Types of LED strips and the main differences between them

Innovative technologies are firmly embedded in our everyday life. The main focus is on lighting the room, workplace, or the implementation of all kinds of lighting effects and illumination. For this, LED lighting devices are widely used: light bulbs, ribbons, etc. In this article, we will look at the main types and types of LED strips for home and other conditions of use.

Content:

What is LED strip
Explanation of designations
Varieties of LED strips
Characteristics and classification
Advantages and disadvantages
Conclusion

What is LED strip

LED strip is a flexible PCB with LEDs and current limiting resistors on one side and an adhesive layer on the back. This allows you to mount it in hard-to-reach places. Compact size and flexibility provide the ability to repeat complex geometries for a wide range of applications. They can be mounted on the ceiling, on the facade of a building, or make lighting for furniture, etc.

The modern industry produces tapes that have found application in various fields:

highlighting of goods in shop windows;
light design of banners;
decoration of premises - lighting of cabinets, a workplace in an office, for a kitchen, lighting design of shelves, stairs, niches;
supplementary lighting of flowers and plants in winter or as the main lighting that stimulates the growth of seedlings in greenhouses;
decorating a rest room, sauna;
illumination of rooms when watching TV at night or additional illumination of the workplace (LED strip evenly illuminates the space, does not give shadows, which is good for repair work and needlework);
for the street, waterproof tapes are used;
the use of ultra-bright LEDs allows them to be used in lighting fixtures for the home.

Explanation of designations

A marking is applied to the tape, in which all the necessary information is encrypted. Let's say it looks like - "NLS-5050RGB60-14.4-IP20-12V-Pro R5" the most important information in it is decoded like this +:

5050 - type of LEDs SMD 5050 (LEDs for surface mounting in SMD package 5x5 mm);
RGB - multicolor;
60 - 60 LEDs on the strip per 1 running meter (pcs / m);
14.4 - the power of a 1 meter segment is 14.4 watts;
IP20 - dust and moisture protection class provided by the shell;
12V - supply voltage.

The rest of the letters and numbers represent a series or designation of a specific product and each manufacturer has their own.

Varieties of LED strips

There are several types of LED strip:

Mono or monochrome. The most common products are in seven colors - red, blue, yellow, green, white, orange, pink. White light can be neutral, cool or warm, which is referred to as the color temperature in degrees Kelvin.
Multi-color RGB. They allow you to get a variety of colors and shades. The crystal contains either three separate red, blue and green LEDs or LEDs of the 5050 type - each of them contains 3 crystals for each color. Mixing colors with different intensity of luminescence allows you to get almost the entire color gamut.
RGBW or RGBWW - multicolor with one (W) or two channels (WW) white. At the same time, white LEDs can emit a warm neutral or cold glow (depending on the tape, specify when choosing and ordering). If there are two “white” channels (WW), then it is usually cold and warm white.

We will single out addressable LED strips as a separate type. They can control each LED separately. You can create the effect of running fire of different colors, or even make a matrix for displaying inscriptions or pictures.

LED strips also differ in the quality of the LEDs used, depending on this, manufacturers mark them as "economy", "luxury", "premium", etc.

A less common type of LED strips is side-glow. On them, the LEDs are installed so that they shine to the side, which makes it possible to illuminate the contour, for example, as required in "angel eyes" for cars.

Characteristics and classification

LED strips are of different types, they are distinguished by a number of parameters:

By the level of the supply voltage. Or, as the people say, “by voltage”. The most common products that operate at 12 volts DC, followed by 24V. Less common are 5 and 36 volts. In addition to the above, there are popular types of LED strips that operate on a 220V AC network without a power supply. They are connected to the network through a small adapter, inside which is installed diode bridge. There are also battery-powered LED strips. They are usually powered by 3 AA or AAA AA batteries.
By the type of LEDs. Their marking is four-digit and usually reflects the overall dimensions of the element, which are indicated by a four-digit number, for example: 5730 - case size 5.7x3.0 mm, 5050 - 5x5 mm, 3528 - 3.5x2.8 mm, etc. They differ in luminous flux (brightness) and consumed power.
In terms of power and number of LEDs, it depends directly on the previous paragraph. Typical values are 3.6, 7.2, 14.4 watts per meter.
By the color of the glow (described in detail above).
IP protection against dust and moisture provided by the shell. The first digit indicates dust protection. Accepts a value from 0 to 6. The second shows the degree of protection against moisture 0 - not protected, 8 - can be used under water. For example, the IP20 protection class says that there is no protection against dust, moisture and mechanical stress. IP33 - protected from dust and large particles larger than 2.5 mm and from splashing water (from rain) falling at an angle of 60˚. IP68 - has good dust protection and can work underwater. This type of product is used to decorate small fountains, swimming pools, aquariums, or used as street lighting for houses.

There is no classification of LED strips "by application", since the ability to use the strip in certain conditions depends on the voltage and the class of dust and moisture protection required to ensure electrical safety.

Types of LEDs and LED strips The luminous flux is determined both by the characteristics of the diode and by their number on the tape - the more there are, the greater the luminous flux.

Types of LED strips by the number of LEDs The tape can be cut, the cut frequency often depends on the voltage for which it is designed. Products with 12V power supply can be cut into segments multiples of three LEDs, 24-volt - 6, 220-volt - 60 (may differ, usually the frequency is indicated here by length: every 0.5 or 1 meter). The cutting line is marked with a scissor symbol. We talked about this in more detail in the article: https://samelectrik.ru/kak-mozhno-razrezat-led-lentu.html.

Advantages and disadvantages

LED strip has undoubted advantages over other light sources:

Long service life, up to 50,000 hours.
Low power consumption with high luminous efficiency (typically 80-100 lm / m).
When decorating a room, it is possible to apply different color lighting. You can choose a narrow, wide or side glow tape if you need to make a glowing outline something, for example, lighting for a stretch ceiling, drywall niches or other decorative elements.
Resistance to mechanical damage. It can be used in unfavorable conditions, used for lighting in the bathroom, etc.
Available in different colors or white with different color temperatures - warm, neutral or cold glow.
They are used for aquariums and plants (phytolines) in greenhouses, certain light waves allow faster harvesting.
Thanks to the adhesive base, it can be easily mounted on any surface.

In addition to numerous advantages, disadvantages should be noted:

They are demanding on the quality of power supplies.
RGB tapes require a dedicated control controller.
Powerful PSUs are expensive.
The luminous flux decreases over time.

Conclusion

LED strips are an inexpensive and effective way to organize interior lighting, architecture. 12-volt models are convenient to use for a car, namely for interior or underbody lighting, but in the latter case, it should be IP67-68 in terms of the type of dust and moisture protection.

Aluminum based LED strips It is worth noting that in addition to flexible LED strips, there is another type - rigid LED strips on an aluminum base, which provide a strong luminous flux and are often used for lighting.