Flexible LED strip light basics
The typical flexible LED strip light is powered from a 12 V supply. This is enough to power several LEDs in series. This is more efficient than connecting them all in parallel since the same current can power three LEDs rather than only one. Schematic diagram of strip. Note that cutting in the wrong place … Continue reading "Flexible LED strip light basics"
Light bulb
LEDs are replacing incandescent light bulbs in many applications and over the next decade or so we are likely to see very few bulbs in new products. There will always be special cases where certain features of the light bulb make it the best choice – e.g., broad continuous spectrum or both light and heat are required. … Continue reading "Light bulb"
Failure modes for LEDs
In this article we examine various failure modes of LEDs including reverse voltage, due to accidental reverse connection, AC powered and multiplexed displays. Reverse voltage Almost all LEDs can withstand 5 V reverse voltage. (We rely on this to avoid damaging LEDs in Testing unknown LEDs.) If you try your own reverse voltage limit testing you … Continue reading "Failure modes for LEDs"
