Nichia extends Pixelated Light Source family
LED manufacturer Nichia will present its portfolio of Pixelated Light Source (PLS) solutions for adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlamps at the International Symposium on Automotive Lighting (ISAL) held in Darmstadt, Germany between September 22 – 24, 2025.
The Pixelated Light Source family now includes two new additions — the µPLS Mini and DominoPLS — enabling car makers and system integrators to scale glare‑free headlighting from entry‑level ADB applications to high‑definition projection.
The DominoPLS is a simplified modular platform designed to support popular small cars transitioning from halogen or conventional LED systems. The plug-in ‘Domino’ LEDs enable more advanced dynamic beam control and reduced optical stack height, allowing designers to upgrade to ADB without needing to retool entire lamp housings.
Nichia’s µPLS Mini (MicroPLS Mini) combines a proprietary 3,000+ pixel-range micro-LED matrix with Infineon’s LITIX driver ASIC based on the same technology as the first µPLS (MicroPLS). The product enables individually addressable pixel dimming, higher brightness and symbol projection compared to low and mid-LED count ADB solutions. Additional electronic interfaces are included for simplification of the integration in existing electronic architectures.
Nichia’s compact MicroPLS, for premium and upper-mid-range vehicles, is already used in vehicles such as the Porsche Cayenne. First introduced in 2023, the High-Definition (HD) device is capable of sophisticated image projection using over 16,000 individually addressable pixels. According to Nichia, this level of precision enables the headlamp to create sharp, glare-free cut-outs around oncoming traffic while maintaining full illumination elsewhere on the road, as well as enabling dynamic light projections, including on-road symbols and personalized ‘welcome home’ lighting scenarios — blending safety, innovation, and a premium driving experience.
“By extending our PLS technology to both lower-end and higher applications, we are empowering every automaker to deliver the safety of glare-free lighting and the communication possibilities of road projection, whether they are building a flagship EV or a cost-sensitive city hatchback,” said Yusuke ‘Karl’ Yamazaki, VP of automotive at Nichia Europe GmbH. “With the introduction of DominoPLS and MicroPLS Mini, we now offer OEMs a road-tested path to fit the appropriate ADB headlamp to match their performance and budget needs, all supported by a proven technology stack.”
Headlamp performance is determined by more than pixel count alone, points out Nichia. Factors such as optical efficiency, driver-IC bandwidth, thermal management, and manufacturing yield are vital to achieve glare-free performance at an affordable cost. For instance, the DominoPLS family achieves class-leading efficiency by pairing larger die with on-board phosphor to minimise light losses. The MicroPLS Mini uses a digital driver to power only the LEDs in use, cutting idle power consumption in half during city driving. This integrated control system allows for microsecond-level switching, uniform brightness, and native connectivity to automotive communication protocols such as CAN-FD and SPI.
