LED module: overview, description, types and reviews

LED technology in just a few years has formed a wide segment of products used in various fields. At the moment, LED-devices cover almost all the niches of household lighting, and in some directions they replaced traditional lamps altogether. Such high popularity of products was promoted by operational characteristics in the form of durability, brightness of radiation, low power consumption, etc. And only experts of the segment understand the structural advantages of LED-clusters. Using the LED module, it is possible to form illumination panels of any configuration. At the same time, through the controllers, the user can experiment with the lighting modes.

What is a LED module?

The module itself is a cluster that acts as a carrier base for locating diodes. In minimal designs it consists of two parts - the body block and the compound fill. The remaining elements constitute the electrical part providing control and power supply of the LED. There are also LED stripes, but they are rarely attributed to modules. They, too, are most often mounted in a block structure or tubular forms, since a protective shell is required for the operation of such tapes.

Clusters can be equipped with outdoor LED modules that receive additional frames that protect against precipitation, mechanical damage and vandals. Manufacturers use modules as an element of larger designs. For example, in multimedia LED platforms, one cluster is considered as a pixel. This is despite the fact that in one modular block can contain 5-10 diodes.

LED as the basis of the module

A diode is a solid-state light source. Roughly speaking, this is an analog of traditional light bulbs, but it has at times smaller dimensions - in diameter no more than a centimeter. With small amounts of energy consumption, this element emits enough light to serve rooms in private homes. The amount of diodes in the cluster depends on the requirements for the volume of light. The most common diodes of the Straw Hat system, which have "legs" in the structure and themselves represent a lens head made of plastic.

Initially, the LED module with such elements was conceived as an indicator without the function of full-color lighting. But as technology evolves, this task has evolved into a function of illumination and has reached the radiating illumination. Of course, more powerful clusters, based on SMD-LEDs, cope with such tasks. The developers have increased not only the power of such LED-devices, but also the durability - an average resource of 50 thousand hours.

Control system

Each module has its own control line, which determines the parameters of its operation. In particular, thanks to the programming of the control controller, the user can set the cluster to be glowed by certain colors with a particular rhythm and frequency.

The possibility of regulating lighting modes is another advantage of LED technology. It is the presence of controllers in the working scheme that allows creating large multimedia panels with a controlled image. But it is important to keep in mind that diodes are sensitive to electrotechnical influences.

In addition to the controller, there are LED power modules that provide power to the device. The reliability of the circuit in which the supply circuits and the control controller interact will depend on how well the electrical circuit meets the printed circuit board - the infrastructure on which the diode is located.

Types of clusters

First of all, you can divide the modules based on the number of LEDs used - typical devices have from 1 to 5 elements. In specialized clusters this number may increase. Also, it is necessary to separate the devices to equip the unit. The simplest models contain only diode elements - in this structure, a connection is provided in a series circuit, which provides for wiring in a circuit that limits the current for control.

The second type is represented by the LED module, LED elements of which are supplemented with embedded components that limit the current. In such clusters, the connection is realized either directly to power supplies, or to the control switch. And the most technologically advanced version of the cluster implementation involves the integration of the controller itself. In this case, the control is carried out via the serial interface channels, in particular on three-wire buses.

Application modules

The main sphere of application of clusters on LEDs is the advertising industry. Such elements are advantageous to use in the same multimedia panels, placards, signs and running lines. And in most cases, this product is used in street construction. They are equipped with building facades, billboards and even car hulls. Dimensions and configurations are practically unlimited.

As for household applications, LED backlight modules with a decorative function are more often used in this area. Due to their structural flexibility, they can be used both in landscape design and as a means of spotlighting individual interior objects.

Pros and cons of LED modules

Advantages for this type of lighting is very much, and as the development of LED-technologies, new strengths are revealed. The main advantages are high lighting characteristics, long service life, low energy consumption costs, compact dimensions, etc.

In some areas, the fact that the LED module does not emit heat radiation is also important. This feature, in particular, allows you to use LEDs in decorating Christmas trees without the risk of a fire. Disadvantages of such clusters are due to their high cost and temperature susceptibility. Weakly protected modules are unstable in the conditions of frost.

Reviews of manufacturers

Large manufacturers of the Philips and Osram level mainly focus on the finished LED products: fixtures, spotlights, flashlights, panels, etc. And the cluster segments are mainly supplied to third-party productions. Therefore, it is worthwhile to focus on less well-known companies, among them Jazzway and WRS. As the owners of this product note, these modules are characterized by high-strength construction, long working capacity and the presence of a developed control system.

PromoLED products are also positively characterized. In its assortment you can find not only functional and reliable, but also original in design LED modules. The price for this product on average is 200-300 rubles. Tapes with diodes cost even less - about 100 rubles. For the 5-element construction.

Conclusion

At the moment, LED clusters are produced in a huge range, and every lighting engineer or amateur can find a suitable solution for himself. In the selection, experts advise paying attention to several parameters. In addition to lighting indicators, the requirements for which are always individual, it is important to take into account the quality of the housing on which the LED module and the adjacent infrastructure are based. It is desirable to give preference to reinforced structures, which also provide for a convenient fixation mechanism. In the future, he will get rid of unnecessary manipulations during installation.

Depending on the nature of the use, the hull coating is assessed. For general safety reasons, it is desirable to choose modules with polyester resins that prevent moisture penetration.