Recently, among the wide range of lighting devices for general and local lighting, LED strips (in other words, LED strips or LED lines) have become widely popular.
LED strip (LED comes from the English light-emitting diodes) is a flexible printed circuit board with LEDs, current-limiting resistors and connecting conductors.
To make a final decision to buy an LED strip, it will be useful to learn about the types of LED strips, their design features, as well as the areas of application of these lighting sources.
Type of LEDs
The main difference between LED strips is the type of LED. The most popular LED strips are SMD 3528 and SMD5050 diodes.
SMD (Surface Mount Device) - an abbreviation in the marking of LED strips means the surface type of mounting of an electronic component.
That is, the diode contacts are soldered directly to the surface being mounted. Due to its compactness, this type of mounting has become widespread in electronics.
Digital code after SMD - geometric dimensions of the LED: 3528 - 3.5x2.8 mm, 5050 – 5x5 mm.
LED strip colors
The color of the LED strip is of key importance when choosing a given lighting source. There are single-color (monochrome) and multi-color (RGB) strips.
Single-color strips can be white, blue, red, green, yellow.
White color has shades. LEDs have differences in color temperature, measured in Kelvin. There are three shades of white - cold white 6500-10000 K, daylight white 4500-5000 K, warm white 2700-3500 K.
It is quite simple to visually distinguish a single-color strip from RGB. The RGB strip has 4 contacts (R, G, B and a common plus), and the single-color strip has 2 (plus and minus).
Strip base color
LED strip may have a different base color. W - white board, B - black board, Y - brown board, LUX - white board of improved quality.
Diode density per 1 meter
The number of diodes per 1 meter is an important criterion for choosing an LED strip. The most common strips with a density of: 30, 60, 120 diodes per 1 meter. The denser the arrangement, the more uniform and brighter the light. For backlighting, it is advisable to use strips with a density of 30-60 diodes, for general lighting - 60-120 diodes. In the most powerful LED strips, the diodes are arranged in two parallel rows.
Degree of protection
LED strips are used not only for interior lighting of premises, this lighting source is used for exterior decoration. If you want to buy an LED strip for outdoor use, then you should know that the degree of protection against external influences is determined by the protection class (IP).
Differences in protection class: IP65 - tape placed in a case; IP67 - tape poured with silicone; IP68 - tape in a case poured with silicone.
Moisture-proof (waterproof, moisture-proof) tapes with three degrees of protection: IP65, IP67 and IP68 are used for outdoor lighting. IP68 tapes can be placed directly in the water to illuminate fountains and pools (at a depth of more than one meter).
Voltage
The voltage supplied to the LED tape can be different - 12V, 24V or 220V, but not alternating, but direct current. In domestic use, 12V LED tapes are traditionally used due to their lower cost.
Scope of application of LED tapes
With low luminous flux - for decorative and local illumination of interiors.
Bright – a universal solution, suitable for both decorative lighting and full-fledged lighting.
Super bright – used as an alternative to conventional lighting, but also suitable for organizing decorative lighting. Widely used for illuminated advertising, as well as for lighting architectural objects, shop windows, road signs.
For special lighting – used mainly for side lighting, especially in narrow niches.
“Moving lights” – a lighting design consisting of separate microcircuits with a control unit, allows you to create a dynamic effect of multi-colored moving lights.
Video tapes – contains a set of individual LEDs with individual control, changing the color and brightness of the light of certain diodes, you can get a pixel image.
Buying an LED strip means making the right choice. LED strips are compact, flexible, low energy consumption, moisture protection, easy installation and connection, long service life, uniformity of illumination, wide color palette. LED strip can be used for indoor and outdoor lighting.
