Choosing the correct driver

CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
StonerCol said:
Yeah, that's why I want to understand the theory/process so I can make informed choices and look for other alternatives to the Meanwell drivers :)
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you really should start reading that driver thread at the beginning, you'll learn all you need

IMO, between its availability, efficiency, and warranty, its real hard to beat a meanwell. i know of cheaper drivers, cant say i know of any "better" drivers. but once you understand it all you can use that understanding to actually compare apples to apples and make your own decision
 
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StonerCol

StonerCol

Well-Known Member
Moflow said:
What chips/strips/boards are you thinking of using?
:cool:
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:D
I'm probably going to build an EB strip light to start with and later on I'll get some QB's when the stock levels are stable and I have a bit more cash than I presently do :)

:peace:
 
StonerCol

StonerCol

Well-Known Member
nogod_ said:
If youre using a 36v cob and you want to run it at 50watts then youre going to pick a driver that can supply your 36v cob with 1400mA of current.
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....and the 50W/36V = 1400mA ...I think I get it now :)

Good explanation, thanks a lot man!
:peace::bigjoint:
 
StonerCol

StonerCol

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
you really should start reading that driver thread at the beginning, you'll learn all you need

IMO, between its availability, efficiency, and warranty, its real hard to beat a meanwell. i know of cheaper drivers, cant say i know of any "better" drivers. but once you understand it all you can use that understanding to actually compare apples to apples and make your own decision
Click to expand...
Right, that's what I want to be able to do!
I don't doubt your word re the Meanwells. It's more a case of what can I build at present using "budget" components to do a job for 2-3 months whilst I dig myself out of this financial hole :(
I wanted to be able to choose a number of EB strips and be able to work out which driver I'd need and play with combinations.

I def will read the driver thread all the way through....it'll probably make more sense now I've got a slight grasp of the situation.
Thanks for the reply man. Much appreciated.
:peace: :bigjoint:
 
StonerCol

StonerCol

Well-Known Member
nc208 said:
I grabbed this from RAPID led's led university.
"
How Do I Know Which Drivers To Use?
The first decision to make is whether you want a dimmable or a non-dimmable driver. Dimmable drivers have a few advantages:

  • Tweak color temperatures to your liking (if you have multiple drivers)
  • Acclimate tanks more easily
  • Compatible with many reef controllers (ie. Apex, Reef Angel, etc) for sunrise/sunset simulations
Once you know which type of driver you need, you’ll need to look at the current (mA) output of the driver. For non-dimmable drivers they will only output one current level. For example, the LPC-35-700 driver will output 700mA at all times, regardless of how many LEDs are attached to the driver (assuming you’re running one string in series off the driver, as opposed to say multiple parallel strings).

Dimmable drivers on the other hand have variable current levels. Please check the product description page and/or technical data sheets for the current range. For example, the ELN-60-48D driver outputs a current of 0-1.3A. Since the driver can output a max of 1300mA, this driver may be too powerful for some LEDs (ie. Red and UV LEDs can only handle 700mA) unless you dial down the maximum output current via the driver’s SVR2 knob (Mean Well drivers only).

To figure out how many LEDs a driver can run, you’ll need two pieces of information: the driver’s voltage range and the voltage required by the LED at the given current level that you would like to run the LEDs at. As an example, the LPC-35-700 driver has a voltage range of 9-48V. The XP-G Cool White LED requires 3.05V at 700mA (remember this is the current output of the LPC-35-700 driver). Thus, the minimum number of LEDs required is 9V divided by 3.05V. 9/3.05 = 2.95, thus we round up and the minimum number of LEDs is 3. For maximum LEDs, we divide 48V by 3.05V and get 15.74. We round down and get 15 LEDs. Typically we play it safe and thus on our product page we list the range on the LPC-35-700 driver as ~3-14 LEDs. Keep in mind the voltage required by each LED can be quite different so you may need to do these calculations for each of your strings."

source" http://www.rapidled.com/led-university-1/
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Thanks a lot for that info man, much appreciated. It makes things much clearer :)
:peace: :bigjoint:
 
StonerCol

StonerCol

Well-Known Member
ledgardener said:
Bahaha "muppet"! My wife's got a new insult for me now.

Dirty deeds must be done for the greater good!
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Oh hello dude...didn't see you there :D
Yeah true.....at least your muppetry had a purpose :)
And it was carried out professionally....professional muppetry is so much better than the type carried out by an amateur, such as me!
Good to meet you dude, and share a joke! :)
:peace: :bigjoint:
 
ledgardener

ledgardener

Well-Known Member
StonerCol said:
Oh hello dude...didn't see you there :D
Yeah true.....at least your muppetry had a purpose :)
And it was carried out professionally....professional muppetry is so much better than the type carried out by an amateur, such as me!
Good to meet you dude, and share a joke! :)
:peace: :bigjoint:
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Likewise :lol:

Cheers
 
GBAUTO

GBAUTO

Well-Known Member
I kind of do things backwards-figure out the drive current that I want to run the array at to get the efficacy numbers I want. Then using that current I multiply the forward voltage of the array and get a wattage for each. It seems that most drivers are listed by power capacity so I see what is the best fit for the number of arrays I need to power vs what is available.
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
voltage is a product of Current [amperage] in Cobs. If you lower the current, voltage in a generic case will drop slightly, but heat will cause it to rise or fall in small amounts again as a product of current.

Diodes. Thats all these are. Electricity in, Electricy out. All DC, switched by a driver from AC......Understand that, and half the battle is solved.

Watts = volts * amps

Ex: 40v * 1.00 mA = 40 Watts. This is DC

Ex 120v * 500ma [.5 amps] = 60 watts This is AC [same]


If I wired 3x 36v @ 1050mA..... cobs in Series = 108v @ 1050mA....Current does not change but voltage is accumlative...
If I wired 3x 36v @ 1050ma in Parallel = 36v @ 3150mA.....Voltage does not "change" but amperage is accumlative...
 
ledgardener

ledgardener

Well-Known Member
Abiqua said:
voltage is a product of Current [amperage] in Cobs. If you lower the current, voltage in a generic case will drop slightly, but heat will cause it to rise or fall in small amounts again as a product of current.

Diodes. Thats all these are. Electricity in, Electricy out. All DC, switched by a driver from AC......Understand that, and half the battle is solved.

Watts = volts * amps

Ex: 40v * 1.00 mA = 40 Watts. This is DC

Ex 120v * 500ma [.5 amps] = 60 watts This is AC [same]


If I wired 3x 36v @ 1050mA..... cobs in Series = 108v @ 1050mA....Current does not change but voltage is accumlative...
If I wired 3x 36v @ 1050ma in Parallel = 36v @ 3150mA.....Voltage does not "change" but amperage is accumlative...
Click to expand...
This is a great explanation.

Your 40W example has a typo in it - I know you meant to write "1.00A" but I'm just pointing it out because I'm a nitpicking asshole :lol:
 
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