APRIL/MAY 2013

LEDsmagazine.com

DC Grids
Efficient SSL
power P.21

Intellectual
property
Optics foreshadow
success P.35

RGB mixing
TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES
LED ratios
vary P.67

Museum
Lighting
LEDs highlight
Kunstkammer art P.9
CREE IS LED LIGHTING

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APRIL/MAY 2013

LEDsmagazine.com

DC Grids
Efficient SSL
power P.21

Intellectual
property
Optics foreshadow
success P.35

RGB mixing
TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES
LED ratios
vary P.67

Museum
Lighting
LEDs highlight
Kunstkammer art P.9
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MARCH 2013

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SIL 2013
Conference report
and market
projections P.26 & P.35

Venting luminaires
Equalization boosts
reliability P.43

TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES Thermal

Focus on SIL
products P.55
Dynamic SSL
presentation
celebrates the
Bay Bridge P.33
________________
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Putting LEDs in the right light.

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Instrument Systems set the benchmark in LED

testing with high-performance spectroradiometers
for photometric and colorimetric measurements.
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Lighting
without limits.
Your business is developing lighting products that
make a difference. Our business is making sure
you have the LED solutions that bring those
designs to life. At Philips Lumileds, we understand
that every application has unique attributes.
Thats why weve engineered a comprehensive
portfolio of the industrys longest-lasting, most
reliable LED productsfor applications ranging
 
 

 
   

When it comes to LED solutionsits time to

expect more. For additional information, contact
your Philips Lumileds sales representative or visit
us at www.philipslumileds.com today.
 ISSUE 60

april/may Cover Story

2013
Vienna's Kunstkammer reopened after
a 10-year renovation with custom
Zumbotel LED lighting, created in
collaboration with artist Olafur Eliasson,
optimally illuminating cherished works of
art such as Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini
and the Krumau Madonna (see page 9).

features
18 STANDARDS
New standards will enable long-term lumen
maintenance projections for lamps and luminaires
Jianzhong Jiao, Osram Opto Semiconductors columns/departments

21 DC GRIDS 4 COMMENTARY Maury Wright

AC-drivers gain traction even as
Lighting industry progresses on DC-power grids
that pair well with LEDs AC-LED moniker needs to go
Maury Wright
9 NEWS +ANALYSIS

35 PATENTS Kunstkammer museum reopens

with art bathed in LED light
LED optics intellectual property can foreshadow
winners in SSL products Cree and Philips drive SSL
Kathryn Paisner, IP Checkups lamp prices below $15
Philips launches Hue API and SDK
45 OUTDOOR
Evolucia starts Europe and
Five rules for designing roadway lighting
Australia businesses
Don Peifer, Cree
Acuity adds eldoLED to brand portfolio

53 THERMAL Packaged LED product announcements

Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal
management needs in many applications
17 FUNDING + PROGRAMS
Steve Jackson, Sapa Extrusions North America DOE announces 2013 NGL
indoor SSL winners
59 SIMULATION
Accelerated 2D optical simulation of LEDs allows
quicker validation of architectural improvements
Chenglin Xu and Dan Herrmann, Synopsys

67 DESIGN FORUM
Understand RGB LED mixing ratios to realize
optimal color in signs and displays
Lee Boon Hooi, Avago Technologies

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 3

commentary
AC-drivers gain traction
even as AC-LED
moniker needs to go
I t may not be a healthy or normal reaction,
but I get hung up on misused words. And
lately the phrase that has bothered me is AC
LED. I have no problem with the technology,
just the inaccuracy in the use of the name.
What we are talking about is techniques for
driving an LED rather than a type of LED. I
actually think the AC-drive segment of our
industry is experiencing a spurt in interest.
Technically inaccurate names come
from many sources. Ive previously spoken
out against the way our industry uses LED
package. Its accurately the phrase pack-
aged LED that describes an LED die thats
mounted on a ceramic base with bond wires/
contacts ready for solder to a circuit board.
But the IES put LED package in a glossary,
and the rest is history.
I wasnt specifically covering the LED indus-
try when the term AC LED emerged. I assume
an early player such as Lynk Labs or Seoul
Semiconductor first used the term. At least
early on it was somewhat accurate. Early AC
LEDs were essentially multi-emitter packaged
LEDs with some of the LEDs oriented in each
polarity, called an anti-parallel configuration,
such that half of the emitters were powered
during each half cycle of the AC-line voltage.
Things have changed dramatically. We
last did a feature article on the topic last
summer (w w w.ledsmagazine.com/fea-
____________________
________ and a lot has happened even
tures/9/7/10),
since then. There are varying high-voltage
and high-frequency AC-drive approaches
that have little in relation to the original AC
LEDs other than a drive circuit thats simpler
than the more typical AC/DC driver primar-
ily used in solid-state lighting (SSL).
Now I wont go into technical detail here,
but the point of this editorial is that so-
called AC-LED manufacturers no longer
introduce products that even closely resem-
ble the term. Moreover, we are about to see
4 APRIL/MAY 2013
AC-driver ICs for LEDs come to market from
a number of companies.
Look at our most recent coverage of an
LED light engine from Lynk Labs (www.leds-
______
magazine.com/news/10/1/10). The compa-
nys intellectual property is purely in how to
drive DC LEDs perhaps in a simpler man-
ner than using an AC/DC converter.
What prompted this column was the new
high-voltage LED announced by Seoul tar-
geted at street light applications (p. 14). The
company wants to use its Acrich brand, but
the product is purely a DC LED. AC comes
only in the form of a small AC-driver IC that
the company says can replace the standard
AC/DC driver.
Soon I hope we wont talk about AC LEDs.
We may talk about LED AC-driver technol-
ogy. And multiple companies will offer IC-
or modular-level products that implement
AC drive. Indeed AC and DC drivers are
both just different driver topologies with
strengths and weaknesses, and the industry
will decide which one wins based on product
performance and cost.
The AC-LED segment, meanwhile, is
fragmenting, as was evident at Strategies
in Light (SIL). Companies such as Lynk
Labs are becoming mainly module or light-
engine manufacturers. Vertically integrated
LED manufacturers such as Seoul may play
across the segment. At SIL, LED maker Epi-
star sounded ripe to work with AC-driver-IC
companies to supply enabling components
to SSL or module makers. One SIL presenter,
startup Advanced Lighting Technologies,
clearly intends to offer driver ICs. We clearly
need to address the segment again with a
feature soon. We just need a new name for it.
Maury Wright, EDITOR
mauryw@pennwell.com
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Christine Shaw
& PUBLISHING DIRECTOR cshaw@pennwell.com
EDITOR Maury Wright
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ADVERTISERS index
Alpha ..........................................................54
American Bright Optoelectronics .................26
Bayer Material Science LLC.........................65
Beautiful Light Tech.....................................15
Cirrus Logic.................................................25
Cooledge Lighting .......................................11
Cree Inc. .................................................CVR4
CSA International ........................................13
EBM-Papst Inc. .............................................7
Edison Opto Corporation .............................20
Ellsworth Adhesives ....................................56
Eptronics ....................................................50
Future Electronics Inc..................................33
Global Lighting Technologies .......................12
Guangzhou Hongli Opto-Electronic Co. Ltd .... 42
Heatron ......................................................55
Helio Optoelectronics Corp. .........................14
Indice Ecotech ............................................40
Instruments Systems GmbH .........................1
Intertek .......................................................43
Inventronics (Hangzhou) Inc.........................44
Iota Engineering ..........................................29
Konica Minolta Sensing Americas ...............71
Lambda Research Corporation....................22
Lauren Manufacturing .................................56
Ledlink Optics Inc. ......................................27
Linear Technology .................................. CVR3
LinkCom USA Inc. ......................................32
Lumens Co. Ltd...........................................23
Macroblock Inc. ..........................................10
Matrix Lighting Limited, Hong Kong ...........CV2
MBN GmbH.................................................30
Mean Well USA Inc......................................47
NMB Technologies Corporation ...................57
Optronic Laboratories Inc. ...........................36
Orb Optronix................................................12
Phihong USA ...............................................28
Philips Lumileds ............................................2
PIDA ...........................................................64
Posco LED ..................................................52
Proto Labs Inc.............................................31
Recom Power Inc. ................................. 37, 39
Sapa Extrusions............................................8
SEMI...........................................................60
Seoul Semiconductor Co. Ltd. .....................34
Shanxi Guangyu LED Lighting Co. Ltd. .........24
Shat-R-Shields ............................................49
Shenzhen Crystal River Optoelectronic
Technologies Co. Ltd. ..............................19
Shenzhen Refond
Optoelectronics Co. Ltd. ...........................16
Shin Etsu Silicones of America ....................14
Sichuan Jiuzhou Electric Group Co. Ltd. .......48
Signcomplex Limited ...................................51
The Korean Consulate General....................63
Thomas Research Products ........................38
Underwriters Laboratories ...........................41
Unilumin Group Co. Ltd. .............................46
Verde Designs.............................................50
Shenzhen Baikang Optical Co., Ltd. ...............5

6 APRIL/MAY 2013 LEDsmagazine.com

 the spotlight shines on efficiency

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news views
EXHIBIT LIGHTING

Kunstkammer museum
reopens with art
bathed in LED light
The Kunstkammer museum in Vienna, Austria, reopened
on March 1 with a new customized LED-based light system
designed specifically to optimize viewing of the works of art
on display. Zumtobel developed the customized solid-state
lighting (SSL) approach including the design of the Starbrick
luminaire (see photo) that is itself a work of art created in
collaboration with Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.
The Kunstkammer of the Kunsthistorisches Museum
Wien had been closed for more than 10 years for remodeling.
The new 2700-m2 Kunstkammer features 20 newly installed
galleries. The 2200 exhibits include a wide variety of works
of art such as the famous Saliera by Benvenuto Cellini and
the Krumau Madonna.
The LED lighting scheme was able to fulfi ll the exacting
conservation requirements of the museum. All exhibits are
originals, and each of them has its very special aura that we
want visitors to be able to feel and experience, said Sabine
Haag, general director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
The installation includes a total of 51 Starbrick SSL assem-
blies consisting of four modules each, especially designed
for illuminating the unique and sensitive works of art. The
Starbricks basic structure is a cube, on whose six surfaces
additional cubes have been placed at an angle of 45. These
additional cubes serve as connectors to combine several
Starbrick modules.
Additional direct light is supplied by integrated Super-
system spotlights, and indirect light is provided by a
Panos Infi nity module both LED based. One of the Star-
bricks surfaces that is directed downward doubles as
emergency lighting. page 10

LOW COST BULBS COLOR TUNING

Cree and Philips drive Philips launches Hue

API and SDK
prices below $15
Cree Lighting has launched its first LED-based A-lamps featuring omni- The Philips LED-based Hue lamp (www.ledsmagazine.
directional light distribution and dimming support, and ranging in price com/news/10/3/11) has garnered an enthusiastic fol-
from $9.97 to $13.97. Philips Lighting, meanwhile, has begun selling a lowing of users and
60W-equivalent lamp for $14.97 that only radiates over the upper hemi- hardware/software
sphere of the dome. Both of the companies pproduced designs
g with tra- developers seeking
ditional incandescent lamp looks, but took very dif- to deliver compati-
ferent approaches in the designs. ble apps or hardware
The Cree LED bulb (photo) family comes to products, and new
pro
market with three product options a 6W tools available from
too
$9.97 450-lm 2700K lamp (40W equivalent),
valent), Philips Lighting
Ph
a 9W $13.97 800-lm 5000K lamp (60W W equiv- will simplify the
wil
alent), and a 9.5W $12.97 800-lm 2700K K lamp development pro-
dev
(60W equivalent). The omnidirectionall designs cess. The company
ces
all have a CRI of 80 and support dimming
ming with has released an open
legacy triac-based and other phase-cutt dimmers. Application
App Programming Interface (API) along with
The Philips design eliminated dimming
mming sup- a Software
S Development Kit (SDK) that can jumpstart
port to hit the low price point. The page 12 projects. Moreover Philips has formally
pro page 10

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 9

news+views
Exhibit Lighting from page 9
Single Supersystem spotlights were also
installed in the showcases. Here, the benefits of
LED technology were fully exploited, for exam-
ple, by matching the light colors to the colors
and materials of the exhibits.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/2
BUSINESS
Evolucia starts Europe and
Australia businesses
Evolucia has announced the formation of
Evolucia LDU Pty Ltd in Hobart, Tasmania,
Australia, as a wholly owned subsidiary
that will serve Australia, New Zealand,
and the Pacific Region. Moreover, the com-
pany established a European joint venture
(JV) based in Poland in partnership with
Warsaw, Poland-based Sete SP. x o.o. Both
ventures are primarily focused on outdoor
SSL applications and the companys Aimed
Optics cobrahead street lights.
Evolucia believes that its Aimed Optics
technology will be a good match for the Aus-
tralia and New Zealand markets, where lower
light levels and less light pollution are requi-
sites. Aimed Optics addresses our greater
pole spacing and lower light levels by deliv-
ering more consistent targeted light that con-
sumes much less energy over a longer period,
said Andy van Emmerik, product develop-
ment manager of Evolucia LDU Pty Ltd.
________
10 APRIL/MAY 2013
Evolucia Europe will earn Evolucia Inc.
$11M this year via the Sete investment in
the JV. The Evolucia Europe organization will
be owned by Evolucia (51%) and Sete (49%)
and plans to begin producing Aimed Optics
products this year in Radom, Poland.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/20
ACQUISITION
Acuity adds eldoLED
to brand portfolio
Light manufacturer Acuity Brands has
acquired eldoLAB Holding BV, a designer
and manufacturer of high-performance,
intelligent eldoLED drivers for LED-based
lighting systems. Founded in 2003, eldoLED
has been a privately owned company head-
quartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
As we have discovered first-hand,
[eldoLEDs] best-in-class drivers provide
exceptional, smooth dimming and con-
sistent color and brightness, said Vernon
Nagel, Chairman, President and CEO of
Acuity Brands. In addition, the ability of
eldoLED driver technology to integrate with
all types of solid-state lighting applications
and communicate with lighting controls
systems aligns well with Acuity Brands mis-
sion of providing superior integrated light-
ing solutions.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/10
Color Tuning from page 9
adopted the grass-roots www.everyhue.
___developer forum as the go-to spot for
com
developers to share information and insight.
The developer community didnt wait
for Philips. Hue system architect George
Yianni said that before the launch of the
SDK and API, more than 100 developers
were working on Hue-centric projects
and that at least 10 apps were already
available. For example, there is an Apple
iOS app called Hue Disco that controls
Hue lamps dynamically based on the
music beat picked up by the smartphone
microphone.
For now, the APIs can be accessed using
any operating system, but the SDK is only
available for iOS. Philips supplies apps for
both iOS and Android. Hue is based on the
ZigBee LightLink standard, so it would be
relatively easy to perform simple tasks such
as sending a command to turn on a lamp
even without the tools. The tools, however,
standardize remote connectivity to Hue
lamps that can be leveraged by smartphones
or other devices. Moreover the APIs will sup-
port more advanced and dynamic control
of the lamps. On the hardware front, Yianni
said he knew of one manufacturer of univer-
sal TV remote controls that was working on
adding Hue support.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/11
LEDsmagazine.com
Introducing
LED light sheet

_______________________
 news+views
Low Cost Bulbs from page 9
10.5W lamp delivers 800 lm at a price
of $14.97. For more information on the
specs for both lamps, see our story on our
________
Illumination in Focus website (www.illumi-
___________________
nationinfocus.com/news/4/3/2).
Here, lets discuss the design approaches
inside the new lamps. The new Philips
3000K lamps still use the remote-phos-
phor technology that the company has
been known for, although the geometry
implied by the word remote has changed
quite a bit. Philips Lighting CEO Ed Craw-
ford explained that the new lamps use blue
LEDs with the remote phosphor applied on
the dome of the individual packaged LEDs.
In contrast, most remote phosphors are
implemented on secondary optics.
Cree, in contrast, took a more conven-
tional approach using its phosphor-con-
verted XLamp XT-E high-voltage LEDs.
The LEDs are mounted on a vertical struc-
______________
_____________
12 APRIL/MAY 2013
ture called a Filament Tower upon which
the LEDs are mounted in pairs around
what is essentially a cylindrical struc-
ture. The Cree design is clearly a robust
one based on a few days of usage. The
dimming support works well. And the
design seems to have no compromises
despite the low cost. The light is uni-
form, and the 2700K version emits pleas-
ant warm light.
Indeed the most interesting discussion
about Crees lamps comes down to what
it cost the company to make them. The
lamps use 20 LEDs arranged in 10 pairs.
The XT-E LEDs cost $1.50 each in low vol-
ume. High volume customers are pay-
ing well under a dollar. Still Crees inter-
nal manufacturing cost would have to be
substantial perhaps accounting for more
than half of the price of the 60W-equiva-
lent lamps.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/9
LEDsmagazine.com
 



   

  

  
  
 
 
    
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 news+views
PACKAGED LEDS required in DC applications that Seoul says
weights 2-3kg. The company also says that
Seoul targets street lights the AC-drive implementation eliminates
with high-voltage LEDs the need for an electrolytic capacitor both
Seoul Semiconductor has announced the reducing cost and increasing reliability.
MJT 4040 packaged LED that targets out- At the opposite end of the components
door SSL applications such as street lights. spectrum, Seoul also recently announced a
The multi-emitter LED features a 64V for- side-view LED that targets backlight appli-
ward voltage and is intended to extend cations in mobile phones and tablet PCs.
Seouls Acrich family of LEDs into high- The low-power LED delivers 8.8 lm, and the
power, high-light-output applications. company said it's 10% brighter than compet-
While Seoul is perhaps best known for itive components (www.ledsmagazine.com/
AC-LED technology, the MJT4040 is appar- __________
products/37829).
ently just a high-voltage, multi-emitter LED MORE: http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/16
that can be paired with Seouls Acrich AC-
drive technology. Driven at 64V and 20 mA, Samsung 160-lm/W
the MJT 4040 delivers 200 lm at a 5000K mid-power LEDs
CCT, and delivers efficacy of 140 lm/W. Samsung has reached the 160-lm/W effi-
 In the intended street light applica- cacy level in a 5000K CCT mid-power LED.
 tion, Seoul proposes paring the MJT 4040
LEDs with an Acrich driver IC that oper-
The LM561B-family LED achieved the mile-
stone when driven at 65 mA. The LEDs will
  ates directly from the AC line. Seoul com- target a broad range of solid-state lighting
pares the 66-mm IC that can be mounted (SSL) applications ranging from LED-based
 directly on the LED light engine to the driver replacements for fluorescent tubes to down-
lights to A-lamps.


 While the efficacy milestone applies to a

 cool-white LED, Samsung offers the LM561B
 family across a range of 2700K to 6500K
 CCTs. The efficacy for the warm-white 2700K
 LEDs is still above 150 lm/W. And all of the

LEDs offer a CRI of 80. Efficacy ranges from
     130-145 lm/W across the CCT span when the




 drive current is increased to 150 mA.
 MORE: http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/13

  Cree 10,000-lm COB LED




Cree extended its chip-on-board (COB)-
based CXA LED family with the 19-mm
  light emitting surface (LES) CXA2540 that
  can output more than 8000 lm, and the
 23-mm-LES CX A3050 that breaks the
10,000-lm barrier. The LEDs are intended

as SSL replacements for high-output metal-


 halide sources in applications such as
 high-output track lights and downlights,
and high-bay lighting.
As we went to press, Cree was on the
verge of announcing some new mid-power
LEDs that will feature ceramic packages.
 
The approach will presumably enable much
 
 smaller mid-power LEDs and more dense-
 packing of the devices in an SSL product


compared to the more prevalent plastic mid-
______________

power devices on the market.
____________
MORE: http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/18

14 APRIL/MAY 2013 LEDsmagazine.com

_________
_____________
 funding
programs
DOE announces 2013 NGL
indoor SSL winners at
LEDucation in New York
At LEDucation 7 in New York on March 20, the US Department
of Energy (DOE), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North
America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting
Designers (IALD) jointly announced the results of the 2013 Next
Generation Luminaires (NGL) Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Design
Competition for indoor products. The partners anointed 28 LED-
based products with Recognized status, and three of those products
were also named Best in Class.
FIG. 1. Best-in-class Track-Master Cylindra luminaires from
Juno Light Group highlight products in an exhibit.
The Recognized status is generally equated to NGL award winner
status by the lighting companies that participate in the program.
According to the DOE, Recognized implies that the NGL judges feels
the products are worthy of architectural specification. The Best in
Class products stood out significantly above the other recognized
products in their category. The judges also bestowed Notable status
on four other products for color-tuning capabilities.
Th ree different manufacturers won Best in Class recognition in
different product categories. Lithonia Lighting (an Acuity Brand)
won for its W Series stairwell luminaire. Digital Lumens earned its
recognition for its XLE-3-10 Xpress industrial high-bay luminaire.
The final best in class winner was Juno Lighting Group, which
LEDsmagazine.com
won for its Track-Master Cylindra track- FIG. 2. FinoLED
mounted accent luminaire (see Fig. 1). from Amerlux
In Recognized products, the following were Global Lighting
the winners. In rack-mounted accent lumi- Solutions was the
naires: Amerlux Global Lighting Solutions, only luminaire
Intense Lighting, Juno Lighting Group (three recognized in the
fixtures), and Journe Lighting; in linear wall recessed
luminaires: Lithonia Lighting/Acuity, Coo- indirect category.
per Lighting, Cree LED Lighting, Finelite Inc.,
GE Lighting Solutions, Peerless Lighting/Acuity (two fi xtures), Axis
Lighting, and Samjin LND; in industrial lighting: Albeo Technol-
ogies/GE Lighting and Lithonia Lighting/Acuity (two fi xtures); in
wall-mounted lighting: Amerlux Global Lighting Solutions (see Fig.
2), Selux Corporation, and GE Lighting Solutions; in grid ceiling
lighting: Acuity Brands/Peerless Lighting; in personal task light-
ing: Koncept Technologies Inc.; and in undercabinet lighting: Coo-
per Lighting and Finelite Inc.
The Notable products include a Visa Lighting product designed for
healthcare applications, a ceiling-grid light from Samjin LND, and
two downlight families from USAI Lighting.
The judges reviewed product documentation, examined sample
products in a table-top environment, and evaluated the ready-for-
market product samples installed in typical application scenarios.
Recognition by the NGL judges is not given lightly, said DOE Solid-
State Lighting program manager Jim Brodrick. So winning speaks
volumes about a product.
The judging of installed products for the 2013 indoor NGL com-
petition took place at the Intelligent Lighting Creations facility in
Arlington Heights, IL. The lighting industry proposed 156 products
for the 2013 competition, and 99 made it to the judging stage,
This announcement comes closely on the heels of the 2012 outdoor
NGL winners revealed in February at the Strategies in Light confer-
ence. The program split into indoor and outdoor categories after the
2010 competition. Indeed, the judging of installed indoor and out-
door products required different facilities to host the installations
and needed in certain cases a different set of critical expertise.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/15
APRIL/MAY 2013 17
standards | LUMEN MAINTENANCE
New standards will enable lumen
maintenance projections for SSL
JIANZHONG JIAOexplains that LM-84 and TM-28 will enable long-term lumen maintenance projections
beyond the LED light source level, similar to how LM-80 and TM-21 are used with LEDs.
L
ED-based solid-state lighting (SSL),
inherently featuring long useful life-
times, has created an issue for the
lighting industry. The industry needs a way
to project the useful lifetime and specifi-
cally the system-level lumen maintenance
of lamps and luminaires. Standards bodies
are progressing on an approach that will
combine LM-84 testing data on lamps and
luminaires, with a new TM-28 standard
that standardizes methods on projecting
the measured data over longer lifetimes.
The approach parallels the way the LM-80
and TM-21 are used to project LED compo-
nent lumen maintenance.
In August 2011, the Illuminating Engi-
neering Society (IES) published a docu-
ment to provide the SSL industry with a
recommendation for projecting long-term
lumen maintenance for LEDs. The docu-
ment, TM-21-11, reflects over three years
of dedication and hard work by the experts
on the IES Testing Procedures Commit-
___________________
tee (TPC) (www.ledsmagazine.com/fea-
tures/8/2/10).
________ Though not perfect, TM-21-
11 gives users a consistent, reasonable, and
reliable approach to make lumen mainte-
nance projections for LEDs used in SSL
products. This document is a useful tool
for SSL product design, development, and
qualification for manufacturers, specifiers,
and qualifiers.
Because components other than LEDs,
such as optical elements, also contribute
toward lumen decay over time in LED lamps
and luminaires, an SSL final product-level
lumen maintenance test is also necessary.
To that end, the IES TPC started to develop
a new document, LM-84, to describe lumen
DR. JIANZHONG JIAO, Director of Regulations and Emerging Technologies at Osram Opto
Semiconductors Inc., is an internationally recognized expert on lighting and standards. He can be
reached at jianzhong.jiao@osram-os.com.
18 APRIL/MAY 2013
and color maintenance testing procedures
(www.ledsmagazine.com/features/9/2/4).
For SSL products and some major com-
ponents used in the products common
qualification and reliability tests used by
manufacturers prior to a product being
released are no longer sufficient for achiev-
ing a reasonable time to market. The lon-
ger lifetime of SSL products
compared to other lighting
products would make tra-
ditional lamp or luminaire
testing impractical. More-
over, SSL products and
some of their major com-
ponents experience perfor-
mance decay over long peri-
ods of time with a much
lower catastrophic fail-
ure rate than other light
sources. This long term per-
formance decay behavior,
usually measured by lumen or color main-
tenance, may not be tested within a period
less than a fi fth or sixth of claimed product
lifetime via accelerated or over-stress tests.
Although in general we know that the
lumen decay of LEDs or SSL lighting prod-
ucts may be accelerated via higher temper-
ature, higher operating current, or other
severe conditions, so far the experts in the
industry have yet to agree on which accel-
eration factors can be standardized. As a
result, in order to meet the SSL industrys
needs, experts have been developing sev-
eral standards to describe testing methods
for LEDs, lamps, luminaires, and possibly
other components as well. These lumen-
maintenance-related tests are in addition
to the commonly practiced qualification
tests used by manufacturers.
Typically when measureable character-
istics, such as luminous flux or color, are
determined, these maintenance tests are
running in normal operational and envi-
ronmental conditions, but for much longer
than qualification or stress test time peri-
ods. This is based on the idea
that LED and SSL product
performance decay behav-
ior can only be authentically
tracked with such tests if the
acceleration factors are not
standardized. There are no
pass/fail criteria for these
maintenance tests. Their
goal is to record product
decay results or operation
failure of the product dur-
ing the test.
The more important and
more practical need is to correctly interpret
the test results so that both SSL makers and
users will know the product performance
status after long-term use, e.g., 30,000
50,000 hrs. TM-21-11 has addressed the issue
for LEDs. With LM-84 almost complete, the
industry also needs a consistent, reasonable,
and reliable approach to use the LM-84 test
results to make projections. Thus, IES TPC
is developing a new document, TM-28, to
meet this need. The basic principles of TM-28
should be the same as in TM-21-11:
The projection must be based on average
test data, discounting the tested units that
stop working during the test.
The mathematical basis used in TM-28
should not deviate from TM-21-11.
The projection length must be based on
a sample size and confidence level that
makes practical sense.
When TM-21-11 was developed, there
LEDsmagazine.com

was sufficient LM-80 test data available. At
least 40 sets of such data many of them
for LEDs being tested over 10,000 hours
were used to evaluate each possible math-
ematical model to be considered in TM-21-
11, which makes the document credible. At
the current stage, although IES TPC has
obtained some LED lamp test data, LED
luminaire test data are largely unavailable.
Based on this situation, the experts in the
TM-28 working group decided to first focus
on the LED lamp lumen maintenance pro-
jection. In the first case, when there is 6000
hrs or more of LED lamp testing performed
according to LM-84, thereby providing con-
sistency with TM-21 requirements, the pro-
jection method described in TM-21 should
be valid to apply to LED lamps. That includes
the sample-size-related projection length,
e.g., five or six times the tests duration.
The question is whether data from LED
lamps being tested with less than 6000 hrs
can still be used to make projections. The
industry would ideally like to reduce the
test burden, both in time and in cost, of SSL
products. Currently, some specifications,
such as Energy Star, allow 3000-hr LED
lamp test data to be used for prequalifica-
tion. This 3000-hr time threshold is an engi-
neering judgment call, but it serves a prac-
tical purpose.
The experts in the TM-28 working group
have studied the available LED lamp test
data, particularly comparisons of 3000-hr
data versus 6000-hr data, and comparisons
with LM-80 test data for the LEDs used in
the LED lamps. The working group found
that trends and correlations between LED
and LED lamp test data do exist. With evi-
dence of these trends and correlations, 3000-
hr LED lamp test data should be sufficient to
make projections.
The members in the TM-28 working
group have proposed the detailed mathe-
matical expressions and calculation proce-
dures for use of 3000-hr LED lamp test data.
These procedures are very similar to those
described in TM-21. Because of the shorter
standrds | LUMEN MAINTENANCE
test duration, more conditional usage of the
projection method will be added. Realiz-
ing that there are always uncertainties and
errors in the projections, and that exceptions
do exist, the experts in the TM-28 working
group are confident that a reliable projection
approach can be established.
LM-84 and TM-28 should be used together
similarly to the way documents LM-80 and
TM-21 should be used together. These new
documents will provide valuable infor-
mation to the SSL industry and are a step
forward from LED-source-based test and
projection. With this new pair of LED doc-
uments, the industry will have a more con-
sistent approach to capture or qualify SSL
products lumen maintenance beyond the
LED source level. The strategy presented
here for LED and SSL standards develop-
ment should also be applicable for other
major components used in SSL products,
such as remote phosphor devices and plas-
tic optical elements and these activities
are on the horizon.
_________
______________
power | DC GRIDS

Lighting industry progresses on

DC-power grids that pair well with LEDs
DC-power grids offer the potential of even greater energy efficiency when combined with LED-based
lighting, and several options for implementing DC grids are either available or coming soon, reports
MAURY WRIGHT.

T
here is a long-standing debate as to
whether we would be better off had
Tesla prevailed over Edison, and we
had a DC-voltage power grid. Actually the
answer isnt clear cut, but without question
a DC grid in a building can increase energy
efficiency for many building systems includ-
ing lighting. Indeed LEDs need DC power, so
DC-powered solid-state lighting (SSL) elim-
inates one lossy power-conversion stage.
The technology has become a reality with a
proprietary scheme from Redwood Systems
thats widely available and the standard-
ized EMerge Alliance-based products com-
ing onto the market. Moreover, a play from
the IT-centric Ethernet networking world
may be waiting in the wings.
DC power can provide several benefits,
starting with energy efficiency, as we will
discuss later. But it offers flexibility as well,
such as in flush-mount unobtrusive lighting
systems including the T-Bar LED linear fi x-
tures from JLC Tech (Fig. 1). Moreover DC-
powered lighting tiles that snap into ceiling FIG. 1. An installation of JLC Tech T-Bar LED linear fixtures at AWeber Communications
or wall grids are headed to market. in Pennsylvania illustrate how DC-powered SSL products blend into the ceiling grid.
First, however, lets step back and consider
how the building industry as a whole could be more efficiently powered by a DC grid. be driven by disruptive opportunities in the
benefit from a DC grid at least internal to Indeed there has been a movement in the playing field. LEDs provided the alliance
the building. Consider the situation even in a computer industry over the course of the last just such an opportunity. Most SSL products
home. Nicole Bopp, director of marketing at decade to adopt DC power in the data cen- include an AC/DC power conversion as the
Nextek Power Systems, said that ultimately ter. The EMerge Alliance is now shepherd- fi rst stage of the LED driver electronics and
80% of the watts used in the home power DC ing that movement along with supporting that is ripe for elimination in a DC world.
loads. Most all consumer electronics operate DC grids for lighting. Patterson in fact said that its both energy
from DC at their core. efficiency and reliability that will ultimately
In a commercial building, however, the EMerge Alliance drive a transition to DC in lighting. Simplify-
opportunity for savings are more substan- The EMerge Alliance was founded with ing the driver to a DC/DC stage will in many
tial. IT data centers are a huge opportunity a broad DC mission originally, but was cases eliminate the need for the electrolytic
because all of the computer equipment could perhaps most identified with SSL. Brian capacitor that is regularly identified as the
Patterson of Armstrong World Industries most likely failure point in an SSL product.
MAURY WRIGHT is the Editor of LEDs and chair of the EMerge Alliance said that Patterson said that the driver can match the
Magazine. adoption of a DC grid is probably going to long life of the LEDs in a DC-powered sce-

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 21

power | DC GRIDS

nario. The DC transition would also increase
the system-level energy efficiency thats
inherent in LED-based lighting.
It turns out, however, that there are even
more reasons for considering a transition to
a DC grid for lighting. The EMerge Alliance
has adopted a 24V DC bus. Patterson said,
Its a voltage that can be made very safe
and is very near the use voltage of LED light-
ing. In fact, electricians are not required to
install the DC cable runs.
DC power sources
Two companies currently have power sources
that are registered with the alliance Nextek
and Roal Electronics. Nextek calls its prod-
ucts Power Server Modules (PSMs), a sam-
ple of which is depicted in Fig. 2. Marketing
director Bopp said, In-conduit AC wiring is
required to the PSM, but the DC cables out of
the PSM are treated essentially like computer
network cables and can be connected without
removing power from the system.
The DC grid can in fact be run on cables
that are available from companies such as
TE Connectivity or integrated directly into
a dropped-ceiling grid frame such as in the
DC FlexZone products from Armstrong. The
Armstrong products provide connectivity in
the suspended-ceiling grid with electrical
connections made as you assemble the grid.
The flexible connection scheme means
that office spaces and lighting products can
be easily rearranged as the need arises. Last
summer, we ran an article about a DC-pow-
ered installation in a conference room at Par-
amount Pictures (www.ledsmagazine.com/
_________ Osram Sylvania and Rensse-
features/9/7/8).
laer Polytechnic Institutes Lighting Research
Center (LRC) worked together on the project.
The LRC has long championed the concept of
lighting tiles that can be snapped into a grid,
offering a simple way to reconfigure lighting.
Of course, a DC installation does have to
account for the total load connected to a
power source so there will always be some
needed expertise in partitioning a DC system.
The Roal Safe Energy Server SES400 has four
output channels, each rated at 100W (Fig. 3).
Nexteks PSMs have 16 100W channels.
DC for legacy or SSL
The DC scheme can actually be used with
legacy or LED lighting, although you can
power far more fixtures in the SSL case.
Nexteks Bopp said that even fluorescent
lighting can be operated more efficiently on
a DC grid. She said that a typical electronic
AC ballast does a conversion to DC and then
a second conversion to high-frequency AC.
Nextek offers a number of ballasts that can
convert fluorescent fixtures to DC opera-
tion. Still Bopp said that in the case of typ-
ical T5 fluorescents, each PSM channel can
only power two fixtures.
With many SSL products operating down
in the 10W range, you can in some cases con-
nect 9 to 10 fixtures on one PSM channel.
Nextek recommends that you keep cable
runs to 3040 ft, meaning that one PSM
can serve a radius as large as 80 ft. With flo-
rescent lighting, Bopp said you can typically
service 1000 ft 2 with one PSM, and in the
case of SSL, that number goes to 2000-3000
ft2 because of the more efficient fixtures.
You may wonder why the EMerge Alliance

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power | DC GRIDS
adopted an architecture that still requires AC
distribution to all areas of the building. The
primary reason is logistics and compatibility
with legacy technologies, although there are
also some benefits in terms of ease of use with
solar systems.
In reality, the EMerge standard does
support DC-powered room-level power
sources. Indeed, Nextek offers AC-powered
PSMs, DC-powered PSMs, and models that
accept either type of power. Patterson of the
Alliance said the organization attempted
to support architectures that range from a
direct conversion to DC at the 13.2- or 16-kV
pole to hybrid approaches where the DC
conversion is done close to a system such
as lighting.
In the case of solar, the Nextek prod-
uct that supports AC and DC inputs comes
into play. Bopp said that it can run on a DC
input from solar panels during the day and
seamlessly transition to AC power as the
sun sets. Support for such a solar system is
yet another selling point for DC grids. When
the output of solar panels
has to be inverted to AC, there is
yet another efficiency loss.
EMerge obstacles
Given the benefits of DC, its a fair question
to ask why the EMerge technology has not
thus far taken off. About the building indus-
try, Patterson said, Nobody likes to be first.
But in fairness, there just has not been a suf-
ficient choice of products available in the
EMerge case. Thats changed rapidly in the
past few months, according to Patterson.
Indeed the registered products list is get-
ting quite long (www.emergealliance.org/
_____________________
Products/RegisteredProducts.aspx).
Osram Sylvania has a number of registered
products, including the RLC22 recessed LED
fixture (Fig. 4) that won Next Generation
Luminaires recognition in the 2012 indoor
competition. There is also a product from
FIG. 2. Nextek Power Server Modules
supply 16 DC channels, each capable of
handling 100W.
Philips Lighting on the registered list. More-
over, Osram Sylvania, Philips Lighting, and
GE Lighting have all announced that they are
working with Armstrong on FlexZone-com-
patible products. There are other companies
such as Lunera Lighting that have announced
EMerge-compliant fi xtures, but that arent
yet on the registered products list.
EMerge-compatible products can be
recessed or even flush-mounted to a ceil-
ing. For example, the previously-mentioned
T-Bar LED linear fixtures from JLC Tech
___________
__________
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*Based on internal testing by Cirrus Logic of
approximately 90 dimmer types.
LEDMAG012013
power | DC GRIDS

can be flush-mounted to the metal rail of a

drop ceiling. Armstrong has demonstrated
how even track lighting heads can connect
directly to the FlexZone system.

Redwood Systems
Long term, EMerge technology
may become the predominant
DC-powered approach, especially
considering the pledged support
from major lighting companies and
the fact that it is an open stan-
dard. However, there are other FIG. 3. The Roal Electronics
challengers. Redwood Systems, Safe Energy Server is a four-
for instance, has been selling its channel low-voltage DC power
Redwood Building Performance source.
Lighting Platform for several years.
The Redwood platform is far more than a or occupancy-sensor ply. Like EMerge technology, the Redwood
DC power-distribution system. In aggregate, data, and luminaire operational platform relies on low-voltage Class-2
the platform includes application and com- data, from fi xtures to the centralized system. wiring that does not require an electrician
missioning software for adaptive control of The Redwood Engine (Fig. 5) is a box- for installation.
the lighting system along with a DC-based level product that powers the cable runs Redwood is working to create a partner
power-distribution engine that also carries and looks much more like computer net- network of luminaire makers that support the
the control commands to fixtures and light- working equipment than a power sup- technology. For example, MaxLite page 29

_________________

26 APRIL/MAY 2013 LEDsmagazine.com

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and Lunera have previously announced com-
patible products. Redwood also supports non-
compatible fixtures, including those based on
legacy sources, such as fluorescent lamps, via
relay-based control boxes.
The Redwood value proposition is ulti-
mately centered on energy efficiency com-
bining inherently-efficient SSL products,
controls to dim or turn lights off when they
arent required, and the more efficient DC
distribution. A key advantage for the com-
pany is the inherent inclusion of controls.
The EMerge Alliance doesnt explicitly
address controls. Nextek, for example, sells
wireless controls that are essentially sepa-
rate from the DC power grid.
Redwood Systems has completed major
projects for a number of high-profi le cus-
tomers. For example, the Volkswagen Elec-
tronics Research Laboratory in Belmont,
CA, uses Redwood technology, and the light-
ing is controllable via smartphone apps. The
SAP Labs facility in Palo Alto, CA, uses Red-
wood technology and the company said it
power | DC GRIDS
delivers $80,000 in operational sav-
ings each year (www.ledsmagazine.
com/news/7/12/8).
Power over Ethernet
While the Redwood technology uti-
lizes Cat-5/6 cables (Ethernet cables)
to deliver power to fixtures, the
Redwood system is proprietary. But
there is the potential going forward
to use Ethernet products designed for
networking to power SSL fixtures.
The network industry has devel-
oped an extension to Ethernet called
Power over Ethernet (PoE) that was
designed to allow an Ethernet cable
to carry both power and data. The
original intent of the technology was
powering remote network devices.
FIG. 4. The Osram Sylvania RLC22
recessed LED fixture is on the
EMerge Alliance registered
products list.
_________________
 power | DC GRIDS

For example, an Ethernet cable could both Table 1. Power over Ethernet could lower to cost of controllable lighting
power a Wi-Fi access point and provide the
Retrofit costs Fluorescent AC LED PoE LED
data connection between the corporate net-
Fixture $200 $350 $350
work and the access point. PoE was envi-
sioned to support such remote devices where Dimming ballast/lamp $70
ready access to AC wiring wasnt available. Fixture install and ballast $250 $250 $50
At the recent Strategies in Light conference, PoE wiring/labor $150
Chris Isaacson, CEO and CTO of NuLEDs, PoE port $75
made a presentation on IT networked lighting
Controls/sensors $200 $200 $60
systems. Isaacson foresees integrating light-
ing with the IT infrastructure and inherently Total $720 $800 $685
making every light fixture intelligent.
From a technology perspective, PoE could equipment vendor Cisco will again double powered LED lighting if the cost of controls
certainly power SSL products. The first-gen- the available power. By 2014, a single UPoE is factored into the equation (see Table 1).
eration IEEE 802.3af specification makes Ethernet cable will be able to power two LED
almost 13W available to an end device cer- troffers with the continuing ramp in LED Reliability and PoE availability
tainly enough to power many SSL fixtures. efficacy, according to Isaacson. Still, there are questions about PoE. Our
The more recent 802.3at PoE+ spec makes Indeed Isaacson painted a rosy picture computer networks are very reliable, but our
25.5W available to the end device, and thats for PoE. He said LEDs alone provide 30% in lights always work so long as the AC power
enough power for most indoor SSL products energy savings over legacy lighting. Using is on. Its not clear that PoE could deliver the
other than high-bay lighting. DC power ups that to 55%. Inherent network expected level of reliability relative to our
Isaacson sees the situation improving controls would bring the total to 80% sav- experience with AC-powered lighting. When
even further. He said the new Universal PoE ings. And Isaacson asserted that the technol- asked about reliability, Isaacson said you
(UPoE) standard being pushed by network- ogy would cost less than fluorescent or AC- could mix lighting connections on multiple

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power | DC GRIDS

switches to assure that a single network

switch failure would only impact a part of a
buildings lighting.
Moreover, Isaacson discussed the preva-
lence of Ethernet in the corporate world as
part of the justification for the concept. But
most installed Ethernet does not include PoE
support today. The existing infrastructure
isnt ready for lighting. But Isaacson sees PoE
costs dropping and says that as long as the
powered ports in a switch are utilized, then
the economics will work. He said NuLEDs
hope to launch a pilot project this summer
with a Fortune 100 company.
DC bears watching
What is increasingly clear, however, is that
the lighting world will have a brush with
DC power, whether the technology is one
we covered here or another system entirely.
DC could remain a niche offering, or it could
become predominant. SSL product manufac-
turers and lighting designers would be well
advised to play close attention.
FIG. 5. Redwood Systems Engine both distributes DC power and transmits control
data over low-voltage wiring.
Consider research conducted last year by
_________
Carnegie Mellon University (www.ledsmag-
azine.com/news/9/4/28).
________________ The university
reported that a DC grid would save $24,000
per year in a 48,000-ft2 building lit by LEDs.
Moreover, adding solar power to the equa-
tion would increase the savings by $5,000
more. Those numbers are over and above the
baseline savings afforded by LED sources.
Patterson of the EMerge Alliance is also
predicting big things for DC as this year
unfolds. He said, At Lightfair some com-
panies will announce universal luminaires
that can work from AC or DC. Moreover,
he said that many of the registered-com-
pliant products are now truly commer-
cially available and not just being made
in pilot quantities.
You will also start to see real case stud-
ies based on EMerge Alliance technology in
the coming months. For example, a recently
opened PNC Bank office in Fort Lauderdale,
FL, is among the first net-positive bank
branches that can generate more energy
than it uses via solar panels. The news sto-
ries about the building focused on the solar
angle, but an EMerge-compliant DC grid is a
major part of the underlying story. We hope
to bring you more details on the project and
others soon.

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909-595-5262
sales@linkcomusa.com
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32 APRIL/MAY 2013 LEDsmagazine.com

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patents | OPTICS

LED optics intellectual property can

foreshadow winners in SSL products
A look back at patent activity in the LED optics space could have predicted some of the strong
players in SSL products today, explains KATHRYN PAISNER, and recent activity could correlate with
future winners.

Disruptive innovation

S
olid-state lighting (SSL) products are
very much a complex system with
innovation occurring in the pack-
aged LEDs, but also in other areas such as
optics, drivers, thermal management, and
more. Indeed, optics developments have
been critical. If you would have followed the
patent activity in the optics area over the
past 20 years, or even just the last six, you
may have been able to predict the compa-
nies that would find success manufactur-
ing LED-based lighting products. A similar
examination might foretell who the major
players will be down the road.
As Cree recently unveiled the latest LED
lamp mimicking an incandescent bulb,
a 60-W replacement reportedly retailing
for under $15 (www.ledsmagazine.com/
________ it is easy to forget that, just
news/10/3/9),
five years ago, LEDs were widely consid-
ered unsuitable for residential lighting.
Incredibly, in less than a decade, LEDs
have emerged from mundane ubiquity as
electronic indicators to take the lighting
world by storm.
Of course, the burgeoning interest in
LEDs has not been limited to bulbs for res-
idential and commercial lighting. These
days, LEDs are everywhere in traffic
signals, illuminating wine cellars, draped
across San Franciscos Bay Bridge (www. ____
ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/6), shaped
into colorful, holiday-themed animals at
zoos across the United States and their
role in future lighting applications seems
very bright.
KATHRYN PAISNER is the Director of Research and Business Development at IP Checkups.
Disclaimer: IP Checkups is a research firm that provides technical analysis and technical opinions.
IP Checkups is not a law firm. The research, technical analysis, and/or work proposed or provided by
IP Checkups and contained herein is not a legal opinion and should not be construed as such.
primary and secondary optics are largely
What caused the LED revolution and how did responsible for the quality and character of
the winners in SSL succeed? Conventional the light that reaches the consumers eye. In
wisdom attributes chip-level innovations order to maximize luminous efficacy, bulb
from Shuji Nakamura LED optics 2011, 2012
of Nichia and Alberto Number of 30 years of worldwide patenting data currently
patents filed incomplete
Barbieri of Cardiff
4000 JP - Japanese
University in the early
to mid-1990s as the 3500 WO - Patent Cooperation Treaty
USG - United States issued patents
fundamental basis 3000 USA - United States pending applications
for commercially- 2500 EPB - European issued patents
viable, high-bright- 2000 EPA - European pending applications
ness LEDs. Because 1500
the light output of
1000
LED bulbs ultimately
500
relies on system-wide
synergies, however, it 0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
is easy to question Filing year
the true impact of
these developments. FIG. 1. The number of patents filed each year, in four major
Even the brightest patent offices. Japanese (JP) documents consist entirely of
p-doped GaN-on- patent applications; Patent Cooperation Treaty (WO) documents
sapphire substrate may be issued patents or pending applications; United States
cannot illuminate (US) and European (EP) documents are identified as either
a living room on its pending applications (USA or EPA) or issued patents (USG or
own. Nevertheless, EPB). Note that the 18-month lag time between patent filing
the patent record and patent publication means that data from 2011 and 2012
seems to indicate is currently incomplete, resulting in what appears to be a sharp
that these pioneering drop off in patent filing post 2010.
innovations pos-
sibly in combination with others from the manufacturers must ensure that primary and
same era likely served as a driving force secondary optics are compatible with a given
for the development of other cutting-edge chip and that the entire system is suitable for
technologies in the LED lighting space. its intended purpose. Therefore, to capitalize
Although many other components are on the dramatic increases in efficiency and
equally vital to high-powered LED bulbs, light output offered by GaN p-doping (and
other chip-level technologies), bulb manu-
facturers needed to find (or develop) suitable
light-enhancing components.
From the patent record (Fig. 1), it is clear
that innovation in LED optics technology

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 35

patents | OPTICS

increased significantly and then expo- FIG 2. The top innovative companies in Top 5 patent-filing companies
Filing in LED optics
nentially during the late 1990s and early LED optics from 2000 to 2006, during year
20002006
2000s. Patents are expensive to procure and which commercialization of LED-related Panasonic
maintain, so patent filing rates can be a use- optics and optoelectronics innovations NEC
2000 Hitachi
ful metric for assessing commercial interest changed rather dramatically. In 2000, Mitsubishi
in a particular technology or market area. most LED optics patents were filed Philips JP
When a company, or an industry, suddenly by East Asian companies that did so Panasonic WO
Mitsubishi USG
changes its patenting behavior in a particu- primarily in Japan (and their home 2001 Hitachi
USA
lar area, it is a pretty good indication that countries). By 2006, most LED optics Toshiba
EPB
NEC Corp
the focus of that company or industry is patenting leaders were US and European EPA
Philips
also about to change. The explosion in LED companies, who filed patents all across Panasonic
optics patenting, seemingly in response to the globe. 2002 Fujifilm
Toyoda Gosei
the promise of high-brightness LED chips, Koito Mfg
is a perfect illustration of this phenomenon. LED optics patent filings occurred in the Panasonic
Well before LED bulbs became common- US with the remainder relatively evenly Koito Mfg
2003 Philips
place in interior lighting, a savvy observer divided between the European, Japanese, 3M
might have used the patent record to see and PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) (WO) Toyoda Gosei
where the technology was heading. patent offices. Because companies file pat- Philips
3M
ents to protect their products in certain 2004 Ichikoh
Optics patent velocity regions, the changing geographic focus Panasonic
Koito Mfg
These days, disruptive innovation is almost of LED optics patent filings demonstrates
Philips
a clich. Looking at LED optics patenting, the dramatic shift in the market for LED Panasonic
2005 3M
however, it is hard to dispute the disruptive optics technologies, contemporary to that
Osram
effect of Nakamuras and Barbieris advance- time period. Samsung
ments. Between 1995 and 2000, nearly half of Regional markets for LED optics tech- Philips
all patents relating to LED optics were filed nologies were not the only thing to shift in Panasonic
2006 3M
in Japan. By 2002, this fraction had dwin- the early 2000s, however, as the companies Osram
dled to approximately 20% of the total, and that dominated innovation in this space Samsung

the overall number of Japanese patent fil-
ings had also declined, from 879 in 2001 to
487 in 2004.
In 2010, the last year for which we have
complete filing data available, 50% of all
also changed. In 2000, the four of the top
five patent-filing companies in LED optics
were Japanese, and these companies filed
patents almost exclusively in Japan (Fig. 2).
By 2006, three of the five top-filing compa-
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Number of patents filed
nies were either American or European, and
with the exception of Panasonic, which

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FIG. 3. The chart identifies the Filing
year
top assignees in LED optics
from 2010 to 2012. Today, LED
optics patenting is dominated
by lighting and display 2010
companies. Stanley Electric
still fi led primarily in Japan
almost all of the patenting activ-
ity of the five top-fi ling compa- 2011
nies was directed towards the US
and European markets.
The primary focus of these top-
fi ling companies also shifted as
electronics manufacturers were
steadily supplanted by light- 2012
ing companies such as Philips,
Osram, and Cree (#6 in 2006).
Dramatic market changes are
often cited as the defi ning char-
acteristics of disruptive innova-
tions, and the patent record clearly illus-
trates the revolutionary effect of Nakamuras
and Barbieris ground-breaking research.
Movers and shakers
That the patent record can track histori-
cal events is interesting, but what use does
it have for us today? To answer, recall that,
as late as 2007, common wisdom held that
LED lighting was still a futuristic daydream
perhaps not as distant as jet packs and
rocket cars, but certainly not something
that would soon be appealing to the aver-
age, cost-conscious consumer. Yet the patent
record indicated something different. Large
lighting companies were investing heavily in
optics, as though developing a diverse array
of LED bulb components might have some
near-term market value.
New consumer items do not magically
appear overnight. Developing a lab-bench pro-
totype into an off-the-shelf product can take
years, but forward-thinking companies rush
to protect their prototypes, often well before
such experiments turn into anything resem-
bling a marketable product. This is why the
patent record can predict where a company
(or an industry) thinks the future is heading.
These predictions can give us a sense of what
ideas are in the pipeline, often years before
they come to fruition or hit the shelf.
That said, lets take a look at patenting in
todays LED optics market. Fig. 3 shows the
LEDsmagazine.com
patents | OPTICS
________________________
Top 5 patent-filing companies in LED optics
20102012
Philips
Panasonic
Sharp
LG
Osram JP
Koito Mfg WO
Cree USG
Sharp USA
Philips EPB
LG EPA
Cree
Panasonic
Osram
Samsung
Toshiba
Sharp
Philips
Osram
Cree
LG
Samsung
Panasonic
Koito Mfg
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Number of patents filed
eight top-filing companies in 2010, 2011, and
2012. The space appears to be dominated by
lighting and display manufacturers. Realize,
however, that given the diversification of
many large companies, it is difficult to con-
clusively establish the intended applications
of disclosed technologies without reading the
individual patents. Perhaps unsurprisingly,
Cree fi led nearly twice as many LED optics
patents in 2011 than it did in 2010. This flurry
of innovative activity may be interpreted as a
predictive indicator of the companys recently
released LED lamps that are under $10 for
40W-incandescent-equivalent light ouput.
Th ings get even more interesting when
the landscape is broken into more narrowly
defi ned areas (Fig. 4). Although Philips is
indisputably a leader in LED optics, Philips
position in LED lenses is far more dominant
than it is in LED reflectors, even though Phil-
ips owns more patents in reflectors than it
does in lenses. Unfortunately for those who
would like to avoid Philips royalty rate,
recent filing data also show that Philips
position in both lenses and reflectors is only
growing stronger. More than 50% of Philips
LED lenses patents were filed within the last
five years; this fraction is closer to 40% for
Philips LED reflectors portfolio.
It is difficult to find a place in LED optics
patenting that is not overwhelmingly domi-
nated by Philips. In the last five years, Phil-
ips has filed more collimator-related patents
APRIL/MAY 2013 37
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 patents | OPTICS

________________________
Top patent-filing companies in LED lenses
a) 19822012 b) 20082012
Philips Philips
Cree LG
Koito Mfg JP Cree
WO JP
LG Osram
Panasonic USG Koito Mfg WO
Samsung USA Samsung USG
Osram EPB Sharp USA
Stanley Stanley Electric EPB
EPA
Ichikoh Panasonic EPA
Sharp Fu Zhun Precision
0 100 200 300 400 500 0 100 200
Number of patents filed Number of patents filed

Top patent-filing companies in LED reflectors

c) 19822012 d) 20082012
Philips Philips
Panasonic Sharp
Koito Mfg JP Panasonic
WO JP
Stanley Electric Koito Mfg
Toshiba USG Stanley Electric WO
Osram USA Osram USG
Sharp EPB Toshiba USA
Ichikoh Cree EPB
EPA
Cree LG EPA
Hitachi Fu Zhun Precision
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 100 200 300
Number of patents filed Number of patents filed

FIG. 4. The four charts show the leaders in LED lenses and LED reflectors over the
1982 to 2012 time frame and more recently.

(181) than its closest competitor, Pana-
sonic, which has fi led 146 of these patents
since 1982. The numbers are similar, albeit
less dramatic, in other optics-related areas
(Fig. 5). Since 2008, Philips has fi led 58 pat-
ents related to parabolic optics, 25 patents
related to Fresnel lenses and reflectors,
and 127 patents related to total internal
reflection (TIR). Its closest competitor in
each of these areas, in terms of patent-
ing activity, has fi led 72, 48, and 168 pat-
ents, respectively, but in the last 30 years.
There is certainly overlap between some of
these categories, and some of the patents
describe inventions that are only tangen-
tially related to the nominal technology
e.g., an LED bulb that uses a Fresnel lens
but Philips position in the space is clear.
Spotlight on upstarts
In addition to tracking (and predicting) mar-
ket trends and defining leaders in particular
technology and/or market areas, patent data
can also tell us about new entrants into a
space, often well before these entrants gain
broad recognition. Th is information can be
particularly valuable for larger companies
that may be looking for potential acquisition
targets, but it is equally useful for anyone who
wants to stay up to date on emerging players
in the highly dynamic LED lighting industry.
For our purposes, new entrants in LED
optics are classified as companies that
have fi led at least one relevant patent in the
last five years, but did not fi le any patents
directed at LED optoelectronic technolo-
gies prior to that time period. For exam-
ple, if a company patented six GaN-on-sap-
phire technologies between 2005 and 2007,
then began to fi le patents for Fresnel lenses
in mid-2010, it would be considered a new
entrant in LED optics, even though it may
have already been well-established in the
broader LED industry.
Twenty companies that meet the crite-
ria for new entrants in LED optics each filed
at least 10 patent applications, worldwide,
between 2008 and 2012 (Fig. 6). Eight of these
companies Xicato, Nittoh Kogaku, Photon-
Star LED, Soraa, Evolucia, Excelitas, Reflexite,
and Robe Lighting filed at least 15 patent
applications during this time period. The top-
filing new entrant, Xicato, filed 55.
Evolucia, once called Sunovia and
branded primarily as a renewable energy
provider, changed its name last year to bet-

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 39

patents | OPTICS

ter reflect its core business, which pri- Top patent-filing companies
marily encompasses intelligent light- 19822012
ing solutions. Out of Evolucias entire a) Parabolic optics b) Fresnel lenses
portfolio, only three patents (approx- Philips Philips
imately 10% of the total) are related Osram Omron Tateisi
Stanley Electric JP Panasonic JP
to solar energy conversion. The name Koito Mfg WO Osram WO
change was reasonably foreseeable Valeo Vision Eastman Kodak
USG USG
3M Valeo Vision
and makes perfect sense. Ichikoh USA Toshiba USA
Nittoh Kogaku, a camera manu- Panasonic EPB 3M EPB
Sharp EPA Mitsubishi EPA
facturer established out of Toeisha in Toyoda Gosei Sharp
1943, recently extended its lens manu- 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 0 20 40 60 80 100
facturing capabilities to SRC optics for Number of patents filed Number of patents filed
LED illumination panels. Those who
c) Collimators d) Total internal reflection (TIR)
missed Nittohs exhibition at Kogen
2008 could have learned about this Philips Philips
Panasonic 3M
development from the patent record. Fujifilm JP Fujifilm JP
Hitachi WO Osram WO
Canon Samsung
Other notables USG USG
Mitsubishi General Electric
USA Light Prescription USA
Due to space considerations, we Ricoh
Toshiba EPB Lumus EPB
cannot include a full list of new LED NEC EPA Qualcomm EPA
optics players in this article. The full Sumitomo Texas Instruments
details are available in IP Checkups 0 100 200 300 400 500 0 100 200 300
Number of patents filed Number of patents filed
LED PatentEdge tool. However, there
are certainly companies other than FIG. 5. Philips dominates most aspects of the LED optics patent landscape.

________________________________
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 patents | OPTICS

Number of
patents filed
60
New players in LED optics
50
2012
40 2011
2010
30 2009
2008
20

10

0
a a s e a . r s g S . a r
ato aku LED ra uci lita xit ting er H.K co sion cu tin LO rod ov rko LUX rtu
p
Xic Kog tar So Evol xce efle Ligh Lun ch. men D Vi y Fo Ligh F ht P D-N Sola erra sta
S E R e e u g E T de
h n
tto to b s T L Q Ener Flex Lig L o
Ni Pho Ro M
as G er. h -m
P a l t
G L e
St

FIG. 6. The chart shows the top-filing new entrants in the LED
optics space. New entrants are defined as companies that
have filed optics-related patents in or after 2008. Companies
with ongoing, innovative R&D programs tend to file patents on
a continual basis so new entrants that have filed patents in
multiple, subsequent years are likely to have relatively robust
R&D operations.

those listed above who merit recognition.

We at IP Checkups are particularly fond of LuXeXcel, a company
that won the 2012 European Frost & Sullivan Enabling Technology
Award for its Printoptical technology. LuXeXcel uses its proprie-
tary 3D printing process to quickly generate optics that meet cus-
tomer specifications.
Other operations that IP Checkups finds interesting include Nth-
Degree Technologies, a research and manufacturing company that
has recently created a variety of intriguing optical solutions to com-
plement its printed LEDs, and the team of Korean scientists from
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Firefly Insti-
tute, Korea Basic Science Institute, and Korea Research Institute
of Standards and Science, that reproduced nanopatterning on fire-
fly lanterns to produce anti-reflective LED lenses with exceptional
light-extraction potential.
All of the data used to generate this article came from IP Check-
ups LED PatentEdge, a competitive intelligence and technology
research tool specifically designed for the LED industry. In LED
PatentEdge, patents related to LED technologies and market areas
are pre-sorted into over sixty categories (LED lenses, LED drivers,
etc.), enabling users to quickly gain insight into the whos, whats,
_______________ and whens of LED innovation. Licensed access to LED PatentEdge
is available to the public via www.ledpatentedge.com.

LINKS

Patents compete for priority in the remote-phosphor LED technology

space www.ledsmagazine.com/features/9/7/1
IP strategy plays key role in LED business development
www.ledsmagazine.com/features/9/9/12
 Let Intertek
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___________________________________
outdoor | ROADWAY LIGHTING

Five rules for designing roadway lighting

Effective use of LED sources and emerging knowledge of human visual
systems guide best practices for SSL roadway lighting, says DON PEIFER.

O
f the many design challenges facing LED-based solid-state to-one relationship defi nes its role in higher order perception such
lighting (SSL) applications, perhaps there is none greater as fi ne detail discrimination and color analysis. The peripheral
than that of expectations. There are expectations around vision pathways to the CNS are shared by large groups of neigh-
the application. There are expectations around the incumbent tech- boring rods. Light that grazes one edge of the group triggers a
nology. There are expectations around the way it has always been response on the far edge. Th rough this mechanism, rods preform
done, and, as a result, there are expectations around the way it their basic role of gross peripheral motion detection.
should be done going forward. What if we were able, how-
ever, to design with a clean sheet of paper? Take roadway
lighting as an example. If we were to take that application,
deconstruct it, and come at it from a different angle, what
might we do differently, and how are LEDs specifically suit-
able tools in this redesign?
When we think about the job of lighting a roadway, we
are conditioned to think about what is happening right in
front of us. We think about targets in the road and response
time in identification. In fact, the entire series of metrics for
roadway lighting is modeled around these requirements.
From this standpoint, our examination of roadway light-
ing is fundamentally no different than our examination of
office lighting. The conditions and demands of the tasks,
however, couldnt be more different.

Rule #1: Zoom out and consider the bigger picture.

FIG. 1. A drivers view of a simulated roadway scene, illustrating
Once we step back, one of the things we can appreciate
conventional forward auto lighting combined with traditional roadway
regarding roadway lighting is that we are invariably talking
lighting.
about night-time situations. While the human visual system
has an amazing ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions,
the mechanisms that allow for those ranges vary for differ-
ent lighting levels night-time environments especially. To
better appreciate how those mechanisms come into play, we
need to consider the retina and its component parts.
The retina is incredibly complex, but its basic role can
be summarized by two types of photoreceptors: cones and
rods. Cones are located predominantly in the center of the
retina in the fovea. Rods, which greatly outnumber cones,
surround the fovea and encompass the periphery of the ret-
ina. The retina is in simplest terms a camera. It produces
images for the central nervous system (CNS) to interpret.
The CNS-to-photoreceptor pathways best defi ne the
photoreceptors role in vision. Each cone, in effect, has its
own direct path to the CNS. A quanta of information is
personally escorted to the brain for processing. Th is one-
FIG. 2. A drivers view of a simulated roadway scene, illustrating
asymmetrical forward lighting for objects on the roadway combined with
DON PEIFER is a senior product portfolio manager at Cree. peripheral roadway lighting for detecting objects near the road.

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 45

outdoor | ROADWAY LIGHTING
Using night-time driving as an example
of the mechanism, our eyes are directed for
the majority of time at the roadway, where
the cones are aiding in the analysis of detail.
When something appears in the periph-
ery, say a deer approaching the shoulder of
the road, this sight registers across many
groups of rods, signaling movement to the
CNS. At this point, the eyes move and per-
haps the head pivots, so that the cones can
be engaged for better detail analysis and
subsequent reaction.
Rule #2: Appreciate the importance of
peripheral detection in night-time driving.
Our current metrics are concerned with
foveal vision exclusively, yet the fovea takes
up a tiny percentage of the visual field. We
essentially light the road as depicted in
Fig. 1. Mark Rea, director of the Lighting
Research Center and professor at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, has written exten-
sively on the subject. Rea has said that
considering just the fovea in driving is akin
to driving while looking down a long, nar-
row tube. Given the choice, would we choose
the field of vision on the inside of the tube or
the outside in order to drive? While what is
inside the tube is important, this example
illustrates that the outside of the tube our
peripheral vision, at the very least, deserves
some consideration.
While rods work in groups, they are indi-
vidually much more sensitive to light than
cones. Able to absorb and register even a
single photon, one immediately sees their
advantage in night-time conditions. Indeed,
as light levels drop, the rod-to-cone activa-
tion ratio increases until rod sensitivities are
at a peak level in night-time conditions.
Rule #3: Consider the different
sensitivities of the photoreceptors.
Where the spectrum of light is concerned,
the rods and cones respond similarly to
higher wavelengths. Rods are, however,
___________
much more sensitive than cones to lower
wavelengths, especially after they have time
to adapt to night-time conditions. If one of
our goals is to optimize the lighting to bet-
ter aid in peripheral target detection, we
should be working with a spectrum that is
optimized to that task and optimized to the
photoreceptors (rods) engaged in that task.
Rule #4: Eliminate double work.
Regardless of the importance of peripheral
vision, we still need cones for sign identi-
fication/reading and analysis of detail in
the roadway. The metric that matters, just
as in office lighting, for example, is con-
trast. How do we present the task in proper
relief? Strong forward lighting (such as
provided by car head lamps) with narrow
optics will optimally illuminate the vertical
plane and present a snappy, sharp shadow
with an excellent dichotomy between light
and dark. Current roadway metrics, mostly
concerned (again, like office page 49
_________________________
FIG. 3. Cree XSP street lights installed in Hollywood, CA, focus light on the roadway, limiting back light.
lighting) with horizontal illumination, dont
even consider the vertical plane. As written,
the application requirements only consider
overhead lighting, which can have a delete-
rious effect on contrast when combined with
forward lighting on cars. Roadway lighting
needs to complement forward lighting on
automobiles and aid in the creation of con-
trast and clear, decipherable indicators to
which our CNS can respond.
Rule #5: Light the edges.
More importantly, however, is the ability
LEDsmagazine.com
to identify hazards prior to them being in
the roadway. Rea has suggested, only par-
tially in jest, that better viewing conditions
may be gained by simply pivoting roadway
lighting 1800 in order to light the shoulder
(Fig. 2). The job of lighting the roadway is
then left to headlights. The optimal solu-
tion is most likely a combination of that
approach and current practices, but the
clues are there.
The issue with incumbent technology in
roadway applications is the one-size-fits-
all limitations. We start with a high flux,
___________
high wattage, omnidirectional light source,
and we attempt to corral the beam to meet
the application. The approach is inher-
ently inefficient from an optical perspec-
tive. There is no opportunity for nuance or
spectral shaping.
SSL in roadway lighting
With LED point sources, we build a fi xture
piece-wise until we have the perfect distri-
bution no more; no less. As Fig. 3 shows,
SSL fi xtures can be designed to produce
almost no light behind the poles. Th rough
APRIL/MAY 2013 49
outdoor | ROADWAY LIGHTING

proper binning, we are able to spectrally

shape the output in order to best match the
visual needs. In the example we have been
using for roadway lighting, we can imagine
many different designs or a combination of
attributes in one package.
We could have a component of the beam
that lights the shoulder and surrounding
areas of the roadway for the optimal spec-
trum of the rods. We could concurrently
light the roadway with another spectrum
ideal for foveal vision and contrast. We
could have peripheral lighting that stays
on constantly in rural settings or in areas
of high deer traffic. Conversely, thanks to FIG. 4. The City of Los Angeles has replaced more than 115,000 street lights with
SSL instant start capabilities, we could have energy-efficient LED fi xtures.
peripheral lighting that comes on as a func-
tion of peripheral motion. with LED fi xtures (see Fig. 4). However, SSL new tools but also return to the appli-
The fact is that a conversion of roadway can go beyond saving energy by providing cations themselves and rethink the way
lighting to SSL is happening at a rapid pace, significant enhancements to roadway safety. things are done. When we do that, the value
driven in many cases by energy efficiency and The options are open-ended. What is of lighting is optimized in its abilities to
low maintenance. The city of Los Angeles has clear is that new technology allows design- help people. We escape the morass of expec-
retrofitted more than 115,000 street lights ers the opportunity to not only work with tations, and we evolve as an industry.

_____________

50 APRIL/MAY 2013 LEDsmagazine.com

________________
 
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thermal | HEAT SINKS

Aluminum extrusions match SSL thermal

management needs in many applications
STEVE JACKSON explains that design teams working on LED-based lighting products must consider
aesthetics, cost, and quality when considering thermal elements of a design, but thermal
performance is paramount.

W
ith LED-based solid-state light-
ing (SSL) technology revolu-
tionizing the lighting industry,
new opportunities for lighting products are
appearing everywhere from residential to
commercial to street lights. However, the
dirty little secret of LED technology is that
it presents a thermal management challenge
that is significantly different, and hotter,
than any challenge ever presented by legacy
light bulbs. Conducting heat away from the
LED junctions is a requisite for long product
life and consistent lumen and color mainte-
nance. There are many material and manu-
facturing choices for thermal management,
and aluminum extrusions can serve in a
broad set of applications.
Architects, lighting designers, and other
specifiers are demanding fi xtures and enclo-
sures that offer great looks, options for both
finish and color, as well as structural integ-
rity. Design engineers are attempting to FIG. 1. The CFD analysis of a heat sink shows the heat source in the center of the heat
provide the above, while dealing with the sink (yellow). The heat dissipates away from the source (green to blue to purple).
thermal management issue. Lighting man-
ufacturers want to deliver all of the above, The thermal challenge some applications. However, active elements
but in cost-effective products. The objective of thermal engineers is to can increase cost, add noise, and/or decrease
The benefits of LEDs are well accepted remove the heat from the source and dissi- system reliability.
at this point: higher-quality light, greater pate it into the surrounding atmosphere, as Engineers typically use the light-fi xture
energy efficiency, and lower maintenance far from the electronics and as fast as possi- or enclosure materials to assist in transfer-
costs, thanks to the long life span of the ble. The lighting industry prefers to use pas- ring the heat. Most materials have the abil-
bulbs. However, thermal management sive thermal-management products such ity to conduct heat, some better than oth-
continues to be a challenge. The heat gen- as heat sinks as opposed to active thermal- ers. This ability is also referred to as thermal
erated by LEDs is detrimental not only to management techniques. Typically, active conductivity and is measured in watts per
the life of the bulb, but also to the quality thermal management equates to the addi- meter kelvin (W/mk).
of the light. Engineers are now challenged tion of a device to assist in moving air over Different materials offer a broad range
with developing products that not only look the heat sink, often a fan. Moving air can of thermal conductivity. For example, dia-
great, but also solve the thermal manage- increase the effectiveness of a heat sink or monds have a very high level (typically
ment problem. even enable the use of a smaller heat sink in 2200 W/mK), but are obviously too expen-
sive for use in lighting applications. Copper
STEVE JACKSON is the Business Development Manager of Thermal Management at Sapa has a decent level of thermal conductivity
Extrusions North America (www.sapagroup.com/na). (typically 390 W/mK), but has two signifi-

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 53

 thermal | HEAT SINKS

cant drawbacks compared to aluminum copper weighs approxi-

mately three times more than aluminum and typically costs up to
five times as much. Aluminum doesnt conduct heat quite as well
(237 W/mk maximum), but offers the weight and cost advantages
that are important in many SSL applications.

Computational fluid dynamics

To assist in determining the proper thermal management solution,
engineers typically work with specialized software that models the
products and their thermal characteristics. Computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate the thermal conductivity of the
product and finite element analysis (FEA) examines the structural
integrity of the component. An example of CFD is shown in Fig. 1.
There are numerous variables in each product that are dependent

Thermal conductivities (W/mk)

250
200
150
100
50 Pure Extruded Cast
aluminum Al alloys Al alloys
0

FIG. 2. The thermal conductivity of aluminum varies with the

heat sink manufacturing process.

on product size, shape, and application (indoor versus outdoor, for

example). By combining FEA and CFD along with the variables, it
is possible to design the most cost-effective product that meets the
needs of both the design engineer and thermal engineer.
Historically, aluminum has been the material of choice for ther-
mal management applications in the lighting industry. The variable
has been whether the aluminum is cast or extruded. LEDs, however,
have resulted in new thermal challenges and also diversity in SSL
product form factors that can require new thermal approaches. In
response, the lighting industry has started to use thermo-plastics
and graphite in certain thermal management applications.
Through the remainder of this article, we will review the four
materials and manufacturing process combinations that are most
often utilized to address the thermal management challenge in LED
fixtures. The candidates are:
Aluminum extrusions,
Aluminum castings,
Injection-molded thermo-plastics, and
__________________________ Molded graphite.
There are certain designs, applications, or conditions where each
one of these materials/processes makes sense.

Extrusions vs. castings

Aluminum extrusions and aluminum castings are most often used in
LED thermal management. Sapa alone provided millions of pounds
_________ of extrusions to the lighting industry in 2012. That growth is being
driven by improving thermal efficiency, design flexibility, and the cost
advantages of aluminum extrusions versus castings, proof that many
designers are discovering that aluminum castings are not the solution
 thermal | HEAT SINKS

Piece part pricing for both sand

and permanent mold products are
highly dependent on the amount of
secondary machining required.
Die castings have lower piece
prices compared to both sand and
permanent-mold castings and usu-
ally require the least amount of sec-
ondary operations, however tooling
can range from $50,000 to $100,000.
Injection-molded tooling costs are
similar to those of die-casting tooling.
FIG. 3. A CFD analysis shows a comparison of temperature between similar die-cast (left)
All forms of aluminum cast tool-
and aluminum-extrusion (right) heat sinks. The extruded product realizes a 23% reduction in
ing have a specified life expectancy
maximum temperature.
after which tooling needs to be
for the majority of the applications. tions. Finally, die castings are used for high- replaced. By comparison, tooling
There are several types of castings used volume applications, such as lights sold for a large extrusion generally falls within
in the lighting industry. For lower volume through retailers. the $5,000 to $7,500 range, and alumi-
applications, such as specialized street When considering the associated costs, num extruders typically cover all replace-
lights, sand castings are the product of sand castings have the lowest tooling costs, ment tooling costs, giving extrusions a cost
choice. Other types of castings include per- which typically fall within the $5,000 to advantage over castings.
manent-mold castings, which are used for $10,000 range and offer the highest piece
mid-volume applications, such as standard price. Pricing for permanent mold castings Thermal conductivity
industrial or warehouse lighting applica- typically ranges from $15,000 to $30,000. In terms of thermal conductivity, there is

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thermal | HEAT SINKS

a clear advantage to using extrusions over

castings. Aluminum extrusions can be 53%
more efficient than castings because they
contain a higher level of thermal conductiv-
ity. The collective conductivity of the types
of castings referenced above is typically
within the 120140-W/mK range, while the
conductivity of aluminum extrusions is typ-
ically within a much higher 200215-W/mK
range. Fig. 2 shows the comparative thermal
conductivities of pure aluminum, extruded
alloys, and cast alloys.
Numerous lighting companies have found
out the hard way that sand, mold, and die
castings can be less efficient than aluminum FIG. 4. Samples of extruded-aluminum
extrusions. The nature of the casting process heat sinks show the flexibility of the
creates problems with gas porosity. If the manufacturing process.
porosity is near the area generating the heat,
the porosity acts as an oven, holding the heat pare similar aluminum die castings and
in that area, which will then reduce the life aluminum extrusions. Fig. 3 shows such a
of the LED. This is especially a problem with review, illustrating that the extrusion pro-
foreign casters who may have lower quality cess allows the fi ns of the extrusion to be
procedures and standards. Porosity is not an designed without draft, which is required for
issue with the aluminum extrusion process. die castings. Th is fact allows for the longer
You can easily use CFD analysis to com- fins in the extrusion that provide additional

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56 APRIL/MAY 2013 LEDsmagazine.com

 thermal | HEAT SINKS

surface area. In general, the greater the sur-
face area, the greater the natural convection
of the heat into the surrounding atmosphere.
The combination of the extrusions increased
surface area and higher thermal conductiv-
ity over die casting results in a 23% reduc-
tion in the maximum temperature.
The increase in thermal conductivity of
extrusions versus castings allows the lighting
manufacturer to use less material to obtain
the same thermal efficiency. Less material
plus a smaller footprint usually equates to
lower total costs. Additionally, high-vol-
ume CNC machining allows extruders to
machine in features in a cost-effective man-
ner. Another design advantage to extrusions
is that the process allows for a superior sur-
face finish, which can be anodized in numer-
ous colors, bright-dipped, or painted any
color (Fig. 4).
With extrusions, there is also more flex-
ibility in terms of size. Extruders can cre-
ate products upwards of 21-inches wide and
offer fin ratios of 19:1. Two methods of pro-
viding wider products include a snap-fit
design, which is often used for enclosures or
boxes, and a technology called friction stir
welding, which allows extruders to join two
or more pieces of aluminum together with
no fi ller material. Sapa has used this tech-
nology to hermetically seal an extrusion by
welding a cover on the top, which can be par-
ticularly useful in industrial lighting appli-
cations where the fi xtures need to be explo-
sion resistant.
Injection-molded thermo-
plastics and graphite
There are some situations in which alumi-
num castings, and injection-molded thermo-
plastics or graphite do have advantages over
extrusions. Typically, they are small appli-
cations where the heat sinks need to be
attached to the bulb, often in the case of
retrofitting legacy products. Although an
extrusion could provide a better thermal
management solution, the machining to
create the contour is slightly more expensive
than the as-cast/molded product.
Injection-molded thermo-plastic products
and graphite are legitimate options if weight
is a factor and limited structural integrity
is acceptable. Overall, these options provide
limited mechanical properties and have size
limitations. Retrofit lamps are an example
of a product that successfully uses alumi-
num die castings, injection-molded thermo-
plastic products, and molded graphite as the
heat sink.
An optimum LED enclosure design should
be developed with the help of engineers that
specialize in thermal and quality disciplines.
Extrusion engineers can provide in-depth
thermal analysis and also design an extru-
sion to simplify the manufacturing pro-
cess. Th is allows for working directly with
the manufacturer, from design to finishing,
for a customized approach to thermal man-
agement that exactly matches application
requirements.

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simulation | LIGHT EXTRACTION

Accelerated 2D optical simulation

of LEDs allows quicker validation
of architectural improvements
Finite-difference time-domain simulation in 3D is necessary to verify the light extraction efficiency of
LED architectural enhancements, but a faster 2D method can allow for quicker iterations for testing
new ideas during product development, write CHENGLIN XU and DAN HERRMANN.

L
EDs, which began appearing in very lim- a) z b) z
incoherent, as well as
ited applications more than 50 years polarization incoher-
ago, are now widely used for numer- ent. To deal with the
ous applications, predominantly in the complexity of the prob-
solid-state lighting (SSL) and display mar- lem, we have to simu-
kets. Despite their widespread popularity, late the 3D structure
LEDs still exhibit some performance issues, by a finite-difference
x y x y
the most notable of which is low extraction time-domain (FDTD)
efficiency. Scientists and engineers are try- method at every posi-
ing many approaches to increase the extrac- tion, every wavelength,
tion efficiency with chip-level architectural c) z d) z and every polariza-
enhancements, although traditionally it has tion, and then sum the
been a slow iterative process. New 2D optical results of each simula-
simulation techniques, however, can closely tion incoherently. To
approximate real 3D analysis of point light automate this compli-
sources and allow the engineers to test new cated simulation pro-
ideas much more quickly with far less com- x y x y cess, RSoft (now part
puter power and resources. of the Synopsys Optical
The limited extraction efficiency of LEDs Solutions Group) devel-
is due to the fact that the light is generated FIG. 1. A simulation shows the radiation patterns of an oped the LED Utility
inside media with a high refractive index unpolarized point light source in (a) x-polarization, that runs on top of the
and that total internal reflection occurs at (b) y-polarization, and (c) z-polarization axes, and FullWave optical simu-
the air interface. As a result, only a small (d) the sum of the three. lation tool.
portion of the light within the cone formed Still, a full 3D FDTD
by the critical angle can be extracted into cess. For example, S. David Roh from LG simulation is very expensive in terms of
air, and the majority is trapped inside. The Innotek reported iterating as many as sev- computation time and computer memory.
theoretical limit of the extraction efficiency eral hundred times in a paper at the Asia One simulation for a typical LED structure
is 1 4n2 (where n is the refractive index of Communication and Photonics Conference could use tens of gigabytes of RAM and take
the medium), which is only about 2% for last year. Although most designers may a few hours on a multi-core computer. For
GaAs-LEDs and 4% for GaN-LEDs. acknowledge that simulation software can multiple scans over wavelength, position,
To break through the theoretical limit, reduce the design cycle and save time and and polarization, it is very common for a
researchers are trying to manipulate the money, not all designers use simulation tools simulation to take a few days.
LED structure to extract more light. To in their practical design, perhaps because of To increase efficiency and make the
accomplish this, many researchers rely on a the complexity of LED simulation problems simulation more affordable, we recently
trial-and-error approach to the design pro- or because they have not yet found an effi- proposed and brief ly reported a simpli-
cient, user-friendly simulation tool. fied approach in a paper at the Asia Com-
CHENGLIN XU and DAN HERRMANN are It is well known that an LED is an inco- munication and Photonics Conference.
Corporate Application Engineers for the RSoft herent and randomly polarized light Instead of simulating a full 3D structure,
products at Synopsys Inc. source. It is temporally incoherent, spatially we assume that the LED device is circu-

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 59

_________________________

larly symmetric so that we can perform a
2D radial simulation. The simulation effort,
including both computation time and com-
puter memory, can be reduced by hundreds
or even thousands of times.
General simulation procedure
Lets fi rst consider the typical simulation
procedures and then our simplified 2D
methodology. Photons generated inside
an LED by injected current are completely
independent of each other, with random
phase variations and polarizations. Hence,
the LED light source is unpolarized as well
as spatially and temporally incoherent. The
cost of including incoherence via a Monte
Carlo approach in an FDTD simulation, the
most commonly used method for LED sim-
ulation, is very high. The time scale for a
dipoles phase variation is much larger than
the optical period (T = 2/) and would
require prohibitively long simulations. A
better approach is to analytically create the
Polar projection of far-field intensity |F(,)|2
x = sin cos, y = sin sin, z = cos
a) Frequency = 1.42857
1 1
0 0
-1 -1
-1 0 1
0.000239295 0.129578
FIG. 2. LED radiation patterns at different wavelengths/frequencies.
a)
Extraction ratio
0.2
Combined
result
0.1
0.0
0.4 0.5 0.6
Wevelength (m)
FIG. 3. A 3D simulation delivers (a) extraction efficiency and (b) the far-field pattern
of an LED structur e.
LEDsmagazine.com
unpolarized and incoherent source by com-
bining simulations of individual dipoles.
Unpolarized light is uniformly polarized
in all directions. To create such a source, we
can separately simulate the three orthog-
onal polarizations and sum the results.
Shown in Fig. 1 are the far fields (also called
radiation patterns) of a dipole polarized in
three different directions, as well as the sum
of all polarizations.
It is clearly shown that the radiation
pattern of each dipole is polarization-
dependent, and their sum is uniform in all
directions and polarization-independent.
Therefore, for each point source, three sep-
arate simulations for different orthogonal
polarizations are needed. For certain types
of LEDs, photons may not radiate evenly in
all directions. For instance, in a GaN-based
LED, there is no radiation in the crystal
axis, so simulating two lateral polariza-
tions is sufficient.
The phase variation of each generated
b) Frequency = 1.82857 c) Frequency = 2.22857
1 measured by a coherent length, is inversely
0
-1
-1 0 1 -1 0 1
0.0 0.136481 0.0 0.0937572
b)
Y = (/90) sin
1 0.09
0 The combined results are shown in Fig. 3.
-1
0.7 -1 0 1
X = (/90) cos
simulation | LIGHT EXTRACTION
Extraction ratio
0.6
0.5 Patterned
0.4
Flat
0.3
0.2
0 5 10 15 20
Domain size (of periods)
FIG. 4. The extraction ratio of a flat LED
structure converges with a much smaller
domain size compared to that of a
patterned structure.
photon is independent of other photons and
takes place on a time scale that is too long
to model. Simulating multiple point sources
together maintains a fi xed phase difference
between the point sources and results in a
coherent simulation. Therefore, multiple
point sources must be simulated separately
to obtain spatially incoherent results.
Temporal coherence
The temporal coherence of light, which is
proportional to the spectral width. Due to
the dominance of spontaneous emission, as
shown in Fig. 2, an LED has a much wider
emission spectrum than a laser. The extrac-
tion efficiency and radiation pattern of an
LED are wavelength dependent, as shown
for a simulated example in Fig. 2.
The fi nal extraction efficiency R and far-
field pattern (, ) can be obtained by aver-
aging the wavelength-dependent results
R(i) and (, , i) at each sampled wave-
length i , weighted by the LED radiation
spectrum S(i), that is,
R= N1 Ni=1 R(i) S(i) and
(, )= N1 Ni=1 (, , i)S(i),
where N is the number of the sampled points.
2D approximation
As described in the previous section, a full
0.0
3D FDTD simulation of an LED structure
involves scanning over wavelength, posi-
tion, and polarization and can require a
significant amount of computer memory.
The computer resource issue is especially a
APRIL/MAY 2013 61
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problem for a patterned structure for which a much larger simu-
lation domain is required. Patterned structures are being increas-
ingly used in LEDs to improve light extraction. Fig. 4 compares flat
and patterned structures. In a patterned structure, the trapped
light could be extracted by the gratings while it propagates in the
lateral directions. By comparison, a flat structure needs a much
smaller computation domain, as long as it is large enough to cover
the light cone formed by the critical angle.
For a typical 3D structure, a full simulation based on the pre-
ceding procedure could take a few days with tens of gigabytes of
memory in order to obtain reasonable results. Such a simulation
certainly limits the ability of design automation. Is there a more effi-
cient way to simulate LEDs, even if it is an approximated method?
The answer might be 2D approximation, which is appropriate for
most photonic device simulations. For LEDs, however, 2D approxi-
a) b)
c)
2D
3D
FIG. 5. A 2D approximation of a 3D structure can oversimplify
the situation as the (a) side view and (b) top view show the
creation of a line source that results in (c) far different far-field
results.
a) b) c)
FIG. 6. A. 2D radial simulation looks similar from the (a) side
view, but the (b) top view shows how bandgaps force light in a
vertical direction, and the radial approximation is similar to (c)
hexagonal lattices used in photonic crystal patterns.
LEDsmagazine.com
simulation | LIGHT EXTRACTION
2D radial approximations of 3D
sources allow quick simulations
of architectural concepts.
mation oversimplifies the problem.
As shown in Fig. 5, the 2D approximation changes the problem
completely. It turns a 2D photonic crystal (PhC), a common, tex-
tured pattern for enhancing extraction efficiency, into 1D gratings.
Most importantly, it turns a point source into a line source. As a
result, the 2D simulation overestimates the extraction efficiency
and projects a radiation pattern that is significantly different from
the 3D results.
Radial approximation
We can improve the 2D results using a radial approximation. The
commonly used 2D PhC patterns, either hexagonal or square lat-
tices, are approximations to circular Bragg gratings, which cre-
ate bandgaps in the lateral directions to force the trapped light to
travel in a vertical direction. Therefore, 2D radial approximation
is closer to the real problem geographically, as shown in Fig. 6.
To validate the 2D radial simulation, we first tested a flat struc-
ture, for which the 2D radial approximation is exactly the same
_________
APRIL/MAY 2013 63
________________________
 simulation | LIGHT EXTRACTION

as the original 3D structure, which is confi rmed by the simulation

results shown in Fig. 7. The 2D radial simulation produces almost
the same results as the 3D simulation, and the discrepancy is purely
numerical because of
grid shapes. For the Normalized extracted power
sake of comparison, 0.10
the 2D results, with the 2D
line sources, are shown 0.08
in the same chart, and
0.06 3D
they are very different
2D Radial
from the 3D results. 0.04
We also validated
the 2D radial approx- 0.02
imation for a pat-
terned structure, and 0.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
the results are shown cT (m)
in Fig. 8. As expected,
FIG. 7. Comparison of simulation results
there is some discrep-
for a flat LED.
ancy between 2D radial
and 3D results, and the
discrepancy will be larger for a stronger patterned structure. Once
again, the 2D and 3D simulation results are very different.
Still, a 2D radial simulation is a good approximation to real 3D Light up your creative vision
LED problems, and it produces results that are similar to those of
a 3D simulation. The computation effort, for both time and mem-
ory, is usually several orders of magnitude smaller. A 3D simulation
with Makrolon Lumen XT
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gigabytes of memory, Expand your LED fixture design freedom with Makrolon Lumen XT
Normalized extracted power and a 2D radial simu- diffuser sheet. Developed for LED fixture lenses, this new poly-
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0.12
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0.10 tle memory. versatility to achieve your vision for LED fixture design and
2D Radial In conclusion, we performance.
0.08
developed a general
0.06 3D
simulation procedure
0.04 for an LED structure Makrolon Lumen XT benefits
that can handle an
0.02 Leading edge technology for uniform LED diffusion
unpolarized and inco-
Versatile range of diffusion and light transmission levels
0.00 herent light source. To
0 10 20 30 40 50
cT (m) improve simulation Higher impact strength than glass or acrylic
efficiency, we dem- for damage prone areas
FIG. 8. Comparison of simulation onstrated a 2D radial High temperature resistance allows more design flexibility
results for a patterned LED. simulation of 3D LEDs UL listed flammability rating
that can reduce the
complexity of the simulation task by hundreds or thousands of
times. Using a tool such as FullWave and the LED Utility, engi-
neers can quickly test ideas for new LED architectural structures For more information:
that can improve extraction efficiency. 800.457.3553 or www.sheffieldplastics.com
Although it is an approximation, the 2D method can still pro-
vide design insight and prove the design concept quickly. We do
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design forum | RGB MIXING

Understand RGB LED mixing

ratios to realize optimal color
in signs and displays
LEE BOON HOOIexplains that color ratios held over from the CRT world wont deliver optimal color with
RGB LEDs, but simple calculations can determine a proper mix.

A
ccurate color rendering is an essen-
tial, and often misunderstood,
issue in the design of LED-based
electronic signs, billboards, and displays.
Solid-state signage offers energy efficiency,
long life, and the ability to accurately ren-
der vibrant colors across a wide range of
brightness levels. These capabilities can be
used to create eye-catching signs, displays,
and even media walls, capable of deliver-
ing a dynamic mix of text, pictures, anima-
tion and video content (Fig. 1). In order to
deliver the vivid, accurate color rendering
that these applications require, however,
the signs electronics must be able to exert
precise control over the color and intensity
gradations of each pixel in its array.
Whether a full-color LED display employs
through-hole or surface-mount LEDs, one
of the biggest challenges involved with its
design is ensuring it can deliver consistent,
high-quality white light. Although virtu-
ally all televisions (and many other CRT
displays) use the standard 3:6:1 RGB mix-
ing ratio (relative intensity of the three pri- FIG. 1. Full-color RGB LED signs display compelling images.
mary color components) to produce a stan-
dard white color value, there are a number to perform accurate RGB mixing in LED and blue (RGB) phosphor dots found in CRTs
of factors that do not guarantee it will work systems is presented in the second half of used in TVs and displays. One of the primary
for LED-based applications. the article. influences in this effort was the National
The fi rst half of this article will provide a Television Standards Committee (NTSC),
brief introduction to the basic principles of Color mixing and the origin of 3:6:1 which was established by the United States
color-mixing theory and use them to illus- Color mixing evolved from an art into a sci- Federal Communications Commission to
trate why the 3:6:1 mixing ratio tradition- ence around the turn of the 20th century assist in the development of an analog tele-
ally used in broadcast TV systems produces with the emergence of high-speed printing vision system by 1940.
less satisfactory results when applied to technologies that required accurate, repeat- These early standards relied heavily on
solid-state signage and displays. A simple able color reproduction from a limited num- the International Commission on Illumi-
method for calculating the values required ber of inks or dyes. A few decades later, it nation (CIE) 1931 RGB color space that
evolved again to meet the needs of modern describes colors across most of the human
LEE BOON HOOI is a Product Engineer at lighting design and once again to produce color perception range in terms of three
Avago Technologies, Malaysia. color-accurate images using the red, green monochromatic primaries at standardized

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 67

design forum | RGB MIXING

wavelengths of 435.8 nm (violet), 546.1 nm D65 target white Table 1. Chromaticity coordinates and RGB mixing
(green) and 700 nm (red). That work served The commonly used ratios of two LED sources
as the basis for deriving the CIE xyz color 3:6:1 RGB mixing Dominant wavelength x coordinate y coordinate Mixing ratio
space, which describes color as a func- ratio is derived from (nm)
tion of luminance (y) and two values (x & this early research, Red 622 0.6918 0.3047 2.1
z) that represent the composite response created as a tool to Green 530 0.1887 0.7161 4.3
of the human eyes long-, medium-, and produce a specific
Blue 476 0.1153 0.104 1
short-wavelength cones to different light white point using the
frequencies. Since the x and z values corre- CRT phosphors pre-
spond roughly to red and blue, its tempting determined colori- Red 622 0.6918 0.3047 4.1
(but misleading) to think of them as color metric parameters. Green 530 0.1887 0.7161 10.6
values. In reality, these values are actu- Note that the actual Blue 465 0.1434 0.0516 1
ally parameters derived from the eyes fre- 3:6:1 mix was the
quency response characteristics. result of CIE action in 1964 when the stan- phosphors used in TV applications. The
The CIE 1931 xy color space chroma- dards body recommended D65 as the pri- LEDs spectral characteristics are primar-
ticity diagram (CIE 1931 2) in Fig. 2 is a mary standard for a daylight illuminant. ily determined by their junction structure
two-dimensional figure derived from the Th is action foreshadowed the origin of the with emissions tuned to a primary wave-
three-dimensional CIE xyz color space. 3:6:1 RGB mixing ratio, which occurred length during the manufacturing process.
This simplified model is a useful tool for when the D65 illuminant was subsequently The output of green LEDs, for example, can
color matching as well as understanding adopted by NTSC. range from 520 nm to 540 nm, with the
other relationships between two or more Fig. 3 shows the coordinates of respec- dominant wavelength of a particular device
colors (see www.ledsmagazine.com/fea-
___________________ tive red, green, and blue phosphors or emit- producing its own unique set of chroma-
________ for more information on color
tures/10/2/11 ters, and the D65 target white illuminant ticity coordinates. Th is in turn affects the
spaces and color matching). The 2D chro- plotted in the CIE 1931 diagram. The mix- RGB ratio required to accurately produce
maticity spaces outer boundary curve is ing ratio required to produce the target white or any other color through the addi-
formed by spectral (monochromatic) points color from the primary sources is achieved tive process.
with respective wavelengths noted in nano- by calculating the relative distance within Table 1 illustrates how the RGB mixing
meters. The straight line on the bottom of the the color space between the coordinates of ratio required to reproduce a target white
space is called the line of purples because it the phosphors, or emitters in the case of point varies according to the chromatic-
describes the eyes response to a continuum LEDs, and the target color. By convention,
of ratios between red and blue. This color sys- the resulting values are then normalized
Green (0.21, 0.71)
tem was the first to describe the perception with respect to the blue source to simplify
and reproduction of colors in a quantifiable subsequent calculations.
manner and is still considered to be a so- A simple algebraic technique can be
called golden standard by engineers. applied to the coordinates of the primary
color points to solve for the mixing ratio
required to produce the target illumi- Target white, D65
0.9 (0.3128, 0.3292) Red
520
nant (see the sidebar: Calculate RGB color (0.67, 0.33)
0.8 540 mixing values using the center of grav-
0.7 ity method). The example depicted in the
560
0.6 sidebar uses the color coordinates of the
500 R, G, and B phosphors and the D65 target Blue Purple, P
0.5 580 (0.14, 0.08)
y white illuminant to produce a mixing ratio
0.4 600 of 2.77:5.79:1, which is usually approximated
620 FIG. 3. The color coordinates for red,
0.3 700
as 3:6:1.
490 green, and blue phosphors or emitters,
0.2 and the D65 target white illuminant
3:6:1 may not apply to LEDs
480 depicted in the two-dimensional CIE x-y
0.1 Unlike the standard phosphors used in TV
470 color space.
0.0 460 380 CRTs in the past, the red, blue, and green
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 emitters used in modern lighting systems
x
have spectral characteristics (i.e., they ity coordinates of the primary color emit-
FIG. 2. The CIE 1931 xy color space occupy different chromaticity coordinates ters being used. In this example, the two
chromaticity diagram, also referred to as in the color space) that, in most cases, sets of RGB LEDs have identical red and
CIE 1931 2. do not match those of the corresponding green emitter characteristics, but their blue

68 APRIL/MAY 2013 LEDsmagazine.com

 design forum | RGB MIXING

Calculate RGB color mixing values using the center of gravity method
In everyday practice, designers of signs
or other color-lighting products can
usually obtain the mixing ratio for a target
color from widely available software
packages. For a person unfamiliar with
color mixing theory, however, deriving
the ratios manually using the technique
demonstrated here will help develop a
better understanding of the process.
There are three commonly used
methods for deriving additive color mixing
ratios in displays and lighting systems:
tristimulus values method, center of
gravity, and vector diagram.
For the purposes of this tutorial, we
will use the center-of-gravity technique
to illustrate how the 3:6:1 color mixing
ratio used by most CRT-based displays
was derived from the properties of the
standard red, green, and blue phosphors
and the D65 target white illuminant,
which were defined by the early television
industry and are still used today.
The spectral characteristics of the
red, green, and blue LED emitters are
provided in manufacturers data sheets as
coordinates. A similar set of coordinates
define the D65 target white illuminant,
which is typically chosen to match the
requirements of the target application
and is most likely determined by the
customer requirements for the end
product in question. Once all the
coordinates are plotted onto the CIE
1931 diagram (see Fig. 3 from the main
article) they may be used to derive the
RGB mixing values required to produce
the target white illuminant. You take the
set of (x,y) coordinates plotted in Fig.
3 and work through a relatively simple
progression of algebraic equations to
determine the ratio mix. For convenience,
those coordinates are:
Red: 0.67, 0.33
Green: 0.21, 0.71
Blue: 0.14, 0.08
D65 White Point: 0.3128, 0.3292
Step 1: Using the initial values, first solve
the linear equation
(y =mx+C)
that describes a line formed between the
red and blue color coordinates that passes
through the Purple Point (P). You first
determine the lines slope (mRB):
mRB = (yR yB) / (xR xB) = (0.33-0.08)/
(0.67-0.14) = 0.4717
Now you can calculate the constant C
using the blue coordinates:
CRB = yB mRB xB = 0.08 0.4717
0.14 = 0.01396
Solving for the linear equation for y
yields an equation that represents the line
between the blue and red points:
y = 0.4717x +0.01396
Step 2: Now derive a second linear
equation (y = mx+c) that describes the line
that is formed between the green point and
the purple point and that passes through
the target white point D. The D coordinates
provide the second set of coordinates
required for the derivation along with the
green coordinates. page 72

emitters have different dominant wave-
lengths (465 nm and 476 nm, respectively).
It becomes evident that changing even one
LEDs dominant wavelength results in dra-
matic changes in the value of the RGB mix-
ing ratio required to match the D65 target
white point. The LED set with the 476-nm
blue emitter will require a 2.1:4.3:1.0 RGB
mixing ratio but simply changing to a 465-
nm emitter shifts it to 4.1:10.6:1.
From these results, it is apparent that if
the standard 3:6:1 mixing ratio were applied
to most LED sources, the color they pro-
duced would be noticeably different from
the D65 broadcast standard white point or
any other white point a customer might pre-
fer. In addition, any other colors the display
attempted to produce in reference to the
erroneous white point would also be simi-
larly distorted.
Calculating LED drive currents
In order to produce a true white value and
achieve accurate color rendering in
solid-state displays, the drive currents for culations. Should the application require it,
their LEDs must be derived using a new the coordinates associated with a custom-
RGB mixing ratio which is re-calculated ers target white point may be used in place
from the chromaticity coordinates of the of the standardized coordinates.
actual LEDs used in the sign
Relative luminous intensity
and its desired target white (normalized at 20 mA)
point. The RGB mixing ratio 5
can still be derived in the same Red
manner as done with CRT- 4
based displays. In many cases Blue
3
(including this exercise), the Green
values can be derived using 2
engineering tables or available
1
software applications. Should
neither of these tools be avail- 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
able, the proper RGB mixing DC forward current (mA)
ratio can be derived as detailed
in the sidebar. FIG. 4. A typical graph from RGB LED data plots the
In this example, we will drive current relative to luminous intensity.
make our drive current calcu-
lations using data from Table 2, which con- Once the RGB mixing ratio is derived
tains the coordinates for a sampling of the for a particular set of LEDs and the target
most common standard illuminants used white point illuminant, we can determine
as target white points for RGB mixing cal- the drive current that must be page 71

LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 69

 __________________

______________
 design forum | RGB MIXING

Table 2. CIE 1931 coordinates of commonly used target the RGB mixing ratio from the second LED data set presented in
white points/standard illuminants Table 1 (4.1:10.6:1.0). We sum that ratio (4.1+10.6+1.0 = 15.7) in prep-
Illuminant CIE1931 (2) aration for subsequent calculations.
x y
A 0.4476 0.4075
Factoring LED specs
Next, you must refer to the technical datasheet for each LED, and
B 0.3484 0.3516
note the typical luminous intensity value for red, green, and blue.
C 0.3100 0.3162 In this example, we will use the typical values 0.745 cd, 1.60 cd, and
D55 0.3324 0.3474 0.38 cd, respectively.
D65 0.3127 0.3290 Now, we calculate the target intensity per pixel using the desired
D75 0.2990 0.3149 target luminance (TL) and pixel pitch (PP) in millimeters using
the formula:
E 0.3333 0.3333

Target Intensity (cd) = TL (PP/1000)2 = 8000 (12.5/1000)2 = 1.25 cd.

applied to the red, green, and blue emitters to produce the resul-
tant white that is similar to the target white point. For the pur-
poses of this exercise, we will assume an RGB LED display desired
target luminance of 8000 cd/m2 with a pixel pitch of 12.5 mm. The
procedure for deriving the RGB drive currents from the mixing
ratios is detailed in the following steps.
First we calculate the RGB mixing values. In this case, we obtain
Having determined the total required intensity per pixel, we can
calculate the respective luminous intensity required for the red,
green, and blue emitters using the formula:
(R, G or B Mixing value/Sum of RGB mixing value) Target intensity :
Red = (4.1/15.7) 1.25 = 0.3264cd

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LEDsmagazine.com APRIL/MAY 2013 71

design forum | RGB MIXING
Green = (10.6/15.7) 1.25 = 0.84395 cd
Blue = (1.0/15.7) 1.25 = 0.0796 cd
Next, we must return to the LED data
sheet. You can estimate the drive current
required to produce the desired luminous
intensity using the drive current vs. light
output graph in the LED datasheet (Fig.
4). Using the example graph, the drive cur-
rents required to produce the desired lumi-
nous intensities for the three emitters are
The standard 3:6:1
RGB mixing ratio
used to produce a
white color in CRTs
wont necessarily
work in LED-based
applications.
approximately 8.8 mA for red, 10.5 mA for
green, and 4.2 mA for blue. These current
requirements can be used to determine the
hardware component values used to bias the
driver ICs and the variable values used to set
the output range of the LED driver software.
Delivering optimal color
This exercise illustrates the challenges
involved with achieving an accurate target
white output from LED displays as a result of
the spectral properties of the red, green, and
blue LEDs. The LEDs used for electronic signs
have spectral properties that are not identical
to those of the corresponding phosphors used
in traditional CRT displays.
Using the traditional 3:6:1 ratio will result
in inaccurate reproduction of a target white
illuminant. A new ratio should be calculated
for each application. These calculations are
also to be made using the target white point
and luminance level that customers want
to use for their particular design. In these
LED-based applications, the mixing ratio
must be calculated based on the specific
spectral characteristics of the light pro-
duced by the red, green, and blue emitters
72 APRIL/MAY 2013
cont. from page 69
mGD = (yG yD) / (xG xD) = (0.71-
0.3292)/ (0.21-0.3128) = -3.7043
CGD = yG mGDB xD = 0.71 (- 3.7043)
0.21 = 1.4879
y = -3.7043x +1.4879
Step 3: Now we have two linear equations
with two unknowns. Thus, we calculate
the coordinates of the purple point that is
located at the intercept point of the two
linear equations.
y= 0.4717x +0.01396
y= -3.7043x +1.4879
We can solve for x because linear
equations are both equal to y:
0.4717x +0.01396 = -3.7043x
+1.4879
4.176x = 1.47394
x = 0.35296
Now we can solve for y:
y = 0.4717(0.35296)+0.01396 =
0.18045
The resulting x and y coordinates
for the purple point P are (0.35296,
0.18045).
Step 4: Now we can calculate the RGB
color-mix ratio required to produce the
D65 illuminant by applying a ratio of
mixtures formula R = - (y2/y1) (y1-y3)
/ (y2-y3). The geometric basis for the
solution is illustrated in Fig. S1.
We incorporate the formula from Fig.
S1, the coordinates from Fig. 3, and
the calculated P coordinates to then
calculate the ratios, starting with the red-
to-blue ratio:
RRB= -(0.33/0.08) (0.08-0.18045) /
(0.33-0.18045) = 2.7707
before determining each devices drive cur-
rent requirements.
The straightforward procedure detailed
here is an important tool for designing full
color signs. It enables the engineer to select
the LEDs and drive values that insure the
display meets the customers performance
Ratio, R = - (y2/y1) *(y1/y3)/(y2/y3)
y2 Red
y3 Purple, P
y1
Blue
x1 x3 x2
FIG. S1. The ratio of the mixture (R) can
be calculated for any target color (for
this case purple) that lies between two
known points on the CIE diagram.
That equates to a blue-to-red ratio of
1.0 to 2.77. Next, we calculate the green-
to-purple ratio using the green, white,
and purple coordinates as y1, y2, and y3,
respectively:
RGP= - (0.71/0.18045) (0.18045-
0.3292) / (0.71-0.3292) = 1.53696
Next, we calculate the fraction of the
red ratio required to produce the purple
color:
2.7707/ (2.7707+1.0) = 0.7348
We then calculate the fraction of the blue
ratio required to produce the purple color:
1.0 / (2.7707+1.0) = 0.2652
The resulting un-normalized R:G:B
ratio is: 0.7348:1.53696:0.265. After
adjusting all values to a normalized blue
value of 1.0, the resulting estimated
R:G:B ratio values become: 2.77:5.79:1 or
approximately 3:6:1.
requirements. This method also allows a
designer to quickly re-estimate the RGB mix-
ing ratio and drive current requirements for
an application if a change occurs to the LEDs
used and therefore the chromaticity coordi-
nates, to the target white point, to the pixel
pitch, or to the target luminance.
LEDsmagazine.com
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CREE IS LED LIGHTING

innovative LED light.

As the developer of the first lighting-class LED, were not scrambling to adapt to change; we are the
changeand we wont stop until LED lighting is everywhere. Thats why Cree makes the industrys best
LED components for nearly every application, from directional to distributed. Cree makes light for living.

Visit cree.com/innovative and learn how our full portfolio of

LED components and modules can lower your system cost.