Luxeon 1 Watt Bin Codes Explained

This is just a simplified version I made up and placed on my page from information I had. The site is far from complete but this part is finished so hopefully it may help PPL that are not sure of the codes. If anyone has any similar info on other types of LEDs and they would like to share, I would like to add it to my page. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/andyz/Lux1wattBin.html

Nice work andyz. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Not to hijack your thread.
But heres a page I made for Bin codes.
Bin Codes Explained

Above page is from: Dat2zips Homepage

Great job (both of you). I've seen the graphs before, but never the "Bin Codes for Dummies" description. I do have a question, though (for either of you). It says in andyz' table for Vf that "Running at a lower voltage does not damage the led. It just does not produce as much light." If this is the case, then why is there a "minimum" voltage? Is the minumum voltage just the voltage that needs to be met to reach the minimum amount of lumens for that specific flux rating? And if you go below the minimum Vf it just turns into a lower flux?

Zen,
Yes you are correct.
The Minimum Vf is what is needed to produce the minimum Lumen rating.

As far as I know, it will not damage an LED to run it off a lower voltage. Although the LED will probably less effecient.

[ QUOTE ]
jtice said:
As far as I know, it will not damage an LED to run it off a lower voltage. Although the LED will probably less effecient.

[/ QUOTE ]

Errr, wouldn't that be MORE efficient?

Olivier

I always thought that LEDs would become more efficient as they consumed less and less current, until you got the If (forward current) down to around 5mA. Then efficiency levels off, or even gets a bit worse when you go below 5mA.

Hmmm, I may be wrong about that.

I was thinking you would have to stay up toward the Vf to stay efficient.

Huh, learn something new every day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

jtice

The Vf rating is simply the voltage drop across the LED at its rated current. The minimum and maximum values are just the statistical range that you can count on the Vf value falling between when it's run at rated current. Run an LED at lower than rated current, and the voltage drop across the LED will be lower.

One trick that LED makers do to tout the efficiency of their LEDs is to base their efficiency claims while their device is running at very low current levels. So they may claim 50lm/W on for their 5mm white LED, but that's while it's running at 1mA. Running it at normal current (20mA) may only yield 30lm/W.

Very nice page jtice, would you mind if I stole some info from your page to add to mine, I just threw mine together from the info page on Ebay where I got my Luxeons from. Your page has some really good extras which I lack.

Thanks to both of you. I tried to make heads or tails from Lumiled's online library...but it was like I had dived after that white rabbit down that hole. Either that or I had been fragged with an alphanumeric grenade.

BC

andyz,
sure you can use the info.
i got it from Lumileds pdf files.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Now that you guys have gone to the trouble to do all that explaining, look what Lumileds has gone and done:

New Bin Codes

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

This should be useful, if nothing else. I overlaid the new (black lines) and old (blue lines) Luxeon color binning info to give a better idea of how they compare. This is good for ALL white Luxeons (I, III, V watt), except for the new "warm" whites:


(to see fullsize, click on diagram, then add .orig.jpg to the url in the window with the diagram and hit enter)

LMM: Thanks. Very useful. I have saved a copy to my Luxeon folder.