LEDs shed their converters

A LED can potentially run for 50,000 hours. Unfortunately, the necessary AC/DC convertor limits LED lifespans to 5,000 hours, due to the convertor’s trouble withstanding high temperatures. Plus, the converters are bulky and expensive. Leti has now developed an electronic control block without inductance or capacitance, dedicated to lamps made up of at least 100 elementary LEDs.

Controlled in groups of four, the LEDs are connected in parallel at low voltage. As the voltage increases, the system connects them one after another in series to make sure that the main current remains at a predetermined value.

This dynamic adjustment also improves lighting quality, minimizing the flickering effect for which LEDs are known, all while maintaining a good power factor, crucial to avoiding disruptions on the grid. A patent has been filed.

Contact: ghislain.despesse@cea.fr

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