5V and 12V LED Strips' 3 Differences

When you are looking for some LED light strips to decor your house, you may find thousands of LED strips with different working voltages such as 5V and 12V on Amazon, eBay, and other websites of LED strip suppliers. Do you feel confused by so many different specs and don't know how to choose? In this article, we'll introduce their difference and let you know which is better for you.

1. Materials/ Components
Most of the components of the 5V LED strips and 12V LED strips are universal except the printed circuit board, aka PCB. Generally, the cutting unit of the 12V PCB contains 3 SMD LEDs and 1 resistor, and that of the 5V PCB is 1 SMD LED and 1 resistor. The minimum cutting length of the 5V LED strip is much shorter, which means that it's more likely to suit the specific length you need.

2. Input voltage
The power supply is a device that provides electrical energy to the LED strips. The output voltage of the power supply is constant. At the same power, the higher the voltage, the lower the current. And the lower the current, the longer the LED strip can be connected in series. Therefore, the 12V LED strip is more convenient for installation. But the 5V LED strips also have an advantage that is they can be driven by USB ports and batteries.

3. Applications
The 5V LED strips can be used to decor our TV background, computers, etc., for these devices can supply power to the LED strips through the USB ports. And the 5V LED strips are widely used in bike, skids, and other portable items, with a batteries pack. Oppositely, the 12V LED light strips are more suitable for large decoration lighting, such as ceiling, bed, wall, roof, and so on, for it is more stable and durable.

According to the comparison and description above, you can know which is better for your projects. If you have any questions about LED lighting, welcome to contact us. Shenzhen Mailederun Technology Co., Ltd. (MLDR®)

What Exactly Is Dual White LED Tape Light

Dual-white LED tape light, as its name implies, is a light strip that has two color temperatures. There are 2 different color LEDs on the PCB (print circuit board), and 2 independent circuits that are connected to different colored LEDs. So that you can switch the light's color and adapt their brightness separately. The picture below is the dual white LED tape light with a product number of R2835-SSW120, we can see that it's made of warm white and white SMD 2835 LEDs. In addition to these 2 colors, it can as well as provide daylight (4000 Kelvin) by the composition of warm white and white. Having 3 color temperature options, the dual white LED strip can improve the flexibility of both residential and commercial lighting.

2835 dual white LED tape

1. The methods to realize dual white/ dual color
Generally, there are two kinds of methods to achieve dual color in an LED strip. The first one is mounting 2 different color LEDs on a PCB (the 2835 dual white LED strip above is a typical example). The next one is using the 2-in-1 dual-color SMD LEDs. This kind of SMD LED has 2 colors.

2 in 1 SMD LED

2. Dual-white and RGB, which is better
I have to say that there is no fixed answer to this question. They are two products designed for different applications. RGB LED strips can realize more colors, while the dual white LED strip's white light is purer and has higher brightness. Therefore, if you want to decorate your home with comfortable light, you should take the dual white LED strip into consideration. And if you want to add some dynamic to your home, the RGB LED strip will be more suitable.

3. How to install the dual white LED tape light
Like other low voltage LED strips, the dual white LED strip needs to be driven by the AC-DC power supply. To achieve color changing, dimming, and dynamic effects, a dual white controller is requested to install between the light and power supply. Most dual-color LED strips are 3 pins (1 positive pole and 2 negative poles) or 4 pins (2 positive poles and 2 negative poles), and they are a little different in the wiring.

To summarize, dual-white LED strips can provide pure white lights and more CCT options. It's widely used in residences, hotels, signages, mirrors, and so on.

3 Components Determine the Quality of LED Strip Lights

Original link: http://www.mldrled.com/news/quality_led_curtain_strip_light-en.html

LED strip lights have replaced traditional lamps as the main light source of residential lighting, decorative lighting, advertising light-boxes, commercial lighting, and so on. The quality of the LED strips is one of the most important metrics. In this article, let's take the MFS3030A LED STRIP LIGHT as an example to introduce 3 components that determine the quality of LED strip lights.

1. Light source

MFS3030A is an LED light strip designed for lightbox display and stretch ceiling. Generally, the light source of the LED strip is the SMD LEDs, which directly determines the brightness, light color, power, lifespan, and most of the performances of the finished product. In order to meet the specific requirement of light intensity of advertising displaying and commercial lighting, the SMD 3030 LEDs, a high-power LED light source built-in 3 diodes, is adopted. And the excellent light source is the key to high durability and long life.

2. PCB

PCB is one of the main components of LED strips. As we all know, a high power light source also brings more heat. Therefore, we have to take the heat sink capacity into consideration when designing the PCB. The aluminum-substrate PCB became the perfect partner for the high-power SMD LEDs, its excellent heat conductivity can effectively improve the overheating and reduce the light decay of the light source. So we could say that the PCB's quality is directly related to the quality of LED strips.

3. Lens/ diffuser

To achieve specific lighting performance or adjusting the beam angle, diffuser covers and optical lenses are mounted on the LED light strips. These components directly cover the LEDs and will affect their original lighting quality. In consequence, the quality of the lenses and diffusers, such as transparency, shape, and uniformity, has a big impact on the performance of LED strips.

As a China LED strip supplier, Shenzhen Mailederun Technology Co., Ltd. (MLDR®) is committed to manufacturing high quality LED lighting. The MFS3030A backlit LED strip is made of high-quality SMD 3030 LEDs, rigid aluminum PCB, high-transparency 175° PMMA lenses, and other excellent materials ensuring the excellent light performance and durability. It's suitable for the lightbox display and stretch ceiling.

What is IP Rating for LED Lights?

Reposted from www.mldrled.com

International protection rating, aka IP rating and IP code, is a standard for dust and water resistance. In the grading standard, IPxx is the symbol of protection level, in which xx is a two-digit number, the first position indicates the rating of protection against solids, and the second position indicates the rating of protection against liquids. The solid protection grade has 7 grades, which are represented by 0-6 respectively; the liquid protection grade has 9 grades, which are represented by 0-8 respectively. Hereinafter is the meaning of the IP ratings for LED lights.

The level of dustproof (the meaning of the first digit).

0: No special protection.

1: Prevent large solids greater than 50mm.

2: Prevent medium-sized solids greater than 12.5mm.

3: Prevent small solids greater than 2.5mm.

4: Prevent solids greater than 1mm.

5: Prevent dust accumulation.

6: Completely dust-protected.

The level of waterproof (the meaning of the second digit).

0: No special protection.

1: Prevent vertically falling water droplets.

2: Prevent vertically falling drops of water into a 15 degree sloped shell.

3: Prevent drops of water spray from an angle of 60 degrees.

4: Prevent drops of water in all directions.

5: Prevent jets of water.

6: Prevent powerful water jets and waves.

7: Can be immersed in water for less than 30 minutes at a depth of less than one meter.

8: Can be immersed in water for a long time under a certain pressure.

For the LED lighting industry, the regular IP ratings are IP20, IP65, IP67, and IP68. Take LED strips for example.

IP20: The LED light strip is not treated with any waterproofing and can only be used indoors or sealed environments.

IP65: The surface of the LED strip is covered with a layer of silicone glue to protect the electronic components from dust and rain.

IP67: The LED strip is covered with a silicone tube. It can be used outdoors, and underwater for a short period.

IP68: IP68 waterproof LED strip can be used underwater for a long time.

IP ratings for LED strip lights

At this point, someone might ask which is better, IP20, IP65, IP67, or IP68. Should we use the highest grade IP68? To be honest, the higher the level of protection, the higher the processing cost, the higher the price of the product. The IP rating should be chosen according to the service environments. IP20 is the most suitable and economical for indoors. IP65 and IP67 can meet most outdoor environments. And if you are looking for LED lights for pools or underwater environments, the IP68 is here.

Original: what is ip rating for led lights

The difference between RGB and RGBW LED

RGB and RGBW is a couple of words that we commonly see and hear in the LED lighting industry. Today we are gonna review the RGB LED and RGBW LED, and find their difference.

RGB and RGBW LED Strip Lights

Combin 3 diodes (red, green, and blue) in 1 SMD chip, the RGB LED can realize color changing. To achieve better white light, adding a white light diode on the RGB LED, that's we call RGBW LED. So, RGBW is an RGB LED with an additional white light diode (the packaging process is far more complicated).

Through the controller, RGB and RGBW LEDs can switch from different colors, such as white, red, green, blue, pink, yellow, cyan, and so on. However, having an extra white light diode make the RGBW LED has a brighter and more pure white light performance. And according to the additional diode's color, there are also have RGBWW (RGB+ warm white), RGBCW (RGB+ cool white), and RGBNW (RGB+ neutral white), which can give you more choice.

To further introduce the difference between RGB and RGBW LEDs, we'd like to take the LED strips for example. The RGBW LED strip has 4 independent control circuits, and the RGB LED strip has 3. Therefore, we can visually note that the RGBW remote is more complicated than the RGB remote, and has more functions. From the connector, we can easier distinguish RGBW LED strip (5 pins) and RGB LED strip (4 pins).

Now, we learned that compared to the RGB LED, the RGBW LED has better white light performance, more color choices, and more functions. So can we conclude that the RGBW LED is better for buy? No, there is another important factor that we haven't take into account. As mentioned at the end of the second paragraph, the processes of RGBW LEDs are far more complicated than that of RGB LEDs. And the complex processes make the cost increase to the price. In today's market, the RGBW LED is several times more expensive than the RGB LED. To sum it up, RGBW LED lights are the better choice if you or your customers are strict in the white light performance and have enough budget. Opposite, if you just want to make rooms or restaurants more colorful, the RGB LED light can meet your satisfaction, and more cost-effective.

How to install LED strip and power supply

LED strip, also known as led tape light, is one of the most popular linear decorative lighting fixtures for homes, shops, supermarkets, hotels, etc. Due to most of the LED strips' input voltage is 12V DC or 24V DC, they can't be directly connected to the 110V AC or 220V AC. So we need a power supply to transfer the high voltage AC to low voltage DC. Now let's see how to install LED strip and power supply.

Please note that the power must be cut off before installation to avoid the risk of electric shock.

1. Power supply wiring

Here is a typical power supply which inputs 100V to 220V AC and outputs 12V DC. As you can see from the picture below, the first and second interfaces are the high voltage input, and the third interface is the ground electrode. The first step is to connect the power cord to the input ends and tighten them with the screwdriver.

Install Power Supply

 2. LED strip wiring
In general, the red wire is the anode of the LED strip and the black wire is the cathode, which should be connected to V+ and V- of the output ends of power supply accordingly. The colors of the wires of the LED strip may be different from the different models or suppliers.

Install LED Light Strip

Power on, the LED strip will be lit up. If the LED strip does not work, it may be the wires are reversed, we can reverse two wires of the LED strip and try again.

Lit Up

Above is the simple installation and connection of the regular single-color LED strip light and power supply.

Shenzhen Mailederun Technology Co., Ltd. (MLDR®) is a professional LED strip lights manufacturer in China, supplying all kinds of LED strips and accessories.

What do the numbers of LED mean? such as 2835, 3528, 5630, 5050, and so on.

If you've ever bought or read about LED strip lights, you've probably been impressed by these numbers (models), 2835, 3825, 5630, 5050, etc. Actually, the meaning of these numbers is very simple.

Fundamentally, all of these numbers are the models of SMD (Surface Mounted Diode) LEDs, representing their sizes. Take SMD 2835 LED as an example, 2835 means its length and the width of the LED is 2.8mm and 3.5mm. SMD LED is a kind of semiconductor light source that directly mounted on the LED light strip, having characteristics of high brightness, low power consumption, and good workability.

Normally, the larger the sizes of the SMD LED, the higher the lumens and the better the heat dissipation. But, there also have exceptions. Let's compare the RU5050 LED strip and RU5630 LED strip these two LED flexible strip lights. Obviously, the RU5050's SMD 5050 LED light source is larger than the SMD 5630 LED of RU5630. However, in fact, the RU5630's brightness is higher than that of the RU5050, that is caused by the 5630's chip size is relatively bigger. But SMD 5050 LED has more excellent heat dissipation performance, which makes the LED light strip working more stable. Even the brightness of the same model of SMD LEDs may not be the same, which involves the materials, processes, and rated power.

You should know the meaning of these number of LED strip lights and their main differences by now. MLDR® is a professional LED light strip manufacturer in China, aiming to provide reliable LED lighting products to customers all over the world.

Lumileds launches new medium power 2835 lamp beads

According to reports, Lumileds, a global lighting solutions company, has introduced the new 2835 series of SMD LED LUXEON 2835 HE, which has a luminous efficiency of up to 200 lm/W and a very high color consistency.

2835 SMD LED

This new LED emits more intensive light than the current mid-power LEDs on the market, and with the help of the MacAdam Elliptical Design Kit, the color consistency is at the highest level in the industry. When the input current is 65 mA, the luminous flux of the LED is 36 lm. As the input current rises, the luminous flux can be as high as 220 lm when the driving current is 480 mA.

For medium and high-end LED strips, bulbs, spotlights, etc., LUXEON 2835 HE is a very suitable light source, because of its high luminous efficiency, it can reach the high brightness with fewer lamp beads. And the high reliability of the LUXEON 2835 HE guarantees its longevity. The LUXEON 2835 HE's bead is available in a variety of color temperatures and CRI options for a wide range of lighting applications.

LED Light Strips' Situation and Improvement - Competition

Due to the continuous improvement of production capacity and the market space tends to be stable in recent years, the competition in the LED strip industry is getting fiercer. In order to grab the market, some LED lights suppliers only pursue lower costs and prices without paying attention to quality, resulting in an abnormal price war in the market.

At present, the whole market can be neatly divided into three levels: high, medium and low. High-level market mainly occupied by brand manufacturers. Most of the suppliers are in the mid-level market, whose products have reliable quality and reasonable prices. The low-level market is chaotic. Due to the production cost is very low, LED lights have no quality assurance, which led to the market has been in an unhealthy state of development.

In order to keep the healthy development of the LED strip market, more and more people have called on that the companies should pay attention to the quality and creation competition, instead of the price competition. MLDR CO., LTD. is a professional LED strip manufacturer in China, which has been committed to developing and producing products with reliable quality and competitive prices.

LED Light Strips' Situation and Improvement - Light sources

LED lights are not only energy-saving and environmentally friendly but also have a wide range of applications, so they play an important role in all lighting fields. The market demand for LED strips is now very large, including household lighting, public lighting, indoor lighting, and outdoor lighting. At present, most LED strips use SMD LEDs as the light source. Common SMD LED models for LED strips are: 2835, 4014, 5050, 5630, 7030, 8520, etc., of which 2835, 5050 and 5630 are the most widely used and the most widely used.

The 2835 and 3528 are different, but they can use the same PCB. Compare with 3528, 2835 have higher brightness and better heat dissipation. Furthermore, SMD2835 LEDs are widely used as the light sources for the LED bulbs, panel lights, etc.

There are two types of 5050 LEDs: single color 5050 LED and 5050RGB LED. The SMD 5050 RGB LED is also called full-color LED, which contains three chips of different colors. The single color 5050 LED is typically packaged with three chips of the same color. The 5050 LED has better quality, but its cost also higher.

5630 LEDs have high brightness, uniform illumination, low light decay, long life, low power consumption, good heat dissipation, high light efficiency, strong antistatic, strong reliability, and safety. The chip in the 5630 LEDs has a larger chip size and higher brightness. However, the power of large chip LEDs is high, and heat dissipation must be considered.

Where are the LED strips used

Many houses now use LED strips as decorative light sources because they are affordable, easy to install, and environmentally friendly. In addition to home lighting, light strips are used in a variety of applications. The following is a brief introduction to the main application areas of the light bar.

LED strips generally have two types of hard strips and flex strips, both of which are mounted on copper or strip-shaped boards. As the main advertising lighting, commercial lighting and decorative lighting fixtures, LED strips have been widely used in buildings, bridges, roads, gardens, courtyards, floors, ceilings, furniture, cars, ponds, underwater, advertising, signs, signs, etc.

The above is the main application of LED strips, if you need more information, please visit our website www.mldrled.com. Shenzhen Mai Le De Run Technology Co., Ltd. is a LED lighting enterprise integrating development, production and sales.