Different Types of LEDs

Why is the LED lighting industry so passionate about Light Emitting Diode on Board chips ( LED bBs)? What makes these the current favorites? Which applications are these good for and which ones should you avoid? Most importantly, what factors should you base your choice of the right LED COB chip on? These are some of the questions I have tried to answer here.

Before we start discussing on which parameters you should choose your LED chip (mainly COB LEDs), let me let you know about the different technologies available for powering different types of LEDs.

DIP LEDs. Dual inline package (DIP) LED technology is probably what you had in mind when you imagined LEDs. It's been around for more than 50 years. Although it's old, DIP LEDs are far from obsolete, as they are still widely used in large signs and displays.

These LEDs are often used as indicators in electronic and electrical equipment because they are low cost, bright and easy to install. dip LEDs typically produce 3 to 4 lumens per LED.

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SMD LEDs. SMD or surface mount device chips are becoming very popular due to their versatility. They are much smaller than DIPs. SMD LEDs have been used to manufacture everything from light bulbs to light bars.

SMD chips have the ability to put three diodes on the same chip. When a chip includes a red, green and blue diode, you have a chip that can create any colour you want by adjusting the level of output from each individual diode on the chip. Because these are bright and can change colours, these chips are used extensively for LED strip lights and light bulbs.

COB LEDs. COB chips have multiple diodes (more than three) on the same chip. This is where the similarity between SMD and COB comes into play. In fact, there are multiple diodes on each COB chip.

While SMDs require one circuit for each diode contained on the chip, COB devices have only one circuit, with two contacts across the chip, regardless of the number of diodes. This single-circuit design simplifies the design regardless of the number of diodes on the chip.

Applications for LED COB chips vary greatly, so different chips require different wattages, voltages and produce very different lumens. However, LED COB chips have a good lumen per watt ratio, typically starting at as low as 80 lumens per watt and going up to 100 lumens per watt or higher. This high efficiency makes them the preferred choice for all battery-operated applications, including cell phones, cameras, etc.

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MCOB LEDs. A variant of the COB is now becoming increasingly popular - the MCOB or multi-chip on board. the MCOB device is very similar in application to the COB chip, essentially multiple COB chips in series. the MCOB device produces a lot of light and is even better than the COB in low power applications. Currently, MCOB is a very new technology with few manufacturers, but it is likely to catch on.

Why Choose COB LEDs?

In summary, it is clear that COBs are one of the best options available. These promise to reduce the overall cost of LED luminaires by offering a variety of advantages, such as greater design flexibility, better light distribution and a simpler manufacturing process. The reasons are as follows.

1. COBs generate less heat than other forms of LEDs. In turn, this leads to higher efficiency. Better heat dissipation because the LEDs are mounted directly on an aluminum plate, compared to other materials.

2. The failure rate of COB is lower because spot soldering is no longer required, as it is built directly on the PCB.

3. Another major factor is that typically COBs have a wider beam angle and therefore have a higher color rendering index (CRI). This makes these the preferred choice for outdoor lighting fixtures such as street lights.

4. COB LED packages can also be assembled directly in the heat sink. In this case, no separate mounting and PCB is required.