What do LEDs do? Choosing a lamp for the home. Average service life

LEDs have become one of the most common light sources for industrial and domestic needs. This semiconductor device has a single electrical junction; it converts electrical energy into visible light energy. The phenomenon was discovered by Henry Joseph Round in 1907. The first experiments were carried out by the Soviet experimental physicist O.V. Losev, who in 1929 managed to obtain a working prototype of a modern LED.

The first modern LEDs ( SD, LED, LED) were created in the early sixties. They had a faint red glow and were used as power indicators in a variety of devices. In the 90s, blue, yellow, green and white LEDs appeared. Many companies began to produce them on an industrial scale. Today, LED diodes are used everywhere: in traffic lights, light bulbs, cars, and so on.

Device

An LED is a semiconductor device with an electron-hole junction that produces optical radiation when current passes through it in the forward direction.

A standard indicator LED is made of the following parts;

1 - Epoxy lens
2 - Wire contact
3 - Reflector
4 — Semiconductor (Determines the color of the glow)
5 and 6 - Electrodes
7 - Flat cut

The cathode and anode are fixed at the base of the LED. The entire device is hermetically sealed with a lens on top. A crystal is installed on the cathode. The contacts have conductors that are connected to the crystal by a p-n junction (a connecting wire for combining two conductors with different types of conductivity). To create stable operation of the LED, a heat sink is used, which is necessary for lighting devices. In indicator instruments, heat is not of decisive importance.

DIP diodes have leads that are mounted in holes on a printed circuit board; they are connected to an electrical contact by soldering. There are models with several crystals of different colors in one case.

SMD LEDs today are the most popular light sources of any format.

The base of the case, where the crystal is attached, is an excellent heat conductor. Thanks to this, heat removal from the crystal has improved significantly.
In the structure of white LEDs, between the lens and the semiconductor there is a layer of phosphor that neutralizes ultraviolet radiation and sets the required color temperature.
SMD components with a wide radiation angle do not have a lens. At the same time, the LED itself is distinguished by its parallelepiped shape.

Chip-On-Board (COB) represents the latest practical advancement that is poised to take the lead in white LED lighting in artificial lighting.

The design of LEDs using COB technology assumes the following:

Dozens of crystals without a substrate or housing are attached to an aluminum base using dielectric glue.
The resulting matrix is covered with a common layer of phosphor. The result is a light source that has a uniform distribution of luminous flux without the possibility of shadows.

A variation of Chip-On-Board is Chip-On-Glass (COG), a technology that involves placing many small crystals on a glass surface. For example, these are filament lamps, where the emitting element is a glass rod with LEDs coated with phosphor.

Operating principle

Despite the technological features and varieties, the operation of all LEDs is based on the general principle of operation of the emitting element:

The conversion of electricity into light flux is carried out in a crystal, which is made of semiconductors with a wide variety of conductivity types.
A material with n-conductivity is provided by doping it with electrons, and a material with p-conductivity with holes. As a result, additional charge carriers of different directions appear in adjacent layers.
When a direct voltage is applied, the movement of electrons and holes to the p-n junction starts.
The charged particles pass the barrier and begin to recombine, causing an electric current to flow.
The process of recombination of an electron and a hole in the p-n junction zone occurs by releasing energy as a photon.

In general, this physical phenomenon is characteristic of all semiconductor diodes. However, the photon wavelength in most cases lies outside the visible spectrum of radiation. In order for an elementary particle to move in the range of 400-700 nm, scientists conducted many experiments and experiments with different chemical elements. As a result, new compounds appeared: gallium phosphide, gallium arsenide and more complex forms. Each of them has its own wavelength, that is, its own color of radiation.
In addition, in addition to the useful light that the LED emits, a certain amount of heat is generated at the p-n junction, which reduces the efficiency of the semiconductor device. That is why the design of high-power LEDs provides for efficient heat dissipation.

Varieties

Currently, LED diodes can be of the following types:

Lighting, that is, with high power. Their illumination level is equal to tungsten and fluorescent light sources.
Indicator lamps – with low power, they are used for illumination in devices.

LED indicator diodes according to the type of connection are divided into:

Double GaP (gallium, phosphorus) - have green and orange light in the structure of the visible spectrum.
Triple AIGaAs (aluminum, arsenic, gallium) - have yellow and orange light in the structure of the visible spectrum.
Triple GaAsP (arsenic, gallium, phosphorus) - have red and yellow-green light in the structure of the visible spectrum.

Based on the type of housing, LED elements can be:

DIP- an outdated low-power model, they are used to illuminate light boards and toys.
"piranha" or Superflux– analogues of DIP, but with four contacts. They are used for lighting in cars, heat up less and are better attached.
SMD– the most common type, used in a variety of light sources.
COB- These are advanced SMD LEDs.

Application

The applications of LEDs can be divided into two broad categories:

Lighting.
Using direct light.

LED in lighting is used to illuminate an object, space or surface, rather than being directly visible. These are interior lighting, flashlights, lighting of building facades, lighting in cars, backlighting of mobile phone keys and displays, and so on. LED diodes are widely used in communicators and cell phones.

Direct LED light is used to transmit information, for example, in full-color video displays, in which LED diodes form the display pixels, as well as in alphanumeric displays. Direct light is also used in signaling devices. For example, these are turn indicators and brake lights of cars, traffic lights and signs.

The future of LEDs

Scientists are creating a new generation of LEDs, for example, based on nanocrystalline thin films of perovskite. They are cheap, effective and durable. Researchers hope that such LED diodes will be used instead of conventional laptop and smartphone screens, including in household and street lighting.

Fiber LED diodes are also being created, which are intended to create wearable displays. Scientists believe that the created method for producing fiber LEDs will allow for mass production and make the integration of wearable electronics into clothing and textiles completely inexpensive.

Typical characteristics

LEDs are characterized by the following parameters:

Color characteristics.
Wavelength.
Current strength.
Voltage (type of voltage applied).
Brightness (luminous flux intensity).

LED brightness is proportional to the current flowing through it, that is, the higher the voltage, the greater the brightness. The unit of luminous intensity is lumen per steradian and is also measured in millicandelas. There are bright (20-50 mcd.), as well as super bright (20,000 mcd. or more) white LED diodes.

The magnitude of the voltage drop is a characteristic of the permissible values of direct and reverse connections. If the supply voltage is higher than these values, then an electrical breakdown is observed.

The strength of the current determines the brightness of the glow. The current strength of lighting elements is usually 20 mA; for indicator LEDs it is 20-40 mA.

The color of the LED radiation depends on the active substances added to the semiconductor material.

The wavelength of light is determined by the energy difference during the transition of electrons at the recombination stage. It is determined by the doping impurities and the source semiconductor material.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of LEDs are:

Low power consumption.
Long service life, measured at 30-100 thousand hours.
High light output. LEDs provide 10-250250 lumens of luminous flux per watt of power.
No toxic mercury vapor.
Wide application.

Flaws:

Poor characteristics of low-quality LEDs created by unknown manufacturers.
Relatively high price of high-quality LEDs.
The need for quality power supplies.

Content:

LED lighting is becoming increasingly popular and is gradually replacing traditional lighting devices. Many types of LEDs produced by manufacturers are constantly being improved, their design becoming better every year. Power increases and enclosures become more optimized for use in various applications. A huge selection of colors makes it possible to create the desired lighting in different rooms. Modern LEDs, thanks to their characteristic features, can be easily classified by type, which greatly facilitates their selection for certain purposes.

What types of LEDs are there?

The very first LEDs were used as indicators and continue to be used in this area to this day. The most widespread are indicator LEDs, which are elements of output mounting. They have a rectangular or round lens and are found from the simplest devices to the most complex modern equipment. They are used not only for indication, but also as backlight.

The most characteristic representatives of this group have round convex lenses, the diameter of which ranges from 3 to 10 mm. However, the low current of these LEDs does not make it possible to obtain a large amount of light, making their use as lighting devices impractical. They are most suitable for devices such as tickers and light displays. They require little current and voltage and hardly heat up.

Indicator LEDs can be white or colored according to the standard color spectrum. Some designs are available in multi-color options. In this case, one lens is equipped with three transitions, and the lower part is equipped with four leads. Such elements are more functional, which makes it possible to create color LED displays.

With the development of technology, more modern bright LEDs began to be used in output mounting. The luminous intensity of these elements is much higher than that of indicator LEDs, so they have become widely used for flashlights.

Surface mounting on a printed circuit board is increasingly performed using LEDs that combine indicator and lighting functions. Known under the brand name SMD - Surface Mounted Device. They are enclosed in cases with a standard size range. In terms of power, they can be compared with indicator LEDs. A large number of such LEDs can be mounted on a small printed circuit board area. Due to this, it is possible to obtain LED lamps and panels of almost any size.

Separately, it is worth noting a group of ultra-bright LEDs, widely used in outdoor advertising and car tuning. They are known as "Piranha" and have a rectangular shape and improved scattering properties. Four pins allow you to rigidly mount the element on a board or other plane. Primary colors are white, red, green and blue, sizes are 3-7.7 mm.

Currently, LEDs are most widely used indoors. They are represented by the COB model range, which means Ghip On Board. These light sources can be warm and cold, white, yellow and other shades. They are similar in color to regular incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, and even natural sunlight. These parameters directly depend on the characteristics of the semiconductors and the applied phosphor. Mainly blue LEDs are used for coating, which makes it possible to obtain red, green, yellow and other colors. Light qualities are as close as possible to fluorescent lighting.

Structurally, SOV LEDs consist of many crystalline semiconductors mounted on a common substrate and coated with a phosphor. Thus, it is possible to achieve high brightness due to the total luminous flux created by several light sources located very closely together. If necessary, such LEDs can be used as indicators.

During operation, these elements necessarily require heat removal, and devices with increased and high power are equipped with radiators. Otherwise, the LED crystals will be destroyed under the influence of heat. If they are partially destroyed, the entire substrate will need to be replaced. Therefore, it is recommended to take care of cooling in advance.

Today, Filament light sources, whose LEDs resemble a regular incandescent filament, are becoming increasingly popular. The luminous properties of this type of LEDs are noticeably superior to any OWL models. This is achieved due to a large number of crystals mounted on a glass substrate. Next, the entire structure is filled with a fluorescent composition. This technology is called Chip On Glass, which means chip on glass.

The visible solid angle is 3600, so the luminous efficiency is higher than that of flat matrices. A 6 W LED lamp has the same luminous emission as a conventional 60 W incandescent lamp.

LED parameters

One of the main characteristics of LEDs is operating current. The fact is that these elements can only operate at a certain current strength, which ensures normal operation. Therefore, even a slight excess of the set current value will quickly lead to failure of the LED - it will simply burn out.

The operating current is different for each type of light source. More powerful elements require a corresponding higher current. To adjust the required current value, special drivers are installed in each LED lamp and luminaire. If the LED is connected separately, knowledge of its technical characteristics is necessary to limit the current using the required driver, capacitor or resistor.

An equally important parameter of LEDs is the operating voltage. Its value depends on the semiconductors themselves and other materials used in manufacturing. Thus, LEDs with different colors have different operating voltages. That is, the operating voltage value can be set by the color of a particular LED.

In most cases, the power supply of lamps and LED strips is carried out using drivers, with an output DC current of 12 V. That is, in a series circuit there can only be 4 LEDs with an operating voltage of 3 V. If you turn on an additional fifth LED, such a circuit will not work. This characteristic is also called voltage drop, which in this case is 3 volts.

We must not forget about such a parameter as LED power. Its performance is influenced by two previous characteristics - operating current and voltage drop. High current for high-power LEDs must be combined with a high-quality cooling system. For this purpose, aluminum and copper radiators are used, as well as forced air coolers.

The power of any LED is determined by multiplying the voltage by the current. When calculating the LED assembly, all used elements are taken into account. For example, the total power of an LED containing 100 1-watt crystals will be 100 watts.

Emitted by lighting LEDs, it has a higher power compared to other sources - incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps and other lamps with the same or higher power. Consequently, they have a higher luminous efficiency for each watt of power of a particular LED. However, these superior qualities will vary markedly depending on the type and workmanship of the particular item.

The dispersion angle is of no small importance. For LEDs it is less than for other lamps. To expand it, special diverging lenses are used. If it is necessary to create a narrow scattering angle, collective lenses are used to narrow the light beam. The brightness of the LED light beam will be uneven within the boundaries of the scattering angle. The bright glow in the center gradually decreases as the light flux approaches the edges of this corner.

Classification

Translated from English, the abbreviation LED literally means “a diode that emits light.” This is a semiconductor device capable of transforming electric current into a simple device, the design of which is quite different from the lighting products we are used to (incandescent lamps, discharge lamps, fluorescent lamps, etc.).

It will be interesting for everyone to know how an LED works. This device does not have inherently unreliable fragile structural elements and a glass bulb (unlike other lamps). The cost of diodes is so low that they are not much different from the batteries that serve as their power source. The popularity of such products is explained by a number of factors, including their design.

History of origin

When considering why LEDs work, you should study the history of their origin. For the first time such a device was created in 1962 by scientist N. Holonyak. It was a monochrome glow. It had a number of disadvantages, but the technology itself was considered promising.

10 years after the creation of the red diode, green and yellow varieties appeared. They were used as indicators in many electronic devices. Thanks to scientific developments, the intensity of the luminous flux of diodes has constantly increased. In the 90s, a illuminator with a flux efficiency of 1 lumen was created.

In 1993, S. Nakamura created the first blue diode, which was characterized by high brightness. From this moment on, it became possible to create any color in the spectrum (including white). Technology has developed relentlessly.

When blue and ultraviolet type diodes are connected, a white phosphor illuminator is obtained. They began to gradually replace incandescent lamps. By 2005, diodes with a luminous flux power of up to 100 lm and even higher were being produced. They began to produce white lighting fixtures with different shades (warm, cold).

LED device

To understand how a spot LED works, you need to take a closer look at its design. This lighting device, according to representatives of the Association for the Development of the Optoelectronic Industry and the Department of Energy, will soon become the most popular source of lighting in ordinary homes, offices, and institutions.

The LED is based on a semiconductor crystal. It passes electric current only in one direction. The crystal is located on a special substrate. It doesn't conduct current. The case protects the crystal from external influences. It has outputs in the form of contacts, as well as an optical system.

To increase the service life of the device, the space between the plastic lens and the crystal itself was filled with a transparent silicone component. An aluminum base is used to remove excess heat. This is a common device of a modern diode. During operation, it emits relatively little. This is also an advantage of the device.

Principle of operation

When considering how an LED works, it is necessary to understand the basic principle of operation of such devices. The device of the presented type has one electron-hole junction. This is due to the different principles of conductivity of the illuminator components. One semiconductor has an excess of electrons, and the other has an excess of holes.

Through the doping process, the holey material is enriched with negative charge carriers. If a current is applied where the semiconductors are enriched with opposite charges, a forward bias will result. Electricity will flow through the junction of these two materials.

In this case, charge carriers with different electrical status fuse in the diode body. When holes and electrons collide, a certain amount of energy is released. This is a quantum of light flux. It is called a photon.

LED color

Various semiconductor materials are used to create diodes. This determines the color that the presented device emits when operating. Different materials are capable of sending waves of different lengths into space. This allows the human eye to see one or another color of the visible spectrum.

When studying how an LED works, you should consider semiconductor materials. Previously, gallium phosphide and ternary compounds GaAsP and AlGaAs were used for similar purposes. In this case, the device could send red, yellow-green

The presented technology is currently used only for indicator devices. Today, indium gallium aluminum (AllnGaP) and indium gallium nitride (InGaN) are used for such products. They can withstand a fairly high level of passing current, high humidity and heat. A combination of different types of LEDs is possible.

Mixing colors

Modern diode strips can produce different shades of luminous flux. One device can produce a monotonous color. When creating a multi-chip device, it is possible to obtain a huge number of different shades. Like a TV or computer monitor, a diode can create any color using the RGB model (which stands for red, green, blue).

This is a simple principle to understand how RGB LEDs work. Using this technology, you can create white lighting. To do this, all three colors are mixed in equal proportions.

However, in addition to the presented technology, it is possible to obtain a white glow by connecting a short-wave radiation diode (ultraviolet, blue) together with a yellow phosphor-type coating. When yellow and blue photons are combined, the result is white light.

Production

To understand how many volts LEDs operate at, it is necessary to consider the production of these devices. First of all, it should be noted that devices with an RGB matrix are more expensive than phosphor forms. Moreover, the latter make it possible to achieve high quality lighting.

The disadvantage of phosphors is lower light output, as well as different color (temperature) of the flux. This device ages faster than an LED. Therefore, lighting devices of both operating principles go on sale. To create indicators, diodes are produced with a consumption of 2-4 V DC voltage (at a current of 50 mA).

To create full-fledged lighting, you need devices with the same voltage consumption, but a higher current level - up to 1 A. If diodes are connected in series in one module, the total voltage will reach 12 or 24 V.

Brightness Boost

Considering the question of what voltage LEDs operate from, it should be said about increasing the brightness of the presented devices. The power of such devices reaches 60 mW. If such diodes are installed in a medium-sized housing, 15-20 light elements will need to be installed.

Diodes with enhanced brightness can carry a power of up to 240 W. To ensure normal illumination, 4-8 pieces of such elements will be required. There are devices on sale that are capable of fully illuminating rooms, outdoor advertising, shop windows, etc. Some strips are created to provide lighting of medium or low intensity.

To connect the presented equipment, control units of appropriate power are used. For colored tapes, it is possible to use controllers that control not only the light intensity, but also set the shades and modes of operation of the device.

Glow control

There are a huge number of options for the equipment presented. There are LEDs that operate on batteries (for example, in flashlights), powered into a stationary network. They are used for both internal and external work. Depending on the application conditions, the appropriate diode protection class is selected.

To adjust the brightness of the glow, the supply voltage is not reduced. To reduce the glow intensity, pulse width modulation (PWM) is used. In this case, a control unit is purchased.

The presented method involves applying a pulse-modulated current to the diode. The signal frequency reaches thousands of hertz. The width of pulses and pause intervals can be changed. In this case, you can control the glow of the device. In this case the diode will not go out.

Durability

Diodes are considered long-lasting devices. This is due to their design. However, if the LEDs on the lamp do not work, their service life may have expired. This can be determined by the intensity of the glow and color change.

Experts also note that the service life of low-power devices is much longer. But even in the brightest strips or lamps, diodes are guaranteed to operate for 20-50 thousand hours. Since they do not have fragile structural elements, mechanical impacts are more likely not to harm such illuminators.

By studying how an LED works, you can understand the design principle of this device, as well as its operational characteristics. This equipment is considered to be the illuminators of the future generation.

Conventional lamps are being replaced by LED lamps everywhere. Today this is the best way of lighting for cars and homes, more durable and easier to replace. So, what is the principle of operation of an LED and how to choose it correctly?

LED and how it works

An LED is a special electrical device that converts current into some kind of glow. Today, LEDs are better known as LED, which means “light-emitting diode.”

The device is semiconductor and consists of a crystal chip, a housing, contact pins and an optical device. The light comes from the crystal, and its color can vary depending on the material used. The brightness of the LED, as well as its color, can also vary. For example, for a greater lighting effect, several crystals are often inserted into one lamp, producing a single-color light, which together forms a bright glow.

The brightness of the device directly depends on the strength of the electric current supplied to it. In turn, too powerful a flow of electricity causes rapid overheating of the internal crystal and disables it. In view of this, the design of the LED is somewhat expensive in terms of the cost of materials, which somewhat negatively affects the choice of such lamps.

Based on brightness, LEDs are usually divided into categories:

ultra-bright, their minimum power is 1 W;
high brightness LEDs - reach 20 mW;
standard lamps.

Today, a LED block that is built into the lamp is widely used. Thanks to it, it is also possible to select the optimal lighting mode.

Advantages of LEDs over other types of lighting

LED is the best choice of lighting type today, which has a number of advantages:

Durability.
Possibility to adjust the color and brightness of the lamp.
Color saturation, the ability to select red, blue, green LEDs or make the color change.
Possibility of electronic control.
Environmentally friendly materials that do not contain heavy substances that are harmful to the environment and dangerous if improperly disposed of.
Low power consumption, 1 watt produces several times more light.
The light is clean and as close to natural as possible.
Do not overheat thanks to proper light output.
Reliability and strength.

Why did LEDs become popular in the auto industry? This type of lighting is ideal for cars, gradually replacing halogen and xenon lamps. His positive qualities:

the ability to direct lighting when turning the steering wheel - creating adaptive headlights;
aesthetically looks better than other types of headlights;
increased safety due to improved visibility on the road;
vibration resistance;
often LEDs are installed in a housing where moisture does not penetrate;
reaching the operating state occurs faster, for this reason the brake lights work better.

Of course, these advantages are inherent only in truly high-quality products, so it is not worth saving on them, especially since their service life is significantly increased compared to Chinese products. Additionally, the service life of LED lamps, when compared with conventional lamps, is also much longer.

Classification of LEDs

There are 2 main types of LEDs - for illumination (indicator) and for lighting. Their strength and durability depend on the supply of electric current; therefore, the second type of LEDs lasts a shorter period of time, since the crystal wears out faster. However, these lighting devices are very durable and last several thousand hours.

A lighting LED is a device that provides reliable and powerful light. It is widely used in design, creating the desired level of illumination.

Based on the type of housing, it is customary to distinguish LEDs in the form of “Star”, “Piranha” and SMD. Among them, the most popular are “Piranhas”, since their luminous flux seems to be of better quality. Their design feature is a rectangular shape with leads along the edges, which ensure rigid adhesion to the surface. In addition, the substrate of the device has excellent heat dissipation. These devices are widely used in cars and advertising. They are varied in size and color: red, white, green, blue LED.

Indicator LEDs have a simpler design, their light is not as strong and are used to illuminate displays and instrument panels. Indicator LEDs are divided into round, oval and rectangular shapes.

Lenses also differ from each other, they can be built into both lighting and Some are designed to diffuse light (the vast majority of these devices), others for focusing, thanks to the directed beam of light produced. Moreover, in the second group there are flat, cone-shaped and round lenses.

Based on the color of the lens, LEDs are:

colorless transparent;
painted transparent;
painted matte.

In addition, the color range of the device is now very diverse. There is yellow, red, blue, green LED, etc. These colors are skillfully combined to create an even wider spectrum. The most difficult thing, oddly enough, is to get pure white.

A white LED is obtained in three ways:

the simultaneous use of red, blue and green colors in the correct proportions gives the feeling of white;
the use of a blue diode with an admixture of yellow;
the third method requires the use of fluorescent materials that convert ultraviolet radiation, acting on the principle of a fluorescent lamp.

White LED is the most common, although it is somewhat difficult to obtain. It can be cold and warm. On a light bulb this parameter is usually indicated in Kelvin; the lower the value, the yellower and warmer the color. Manufacturers recommend choosing the average setting, although you can also quickly get used to cold, bluish light.

Choosing a lamp for the home

Choosing a lamp for your home involves several stages, where you need to decide on the type of network, the diameter of the base and the appearance of the lighting fixture itself.

The 220 volt LED is produced in the most common types of base - E27 and E14. The numbers indicate the thread diameter in millimeters. The first type of lamp is often found in the shape of a ball, the second - a ball or corn.

What are their main advantages? Firstly, it is possible to block and adjust the brightness of the light yourself. Secondly, it is the choice of color lighting and the ability to control it remotely. Thirdly, long service life and increased reliability.

When choosing a shape, you need to pay attention to the fact that corn lamps, although they have quite good characteristics, are still unsafe. Their contacts come out, and manufacturers have recently refused to produce devices of this shape.

To illuminate non-residential premises or bathrooms, less powerful lamps are used, so if there is no need to use a 220-volt LED, you can get by with small flat devices with a G53 and GX53 base. These are round lamps that use several diodes.

When purchasing a lamp, you should pay attention to the following characteristics:

number of diodes - its brightness depends on how many LEDs are in the lamp, especially after a long period of use, when they begin to dim and burn out;
operating temperature mode - you need to take into account that when choosing a lamp for the street, it must be effective even in possible frosts, this is usually indicated in the device passport;
the possibility of pulsations - blinking occurs in cheap lamps, usually when purchasing an expensive one it is reduced to a minimum;
operating conditions sometimes require increased protection of the device, for example, resistance to moisture; you need to ask the seller about this parameter;
when choosing a manufacturer, you need to pay attention to the diameter of the base, since not all imported developers produce 220V LEDs;
the required luminous flux, which is measured in Lumens, - lighting or indicator lamps.

Manufacturer's choice

There are many manufacturers on the market that demonstrate different levels of quality. Accordingly, their supplier pricing policies also differ significantly.

The main disadvantage of LEDs is their cost. Therefore, if you are already paying a lot of money for a product, it is necessary that it be of really high quality. Therefore, it is worthwhile to approach the choice of manufacturer and supplier responsibly.

Manufacturers can be roughly divided into 5 groups.

Chinese cheap unknown brands.
Well-known Chinese and Asian manufacturers. The most popular are Selecta, Camelion, LG. They use modern equipment, and the quality of the products produced by these companies is quite high, so a fairly large segment of the domestic market is occupied by goods from Asia. Separately, it is worth noting LG LEDs, which since 2016 have significantly reduced the price of their products thanks to the use of new technologies in production. Moreover, the quality remains at the same level. There is no doubt about this. The company specializes in medium-power lamps and performs quite well relative to its analogues.
Domestic manufacturers who make a high-quality product, but their technology is quite expensive, so the price of the lamps is corresponding. Unfortunately, in Russia it was too late to learn about the wide possibilities of LEDs and there are not many domestic manufacturers yet. These are, for example, "Optoman" and Gauss. These companies have their own range of products and are available throughout the country.
European manufacturers are represented mainly by German companies Philips, Osram, Bioledex, which have extensive experience in lamp production. Perhaps Philips remains the leader in this market segment, although it is relatively expensive.
Chinese-Russian projects such as Ecola, Newera are also good brands in terms of quality and price, which are much younger than competing companies.

Thus, among such an abundance of manufacturers, it is sometimes quite difficult to choose a worthy brand, so it is especially important and necessary to pay attention mainly to the characteristics of the product and its operating conditions.

Approximate algorithm of actions when installing an LED

If you have even the slightest knowledge of electrics and have had experience installing any lamps, you can try installing the LED yourself. First you need to make sure the lamps are working. The sequence of actions should be as follows:

studying the technical characteristics and calculating how many volts one LED consumes;
drawing up a connection diagram taking into account voltage;
calculation of power consumption of an electrical circuit;
Next, you need to select a power supply that is suitable in terms of power, it can also be a driver;
the LED legs indicate the polarity to which the wires need to be soldered;
connecting the power supply;
installation of diodes and their fastening;
if everything is in order, it is necessary to measure such characteristics as the amount of energy consumed, heating, electric current;
electric current adjustment;
warming up for half an hour - so that nothing happens during the initial installation and in order to prevent overheating, it is better to buy LEDs on a star-shaped substrate.

During operation, especially if these are Chinese-made products, sometimes it is necessary to replace the LEDs. Instead of turning to specialists, you can do the replacement yourself if you have the necessary tools. Having untwisted the lamp, the diodes are ringed using a digital multimeter. They, in turn, are dimly lit, and some of them may not work. Unnecessary diodes are unsoldered and replaced with new ones. Of course, this happens when spare LEDs are available, you can use an old lamp for this.

Today, a popular addition is the Arduino program. An LED can be made to blink by connecting it to it. The Arduino board has many capabilities, inputs and outputs, and you can connect almost any device to it. This program is capable of receiving signals from various devices, which causes it to act on them. This is an easy and convenient programming environment that is easy to handle even for an ordinary user.

Choosing LEDs for a car

Car owners are increasingly switching to a new type of lighting in their cars. This is a really good solution not only in terms of operating mode, but also regarding the appearance of the car. The car will be significantly transformed, attracting the glances of passing drivers. With lighting, you can safely replace all the lamps that are used in the car.

How to choose dimensions and light for front brake lights?

Most of the automotive industry uses lamps without a base, installed in the opening between the headlights. The advantage of LEDs is their resistance to any temperature, since they are located close to the main lighting lamp, overheating of the crystal and its premature failure are possible. In view of this, when choosing lighting, you need to pay attention to the additional protection of LEDs - the presence of an electric current stabilizer.

When choosing lamps, you need to pay attention to their series, for example, the SF series, although it does not have a stabilizer, is quite suitable for a car, since it has a large number of diodes and operates in a wide range, perfectly illuminating the space.

You also need to pay attention to the size of the lamp; for example, the given example SF is a fairly large device. You need to think carefully about everything before purchasing lighting.

Also popular is the series for dimensions - SMD, which has excellent characteristics, but also costs a lot of money.

Car rear lighting

Rear brake lights are usually equipped with base-mounted two-pin LEDs. The most popular series: MSD, 14HP and 3x1W. They have slightly different operating modes and differ in the number of diodes. But everyone has fairly high performance. These LEDs are bright, provide rich light and have a long lifespan.

The most affordable lamps are the SF series lamps.

LEDs for interior

Before choosing lamps for the interior, you need to decide on the type of lighting and the size of the lampshade.

For the interior, you need to select a scallop type lamp - these are oblong devices, 31-41 mm in size. There are 3 types of LEDs for the interior.

Installed in the lamp socket instead of the old conventional light bulb. In size, such LEDs are almost identical to conventional lighting devices; they are used when it is impossible to use another lamp due to the small size of the lampshade.
LEDs are larger than a standard light bulb. Before installation, make sure that such a device is suitable for the ceiling. Due to the larger size, the number of diodes in the lamp also increases. Thus, the lighting becomes much brighter than usual.
Matrices containing a large number of diodes. If the lampshade is large enough and can accommodate a rectangular matrix, then this type of lighting will be the brightest and most saturated.

Interior lighting uses SF or SMD lamps.

In addition, replacing fog lights with LED lamps is widely used in cars. Car enthusiasts who want to stand out from others should pay special attention to LED strip lighting and “angel eyes.”

Summarizing

LED is an excellent alternative to old light bulbs, which helps solve the problem of insufficient room lighting. Even at a higher cost than a regular lamp, this is an excellent investment, since the LED can last for many years and provide bright light to your home and car.

LED is a simple P-N junction diode, the main feature of which is that it emits light when current passes through it. Used in many digital displays as well as other types of indicator devices.

LED operating principle

The basic operating characteristics of any light-emitting diode are similar to those of a conventional diode. When a voltage is applied, electrons move from the N-type material through the P-N junction and connect to the holes in the P-type material. In conventional diodes, the energy that results from electrons connecting to the holes is released as heat. However, when it comes to LEDs, the energy they release is primarily in the form of light.

LEDs can be manufactured to emit red, green, blue, infrared or ultraviolet light. This is achieved by varying the amount and type of materials used as additive. The brightness of the light can also be changed, which is done by controlling the amount of current passing through the LED. However, like any other diode, an LED has a limit on the amount of current it can handle.

Where are LEDs used?

One of the main applications of LEDs is their use as signal lights. For example, this device can be used to check whether current is flowing through a circuit or whether it is de-energized.

A signal light circuit is a series of devices connected to each other in series: an LED, a resistor, a switch, and a DC source.

When the signal light circuit breaker is closed, forward bias voltage from the current source is applied to the LED (which is designed to operate only when forward bias is present). The electrons that break through the P-N junction combine with the holes, resulting in energy being released in the form of light. A resistor placed in this circuit limits the current flow through it in order to protect the LED from damage that excessive current can cause.

LEDs can also be used in digital displays, such as those found in wristwatches or calculators.

By flashing various combinations of seven elements, the display can display any number from zero to nine.

Each LED is connected in series with a resistor and a switch, where each switch represents an external control circuit. The switches are labeled A through G to match the display elements. Seven series wires are connected in parallel to a DC source. In order to supply power to any LED, the corresponding switch is closed. Each series resistor in the circuit limits the current flowing through the wire, thereby preventing damage to the LEDs from excessive current.

The numbers appear on the digital display as a result of various combinations of seven switches. For example, if switches A and B are closed, the corresponding elements on the display will light up and form the number 1. Similarly, the number 2 can be formed by using switches A, C, D, F and G, which will be closed at the same time.

By closing the corresponding switches in certain combinations, the display can display numbers from 0 to 9. If the elements are arranged in a slightly different way, then the display can display a plus sign, a minus sign, decimal points, or letters of the alphabet.

LEDs can even be used to provide artificial light for plant growth. The main advantages of LEDs in this case are: low electricity consumption and heat generation, as well as the ability to customize the required emission spectrum.