The lighting unit which contains one or more electric light sources and all the parts necessary for its operation is called a fixture. Fixture provides necessary protection to light source and other equipments and controls light distribution.
LED Driver
LED is a durable lighting technology that provides high light output with low energy consumption. This technology requires special power supplies to work. LED driver is a electronic device that provides required voltage and current to LED or LED array to work.
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LED is a durable lighting technology that provides high light output with low energy consumption. This technology requires special power supplies to work. LED driver is a electronic device that provides required voltage and current to LED or LED array to work.
A specific voltage is needed to be operated a LED. This voltage may vary with the temperature of the LED. Voltage decreases while LEDs heat up and this causes the LED to draw more current. Constant current LED driver has a constant current output in a given voltage range. Thus prevents the LED to get damage in heat changes.
Exposure of LEDs to high current will cause permanent lumen losses and therefore short life span. LED drivers provide protection to LEDs against current and voltage fluctuations. In any adverse situation, it ensures that the LEDs are not affected by fluctuations in the main network and remain within the operating range, ensuring long-term use.
LED lights can have internal or external LED driver. Internal LED drivers can be used in LED lamps that have drivers in their same case in residential buildings. External LED drivers are generally preferred for outdoor lighting such as street lights and projectors. Most of the LED lighting failures are caused by the driver. Maintenance, repair and replacement of the driver becomes easier when the external LED driver is used.
While choosing LED driver, features such as input voltage, output voltage, output current, control options and IP protection degree should be considered.
The input voltage is decided primarily as AC/DC. AC current should be preferred for the systems to be powered by main voltage and DC current should be preferred for the systems to be powered by battery or DC power supply. After the selecting the voltage type, the input voltage range should be determined according to the requirement.
Constant current or constant voltage should be chosen according to needs. This selection should be decided according to LED module design. Constant current LED drivers are mostly used in the LED lighting implementations.
Determining the output voltage and output current is extremely important. These values must be selected according to the characteristics of the LED. The power of the LED driver is also determined by these values.
If it is desired to control the brightness of the light source, it should be ensured that the driver has suitable dimming features such as 1-10V, DALI, PWM.
The need of IP class must be determined according to the location of the luminaire, its purpose and the characteristics of the section where the drive will be placed. High level of IP protection means superior protection against water, dust and moisture.
Emre Yılmaz, the founder of Lighting Portal, graduated from Atılım University Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2013, and since then has been involved in the management and product development activities of state-supported projects in the lighting industry. He completed his master's degree at Gazi University Industrial Design Engineering Department and continues his education in the doctorate program of the same department.
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