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TE Connectivity Introduces Socket for Nichia LEDs
LIGHTimes News Staff
January 24, 2012...TE Connectivity of Dharmstadt, Germany, has announced a new addition to its solderless LED socket series, the Type NL2 socket for NICHIA COB-L LEDs. The socket was designed specifically for chip-on-board LEDs from NICHIA. It is suitable for applications such as retail lighting, commercial down lights and high bay lighting. According to the company, the new socket provides a reliable mechanical and electrical connection of an LED onto a heat sink.
The company points out that connecting LEDs without the need for manual soldering offers many benefits. TE notes that soldering is a time-consuming process, and solder flux splatter can possibly damage the light emitting area of the LED. Additionally, a solder termination is awkward to undo and over time can become a weak point that can considerably reduce the reliability of the connection.
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Opto Diode Introduces High-Power, Narrow-Angle IR LEDs
LIGHTimes News Staff
January 24, 2012...Opto Diode, a division of ITW, and a member of the ITW Photonics Group, has introduced the second in a family of three new infrared (IR) LEDs, the OD-850F. The OD-850F is a high-power gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) LED that features a narrow-angle emission.
The LED offers a range of linear power output from 22mW minimum. It has a typical power output of 30 mW at 100mA at an 850nm peak emission wavelength. The company says that the new IR emitter upgrades and replaces the OD-880F device. The LED boasts nearly twice as much output power, less degradation, and better stability. Opto Diode says that the new highly durable IR LED device features a hermetically-sealed, standard TO-46 package with gold-plated surfaces and window caps that are welded to the case. The company notes that the narrow angle is ideal for long-distance LED tasks in a variety of industrial control applications.
The peak forward current (based on absolute maximum ratings at 25 degrees C) is 300mA. OptoDiode’s new OD-850F narrow angle, high power emitter can be stored and operated safely at temperatures ranging from -40 C to 100 degrees C.
New Pixled Displays to be Launched at ISE Europe
LIGHTimes News Staff
January 24, 2012...Pixled, a European LED maker, is launching its new Pixled F-10i/o - the first of two new fully IP-65 rated indoor / outdoor LED displays. The display will be showcased at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) exhibition in Amsterdam, January 31st – February 2nd.
Pixled says that the display tiles were developed specifically with rental & staging companies in mind. They are sold in combination with European designed and manufactured hanging brackets, foot system and flight cases. This ensures full portability and very quick set up and tear-down times.
The new LED display features a real pixel pitch of 10.4 mm resolution. It is populated with 3in1 (RGB) SMD chips. The company says that die-cast aluminum modules measure 50 x 50 x 4.5 cm and weighs just 28 Kg per square meter.
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Active-Semi Announces New LED Driver Technology Which Company Claims Reduces Component Count and Lasts Longer
LIGHTimes News Staff
January 19, 2012...Active-Semi of San Jose, California USA unveiled a new type of LED driver which the company claims reduces the component count of conventional driver technology. The company unveiled the technology at the 4th Lighting Japan LED/OLED Technology Expo in Tokyo on January 18-20.
A conventional LED driver converts AC current to DC current so an LED luminaire can run relatively smoothly. LED drivers use electrolytic capacitors to store the charge temporarily. This type of capacitors basically uses up the electrolytic fluid within the capacitor, and it fails.
Active-Semi boasts that its new ACT801/802 LED driver IC does the same functions as a conventional LED driver, but uses the company's Active Direct Drive and Active Valley Fill technologies to do this without needing an electrolytic driver (which eventually fails because of being used up). It also does this without the need for magnetic components that help control for electo-magnetic interference.
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What is the DOE's role in technology development for LED lighting?
Guest Commentary: James Brodrick, SSL Program Manager, US Dept of Energy
January 26, 2012...We recently asked Dr. James Brodrick, SSL Program Manager for the US Department of Energy, what the sustaining role of the DOE is in the basic science and technologies underlying the LED and solid state lighting industries. Jim has been a powerful voice championing the healthy technology and market development of LED lighting, and was kind enough to share his views in some detail.
Researchers have made great progress in the efficacy of LED packages, to the point where many people are asking if they are "good enough". Why shouldn't DOE just let industry take over now and move on to other things? The answer in part depends on how much energy savings is "needed" from SSL and in part on one's assumptions about what industry will do on their own going forward.
Max Possible... As to the first question, DOE has taken the position that we should maximize the potential energy savings. The goal should be to wring all the efficiency we reasonably can out of the technology, and not be satisfied with being able to compete with some fraction of incumbent technologies. At the present time, we're perhaps a bit more than half way to what DOE believes is the ultimate capability; why should we stop now?
State of Today... The second question is a lot more complicated. Do we believe industry will continue to drive the bandwagon on their own? There is some evidence that there is competition for the most efficacious products in what have become the standard platforms: GaN pc-LEDs on sapphire or SiC. But recent efficacy gains have been realized through either lowering the current density (sidestepping droop) or by using white pc-LEDs in concert with monochromatic reds (sidestepping phosphor spectral limitations and reducing Stokes loss). Both are excellent choices but they do have their limitations. Lowering current density either with larger LEDs or more of them tends to increase costs. Using monochromatic red LEDs results in additional complexity for drivers, especially when dimming is needed, but also to account for variable ageing rates and temperature sensitivity, both of which add cost and may reduce reliability.
Take it to the Next Level... The obvious "science" opportunity is to find a way to overcome the fundamental limitations that these work-arounds are addressing: Put most simply, dramatically reduce or eliminate current droop and find a way to realize an efficient color mixed solution to eliminate Stokes loss. There are of course other challenges, especially if one moves beyond the devices into the end products. But these challenges are presently the big ones. In fact, while practical products continue to improve, we have not seen the kind of basic breakthroughs that we would like to see in a while. The greatest progress is likely to be step-like, not incremental. Finding promising "steps" that represent real breakthroughs would seem to be a legitimate role for publically supported science work.
Just do It Sooner... Another value of supporting basic development is
the notion of acceleration of progress. There is a fairly logical argument that
says industry may prefer to avoid or delay a major change in the platform, choosing
to maximize the return on investments they have already made. It would seem
to be a difficult argument to gain support for internal research if the outcome
would be to obsolete millions of dollars of expensive equipment. More effort
and funding by industry is likely to go into specific product development with
incremental but not dramatic efficiency gains, just enough to remain competitive.
So while competition may eventually approach to some extent the ultimate capability
of LEDs, it might take a lot longer, thus delaying higher energy savings.
DOE looks to focus its resources on exploring fundamental science challenges
and pathways that may lead to the next “step” or breakthrough. We
look forward to continuing the discussion with the R&D community and industry
at the upcoming Transformations
in Lighting - 2012 DOE Solid State Lighting R&D Workshop in Atlanta,
Jan 31- Feb. 2 (on-site registration is available).
If you have questions about
the solid state lighting and compound semiconductor industries or
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