Ribbon lights (also referred to as LED strip lighting) are flexible circuit boards containing surface-mount light emitting diodes that come equipped with adhesive backs for easier mounting and installation. There are various sizes and densities of ribbon lights on the market today.
Unleash your creativity with battery-operated LED ribbon lights! Create an inviting atmosphere or add pops of color for memorable everyday events.
Power Supply
Your LED strip needs power in order to run, unless it features built-in current limiting resistors or constant current drivers, so it requires an external power supply. Before choosing one, it is crucial that you accurately estimate their power requirements – this can be done by multiplying their wattage per meter by its length – giving a 20% margin so your chosen power supply meets this threshold.
Once you have the appropriate power source, wire nuts allow for quick connection of it to an LED strip. Be sure to connect the positive wire (typically red) of your power supply to a (+) copper pad while connecting its negative (usually black or white) counterpart to a (-) copper pad.
LED Diodes
Light Emitting Diodes are electronic devices composed of semiconductor material with impurities that create an impediment to charge carriers passing across its boundaries, releasing energy in the form of photons which escape through different alloys within it and form photons emitting from the diode. Different alloys within it produce different colors of light.
Colour of an LED is determined by its alloy composition in its PN junction (the point at which current passes between anode and cathode), which determines wavelength or color of emitted light.
LEDs are enclosed in transparent epoxy resin hemispherical-shaped bodies made from epoxy resin with copper markers etched onto them to indicate which leads are anode (+) and which leads are cathode (-), as well as being connected in forward bias condition to a power supply through series resistors that limit current flow to protect the LED from damage.
Connectors
Ribbon LEDs come equipped with various connectors that make modifying their light easy. You’ll find connectors that snap on and allow you to quickly wire together short LED ribbons into a longer light source; and also connectors which allow for 90 degree turns in the light itself.
Ribbon LED electronics are low-profile, keeping their profile slim and lightweight. Unfortunately, voltage drops over distance limit how long your lights can remain on for use.
Power amplifiers provide a solution, enabling you to add additional voltage as the LED ribbon travels further. They’re small, inexpensive, and user-friendly; simply clipping one onto either end of a connector is as straightforward as sliding in and clicking down on its clear plastic tab.
Amplifiers
There are various power supplies on the market that can run ribbon LED lights. As long as they can provide 12V or 24V direct current (DC), as well as having enough amperage for your strand lengths, then your ribbon LEDs will be up and running!
Ribbon LEDs contain complex circuitry that requires amplifiers to prevent it from overheating and ensure your signals reach their destinations efficiently. Furthermore, amplifiers also provide galvanic isolation which is vital in maintaining proper color and pattern reproduction on LEDs.
Some individuals bypass amplifiers in an effort to save money, but this often backfires as voltage decreases along wires depending on thickness and type.
