LED, Strips, and Controllers: Part-3

In the previous part, we have described the LEDs and a little part of LED strips.

Now, we will continue again with them.

As we mentioned in the previous parts, the LED strips can be divided into a few groups.

They can be divided by the powering voltage (there are many kinds of power options).

By Count of LEDs per 1 meter, By their Size, By consumed power, By used in the LED’s Parameter: efficiency, etc.

With a mind for you, our readers and for best readability, we will divide them only in TWO groups:

By the Color of used LEDs:

Single Color,
Multiple Colors.

1.) Single Color LED Strips

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PIC. 1 General View of a Single Color Tape

you can see the 5 cm LED’s module

1.1.) Single color strips are very predictable and simple devices and in the common case are created using module principal, as you see below:

Let see the schematic on the picture below:

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SCH. 1 Schematic of 1 module of Single color LED Strip

We create this schematic – related with the real LED type on the PIC. 1, to describe for the readers in details the principal. On the Schematic You can see:

Passive components:

R1, R2, R3 – current limiting Resistors;

R1 – limits the current of [D1+D2+D3 – single component ‘a’],
R2 – limits the current of [D4+D5+D6 – single component ‘b’],
R3 – limits the current of [D7+D8+D9 – single component ‘c’].

Active components:

D1+D2+D3 = Da,
D4+D5+D6 = Db,
D7+D8+D9 = Dc.

Now, you understand the principle: Each LED’s part has its limiting resistor and can Lit interruptable more than 25,000 … 50,000 hours without any damage and failures.

The last one is right, provided that to extract the dissipated power from the LED tape. This is possible using an aluminum heatsink. The Tape has stuck on a bottom side a dual side adhesive band for sticking on the heatsink.

As we mentioned in the text above, the Tape or Strip is thin and flexible PCB.

Generally, the LED’s Strips LED-module pieces are with 5 cm granularity .

They have two Very Wide MAIN PCB TRACKs : One for the PLUS [V+ symbol on the scematic] and One for the Minus Electrode[V- symbol on the scematic] .

Generally, the tape is 10 mm wide. On his area, seen at the bottom, more than 80% are used by Plus and Minus powering electrodes.

You can’t see them easily because there is inserted a white solder mask layer to hiding them.

Let summarize: Here we have LEDs Lighting modules. Each one of them is powered by main Powering Tracks [V+] and [V-]

But, These two Very Wide Tracks need to connect each one of every (in common case) 5cm long LED Module.

This is possible with the help of metalized through holes (named “Vias”) between the layers of PCB or Tape. These “Vias” (which are many of count) are situated at the safe distance from the cutting line: we can see the manufacturer show us a line, where we can safely cut – with the scissors for example.

VIDEO 1. How-to-cut, connect and power the LED-Strips Lighting

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