LED 101

We’re not talking about cars or pulleys. A wattage is defined as power and if you remember your Physics and Electrical Engineering classes correctly:

Current (I) x Voltage (V) = Wattage (W)

As you could see, there are two figures that could influence the wattage. Each LED chip has a ‘typical’ wattage which LED chip manufacturers recommend to use. Now imagine being able to cut cost when you are able to use 6 LED chips instead of 7? Cutting cost without letting consumers know they exist has become a skill in the electronics industry. There is a technique known as ‘Over-driving’ an LED chip where a higher voltage and current is being pumped into the circuit to produce more light.

Two side effects often occur from employing this cost-cutting measure. One, being that light efficacy often drops when you go over recommended efficacy levels. Two, being that heat builds up and accumulates from the higher power input. An LED device’s major component’s performance and longevity is a function of heat.

The following graph indicates the delicate relation between the two factors:

As evidenced, a ‘Junction Temperature’ below 90°C maintains a healthy 50,000 hour lifespan. kudos has no products which go beyond the 90°C threshold in order to maintain its intended life span. What happens after the sale of our products mean just as much as what it does before. Even 50,000 hours after.