Source for LEDs

T. J.

T. J.

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Does anyone know of a good source for LEDs - the really bright ones that are used in flashlights?
 
I also struggled with this recently. I was looking to find and individual diode, not an assembly. I could not find one bright enough. I ended up using a Maglight replacement LED but that comes with an entire circuit attached. Digikey must have something available if you know what to order? I find Digikey overwhelming due to the number of choices.
Robert
 
digikey has loads, but you also need to know what you're looking for. Plus they generally come as bare LEDs, not on a star that you can solder to.

Here's one I've bought from before (LED type is just an example - a common flashlight LED)

Cree Xlamp XM-L2 LEDs

www.ledsupply.com

if you want to dive into the weeds, Budgetlightforum.com has more info than you could ever imagine about LEDs!
 
MPJA.com is one, also Aliexpress if you can wait.
Digi-key, Mouser, Allied
Anchor electronics in Santa Clara, Ca has lots of them: (plus a lot of other nifty parts)
www.anchor-electronics.com
 
I think the Samsung LH351D is Rated at 2300 lumens, it’s what I am putting in my next build, but be aware...it gets HOT in turbo mode!
 
Be wary of marketing terms like super bright. I won't buy an LED unless it specifies the output in lumens or an equivalent. Newer LED's are typically running at more than 100 lumens/watt so wattage is another indicator. White LED's run at around 3.5 volts so 3.5 x the amps gives you watts. Some vendors will give the absolute maximum current/wattage/lumens as a spec and can be many times the recommended operating conditions. Excessive driving conditions will shorten the the life significantly. Running to the max usually requires thermal management as well.

As to actual selection of LED's, I look at specs for various families. Data sheets are usually available on line from the manufacturer. Then I shop by part number. Cree and Philips Lumileds are two manufacturers that I have used. Future Electronics and, LED Supply are two vendors that I have used.

Electronic Components Distributor | Future Electronics

Global electronic components distributor with huge inventory of in stock and same day ready to ship electronic components.
www.futureelectronics.com www.futureelectronics.com

LEDSupply - For All Your LED Project Needs!

www.ledsupply.com
 
second question is "what's the project?". That has a huge say in what LED you would want to use.
 
If not heat-sunk properly high-output LEDs can get very hot, which can greatly reduce their operating life. IIRC, they also are less efficient at high temperatures. The data sheet for the LED should have thermal info for that device.

The voltage across a single white LED is 2.7V up to about 3.5V, so if you're running at 1 amp that's 2.7 to 3.5 watts it has to dissipate. The high voltage (compared to a silicon small-signal diode's .4-.7V) is due to the fact that the LED is made from a much different semiconductor. Voltages higher than about 3.5V indicate the package has more than one series-connected diode inside. I found some that require 50V to operate so, yeah, lots of diodes inside those!

There are ways to get Digikey and Mouser to help you find parts you need. Part lists displayed by Digikey and Mouser can be sorted on any displayed parameter, so if you click on the column header for "light output" or similar you can see the brightest ones right away. It also is helpful to tell their search engine to only display active components so you're not looking at obsolete parts.

You also can filter on the package type, light color etc. so you can more easily find parts to meet your requirements. If you click on entries in the parameters listing (the very top of the page), the search engine will display how many parts meet that parameter value. Helpful if you find they have zero or very few devices that do.
 
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