Question about LEDs

[Exodus]

I'm new to electronics in General, but I have some base knowledge.

What is a LED Driver? Is that the same as using a Regulated Power Supply? Or Even using a Voltage Regulator in your circuit?

 

[qwertyydude]

A driver is simply a constant current regulator. It simply maintains a preset current say 350ma as long as the vf of the led is lower than the battery voltage, any higher and it simply applies max battery voltage. There are boost circuits that can boost voltage up higher than input though they are generally lower powered and less efficient.

 

[gswitter]

Constant current may be a feature of some drivers, but it's not a requirement.

"Driver" is just a catchall term for a component that regulates some aspect(s) of the energy in a circuit - voltage, current, duty-cycle, etc. I'll leave it to a EE to provide a better definition.