In today’s business environment it has become critical to be able to instantly track inventory. Knowing the location and status of current inventory can be imperative in closing a deal, forecasting product sales and planning production schedules. At times this is even more challenging due to the nature of materials or the environment in which those materials are stored.

Visible Assets, Inc. (VISIBLE™) sells asset visibility networks based on a new wireless technology known as RuBee™.  In the past, RFI (Radio Frequency Identification) was employed somewhat unsuccessfully in tracking products. Physics and environmental conditions such as steel, water, people and electrical noise could interfere and result in faulty data. Rubee can read through steel, water and other harsh environments. It is even safe for explosive environment applications. The new RuBee system, which has been in development for twenty years, provides low cost, long-life, low power, wireless, active asset and people tags that work in most any environment.

Kiran Panchal from the Research and Development Laboratories of VAI came to VCC Optoelectronics looking for assistance in modifying an existing product so that it can handle being exposed to a bit more moisture than a typical office environment. In some cases the products being tagged are in wet areas or underwater resulting in a damp and humid atmosphere. VAI had been using an LED without any sort of lens so we introduced them to our CMS 442 CTP Moisture Sealed Lens. This product has solved the concern of atmospheric exposure to moisture and making the product “splash-proof”.

During the development of adding the moisture-sealed lens, VAI decided they wanted to come up with a different cable assembly for the LED’s.  We then introduced VAI to one of our standard cable assemblies, p/n CNX 440 E02 4 1 08.  The ability of VCC’s standard cable to fit this application allowed this product to enter production and service quickly.

For more about Visible Assets, Inc., click here.

To reach VCC Optoelectronics for your LED and cabling needs, click here.

Large panel LED displays are becoming the only way to go if you are looking into signage. From stadium signs to retail marketing and even traffic signs, LED displays are being implemented into designs in an ever-widening array of applications. Panels and displays are also becoming larger and with these larger panels are power, brightness and management issues. There are two main configuration options being employed, each with its own pros and cons.

When the LED’s are placed directly behind the panel, they are in direct configuration. The other option used widely is edge configuration where the LED backlighting is provided by LED’s installed around the perimeter of the panel. Either design option will give you the capability of color variations, consistent movement and the bonus of virtually eliminating outages.

The direct configuration utilizes LEDs arranged in a matrix behind the panel to directly illuminate the display. This configuration uses less current through many small strings of LEDs, which allows for local dimming of individual arrays in addition to improved coloration and contrast. Drawbacks of this configuration are that you need to use a high-speed data bus and your programming will be much more complex. This configuration also requires thicker panels to allow space for the light emanating from the LED’s to diffuse.

Edge configuration illuminates the display from the panel edges using fewer strings with more LEDs.  This requires a higher voltage power supply to drive the LEDs, however, there is a less complex control system required and fewer LED current sink drivers. Being arranged in longer strings around the perimeter also allows for a much thinner display. Newer systems use a phase delay evenly across the strings to aid in reducing the peak inductor current inherent to the use of a higher voltage power supply. This configuration is becoming the standard when retrofitting large screen LCD displays.

Whether you are looking for small or large panel displays the boundaries between LED lighting and displays are blurring into one world where the highest quality and quantity of content is provided by one device type. The experts at VCC are prepared to help you plan for the requirements of your display type, placement, thermal management and power. Our line of VCC Lite proprietary products use UL rated (94-V0) material to assist in heat dissipation for all large panel applications and includes an extensive selection of LEDs, panel mounts, clips and interconnects to help you achieve your panel design visions. Click here and contact VCC today for more information.

In today’s production atmosphere, cost, time and efficiency while implementing quality processes determine the bottom-line success and profitability of your product. A tried and true way to accomplish a piece of this goal is to use quality pre-engineered and wired cables.

Among the many benefits are:

1. Design Flexibility – Using pre-wired cables in your project from the design stage on, allows the Engineer greater flexibility in a number of aspects. Panel space is always at a premium and a great way to conserve space is to install pre-wired cables. It reduces the need for wire trays and permits greater variety in the placement of PCB’s and other components as cable routing becomes less inhibited.
2. Reduced Wiring Time and Costs – The amount of time needed to wire your cabinet or machine is reduced as connecting cables is a much quicker process than routing the cables, making a connections and labeling each wire and termination point. The number of wiring errors will also diminish, as fewer opportunities for a wiring mistake are present.
3. Easier Marking and Labeling – Pre-wired cables will arrive labeled and with diagrams declaring each connection point. The assembler is then left with verifying the points of connection and labeling the cabinet for clear and correct assembly.
4. Faster Testing and Replacement Times – The testing of cabinets with pre-wired cable assemblies is a more efficient process than cabinets with individual connections. The tester can easily check for continuity and signal presence without disconnecting the cable. If repair is needed or a function added or changed, a pre-wired cable is much more flexible. Your service provider can show up with a new cable and complete replacement in a matter or minutes resulting in less downtime for the client and a shorter visit for the provider.
5. Fewer Parts, Less Inventory – Use the space that used to store multiple cable components to increase production area as pre-wired cables can take less than half the space. Reduced inventory and increased space will raise your profit levels.
6. Quality Panels – Let your company be known by the caliber of your panels. Pre-wired cabling means your applications will be neater and safer than individually routing each termination point.

Contact the committed team of experts at VCC today to discuss your individual pre-wired cable needs. We specialize in collaborating with our clients to improve all aspects of production and provide you with dynamic, quality solutions. We can Engineer the cables for your application or use your data to provide a flexible pre-wired cable customized for your project requirements.

In the fast changing world of aftermarket motorcycle performance products, having quality inventory is key.  Today’s riders not only want their custom aftermarket products rapidly, but they demand quality components that will improve the look and performance of their machine. Recently, Bazzaz ran into lead-time and performance issues on one of their shifter lights with their current LED supplier.  Bazzaz knew they needed to quickly resolve both issues and Joel Romero turned to VCC for help.

“VCC has a massive inventory of products on hand, this is reassuring when our customers have short lead times and buy on demand”. I just can’t wait for my current supplier anymore. I found information about VCC Optoelectronics on the web and contacted their Sales Team right away. VCC recommended and had stock on a part that was slightly better than the parts we previously looked at for less money. Within days, we received the VAOL-10GSBY4 (10MM, single color Blue LED) samples VCC recommended which outperformed the current one in brightness “ Said Joel.

VCC is has a team of professionals that are dedicated to service and have the knowledge to quickly assist our customers in finding better, more efficient and complete solutions. Our large variety of LED’s with many different lighting, power and mounting capabilities will provide the options and available inventory you have been looking to find from your LED supplier. Contact VCC today with your project requirements and let us help find a solution for your project needs.

For more information on Bazzaz performance products please visit www.bazzazperformance.com.

In the growing demand for quick lab results, Caliper Life Science diagnostics group selects VCC Custom LED interconnect to help with the indication demands required to meet FDA regulations.  The desire was to quickly and efficiently retrofit a current product to meet the new demands.

“The idea was to use a pre-existing product platform and change the front cover. We needed a way to bring the indication to the new cover without having to rewire the existing platform. The intention was to make a less expensive product but still have the options of allowing for future upgrades.” Said Shawn Allen head mechanical engineer.  “Because of VCC’s vast array of products and configurations and their knowledgeable customer service it was a simple and easy process for us.”

The CNX series offers an easy solution when a demand arises where the indicator needs to be mounted to a front panel. Since connection lengths vary widely, this series can be ordered in standard or custom lengths and arrive at your facility pre-wired with the required connection length for the application.  No tools for assembly are needed. You can order your interconnect with the type of termination needed for the specific application as well. VCC provides you with the option to use a header connector, stripped, bare wires, terminal attachments or arrange to have this component soldered directly to your circuit board.  The CNX series of interconnects have been modified to resolve panel pushback issues and will withstand high levels of vibration, making them the perfect product for retrofit applications where secure fit can be an issue. The CNX series gives you flexibility, durability and ease of implementation that are needed in both your new and retrofit projects.  To learn more about VCC Interconnects please visit our web-site at www.vcclite.com.

The question has been asked: Why would a company or organization want to spend money to retrofit lighting with state-of-the art LEDs? The answers are varied and begin with the age old requirements to save time, money and have a higher quality product or advertisement. The reasons listed below come from Project Engineers and Systems Specialists expressing why they have chosen this route:

1. Saving Money: There may be a cost associated with a retrofitting LED applications but the payback makes it more than worth the expense. A large-scale example of this is Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas. They spent $362,000 on retrofitting everything from elevator signal lights, to under counter illumination, animated displays, signage and outdoor lighting. The project has allowed them to reduce their power consumption by 2 million kWh. They expect to realize a $200,000 yearly payback from their 24/7 operations.
2. Environmental Synergy: The desire to reduce environmental contaminants and improve the overall carbon footprint of our society is a reason given across the board. LED applications can reduce carbon footprints by up to 60% over other lighting types.
3. Improved Lighting Quality: The new generation of LED’s available are brighter and more vibrant. Signage and displays appear sleek, modern and clean. The more vibrant colors were a safety consideration when the NYC Subway signals were replaced. Travelers and Engineers said the saturated colors were more visible and thus safer.
4. Longevity: A truly worldwide push is taking place with massive projects to replace street lighting and traffic signals with LED’s. One of the many reasons is the longevity factor of LED’s.  Known for their exceptional reliability and without internal filaments to be damaged, there are less repair instances and longer life cycles over-all.
5. Control and Display Features: LED’s have better dimming and control features available than the lighting of yesteryear. This is an area where both marketing and safety benefits come into play.  Airbus wing tips and train signals have been retrofitted for the control features of LED’s to provide better ground and air signaling to improve safety while the number of retrofit marketing applications is practically infinite. From sport stadiums, to retail stores, every venue trying capture the public imagination, has seen signage and signaling being retrofitted or changed to LED based displays. Lighting can be synchronized for a show, have burst of color to turns heads or be animated to send a message. The options are infinite.

VCC is excited at the new possibilities that exist and our dedicated professionals are available daily to provide you with assistance for your specific retrofit requirements. We provide standard LED’s as well as specialized options. If you need a high intensity light, have a remote application or need to have a seal that is moisture proof; VCC has the products to fit your needs. Contact us with your requirements and we will provide a custom solution to ensure the success of your retrofit 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.

Once again VCC has come through with the high quality products necessary to meet the stringent guidelines of a custom application. One of our prized clients, L3 Unmanned Systems, needed a water tight LED/Lens assembly for use in their flightTEK_® SMC controller.

L-3 Unmanned Systems(L-3 US) provides engineering, designing, manufacturing, integrating and supporting of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and has a history of delivering proven products, systems and services for a variety of customers and applications.

To provide a smaller, more integrated flight control system, their specifications required an LED Lens or Litepipe_TM which would provide a moisture-seal, resist shock and vibration, and provide ease of installment for this LED indicator application.

VCC was able to offer a standard, off-the-shelf product to meet their needs. Our LCS 032 CTP, an LED Lens and Litepipe_TM assembly, met all the required specifications. After reviewing and testing the LCS 032 CTP, Michael Stephens from L-3 responded,”We have chosen to design-in your product due to its moisture barrier provided by the o-ring, having no leaks, and very easy to install.”

The LCS series is a threaded, moisture-sealed Litepipe_TM assembly that requires no special tools, just for the retaining ring to be “hand tightened”.  Its CMS 442 lens meets IP67/Nema 6P requirements; providing a seal against water, ice, shock/vibration up to 6g at 2000Hz, Solar & UV exposure.  The attached Litepipe_TM captures the LED light and transmits it up, illuminating the lens thru the front panel. The characteristics of this Litepipe_TM made it the perfect match for this and any application that will be exposed to the elements or requires a protective seal.

This smaller, more itegrated solution developed by L3 Unmanned Systems uses proven, state-of-the-art UAS guidance, navigation and control software and is now available as a stock product.

For more information about L-3US:http://www.l-3com.com/UAS/

Additional information on the new, innovative flight control solution can be found here.

LEDs are among the most environmentally friendly electronic components available today. The expected life of a properly designed LED lighting assembly can exceed 10-12 years, or 70,000 hours. There are no moving parts to wear out, filaments to be broken or mercury biohazards present. So how, you may ask, can one extend the life cycle of this product?

The first key for maximizing your circuitry and extending the lifecycle of an LED is to correctly size and wire your components. To avoid almost instant burn out, a resistor must be connected in series with LEDs to limit the current.

To calculate the resistor value ‘R’ use the following:

R = (V_S – V_L)/I where:

V_S = Supply Voltage

V_L = LED Voltage

I   = LED Current

Check manufacturer specifications for the applicable LED voltage and current. If the resistor value calculated is not available choose the next larger size to limit the current and protect your LED.

When connecting multiple LEDs it is advisable to wire them in series when possible, as they will share the same current. If parallel connections are to be used, make sure each LED has a resistor in series to limit the current in that leg and protect your device. Always be sure to double-check polarity. While many think the only result of incorrect wiring is a light that doesn’t energize but it is possible to apply a reverse voltage above the typically low reverse breakdown voltage of an LED. This will result in damage to your LED and a reduced lifecycle, if not destruction of the component.

The future opportunities for extending LED life cycles are abundant. I’ve included a couple of the most interesting projects that are closest to completion and implementation.

One of the new developments being researched and tested is using metal-coated silicon wafers. This will reduce costs further and extend the LED life cycle even beyond current abilities. The Applied Physics Letters journal published a study by Purdue Engineers regarding current silicon-based research trials. A reflective metal coating is applied to a silicon wafer. The new metal coating is a thin, reflective layer of zirconium nitride.

Currently, when the LED emits light, that light is emitted in both the up and down directions. The reflective metal coating limits the light lost in the downward direction. This will reduce the LED duty cycle and allow an extended life.

Another method of operating LED circuits through manipulation of the gain control and duty cycle is currently seeking a patent. The higher gain control in this technique results in a duty cycle of less than 100%. This extends LED life by essentially slowing the aging process. This process also includes end-of life predictions for your LED device or entire lighting assembly. Being able to predict and replace LEDs during scheduled maintenance times reduces facility cost and downtime of equipment.

There are many other research projects in place to improve the life cycle and efficiency of light emitting diodes. A variety of these use IC chips for circuit control while others employ new multi-chip technologies.

With copious amounts of research time and money being dedicate to improving the current benefits of LED usage, this is a new and exciting time for this field. Research efforts to further prolong LED life will once again bring new life to this device and expand its use to unknown limits.