O2Micro Introduces New Technology for the Global LED Lighting Market

In an effort to tap huge opportunities in the global LED lighting market, O2Micro International (News - Alert) Limited (OIIM) has introduced a new technology allowing LED bulbs to dim using any on/off switch, eliminating the burden of installing expensive dimmers.

OIIM is a provider of innovative power management and e-commerce intelligent lighting, battery management and power management solutions.

LED bulbs can theoretically be fully dimmable. But in reality, designing them to be compatible with incandescent dimmers can be extremely challenging. In addition of making LED bulbs costlier, such designs may reduce efficiency and raise potential safety issues, ultimately yielding product returns.

Support for legacy incandescent dimmers does not address the 85+ percent of light bulbs that operate from non-dimming on/off switches. Although there are 150 million incandescent dimmers installed in the U.S. alone, according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), there are over 4.4 billion medium, screw-based light sockets in the U.S.

This, according to O2Micro, represents an enormous, untapped market opportunity, and in an effort to grab the lion’s share, O2Micro has developed its Free Dimming LED driver product family that works with any on/off switch, including wall toggles, paddle switches, pull cords, rotary switches and other types of on/off switches commonly found on walls, extension cords and table/desk lamps.

In a news release, O2Micro said its patented Free Dimming technology can work with the more than 85 percent of lights that are on non-dimming circuits. For consumers, O2Micro's Free Dimming LED provides great value as it is easy to install and eliminates dimmer cost.

By incorporating this technology, LED bulb manufacturers can expand their addressable markets and boost their revenue.

Furthermore, O2Micro's Free Dimming LED drivers offer the lowest BOM cost with the smallest footprint and have higher efficiency than incandescent dimming drivers by eliminating excess circuitry required to make LED bulbs work with incandescent dimmers.

A few days ago, O2Micro said it will announce its financial results for the second quarter, ending June 30, 2012, on Wednesday, August 1.

The press release will be followed by a conference call at 6:00 a.m. (PDT), 9:00 a.m. (EDT). You may participate using the following dial-in information.

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