LED retrofit bulbs are considered by many as the heir apparent to incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps, due to their superior energy efficiency and long life. Key barriers to mass adoption have been higher cost and, like compact fluorescents, poor dimmer compatibility. None of the LED bulbs available today, which are primarily based on analog controllers, provide consumers broad compatibility with the wide variety of dimmers installed within residences, retailers and businesses. Dimmer incompatibly problems, which include bulbs that produce flickering or flashing light or the inability to turn on or off, are a leading cause for high rate of return by consumers.

“Several years ago Cirrus Logic identified the growing LED market as an area where we could leverage our signal processing expertise and solve meaningful engineering challenges,” said Jason Rhode, Cirrus Logic president and CEO. “To the consumer, buying an LED lamp today can be a frustrating experience because so many of them just don’t work once you take them home. As it turns out, solving the challenges of dimmer compatibility was enormously complex, and we are pleased that one of the largest LED lamp manufacturers has showcased our first LED controller precisely because it provides near-perfect compatibility with every installed dimmer from around the world that we could find and test.”

Market analyst firm Datapoint Research estimates that the LED lamp market in ambient lighting applications will grow from around 200 million units in 2011 to around one billion units by 2015. “Making LED light bulbs nearly universally compatible with all of the dimmer systems that currently exist around the world is one of the biggest challenges facing LED bulb manufacturers," said Jon Gamble, senior analyst, Datapoint Research. “Solving dimmer compatibility whilst maintaining a competitive bill of materials is key to accelerating the LED market toward widespread consumer adoption during the next few years.”