As LED technology develops and new solutions be visible on the marketplace virtually every week, it is Constant Current Regulators getting good difficult to acquire out which option is the very best for your applications and more importantly, what features you spend focus on during purchase. During my previous article at LEDcentre.uk.com about general top features of LED transformers I already mentioned that LEDs require special transformers features.
LEDs are highly sensitive to changes in the voltage and current, so if you are dealing with Constant Current Regulators reduced voltage LED lights, wire-wound, stabilized transformers would be the safe solution. As mentioned inside the article, the majority of household Leds operating at reduced voltage require constant voltage drivers for their operation. However, recently, using the increase of high power LED technology, constant current circuit solutions are getting to be more frequent. Below, I will provide a short description of methods these circuits work, and why its important to pay attention to details in the buying the driving force of these applications.
Three components matter at the same time of Leds: voltage, current as well as heat. LEDs are highly understanding of a general change in these three things, so their regulation is very important for gaining a lengthy lifespan. Current is often considered an exponential function of voltage, therefore a good small amount of alteration of voltage can lead to a big alteration of the existing. That is why the majority of the Leds need stabilized constant voltage power source. However, current load may also greatly increase with all the increase of heat. To avoid overloading, LEDs are determined from lv DC using a current limiting resistor or constant current regulators. Another additional option would be the cooling of the LEDs with heat sinks. Not all LEDs attach to heat sinks though, and thats why the limitation around the hours of application is really important. If LEDs are operated more than theyre supposed to, they overheat, enhancing the current (even when inside range restricted to the resistor), and lose a few of their lifespan.
Constant current circuits are specially safe for top power Leds, because they are suited to 24/7 operation. When the LED light is manufactured with constant current circuit, the current is bound through the stabilized transformer, also it will not generate further heat inside the LED light. By less heat generation, the LED gains an extended lifespan. Also, constant current source keeps the LEDs brightness constant. These constant current lighting is, however, unsuitable for operation with 12V batteries, since batteries are constant voltage power supplies.
