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NEC Electronics Europe announced the 78K0/Ix2 LED microcontroller demonstration kit on January 25, 2010. The 78K0Ix2-LED evaluation board showed how one lighting microcontroller could regulate multiple LED channels and support DALI or DMX512 demonstrations without a separate LED-driver IC. It was engineering hardware, not a consumer lighting product.
What the 78K0/Ix2 demonstration kit was
The kit was built around NEC Electronics’ 78K0/Ix2 lighting application-specific standard product (ASSP). Its purpose was to demonstrate an LED-driver design in which the microcontroller’s integrated peripherals handled programmable constant-current control for multiple channels, while the same device could process lighting-control communications. The announcement described the design as operating without additional driver ICs. EEJournal’s January 25, 2010 announcement and LEDinside’s report identify the kit and its intended demonstration role.
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The board included three RGB LED channels and three slide switches for analog-dimming demonstrations. Connectors exposed DALI and DMX512 interfaces, making it possible to try the board with a compatible lighting network or the 78K0 Lighting Communications kit.
How the board controlled LEDs and communications
The key idea was to use the 78K0/Ix2’s peripheral architecture for LED control rather than add a dedicated driver IC. Renesas’ later application note describes the 78K0/Ix2 as an 8-bit dedicated lighting microcontroller: comparators and PWM timers support constant-current LED control with limited CPU involvement. That leaves the processor able to handle other tasks, including lighting communications. The note also describes DALI support and DMX512 implementation through UART. See Renesas’ 78K0/Ix2 LED-driver reference design application note.
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For DALI, the demonstration board exposed the MCU’s integrated Manchester code generator for protocol implementation. The board also exposed DMX512 connections; the later Renesas documentation describes DMX512 implementation through UART. These details explain the kit’s dual purpose: demonstrating both LED-channel control and communication with lighting-control equipment.
How to configure and use the demonstration kit
The supplied Applilet EZ software provided graphical configuration, generated pre-compiled code, and programmed the target device over USB. It could generate communications code for DALI and DMX512 as well as configure the board. The announcement describes the following demonstration workflow:
- Connect the 78K0Ix2-LED board to a PC by USB.
- Use Applilet EZ to configure the board and generate the required program, including DALI or DMX512 communication code where needed.
- Program the target microcontroller from the software.
- Connect the board to a compatible DALI or DMX512 network device, such as a master controller, to exercise network control.
- Demonstrate color mixing, flashing sequences, or dimming across the three RGB channels.
The announcement says a PC or other host could control the RGB channels through a DALI or DMX512 master controller. This is a development and evaluation workflow, rather than an indication that the board was a finished, stand-alone lighting product.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What later Renesas performance figures do—and do not—show
Renesas’ 2011 reference-design material reports system efficiency greater than 84% at 50% dimming and power factor above 0.98 at 100% dimming. Its test table covers 90 VAC, 115 VAC, and 130 VAC input cases. These are measurements for that documented reference design under its stated test conditions, not guaranteed results for every 78K0/Ix2 demonstration kit, implementation, or finished luminaire. Consult the application note for the design and test details.
Is the 78K0Ix2-LED kit still available?
The available documentation establishes the historical order code, 78K0Ix2-LED, and describes a kit announced in 2010. It does not establish current retail or distributor stock. Treat the board as historical evaluation hardware unless a distributor independently confirms that the exact kit is currently available; a different Renesas board or a generic LED controller would not be the same product.
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