PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illumination unit capable of controlling a light quantity to a target light quantity with a high degree of accuracy, without breaking down the balance of an outgoing light quantity ratio among a plurality of semiconductor light sources, and an endoscopic apparatus equipped with the illumination unit.SOLUTION: The illumination unit includes: the plurality of the semiconductor light sources that give off light with spectra different from one another a target light quantity setting means for setting the target light quantity for a total outgoing light quantity a light quantity ratio setting means for setting the outgoing light quantity ratio among the plurality of semiconductor light sources an amplitude value setting means for setting amplitude values of driving signals for the semiconductor light sources on the basis of the set outgoing light quantity ratio, respectively and a driving signal generating means for generating the driving signals through the use of common pulse modulation control based on the target light quantity, while keeping the driving signals at the set amplitude values, respectively. When the target light quantity is set, a driving pulse signal corresponding to the target light quantity is set in common among the semiconductor light sources. The driving pulse signal is set at the amplitude value corresponding to the outgoing light quantity ratio, so as to generate individual driving signals for driving the respective semiconductor light sources.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】複数の半導体光源の出射光量比のバランスを崩すことなく、目標光量に高精度に制御することができる照明装置及びこれを備えた内視鏡装置を提供する。【解決手段】照明装置は、互いに異なるスペクトルの光を出射する複数の半導体光源と、全出射光量に対する目標光量を設定する目標光量設定手段と、複数の半導体光源の出射光量比を設定する光量比設定手段と、設定された出射光量比に基づいて各半導体光源に対する駆動信号の振幅値をそれぞれ設定する振幅値設定手段と、各駆動信号を、設定された振幅値に保持しつつ目標光量に応じた共通のパルス変調制御により生成する駆動信号生成手段とを有する。目標光量が設定されると、その目標光量に応じた駆動パルス信号が各半導体光源に共通に設定され、この駆動パルス信号を出射光量比に応じた振幅値にして各半導体光源を駆動する個別駆動信号が生成される。【選択図】図1
