ams OSRAM and DOMINANT Opto Technologies to enable smart automotive ambient lighting

ams OSRAM and DOMINANT Opto Technologies, a leading Malaysian manufacturer of automotive LED solutions, have unveiled a collaborative partnership aimed at integrating ams OSRAM’s Open System Protocol (OSP) into DOMINANT Opto Technologies’ upcoming generation of intelligent RGB LEDs tailored for automotive ambient lighting. This partnership seeks to foster innovation by inviting even more collaborators and promoting technological compatibility in the automotive lighting sector.

Introduced by ams OSRAM in 2023, the OSP is an open, license-free communication technology for connecting RGB LEDs, sensors, and microcontrollers from diverse manufacturers. DOMINANT Opto Technologies' commitment to integrating OSP into its upcoming products validates the protocol's position as a universal method for connecting intelligent LEDs in vehicles. This major step facilitates a more resilient supply chain for automotive manufacturers, allowing them to source ambient lighting LEDs and components from various vendors without reconfiguring system communication when switching suppliers.

As automotive interior design evolves into a 'third living space,' ambient lighting takes on a new significance. Dynamic ambient lighting, controlled intelligently with animation effects, color changes, and intensity variations, serves various purposes – such as setting moods, conveying information, displaying warnings, and effectively presenting the car's branding. These functionalities demand intelligent RGB LEDs and a communication protocol compatible with any microcontroller's standard serial interface, capable of carrying high-frequency control signals.

The OSP infrastructure, introduced alongside ams OSRAM's OSP-compliant intelligent RGB LED, the OSIRE® E3731i, fulfils these requirements. With DOMINANT Opto Technologies also joining the OSP ecosystem, automotive manufacturers can from now on have a second source of OSP-compatible LEDs – a fascinating step that fosters innovation and flexibility in ambient lighting solutions.

The OSIRE E3731i, the industry's first OSP-compliant intelligent RGB LED, features an integrated ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) that drives three RGB emitters, ensuring excellent color homogeneity by providing measurement data for automatic color calibration. This calibration is crucial, especially for long strings of LEDs throughout the car interior. The OSIRE® E3731i supports daisy-chain configurations with up to 1000 LEDs in a single string, requiring just two communication and two power lines each, streamlining implementation and potentially enabling single-layer PCB designs.

DOMINANT Opto Technologies is delighted to join the OSP ecosystem. This enables DOMINANT to expand its existing seddLED product portfolio to fulfill various customer requirements. The seddLED+ A3H will be the first OSP-compliant intelligent RGB LED to be launched on the market. The target is to have a prototype sample available in Q3 of FY2024.