[Introduction to the Electronic World with Beautiful Makers] Are you doing LED development? This video is very useful!

This video provides a comprehensive overview of LED technology, covering the basic principles, types, applications and related resources of LEDs. Welcome to leave a message in the DigiKey Technology Forum for discussion.

With the continuous development of science and technology, the application of LED technology in various fields is becoming more and more popular. Whether in home lighting, automotive lighting, TV displays, electronic products, or outdoor billboards, LED technology has been widely used. Understanding the basics of LED technology is very important for those working in related fields. The following video provides a comprehensive overview of LED technology, covering the basic principles, types, applications and related resources of LEDs. Watch to learn more.

LED stands for light-emitting diode, an electronic component that lights up when electricity passes through it.

LEDs come in many forms, including SMD and through-hole , and come in a variety of colors, sizes and configuration options.

The simplest LED circuit is composed of a button battery . The lengths of the pins at both ends of the plug-in LED are different. The longer end is the positive electrode, or called the anode, and the shorter end is the negative electrode, or called the cathode. The LED light will only light up if it is connected correctly.

Inside the LED you can see where the leads connect. The anode terminal connects to a thin metal wire that spans to a small semiconductor die affixed to the cathode terminal, which emits light when current passes through it. The color an LED lights up depends on the specific material type, which is why some LEDs are more expensive than others. Any plastic casing can help create light that changes color.

In addition to the length of the pins, the positive and negative electrodes of the LED can also be inferred from the semiconductor grains. The cathode is larger than the anode, and the semiconductor grains are usually at the cathode. However, not all LEDs follow such rules, and some LED manufacturers will reverse them. The only way to be completely sure of polarity is to test it.

Resistors help limit the current through the LED and protect the LED from burning out. The amount of resistance required depends on what kind of LED and power supply are used, which obeys Ohm's law. But there are some tricks, for commonly used types, it is usually habitual to remember their combinations. For example, a typical 3V LED can use any resistor between 100 and 1000. DigiKey 's LED Series Resistor Calculator can help calculate the required resistance.

As for RGB LED, it uses the three primary colors of red, green and blue through the additive color method, and simultaneously controls the brightness of the LED of each color to generate almost any color of light. The LEDs on the mobile phone screen form brilliant colors in the same way, but the LEDs are all integrated into a very small package.

RGB LED light strips can change colors simultaneously, also known as analog LED light strips. They are usually widely used in architectural environments and generally require a 12-volt power supply. It can be controlled using a pre-wired controller or three transistors controlled by a microcontroller.

It is important to make sure you pick the right LED, usually a 3-5 volt or 12 volt LED. Lower voltage LEDs are better suited for battery-powered projects, while 12-volt ones are better suited for wall power supply. Since they are not interchangeable, special attention must be paid to voltage when purchasing.

The last thing I want to introduce is the addressable pixel lamp. This type of LED has a microchip inside it that can receive and transmit commands. It needs to be controlled by a microcontroller because they need to receive instructions to operate. The pixel code includes a numerical value that describes the brightness of each LED. Any number from 0 to 255 can be used to represent the brightness of each LED, and commands are used to instruct which pixels the LED lights up and when. In addition, there are some special LEDs whose built-in chips can achieve self-flash or color-changing effects, which is called candlelight flickering.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert user, this video is a useful resource about LEDs. By understanding the basic principles and applications of LEDs, you can better understand this exciting technology and explore more possibilities for using LEDs in your projects. Come choose the right LED for your project and realize your creativity!

About this video series

Electronic design is broad and profound, and it is difficult for beginners. This series of videos aims to introduce some entry-level technologies and techniques, including basic knowledge of circuit design, simple programming, etc., allowing beginners to start from the basics and then move to more advanced steps to discover more in the world of electronic design. It's fun, and it also allows electronic design enthusiasts to review the past and learn new things.

About Becky Stern

Becky Stern is a maker with many years of experience in designing electronic projects. Creating and sharing are her two main hobbies. Before starting her own business, she served as product manager at Instructables (Autodesk) , director of wearable electronics at Adafruit , etc. Her work has been reported by well-known media such as BBC , CNN , Business Insider , Forbes and Science Friday . She has created hundreds of online DIY tutorials and videos on techniques and crafting , aiming to share her knowledge and help fellow electronic design enthusiasts learn and communicate with each other.

Like Digi-Key's articles? Go to Digi-Key's official website now, or follow Digi-Key's official WeChat digkey_electronics !

· END ·