Intelligent LED Solutions

Within the last decade, LEDs (light emitting diodes) have become a commonplace technology. They provide ample opportunity for innovative lighting design and offer a wider range of possibilities than traditional lighting technologies such as incandescent bulbs. LEDs, unlike incandescent bulbs, use less energy, produce less heat, and do not have filaments that burn out. Plus, due to their small size, they enable unique design concepts to become a reality.

LEDs can be implemented in anything from general lighting bulbs and home projects, to horticultural lighting, to sensors. The applications are endless. In small quantities they can form digits on digital clocks, illuminate watches, transmit information from remote controls, and create car indicators and headlights. When grouped together, they can light up traffic lights, create signage and illuminate jumbo TV screens and public spaces.

LEDs can be coloured, non-visible or white. To create white light, deep blue LEDs can be covered with phosphor, a yellowish material that light passes through to convert it into the familiar white colour we see in homes, offices, and shops.

Light consists of many small particle-like packets that have no mass but have momentum from energy released by moving electrons. These particles are known as photons. Photons are one of the most basic measurements of light. Learn more about other light measurements here.

Creating light in this way is more efficient and enables a light source that has a longer more reliable lifetime, so they do not need replacing as frequently. Unlike other traditional light sources, LEDs do not ‘burn out’. Instead, they may experience ‘lumen depreciation’ whereby the brightness slowly dims over time. .

LED efficiency is also increased as they waste less light. LEDs are a directional light source; they emit light in a specific direction. In comparison, incandescent and traditional CFL lamps emit light and heat in all directions. LEDs project light and use energy more efficiently in a multitude of applications. Particularly if a secondary optic is applied.

A key consideration of LEDs however is that they do still produce heat as a byproduct. Thermal management is a key factor contributing to successful LED performance over its lifetime. To prevent this causing performance issues, heatsinking is required to absorb and disperse excess heat. Good thermal management will help extend the lifetime of the LEDs. When operated at consistently elevated temperatures, LEDs will degrade and be subject to lumen depreciation at a faster rate. Learn more about LED thermal management here.

Within the last decade, semiconductor prices have decreased. This have made LED solutions more affordable and cost-effective for home and industrial applications. Though LEDs may still be more expensive up front than incandescent lights are, their lower ongoing and running costs, more than make up for this. So, if looking to invest in lighting, LEDs still offer the most benefits.

Constant current (CC) and constant voltage (CV) are two terms commonly heard when discussing LED drivers. These terms distinguish between the two available types of LED driver used in electronics, particularly in LED lighting and other electronic devices.

What is the difference?

The difference is paramount, and your LED application will determine the type of driver you need. The main difference lies in how they regulate and deliver electrical power to the connected load:

Constant Current (CC) Drivers: These drivers maintain a constant electric current output by having a variable voltage. Constant current drivers ensure that the current flowing through the load remains steady, even if the load's resistance changes. CC LED drivers tend to offer a more efficient circuit and better control, when compared to CV LED drivers.

Constant Voltage (CV) Drivers: On the other hand, constant voltage drivers supply a set voltage output to the electronic circuit. The current drawn by the load varies based on its resistance.

 In summary, constant current drivers are suited to applications where the load requires a fixed current. Whereas, constant voltage drivers are used when a steady voltage level is essential, allowing the current to vary based on the load's requirements. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of the electronic device or lighting system being powered.

Where are they used?

 Constant current LED drivers are a popular choice for LED applications and are suitable for use with LED chains or single LEDs operating in series. They are commonly used in applications where the load, such as LEDs, requires a consistent current for optimal performance and longevity.

While constant voltage LED drivers are ideal for a parallel circuit made up of multiple LEDs. Devices that require a fixed voltage input, such as some electronic gadgets and components, use constant voltage drivers to maintain a consistent voltage level across the load. They are best suited for LED modules with either an on board or a current limiting resistor, such as an LED strip. 

About Inventronics

NB: In May 2023, OSRAM sold its LED Drivers, Lighting Controls, LED Flex and LED Modules business to Inventronics. These products continue to be branded OSRAM but are now owned, designed, manufactured, and developed by Inventronics.

Often when looking at horticultural lighting the overall hue tends to be reddish-purple. This is because there are two key wavelengths commonly applied to plants: deep blue and hyper red. Both colours are key and have beneficial influence on plants health and quality. Here we will explore the benefits of the red wavelengths, and why these are so frequently used in horticulture.

 Regardless of weather, season and time of day, plants need light to thrive. Light triggers photosynthesis and other internal processes that enable plants to survive and grow. Red light is very effective in encouraging photosynthesis as it is highly absorbed by plant chlorophyll pigments. Applications using red light often have a key focus on flowering and vegetation. These wavelengths can be applied to supplement natural daylight, or as part of an LED recipe designed to replace natural daylight.

Why do plants respond to red light?

Plant chlorophyll are one of the main photosynthetic pigments found in plants. There are two variants: A and B. Both are sensitive to red light. Chlorophyll A absorbs light at the hyper red wavelength of 660nm. While chlorophyll B absorbs red wavelengths closer to 640nm. The energy absorbed by the chlorophyll is converted into energy-storing molecules. Through the process of photosynthesis, the stored energy is used to transform carbon dioxide from the surrounding atmosphere and water into glucose. Which is then utilised by plants to produce cellulose and starch. Cellulose is used in building cell walls, while starch is stored in seeds and other plant parts as a food source.

Most plants are sensitive to hyper red wavelengths in the light spectrum, as they possess red light photoreceptors known as Phytochromes. These act as an eye that senses red light, particularly in the hyper red range. Although they have several roles, a key one is that of shade avoidance. As established, light is vital to plants, therefore they must work hard to grow in a way that increases their sun exposure. Far-red light has a superior ability to pass though leaves than other red wavelengths do. Subsequently, lower leaves on the plant obtain a higher far-red-light to red-light ratio than compared to leaves receiving unobstructed sunlight. Consequently, a high content of far-red light being absorbed by leaves, signals to the plant that there is shade and sunlight is being blocked. This triggers the plant to react by growing and/or moving to obtain a better position to access sunlight.  

What effects does red light have on plants?

Specific red wavelengths will encourage and increase production of the hormones within a plant's vegetation that prevents the breakdown of chlorophyll. This leads to increased chlorophyll levels, increased nutrient levels within plants, overall enabling them to grow taller, and produce more leafy vegetation. Therefore, red light has beneficial effects on plants for encouraging budding and prolonging flowering in floral plants. As well as increasing biomass and fruit production in vegetative plants.

Visit the IHS website for the full Ready to Grow LED grow light range.

The phase-cut dimming functionality, also referred to as phase-control (PC), is a form of power control through pulse-with modulation (PWM). It operates by turning the AC mains power supply to the LED light on and off twice in every mains cycle. In doing so, the flow of electrical energy to the LED is reduced. This has the effect of decreasing the light output, thus enabling dimming of the luminous flux from 3-5 % to even 100 % (exact values depends on the corresponding dimmer type, driver, and LED used).

What are the different types?

Within phase-cut dimming, there are two variations. These are distinguished by how the mains voltage is cut off:

• Leading-edge dimming. This variation is most commonly applied to halogen lights that are powered via electromagnetic transformers. This technology cuts off the wave of the AC mains voltage on the leading edge, from the beginning.

• Trailing edge dimming. Whereas in trailing edge dimming, the wave of the AC mains voltage is cut off on the trailing edge, backwards from the end. This can be preferable as it means that there is less interference than can be seen with leading-edge dimming.

What are the benefits?

Phase-cut dimming technology allows for precise and responsive control of the luminous flux of the connected LED light(s), even when operating at low diming levels.

Phase-cut dimming is a simpler system to implement and set up than some DALI dimming systems. Utilising a phase-cut driver reduces the need for extra wiring via a rotary switch, often installed on the wall.

Provides high efficiency and high-quality dimming of 1-100 percent by amplitude dimming. Phase-cut technology is suitable for implementation with spotlights, downlights, LED panels, use in luminaires with flexible current setting, and indoor SELV installations.

OSRAM phase-cut drivers are cost-effective and compatible with both types of dimming.

What are the products?

OPTOTRONIC Phase-cut OTE-13/220-240/350-PC are ideal for phase-cut dimming control. Perfectly suited for indoor applications, the phase-cut constant current dimmable LED driver comes in a very compact housing, making it ideal for applications where space is limited. It can be applied to SELV installations and optional cable clamps enables independent installations. The E-style clamp can be purchased separately.

OT FIT 24V Phase-Cut LED drivers are also ideal for leading and trailing edge dimming. With 24 V DC constant voltage, they are simply perfect for the phase-cut dimming control of 24 V constant-voltage solutions. Available for different wattage requirements.

• 36 W: OT-FIT-36 /220-240/24-PC
• 18 W: OT-FIT-18/220-240/450-CS-PC-SC
• 10 W: OTE10/220-240/700-PC

About Inventronics

NB: In May 2023, OSRAM sold its LED Drivers, Lighting Controls, LED Flex, and LED Modules business to Inventronics. These products continue to be branded OSRAM but are now owned, designed, manufactured, and developed by Inventronics.

LEDs are producing revolutionary advancements in many areas of technology and life, but none more so important than in horticulture. The complexity and knowledge required is growing daily, with different plants requiring different spectral illumination and control.

Intelligent Horticultural Solutions (IHS) was formed to help support the development and manufacture of products in the fast-moving exciting area of horticultural LED lighting. We bring together years of experience and key horticultural LED and optic manufacturers to create the optimal lighting solution.

In this article, we will be explaining the uses of Ultraviolet (UV) LED lighting in horticulture, the benefits and where this can be applied in the growing process. We will explore the many ways in which ultraviolet can benefit the horticultural market and explain how UV light can benefit wildlife, such as bees and wasps, during the growing process and enhance growth potential.

What is ultraviolet?

Ultraviolet is radiation on both the visible and non-visible spectrum, the shorter the wavelength, the less visible and harmful it can be. There are three different kinds of ultraviolet radiation based on wavelength.

UV-A radiation (from 315 to 420 nm) - Barely visible to the human eye, UV-A has the longest wavelength, is the least harmful to the human eye and is the most efficient. Most of the UV-A radiation emitted from the sun passes through the ozone layer and, thus, it is the most abundant form of ultraviolet

UV-B radiation (from 280nm to 315nm) - Primarily used within water sterilisation and decontamination, ensuring that mould and spores do not grow on plants. This is done by limiting bacteria in the water that moulds and spores would usually cling to and develop from.

UV-C radiation (typically below 280nm) - These wavelengths are usually filtered out through the ozone layer and are not usually present in sunlight. However, with the correct doses, UV-C can in fact increase the growth of plants. This wavelength ensures that pesticides and moulds that can be found during plant growth are limited/killed off, allowing the plant to flourish in optimal growing conditions.

Why do plants need ultraviolet light?

Ultraviolet light is extremely important for plant growth. In safe doses, ultraviolet light helps plants and crops produce essential plant oils which not only enhance the flavour and smell of fruit but also helps the plants protect themselves from excessive ultraviolet exposure; acting as their own natural sunblock.

This natural protection ensures that the internal processes of the plant are protected and ensures optimal growing conditions. Plants, in this respect, are very clever in that they will only absorb the correct level of ultraviolet needed for this self-protecting process to kick in and no more.

Ultraviolet is outside the photosynthetically active waveband (PAR – The total energy that a plant needs, 400 – 700nm), but it is biologically active and regulates plant growth. Some common positive effects of ultraviolet on crops include: -

• Inhibition of extension growth (shorter stems and smaller leaves)
• Increase in leaf thickness and waxiness (thicker cuticles)
• Greater leaf colouration (especially for plants with purplish leaves such as red-leaf lettuce, purple millet and purple fountain grass).

Research has also shown that plants which are subjected to ultraviolet radiation tend to have fewer pests feeding on them, show increases in pollination and provide an overall increase in yield.

The inclusion of UV-C within horticultural LED grow lights will enable plants to increase their height. However, you do need to be very careful with UV-C as typically, if overdosed, the plant can actually be stunted in growth. It is recommended a dose no higher than 15 minutes per week is applied. This is recommended for all plant growth (including trees).

What are the individual benefits of UV-A, UV-B and UV-C in horticulture?

Throughout this next section, it’ll cover the benefits of ultraviolet LED usage in horticulture, focusing on growing environments where sunlight is either restricted or not available at all. Using targeted UV wavelengths offers an energy-efficient and optimal lighting solution compared with other existing options available on the market. The inclusion of ultraviolet LEDs allows the growing environment to replicate daylight better and lengthen growing hours. This is applicable to environments both with and without sunlight.

UV-A is the wavelength that is most commonly found within the filtered sunlight/full spectrum. To have this included within your spectrum will increase a plant’s efficiency in photosynthesis. This is done by targeting the Chlorophyll A and B regions within the plant which absorbs the highest quantity of light from within the 400nm – 460nm range. When used in conjunction with far red wavelengths (720 - 740 nm), this will greatly increase the light absorption needed for photosynthesis.

A further benefit of using UV-A in plant growth relates to the difference in how a bee sees light compared to the human eye (which is explained in greater detail below). The use of UV-A enhances the growing environment and enables bees to pollinate the plants with ease.

UV-C, and less commonly UV-B are used to decontaminate water and surfaces as it kills virtually all micro-organisms when concentrated. These high-energy wavelengths could potentially be delivered to plants to kill pathogens that may reside on leaves as well. Ultraviolet is also used by insects to help navigate to flowers. If the inside of a greenhouse is completely deficient of ultraviolet, pollinators may have a difficult time locating flowers.

One thing however to take into consideration is that all elements of ultraviolet (UV-A, UV-B and UV-C) are harmful to humans and necessary precautions must be taken when operating in an environment which uses UV LED lighting. Workers should not look directly into the light, and the correct optical system must be used while it is in operation. It is advised that protective eyewear should be worn at all times during operation.

 Is ultraviolet light important for pollination?

One of the most surprising aspects of ultraviolet light is that it is essential for bees to use as a reference point in pollination. In a recent study conducted by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), it was found that bees are responsible for around 80% of pollination and without ultraviolet, bees typically struggled to find the plants to pollinate and would die before being able to do so.

Ultraviolet is so important in this process. The way a bee’s receptors work is very different to how the human eye operates. Whilst the human eye is most sensitive to the green part of the spectrum, it has been found that bees are more sensitive to the non-visible ultraviolet side of the spectrum. So ultraviolet actually enhances the visibility of the pollen for the bee’s receptors and they appear as a “bullseye” for the bees to target.

Another reason UV is important for pollination is that bees can see three-dimensionally, allowing them to judge depth and distance better, as well as seeing the whole circumference of an object. Human eyes, however, tend to see in only two dimensions, meaning that we are only able to see the front of an object and not the back. Thus, without the inclusion of the ultraviolet wavelength, the bee’s receptors simply would not have a reference point, making pollination very difficult.

For any enquiries or further information, please contact +44 (0) 1635 294606 or info@i-hled.co.uk   Or alternatively refer to our website https://www.i-hled.co.uk/

An LED’s primary optic only tends to emit directional light at 120°, but this is not suitable for all applications, and therefore can cause lighting to lack intensity over distance. To get an LED to produce light in the desired way with a more focused intensity, it is necessary to use a secondary optic. These work to concentrate or diffuse the light emitted. There are different variants of secondary optics for LEDs, these include diffusers, reflectors and lenses. All of which work to alter the path of the light in a specific and controlled way, but all creating different effects.

Lenses for LEDs are commonly made from polycarbonate (PC) or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Depending on the material they are made form, they can either be rigid or flexible. The best material to use is subject to the end application, for example if the application was using UV light, you would require a silicone lens, as this is resistant to the side-effects that can be caused by UV light.

LED optics come in a variety of shapes and sizes; Lenses can be square, round or hexagonal, while reflectors are varying cone shapes. They can be designed for both use on single LEDs or for LED modules containing multiple LEDs. When used on an LED module, a lens can give a more aesthetically pleasing appearance by concealing the LED components within. A lens sits over the LEDs to produce the desired lighting effect, and enables precise control over the light emitted.

Using lenses and reflectors, means that the creation of different beam angles is possible. Narrow beam angles, e.g. 60°, have a focused and concentrated beam of light which is well suited for spotlights. While wide beam angles e.g. 150°, have a larger coverage for illuminating a wide area.

Diffusers:

Diffusers can be made of various kinds of material, but all have the purpose of diffusing and scattering the light. The light passing through the material bounces between its atoms and spreads. This occurs by the material absorbing and scattering some of the photons which reduces their energy, thus causing an attenuation of the luminous intensity, and a more even spread of light. The intensity of the diffusion all depends on the type of material used, its thickness and surface treatment. Furthermore, diffusion can give a more uniform light output when multiple LEDs are used. Lenses can also be diffused, creating a softer edge and more even spread of light, whereas clear lenses provide a crisp-edged beam of light.

Reflectors:

Reflectors are made using plastic and can be metal coated, which sit over an LED to alter the beam of light. LED Reflectors come in various different shapes and sizes, with the inside surface being either smooth or multifaceted. - This enables them to create a range of lighting effects. They are a cost-effective and easy to implement solution. How they disperse the light is dependent on their shape.  Typically, for a narrower beam, a bigger optic will be required. Some reflectors can even contain a sub-lens, for additional diffusion or control of the light.

Reflectors are used in the majority of incandescent lights, but with LEDs there is one main disadvantage; they do not offer as much control as an LED lens, because the many light rays emitted from the centre, will pass out of the system without making contact with the reflector. So even with a narrow reflector, a portion of the light will stray wide of the target. This can mean that there is glare created and even lost lumen output.

Lenses:

An LED lens works by the basic principle of refraction; it distorts beams of light as they travel through the lens, specifically directing the light as required. A lens can be convex or concave. A convex lens has a surface that curves outward and will make parallel light rays converge at a focal point.  Whereas a concave lens has a surface that curves inwards, making parallel beams of light curve outward, away from a central point. A lens that uses a combination of two or more simpler lenses is called a compound lens. By combining convex and concave lenses, it is possible to make lens that behaves in more complex ways.

There are a great number of advantages to using secondary optics with LEDs. Secondary optics successfully collimate light rays into a controlled beam, therefore allowing the user to direct the full intensity of the light emitted by the LEDs onto the desired area. Overall a lens gives better control of the light, and a higher and more direct intensity. Furthermore, they allow for better energy efficiency as less light is wasted and lost on other area. Lenses also reduce unwanted glare and help distribute light in a more seamless and pleasing way.

LEDiL precision-engineered lenses and reflectors allow for rapid deployment of all types of light fixtures, including street lights, wall-wash, high-bay, sconces, emergency beacons, parking garage/low-bay, MR and AR downlights, dock lights and horticultural lighting. Precision-engineered for maximum efficiency and durability. LEDiL lenses and reflectors are released alongside the latest product releases from our LED suppliers. ILS is a franchised distributor and solutions provider for LEDiL product.

To choose the correct LED lighting for your needs, it is important to understand what lumens refer too. Lumens measure the brightness of a light source. Here we will take a closer look at why light is measured in this way, and what this means for you.

What are Lumens?

Lumens, often written as ‘lm’, is the unit of luminous flux. They measure the amount of light output visible to the human eye from a source. The higher the lumen value, the more output there is, and thus the brighter the luminaire will appear.

Why is light from LEDs measured in lumens?

Before LED lighting became commonplace, measuring light could be considered relatively straightforward. With non-LED bulbs, standard options were 25, 24, 60, and 100 Watts. In older traditional incandescent light bulbs, light was measured in watts. Watts measure the amount of energy within a light and conveys how much power the bulbs used. Typically, more wattage meant a bright light, so people started to associate Watts with the level of brightness of a light. Now, with more efficient LED lighting options are available, this assumption no longer works.

LEDs do not conform to the same standards as traditional bulbs. Therefore, with the evolution of LED lighting and its increased implementation, the term lumen has also become more commonplace to convey brightness. Now that the lighting industry has improved to utilise more energy-efficient lighting options, wattage as a measurement no longer always means a brighter light (unless you are remaining within the same type of light bulb). To avoid these inconsistencies across technologies, lumens has become the preferred measurement for LED lighting.

For example, A 20Watt LED bulb is more efficient, and therefore appears much brighter than say a 40Watt incandescent bulb. As the LED bulb produces 1600 lumens, whereas the incandescent one, only produces 450 lumens.

How useful are Lumens?

Lumens are a useful measurement to consider if trying to determine how many light fittings to buy for a particular space. Many facilities have minimum requirements for visibility purposes. If a certain number of lumens is required per square meter, by knowing the lumen value of a light fitting, you can calculate and install the correct number of lights.

Based on the consistency of using Lumens to measure light, this unit of measure gives a uniform approach to light output and brightness that works across all varying lighting technologies. Therefore, it is most certainly a useful unit of measure to look out for in LED lighting!

LEDs convert electrical power into light output. During this process, heat is released as a by-product. The primary cause of LED failure is often poor thermal management. Thus, any application utilising LEDs will need to consider how much heat is created by the LEDs, and how to manage this heat. 

Unlike incandescent filament light bulbs, LEDs do not radiate heat directly from the LED itself. Rather they conduct heat from the PN junction to the thermal slug on the LED package. The thermal slug is not connected electrically but is soldered to the PCB. It sits beneath the LED die and draws the heat through it into the PCB board. 

What happens when an LED overheats: 

Typically, the maximum junction temperature for a standard LED is around 150 °C. When LEDs exceed their optimal temperature, total LED failure can occur. But before the LED failure, other impacts to the LED parameters and performance can be seen. For example, did you know that LED colour and brightness are sensitive to temperature?  

• Effects on dominant wavelength. Among other things, this is dependent on junction temperature. An increase in junction temperature can increase wavelengths, resulting in a slight colour shift.  
• Effects on light output. A relationship exists between junction temperature and luminous flux. As temperatures increase, luminous flux will subsequently fall. Different wavelengths have various levels of sensitivity to this effect, with amber being the most sensitive. 
• Effects on LED lifetime. LED reliability is a direct function of junction temperature. A higher junction temperature often leads to a reduced LED lifetime and lowered performance.  

• Effects of forward voltage. This can cause issues when an LED is operated at constant voltage, when the temperature rises the forward voltage will drop, causing an increase in current which can then lead to variation in the brightness of the LEDs.  

Methods of thermal management: 

Thermally managing LEDs by dispersing heat will help keep the LEDs operating efficiently. One of the most common methods of doing this is passive cooling by utilising heatsinks and thermal interface material (TIM), to conduct the excess heat and cool the LEDs. In this way, the excess heat will be conducted from the LED junction to the heatsink, from where it is then radiated into the surrounding environment. 

Heatsinking: A Heatsink is essentially a block of metal which performs as a passive device, drawing heat away from an electronic device and dispersing it into the air. The most common metals used for heatsinking are iron, aluminium and copper. Copper tends to have the highest thermal conductivity but is a much more expensive solution. Iron tends to have the lowest thermal conductivity. While aluminium still has a proficient level of thermal conductivity for a more cost-effective price. The shape and design of a heatsink are also key factors in enabling the cooling effect. A heatsink with extruded fins has a larger surface area is increased than one without. This means that heat can be radiated away more efficiently.  

How TIM enhances the benefits of heatsinking: Thermal interface material (TIM) fills the air pockets between the surface of the heatsink and the surface of the LED PCB. In doing so, TIM forms a continuous layer to conduct heat away more effectively from the LED to the heatsink. Thus, its use can further increase the benefits of a heatsink and enable your LEDs to operate efficiently for longer.  

To show this effect in practice, we took a 1 LED Powerstar mounted to a heatsink and powered it for 30 minutes. After this time had elapsed, using a thermal camera we measured the temperature of the heatsink to determine how much heat had been drawn into it. We then repeated this exercise with the same set-up but using a piece of TIM between the heatsink and the Powerstar.  

From the snapshot below, it is clear that more heat has been drawn down into the heatsink when TIM has been used. With a difference of almost 8 °C. 

Left: LED Powerstar, heatsink and no TIM. 

Right: LED Powerstar, heatsink and TIM. 

See the ILS Powerstar heatsinks kits in Farnell here.

See the full range of ILS TIM in Farnell here.

Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation outside the visible light spectrum. The UV spectrum of 100-400nm is invisible to the human eye and can be separated into categories, each with its own distinct characteristics and applications.

• UVA = 315-400nm. The least dangerous wavelength and the wavelength we receive most strongly from the sun.
• UVB = 280-315nm. Slightly stronger wavelengths received from the sun, which are responsible for vitamin D synthesis and skin burns.
• UVC = 200-280nm. This wavelength is commonly used for disinfection applications.

UVC disinfection differs greatly to other disinfection methods that use heat or chemicals. It has a wide range of applications and has become increasingly popular. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, as a society we are more aware of bacteria and more accepting of measures taken to reduce transmission.

How does UVC disinfection work?

Bacteria and viruses proliferate, by cell division based on genetic information, to cause infection and illness. DNA and RNA hold the genetic information necessary for this proliferation to occur. Irradiating with UVC changes the helix structure of DNA and RNA of bacteria and viruses which can inactivate these bacteria and viruses resulting in the reduction of their proliferation.

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How does the UV wavelength impact disinfection results?

The disinfection effect on DNA and RNA of bacteria and viruses depends greatly on the UV wavelength. Within the UV range, UVC has the shortest wavelength and provides the best performance to inactivate bacteria and viruses. Its effectiveness is more than 1,000 times greater than UVA and over 50 times greater than UVB.

Furthermore, a UVC wavelength of around 265nm provides the highest inactivation efficiency for disinfection.

Effectiveness on COVID-19

Stanley Electric has verified the effect of UV LEDs on coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). From the results of evaluation tests performed jointly with Yamaguchi University (with Associate Professor Horishi Shimoda, Professor Daisuke Hayasaka, Veterinary Microbiology Department, Joint Veterinary Faculty), Stanley Electric confirmed that UV disinfection is highly effective. When verifying the advantages of each wavelength, they also proved that a 265nm UVC LED has better sterilisation performance over a 280nm UVC LED by a factor of 1.8.

How the UV disinfection effect is calculated

The required irradiation amount and conditions by UV varies depending on the targeted type of bacteria, virus, or other microorganisms. In general, the disinfection effect is determined by the cumulative light amount (or UV dose) applied which is calculated by knowing the light strength (intensity) and the duration that the UV light is shone onto the object (Intensity time). The longer the time, the more the cumulative light amount increases, resulting in a greater disinfection effect. Conversely, a high output UV intensity is required when disinfecting is only possible for a short duration.

How is the cumulative light amount calculated?

Intensity depending on distance

The intensity (light strength) changes depending on the light’s distance from the object. In general, the intensity decreases the further the object is from the light source. Subsequently, the intensity increases the closer the object is to the light source.

Source: https://www.stanley.co.jp/e/product/uvc_product/effect/

Although you may not know it, Near-field-communication (NFC) technology is integrated into our daily lives. It is currently used in a variety of applications such as parking meters, turnstiles, garage doors and mobile devices. But perhaps most commonly, it is used through contactless phone payment methods like Apple Pay. In more recent years, this technology has been integrated into LED drivers, making NFC more prevalent in LED lighting applications.

With growing requirements for connectivity and ease of use, NFC LED drivers have increased in popularity. The luminaries generating light are visually taking a back seat. Products that are intelligent and compact, without compromising performance are key. OSRAM DS, now Inventronics meet this need with a wide range of high-performance LED lighting components.

What is NFC?

In short, NFC is a form of contactless data transfer. It is a wireless technology globally available in the 13.56MHz unlicensed radio frequency range and is designed for short-range data transfer. Implementing NFC in LED lighting creates the ability to programme LED drivers' dimming levels, operating current, and lumen output wirelessly and without the need to connect to mains-voltage.

NFC communication requires two devices, an NFC reader, and an NFC tag. The NFC tag is typically embedded in a device, such as a turnstile or LED driver. The NFC reader is designed to read and write information to the NFC tag and is often embedded in a smartphone or a standalone unit that connects to a PC. In Figure 1, you can see the reader is connected to a host PC that uses software to transmit programming data between the reader (or programmer in this case) and the tag embedded in the LED driver.

What are the benefits of NFC?

LED drivers containing an integrated NFC interface, enable users to programme specific settings through wireless transmission within only a few seconds – saving valuable time. This technology also provides the useful ability to alter the configuration quickly and simply after initial installation and needs no mains-voltage to programme the desired settings. Not needing to connect to mains also provides increased safety, whilst simplifying the programming process, and reducing assembly costs.

What products?

The compact technology of the OTI-DALI-10/220-240/700/NFC-I provides versatility in size as well as functionality. With its minute size allowing it to fit in spaces as small as 40mm in diameter, this power supply enables creative freedom in luminaire design as well as easy installation. This Osram Compact constant current LED driver is fully dimmable. Simple and fast output current setting via near-field communication (NFC) enables a low complexity set-up. Using our powerful configuration software Tuner4TRONIC and NFC, the OTI-DALI-10/220-240/700/NFC-I can be programmed very quickly to optimally perform in the intended application.

For programming wirelessly, check out the NFC programming plate CPR30-USB. This device will connect to your PC and operate seamlessly with the OTI-DALI-10. This NFC programming plate enables the functionality of the LED driver without requiring mains power to the driver.

About Inventronics

NB: In May 2023, OSRAM sold its LED Drivers, Lighting Controls, LED Flex and LED Modules business to Inventronics. These products continue to be branded OSRAM but are now owned, designed, manufactured and developed by Inventronics.