On February 10, 2010, Marvell introduced an LED T8 driver platform design for fluorescent tube replacement based on the new Marvell 88EM80 series of LED controller chips. Marvell's LED T8 reference design offers the industry's highest level of Power Factor Correction (PFC), ease of use and an ultra-compact form factor that fits directly inside the traditional T8 tube lamp.
The Marvell T8 LED driver design leverages the 88EM80 series' optimized DSP core and adaptive feedback circuitry to deliver highest power factor and the industry's lowest level of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) for easier worldwide regulatory compliance, including Energy Star. It also leverages the current control loops and proprietary algorithms which are already built into the 88EM80 series to drastically simplify overall design and system implementation. The ultra-compact size of the Marvell T8 LED ballast design requires significantly smaller magnetic components than other commercially available platforms. Furthermore, due to the high level of integration of the 88EM80 series, the Marvell T8 LED driver design requires fewer external components, thus resulting into much lower system cost.
Marvell is currently sampling its T8 LED driver reference design based on the 88EM80 and other reference designs for a variety of lamps and light fixtures to major OEMs.