Bridgelux and Molex intro Helieon modular LED light system

Retrofitting existing light systems with LEDs imposes harsh constraints on LED lights.  Retrofits force LEDs into wiring networks and package configurations that were designed for a different lighting technology, usually incandescent. The headaches involved with legacy triac dimmers are one example, and screw-in sockets are another. While many LED lighting companies are introducing retrofit LED lights for the huge installed base of lighting in existing buildings, Bridgelux and Molex have teamed to come up with a new socket-and-module combination for start-from-scratch, all-new installations.

Bridgelux and Molex’s lighting interconnect product line, called Helieon, is a module-and-socket combination.

The LED module includes a Bridgelux LED Array, a lens, and an aluminum spreader on the back. The LED Array can deliver between 500 and 1,500 lumens in 3000K warm white or 4100K neutral white, and the module optics shape the light path to deliver narrow, medium or wide flood beam angles. White light color temperature and beam focus can be changed by swapping out the LED module. The socket attaches the LED module to the ceiling or wall and delivers power to the fixture.  Neither the module nor the socket includes power management components, which will be provided by OEM  lighting manufacturers in Helieon-based luminaires.

Pricing starts at $20 for the socket and module combination in quantity: Jason Posselt, VP of sales at Bridgelux, estimates that a complete light fixture including power management components could sell for between $35-40, with that price dropping rapidly as the market matures and grows.