News: LEDs
16 April 2024
ams OSRAM and DOMINANT collaborate to advance automotive ambient lighting
ams OSRAM GmbH of Premstätten, Austria and Munich, Germany has joined forces with Malaysia-based automotive LED maker DOMINANT Opto Technologies in a strategic partnership aimed at integrating ams OSRAM’s Open System Protocol (OSP) into DOMINANT Opto Technologies’ next-generation intelligent RGB LEDs designed for automotive ambient lighting.
The firms say that the collaboration marks a step forward in fostering innovation and promoting technological compatibility within the automotive lighting sector. The OSP, introduced by ams OSRAM in 2023, is an open and license-free communication technology that enables seamless connectivity between RGB LEDs, sensors, and microcontrollers from various manufacturers.
DOMINANT Opto Technologies’ decision to incorporate OSP into its upcoming products underscores the protocol’s role as a universal method for connecting intelligent LEDs in vehicles. By embracing OSP, automotive manufacturers can ensure a more resilient supply chain, allowing them to source ambient lighting LEDs and components from multiple vendors without the need to reconfigure system communication when switching suppliers.
As automotive interior design evolves into a ‘third living space’, ambient lighting plays a crucial role in enhancing the driving experience. Dynamic ambient lighting, controlled intelligently with animation effects, colour changes and intensity variations, serves multiple functions, including mood setting, conveying information, displaying warnings, and reinforcing the car’s branding.
The OSP infrastructure, combined with ams OSRAM’s OSIRE E3731i OSP-compliant intelligent RGB LED, enables the realization of these functionalities. With DOMINANT Opto Technologies joining the OSP ecosystem, automotive manufacturers now have access to a second source of OSP-compatible LEDs, fostering innovation and flexibility in ambient lighting solutions.
The OSIRE E3731i features an integrated application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that drives three RGB emitters, ensuring better colour homogeneity through automatic color calibration. Supporting daisy-chain configurations with up to 1000 LEDs in a single string, the OSIRE E3731i simplifies implementation and potentially enables single-layer PCB designs. AEC-Q102-qualified and compliant with automotive EMC requirements, it is claimed to set new standards for intelligent RGB LEDs in the automotive sector.
Both ams OSRAM and DOMINANT Opto Technologies say that they are committed to OSP as a common base for the architecture of their future intelligent RGB LEDs. Recognizing the industry’s demand for multiple sourcing options, OSP is said to facilitate easy and cost-efficient communication within LED chains, allowing car makers to choose from various vendors without redesigning architectures.
ams OSRAM’s OSIRE E3731i RGB LED alllows dynamic color and motion effects across hundreds of LEDs
