Gadget Freak Case #153: Accent Lights Are a Crowning Achievement

As a way to set the mood in his family room, when he remodeled Joe Peck put multi-color LEDs behind the crown molding. + read more.

Power-converter IC targets dimmable LEDs, needs no optoisolator

The large installed base of dimmable-lighting switches dictates that most new lighting technologies, including LED lights, should support dimming, and the myriad disparate specifications for dimming switches requires these lights to meet a wide range of characteristics. + read more.

Fader switch uses inexpensive controller

Customizing a model or a simulator with a bit of illumination is a nice touch. Rather than a simple on or off, you can add a touch of both refinement and control to your display with fading light. + read more.

Cree plans LED facility in China

The 592,000-square-foot facility in Huizhou will be Cree’s first chip-production facility outside of North America and is targeted to also house future components manufacturing expansion. + read more.

Cable tester uses LEDs to find faults

This Design Idea describes a simple cable-test machine that visually shows continuity issues on a 16-wire cable harness for ultrasonic-parking-aid systems. A subcontractor produces the harness in low volumes, making it impractical to use an automated tester. + read more.

LEDs Brighten New Mustang

Ford's new 2010 Mustang has broadened its use of LEDs, placing the technology in the rear seat, as well as in map pockets, cup holders and even in the door sill plate. + read more.

Assembly at the Speed of LED

Bergquist Thermal Clad with pre-applied Bond-Ply 450 PA is simple to peel and place. It's specifically configured for Power LED applications and optimizes thermal performance and speeds assembly for applications like BlueSpan's Luxeon LED streetlight. + read more.

Thermal design guidelines for solid-state lighting applications using LEDs

Here are six critical steps necessary to developing a successful, cost-effective thermal design for an LED application. Two families of LED applications have been used to illustrate many of the design choices that are open to the thermal designer to satisfy these application issues. + read more.

555 timer eliminates LED driver’s need for microprocessor control

LEDs find their way into applications that range from high-end video displays to low-end lighting applications. Designers often need only some of the functions of a dedicated LED driver but can’t afford the cost of the microprocessor to control them. + read more.

US Department of Energy invests $6.4M in LED design

The DOE selects four projects that aim to "fill key technology gaps, provide enabling knowledge or data, and represent a significant advancement in the SSL technology base." + read more.

 

LIGHTFAIR 2009: OSRAM Blue Laser Diode
Minature medium-poer blue laser diodes for special effects lighting.