The goals of sustainability, renew-ability, power reduction, lowered carbon footprints, reduced refuse and increased efficiency are global. Smart lighting is one of the key strategies in this global purpose. LEDs are crucial to this technology and being implemented in signaling, data transmission, wireless transmitters, remote controls, architecture and more.

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.

LED’s are a staple of signage and signal applications and with the wider use of high power LEDs the range of applications is constantly expanding to practically limitless proportions. High power LEDs can be driven at currents from hundreds of mA to more than an ampere, compared with the tens of mA for other LEDs. Until recent years their use has been limited by the need for large heat sinks and thermal management issues.  The latest developments have introduced the ability to control and maintain brightness levels without “hot spots” and “not spots” for further efficiency improvements. More strategic configurations of heat sinks, new heat sink materials and metal core printed circuit boards have improved control thermal of management problems. These advances have allowed new areas of development.

High power LEDs from VCC are now in use for in an almost limitless number of applications among which are:

• Accent lighting applications such as: contour lighting, stairway lighting, pendants, coves, displays and front panels.
• Outdoor lighting applications such as: floodlights and landscape lighting.
• Specialty lighting applications such as: Flashlights, reading lamps, security lighting and more.

Architects, Engineers and Security Specialists are including LED usage in the basis of their core designs effectively replacing incandescent, halogen, and even fluorescent style lights. The largest selling points in these applications are the ability to meet new environmental standards from LEED and other groups for close to 40% improved power efficiency and the ability to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building. High Power LEDs also enjoy a longer operating life that practically eliminates the need for maintenance.

High power, high intensity LED selections from VCC offer many additional benefits including:

• Silicone lens technology
• Saturated color spectrum
• Special “design-to-fit” secondary optics
• Low thermal resistance
• Full dimming capabilities
• Superior ESD protection
• 100% RoHS Compliance

Our LED selection experienced less than 10% light output decay under test conditions and with our many vivid, saturated colors, surface mounted options and high energy efficiency, our product range has the right high power LEDs for your requirements. Contact us today and our dedicated professionals will be happy to help select the right product for your high power LED application.

The many benefits of LEDs have now led to a wide spread rush to implement them in a variety of new ways. One of the fields in which LEDs are taking over is backlighting for various applications from televisions, to IPOD displays and numerous LCD devices.

Regardless of the particular application, Engineers are in agreement regarding several ways in which LED devices provide advantages over other backlighting options such as CRT and fluorescent bulbs. The benefits of LED usage in backlight applications include:

• Improved Reliability – As they are solid-state devices, LEDs have a longer lifespan typically lasting over 100,000 hours. A benefit of solid state devices, LEDs will perform consistently from installation to end of life cycle as opposed to florescent options which continuously lose up to 50% of their light output over their life cycle.
• Lower Power Consumption – LED backlights have lower power consumption than traditional backlighting sources. Manufacturers quote a 60% reduction in power consumption for LED backlighting compared to conventional mercury-arc lamps.
• Blur Reduction and Brightness – LCD displays have a motion blur effect primarily because an LCD pixel remains lit, unlike the CRT phosphor screens which are strobed for a very short time. To resolve this issue, one of the latest improvements being employed by large manufacturers is to use LED for the backlighting. They then employ a new scanning technology that strobes the horizontal rows of LEDs from top to bottom. This approach is also superior in reducing computer generated motion blur produced by video games.
• Blacker blacks – The improved dynamic contrast ratio achieved through use of LEDs for backlighting creates improved contrasts, stronger blacks and whites as well as a greater range of color levels in between. This is accomplished by utilizing multiple LEDs to vary the backlighting across the LCD screen based on the image displayed.
• Wider Color Array – LED’s cover a broader range of red and greens well over the NTSC standards. This results in a more extensive range of colors allowing images to appear more life-like. Current improvements using LED backlighting are bringing the available color array closer to the human eye’s perception range.
• Environmentally friendly – The significantly lower power requirements of LEDs result in reduced air pollution from carbon emissions. The longer life span of saves maintenance costs by being replaced less often. In addition, LEDs do not contain mercury and thus are not only easier and less expensive to dispose of they are safer and leave less of an environmental impact. Even Apple computer began changing to LED backlit display in their efforts to become a “greener apple.”

Though using LEDs in backlighting applications is still more expensive at this time, the benefits are overcoming the cost concerns. The new development in LED materials will also reduce the price in the future. Regardless, the benefits are so strong that the result has been an increased demand for LED use in backlit applications in all sizes. This will significantly boost LED production requirements immediately and into the future. VCC Optoelectronics is happy to provide you with LEDs and LED mounting components for your entire project.  Check out our catalog for LEDs as well as products you will require to complete a successful and innovative PCB design.

The first few decades after the 1907 discovery of electroluminescence by British experimenter H.J. Round, were very slow in the development and use of this innovation. However, research and progress was being made. In the 1960’s Texas Instruments received a patent for the first infrared LED and a more practical version came the next year by the scientists at General Electric.

From that time until the present day, constant research, testing and developments have taken place to allow some truly unique and amazing uses of LEDs. The inhibitive costs in the first applications have been greatly reduced increasing the logical applications for everyday products. The recent concerns in reduction of energy usage and environmental responsibility completed the circle and LEDs have been touted as the preferred lighting device. Where they were once relegated to single signal usage, seven-segment displays and simple indicators, today the applications are unlimited.

Traffic signals are currently being converted to energy and Co2 reducing LED cluster lights. They are used to light entire rooms as well as their trusty, proven use as signals and indicators. Billboard size video displays are manufactured with LEDs. There are even applications in the clothing industry where safety vest, jackets and head gear are being equipped with LEDs to increase personal protection whether working in a hazardous location or taking an evening jog down the road.

The UK is taking the lead in the implementation of energy busting LEDs for traffic signal and street lighting. London has become the first major city to secure a finance initiative to replace both street and traffic signals throughout the majority of the city. The London Mayor estimates the LED street lights and traffic signals will save the taxpayers up to 25% of their street lighting bill as well as reduce Co2 emissions by 60%.

Clothes are usually designed to be practical or fashionable. Today they are also functioning as true safety gear for the average person as well as field applications engineer. A shirt that lights up at night draws attention much faster than waiting for the head beams of a car or piece of equipment to illuminate a reflective strip. Gloves are being manufactured with LED lights embedded to assist workers and sportsmen. Instead of relying on someone holding a flashlight, the LED gloves will consistently illuminate the work area. Headlamps with LED clusters have been designed and implemented for rock climbers and campers. You then have the copious amount of marketing and personalized visual displays being applied to everything from t-shirts to hats to shoes that flash when you walk.

No matter what unique idea you come up with or what project your challenged to find an answer for, when it comes to lighting, LEDs are the wave of the future.

VCC high-performance Litepipes™ and LEDs are available in a wide variety of sizes, mounting types, colors, power ratings, intensities and wavelengths to meet your every application need. We can also assist you with selection and even the development of custom applications. Our interconnections, standoffs and myriad of other accessories are available in our product catalog.

VCC is pleased to announce the launch of the Flexfire™ series of flexible/fiber-optic light pipes.

VCC’s FLX Series Fiber-optic LED light pipes provide the simplest method of transmitting light from a PCB-mounted (Through Hole or SMD) LED to a front panel. Competing flexible light pipe products offer limited lens options for interfacing to the panel and LED. The FLX Series offers wider design capabilities for lens styles to include wide angle, moisture-sealed, and high profile.

Additional product specifications can be found on the VCC website.

Advantages over Traditional Copper Wire Solutions

VCC’s FLX Series flexible light pipes have many advantages over legacy copper wire solutions. These include but are not limited to:

• Immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI)
• Does not conduct or transfer electrostatic discharge (ESD) pulses
• Non-conductive light path- pinching of copper wires has the potential to cause electrical shorting, which may damage components
• No solder or crimp terminations
• Single versus multiple conductors
• Graceful degradation under “extreme” bending conditions
• Diffused light output pattern – no hot spots or narrow field of view
• Less components

If you would like to find out how to incorporate Flexfire™ into your design, feel free to contact us.

London Buses has introduced LED lighting at all of its roadside ticket machines, saving up to 75% of the energy used by conventional lighting.

Transport for London (TfL) says that LED lighting on a ticket machine uses 0.8W, compared to 32W for conventional lighting, a savings of 31.2W. Taken across 1,109 ticket machines operating 365 days a year, this results in a saving of 170 tons of CO₂ per year.

The introduction of LED lighting is part of London Buses’ continuing efforts to save energy and improve the passenger environment across the London bus network.

A further 33 ticket machines in London run on batteries, which do not provide enough power to support conventional lighting. Due to the lower power requirements of LED lighting, these machines will be lit for the first time.

TfL says that despite using less power, LEDs are much brighter than conventional lighting, making the machines easier to use. The LEDs also last a lot longer, ten years on average compared to just two years for conventional fluorescent bulbs, meaning lower maintenance and disposal costs.

Paul London, London Buses Ticket Technology Manager, said: “We’re always looking for ways in which new technology can help us decrease our impact on the environment, improve our passengers’ experience, and provide value for money. Introducing LEDs on ticket machines is a small change that’s part of a much bigger effort to make our operations more efficient and environmentally friendly.”

Disneyland Resort’s operations group recently chose VCC to replace costly incandescent lamps in the FASTPASS system. Park engineers selected our C connector with one of our powerful 5mm white LEDs (Mouser, CDI, Newark) which extends from a PC board up to the viewing panel. For driving the assembly, engineers decided on another VCC product, our power module. It converts AC current to usable DC current and has an extremely small footprint, which is unique given the alternatives currently in the marketplace.

LEDs Magazine – LED lighting market to exceed $5B by 2012, says report 

Recently, VCC was introduced to AC Propulsion of San Dimas, CA. AC Propulsion supplies electric propulsion and battery technology for electric vehicles. Most notably, they have contracted with BMW to provide systems for the BMW MINI E electric vehicle. The AC Propulsion drive system includes a power electronics unit and AC-induction traction motor featuring proprietary and patented tzero™ technology to provide high performance, high efficiency, and rapid, convenient charging capabilities for electric vehicle applications. 

AC Propulsion designed-in a modified version of VCC’s CNX 440 threaded cable assembly  with a CMS 442 lens to be used as a warning indicator in the event the electric motor or battery unit overheat. What attracted them to the VCC product was its NEMA 4 rating for moisture, as well as VCC’s ability to customize it for the application.

VCC takes its environmental responsibility seriously, and we feel quite good knowing that our products in this project and many others like it are helping us follow-through on our committments. 

About AC Propulsion:

AC Propulsion is a California corporation founded in 1992 by Alan Cocconi to develop and commercialize advanced propulsion for a new type of vehicle — efficient but powerful, zero-emission but fun to drive, gasoline-free but convenient to use — the electric vehicle. The world needs electric vehicles to provide transportation without petroleum. Our propulsion systems — motors, inverters, chargers, and batteries — make electric vehicles efficient, fast, and fun to drive. We are working with automakers, large and small, around the world, who want to build such vehicles.

On the web at www.acpropulsion.com

After working closely with a few key customers, we are moving forward on the right-angle socket LED interconnector. It wil be available in both the CNX 310 and CNX 410 series cable assemblies. You should see/hear more by early summer. Feel free to contact our sales and engineering team for more details.