Last year we reported in depth on the state of the art and market in LED headlamps, augmenting our increasingly comprehensive LED knowledge library. Now we’re broadening the scope of the library again with a new, detailed technical report on LEDs and their implementation with specific attention to their particular electrical and thermal requirements and parameters. I’m especially proud of this report because its author, Ralf Schäfer, is one of the most famous light source experts. This report will facilitate productive discussion and sound decisions among LED nonspecialists confronted with an increasingly LED-saturated reality in their day-to-day professional life.
The first part is a description of LED technology. The basic physical principles of light emission are outlined and related to the typical construction of LED products at the different integration levels, and the LED die manufacturing processes is described.
Then comes the most interesting part, detailing the implications of LEDs’ behavioural characteristics for the electronic driver circuitry and the automotive lighting equipment thermal environment. Particular emphasis is put on the importance of thermal management to the performance of the LED light system. There’s special coverage of the characteristics and influences of cooling by heat sinks.
As an outlook to the future, three detailed expert opinions are provided: one from a light source company and two from global Tier-1 lighting suppliers.
We’ve also brought together worldwide LED experts’ answers to questions we sent about efficiency, styling differentiation, standardisation, market shares, and related topics.
In the end, we on the DVN team present some statements and our own expectations and predictions for the future of LED automotive lighting. Give it a good reading through and please send in your comments and questions!
Sincerely yours
DVN Editor in Chief