Technology

• Overview
• Standard LED Platforms
• Thermal Management
• Electrical Compatibility
• Human Factors
• Reliability
• Manufacturing
• The OPTO Approach

Reliability

Building Reliability Into LED Lighting

The LED is an inherently reliable device. It is a semiconductor just as are diodes, transistors, and micro-processors, whose reliability powers our computers, cars, the internet, and countless other products. Turning an LED device into an LED-based lighting platform is one of the critical points where the reliability and the longevity of the LED light is finally determined.

The designer of an LED-based lighting platform must be a master of all the elements:

• The optical system (lens)
• The electronic drive circuit that drives the LED from a standard voltage source
• The thermal management system for LED-generated heat
• The LED device

The LED lighting designer must consider the end application of the LED light and then make the decisions that insure the LED light will have the longevity required, efficiently transport the light from the LED to the intended target, provide an efficient drive circuit, and do it at a cost that meets the needs of the application. This is what turns an LED chip into an LED light bulb.