Automatic Brightness Control with TAOS Digital Ambient Light Sensors from Pacer

Control Brightness and Save Energy with TAOS Digital Ambient Light Sensors from Pacer Flat panel displays have become ubiquitous in a wide variety of electronic products for both business and consumers, but the display is often the system component with the highest power consumption. There is an increasing focus on utilising power-saving technologies with eco-friendly components in product design, in order to reduce this consumption. Based on a patented dual-diode approach, TAOS digital ambient light sensors control brightness with sensitivity to suit the human eye, dimming the brightness or increasing illumination depending on the lighting environment. Light intensity in Lux (i.e. illuminance) can be easily calculated using the output from both photodiodes without needing to use an expensive optical filter. When designed into display-based applications, ambient light sensors offer up to 30% in energy savings by reducing total system power consumption. Battery life in mobile devices is extended, and picture quality is improved, thus enhancing the user experience by maintaining optimum viewing in diverse lighting conditions. Both of these benefits potentially differentiate a product from its competition. Display management, or controlling the display brightness depending on the lighting environment, can benefit products such as handheld instruments, data loggers, notebooks, tablets, flat-panel televisions, cell phones, and digital cameras. The same TAOS digital sensors can be used to apply intelligent illumination control to solid state lighting systems, enabling the systems to react automatically to changing ambient light levels. The benefits of power savings and an improved customer experience are again realised. Ambient light sensors can be used whenever a high resolution light sensor with a two-wire digital interface is required. Other applications include street light control, security lighting, sunlight harvesting, machine vision and automotive instrumentation clusters. TAOS sensors are available via Pacer – see our website for more details: http://www.pacer.co.uk/products/sensors/smartlightandcoloursensors/ambientlightsensors/