Abstract: An LED illuminator and its associated method of operation. The LED illuminator has an LED array that contains LEDS of one or more colors. An LED driver is provided for each LED color type. Each LED driver has a dimming input for receiving a dimming command signal and a strobe input for receiving a strobe command signal. Each LED driver selectively dims the LEDs it controls when the dimming command signal is received and strobes the LEDs it controls when the strobe command signal is received. A microcontroller is provided that has a separate dimming signal output for each of the LED drivers. The microcontroller is coupled to each dimming input within the LED drivers. The microcontroller has a single strobe signal output coupled to all of the strobe inputs of all the LED drivers. The microcontroller selectively generates the strobe command signal and each dimming command signal.