eNewsletter

April 2009

Driving LEDs in the Automotive World
LED lighting is becoming increasingly prevalent in automotive applications such as rear combination lamps (RCL), headlights, daytime running lamps, turn signals and center highmounted stop lamps (CHMSL). This trend is occurring for both OEM and aftermarket lighting suppliers. When it comes to driving LEDs there are many suitable switching power supply topologies that can be utilized. Ultimately, the topology chosen will be based on LED voltage and current needs as well as overall goals for the system.

Read article here.

Illuminated Components Adds AIMTEC's High Efficiency LED Drivers
Illuminated Components, the official lighting and LED division of NRC Electronics, has become a distributor of LED drivers for AIMTEC, Inc.

With an operating temperature of –40°C up to 85°C at full load, they are designed for use in exterior and interior conditions. Standard output currents choice srange from 300 mA to 1 A, which makes these drivers compatible with a wide range of LEDs applications (without any need for any external components). AIMTEC's LED drivers are well suited for either single unit or arrays of LEDs for lighting applications that include advertising displays, road and rail traffic signs and signals, automotive, consumer products and a wide range of industrial products, including telecommunication applications. While all series types are competitively priced, the AMLD series provides an improved quality/cost ratio. Samples for both series are immediately available from stock. Aimtec, Inc. is a global designer and manufacturer of modular AC/DC and DC/DC switching power supplies.

Featuring remote ON/OFF control function as well as both PWM and analog voltage dimming control (0 to 100 percent), with an output current accuracy of up to ±2 percent, Aimtec's LED drivers maintain the constant color and brightness that is required by today's most demanding LED applications. Wide input ranges include 5 to 36 VDC and 7 to 30 VDC, stepping down to wide output ranges of range of 2 to 28 VDC and 2 to 32 VDC provide for easy integration into most LED applications.

"As LED technology continues to advance, so does the number of applications that can take full advantage of cost and environmental benefits associated with LED lights. This is one of the fastest growing market sectors and Aimtec is proud to have Illuminated Components as a strategic sales partner to support and service customers in the LED market," said Vladimir Serafimov, president of Aimtec.

New, Clear ABS Light Diffuser Masterbatch Lessens the Harshness of LED Lighting without Loss of Light
Ampacet has expanded its light diffuser product line to include masterbatches for clear ABS applications. Ampacet's new clear ABS light diffuser masterbatch is added to clear ABS resin to create a gentle, soft glow for buttons and light indicators on office equipment and computer products.

Also included in Ampacet's light diffuser product line are polycarbonate and acrylic light diffuser masterbatches, which allow designers to incorporate efficient LED lighting in interior and exterior building products, signs and consumer electronics to obtain subtle, yet effective lighting.

Ampacet light diffuser masterbatches feature a proprietary component that effectively scatters and diffuses light without significantly reducing light transmission. This unique technology allows designers to maximize the energy-efficiency of their LED lighting systems by creating a soft diffusion effect with minimal loss of light output.

"The end result is brighter and more efficient illumination, at a much lower energy cost," said Laura Hudacek, Ampacet market development specialist. In comparison, traditional mineral fillers make use of calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide, which reduce LED light transmission by absorbing a significant portion of light.

Because Ampacet light diffuser masterbatches maintain maximum light transmission, product designers can trim the number of LEDs from an array, resulting in a reduction of product cost and total energy usage while achieving high light transmission levels. The degree of cost savings depends on the masterbatch concentration and part thickness.

Semi-Polar (11.2) GaN on m-Plane Sapphire by HVPE increases Optoelectronic Device Performance
In the past decade, Group III-nitride materials have been widely used for visible and ultraviolet LEDs and blue, violet laser diodes. Most of these optoelectronic devices are typically fabricated on the conventional polar (0001) c-plane oriented substrate materials. Devices grown on the polar substrate orientation suffer undesirable spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization resulting in significant band bending in the quantum well. This reduces radiative recombination efficiency and lowers device performance.

Now the technical team at Oxford Instruments-TDI, led by Dr. Alexander Usikov, has made significant progress in solving this problem, and is working closely with a leading LED manufacturer to fabricate these semi-polar GaN layer for optoelectronic devices. This would increase radiative recombination efficiency and device performance.

In order to diminish these polarization effects, growth of GaN-related devices along semi-polar and non-polar directions has been studied intensely. Using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), the team has grown high quality, semi-polar (11.2) oriented GaN on (10.0) m-plane sapphire with an intermediate layer between the sapphire substrate and the GaN layer.

The semi-polar (11.2) GaN layers were grown in the temperature range from 930°C to 1050°C in an inert argon ambient at atmospheric pressure. Gallium and aluminum were used as metallic source materials and hydrogen chloride (HCl) and ammonia (NH3) as the active gases for the HVPE process. The epitaxial growth of GaN was performed at approximately 60mm/ hour using an intermediate layer deposited on m-plane sapphire followed by an undoped GaN layer. The growth procedure results in high quality, semi-polar GaN layer with thickness up to 30 mm.

Kichler Introduces More Than Two Dozen New LED Landscape Solutions
Kichler has added 26 new products to its Design Pro LED landscape offerings. With the addition of 12 LED path and spread lights, four well lights, three accent lights and new long LED cowls, Kichler now offers homeowners a complete line of energy-saving LED products that all offer a bright, white, even flow of light.

"The latest LED products ensure a complete solution for homeowners, all backed with a design that saves energy while reducing layout complexity and installation-related costs," said Jack Miller, Kichler senior product manager. "All of the Design Pro LED products incorporate the next generation of LED chips for superior optics and a crisp, precise lighting effect unmatched in the industry."

All of Kichler's Design Pro LED products use 75 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts and employ a long-lasting design, offering 40,000 hours, or roughly 20 years, of light.

In addition to the existing LED accent lights, deck lights, brick lights and step lights, the new Design Pro LED landscape products, which will be available in early 2009, include: two Adjustable In-Ground LED Well Lights - Perfect for in-ground up-lighting. Available in two beam spreads and two wattages, and two New Path and Spread Lights and Four LED Versions of Popular Designs -- Including a six-groove light with a wide head for expansive light spread; a decorative path light with a pierced shade; a contemporary path and bollard set; and a side-mount path light offering directional lighting.

Martin LC Plus a New Generation of LED Video Panels
Available now is the LC Plus series from Martin Professional, a modular system of LED video panels with new generation technology that closely integrates light, video and set design for new possibilities in indoor and outdoor staging. Designed for the demanding rental and staging market, yet equally suitable for fixed installations such as retail environments and outdoor architecture, the LC Plus is an easy-to-use, all-in-one video solution.

Martin’s LC Plus offers several key advantages over other types of LED panels:

• High brightness, 3000 Nit
• Extremely low weight - only 11 kg per square meter
• Fast and easy set up
• Superb color and brightness uniformity
• True IP65 protection and wide temperature range for extended outdoor use

The LC Plus is built around Martin’s new P3 technology platform (Pixel Push Protocol) for video signal processing and distribution. Based on Gigabit Ethernet and Cat5e wiring, the P3 technology removes the inherent limitations of video-type protocols for easy connectivity and speed of set-up.

The Ethernet based system is true plug and play, eliminating the limitations of DVI, fiber optic and coax (SDI) cable connections. Fast and easy to assemble, any cable can be up to 100 m in length and up to 50 panels can be daisy chained (no splitters or buffers needed) for virtually unlimited design possibilities.

The LC Plus uses robust RJ45 connectors and the Gigabit Ethernet technology enables 500,000 pixels with 48 bit data to be updated 60 times per second for broadcast quality, smooth, step free images. Latency (delay) is virtually undetectable meaning the image on the LC Plus screen is in perfect sync with the live performer.

For easy set up, the LC Plus uses a display and button system familiar to any user of MAC luminaires. With no external power supplies, each LC Plus unit comes with everything built in - substantially reducing logistical costs and set-up time.

The LC Plus’s 40 mm pixel pitch is small enough for clear images at a distance and vivid graphics up close, and allows for a high level of transparency and a low weight. Image quality is significantly better than typical low-resolution LED screens and the LC Plus panels are considerably less costly than higher resolution screens.

Future Lighting Solutions to Distribute LED Optics from Khatod Optoelectronic
Future Lighting Solutions and Khatod Optoelectronic have announced a worldwide distribution agreement that will bring Khatod’s broad portfolio of secondary optics for power LEDs to all major markets around the globe. The line features the industry’s largest selection of optics for Luxeon Rebel LEDs, including 190 single, double, triple and quad optics as well as color-mixing optical systems with multiple beam angles and configurations to fit virtually any general lighting application.

Future Lighting Solutions is the first North American as well as the first worldwide distributor of LED optics from Italy-based Khatod. Under the agreement, Future Lighting Solutions will also assist Khatod in new optic development by providing insights into the needs of the general lighting market based on information gathered from working directly with luminaire manufacturers.
Khatod expects to add more than 50 new products to its current 690-SKU catalog this year, in part through Future’s guidance. Khatod is also capable of developing custom optics.

“Khatod has an exceptionally strong line of power LED optics for the mass general lighting market, an aggressive road map for developing new products in response to market and application needs, and the design and manufacturing capabilities to deliver dozens of new SKUs in volume,” said Jamie Singerman, worldwide vice-president of Future Lighting Solutions. “This will help us advance our agenda of making LED solutions simple for developers and designers.”

“This agreement will significantly increase the availability of our optics around the world as well as help us continually broaden our product line to offer the right solution for different lighting scenarios,” said Giuseppe Vasta, president of Khatod Optoelectronic. “By joining forces with Future Lighting Solutions, we will be better able to equip luminaire manufacturers with the tools they need to put more LED-based lighting products on store shelves.”

DOE Releases Detailed Results from Round 7 of SSL Product Testing
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has completed Round 7 of product testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting (SSL) CALiPER Program. Round 7 detailed test results covering outdoor lighting, downlights, and replacement lamps are now available for download through the searchable online CALiPER system: www.ssl.energy.gov/search.html.

The Department allows detailed test results from CALiPER testing to be distributed in the public interest for noncommercial, educational purposes only. A Summary Report containing the results from Round 7 is also available on the DOE SSL website at www.ssl.energy.gov/reports.html.

Endicott Research Group Establishes European Office
Endicott Research Group (ERG), Inc., has created a European office, naming Roland Knuchel as European Sales Manager. ERG, based in Endicott, NY, is a manufacturer of DC-AC inverters and LED Drivers for powering LCD backlights.

A resident of Switzerland, Roland brings a solid background of industry experience to the position. He is already familiar with ERG’s products and technologies, having worked with ERG in his capacity as President / CEO of Milgray Distribution in Switzerland from 1986 to the present.

“We wanted ERG to have a man on the ground for customers in the EU and Scandinavia, as well as Eastern Europe, Russia and Israel,” said Earl Lesch, ERG’s International sales mManager. “Now, Endicott Research Group’s European customers have a qualified contact in their part of the world.”

Novaled and Holst Centre to Cooperate on Organic Electronics
Novaled AG will work together with Holst Centre on Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFT) using the Novaled PIN OLED technology and materials.

Novaled AG, a provider of technology and materials for energy saving and long living OLEDs for a new generation of lighting and display products, and Holst Centre, an independent open-innovation R&D center developing generic technologies for Wireless Autonomous Transducer Solutions and for Systems-in-Foil, have decided to collaborate under a joint development agreement.
Target is to investigate the feasibility and benefits of Novaled’s dopants in Holst Centre’s organic thin film transistor technologies qualified for displays and circuits.
Novaled's doping technology contributes to very high power efficiencies and long lifetimes in OLEDs by improving charge carrier injection and transport in the organic layers. Novaled has shown that these effects are also relevant for organic TFT as the carrier injection from drain and source into the organic material has a major influence on the device performance. Novaled currently develops dopant and host materials, which can be processed both in vacuum and in solution.

“We are quite pleased to work closely together with Holst Centre on organic TFTs based on the Novaled dopants,” said Jan Blochwitz-Nimoth, CTO of Novaled AG. ”In future OTFTs can be integrated in display backplanes and other driving electronics like organic RFID (radio-frequency identity tags). They will change the way we use electronics today through several advantages of organic electronic devices such as large area compatibility, reduced costs, easy manufacturability and environmental sustainability.

“Our mission is to work together with leading companies like Novaled to combine their unique materials with our know-how in process integration,” said Gerwin Gelinck, program manager Organic Circuitry at Holst Centre. “It is our strong believe that only through this type of collaboration, cutting edge processes and prototypes are developed that will accelerate introduction of organic transistor products to the market place. For the other Holst Centre partners in our Shared Program the joint development project with Novaled offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the potential of this approach at first hand.”

DOE Releases GATEWAY Report on LED Parking Lot Lighting Demonstration
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has published the report from a demonstration of bi-level LED parking lot lighting at a Raley's Supermarket in West Sacramento, California. This GATEWAY demonstration report, prepared by Pacific Gas & Electric and Energy Solutions, provides an overview of project results including lighting performance, economic performance, and potential energy savings.

In this project, several metal halide (MH) luminaires in the Raley's parking lot were replaced with new LED luminaires from BetaLED incorporating bi-level operation (dim state and full state) controlled by motion detectors.
Key findings:

• The LED luminaires drew an average of 149 watts on high power and 52 watts on low power, versus 346 watts for the MH luminaires, yielding a time-averaged annual energy savings estimate approaching 70%.
• LED luminaires on both “high” and “low” output delivered improved lighting uniformity over the MH baseline.
• Calculated simple payback periods for bi-level operation LEDs for both new construction and retrofit scenarios were less than five years.

This report is available for download at www.ssl.energy.gov/gatewaydemos_results.html. This LED lighting demonstration is one of a number of DOE GATEWAY demonstrations that showcase high-performance LED products for general illumination.

To learn more about the GATEWAY program, visit www.ssl.energy.gov/gatewaydemos.html.

Osram and Everlight Sign Patent Cross License Agreement
Osram (Germany) has extended the existing license with Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd (Taiwan), about manufacturing and sales of white and colored LEDs with conversion technology for all applications. These patents are owned by Osram. In return, Everlight granted to Osram a license to use housing patents of Everlight. This agreement paves the way for a closer co-operation between the two companies.

The licensed conversion technology was developed by the Osram subsidiary Opto Semiconductors. It enables the production of white or colored LEDs using blue emitting InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride) based chips and suitable fluorescent converters. With the agreement signed today, the existing license agreement (September 2003) is extended – especially the right of Everlight to use this Osram intellectual property in all areas of application without limitations, including automotive and general lighting. In addition, the parties agreed on a crosslicense that allows Osram to use Everlight´s housing patents.

TXU Energy Furthers Commitment to Energy Conservation by Installing LEDs in Parking Garage
Lighting Science Group Corp. (Lighting Science) have completed a parking garage retrofit for TXU Energy, helping the company to reduce their energy costs.

TXU Energy replaced existing 175-watt metal halide light fixtures with state-of-the-art 78-watt LED low bay parking garage fixtures from Lighting Science. It is the first garage project of its kind in North Texas and among a handful of similar projects in the state.

Lighting Science retrofitted TXU Energy’s headquarters’ parking garage with 53 pyramid shaped low bay parking garage fixtures. The high performance LED fixtures will help reduce TXU Energy’s energy consumption by 54,700-kilowatt hours a year, which is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by nearly 880 trees in 10 years.

“The garage retrofit embodies our commitment to supporting energy efficient solutions that, in the long run, provide a financial and environmental benefit,” said Jim Burke, chief executive officer of TXU Energy. “LED lighting is now becoming more available to commercial businesses. It was important for us to be at the forefront of applying this technology.”

Lighting Science’s pyramid shaped garage fixtures are made up of 108 LED light sources arranged so that if one light source fails, the other LED light sources will continue to illuminate a wide area. These units provide cool white light with excellent color rendering, substantially improving night vision and providing increased security for TXU Energy employees.

“When you consider parking garage lights are on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, energy costs can amount to a significant overhead cost,” said Govi Rao, chairman and chief executive officer of Lighting Science. “LED solutions are maturing into an affordable, reliable and financially beneficial alternative to traditional lighting options, encouraging even greater adoption rates.”

4/15 - 4/18
ISA International Sign Expo 2009
Las Vegas, NV

Download the March/April 2009 Issue

Issue Highlights:

• Philadelphia's Center City District Unveils Architectural Facade Lighting Along the Avenue of the Arts
• Streamlined Techniques for Selecting Epoxy For Encapsulating LEDs
• Creating Tunable White Light with High Color Rendering Index Using Color Mixing
• Research & Development

April 2009

4/15 - 4/18
ISA International Sign Expo 2009
Las Vegas, NV

4/19 - 4/23
2009 NAILD Convention
Scottsdale, AZ

4/20 - 4/23
2009 SAE World Congress
Detroit, MI

4/21 - 4/22
US Department of Energy Solid-State Lighting Manufacturing Workshop
Fairfax, VA

ISA International Sign Expo 2009
April 15 – 18
Las Vegas, Nevada

Register now for ISA International Sign Expo 2009, the largest sign show in the world. April 15 – 18, 2009 • Las Vegas, Nevada. The industry’s signature event is where you’ll learn about important industry issues and trends, find the latest sign products, services and technologies. It’s that simple.

Not convinced yet? We can point out a few more reasons to attend. There are great educational sessions designed to grow your business and boost your bottom line. Chances to network abound. More than 500 exhibiting companies will be on-site ready to meet you and make deals.

Contact ISA at (703) 836-4012 or expo@signs.org

EDS
May 12 - 14
Las Vegas

EDS is the premier BtoB event that focuses on the electronics distribution supply chain and is the single most important annual conference, show and networking event for manufacturers, distributors, and manufacturers’ representatives.

At EDS 2009, May 12- May 14 at the Paris/Bally’s Hotel complex in Las Vegas, a number of new programs will increase the value of your participation in the electronic industry’s most connected conference. EDS will also feature a Solid-State Lighting Technology Conference to spotlight this emerging technology.

EDS allows companies to do business in their own style and at their own pace, with meetings occurring both in personal suites and at the traditional show floor conference units. Business gets done at EDS. 

For more information visit www.edsc.org.

SEMICON West 2009
July 14 - 16
San Francisco, CA

Extreme Electronics brings leaders of cutting-edge technologies, like solid-state lighting, to SEMICON West 2009, July 14-16, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA

Register Now!