The Discovery of the Light Emitting Diode

Everyone knows who Thomas Edison the inventor of the filament light bulb is. In fact the image of a light bulb has become synonymous with ‘bright ideas.’ Another bright idea is LED Lighting, which is set to replace Edison’s creation quite soon. This is because they are over 90 per cent more energy efficient that traditional bulbs, which, in a world that is running on limited resources, are very important. But who is the person, or persons, behind the creation of the LED? According to The Life and Times of the LED, “many people believe that the LED was discovered by US researchers working in the 1960s.” Actually, the story of the LED begins a number of decades beforehand a lot closer to home.

The origins of the LED can actually be traced back to a British experimenter. Henry Joseph Round (sometimes shortened to H J Round) was an early pioneer of radio broadcasting and assistant to Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio. In 1907, while performing experiments with cat’s whiskers detectors, he noted the emission of light from a semiconductor diode. He found that when he passed a current through certain substances they would actually give off light; a phenomenon called electroluminescence. This is the key scientific principle behind the LED and led directly to its discovery. Even though Round published his findings in a scientific journal called Electrical World, it would be several decades before a use was found for his discovery.

The invention of the LED actually goes to a little known Russian genius called Oleg Vladimirovish Losev, whose life and work remains, unfortunately, rather obscure. His independent work on solid-state electronics, which included the first solid-state semiconductor amplifier and generator, LED to the creation of the first actual LED. His findings were published in a paper entitled “Luminous carborundum (silicon carbide) detector and detection with crystals” was published in 1927 in a journal called Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony. This paper has been constituted the discovery of the LED.

Although Losev’s research was distributed in Russian, German and British scientific journals, it did not receive any attention from the scientific community for a number of decades. For a number of years American scientists experimented with semiconductors emitting infrared light, but it wasn’t until the early 1960s that a practical, visible-spectrum LED was created. Nick Holonyak Jr. is widely considered “the father of the light-emitting diode.” He developed the first practical LEDs in 1662 while working for the General Electric Company in New York. These early LEDs were all red and were used as replacements for incandescent indicators because they used less energy. They were also put to use in seven-segment displays (digital clock displays). Before long they were being used in a wide range of appliances including televisions, radios, telephones, calculators and watches.

Over a period of time the materials and technology behind the LED have become more advanced. They can now achieve a much greater light output which has made them suitable for a wider range of applications, including television screens and household lighting. Although Round and Losev don’t always receive the credit they deserve, I can imagine they would be thrilled to see what their respective work has contributed to. A GU10 24 SMD would certainly be something to be proud of. They can achieve the same brightness as a 60 watt halogen at a fraction of the energy use. They also last up to 50,000 hours. That’s very impressive.

Find out more about LED Lights here.

How to install LED Strip Lights

LED Strip Lights are quickly replacing older incandescent lights as the effects lighting of choice for business and homeowners who want to stylishly rethink the way they light their interiors without compromising on quality. Installing them now will mean that you save up to 90 per cent on the running cost of your lighting, which, with large scale installations like those used in pubs, clubs, restaurants and hotels, is very important. What you will find is that each diode on an LED Strip will use about a tenth of the wattage as an equivalent incandescent, which means you will be able to run your lighting very affordably. They also last considerably longer, up to 20 times longer in fact, with the average life span of an LED being anywhere between 30,000 and 50,000 hours. 

One of the defining features of LED Strip Lights is their ease of use. They are made with a user friendly ethos in mind, which makes them incredibly easy to install. However, there are a few things worth considering before you buy. This article will give some practical advice on ordering LED Strip lights for the first time and getting started. 

Take Measurements

All LED Strip Lights are made to measure. As such, it is a good idea to measure the space in which you intend to install them. This will make sure you get the right length of LED Strip necessary for the project. 

Check the Load

Determine the power requirement of the LED Strip Lights. This is a variable figure, depending on the length of the light strip, the number of LEDs per strip and the size of the LEDs. The manufacturer should provide all the specifications you need to help you work out what sort of power source you will need. Always check the specifications of the strip light controller. The controller dictates the performance of the strip light it is connected to. If you have a 100W controller and your strip light performs at 5W per metre, then you will be able to run 20 metres of that particular strip light on a single controller. If you need more then you can use an amplifier to boost the signal of the controller.   

Modifications

Sometimes you might find you have to cut your LED Strips. Thankfully, if they are the wrong size, you won’t have to send them back. LED Strip Lights are fully customizable and cutting them is very straightforward. They have small cutting points along their length which can be cut with a good pair of scissors, so as not to damage the circuit board. Always make sure you cut the LED Strip at the end away from the transformer. Once they are cut they are ready to go!

Mounting

LED Strip Lights don’t usually need any mounting. You will find that most come provided with a 3M high quality adhesive backing which means they can be stuck straight down to a surface.

Hooking up to the power

LED Strip Lights also known as LED tape run straight off the mains power through a 12V transformer, similar to the ones you find on laptop chargers. This simply steps the voltage down from the 240V mains power to 12V for the LED Strip.  Your manufacturer will provide you with all the necessary connector leads to get you going, which usually includes a length of wire that connects the LED Strip to the transformer and a power cable connecting the transformer to the socket. Always find out how long the connector cables are before you begin your project. If they aren’t long enough you can always use an extension lead.

What can RGB LED do for you?

LED Strip Lights are some of the most versatile effects lighting available. Their flexible and discrete design allows you to be very creative with the way you light your business and home. They also allow you to be very creative with your energy use by letting you run your lighting at a fraction of the cost. A typical LED will use about a tenth of the power of a traditional incandescent. This is because they convert a lot less energy into heat and more into useful light. They also last a lot longer. Incandescent bulbs rely on fragile filaments that degrade very quickly overtime. LEDs don’t have filaments, but rather use a semiconductor diode to produce light. These last up to 10 times longer than an incandescent filament; that’s about 30,000 to 50,000 hours!

LED Strip Lights come in a variety of colours, but if you really want to get the party started then its well worth considering RGB LED. RGB LED opens up the options for lighting a business or home even further by giving you access to a full spectrum of colourful effects. They enable you to be very imaginative with your use of light and effortlessly create mood and ambiance that will bring a room to life. You will most often find them used in commercial settings like bars, clubs, restaurants and other entertainment venues, but their flexible and compact design also makes them suitable for domestic use as well. Try using them in kitchens, living rooms and study spaces and you will be able to completely reinvent the appearance of a room.  They are also great for special occasions such as Christmas and birthdays.

How to use RGB LED

RGB simply stands for Red, Green and Blue. The LEDs on the strip light blend these three colours at their source to recreate the entire colour spectrum. This gives you access to a massive range of colourful effects, including static colours and interchangeable colour sequences. You will find that most RGB LED strip lights come equipped with a remote controller and red eye sensor which you can install between the transformer and strip light. The remote can be used to determine the colour of the strip light by varying the amount of Red, Green and Blue light that are mixed at the LEDs source. The remote will also allow you to manipulate variables such as the pattern, frequency and brightness of the LEDs or to programme the lights with preset patterns. 

If you really want to create a spectacular display you might consider upgrading to a DMX controller. DMX is an industry standard for controlling stage effects and lighting, including smoke machines and spotlights. They can be programmed to control the frequency, brightness, colour and almost any other facet of an LED Strip Light.

Things to know

LED Strip Lights operate at a very low voltage. This means that instead of running straight off the mains they have to run through a 12 V transformer. This steps the voltage down from 240V to 12V and makes the lighting very safe to handle. Also pay attention to the specifications of the controller, which will let you know how many watts you can run. The wattage of a led strip light is dictated by a number of variables including the size of the LEDs, number of LEDs per metre, the length of the strip light and the type of light they are producing. For example if you have a 100W controller and the performance of the RGB LED strip light is 5W per metre, then you will be able to connect 20m of strip light. If you want to connect more you will need an amplifier that will boost the signal of the controller. Amplifiers need to be powered by a separate transformer as the power capabilities of the controller are invariable.  

Calculating the performance of an RGB LED is a little more complex than standard LED Strip Lights. There wattage usage is not constant and in fact varies depending on how they are programmed and how much of the Red, Green and Blue LED is being used. For example, if the LEDs are programmed to flicker on and off, while they are off they will not be using any power. As such, it is always worth calculating how much power the strip uses at maximum performance, which is usually when it is producing white light, and work from there. If the performance of the RGB LED strip light does exceed the performance of the controller the only thing that will happen is that the LEDs will become slightly dimmer as they are not receiving enough power. 

Always check the specifications of the strip lights before you buy. If you want any more information on RGB LED drop me an e-mail.