LVDC Sourced Ultra-Low-Profile LED Drivers Using GaN Power Transistors

In general residential and non-residential spaces, such as houses, offices and shops, lighting equipment is powered from AC power. This requires an isolated AC-DC power converter in each lighting set, which not only limits the shape and design of the equipment, but also causes non-negligible power loss. In this study, the authors investigated the distribution of 24 V low-voltage DC power to residential and non-residential spaces, which has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its compatibility with renewable energy. The authors proposed and developed an ultra-thin card-shaped driver circuit for LED lighting. Experimental results verified that the developed 2 mm thin LED driver achieves high power conversion efficiency even in very high frequency soft switching operation up to 2.0 MHz in a practical load range.