Introduction and Programming Instructions for Infineon TLD7002 LED Driver Chip

1. Introduction

In the light show section of the 19th competition, Infineon recommended a brand new LED driver chip: TLD7002. The TLD7002 chip has the following features:

1. Supports up to 16 constant current output channels.
2. Each channel can individually adjust the duty cycle.
3. Each channel can individually adjust the current.
4. PWM frequency can be adjusted from 100Hz to 2kHz.
5. Configurable thermal derating, reducing output power when overheating.
6. Supports LED open circuit and short circuit detection, with adjustable thresholds.
7. Supports HSLI communication, with a maximum speed of 2Mbit/s.

Compared to last year’s LED driver chip, the TLD7002 has significant improvements in functionality and performance. It not only has more channels and features but also supports HSLI interface for communication. However, when using the TLD7002, it is important to note that a brand new chip cannot be used directly. The data sheet mentions that it needs to be programmed once or entered into simulation mode to configure the chip parameters. Once the working parameters are configured, the chip can operate normally according to the configured parameters. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of one-time programming and simulation mode:

1. The disadvantage of using one-time programming is that the parameters are fixed and cannot be modified again. The advantage is that after programming, the duty cycle of the channels can be controlled directly through the HSLI interface, thus controlling the LED’s on/off state and brightness.
2. The disadvantage of using simulation mode is that the parameters are not saved in the chip and need to be entered into simulation mode every time it is powered on. This disadvantage is also an advantage, as it allows for modifying parameters each time, which is convenient for debugging different parameters during the development phase. Once the development work is completed, programming can be done, but it can also continue to use the simulation mode to set parameters each time it is powered on.

To reduce the pressure on students learning and using the TLD7002 chip, Infineon has commissioned its partner Zhu Fei Technology to create an open-source solution based on the TLD7002 to drive LED dot matrices. The solution uses simulation mode to automatically configure the chip parameters upon power-up, so students do not need to worry about complex programming operations. By calling the corresponding display functions, common numbers, letters, and symbols can be displayed. It is recommended that beginners use this method.

2. TLD7002 Chip Programming Instructions

From the previous introduction to the chip, it can be seen that parameters can be pre-programmed to simplify chip usage, or the Zhu Fei open-source solution can be used in simulation mode to configure chip parameters. Therefore, after successfully applying for the chip, students need to contact Infineon’s partner Zhu Fei in advance to inform them of specific requirements, and Zhu Fei will assist everyone in completing the preparatory work before using the chip.