An entry-class, 16-channel constant current LED driver IC — the current of every channel is set together with a single external resistor.
Chipone · driver IC, 16-channel constant current
Chipone ICND2038S LED wall component
The driver IC is the chip on the module that actually regulates the current of the individual LED pixels and thereby their brightness — it is the single most important component in determining whether the wall will be patchy after two years. The ICND2038S is a 16-channel driver with constant current outputs, on which the output current is set with a single external (Rext) resistor, in a range of roughly 0.5-45 mA per channel at 5V supply and roughly 0.5-25 mA at 3.3V.
This is an entry-level driver family that does not perform PWM control on its own — in practice it is often found on lower-price-bracket, less critical modules (indoor ones with a coarser pixel pitch, for instance), where visible grayscale banding is less disturbing than it would be on a fine-pitch display seen from close up.
Where the ICND2038S sits in an LED wall system
The driver ICs sit on the rear of the module, arranged in rows; a 16-channel chip drives one colour channel of 16 pixel columns, so a classic 64×32 pixel HUB75 module needs 12 of them (3 colours × 4 chips). Its inputs take the serial data, clock (CLK), latch (LAT) and output enable (OE) lines coming from the receiving card, while row selection is handled by a separate decoder IC. The output current is set globally by the Rext resistor — the brightness headroom is therefore decided in hardware, at manufacture.
WHEN IT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
On less critical, typically indoor displays with a coarser pixel pitch, where price matters more than the finest grayscale gradation or the highest refresh rate.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
If the wall runs at low brightness (indoors in a darkened space, at a low PWM duty cycle), a simpler driver IC is more likely to produce visible grayscale banding and channel-to-channel variation than a driver optimised for low grayscale (with ghosting suppression and precision current regulation, for instance).
The ICND2038S in practice
This is the component that cannot be replaced afterwards, yet the buyer sees its effect every day. With a simpler driver the wall is still fine at 100% brightness, but turned down — in night-time operation, in a darkened room, at 10-20% brightness — the grayscale becomes stepped, and a faint ghost image remains on the switched-off pixels in dark picture areas. So at the acceptance test, ask not only for white and colour test patterns but also for a slow fade starting from black at 10% brightness. Ask for the driver IC's exact type number in the quotation; if the supplier is only willing to write 'A-class driver', that in itself is telling.
Alternatives to the ICND2038S
If the wall goes in front of a camera or is viewed from close up, the Chipone ICND2153 with built-in PWM, or the Macroblock MBI5153/MBI5253, is the next step up: these reduce ghosting with a precharge circuit and also flag open-circuit LEDs. For an indoor wall running at low brightness, the MBI5124's PrecisionDrive is the targeted choice. The decision does not come down to the size of the wall but to three things: how far away it is viewed from, whether it goes in front of a camera, and what brightness the wall runs at for most of the day.
ICND2038S manual and datasheet
The documents live on the manufacturer's own site and open in a new window — so you always get the latest version. We do not copy or translate their contents.
Related LED wall components
LED wall component — but what does it go into?
On its own the Chipone ICND2038S is a component. With us it works inside these displays — design, manufacturing and installation included.
