The TLC5940 is a 16-channel LED driver with dot correction and grayscale PWM control. It is suitable for monocolor, multicolor, and fullcolor LED displays, LED signboards, display backlighting, etc.
The TLC5940 is a 16‑channel constant‑current sink LED driver. Each channel provides 12‑bit (4096‑step) grayscale PWM brightness control and 6‑bit (64‑step) dot‑correction stored in an integrated EEPROM. Control is via a serial SPI‑compatible interface, and a single external resistor sets the maximum current for all channels.
The device includes error‑detection features such as LED Open Detection (LOD) and a Thermal Error Flag (TEF). It is offered in three package options (28‑pin HTSSOP, 32‑pin QFN, 28‑pin PDIP) and operates over a supply range of 3 V to 5.5 V with a data‑transfer rate of up to 30 MHz.
| Number of channels | 16 |
|---|---|
| Grayscale PWM resolution | 12‑bit (4096 steps) |
| Dot‑correction resolution | 6‑bit (64 steps) |
| Maximum output current (Vgg < 3.6 V) | 0 mA to 60 mA |
| Maximum output current (Vgc > 3.6 V) | 0 mA to 120 mA |
| Supply voltage range | 3 V to 5.5 V |
| Data transfer rate | 30 MHz |
| EEPROM write cycles | 50 |
| Operating temperature range | -40 °C to 85 °C |
The device can sink up to 60 mA per channel when Vgg < 3.6 V, and up to 120 mA per channel when Vgc > 3.6 V.
It provides 12‑bit grayscale PWM, which equals 4096 steps.
The chip includes LED Open Detection (LOD) for a broken LED and a Thermal Error Flag (TEF) for over‑temperature conditions.
The recommended data shift clock (SCLK) frequency is 30 MHz.