Frequently Asked Questions about LED Light Strips
What is LED light strip
LED light strip refers to assembling LEDs on a strip-shaped FPC (flexible circuit board) or PCB hard board. It is named because its shape is like a strip. In fact, LED light strip is also called LED soft strip light. The shape of the product Like a soft belt, it has strong flexibility, can be folded and bent, and has low-power LED patch beads with uniform distribution on the surface; because of its long service life (generally normal life span is 80,000-100,000 hours), green Environmentally friendly and gradually emerging in various decoration industries.
Light strip is the abbreviation of LED light strip. Most people are not used to long nouns when talking about it, so they omit the LED in front and just call it light strip. This name also includes many old-fashioned light strips that directly connect LEDs with wires without using FPC or PCB. Of course, it also includes flexible light strips and hard light strips.
Types of LED light strips
LED light strip is a very advantageous lighting product. It looks like a strip and is decorated with various colors. The lit LED light strip is like a ribbon fluttering in the wind, which is very beautiful. There are many types of LED light strips on the market, and generally the types of light strips are different according to different classification methods.
1. Classification according to the width of LED strip circuit boards:
LED light strip circuit board widths are 5MM, 8MM, 10MM, 12MM, and 15MM.
2. Classification according to the waterproof level of LED light strips:
There are mainly non-waterproof LED light strips, glue-point waterproof LED light strips (waterproof grade IP55), half-tube waterproof LED light strips (waterproof grade IP65), and full-tube waterproof LED light strips (waterproof grade IP68). Full-tube waterproof LED light strips are divided into A simple full sleeve is put into the LED light strip to make it waterproof, and silicone is poured into the LED light strip to make it waterproof. The glue-filled waterproof effect is obviously better than a simple full sleeve waterproof LED light strip.
3. Classification according to the general category of LED strip chips and the number of lamp beads:
There are currently two common types of LED light strips: 3528 and 5050. According to the number of lamp beads per meter, they are divided into common LED light strip specifications such as 30 lights, 48 lights, and 60 lights. Among them, 3528 has smaller power (single lamp). 0.06W) can achieve a maximum of 120 lights/meter.
Characteristics of LED light strips
1. Soft and can be curled at will.
2. Can be cut and extended.
3. The light bulb and passage are completely covered in flexible plastic, with good insulation and waterproof properties, and are safe to use.
4. Strong weather resistance.
5. Not easy to break and have long service life.
6. Easy to create graphics, text and other shapes.
7. It has a wide range of applications and has been widely used to decorate and illuminate buildings, bridges, roads, gardens, courtyards, floors, ceilings, furniture, buses, lakes, underwater, posters, pink boards, signs, etc. .
Advantages of LED light strips
1. Safe low voltage and low power consumption. Because the light source is LED, it can work normally even under 24V, and its power consumption is 4.8W/).
2. High brightness. The light source is made of imported ultra-high brightness LEDs connected in series. The dense arrangement of 30LED/meter or 60LED/meter per meter is the fundamental guarantee of the overall luminous effect and high brightness.
3. Longevity and durability. Based on LED technology and a new structure, this lamp can achieve an ultra-long service life of 100,000 hours under any circumstances. Compared with glass neon lamps, there is no doubt about its durability.
4. Energy saving, flexible full-body light strips can save more than 70% of energy consumption and cost. Glass neon lights 26.25W/M flexible full-body light strips, 4.7W/M (R, Y, O) 6.6W/M (G, B) , W).
5. Soft, flexible full-body light strip, it can be bent to a minimum diameter of 8CM, and can be cut at any scissor edge, so it must be bent into various texts and graphics.
6. Safety. Unlike glass neon lights, which require a high voltage of 15,000V for normal operation, flexible full-body light strips can also operate normally at a low voltage of 24V. In addition, they are shockproof and have low heat dissipation, making them extremely safe to use.
7. Moving and installation, because it is similar in nature to ordinary rainbow pipes, safe and convenient, and equipped with a special card slot. During installation, you only need to nail the card slot first, and then snap it on. It is different from ordinary rainbow pipes. The wire installation is just as easy and reliable.
How to choose LED light strips
Methods to identify the quality of LED light strips:
1. Look at the solder joints:
The LED light strips produced by regular LED light strip manufacturers use SMT patch technology, using solder paste and reflow soldering. Therefore, the solder joints on the LED light strips are relatively smooth and there is not much solder. The solder joints are round. The arc extends from the FPC pad to the LED electrode.
2. Look at FPC quality:
FPC is divided into two types: copper-clad and rolled copper. The copper foil of the copper-clad board is protruding. If you look closely, you can see it from the connection between the pad and the FPC. The rolled copper is closely integrated with the FPC and can be bent at will. If the copper plate is bent too much, the pad will fall off. Excessive temperature during maintenance will also cause the pad to fall off.
3. Look at the cleanliness of the surface of the LED strip:
The cleanliness of the surface of LED light strips produced using the SMT process is very good, and no impurities or stains can be seen. However, the surface of the knockoff LED light strips produced using the hand welding process will have stains and stains remaining no matter how it is cleaned. trace.
4. Look at the packaging:
Regular LED light strips are packaged in anti-static reels, with a roll of 5 meters or 10 meters. The outside of the package is sealed with an anti-static and moisture-proof packaging bag. The counterfeit version of the LED light strip is made of recycled reels and has no anti-static properties. Static moisture-proof packaging bags, if you look carefully at the reel, you can see that there are traces and scratches on the surface left when the labels were removed.
5. Look at the labels:
Regular LED light strip packaging bags and reels will have printed labels on them, not printed labels.
6. Look at the attachment:
Regular LED light strips will come with instructions for use and light strip specifications in the packaging box, and will also be equipped with LED light strip connectors or card holders; while the copycat version of the LED light strip does not have these accessories in the packaging box, because After all, some manufacturers can still save money.
Things to note when purchasing LED light strips:
1. The brightness requirements for LEDs vary depending on different occasions and products. For example, if LED jewelry counter lights are placed in some large shopping malls, we need to have higher brightness to be attractive. For the same decorative function, there are different products such as LED spotlights and LED colorful light strips.
2. Anti-static ability: Anti-static ability LEDs with strong anti-static ability have a long life, but the price will be higher. Usually antistatic is best above 700V.
3. LEDs with the same wavelength and color temperature will have the same color. This is particularly important for lamps that are combined in large quantities. Do not produce too much color difference in the same lamp.
4. Leakage current is the current when LED conducts electricity in reverse direction. We recommend using LED products with smaller leakage current.
5. Waterproof ability, the requirements for outdoor and indoor LED lights are different.
6. The LED light-emitting angle has a great influence on LED lamps and has great requirements for different lamps. For example, we recommend using 140-170 degrees for LED fluorescent lamps. We will not explain the others in detail here.
7. LED chips determine the core quality of LEDs. There are many brands of LED chips, including those from foreign brands and those from Taiwan. The prices of different brands vary greatly.
8. The size of the LED chip also determines the quality and brightness of the LED. We try to choose larger chips when choosing, but the price will be correspondingly higher.
How to install ED light strip
How to install LED light strips:
1. First determine the length to be installed, and then take an integer to cut it off. Because this kind of light strip has a unit of 1 meter, it will not affect the circuit until it is cut off from the notch. If it is cut at will, one unit will not light up. For example: If a length of 7.5 meters is required, the light strip must be cut to 8 meters.
2. Connect the plug. The LED itself is a diode and is driven by DC, so it has positive and negative poles. If the positive and negative poles are connected reversely, it will be in an insulated state and the light strip will not light up. If the connecting plug does not light up when the power is on, just disconnect the other end of the light strip.
3. Place the light strips. The light strips are packaged in trays. The newly disassembled light strips will be twisted and difficult to install. You can straighten them first and then put them into the light trough. Since the light strip emits light from one side, uneven light and dark will appear if it is placed unevenly. Be careful especially around corners.
4. When installing the LED light strip, it is usually placed in the light trough and can be straightened. It can also be fixed with string or thin wire. If it needs to be installed externally or vertically, you need to purchase additional clips and tail plugs. The original clips are It is fully transparent. It is best to put waterproof glass glue on the tail plug and plug after installation, so that the waterproof performance is better.
How to use and maintain LED light strips
How to use and maintain LED light strips:
1. When installing the LED flexible light strip, do not push, squeeze or press the components on the LED flexible light strip to avoid damaging the components and affecting the overall effect.
2. The raised connecting wires of the LED flexible light strips (including unused connecting wires) should be fixed with glass glue to prevent light shading.
3. When the power cord of the LED flexible light strip is connected, it must first be connected to the corresponding four or three groups of LED flexible light strips through a four-point line or a three-point line. The power cord should be tied into a larger knot after entering to prevent it from being pulled off by strong force from the outside.
4. The spacing of LED flexible light strips can be adjusted according to brightness requirements, and the distribution points per square meter are best controlled between 50-100 groups.
5. LED flexible light strips that have not been waterproofed should be protected from rainwater.
6. The number of series connections from the power port of the LED flexible light strip should not exceed 50, otherwise the LED flexible light strip at the end will reduce the brightness due to voltage attenuation. Although forming a loop can avoid attenuation, too many LED flexible light strips should not be connected.
7. When installing the LED flexible light strip, double-sided tape or carpentry glue is required to firmly adhere the LED flexible light strip slot to the blister base plate. When using double-sided tape, you must add glass glue, otherwise the LED flexible light strip will fall off under long-term outdoor sunlight.
8. The LED flexible light strip uses low-voltage input, so it must not be directly connected to 220V without going through the power supply, otherwise the entire LED flexible light strip will be burned.
9. The switching power supply adjusts the output voltage according to the characteristics of the LED flexible light strip. Please do not rotate the voltage adjustment button at will during use.
10. The power supply can only be moisture-proof, not waterproof, so waterproof measures must be taken when the power supply is external.
