It is an acknowledged trend that LED lighting is moving to higher power and this is realised by either connecting LEDs in arrays or by wiring many LEDs in series. The required LED voltage grows proportionally to the number of LEDs in the chain or array.
Typical LED buck drivers already stretch their input voltage limits with 12 LEDs connected in series on the output. The same applies to some popular multi-chip arrays; at their rated current they often need driving voltages above 40 V. It is then no wonder that drivers with higher input voltage limits than the usual 36 V are in demand. However, if the driver is to keep its SELV (safety extra low voltage) rating, the input voltage cannot be higher than 60 V.
Recom’s new RCD-48 drivers can be used for inputs up to 60 V d.c. and therefore can drive high-brightness LED strings with up to 17 LEDs and all modern multi-chip arrays. They are targeted at lighting applications such as shopping malls, solar-powered street lighting or efficient 48 V bus systems. With a very high efficiency of 96%, these drivers provide a significant contribution to the overall performance of lighting systems.
The RCD-48 modules are not only appropriate for driving long strings, they can also be used in lower output voltage ranges. For example, they could also be used to power only one or two LEDs from a 9 V battery. They are available with constant currents of 350, 500, 700 or 1200 mA. Therefore LED power ratings of up to 70 W, corresponding to 350 W of conventional lighting, are possible.
Linear dimming down to zero with digital (PWM) as well as analog control is standard. The PWM input permits easy connection to many computer-controlled lighting systems, while the analog input allows easy manual dimming. The ambient temperature range of the RCD-48 series is up to +85°C and all parts in the series will work down to -40°C.
The modules are available as PCB mounting or optionally with flying leads. With case dimensions of only 32,6 x 16,6 x 11,1 mm (L x W x H) the modules are very compact. Whilst the powerful 1200 mA version features a metal case with only 16 g weight, the lower-power models have sturdy plastic cases and weigh 13 g. The MTBF according to MIL-HDBK-217F is 1,7 million hours and all parts come with a standard warranty of five years.
For more information contact Kevin Jurrius, Arrow Altech Distribution, +27 (0)11 923 9600, [email protected], www.arrow.altech.co.za
| Tel: | +27 11 923 9600 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.altronarrow.com |
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