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LED's Explained
(with calculator)
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Intro
LEDs are becoming more
and more common in car audio and the aftermarket automotive field in
general. They can be found in euro taillights, underbody kits and
even in custom installs. LED's are a great source for lighting your
new plexi amp rack or putting some under-dash lighting in your car.
LED stands for
Light Emitting Diode. LEDs are like tiny light bulbs. But
unlike the bulbs you have in your kitchen, LEDs do not have a
filament that burns out, and they do not get nearly as hot - these
add up the an LED lasting a considerable amount longer than a
traditional light bulb. Being a diode, it is important to understand
exactly what a diode is. Without getting too technical, a diode is a
semiconductor that restricts current flow to only one direction.
This means that the diode will only let power flow in one direction
and not the other, in our case this means it will only complete the
circuit and light up if wired correctly.
Choosing
and Wiring LEDs
When looking at
LEDs, you will run across a number of different colors, most
commonly amber, yellow, red and green, and a little less common are
blue and white. These colors usually have a working voltage from 1.6
to 4.0 volts, depending on the color. You can refer to your
individual LED for the exact voltage.
LEDs come from many
different manufacturers and many different suppliers. Not all LEDs
are created equally. Some are better quality than others.
Wiring
LEDs is a unique process. LEDs are Diodes, they have polarity,
meaning they only let power go through them one way. You must wire
them correctly for them to work. The Anode must be connected to the
positive side, while the Cathode must be connected to the negative
side of the circuit (Anode and Cathode pictured below).
The
next thing to think about is that you need to limit the amount of
current that passes through the LED. Too much current will overload
and ruin it. You need to use a resistor in the circuit in series
with the LED to accomplish this. A calculator for the resistor you
need is on the following page.
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