SMD stands for Surface Mounted Device and is currently the most welcomed LED package type. SMD LED lights are produced by using surface mounted technology (SMT) to mount SMD chips on printed circuit boards (PCB).
If you want to learn more, please visit our website smd led chart.
SMD chips are designed to a variety of flat-square shapes and sizes, which have many types. The most common types of SMD chips are: 3528, 5050, 2835, 3014, 4014, 3020, 5730, 3030 and 3535. The number indicate the chip size, for example, 3528 is for the chip with size 3.5 x 2.8mm. (some of SMD chips can be made with very small size and can be used as indicator lights of cell phones and laptop computers. The little light of cell phone which stays on after the screen turns off is powered by a small SMD chip.)
SMD chip is a very important development for the LED industry because of the ability to put 3 diodes on the same chip. When a chip includes a red, green and blue diode, then it has RGB ability and can create any color you want by adjusting the level of output from each individual diode on the chip. If the chip with 3 same diodes, it will increase the output lumen. For example, 3528 has only one diode, while 5050 has 3 diodes on its chip, thus 5050 has the RGB ability on the single chip and 3 times output lumen of 3528. (4 in 1 designed 5050 has RGB+W ability and 4 times output lumen of 3528.)
Unlike only two contacts designed for DIP chip, SMD chips may have 2, 4 or 6 contacts (called pins), which depends on the quantity of diodes on the SMD chips. For SMD chip, there is an individual circuit for each diodes and each individual circuit is designed with 2 pins. For example, 5050 has 3 diodes on its chip, thus it has 6 pins. (5050 RGB+W type gets 4 diodes with total 8 pins.)
The power consumption (W) and output lumen (LM) comparison of each SMD chip is listed as the following chart:
SMD Chip Power Consumption (W/PC) & Output Lumen (LM/PC)
3528 0.06W, 6 - 9LM, always designed for low power purpose
5050 0.18W, 18 - 27LM, mainly designed for low power purpose
But currently middle power (0.5W) and high power (1-3W) have been developed, especially for RGB and RGB+W type
2835 0.1W, 10 - 15LM;
0.2W, 20 - 30LM, for low power purpose
0.5W, 50 - 65LM, for middle power
1W, 100 - 130LM, for high power
3014 0.1W, 9 - 13LM;
0.2W, 18-24LM, always for low power purpose with high bright feature
4014 0.2W, 24 - 26LM, always for low power purpose
3020 0.06W, 7 - 8LM;
0.1W, 9 - 11LM;
0.2W, 18 - 24LM, for low power purpose
0.5W, 50 - 60LM, for middle power purpose always with EMC reflector
5730 0.5W, 45 - 60LM, main for middle power purpose
1W, 90 - 120LM, for high power
3030 1W, 100 - 130LM, always for high power purpose
3535 1 - 3W, - LM, always for high power purpose with EMC or SMC reflector
You can easily calculate the power and output lumen of SMD LED lights through above chart. This chart for the various types of SMD chips and their correct lumen,but LED technology is developing, the data may be changed in near future.
From the chart, according to the power consumption (W/PC), SMD chips can be divided into 3 classes which are low power (<0.5W/PC), middle power (0.5-1W) and high power (>1W). For the SMD chip, the higher the power is, the more heat it will dissipate and the higher the temperature it will be when working. Then the higher temperature the reflector of SMD chip can resist, the longer life-span SMD chip will get. Thus the quality of reflectors greatly affects the life-span of SMD chip. Therefore different reflectors are needed for different power levels. The main reflector materials for SMD chips are PPA (Polyphthalamide), PCT (Polycyclohexylene-dimethylene Terephthalates), EMC (Epoxy Molding Compound) & SMC (Silicone Molding Compound).
The comparison of these 4 reflectors is list as the following chart:
PPA - Thermoplastic
Advantage: High brightness = 95%, Good moldability, Cheaper material cost
Disadvantage: Poor resistance of heat and light
Operating Power (W/PC): <0.5W
PCT - Thermoplastic
Advantage: Good resistance of heat and light, Good reliability, High brightness = 97%
Disadvantage: Slightly expensive material cost, Poor moldability
Operating Power (W/PC): 0.5 - 0.8W
EMC - Thermosetting
Advantage: Excellent resistance of heat and light, Excellent reliability, Initial brightness = 94.8%
Disadvantage: Expensive material cost, Transfer molding
Operating Power (W/PC): 0.2 - 1.5W
SMC - Thermosetting
Advantage: Excellent resistance of heat and light, Excellent reliability, Good adhesion with silicone, High brightness = 97%
Disadvantage: Much more expensive material cost, Transfer molding
Operating Power (W/PC): >1.5W
Many engineers lower the power (reduce the standard current of LED chip), as a result, the lumen of each chip will be reduced accordingly, how to have the same or even higher total output lumen of LED lights? The solution is to increase the quantity of chips. (See below example)
For example: standard SMD2835 (0.2W) chip @ 25LM
10 PCs standard SMD2835 (0.2W) chip LED
Power: 2W
Lumen: 250LM
If we lower the power to half (by reduce the current): 0.1W per chip
Now: 10 Pcs lower power SMD2835 (0.1W) chip
Power: 1W
Lumen: 150LM (60% of standard lumen, usually, reduce half of the power doesn't mean half of the lumen disappeared, why? Because LED has higher luminious efficacy when in lower current.)
If we increase the quantity of lower power SMD chip 2835 (0.1W) to 20pcs (The current for each chip is the same)
Power: 2W
Lumen: 300LM
You will easily find that the lumen is higher though the total power is the same. (Because the light efficiency is higher)
Advantage: This is a solution that most of the engineers probably use to improve the light efficiency.
Disadvantage: However the cost of LED lights will be higher accordingly due to there needs more quantity of chips.
Note: The calculation based on the same input LED driver power supply, we assume the power efficiency is the same.
The features of SMD chips:
High brightness
Based on the same power consumption, SMD chip produces the highest brightness among other types of LED packages such as DIP, high power, COB and MCOB chip. In other words, the light efficiency of SMD chip is the highest and the best.
Better for thermal management
The SMD chip produces very little heat while has relatively high output lumen, because it is driven by a low voltage and current. Unlike the high power chip or COB chip, which usually produce much more heat at just one point, it is difficult to conduct the heat, SMD chip can be placed separately among the light body, and can be designed as a light surface with many chips.
SMD chip performs better in thermal management, in a result that the rate of light decay is much lower and make the initial brightness (output lumen) stay in a longer time.
Competitive price
It is no doubt that SMD chip is much lower in price that high power or COB, that is one of the important reason more and more LED products adopt SMD chip.
Application of SMD chip
Due to the RGB ability and brightness of SMD chip, these chips are used extensively for all kinds of LED lights. The lower power ones can be made for LED bulb, strip light, corn light, spotlight, tube light, panel etc. While the high power ones can be made for industrial lights such as high bay, track light, flood light, street light etc.
SMD chip is the most popular LED type nowadays. It is commonly applied in both residential and commercial LED lighting products.
Want more information on smd led types and specifications? Feel free to contact us.
Robert Sun
GM of Anhui Eastech
Email: r.sun@ilampplus.com
www.ilampplus.com
SMD LED modules are now widely used in the manufacture of LED luminaires and LED strips for various applications in different sectors. This technology is used wherever high efficiency and precise control of light distribution is required.
SMD LEDs are characterised by high durability, low power consumption and high standards of reliability and safety. But what are SMD LEDs? Let's find out together.
In this in-depth look at SMD LEDs we will cover the following topics:
Let’s shed light on SLIM light signaling solutions
- Light signaling units: they are basic units consisting of a light source, a connection and a plastic support.
- Light indicators for panels: they consist of a light source, a plastic body to which a lens is assembled for the fixing, through self-locking fins or nut, on the application panel and a connection.
- Micro LED spotlights: they are luminous markers with an SMD LED light source with high luminous intensity.
- Vandal proof indicators: they are IP65 light indicators with a metal body part, more resistant to mechanical and chemical "stress" conditions.
- Optical fibre: this is an optical fibre, with lateral light emissions, with light sources for design light signaling applicable in for various application sectors.
- Switches: rocker, push switches and light indicators, with unipolar and bipolar controls. They are available for different sizes of the drilling template.: they are basic units consisting of a light source, a connection and a plastic support.
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SMD LEDs and SMD LED chips: what they are and what they mean
SMD LEDs stand for Surface Mount Device and Light Emitting Diode. The combination of these acronyms indicates electronic components made up of LED modules that are mounted directly on one side of the printed circuit board using surface mount technology, known as SMT.
SMD LEDs are characterised by a parallelepiped shape, called a chip, which contains the emitting surface inside. The diodes that power the device are located on the sides.
Soldering SMD LEDs: how to do it?
SMD LED chips are self-contained LED devices that are mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board (PCB) by soldering, using SMT technology. This practice allows the SMD LEDs to be soldered onto both sides of the circuit board, without cutting or drilling into the board.
The advantages of using this type of component assembly are:
Types of SMD LEDs: all those you need to know
There are different types of SMD LEDs, and each variant is identified by a series of numbers that define its size and associated brightness level. The LED identification number corresponds to the size of the chip itself, expressed in millimetres.
As for the main types of SMD LEDs, the most common on the market are the 3528. This was one of the first LEDs to appear on the market and is characterised by a power of between 6 and 8 lumens, a consumption of 0.20W and a very low light output.
The SMD 5050 LEDs provide an output of between 16 and 22 lumens. They are among the first chips to generate higher power and are therefore suitable for general lighting needs.
The recently developed SMD 5630 and 5730 LEDs provide good brightness at low power consumption and are therefore very popular. These SMD LEDs are suitable for use where high lumens are required.
Finally, SMD 2835 and 3014 LEDs are identified as having the longest life and best performance, due to the presence of a heat sink inside them that prevents the source from overheating. This type is usually used on LED strips for both lighting and purely decorative purposes.
SMD LED dimension
SMD LED chips are characterised by a rectangular shape that varies in length and width depending on the model. Generally, however, regardless of size, SMD LEDs do not exceed 5.7 millimetres in length and 5 millimetres in width.
The size of the SMD LED is what has the greatest influence on the brightness and power consumption of the device. The larger the device, the higher the brightness level. These characteristics are easy to understand thanks to the numerical abbreviation that identifies the different types of LED.
COB o SMD LEDs - what are the differences?
The term LED is often found in association with other acronyms, as seen with SMD LEDs. The term COB LED refers to chip-on-board LED technology. This technology was introduced in 2011 and enabled the development of high-power diodes with a small light-emitting surface area.
Why should you choose COB or SMD LEDs? The introduction of COB LEDs has brought with it some significant advantages. First of all, the possibility of miniaturising the luminaires and the light sources inside them. COB technology facilitates the installation of individual plates in close proximity. This allows precise control of the distribution of the light beam thanks to the absence of space between one LED module and another. However, one application limitation of this technology is the power rating of the luminaire (possibly less than 50/70W) on which it is to be installed. SMD LEDs are to be preferred over COB technology precisely because they are more reliable and perform better in high power applications.
Micro LED SMD - what are they
Today's market demands ever smaller, yet more efficient LEDs. The search for even better-performing SMD LED chips has led to the development of devices capable of achieving truly brilliant lumen/Watt ratios, thus enabling the development of ever-smaller luminaires. This has led to the development of SMD micro-LEDs, highly efficient miniaturised technologies for small circuits.
One example is the micro-LED circuit developed by Luxelt. The Italian company, which specialises in the design and production of electronic and lighting systems, has developed cutting-edge technology that we have used in our new series of micro-LED spotlights.
Would you like to receive more information about micro-LED spotlights? Click on the button below and feel free to contact us!
SMD RGB LEDs - what they are
SMD RGB LED technology allows the colour of light to be changed by using three diodes: red, blue and green. In order to vary the colour of the light, these diodes are mixed according to precise intensities.
In backlighting projects, it is common to use an RGB SMD LED source to give the light profile an aesthetic and design component and at the same time a functional aspect. Each colour can be associated with a specific application status to communicate a precise function to the end-user.
SMD LEDs: the colours available
SMD RGB LEDs offer a wide variety of colours in different combinations: blue, red, yellow and many others. The RGBW LED also has a white SMD LED variant, which stands for Red Green Blue and White. In the case of white SMD LEDs, a different shade of white can be seen depending on the specific source. The colour temperature of white, which can be warm, cool or neutral, depends on a number of factors, including the bin colour of a specific LED manufacturer.
SMD LED diodes and polarity
SMD LED polarity identifies the specific polarity of each LED module. The SMD LED diodes must respect the polarity and the operating voltage in order for the device to work correctly.
LEDs are formed by the presence of two pins, anode (+) and cathode (-), which mark a different polarity. On some types of LED, symbols can be found on the housings that specify the polarity of the chip.
The SLIM range of SMD LEDs
SLIM works with third-party companies to supply high-quality SMD LEDs. Among these companies is Luxelt, with the design and development of PCBs with high luminous efficiency and low power consumption SMD LEDs. These latest-generation SMD LEDs are used to develop customised lighting solutions for a variety of application areas, with particularly interesting projects in the HO.RE.CA, professional coffee machine and food equipment sectors.
Would you like to discover the collaborations that have led to the design and development of customised solutions with LED technology? Click on the button below and download the free document on SLIM's success stories!
For more information, please visit are smd led better.
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