A NACK is used
to terminate a read sequence or as an indication that
the device is not receiving data.
SDA
tBUF
tHD:STA
tLOW
tR
tSP
tF
SCL
tHD:STA
STOP
tSU:STA
tHIGH
tSU:DAT
START
REPEATED
START
tSU:STO
tHD:DAT
NOTE: TIMING IS REFERENCE TO VIL(MAX) AND VIH(MIN).
Figure 9. I2C Timing Diagram
____________________________________________________________________
19
DS3984
I2C Definitions
The following terminology is commonly used to
describe I2C data transfers.
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
Byte Write: A byte write consists of 8 bits of information transferred from the master to the slave (most significant bit first) plus a 1-bit acknowledgement from the
slave to the master. The 8 bits transmitted by the master are done according to the bit-write definition and the
acknowledgement is read using the bit-read definition.
Byte Read: A byte read is an 8-bit information transfer
from the slave to the master plus a 1-bit ACK or NACK
from the master to the slave. The 8 bits of information
that are transferred (most significant bit first) from the
slave to the master are read by the master using the bit
read definition, and the master transmits an ACK using
the bit write definition to receive additional data bytes.
The master must NACK the last byte read to terminate
communication so the slave will return control of SDA to
the master.
Slave Address Byte: Each slave on the I 2 C bus
responds to a slave addressing byte sent immediately
following a start condition. The slave address byte
(Figure 10) contains the slave address in the most significant seven bits and the R/W bit in the least significant bit.
The DS3984’s slave address is 101000A0 (binary),
where A 0 is the value of the address pin (A 0). The
address pin allows the device to respond to one of two
possible slave addresses. By writing the correct slave
address with R/W = 0, the master writes data to the
slave. If R/W = 1, the master reads data from the slave.
If an incorrect slave address is written, the DS3984 will
assume the master is communicating with another I2C
device and ignore the communications until the next
start condition is sent.
Memory Address: During an I2C write operation, the
master must transmit a memory address to identify the
memory location where the slave is to store the data.
The memory address is always the second byte transmitted during a write operation following the slave
address byte.
20
7-BIT SLAVE ADDRESS
1
0
MOST
SIGNIFICANT BIT
1
0
0
0 A0
R/W
A0 PIN VALUE
DETERMINES
READ OR WRITE
Figure 10. DS3984’s Slave Address Byte
I2C Communication
Writing a Data Byte to a Slave: The master must generate a start condition, write the slave address byte
(R/W = 0), write the memory address, write the byte of
data, and generate a stop condition. Remember the
master must read the slave’s acknowledgement during
all byte write operations. See Figure 11 for more detail.
Acknowledge Polling: Any time EEPROM is written,
the DS3984 requires the EEPROM write time (tW) after
the stop condition to write the contents to EEPROM.
During the EEPROM write time, the DS3984 will not
acknowledge its slave address because it is busy. It is
possible to take advantage of that phenomenon by
repeatedly addressing the DS3984, which allows the
next byte of data to be written as soon as the DS3984 is
ready to receive the data. The alternative to acknowledge polling is to wait for a maximum period of tW to
elapse before attempting to write again to the DS3984.
EEPROM Write Cycles: The number of times the
DS3984’s EEPROM can be written before it fails is
specified in the Nonvolatile Memory Characteristics
table. This specification is shown at the worst-case
write temperature. The DS3984 is typically capable of
handling many additional write cycles when the writes
are performed at room temperature.
Reading a Data Byte from a Slave: To read a single
byte from the slave the master generates a start condition, writes the slave address byte with R/W = 0, writes
the memory address, generates a repeated start condition, writes the slave address with R/W = 1, reads the
data byte with a NACK to indicate the end of the transfer, and generates a stop condition. See Figure 11 for
more detail.
____________________________________________________________________
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
DS3984
NOTES
COMMUNICATIONS KEY
S
START
A
ACK
WHITE BOXES INDICATE THE MASTER IS
CONTROLLING SDA
P
STOP
N
NOT
ACK
SHADED BOXES INDICATE THE SLAVE IS
CONTROLLING SDA
SR
REPEATED
START
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
1) ALL BYTES ARE SENT MOST SIGNIFICANT BIT FIRST.
2) THE FIRST BYTE SENT AFTER A START CONDITION IS
ALWAYS THE SLAVE ADDRESS FOLLOWED BY THE
READ/WRITE BIT.
8-BITS ADDRESS OR DATA
WRITE A SINGLE BYTE
S
1 0
1
0 0
0 A0 0
A
MEMORY ADDRESS
A
0 A0 0
A
MEMORY ADDRESS
A
A
DATA
P
READ A SINGLE BYTE
S
1 0
1
0 0
SR
1 0
1
0 0
0 A0 0
A
DATA
N
P
Figure 11. I2C Communications Examples
Applications Information
Addressing Multiple DS3984s On a
Common I2C Bus
Each DS3984 responds to one of two possible slave
addresses based on the state of the address input (A0).
For information about device addressing see the I2C
Communications section.
Power-Supply Decoupling
To achieve best results, it is recommended that each
VCC pin is decoupled with a 0.01µF or a 0.1µF capacitor
to GND. Use high-quality, ceramic, surface-mount capacitors, and mount the capacitors as close as possible to
the VCC and GND pins to minimize trace inductance.
Setting the RMS Lamp Current
Resistor R8 in the typical operating circuit (Figure 12)
sets the lamp current. R8 = 140Ω corresponds to a
5mARMS lamp current as long as the current waveform
is approximately sinusoidal. The formula to determine
the resistor value for a given sinusoidal lamp current is:
R8 =
1
2 × ILAMP(RMS)
Component Selection
External component selection has a large impact on the
overall system performance and cost. The two most
important external components are the transformers
and n-channel MOSFETs.
The transformer should be able to operate in the 40kHz
to 80kHz frequency range of the DS3984, and the turns
ratio should be selected so the MOSFET drivers run at
28% to 35% duty cycle during steady state operation.
The transformer must be able to withstand the high
open-circuit voltage that will be used to strike the lamp.
Additionally, its primary/secondary resistance and
inductance characteristics must be considered
because they contribute significantly to determining the
efficiency and transient response of the system. Table 5
shows a transformer specification that has been utilized
for a 12V inverter supply, 438mm x 2.2mm lamp design.
The n-channel MOSFET must have a threshold voltage
that is low enough to work with logic-level signals, a low
on-resistance to maximize efficiency and limit the nchannel MOSFET’s power dissipation, and a breakdown voltage high enough to handle the transient. The
breakdown voltage should be a minimum of 3x the
inverter voltage supply. Additionally, the total gate
charge must be less than QG, which is specified in the
Recommended DC Operating Conditions table. These
specifications are easily met by many of the dual nchannel MOSFETs now available in SO-8 packages.
Table 6 lists suggested values for the external resistors
and capacitors used in the typical operating circuit.
____________________________________________________________________
21
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
Table 5. Transformer Specifications
PARAMETER
CONDITIONS
Turns Ratio (Secondary/Primary)
MIN
(Notes 11, 12, 13)
TYP
MAX
UNITS
80
kHz
6
W
40
Frequency
40
Output Power
Output Current
5
Primary DCR
Center tap to one end
Secondary DCR
8
mA
200
mΩ
500
Ω
Primary Leakage
12
µH
Secondary Leakage
185
mH
Primary Inductance
70
µH
Secondary Inductance
500
Center Tap Voltage
10.8
Secondary Output Voltage
100ms minimum
2000
Continuous
1000
12
mH
13.2
V
VRMS
Note 11: Primary should be Bifilar wound with center tap connection.
Note 12: Turns ratio is defined as secondary winding divided by the sum of both primary windings.
Note 13: 40:1 is the nominal turns ratio for driving a 438mm x 2.2mm lamp with a 12V supply. Refer to AN3375 for more information.
Table 6. Resistor and Capacitor Selection Guide
DESIGNATOR
QTY
VALUE
25°C
TOLERANCE
(%)
TEMPERATURE
COEFFICIENT
R1
1
10kΩ
1
—
—
R2
1
12.5kΩ to
105kΩ
1
—
See the Setting the SVM Threshold Voltage section.
R3
1
20kΩ to
40kΩ
1
≤153ppm/°C
2% or less total tolerance. See the Lamp Frequency
Configuration section to determine value.
R4
1
18kΩ to
45kΩ
1
≤153ppm/°C
2% or less total tolerance. See the Lamp Frequency
Configuration section to determine value.
R5
1
4.7kΩ
5
Any grade
—
R6
1
4.7kΩ
5
Any grade
—
R7
1
4.7kΩ
5
Any grade
—
R8
1/Ch
140Ω
1
—
C1
1/Ch
100nF
10
X7R
C2
1/Ch
10pF
5
±1000ppm/°C
C3
1/Ch
27nF
5
X7R
C4
1/Ch
33µF
20
Any grade
C5
2/DS3984
0.1µF
10
X7R
22
NOTES
See the Setting the RMS Lamp Current section.
Capacitor value will also affect LCM bias voltage during
power-up. A larger capacitor may cause a longer time
for VDCB to reach its normal operating level.
2kV to 4kV breakdown voltage required.
Capacitor value will also affect LCM bias voltage during
power-up. A larger capacitor may cause a longer time
for VDCB to reach its normal operating level.
—
Place close to VCC and GND on DS3984.
____________________________________________________________________
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller
SUPPLY VOLTAGE
(5V ±10%)
C5
ANALOG BRIGHTNESS
BRIGHT
VCC
EXTERNAL DIGITAL PWM INPUT/
INTERNAL DIGITAL PWM OUTPUT
PSYNC
SVM
EXTERNAL LAMP FREQUENCY INPUT/
INTERNAL LAMP FREQUENCY OUTPUT
LSYNC
SUPPLY VOLTAGE
(5V ±10% TO
24V ±10%)
C4
R2
R1
DUAL POWER
MOSFET
TRANSFORMER
LOSC
POSC
CCFL LAMP
GAn
C2
C3
DS3984
R8
GBn
VCC
R3
R4
R5
R6
R7
LAMP VOLTAGE MONITOR
OVDn
FAULT
LAMP CURRENT MONITOR
LCMn
CONFIGURATION
PORT
SDA
C1
SCL
A0
GND
SEE NOTES 14, 15.
Figure 12. Typical Operating Circuit
Note 14: Only one channel shown to simplify drawing.
Note 15: See the Component Selection section for recommended external components.
____________________________________________________________________
23
DS3984
Typical Operating Circuit
Pin Configurations (continued)
POSC
PSYNC
A0
LOSC
LSYNC
FAULT
SCL
SDA
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
TRANSISTOR COUNT: 70,200
SUBSTRATE CONNECTED TO: Ground
32
TOP VIEW
Chip Information
GND
1
24
OVD4
VCC
2
23
LCM4
BRIGHT
3
22
GB4
SVM
4
21
GA4
GA1
5
20
OVD3
GB1
6
19
LCM3
LCM1
7
18
GB3
OVD1
8
17
GA3
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
GND
GA2
GB2
LCM2
OVD2
GND
VCC
GND
DS3984
Package Information
For the latest package outline information, go to
www.maxim-ic.com/DallasPackInfo.
TQFP 7 x 7 x 1.0mm
Maxim cannot assume responsibility for use of any circuitry other than circuitry entirely embodied in a Maxim product. No circuit patent licenses are
implied. Maxim reserves the right to change the circuitry and specifications without notice at any time.
24 ____________________Maxim Integrated Products, 120 San Gabriel Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-737-7600
© 2005 Maxim Integrated Products
Printed USA
is a registered trademark of Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
is a registered trademark of Dallas Semiconductor Corporation.
DS3984
DS3984
4-Channel Cold-Cathode
Fluorescent Lamp Controller