mstrlucky74
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
Is there a calculation to determine how many lights can be power per driver. I have all the spec info...AC/DC INPUT/OUTPUT current and voltage, power factor etc. Thanks.
Remote Driver Calculation
- Thread starter mstrlucky74
- Start date
- Status
gar
Senior Member
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Occupation
- EE
170608-1243 EDT
mstrlucky74:
What is:
1. a light?
2. a driver?
3. remote?
.
mstrlucky74:
What is:
1. a light?
2. a driver?
3. remote?
.
lielec11
Senior Member
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
Are you referring to an LED driver?
mstrlucky74
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
yes
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
The very first question I would ask is whether the lights or light arrays are capable of being paralleled in the first place.
Like fluorescent tubes, LEDs require some form of current limiting.
If the lights contain their own current limiting, assuming a supplied voltage within an allowed range, then the number you can put one driver can be determined by dividing the driver current output by the lights' current consumption.
If the lights are designed without current limiting, assuming that the driver will take care of that function, then it would be one light, one driver.
Like fluorescent tubes, LEDs require some form of current limiting.
If the lights contain their own current limiting, assuming a supplied voltage within an allowed range, then the number you can put one driver can be determined by dividing the driver current output by the lights' current consumption.
If the lights are designed without current limiting, assuming that the driver will take care of that function, then it would be one light, one driver.
What I have at home is single phase 230V. Everything is driven from that and thus in parallel.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
And in that sense the individual LED luminaires would have to have their own internal driver, whether explicitly mentioned or not.
In US electrical usage the word driver has the connotation of some form of power regulation.
gar
Senior Member
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Occupation
- EE
170608-2135 EDT
mstrlucky74:
You need to learn how to ask the correct question(s) to get any useful response to what you are trying to ask.
Is remote 1", 5280 ft, or something else?
Unlikely there is a single calculation (equation). You need to define your load. Just saying LED is completely inadequate.
You need to define whether the light requires AC or DC or some form of pulsed excitation.
Is dimming required, then by what means?
You need to define what is between the driver and the light(s).
And you need to define your so called driver --- input, characteristics, and output.
One simple example is ---
The light is an LED string designed for 12 VDC + possibly 3 V for automotive applications, and also used in other areas. Each LED chip has a current limiting resistor associated with the chip. These are connected in parallel and parallel groups are connected in series to work at a nominal 12 V. More likely the design point is probably 14 V. Any voltage less than this will work except brightness is lower.
You might view this light as requiring a given current. If you supply that current, then brightness will be moderately constant independent of voltage changes.
Some how this went to post so I give up.
.
.
mstrlucky74:
You need to learn how to ask the correct question(s) to get any useful response to what you are trying to ask.
.
Originally Posted by lielec11
Are you referring to an LED driver?
yes
Is remote 1", 5280 ft, or something else?
Unlikely there is a single calculation (equation). You need to define your load. Just saying LED is completely inadequate.
You need to define whether the light requires AC or DC or some form of pulsed excitation.
Is dimming required, then by what means?
You need to define what is between the driver and the light(s).
And you need to define your so called driver --- input, characteristics, and output.
One simple example is ---
The light is an LED string designed for 12 VDC + possibly 3 V for automotive applications, and also used in other areas. Each LED chip has a current limiting resistor associated with the chip. These are connected in parallel and parallel groups are connected in series to work at a nominal 12 V. More likely the design point is probably 14 V. Any voltage less than this will work except brightness is lower.
You might view this light as requiring a given current. If you supply that current, then brightness will be moderately constant independent of voltage changes.
Some how this went to post so I give up.
.
.
Last edited:
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