Here, for the first time, I’m experimenting with installing an LED strip (aka LED). I decided to organize the hallway (I’ll lay out the closet itself later, when I’m finished) around the mirror.
I bought a couple of meters of tape, a power supply, and a double clamp at the store. To calculate the power of the power supply, relative to the length of the tape, it is necessary to carry out small mathematical calculations:
The power consumption of one meter of tape is multiplied by the total length of the tape (in meters).
One power supply should not be connected more than 15 meters. When connecting, be sure to check the polarity!!!
Let's carefully examine the power supply. It has a number of terminals. Let's go from left to right. The first pair - we attach a wire with a plug for the socket to it (we do not take into account the polarity). The third connector is for grounding (I don’t have one in my apartment - I skip it), the next pair is for the tape itself. Each connector is labeled "+" and "-". The same designations are also on the tape itself - they must be combined, otherwise the tape will not shine. 
We assemble the circuit, as I said earlier (wire with socket, power supply, tape - all two meters). 
To test, plug it into a socket. Voila - everything glows! 
Let's move on to the next step: you need to divide the tape into several pieces to illuminate both sides of the mirror. Using simple scissors, we cut it in the place indicated by the corresponding icon. 
To connect to the power supply, special clip-adapters are used. They snap onto the ends of the tape pieces, again with strict observance of polarity. Very convenient - no soldering. 
We screw the tapes to the power supply (in the same order) and try to plug them into the outlet. Hehe.. it works! 
We proceed to preparing the furniture box for installing the tape. For this I chose mortise aluminum profile. Accordingly, it must be embedded into the wall. We select a groove with a router, coat it with sealant, install the profile in the groove and leave it under pressure for a couple of hours. 
The profile in the groove looks like this 
The LED strip itself is equipped with an adhesive layer. We remove the protective film from it and glue the tape inside the profile. 
We put the box in place, connect the wires in general scheme(we add a switch to it) and use it.... I'll give the final photo a little later.
Added 07/28/10
LED technology is developing rapidly, and many people involved in the production of illuminated letters and other advertising products are wondering what is better to use today: LEDs or neon? This article discusses some of the most important aspects regarding LED lighting for interior and outdoor illuminated advertising - LED letters, signs, etc., and also touches on the issue of household lighting using LED products. LED backlighting, of course, becomes every year more and more attractive in terms of brightness, and more and more affordable in terms of prices, and, therefore, more preferable, taking into account all the existing advantages of LED-based light sources. The article contains information that may be interesting and useful to managers, designers, production workers, as well as anyone interested in LED topics.
Neon or LEDs? Neon and LEDs!
The history of inventions in the field of artificial lighting sources indicates that the appearance of the next newly created light source does not overnight cancel out earlier inventions and does not make existing light sources useless to anyone. All of them, in one form or another, coexist peacefully to this day, each occupying their own specific niche and are in demand to one degree or another. This can be said about almost all light sources ever invented by mankind, including non-electric ones, with the exception, perhaps, of only the most archaic ones: the beam and the torch. If we take this fact into account, it becomes clear that the opposition in the question “LEDs or neon?” is not entirely appropriate, and the question “will LEDs replace neon?” you can safely answer: “No, they won’t oust them, but, apparently, they will oust them in order to take their rightful place!”
So today's question is "LEDs or neon?" has moved to a practical level, and for many people involved in the production of outdoor illuminated advertising, it sounds like this: “In what cases is it more appropriate to use neon for interior lighting, and in what cases is it better to use LEDs?” Neon has been used in illuminated advertising for a very long time, so, as a rule, practically no questions arise regarding neon lighting - everything is quite well known, understandable and quite well worked out. As for LEDs, not everything is so clear and simple, so we will talk about the practice of LED lighting in illuminated advertising.
Using the example of LED products offered by our company, we will try to carry out some comparative analysis, which will help to reveal and understand the main points associated with choosing the right product, calculations and, ultimately, financial side question.
What should you consider when choosing LEDs for internal illumination of illuminated advertising products?
There is now a lot of information on the range of LED products, but this information is often predominantly of an advertising nature, despite what is present in the product description specifications, which, by the way, may not entirely correspond to reality. Understanding the technical characteristics of LEDs and choosing the right one from the existing variety of LED products is not always easy.
Adhering to the point of view that it is impossible to achieve a real solution to the issue without solving this issue practically, we bring to your attention the results of a comparative test conducted in our company. The results of this test, in our opinion, can be very useful to both our regular customers, who have been professionally engaged in the manufacture of outdoor lighting for a long time, as well as everyone interested in the practical aspects of manufacturing products with LED backlighting.
The test is of a purely applied nature and does not contain any difficult-to-understand scientific and theoretical calculations or formulas. You just need to compare the results obtained during testing. The main criterion for comparison was the amount of illumination of the surface of the final product (while maintaining the uniformity of illumination), since in illuminated outdoor advertising the brightness of the sign and the uniformity of illumination are the most important indicators (after design, of course).
A 1 x 1 meter box, 140 mm deep, with a light-diffusing surface made of 4 mm milky acrylic plexiglass, was chosen as an object for measurements. Thus, all the data presented are valid for a surface measuring 1 square meter, which is the starting point for calculations for most managers of advertising and production companies.
For internal illumination of the box we used:
- flexible sealed strips with single-chip LEDs
In order to be able to comprehensively compare different products, we will combine all the data obtained into a table.
| Name | Number of sources nicknames |
Number of lights diodes in the source |
Luminous angle | Voltage nutrition |
Power consumption | Energy consumption kW per year (when working 10 hours a day) | Illuminated- surface ness |
Total cost of lighting (per square meter)* |
| 4-diode modules (single-chip LEDs) | 126 pcs. | 504 pcs. | 100 | 12 V | 72.5 W | 265 kW | 1653 Lux | 7972 rub. |
| LED strip PL99 (single-chip LEDs) | 7.5 pcs. | 528 pcs. | 110 | 12 V | 72 W | 263 kW | 1896 Lux | 7040 rub. |
| 2-diode SMD modules (triple-crystal LEDs) | 78 pcs. | 156 pcs. | 120 | 12 V | 47 W | 172 kW | 1633 Lux | 7860 rub. |
| 3-diode SMD modules (triple-crystal) | 80 pcs. | 240 pcs. | 140 | 12 V< | 58 W | 212 kW | 2649 Lux | 8880 rub.** |
| Neon tubes | 6 pcs. | - | 360 | 5000 V | 175 (105) W | 639 (383) kW | 1797 Lux | 5800 rub.*** |
* The total cost is calculated based on the retail price (without discounts), so the table shows the maximum cost of lighting 1 sq. meters.
** The calculation was made for old-style three-diode modules. New modules will require 70 pcs/sq. meter. The total cost will be 8430 rubles.
*** Neon lighting is designed as an average economical option (minimum possible number of tubes + transformer with a current of 35 mA). If you use a larger number of tubes and a transformer with a higher current (50 mA), the cost will naturally increase. The illumination of the surface will also increase.
Some useful calculations, comparisons and conclusions.
By simple calculations using tabular data, you can get an idea of the effectiveness of the tested light sources:
- 4 diode modules - 23 Lux from 1 Watt
- LED strip PL99 - 26 Lux from 1 Watt
- 2 diode smd modules - 35 Lux from 1 Watt
- 3-diode smd modules - 46 Lux from 1 Watt
- Neon tubes - 10 Lux per 1 Watt
Interesting information, isn't it?
Now we find out the cost of 1 Lux from each of the tested light sources; we will need it for further calculations:
- 4 diode modules - 4.8 rub.
- LED strip PL99 - 3.7 rub.
- 2 diode SMD modules - 4.8 rubles.
- 3-diode SMD modules - 3.4 rubles. (RUB 3.1 for new ones)
- Neon tubes - 3.2 rub.
We calculate the real cost of lighting 1 sq. meters.
Knowing the cost of 1 Lux from each light source considered in the test, you can calculate the total cost of illumination with a particular light source. This data will be especially necessary when terms of reference a certain level of surface illumination is specified. For example, a promotional product requires surface illumination of at least 2500 Lux (that is, surface illumination comparable to neon or fluorescent lamps).
We get the cost of lighting one square meter (with a depth of 140 - 150 mm) using various light sources from our test:
- 4 diode modules - 12,000 rubles/1 sq.m.
- LED strip PL99 - 9250 RUR/1 sq.m.
- 2 diode SMD modules - 12,000 rubles/1 sq.m.
- 3-diode SMD modules - 8500 RUR/1 sq.m. (RUB 7,950 for new ones)
- Neon tubes - 8000 rub/1 sq.m.
If we compare the calculation results, it becomes clear what we will get in the end and for what money, that is, there is an opportunity to make a more informed decision and make a more rational choice.
The calculations performed show a clear advantage of multi-chip 3-diode SMD modules in all respects.
Calculation of the cost of boxes or three-dimensional letters.
Calculating the cost of lighting for rectangular boxes using any of the listed LED products is now very simple - you just need to calculate the area of the box and multiply it by the cost of lighting one square meter. Calculating the number of LED products is also not difficult - you just need to multiply the area of the box by the number of products required to illuminate 1 square meter. meters.
Calculating the cost of lighting for boxes with a complex configuration (various trademarks and three-dimensional letters) is somewhat more difficult, since you will have to use a program, for example Corel Draw or Autocad, with a module for calculating the area. But after the areas of objects with complex geometric shapes are calculated, determining the cost of illumination occurs with the same ease as in the first case.
We calculate the required number of LED modules.
Since the calculations made above clearly showed the advantage of 3 diode SMD modules of the new type, therefore we will do the calculation specifically for them.
As an example, let's make a calculation for the sign "FLOWERS", the height of the letters is 0.7 meters, the depth is 140 mm.
1. Let's measure the area of the letters in Corel Draw.
2. Knowing the number of modules for 1 sq. meters (70 pcs.), the resulting values of the area of the letters are multiplied by this amount.
3. We obtain the estimated number of modules in each individual letter, which will ensure illumination of its surface equal to 2649 Lux: “C” - 12 pcs., “B” - 13 pcs., “E” - 13 pcs., “T” - 10 pcs., "Y" - 13 pcs.
However, it must be remembered that this is only an estimated amount. To ensure uniform illumination, it is necessary to correctly place the modules inside the letters. Placing modules inside letters, as a rule, makes its own adjustments: in some cases, slightly less than the calculated number of modules will be required, in other cases a little more than the calculated number. This is inevitable and depends mainly on the size of the letters and the complexity of the font.
Thus, when arranging LED modules in letters, we find out that their number has increased slightly, which we owe to the originality of the chosen font, and the surface illumination will be higher initial indicator at 2649 Lux. As the depth of the box decreases, the illumination of its front surface will correspondingly increase.
You can quickly select a power supply for the required number of LED modules using the table, which was compiled taking into account a 15% margin. This calculation scheme can also be applied to other LED products (modules or strips) that our company offers.
Can LED products be used for household lighting?
The use of LEDs for household lighting is another interesting and important aspect. Indeed, LEDs, as well as products made from them, have many advantages in their parameters compared to other sources of artificial lighting. Let's list them again.
- High mechanical strength. They don't break, they don't break.
- Electrical safety. Supply voltage 12 Volts.
- Energy efficiency. Power consumption is very low.
- Durability. The service life of white LEDs is 30 - 50 thousand hours.
- Low heat generation with high luminous efficiency.
- Sealed. Do not require additional protection from atmospheric agents.
- Environmentally friendly. Does not contain substances hazardous to health.
- Continuous light emission. There are no frequency pulsations.
- Good color rendering index. As a rule, at least 80.
The last three points are especially interesting from the point of view of using LEDs for household lighting.
So, the first thing worth noting is the environmental friendliness of LED light sources. LEDs do not contain liquid mercury, like fluorescent lamps, or mercury vapor, like neon.
An LED, unless dimmed, emits light continuously, and in this way it is similar to sunlight, as well as the light emanating from a flame. All other sources of artificial lighting that use AC power electricity, emit flickering light with a frequency corresponding to the frequency of alternating current. This applies to all types of incandescent lamps and fluorescent gas discharge lamps.
The flickering of lamps operating on alternating current is invisible to the naked eye, but, nevertheless, the brain detects it and this is the cause of fatigue - a person gets tired faster. In addition, there is the so-called strobe effect, when the illumination of rapidly rotating or rapidly moving objects creates the illusion of them being static or moving slowly. In production, this can lead to various accidents and injuries, so fluorescent lamps located nearby are connected to different phases or use high-frequency ballasts.
With incandescent lamps the situation is somewhat better, since the filament cannot cool instantly and, as a result, continues to emit light for some time, although not as intensely. Therefore, due to this inertia, the flickering of incandescent lamps is not so pronounced and not so tiring.
The color rendering index of an artificial light source is also a very important indicator, as it affects the perception of the color palette of surrounding objects. If the source has a low color rendering level, then the natural colors of the objects will be distorted and will no longer look so natural. The one and only standard of our world is the light emitted by the Sun: it is continuous and has the fullest spectrum.
In incandescent lamps, the emission spectrum is more shifted towards orange and red, so the colors of objects with warm shades will be emphasized, and blue and green tones will appear darkened, gray. In inexpensive fluorescent lamps with conventional halophosphate phosphors, the emission spectrum, on the contrary, is shifted towards green and blue, so the colors of objects with cold shades will be emphasized, and yellow, orange and red tones will have an unpleasant “dead” tint. The color rendering index of such lamps does not exceed 70. Modern fluorescent lamps with modern broadband phosphors have a color rendering index of 84 - 90 and higher, but they are naturally more expensive.
The color rendering index of white LEDs is, as a rule, at least 80. Thus, in many respects LEDs are not only not inferior to traditional light sources, but also have some clear advantages and should theoretically be excellent for household lighting.
There is, however, one “but”: LEDs are a point and directional light source, while traditional lighting sources are not. Therefore, it will take a lot to completely replace the LEDs. Let's try to find out, using the LED products we have as an example, how many of them will be needed to fully replace more traditional household light sources - incandescent and fluorescent lamps.
To do this, we first need to address the concept of effective optical power. The effective optical power of incandescent lamps is a maximum of 5 W of the total lamp power. For fluorescent lamps this is a maximum of 15 W of the total lamp power. The effective optical power of an LED product is calculated depending on the brightness of the LEDs used, the light scattering angle and the emission spectrum, and will be different for each product.
In order not to clutter the text and not bore readers with the details of the calculations, we will immediately present the finished result of the calculations performed. The table shows the number of different LED products that can serve as an effective equivalent to the usual, traditional sources of artificial lighting: incandescent lamps with a power of 100 W and fluorescent lamps with a power of 18 and 36 W, as well as, for comparison, their power consumption.
| LED equivalent |
Incandescent lamp 100 W, 1 piece, (100 W) | Fluorescent lamp 18 W, 1 pc., (22 W) | Fluorescent lamp 36 W, 1 pc., (45 W) |
| 4 diode modules | 78 pcs. (47 W) | 42 pcs (25 W) | 84 pcs (51 W) |
| LED strip PL33 | 6 pcs. (20 W) | 3 pcs (10 W) | 7 pcs (24 W) |
| LED strip PL99 | 2 pcs. (20 W) | 1 piece (10 W) | 3 pcs (28 W) |
| 2 diode smd modules | 52 pcs. (33 W) | 28 pcs (18 W) | 56 pcs (35 W) |
| 3 diode smd modules | 27 pcs. (24 W) | 15 pcs (14 W) | 29 pcs (26 W) |
To complete the picture, let’s compare service life, cost and energy consumption costs.
Service life of light sources:
- LED products (white): 30,000 - 50,000 hours
- Incandescent: 1000 hours
- Fluorescent lamps: 12000-20000 hours
Since artificial lighting sources in living conditions work on average about 10 hours a day, the service life will look like this:
- LED products (white): 8.5 - 14 years
- Conventional incandescent lamps: 0.3 years
- Fluorescent lamps: 3.3 - 5.5 years
Thus, over the entire period of operation of the LEDs, it will be necessary to purchase and replace from 28 to 46 incandescent lamps or 2-3 fluorescent lamps.
Now let’s compare the cost of traditional lighting sources and LED ones. The cost is based on the starting kit “light source + necessary components”, that is, “lamp + socket”, “LEDs + power supply” and “fluorescent lamps + choke, starter and fittings”.
| Traditional light source / LED equivalent |
Incandescent lamp 100 W, 1 pc., (25 RUR) | Fluorescent lamp 18 W, 1 pc., (140 RUR) | Fluorescent lamp 36 W, 1 pc., (200 RUR) |
| 4 diode modules | 78 pcs. (4895 RUR) | 42 pcs (2915 RUR) | 84 pcs (5248 RUR) |
| LED strip PL33 | 6 pcs. (RUR 2,030) | 3 pcs (1140 RUR) | 7 pcs (2480 RUR) |
| LED strip PL99 | 2 pcs. (RUR 2,030) | 1 piece (1140 RUR) | 3 pcs (2980 RUR) |
| 2 diode smd modules | 52 pcs. (5410 RUR) | 28 pcs (3050 RUR) | 56 pcs (5770 RUR) |
| 3 diode smd modules | 27 pcs. (3430 RUR) | 15 pcs (2030 RUR) | 29 pcs (3630 RUR) |
The table shows that the most inexpensive alternative to traditional artificial lighting sources are sealed LED strips PL33 and PL99, as well as multi-chip three-diode SMD modules. Therefore, we will continue further comparison with them.
Let's add to the initial cost of light sources the cost of paying for electricity for the entire period of operation and the cost of light elements replaced during the same period. Since many doubt that the actual service life of LEDs is so long, we will make calculations based on the minimum service life of our LED products, that is, 8.5 years.
So, for example, per year 2 PL99 tapes (or 6 PL33 tapes) consume 73 kW when operating 10 hours a day. At a cost of electricity of 2.11 rubles/kW, the cost of paying for electricity over 8.5 years will be 1309.3 rubles. Let's add this figure to the initial cost of the same number of tapes and get the total cost for the entire (minimum) period of operation.
Let's perform the same calculations for an incandescent lamp. The lamp consumes 365 kW per year, that is, over 8.5 years the cost of electricity will be 6546.3 rubles. + 280 rub. for 28 lamps, which will have to be purchased and replaced during this period. The total cost will thus be 6851.3 rubles. Then we will do the same calculations for fluorescent lamps and LED modules.
In order not to bore the reader, we will omit further detailed description calculations, which, by the way, anyone can repeat at their leisure, and we will offer a table with ready-made results convenient for comparison. So, the table shows the total cost of lighting sources over a period of operation of 8.5 years, including their starting cost, the cost of replacing light elements and electricity costs.
| Traditional light source / LED equivalent |
Incandescent lamp 100 W, 1 pc. - 6851.3 rub. | Fluorescent lamp 18 W, 1 pc. - 1665.2 rub. | Fluorescent lamp 36 W, 1 pc. - 3416.7 rub.> |
| LED strip PL33 | 6 pcs. (RUB 3339.3) | 3 pcs (RUB 1,794.7) | 7 pcs (4051.1 rub.) |
| LED strip PL99 | 2 pcs. (RUB 3339.3) | 1 piece (RUB 1,794.7) | 3 pcs (4289.3 rub.) |
| 3 diode smd modules | 27 pcs. (5001.1 rub.) | 15 pcs (2946.5 rub.) | 29 pcs (5333.8 rub.) |
The table clearly shows that in relation to incandescent lamps, LED strips have a clear price advantage, but in relation to fluorescent lamps, the difference in price is not so great. Considering that fluorescent lamps contain substances that are harmful to human health (and environment too) liquid mercury, as well as the fact that lamps can break from time to time (since they are made of glass), then perhaps the difference will not seem significant at all.
Thus, perhaps the only argument against the use of LED products for household lighting was, and remains to this day, their rather high initial cost compared to traditional lighting sources. But for how long?
If you are planning to renovate your apartment, one of the first questions that will arise is choosing lighting equipment. An excellent alternative to traditional lamps and fixtures is LED strip. When installing a strip with LED lamps on the ceiling, not only the appearance of the room will significantly change, it opens up great opportunities in choosing a design solution. In this article we will introduce you to how to install an LED strip with your own hands, as well as the advantages of using this lighting equipment and the features of choosing a particular strip.
Duralight (LED strip) is a plastic printed circuit board into which small light bulbs of various shades are mounted, as well as resistors. The latter play the role of resistance. The printed circuit board (circuit board) has a sticky self-adhesive base, so LED strips can be used in many places: at home, in apartments, in restaurants, hotels, clubs, bars and other commercial buildings. Thanks to its features, LED strips can be freely used to illuminate hard-to-reach places.
Important! LED lamps are usually located on the surface of the conductive thread at the same distance.
LED strip color options
LEDs have different glow colors:
- Warm white.
- Cold white.
- Green.
- Blue.
- Yellow.
- Red.
- Multicolor.
Standard sizes of LED strip
- Width 8-10 mm.
- Thickness - 2-3 mm.
- The length of the tape in the reel is 1 or 5 m.
Selecting an LED strip - criteria, properties
When choosing an LED strip, it is advisable to immediately determine your requirements, and for this you need to know what specific criteria differ between the types of lighting filament on sale. This will speed up the process of buying the right lighting fixture in the planned price range.
We list the main distinctive characteristics:
- Brightness.
- Type (one-color or three-color).
Important! Single-color duralights can be green, white, blue, red, yellow. Multicolor - RGB strips are able to change the color of the backlight, thanks to a special controller.
Hue LED lamps depends on the type of crystal built inside.
- Number of lamps per meter. The more there are, the brighter the tape, which means its cost will be higher.
- Base (self-adhesive or not).
- The quality of moisture protection is determined by the IP class.
- Using DIP or SMD. SMD (surface mount) is more often used as a cheaper option.
Important! Before purchasing an LED strip, decide on the lighting brightness you need, the humidity level of the installation site, and the required length of the strip. When choosing, consider the optimal number of LEDs for the required level of illumination, so as not to overpay for unnecessary brightness.
Advantages of LED strip
Before installing and assembling the LED strip, familiarize yourself with the advantages of lighting equipment. This will ensure that you make the right choice.
The main advantages of duralight:
- Low energy consumption due to low power.
- Favorable service life, regardless of the type of premises - from 5 to 13 years.
- The possibility of laying along any trajectory is due to the plasticity of the thread.
- Possibility of choice required length duralight, since the cutting ratio is 6-10 cm (through 3-5 LEDs).
- Lighting with such a strip has the highest efficiency. LEDs do not emit heat; electricity is spent only on emitting light.
- No flicker.
- Tolerance to voltage fluctuations in the electrical network, in particular, the tape continues to function at a reduced voltage of up to 130 V.
- No ultraviolet radiation.
- Possibility to choose your own color scheme.
- Fire safety.
- Environmental friendliness.
- The quality of the glow remains unchanged throughout the entire service life.
- Easy installation - thanks to the use of mounting tape or self-adhesive base.
- Manufacturer's warranty. All LED products have a long warranty, which distinguishes them from conventional incandescent lamps or fluorescent devices.
General rules for installing LED strip
When installing LED strip, follow some rules and requirements to ensure flawless and long-lasting lighting operation. Most often, the most advantageous places for laying lighting strings from the point of view of practicality and design are the following places in the premises:
- niches of walls or ceilings - special boxes are used for this;
- on the surface of walls and ceilings inside plastic corners;
- behind the ceiling plinth.
The connection and installation technology is almost the same in all cases. General rules are as follows:
Tips for Designing a Room with LED Lighting
To get a truly winning interior result, when installing duralight, consider the following recommendations:
Methods for attaching LED strip
The LED strip is mounted on the ceiling in the following ways:
- Installation of LED strip in the ceiling plinth. This method has a huge advantage - you do not need to redo the ceiling, since the ceiling plinth itself is mounted at a certain distance (8-10 cm) from the ceiling. After installing the plinth, proceed to gluing the duralight: remove the bottom layer of tape and glue it to the ceiling plinth like regular adhesive tape.
- Installing tape in a cornice made of plasterboard. This method is much more complicated, but the ceiling will look much more impressive.
Installation of LED strip on the ceiling
Install the LED strip with your own hands sequentially:
- Determine the length and type of tape, select the profile.
- Buy a controller to control the color and brightness of the light. It smoothly switches colors, and the dimmer controls the brightness using the remote control.
- To connect duralight, buy connectors. The connectors can be flat or round - it depends on the type of LED strip and the manufacturer.
- Select a power supply that will act as a step-down transformer - it is not included in the kit.
- Assemble the entire system by sequentially laying and gluing the thread with LEDs.
- Connect the LED strip to the power supply.
Let's look at some points in more detail.
Choosing a power supply
Power supplies come in different capacities - from 6 to 400 watts. Energy consumption depends on the quality of the tape and the density of the LEDs. As mentioned earlier, the power of the unit should be at least equal to the power consumption of the tape plus a margin of about 25%.
Important! Let's look at calculating power using an example:
We have a 5 m long tape with a power of 9.4 W.
To calculate the power of the power supply: 5 m * 9.4 W = 47. Do not forget about the reserve: 47 * 1.25 = 58.75 W.
As you can see, we need a power supply of at least 58.75 W. Can be rounded up to 60 watts. This is not difficult to find in a radio parts store.
How to choose a profile?
Profiles for mounting lighting equipment differ in material and design. Let's look at the main ones. Based on the material of manufacture, they are distinguished:
- Aluminum profile. This system is universal and reliable and will be appropriate in any interior style. Profiles of this type are used to create a lighting system design as quickly and easily as possible.
- Plastic profile. The profile box for lighting equipment is often made of durable plastic. It can be transparent or matte. The advantage of this profile: elastic, resistant to mechanical stress, temperature changes and moisture.
Important! The plastic housing is suitable for mounting lighting structures in public buildings, in shop window lighting, commercial equipment, as well as furniture. Plastic profiles are even used to illuminate ice slides, skating rinks and sculptures.
According to the device, profiles are:
- Angular. In some cases, a standard profile is inappropriate, and then a corner profile is used, which is suitable for illuminating shop windows trading floors, cabinets and is used instead of ceiling plinth. Having chosen this option, show your imagination in the location of the lighting filament. In this case, it is possible to carry out installation even in non-standard places, due to the small dimensions of the fasteners, high speed and ease of installation. For example, for illuminating window frames, floors, canvas front door etc.
- Built-in. The built-in metal profile looks three-dimensional and has a lot of advantages, in particular, it is resistant to aggressive environmental influences. When installing this type of profile, use special glue or fastening to ensure the quality of the structure.
- Mortise. The profile of this design is most often used in the furniture industry to illuminate tables, kitchen units, and cabinets. Aluminum construction has the color of silver or gold. The length of the profile is 1-2 m. The mortise profile is often equipped with matte light filters so that the light from the tape is scattered. Such filters give new furniture an attractive look, and old furniture a new life.
Installation diagram of LED strip under a suspended ceiling:
Important! After installing the lighting strip, connect it to the network again and check the quality of work. Only after a positive test result can the canvas of the stretch ceiling itself be assembled.
- Before gluing the LED strip, prepare the surface for installation. It should be smooth and fat-free. To do this, treat it with alcohol and a clean cloth.
- Mount powerful duralight (more than 10 W/m) on a metal profile or on an aluminum substrate.
- For convenience, glue the structure onto a layer of 3M or glue/sealant.
- When installing duralight on conductive surfaces, such as metal structures, be sure to insulate the tape by placing it in the frame.
- During assembly, avoid damaging the conductive tracks.
- When connecting large lengths of tape, use a parallel connection. If sequential, the conductive paths will be overloaded, which will lead to burnout.
Important! Before installing the LED strip, not only remember all these rules, but also watch the video tutorials. Especially if you are doing this kind of work for the first time and are not confident in your abilities.
Installation of LED strip - video
Conclusion
This is an artificial light source, which is a narrow flexible tape with conductors up to 5 m long, on which LEDs are installed equidistantly. The LEDs on the strip are divided into groups. Each group consists of several LEDs connected in series and is a complete circuit, which allows you to cut the tape crosswise into segments of any length that is a multiple of the length of one group.
LED strips
LED strips are available in monochrome, glowing in only one color (red, blue, green, yellow or white) and universal (RGB), the color of which can be changed independently using the remote control remote control, including one of the primary colors or choosing any that exists in nature.
It is also possible to turn on a mode in which the color of the LED strip will change smoothly over the entire range with a specified rate of change over time.
R G B LED strips
Based on the organization of light emission, R G B LED strips come in three types.
The first type of strip uses LED-R-SMD3528 or LED-R-SMD5050 (red), LED-G-SMD3528 or LED-G-SMD5050 (green) and LED-B-SMD3528 or LED-B-SMD5050 (blue) , soldered in threes side by side in repeating triads along the entire length of the tape. Changing the glow color of the tape is achieved by group changing the glow intensity of the LEDs of each color. Such LED strips are well suited for interior lighting in cases where the LEDs are hidden from human eyes. If the LEDs are visible, the color change will be less effective.
R, G and B LEDs of the SMD3528 series have a size of 3.5 × 2.8 mm 2 and emit a luminous flux from 0.6 to 2.2 lumens, depending on the color of the glow. LEDs of the SMD5050 series are larger in size (their size is 5 × 5 mm 2) and accordingly they shine brighter, the luminous flux is from 2 to 8 lumens, depending on the color of the glow. Therefore, by the size of the LEDs soldered on the strip, even without knowing the technical characteristics, it is easy to determine which of them will shine brighter.
The second type of strips uses R G B LEDs of the LED-RGB-SMD3528 or LED-RGB-SMD5050 series. A distinctive feature of these LEDs is that three LEDs are mounted in one housing - red, green and blue. Therefore, their luminous flux is much lower and is only 0.3-1.6 lumens for LED-RGB-SMD3528, and only 0.6-2.5 lumens for LED-RGB-SMD5050. But due to the fact that the color emitters are located practically at one point, high efficiency of color gradation is achieved.
More recently, a new type of LEDs WS2812B (has four pins) and WS2812S (has six pins) have appeared. In terms of geometric dimensions and appearance, these LEDs do not differ from LED-RGB-SMD5050. However, thanks to the installation of the WS2811 PWM controller in the WS2812 LED housing, it became possible to control each of the LEDs installed on the LED strip personally using just two wires.
Thus, designers have the opportunity to change the glow color of any section of the tape, regardless of its length, at their discretion. The widespread use of LED strips based on WS2812 LEDs is hampered by the high price and the need to use an expensive specialized controller. Without supplying a control signal from the controller to the WS2812 LED, it will not light.
LED strip marking
LED strips are marked by all manufacturers, usually in the same way international standard. The protection class in the marking is indicated in accordance with the requirements of the standard for protecting electrical equipment from exposure to external factors IEC-952.
| Reference table for LED strip markings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serial number of the alphabetic or digital sequence in the marking | Designation in marking | Explanation of the designation | ||
| 1 (light source) | LED | Light-emitting diode | ||
| 2 (glow color) | R | Red | ||
| G | Green | |||
| B | Blue | |||
| RGB | Any | |||
| CW | White | |||
| 3 (type of pins on the chip) | SMD | Leadless chip for installation directly on a printed circuit board | ||
| 4 (geometric size of the light source body) | 5050 | in the example 5 mm×5 mm | ||
| 5 (number of LEDs per meter of length) | 60 | pieces | ||
| 6 (class of protection from external factors) | IP | The protection class in the marking is indicated in accordance with the requirements of the standard for the protection of electrical equipment from external factors IEC-952 | ||
| 7 (first digit after IP, protection against penetration of solid objects) | ||||
| 0 | No protection | |||
| 1 | From penetration of bodies with a diameter of 50 mm or more | |||
| 2 | From penetration of bodies with a diameter of 12 mm or more, a length of no more than 80 mm | |||
| 3 | From penetration of bodies with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more | |||
| 4 | From penetration of bodies with a diameter of 1 mm or more | |||
| 5 | Dust may enter in quantities insufficient to disrupt the operation of the equipment. | |||
| 6 | Dust is not allowed | |||
| 8 (second digit after IP, protection against liquid ingress into the housing) | 0 | No protection | ||
| 1 | From vertically falling drops of water | |||
| 2 | From water drops falling at an angle of 15° | |||
| 3 | From water drops falling at an angle of 60° | |||
| 4 | From water splashing from any angle | |||
| 5 | From a stream of water sprayed from any angle | |||
| 6 | From a strong jet of water (100 l/min, 100 kPa) | |||
| 7 | From water ingress when immersed to a depth of up to 15 cm | |||
| 8 | From water ingress during prolonged immersion | |||
Let's consider, for example, how the marking of the LED strip LED-CW-SMD-5050/60 IP68 is deciphered. LED - LED strip, CW - white light, SMD - made on the basis without output LEDs, 5050 - LED housing size 50x50 mm 2, 60 - 60 LEDs are installed on one meter of strip length, IP68 - in terms of protection level, the strip is designed for long-term operation depth (for example, to illuminate an aquarium or pool from the inside).
If the IP parameter is missing in the marking, then the LED strip does not have any degree of protection, that is, the degree of protection corresponds to IP00.
Resistance of LED strips to moisture
Based on the degree of protection from moisture, LED strips can be divided into three categories: moisture-proof, moisture-proof and moisture-resistant.
Moisture-proof ones can only be used in dry rooms where there is no high humidity. Waterproof ones are intended for use in rooms with high humidity (bathrooms, bathhouses, building facades, where direct contact of water with the tape is excluded).
Moisture-resistant tapes are designed to work directly in an aquatic environment, such as an aquarium, and can be placed to illuminate the bottom of the pool.
The photo shows an LED strip completely sealed with silicone, so the LEDs and resistors are reliably protected from water. Waterproof LED strips can be used without restrictions for outdoor advertising, lighting decoration of streets and buildings. When choosing a waterproof tape, it should be taken into account that part of the light flux is lost when passing through the silicone layer.
For outdoor decorative lighting, there are special LED strips called Duralight, which belong to the waterproof category.
Density of placement of LEDs on the strip
The brightness of the LED strip depends not only on the type of LEDs installed, but also on their number. The unit of measurement is considered to be the number of LEDs installed per meter of strip length. The more LEDs there are, the naturally greater the luminous flux will be. Typically, the number of LEDs per meter of strip length for 12 V LED strips ranges from 30 to 120 pieces. For LED strips designed for a supply voltage of 24 V, the number of LEDs can reach up to 240 per meter of length; in such strips the LEDs are placed parallel in two rows.
But we must take into account that the more LEDs per meter of LED strip length, the more powerful the power supply will be required and the more expensive the purchase will be. The choice of this parameter must be approached from the position of “necessary and sufficient”. For example, there are 30 LEDs per meter of tape, therefore, the distance between them is 3.3 cm, which is quite sufficient in the vast majority of cases.
Selecting an LED strip based on luminous output
The main lighting characteristic is the intensity of the luminous flux, which is expressed in lumens per meter (lm/m). The amount of luminous flux is determined by the type and number of LEDs installed on one meter of strip. Knowing the type of LEDs and their number, it is easy to independently determine the luminous flux.
For example, on a meter of white light LED strip, 30 LEDs of the LED-CW-SMD3528 type (size 3.5 × 2.8 mm 2) are installed, each having a luminous flux of 5 lm. We multiply 5 lm by 30, we get 150 lm. This luminous flux is emitted by a 10-watt incandescent light bulb. If the strip is made on the basis of 30 LED-CW-SMD5050 LEDs (size 5 × 5 mm 2), already having a luminous flux of 12 lm, then 12 × 30 = 360 lm, which is equivalent to using a 24-watt incandescent light bulb. Everyone has experience in using incandescent lamps, therefore, using the above method, it is easy to determine the type of LEDs installed on the strip, their number and the length of the strip. And if the length of the tape has already been determined, then perform the reverse calculation.
Let's do the reverse calculation for specific example. You need to make ceiling lighting in a room measuring 5 mx4 m. The perimeter of a room of this size will be 5+4+5+4=18 meters. You want to create soft and not very bright lighting. If you use incandescent lamps, their total power will have to be about 200 watts, the luminous flux from which will be 3000 lm (15 lm × 200). The length of the tape should be equal to the length of the perimeter of the room, that is, 18 meters. To determine the luminous flux that should be emitted by one meter of LED strip, you need to divide 3000 lm by 18 meters. This turns out to be 166 lm/m. For our case, a strip with 30 LED-CW-SMD3528 LEDs per meter of length is suitable. The calculation was made without taking into account losses due to reflection from the ceiling, and they are at least 50%. Therefore, to guarantee room illumination, you need to choose a tape with twice the luminous flux. There are two options, either take a strip with 30 LEDs LED-CW-SMD5050, or LED-CW-SMD3528, but in the amount of 60 pcs. on the meter. The first option is preferable, as it will provide a guaranteed supply.
For R G B and monochrome LED strips, the calculation is performed in exactly the same way as for white strips.
LED strips are not always marked, which makes calculations difficult. But it’s very easy to find out the technical parameters of an LED strip if you use the data given in the reference table. Modern LED strips typically use three types of LEDs: SMD3014 (super-bright) 3.0 mm × 1.4 mm, SMD3528 2.8 mm × 3.5 mm and SMD5050 5.0 mm × 5.0 mm. Therefore, by the size of the LEDs, you can determine what type of LEDs are sealed on the strip. By counting the number of LEDs per meter of length, using the reference table below, you can obtain data on the technical characteristics of the LED strip.
Table of main characteristics of LED strips
for voltage 12 V
Using the table, it is easy to select the type and length of the LED strip - analogous to incandescent light bulbs. For example, to replace one 80 W incandescent light bulb with an LED strip, you need to take 8 meters of SMD3528 (30) or two meters of SMD3528 (120) or SMD5050 (60) LED strip.
| Main technical characteristics of LED strips for 12 V voltage | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LED type | LED size, mm 2 | Number of LEDs per meter of LED strip length, pcs. | Power consumption of one meter of LED strip length, watt | Luminous flux per meter of LED strip length, lm | Equivalent incandescent lamp power, watt |
| SMD3014 super bright | 3.0×1.4 | 60 | 6,0 | 600 | 40 |
| 120 | 12,0 | 1200 | 80 | ||
| 240 | 24,0 | 2400 | 160 | ||
| SMD3528 | 3.5×2.8 | 30 | 2,4 | 150 | 10 |
| 60 | 4,8 | 300 | 20 | ||
| 120 | 9,6 | 600 | 40 | SMD5050 | 5.0×5.0 | 30 | 7,2 | 360 | 24 |
| 60 | 14,4 | 720 | 48 |
How to connect an LED strip to the mains
Connecting the LED strip to the vehicle's on-board network
LED strips are ideal for direct connection to the vehicle's on-board network. The main thing is that the tape matches the supply voltage to the voltage of the vehicle's on-board network. For passenger cars you need to choose a waterproof tape designed for a supply voltage of 12 V, for cargo - 24 V.
What voltage is the battery installed in the car for, this is the voltage you need to take the tape for. When connecting the LED strip to the vehicle's on-board network, it is necessary to observe the polarity; the strip has the symbols “+” and “–”. If the polarity is reversed, then nothing bad will happen, the LEDs will just not light up.
Connecting the LED strip to a 220 V household power supply
Unlike electric lamps, LED strips cannot be connected directly to household electrical network 220 V. They require a DC supply voltage of 12 V or 24 V. The supply voltage is indicated on the tape along its entire length. To obtain the required voltage, voltage converters are used.
While there is no established terminology, they are called differently: drivers, adapters, converters, power supplies, power supplies. All these words refer to one device that converts 220 V AC mains voltage into DC voltage of the required value, for tapes depending on the type, 12 V (often used) or 24 V (rarely used, usually in RGB tapes).
To select a power supply for an LED strip, it is important not only the value of the constant voltage at the output, but also the amount of current that it can supply to the load. To select the appropriate power supply for a particular case, you need to find out the total amount of current that all installed LED strips will consume.
An example of calculating a power supply for an LED strip
For example, let’s select a power supply unit (PSU) for the LED strip that we selected above for ceiling lighting. Typically, the current consumption of a tape meter is indicated in the accompanying documentation, but if there is none, then it is easy to perform the calculation yourself. It is enough to multiply the number of installed LEDs by the current consumption of each of them.
We chose an LED strip with installed LEDs of the LED-CW-SMD5050 type, the length of the strip is 18 meters, and there are 30 LEDs per meter of length. The total number of LEDs is 18×30=540 pcs. One LED-CW-SMD5050 LED (according to the reference table) consumes a current of 0.02 A, therefore the total current consumption of the entire backlight will be: 540 × 0.02 A = 10.8 A.
But we did not take into account that the LEDs with a strip supply voltage of 12 V are connected three in series through resistors, therefore the calculated current must be reduced three times: 10.8 A / 3 = 3.6 A. But in one LED-CW-LED housing SMD5050 contains three elementary LEDs, so the resulting current must be multiplied by 3. That is, the resulting current will be 10.8 A. As a result of the calculation, it was determined that a 12 V power supply with a permissible load current of up to 10.8 A is required.
To calculate the power of the required power supply, you need to multiply the voltage by the current: 12 V × 10.8 A = 130 W, it turns out that you need a power supply with a power of 130 W. For reliable operation of the power supply, a 20% power reserve is required. As a result, a 156 W power supply will be required. In practice, you can use any power supply that meets the necessary requirements.
Design and installation of LED strip
On a flexible plastic tape up to 5 m long there are thin copper conductive tracks of the required configuration. LEDs of the SMD3528 or SMD5050 type and current-limiting SMD resistors of the P1–12 type with a power of 0.125 W are soldered to the tracks. Please note that the designation of an LED is based on its size, for example SMD5050 has a size of 5.0 mm x 5.0 mm. With a supply voltage of 12 V, three LEDs connected in series and one or more current-limiting resistors are installed. The number of resistors is determined depending on the amount of power dissipated on them. The resistor can be installed anywhere in the circuit; in the diagram it is located on the positive side, you can also install it on the negative side or between any LEDs.
Electrical circuit and wiring diagram
LED strip segment
Resistor markings
The resistor is marked with the number 151. This means that the resistor value is 150 ohms. The markings are easy to decipher. It is indicated by a three-digit number. The last digit in the number tells how many zeros should be added to the first two digits. For example, the resistor is marked 153, which means you need to add 3 zeros to 15, we get 15,000 Ohms.
For clarity, I have provided an eclectic wiring diagram below. A complete LED strip circuit consists of a large number of such circuits connected in parallel. With a supply voltage of 24 V, the number of LEDs connected in series in the circuit can reach up to 10 pieces. Pay attention to the markings of the LEDs, on the side connected to the cathode (minus), the corner of the LED body has a cut. Bottom right corner of the photo.
Connection and fastening of LED strips
The side of the strip opposite the LEDs has an adhesive layer protected with film. In order to secure the tape to the surface, it is enough to remove the protective film and apply the sticky side to the installation site. When organizing lighting using LED strips, often a length of 5 meters is excessive, so it is possible to cut the strip into pieces. The places where the tape can be cut are indicated by the image of conventional scissors and the cutting line. The step of cutting the LED strip into segments is determined by the number of LEDs connected in series. Near the cut line, there are contact pads on both sides that allow you to solder wires to them in case of splicing strip sections together. You need to solder very carefully with a low-power soldering iron.
Next to the contact pads there is a marking for the connection polarity and the supply voltage. There are special clips that allow you to connect LED strips together without soldering.
Conductors for connecting to the power supply are usually already soldered to one end of the LED strip. To connect monochrome tapes, two wires are required, for RGB tapes - four wires: black (the common one is connected to the positive terminal) and three color ones. The length of the wires is no more than half a meter, and if the power supply cannot be installed next to the LED strip, then the conductors will have to be increased to the required length.
LED strips are indispensable when you need to provide lighting or illumination over a long length. Only LED strips that are not protected from moisture can be cut into pieces, that is, only those that are intended for indoor use. It is unacceptable to cut waterproof and moisture-resistant LED strips without subsequent sealing.
To eliminate this drawback, LED modules have been created that allow interior lighting and illuminated advertising to be carried out easily, quickly and reliably. The scope of application of LED modules in practice is limited only by human imagination. Modules for lighting in a car are especially convenient. It is enough to connect it via a fuse to the on-board network and glue or secure the module with self-tapping screws inside the car interior or on the outside.
The design of LED modules consists of a shallow bed made of plastic or metal in which a printed circuit board with LEDs is installed. The top of the board is filled with transparent silicone. This ensures protection against moisture and splashing water. The LEDs are connected in the same way as in the LED strip above.
On the outside of the bottom of the crib there is a sticky layer, which can be opened by removing the protective film and the module can be fixed on any flat surface. It is possible to attach modules to the eyes using self-tapping screws. All lighting and electrical calculations given above on the page for LED strip are also valid for LED modules.
Rectangular LED modules are sold in the form of blocks; in the photo there is a block of 20 modules.
The modules can be easily separated from the block one by one or in groups. Electrically, all modules are already connected to each other. It is enough to supply power to any outermost one and the LEDs on all modules will light up. Blocks can be increased in any quantity by connecting them in parallel.
About choosing the wire cross-section for connecting LED strip
An LED strip consumes little power, and the current consumption for a strip length of one meter, even the brightest SMD5050 (60), is no more than 1.2 A. Therefore, you don’t have to think about the cross-section of the wire when connecting such a piece of strip; almost any available voltage will do. stranded wire by hand.
But when connecting an 18-meter long LED-CW-SMD5050(30) strip, which we selected to illuminate the ceiling of the room above, you should seriously think about how the total current consumption will be 10.8 A. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it anywhere, what current is allowed along the copper path of the tape itself. But, knowing the power consumption of one meter of LED strip and the supply voltage, I calculated the amount of current that LED strips of different lengths of popular types would consume, and summarized the results in a table.
| Reference table for current consumption of LED strips at a voltage of 12 V | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LED strip type | Number of LEDs per meter of LED strip length, pcs. | Current consumption (A), LED strip length: | ||||
| 1m | 2 m | 3m | 4 m | 5 m | ||
| SMD3014 | 60 | 0,5 | 1,0 | 1,5 | 2,0 | 2,5 |
| 120 | 1,0 | 2,0 | 3,0 | 4,0 | 5,0 | |
| 240 | 2,0 | 4,0 | 6,0 | 8,0 | 10,0 | |
| SMD3528 | 30 | 0,2 | 0,4 | 0,6 | 0,8 | 1,0 |
| 60 | 0,4 | 0,8 | 1,2 | 1,6 | 2,0 | |
| 120 | 0,8 | 1,6 | 2,4 | 3,2 | 4,0 | |
| SMD5050 | 30 | 0,6 | 1,2 | 1,8 | 2,4 | 3,0 |
| 60 | 1,2 | 2,4 | 3,6 | 4,8 | 6,0 | |
Since LED strips are produced with a maximum length of up to 5 meters, the manufacturer must provide the required cross-section of the tracks that can withstand the current consumption of the LED strip, and you can take its value as the basis for developing a wiring diagram for connecting the LED strip to the power source.
Based on economic considerations, the load current margin of the tracks does not exceed 20%. Therefore, it is not permissible to connect all four of our strip sections in series, soldering the end of one section with jumpers to the beginning of the next LED strip, since a current three times higher than the permissible one will flow through the conductors of the strip connected directly to the power supply.
This will lead to overheating of the first tape, which can lead to its failure, and a weak glow of those switched on behind it. Therefore, it is necessary to connect each strip separately directly to the output of the power supply using a double wire with a core cross-section of at least 0.5 mm2. Below is a typical diagram for connecting LED strips to a power source when organizing room lighting by installing LED strips along the corners of the ceiling behind the eaves.
Since one power supply is designed for a current consumption of 6 A, we had to use two identical blocks, each powering half the length of the backlight. The switch connects both units simultaneously. If you use a double switch, you can turn on the tapes in sections. By connecting parallel sections of the tape to the power supply, you can turn them on individually or all at the same time, changing the lighting design. RGB strips are connected using exactly the same wiring diagram. Only instead of two wires, 4 are laid. One common and one for each color.
If one powerful power supply is installed at a considerable distance from the strips, then it is advisable to stretch a couple of thick wires from the power supply to the LED strips. You can select the required wire cross-section for a given current using the table. For example, in our case, with a current of 10.8 A, you will need a wire with a core diameter of 1.6 mm (cross section 2.0 mm 2). Place the distribution box and, using thin wires, connect the tapes through the terminal block or by soldering to the incoming wire from the power supply. In each specific case, an individual decision must be made based on the boundary conditions.
Powerful power supplies usually have large dimensions, and it is often more advisable to use several less powerful units, placing them in close proximity to the LED strips.
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