Why Do You Need Constant Current LED Drivers?
As of today, LED lights and accessories make up more than one-third of the total lighting market. They are particularly popular in commercial applications due to their lower energy consumption, longer lifespan, and environmental friendliness. LED light requires a device that could control the current to prevent fluctuations in output, flickering, and even burnout. To avoid these problems, as well as to enhance performance in the application, such as dimming and color changes, it is necessary to use a control device known as a "driver". Before explaining the questions in the title, it is necessary to understand that LEDs are constant current devices with a forward voltage drop. As soon as the voltage supply exceeds that fixed voltage drop, the electrical current flows through the LEDs, and by controlling the current, you control the brightness. Figure 1 Figure 1 shows the forward current versus forward voltage for CREE XM-L2 LEDs. According to the above graph, the XM-L2 will turn on above 2.6V. When the LED is turned on, even the smallest 3% change in the voltage (2.95V to 3.05V) can create a 50% increase in current driven to the XM-L2 as you can see at the red marks in the curve moving from 1000mA to 1600mA. If the voltage changes frequently, the visible light changes synchronizing. Constant current LED drivers maintain a constant current by varying the voltage across the electronic circuit. As a result, no matter the fluctuations in voltage, or the changes in electrical resistance in LEDs due to the rise in temperature, the current driven to the LED will remain at the specified level. The constant current drivers are designed for LEDs that require a fixed output current and a range of voltages. A constant current driver usually lists its specifications on the device, with one rating for output current and a range of voltages based on the LED's wattage. Choosing constant current LED drivers is the best option if you are building your LED lighting project. As their current is limited, the life of the luminaire can be extended at lower temperatures when using the rated output current. A LED driver usually has a Tc point, which indicates the position of the drive's highest temperature. They are easier for designers to control in the project, produce a more consistent brightness level in the LED group, and consume less power than constant voltage power supplies. In low-power applications, such as cabinet lights or Christmas tree lights, constant voltage drivers are more flexible. It does not matter when it refers to power consumption as it is a low-power application. Constant voltage is sometimes the first power source used to drive DC/DC LED drivers, such as landscape lights, since the output voltage is fixed, usually 12VDC or 24VDC, which is below the ELV (Extra-low voltage) to prevent electrical shocks. To learn more about the CP series, please click on the website below. • MU320HxxxAQ_CP Series • ME200HxxxAQ_CP Series • MT320HxxxAQ_CP Series