News

16 March 2009

 

Cree launches product characterization tool to speed LED system design

LED chip, lamp and lighting fixture maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has launched the Product Characterization Tool (PCT), an interactive LED design tool that simplifies the task of translating nominal LED performance to real-world conditions.

The online tool allows users to characterize any XLamp LED over a wide range of operating conditions, including drive current, flux bin, price and junction temperature. It also calculates metrics such as lumen output, lumens per watt, and lumens per dollar.

Cree claims that the PCT introduces functionality not offered commercially by any other LED supplier. It can perform simple LED system design on the basis of a target total lumen output, calculating parameters such as the number of LEDs required and the total system efficacy. The calculated system parameters take into account electrical, optical and thermal losses associated with LED system performance. In addition, the PCT allows users to compare up to three different XLamp LED configurations at once, enabling the best choice between the XLamp XR, MC and XP package families.

“The Product Characterization Tool acts like an interactive data sheet, giving users a more intuitive way to design LED systems using XLamp LEDs,” says Paul Thieken, marketing director for LED components. “Determining even basic LED system parameters like efficacy with only data sheet graphs and characteristics used to be a time-consuming process,” he adds. “Cree is moving the LED lighting industry forward by simplifying the process to just a few clicks of the mouse.”

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Visit: www.cree.com/pct