Application Note AN12 – Electrical Drive Considerations for Bridgelux LED Arrays

The Bridgelux family of LED Array products delivers high performance, compact and cost-effective solidstate lighting solutions to serve the general lighting market. These products combine the higher efficiency, lifetime, and reliability benefits of LEDs with the light output levels of many conventional lighting sources. To achieve optimal performance of the LED Arrays, proper electronic drivers must be selected or designed.

The purpose of this application note is to assist designers in selecting or developing electronic drivers for use with Bridgelux LED Arrays. The first step is to become familiar with relevant electrical characteristics of the LED Arrays. This includes the relationship between forward voltage and current and the relationship between flux and current. A review of these characteristics results in design rules and recommendations for driving Bridgelux LED Arrays.

The second step is to define LED driver requirements, usually specific to the given application. Design considerations include defining the driver’s input voltage (i.e., AC line voltage input, a combination of ACDC and DC-DC drivers, or DC input from batteries), defining an optimal driver output current, establishing dimming requirements, and determining both temperature and lifetime requirements to satisfy the needs of the application. This application note provides general guidelines to the designer to assist in enabling a successful design.