Most everyone can relate to any one of the many visual LED applications. By a visual application, we are referring to a visual signal where light travels from the source to the human eye to convey a specific message or meaning that can be quickly understood. You can see them practically everywhere you look including status indicators, equivalent display, message displays on railways, trains, trams and ferries, traffic signals, signs, vehicle turn signals and brake lights and even such simple applications as glow lights and LED art. There are also many visual applications that you may not immediately think of such as decorative displays, TV and laptop backlighting, DLP Projectors, night vision devices, security cameras, aviation instruments and there are even applications from NASA using LEDs that have been instituted to promote astronaut health.

The portion of the LED field that uses non-visual LEDs can include broadband data, wireless transmitters, access points for data transfer, optical fiber and freespace optical communication, remote controls, movement sensors, photodiodes, sterilization, UV curing devices, machine vision, voltage references and even on the latest and greatest flatbed scanners.

There are many systems that rely on a light source for operation and communication. There are also a myriad of reasons that LEDs are dominating this market more everyday.  Among these reasons are the following:

• Instant On and Off Switching
• Low Cost
• Optimum Design Flexibility
• Repeatability
• Color and Wavelength Variation
• Uniform Light Display
• Low Power Consumption
• High Speed Response
• Long Life Cycle
• Low maintenance

VCC Optoelectronics has a wide variety of LEDs for your visual and nonvisual applications. We also have a staff of knowledgeable experts to help you implement your ideas and value-added services if you need some extra staff to carry out the design, prototyping, production and other parts of your project. Simply contact us and one of our engineers will speak with you to evaluate your needs and provide reliable and detailed assistance for your application development.

“Teaming up with Lynx was an easy decision for VCC,” said Andrew Zanelli, CEO, VCC. “Strategically, our companies share a core focus that revolves around delivering the highest quality service to our customers.”

Lynx Micro, a woman-owned company, was established to provide exceptional value to customers through collective business experience by providing superior online marketing with a first-class sales model.

“Adding a world-class optoelectronics supplier like VCC to our line card allows our customers to access more than 40 years of optoelectronics and electromechanical experience,” said Michael Pecoraro, vice president of marketing for Lynx Micro Electronics LLC.

“VCC’s ability to understand the customer’s design needs from initial concept and prototyping to final assembly is a valuable asset for any company. The growing demand for LED products in the OEM base is a perfect fit for our two companies and will allow us to penetrate various market verticals.”

For more information about VCC products and their availability through Lynx

Micro Electronics, please visit www.vcclite.com or www.lynxmicro.com.

About Lynx Micro Electronics LLC

A franchised stocking distributor, Lynx Micro was founded by a team of seasoned professionals. Their expertise includes all aspects of the electronic components distribution channel, lending a credible alternative to the competition in their market. Lynx Micro understands that the majority of distributors focus on the 20% of customers who bring them 80% of their revenues. The mission at Lynx Micro is to target and service the often overlooked, yet equally valuable, 80% of customers and manufacturers who remain. They do so by offering worthy alternatives for purchasing franchised electronic components.

1907

Henry J. Round, an assistant to Marconi in England and the chief of Marconi Research added a 24-line note in Electrical World describing a “bright glow” that eminated from a carborundum diode. This was the first reported discovery, not of a LED but the phenomenon of electroluminescence.

1927

The first development of an actual LED-type device was discovered by a self-educated Inventor named Oleg Vladimirovich. He wrote a series of papers from 1924-1930 that provided a comprehensive study of the LED and its possible applications. He had observed light emission from a zinc oxide and silicon crystal rectifier diode that he was using in a radio receiver. He noted a glowing light that was produced when current ran through them.

He called the process “Inverse Photo-Electric Effect” and received a patent relay in 1927.

The basis of his patent was the following:

“The proposed invention uses the known phenomenon of luminescence of a carborundum detector and consists of the use of such a detector in an optical relay for the purpose of fast telegraphic and

telephone communication, transmission of images and other applications when a light luminescence contact point is used as the light source connected directly to a circuit of modulated current.”

1955

Rubin Braunstein from the radio Corporation of America reported on an infrared emission from gallium aresenide (GaAs) and other semi-conductor alloys. This was the beginning of today’s LED material design.

1961

Americans Experimenters Robert Biard and Gary Pittman from Texas Instruments applied for and received the first patent for an infrared LED.

1962

Nick Holonyak developed the first practical, visible spectrum LED while working at General Electric Company. Due to this, Honolyak is viewed as the “Father of the Light Emitting Diode.”

1968

Hewlett Packard introduces the first cost-effective red LEDs. The revolution then takes off as LEDs become widely used for alphanumeric displays and a wide variety of indicator and signaling applications.

1970

Commercially successful LEDs started being manufactured by Fairfield Electronics at a cost of less than five cents per device. They used compound semi-conductor chips and used the ‘planar process’ of development invented by Dr. Jean Hoerni.

1980′s

A wide array of LED developments led to blue, ultraviolet, RBG and white LEDs.

1995

Alberto Barbieri from the Cardiff University lab developed a transparent contact made of indium tin oxide (ITO) on an (AlGaInP/GaAs) LED. This device demonstrated a highly efficient and bright LED design that is now used in many high efficiency LED designs.

2006

The Millenium Technology Prize was awarded to Nakmura for the first lone LED device that appears as a white light. It employs a “YAG” phosphor coating to mix yellow down converted light with blue light to produce a light that appears white.

2008

Luminous efficacy of 300 lumens of visible light per watt of radiation and warm light emission was achieved using nanocrystals.

2009

A new process for growing gallium nitrade (GaN) on silicon was reported. This development will allow costs to be reduced by approximately 90%.

The future of LED development is progressing and improving at rapid rates. It’s safe to say that within the next decade, the majority of lighting applications, whether architectural, equipment-based, signaling, display-based and more will be produced and operated with LED devices.

To make sure your next, best idea is set to grow with the times, contact VCC today to order the latest and greatest LEDs to use in your design.

LEDs are often used in backlighting applications and come in three basic forms: white,   RGB and a full array of LEDs  whose brightness cannot be controlled individually . White LEDs are most often used in applications such as computer monitors and use a technique developed in the mid-nineties where a phosphorus coating is applied to a blue LED and mixed with a yellow downlight to produce light that appears white. RGB LED backlighting can add enormous brightness and color spectrum to a display as they use three additive colors to produce a light that closely matches the colors in the LCD pixels. This improves efficiency and creates more vivid colors. Design flxibility and variety is increased exponentially when a full array of LEDs are used. There are unlimited options for messages, pictures and animated imaging when each LED is controlled individually.

The use of LEDs in computer monitor displays has been growing and now, virtually every manufacturer of monitors and laptop screens utilizes LEDs in their backlighting applications. This includes Apple (the first), ASUS, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, Sony, Samsung and more. The move to LED backlighting is due to the efficiency and uniformity improvements that have been made over the last decade to LED devices.  In addition, LED backlighting is highly reliable with long life and low maintenance, requires less power, produces a larger color array, reduces blurring, increases brightness, improves contrast and is environmentally friendly.  Panels with LED backlights can be built thinner as LEDs use less space and have much better heat dissipation than the cold cathode (CCFL) light used in traditional LCD displays.

The first commercial LED backlit LCD TV was introduced in 2004 by Sony and used RGB LED arrays to produce a color spectrum that was twice that of a conventional CCFL LCD television. This television series became quite popular as consumers rapidly noticed the enhanced viewing experience which included brighter, more vivid colors, better dimming and contrast and less bleed-through channels.

VCC offers a range of LEDs that can be applied in a large gamut of backlighting applications whether it be television, monitors, cameras, message displays or the next innovation that causes a breakthrough unforeseen at this time. Our engineers have extensive experience in selecting the right type of LEDs for you backlighting applications as well as the right configuration and implementation will be needed to achieve the best results. Contact VCC Optoelectronics today for advice, materials and even prototyping and production assistance. We are dedicated to meeting all of your LED design and application needs.

Recent standards from the Infrared Data Association(IrDA), United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and other groups such as Energy Star are calling for higher standards in these areas to achieve a more sustainable future.  We are closer than ever to making a world where lighting is digital, efficient and increases the health and welfare of all.

Smart Lighting through the use of LEDs meets all of these goals and offers improvements that years ago were thought to be impossible. LEDs are Eco-friendly as the components are 95% recyclable. This reduces refuse and ensures sustainability. They are also wonders of efficiency using significantly less power than traditional lighting options. LEDs comply with Energy Star standards and requirements as they use anywhere from 30% (over fluorescents) to 120% (over incandescents) less power and save 3000 times their own weight in greenhouse gases. The shock and vibration resistant characteristics contribute to longer life cycles, up to 50 times that of other lighting options. This not only reduces replacement costs but the maintenance costs and personnel associated with servicing the circuitry.

Smart lighting technologies using LEDs generate less heat, thereby allowing for more LED devices to be installed in smaller devices. The light is more focused and saturated, without color fading, providing brighter displays and increased variety in the colors and types of displays that are designed.

The ability of LEDs to be switched off and on millions of times per second have permitted them to be used in data transmission circuits, wireless transmitters, lasers and also as access points for data transport. For example, current IrDA standards call for LEDs to be used in all broadband transport, a high-speed communication platform that years ago was a dream.

VCC carries a line of efficient, high quality digital LEDs for all of your smart lighting applications. Whether you are developing an optical signaling circuit, data transmission design, backlighting set-up, control panel or any number of additional smart lighting designs, we have the LEDS, lite pipes and PCB components to make your design work. Contact one of our always available experts today to discuss, plan and even receive design assistance for making your innovative ideas come into fruition.

“We are working closely with our customers so that we remain at the forefront of contemporary LED indicator design,” said Andrew Zanelli, CEO, VCC. “It was an opportunity to discuss new aesthetics that are becoming more appealing, the performance criteria that are becoming more critical, and other trends that are becoming increasingly important as the industry grows.”

The meeting also allowed participants to join breakout groups that discussed new VCC products that were in development and provide feedback on the designs and functionality.

“The two most important things we learned at this symposium were how indicator form/shape and lens design (aesthetics) have changed in recent years,” said Mark Baker, sales director, VCC. “Traditional lens styles such as Fresnel rings are still popular, but now designers are interested in more contemporary looks that deliver more of a glow effect.”

Those interested in taking part in the next symposium should contact Mark Baker, at mbaker@vcclite.com.

VCC Optoelectronics has been a participant in allowing companies this option in the Engineering field. Our value-added services allow you to increase your Engineering Infrastructure with little more than a phone call or e-mail. We enable you to leverage the power and economic benefits of cloud resources to solve engineering problems by providing design support, rapid prototyping, manufacturing services, supply chain connections and global logistics to move you forward.

The benefits of Engineering from the Cloud are many, including:

Reduced Costs: In any economic climate, especially today’s, there is a drive to reduce costs. Contracting additional Engineering services from the cloud will meet this goal by permitting you to hire additional staff to perform various services without bringing them into your facility on a full-time basis. This saves the cost of insurance, training and other benefits, as well as finding the space to house them in your offices.

Shorter Time-to-Market: Hiring an expert with knowledge of your product and field will help decrease the time it takes to design, develop and manufacture a new product, enhanced feature or develop a fix for a current feature.

Elasticity: Engineering services in the cloud allow more than just scalability, they offer elasticity. You can quickly scale up or down quickly to meet the demands of the market whether they are expected or unexpected.

Availability: Our value-added services are available at any time. When a sudden increase in design or production is needed, when additional supply and logistics demands are required, cloud services are readily attainable and can be accessed at will.

Expansion of Market Share: Cloud based Engineering and Production services help you expand without a large increase of capital investment.

• When contracting our value-added services from the cloud, it is important to do the following in order to achieve optimum results:
• Develop a strategy early in the process to migrate data and design information from your current platform to VCC.
• Plan and discuss performance, security, reliability and availability expectations and requirements at the beginning of the project cycle.
• Work with VCC to adopt a set of procedures that assure high visibility, traceability and control to maintain communication between companies and allow seamless integration.

Our expert engineering, production, supply and global logistics experts are available around the clock to discuss your needs and how we can be instrumental in helping you achieve your goals. Contact VCC today for more information on the quality, speed and cost involved in implementing our services to increase your efficiency and profitability.

To overcome extreme environmental conditions, there are a number of design considerations and requirements that can be included to improve reliability and performance. Among these considerations are:

Clear Understanding of System Requirements – When implementing an LED circuit in extreme conditions, a clear understanding of what is essential is mandatory. The ambient environment will present enough challenges so system design should be as simple and compact as possible. In many cases, engineers are encouraged to add special features such as added colors, graphics or other bells and whistles. This is one case in which these temptations should be avoided. Keeping the LED circuitry to the minimum required to meet specifications not only will reduce possible failures but also reduce testing and manufacturing times and thus development cost.

Review of System Options and Costs – Before the design begins, a thorough review of different technologies and the costs involved will improve the LED design and help keep costs to a minimum.

Addition of Components to Compensate for Extreme Conditions – There are a number of LEDs that are available for implementation in extreme environments. Already the most reliable lighting device, LEDs are also available with special viewing angles, power levels, moisture sealants and more. In addition to LEDs that meet extreme environmental conditions, additional components can be implemented to overcome vibration, heat and cold extremes such as stabilizers, fans and on-board heaters.

Redundant Components – The most critical components and LED signals should be designed in a manner where there is a back up to the main device.

System Testing, Modeling and Evaluation – System testing, modeling and evaluation is the most important design component when engineering for extreme conditions. A detailed description of testing, the purpose for the testing, data evaluation techniques, resources and modeling may consume more time during design but can save time, money and reputation in the long run.

Alternative Design Options – Preparation is key in all system design but especially when designing for an extreme environment. Having a ‘Plan B’ that can be quickly implemented to help or replace your original design will save time and frustration. The problem in not planning for alternatives is that if your initial plan or evaluation isn’t right, you must return to the drawing board instead of simply putting Plan B into motion.

VCC has experts with considerable LED and design knowledge to help with all your projects. If you have questions about special LED components that are available or other extreme design considerations, contact VCC today and you will find we are ready and able to help.

PCB design decisions can be made and implemented from the start to optimize product performance, reliability and delivery schedules. Several techniques that can be used to assist in heat dissipation are listed below:

• Strategic PCB Layout – Strategic PCB layouts should be used whether your device is small or large to increase reliability and performance. High power components should be placed in such a way that the maximum amount of board space possible will separate them from each other. This allows for the most heat dissipation space between components.

• Maximize PCB Material and Construction – When selecting the PCB material and construction, some elements can be chosen that will increase the heath dissipation of the entire board. Thermal performance increases with the increase of copper in the PCB construction. To take advantage of this fact, the design should include the largest possible number and thickness of copper ground layers in the design.

• Dedicated Heat Spreading Plane – Utilizing a cold plate or heat spreading plane attached to the underside of the PCB offers a thermal connection to the devices that allows for much greater cooling.

• Increase Possible Heat Paths – Increasing the number of possible heat dissipation paths will improve the heat reduction of the complete board. As devices become smaller, it becomes more important to take advantage of every available thermal control opportunity. Thermal vias will help carry heat down to the inner board layers and underside of the board. Wider traces leading away from high power devices will provide additional heat paths for dissipation and using metal PCB stiffening plates that are connected to the heat-spreading plane will all provide more effective cooling.

• Addition of Heat Sinks and Fans – For systems where the simpler design changes above do not dissipate enough heat, add a heat sink or fan and heat sink combination provides direct cooling of critical high power components.

• Larger PCB Housing – When it’s possible to use a larger PCB housing, the ambient air surrounding the PCB permits heat to escape into the enclosure.

• Venting – Strategically placing of vents within the PCB enclosure will maximize the natural air current flow and allows designers to take advantage of ambient air moving over the PCB to improve cooling.

• Enclosure Fan – For more extreme heat conditions, an enclosure fan can be added to significantly increase air flow and lower the temperature of critical devices.

Good thermal design can make the difference between a successful product and one that is prone to failure. For PCB components and advice, VCC representatives are always available to handle a variety of questions and propose solutions for thermal PCB design parameters. Contact VCC today fore more information.

Why Should I Use Litepipes in My Retrofit Project?

Using Litepipes in retrofit situations can provide a number of benefits for the designer, company and product. Among those benefits are:

• Avoid LED Replacement – Many times the redesign of equipment will not change the desired LED color or power levels but the designer may want them displayed in a different panel area, shape or configuration and may even require them to be viewed from another location. Implementing a litepipe in this situation can allow the designer to keep the circuit LEDs and allow them to be extended to a different panel location, shown as a different shape or be presented in a different configuration.
• No Additional Wiring – Litepipe installation in retrofit applications allow the Engineer to change the lighting and indication layout without requiring additional wiring to be added to the design. This saves cost in material, assembly.
• Flexibility – Litepipes that are used in retrofit projects provide Engineers and Designers to have extensive flexibility when re-designing a product or piece of equipment. The exact location of circuit boards becomes a variable instead of a critical issue. If new components must be added to the device and the PCB moves, or if the panel must move, a lite pipe allows for the light to be extended to the panel or sign surface without being limited by PCB or LED location.
• Increased Visibility – VCC Litepipe have a 160-degree viewing angle, most likely this is considerably more viewable from more locations.
• Meet Power and Efficiency Standards – What’s the best way to meet efficiency and power conservation standards? Don’t add components that require more power, like, you guessed it, litepipes. The wave of the future is conservation and the use of litepipes will help you meet these goals.

VCC litepipes are available for surface mount or thru-hole LEDs and allow that light to be extended to the desired surface.  They are available in moisture sealed configurations for wet or exposed locations and also with increased flexibility of the litepipe (Flexfire series) itself for applications where a bend or bend(s) may be required. The litepipe end can be ordered in square, round or rectangular panel connections to meet practically any retrofit design need. Contact us today for more information on how the VCC Litepipe series can meet and exceed your retrofit needs.