Therefore, when choosing a driver to connect LED light sources, you need to focus on the following characteristics:
input voltage;
output voltage;
output current;
degree of protection against moisture and dust;
output power.
How to choose an LED driver
LED lighting is reaching more and more consumers, and its superiority confirms the effectiveness of its use. LEDs lit vast areas, while the cost of electricity is relatively tiny. Payback led light sources to date for no one is not news. Also notable is the maintainability of LED products, unlike other types of lighting.
The need for repair occurs for the following reasons: expiration of life, improper use, defective components, mismatch voltage fluctuations in the network.
The most vulnerable component of the backlight is the converter, as it takes all the shocks associated with surges in the mains.
To connect the LED lighting, use an LED driver and a power supply. These components perform stabilization, but in terms of functionality, they are precisely the opposite.
Power supply – a voltage source.
Its functionality is to convert and supply a stable voltage of 5V, 12V, 24V. With his help, implement the lighting of LED strip, led rulers, led modules, etc.
Driver for LEDs – a source of current.
The driver gives a stabilized current while having a range of output voltage, balancing depending on the device load.
The driver is used to connect a LED or a group of LEDs. Spread driver in many lighting fixtures, for example, LED spotlights, chandeliers, lamps, car lamps.
If the LEDs or lamps connected to the driver correspond to the parameters and have no load limit, the duration of use and consistently high brightness are guaranteed. Therefore, when choosing a driver to connect LED light sources, you need to focus on the following characteristics:
input voltage;
output voltage;
output current;
degree of protection against moisture and dust;
output power.
All these parameters can be viewed on the driver. The first three are essential characteristics. The input voltage parameter indicates the safe working voltage. There are several types of such converters:
12V driver;
12-24V driver;
220V driver (185-240V).
If this parameter is not taken into account when choosing the converter, the device may fail.
A range always indicates the output voltage. A universal led driver has a wide range of output voltage. Select the correct driver with the proper output voltage, it is enough to look at it on the old power source, and the interval must match or be within the range.
What to do if there is no information about the output voltage? In this case, you need to know the operating voltage of the LED. For example, a 3W LED (white LED) has an operating voltage of 3.4V to 3.6V. The light source has 10 of these LEDs connected in series. Accordingly, to know the interval of the operating voltage of the light source, you need to multiply the parameters of one LED by ten. In this case, it is between 34V and 36V.
The output current is stabilized and must be matched when replacing the driver. If the old converter has a current of 320mA, and we install a new one for 300mA – this is not critical. In this case, there is a reserve, which increases the lifetime of diodes. However, if the current is significantly higher than necessary, the life of such a device is doomed to burn out the light-emitting semiconductors.
For 1W LEDs, drivers with a current of 280-350A are used, 3W uses 650-750A.
If the driver has constant contact with the external environment, then protection against moisture and dust is mandatory. There are the following popular degrees of protection for drivers:
IP20 driver – presented in the form of a board without housing, installed inside devices, lights, and other devices.
LED driver IP44 – IP54 – has the form of a board with an enclosure. Often the housing is made of plastic. This protection is most likely for decoration or safety of use.
– IP65 – IP68 driver – has protection against moisture and dust. It is used in LED spotlights, LED panels, street lights.
The choice of LED drivers in the online store Foton.ua will give your lamp a new life. Experienced consultants will help you choose the driver with the necessary characteristics. To design a reliable LED lighting fixture, you need to buy a LED driver with suitable parameters and reliable quality.
What is a driver for LEDs?
LED drivers provide power to LEDs, mainly high-brightness LEDs; they are a stabilized current source that converts the mains voltage to direct current.
Why do I need a driver for the LED lamp?
So it becomes clear that the primary purpose of the LED driver is to provide the required current. In the simplest case, the LED driver is a common constant current source, which provides a predetermined current value through the LED.
How does the LED driver work?
The principle of operation of the LED driver in the case of sudden jumps in voltage in the mains, the driver stabilizes it, providing the optimal mode of operation of LED consumers and giving them a stable current. Maintaining a constant current is also necessary with temperature fluctuations in the environment.
How to calculate the driver for the LED lamp?
The real power of the diode is effortless to calculate: you need to multiply the current of the driver used by the voltage drop of the diode. For example, if you connect a 600 mA driver to a 660 nm red diode, we get the actual diode voltage: 0.6(A) * 2.5(V) = 1.5 W.
