
Applications Information
Driving Fewer than Three LEDs
When driving fewer than three LEDs, connect any unused
LED_ directly to IN (Figure 3). When connected in this
manner, the corresponding LED driver is disabled.
Driving Camera Strobes/Flashes
The MAX1574’s 180mA output capability makes it suit-
able for driving white LED camera strobes/flashes. For
example, the typical operating circuit drives a 3-LED
flash module with up to 60mA/LED. To ensure 180mA
total drive capability at low input voltages, increase C1
to 0.47μF.
To drive fewer or more LEDs with regulated total cur-
rent up to 180mA or to reduce the number of connect-
ing wires, short LED1, LED2, and LED3 together. When
connected this way, some LED modules have good
LED-to-LED forward-voltage matching, while others
may require individual ballast resistors. It is a good
idea to keep the ballast resistance as low as practical
for reasonable matching because high-ballast resis-
tance reduces the output drive capability due to the
higher V
OUT
requirement.
Input Ripple
For LED drivers, input ripple is more important than out-
put ripple. Input ripple depends on the source supply’s
impedance. Adding a lowpass filter to the input further
reduces input ripple. Alternatively, increasing C
IN
to
2.2μF cuts input ripple in half with only a small increase in
footprint. The 1x mode always has very low input ripple.
Component Selection
Use only ceramic capacitors with an X5R, X7R, or better
dielectric. See Table 1 for a list of recommended parts.
PC Board Layout and Routing
The MAX1574 is a high-frequency switched-capacitor
voltage regulator. For best circuit performance, use a
solid ground plane and place C
IN
, C
OUT
, and C1 as
close to the MAX1574 as possible. Refer to the
MAX1574 evaluation kit for an example.
M
180mA, 1x/2x, White LED Charge Pump
in 3mm x 3mm TDFN
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Table 1. Recommended Components
COMPONENT
DESIGNATION
VALUE
MANUFACTURER
PART NUMBER
DESCRIPTION
Taiyo Yuden
TDK
Taiyo Yuden
TDK
Taiyo Yuden
TDK
Nichia
Citizen
Kamaya
Panasonic
JMK107BJ105KA
C1005X5R0J105M
JMK105BJ224KV
C1005X5R0J224K
JMK105BJ474KV
C1005X5R0J474K
NSCW215T
CL-470S
1μF ±10%, 6.3V X5R ceramic capacitors (0603)
1μF ±20%, 6.3V X5R ceramic capacitors (0402)
0.22μF ±10%, 6.3V X5R ceramic capacitor (0402)
0.22μF ±10%, 6.3V X5R ceramic capacitor (0402)
0.47μF ±10%, 6.3V X5R ceramic capacitor (0402)
0.47μF ±10%, 6.3V X5R ceramic capacitor (0402)
White LEDs
White LED flash module
C
IN
, C
OUT
1μF
0.22μF
C1
0.47μF
D1, D2, D3
—
R
SET
As Required
—
1% resistor